For those who prefer a more thorough and analytical outline, including some of the more memorable quotes from Owen’s pen, you can download Bob Thune’s 12-page reading summary in PDF format.
Because unmortified sin weakens and darkens the soul
Because unmortified sin hardens others to the gospel
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO MORTIFY SIN?
What It Does Not Mean
To mortify sin is not to utterly destroy it. (That’s Jesus’ job, not your job.)
To mortify sin is not to outwardly forsake its practice. Those who do this are just “more cunning; not more holy.”
To mortify sin is not to have a quiet, sedate nature. “Some men have an advantage by their natural constitution… they are not exposed to unruly passions and tumultuous affections as many others are.” This does not mean they have mortified sin.
To mortify sin is not to divert it. “He that trades sensuality for Pharisaism has not mortified sin… He has changed his master, but he is a servant still.”
To mortify sin is not to experience “occasional conquests” against it.
What It Does Mean
A habitual weakening of sin.
A constant fighting against sin.
Success. Victory over sin!
HOW DO WE MORTIFY SIN?
4 General Principles
You must set your faith on Christ. (Fill your soul with the consideration of who Jesus is and what he’s done for you)
You must rely on the Holy Spirit. “A man may easier see without eyes and speak without a tongue, than mortify a sin without the Spirit.”
You must be truly converted.
You must intend universal obedience. If you don’t intend to obey God in every area, you don’t hate sin; you hate the particular sin that is bothering you. Which means you don’t love Christ; you love yourself. A particularly strong, besetting sin commonly issues from a careless, negligent spiritual life in general.
9 Specific Directives
Get a clear and abiding sense upon your mind of the guilt, danger, and evil of your sin.
Load your conscience with the guilt of your besetting sin.
Long for deliverance from the power of sin. “Longing, breathing, and panting after deliverance is a grace in itself, that has a mighty power to conform the soul into the likeness of the thing longed after… Unless you long for deliverance you shall not have it.”
Consider whether you are prone toward a particular sin because of your personality or disposition. This should awaken your zeal. “So great an advantage is given to sin and Satan by your temper and disposition, that without extraordinary watchfulness, care, and diligence, they [sin and Satan] will prevail against your soul.”
Consider what occasions your sin uses to exert itself, and watch against them all.
Fight strongly against the first actings of your lust. “Sin is like water in a channel – once it breaks out, it will have its course.”
Dwell on thoughts that humble you and remind you of your sinfulness.
Know the warning signs of particularly dangerous sin patterns: persistent, habitual sin; secret pleas of the heart to leave sin alone; giving into sin without struggle; ignoring the conviction of the Holy Spirit; avoiding sin because you fear punishment. If a lust has any of these symptoms, it cannot be dealt with by an ordinary course of mortification; it requires extraordinary measures.
Do not speak peace to yourself before God speaks peace to you.
Click on photo of book, or click here for download of FREE Online book in pdf, EPUB (iBooks,Nook) and MOBI (Kindle).
“What the world needs from the church is our indomitable joy in Jesus in the midst of suffering and sorrow” (p. 177).
About the Book
Doctrine Matters is the theological summary of one preacher’s lifetime of investment in a local church. Completing three decades of pastoral ministry at Bethlehem Baptist, John Piper gave a final sermon series on the doctrinal emphases from his years of preaching. These ten emphases, delivered as ten sermons in 2012 and now edited into this volume, embody the legacy Piper hopes to leave.
But don’t think that these messages are the memoirs of a retired pastor. You don’t store these truths away to collect dust. The vision of God in these pages doesn’t take a pat on the head—it turns the world upside down.
These doctrines are, as Piper says, “wildly untamable, explosively uncontainable, and electrically future-creating.” They make a difference. When you read these truths and immerse yourself in this biblical vision of our great God, you will want to act. You will want to build something. You will want to start things. You will be compelled to dream big and risk bigger for the glory of Jesus Christ. And we pray for nothing less.
Table of Contents
Editor’s Preface 1. God Is 2. The Glory of God 3. Christian Hedonism 4. The Sovereignty of God 5. The Gospel of God in Christ 6. The Call to Global Missions 7. Living the Christian Life 8. The Perseverance of the Saints 9. Biblical Manhood and Womanhood 10. Sorrowful Yet Always Rejoicing
Din postarea de fata: -“Iertarea pacatelor nu este insa mantuirea complecta. Nu ajunge numai sa tai crengile unui copac ca sa-l distrugi, ci trebuie sa-l smulgi din radacina si tot pamantul din juru-i sa fie curatat. Mantuirea implica transformarea generala a fiintei noastre; este o totala nastere din nou. Astfel se poate intampla ca dupa ce am capatat iertarea, totusi sa murim in pacate. De aceea mai mult ca orice, lucrul esential este de a fi smulsi din dominatia pacatului. Isus Christos n-a venit numai ca sa ne ierte, ci sa ne elibereze”.
