Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
“KEEP TO THE POINT” - OC - 2009.01.01
LET US KEEP TO THE POINT - Oswald Chambers
Philippians 1:20 (15-20) “... my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.”
My Utmost for His Highest. “... my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed....” We will all feel very much ashamed if we do not yield to Jesus the areas of our lives He has asked us to yield to Him. It's as if Paul were saying, “My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest - my best for His glory.” To reach that level of determination is a matter of the will, not of debate or of reasoning. It is absolute and irrevocable surrender of the will at that point. An undue amount of thought and consideration for ourselves is what keeps us from making that decision, although we cover it up with the pretense that it is others we are considering. When we think seriously about what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn't know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point - He doesknow. Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only - my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone.
My Unstoppable Determination for His Holiness. “Whether it means life or death - it makes no difference!” (see 1:21). Paul was determined that nothing would stop him from doing exactly what God wanted. But before we choose to follow God's will, a crisis must develop in our lives. This happens because we tend to be unresponsive to God's gentler nudges. He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him and we begin to debate. He then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide - for or against. That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives. If a crisis has come to you on any front, surrender your will to Jesus absolutely and irrevocably.
NOTE: This book is dedicated to the reader. (“My Utmost for His Highest”)
May you know God better and draw closer to Him as a result of applying the truths of God's Word expressed in this book.
Consider: in 1874 Winston Churchill and Oswald Chambers were born. Both were active in the Dardanelles during World War I. But Churchill outlived OC twice over. Both were patriots in a good sense of the word.
INTRODUCTION: For over sixty years Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest has been one of the most widely read books in the Christian world. First published in England in 1927,and in the United States in 1935, these daily readings were compiled from shorthand notes of Chambers' lectures and talks by his wife, “Biddy”, who was a professional stenographer.
Oswald Chambers was a powerful Bible teacher who had lectured widely in Great Britain and abroad. From 1911 to 1915 he served as principal of the Bible Training College in London. Following the outbreak of World War I he offered himself as a chaplain for the YMCA and was assigned to minister to the Australian and New Zealand troops stationed in Zeitoun, Egypt, near Cairo. It was there that he died suddenly on November 15, 1917, following surgery for a ruptured appendix. The story of his life has been chronicled in the recently published work by David McCasland, “Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God” (Discovery House).
Because of the numerous changes in the English language over the last several decades, and the desire to reach a new generation of readers, James Reimann has updated the 1935 edition of My Utmost for His Highestin today's language. The enthusiastic reception given to this new edition suggests that this goal is being realized.
Among the many whose lives have been influenced by this book are contemporary Christian musicians who testify to the impact it has had on their personal walk with God. They have chosen to express their commitment to Christ by issuing a selection of recorded Christian music using the theme of “My Utmost for His Highest.” The publisher is releasing this special edition of My Utmostto complement this musical production and introduce a new generation to the timeless truths of Scripture as taught through the enduring words of Oswald Chambers.
The Publisher
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