- continuare – traducere de A.C.
Intoarcerea in India
“Toate miracolele exterioare, chiar si salvarile cele mai inexplicabile sunt de un ordin inferior in comparatie cu mantuirea unui suflet, care prin nasterea din nou, a trecut de la moarte la viata! Ceea ce depaseste toata priceperea este cum se face ca un biet suflet pacatos, murdar, mizerabil, fara repaos, primeste iertarea, descatusarea si pacea. Aici se afla miracolul central al crestinismului. Daca un om a trait aceasta, nu se mai mira de nimic. El stie ca la Dumnezeu totul este cu putinta”.
Vorbind despre salvarea sa din putul de la Rasar, Sundar a zis: “Poate ca un inger era cel ce m-a eliberat, sau chiar Isus insusi, insa cel mai mare miracol in acelasi timp a fost pacea care mi-a umplut inima pe durata celor trei zile petrecute in aceasta bolnita oribila. El a facut din inchisoarea mea un cer veritabil. In unele momente prezenta lui Christos era stralucitoare ca soarele la amiaza si acest sentiment s-a inaltat uneori pana la o bucurie triumfatoare. Nici o indoiala n-a putut sa-i strabata spiritul”.
Aceasta pace din launtru este imposibil de descris. Eu nu gasesc cuvinte ca sa o exprim. Este pacea care depaseste orice pricepere, despre care vorbeste Apostolul Pavel”.
Evocand acele intimplari, figura radianta a lui Sadhu era o predicare vie si oricine putea vedea ce comoara a gasit el in Christos.
In contact cu pacatul si suferinta, sufletul sau era dureros miscat, dar in miezul fiintei sale pacea statea nemiscata.
- “Inima mea este ca marea. La suprafata poate sa bantuie furtuni si sa se miste talazurile; in strafunzimi insa domneste o pace inalterabila. Inima noastra a fost creiata sa primeasca aceasta pace. Iata pentru ce ea nu poate sa aibe pace, mai inainte ca ea sa fie gasita”.
- “Daca nu toata lumea poate sa mearga in Tibet, sa fie legat de un arbore sau aruncat intr-o groapa, fiecare insa poate gusta odihna ce o gasim in Christos. Ea nu depinde de vreun lucru pamantesc, putere sau bogatie, caci altfel toti oamenii bogati, ar fi fericiti si satisfacuti.
Putini dintre crestini au dobandit o cunoastere atat de profunda si au marturisit-o cu atata certitudine ca acest apostol venit dintr-o tara in care cautarea pacii sufletesti a fost timp de secole scopul suprem al religiei. Cei ce-au vazut interminabilele siruri de pelerini, mergand spre un oarecare loc sfant, nu pot sa uite intensitatea dorintei acelora de a gasi pe Dumnezeu.
Sadhu nu ingaduie compromisul. Sarea dintr-insul nu-si pierduse savoarea. In invatatura sa insista foarte des asupra necesitatii pocaintei si asupra certitudinii judecatii dupa moarte.
- “Exista foarte multi oameni, care se asigura gandind: Dumnezeu este dragoste, El ne va salva si ne va rascumpara in ultimul moment. Cei ce vor vorbi asa vor fi pierduti. Ascultati ce spune Mantuitorul: Daca aude cineva cuvintele Mele si nu le pazeste, nu Eu il judec; caci Eu n-am venit sa judec lumea, ci sa mantuiesc lumea. Pe cine Ma nesocoteste si nu primeste cuvintele Mele, are cine-l osandi: Cuvantul, pe care l-am vestit Eu, acela il va osandi in ziua de apoi”(Ioan 12:47-48).
“Odata am ridicat o piatra mare, ce acoperea o multime de insecte. Indata ce au dat de lumina, ele fugeau ingrozite in toate partile, prada unei agitatii neasteptate. Punand piatra la loc, insectele se linistira. Cand Soarele justitiei se va ridica pentru noi, acei care traiesc in placerile pacatului, vor privi scosi la lumina, greselile pe care le-au savarsit in ascuns. Caci nu exista vreun ascuns care sa nu fie descoperit si nici un secret ce nu poate fi stiut”.
“Noi stim ce este puterea pacatului si forta lui Satan, insa Mantuitorul este mult mai puternic. Intr-o zi stand asezat pe o stanca, am vazut sub mine o pasarica zburand din ce in ce mai incet. Luand seama la miscarile ei, am zarit un sarpe mare care o privea. Atrasa in gura mortii, mica zburatoare era fara putere de rezistenta. Am incercat sa-i salvez viata aruncand cu pietre, dar inutil si am asistat la scena tragica, in momentul cand pasarica s-a apropiat de sarpele cel batran, de gura reptilei, fiind dintr-o data inghitita. Tot astfel, Satan sarpele cel vechi, atrage la el tineri si batrani. Nimeni nu are in sine atata putere ca sa reziste raului si noi mergem de-a dreptul la moarte. Dar sa privim la Isus Christos, care poate sa ne traga spre El si sa ne scape de Satan”.
- “Tu nu esti departe de Imparatia cerurilor, a spus Isus unui om. El trebuie sa fi fost impacat auzind acest cuvant adresat fata de toti. Totusi el ar fi trebuit sa se intristeze cunoscand ca nu poseda Imparatia cerurilor. A fi aproape de ea nu inseamna mare lucru, ci sa fi intrat in ea. Ganditi-va la fecioarele neantelepte, stand la poarta salii de nunta, dar neputand sa intre acolo. A fi aproape mantuit este a fi pierdut”.
- “Intr-o jungla deasa din statul Butham, se face vanatoarea tigrului. Vanatorii au cu ei cheia unui refugiu construit ca sa le serveasca de adapost in caz de pericol. Intr-o zi, unul dintre vanatori a luat pusca si s-a dus la vanat. Zarind un tigru, l-a ochit cu pusca, a tras, dar a gresit tinta. Animalul a inceput numaidecat sa-l urmareasca. Omul crezand ca poate sa ajunga la coliba salvatoare, arunca pusca. Pe pragul refugiului isi cauta cheia dar a uitat-o acasa. Atunci tigrul a sarit asupra lui si l-a sfasiat. Intre coliba si vanator nu mai era decat grosimea usii. Cu toate acestea omul si-a pierdut viata datorita lipsei de grija. Si oricat de departe sau de aproape era de coliba, tot ar fi murit. Nefiind departe de Imparatia lui Dumnezeu, multi dintre semeni isi neglijeaza cheia, care este pocainta si rugaciunea staruitoare”.
- “Exista pericol de a pierde darurile si binecuvantarile ce le-am primit. Daca nu ar fi asa, Domnul nu ne-ar fi adresat acest avertisment: “Eu vin curand. Pastreaza ce ai , ca nimeni sa nu-ti ia cununa (Apocalipsa 3:11)”. Iata pentru ce “veghiati si rugati-va”. Dumnezeu este dragostea, nu vom avea un alt mantuitor dupa moarte. Christos n-ar fi coborat pe pamant, daca ne-ar fi fost oferita o alta sansa de a fi mantuiti mai tarziu. El ar fi ramas in ceruri”.
Sadhu a insistat de nenumarate ori asupra imposibilitatii cuiva de a se mantui prin propriile puteri. Nici un efort personal, nici o fapta buna nu poate sa obtina harul iertarii. Justificarea si pacea sufletului sunt din partea indurarii lui Dumnezeu, daruri nemeritate, pe care trebuie sa le primim pur si simplu prin rugaciune in umilinta, pocainta si credinta.
-”Iertarea pacatelor nu este insa mantuirea complecta. Nu ajunge numai sa tai crengile unui copac ca sa-l distrugi, ci trebuie sa-l smulgi din radacina si tot pamantul din juru-i sa fie curatat. Mantuirea implica transformarea generala a fiintei noastre; este o totala nastere din nou. Astfel se poate intampla ca dupa ce am capatat iertarea, totusi sa murim in pacate. De aceea mai mult ca orice, lucrul esential este de a fi smulsi din dominatia pacatului. Isus Christos n-a venit numai ca sa ne ierte, ci sa ne elibereze”.
- “O tanara fata, strica in fiecare zi in camera sa, panza unui paianjen. Draga mea, i s-a zis, nu-ti foloseste la nimic sa indepartezi aceste ate, care mereu se refac! Daca omori paianjenul, nu vei mai vedea panza la loc. Tot asa, nu ajunge ca pacatele noastre zilnice sa fie iertate fara incetare, ci trebuie sa omoram in noi pe omul cel vechiu, care le comite. Foarte multi dintre credinciosi se inseala, crezand ca este suficient ca pacatele lor sa fie iertate, pentru ca sa fie mantuiti. Cat timp insasi natura lor vinovata n-a fost transformata, ei sunt pierduti”.
- “Scopul ultim al intruparii dragostei divine este ca sa faca umanitatea sa semene cu Fiul lui Dumnezeu. “Fiti desavarsiti cum Tatal vostru ceresc este desavarsit”. A crede in Christos este a imbraca pe Christos, a deveni una cu El, a trai viata Lui. Exista unele insecte, a caror culoare si forma seamana pana intr-atat cu frunzele arborilor pe care traiesc si cu care se hranesc, ca te poti insela asupra lor. In acelasi timp acei care traiesc legati de Isus Christos, sunt transformati intr-o imagine a Lui”.
- “Satan seamana indoiala in inima copiilor lui Dumnezeu dar prin gratia de sus, cel drept scapa de sub aceasta influenta. Ascultati urmatoarea povestire. Inainte de a se converti, un barbat a comis mai multe crime. Dupa aceea insa, el a slujit fara incetare pe Domnul si a dus o viata sfanta. Dar cand a ajuns pe patul mortii, diavolul ii desfasura lista pacatelor lui din trecut, zicandu-i: iata tot ceea ce ai facut; nu esti vrednic sa intri in cer, locul tau este in iad. Muribundul ii raspunse: Mantuitorul meu nu va arunca afara pe acela care vine la El, daca ne marturisim pacatele, El este credincios si drept ca sa ne ierte si sa ne curateasca de toata nelegiuirea. Cu toate acestea, Satana continua sa-l tulbure. Sfantul insa staruia mai cu ardoare in rugaciune. Atunci a aparut un deget care a tras o linie de-a curmezisul listei pacatelor lui. Satan nu se lasa si-i zise din nou: nu te bucura prea mult, tu poti s-atingi cerul, insa pacatele tale vor fi mereu vizibile tuturor ochilor si te vei rusina de toti de acolo. Sfantul se ruga din nou. Atunci o picatura din sangele lui Christos a cazut pe lista, s-a prelins in toate partile stergand cuvintele de aducere aminte si facand hartia din nou alba. Iar muribundul cuprins de o pace divina, a putut sa se infatiseze inaintea Domnului sau”.
- “Cat timp un om se afla pe pamant, nu intelege gloria supremei fericiri ceresti, care este destinul sau nemuritor. Aceasta este ca puiul in gaoace, care nu poate sa-si inchipuie frumusetea lumii in care va intra. Daca declara ca nimic nu exista in afara de coaja sa, mama lui i-ar fi raspuns: Ce stai si vorbesti? Afara sunt campii, munti, un cer albastru. El nevazand nimic, nu poate sa le creada, dar cand gaoacea se va sfarma, va vedea ca mama lui a avut dreptate. Acelasi lucru se intampla cu noi, care nu putem sa deosebim nici cerul , nici infernul. Cand se va sfarma insa invelisul nostru de lut, ceea ce ne este invisibil va deveni vizibil”.
- “Totusi unele lucruri ne permit sa intrezarim viitoarea noastra stare. Intocmai cum puisorul are ochi si aripioare de care numai cand va iesi din coaja se va putea servi, la fel in noi se afla dorinte si aspiratiuni, care nu vor fi implinite in viata de aici. Trebuie deci sa existe o viata viitoare unde acestea se vor realiza. Si exista viata cea vesnica. Insa cum pasarea trebuie sa fie tinuta la cald pe durata aflarii sale in gaoace, la fel cat noi sintem in aceasta lume, trebuie ca prezenta si focul Duhului Sfant, sa ne acopere si sa ne infierbante”.
Filmul original, din 1951, „Quo vadis” este titlul unui roman istoric, scris de Henryk Sienkiewicz, în anul 1896. Romanul înfăţişează în chip deosebit de viu civizilatia din Roma şi persecuţiile suferite de creştini, în perioada împăratului păgân Nero, pe fundalul unei poveşti de dragoste. Pentru opera lui literară, în anul 1905, autorului polonez i s-a decernat Premiul Nobel. Titlul cărţii, însemnând în limba latină „Unde mergi?” Romanul evocă persecuțiile suferite de creștini în perioada lui Nero și aceasta prin intermediul poveștii de dragoste dintre o tânără creștină, Ligia și Marcus Vinicius, patrician roman. Acțiunea se desfășoară în cadrul cetății Romei.
This list will be added to my Prayer page, which can be accessed at the top of the blog under the ‘Prayer’ tab. (next to the search box).
“Edward McKendree Bounds did not merely pray well that he might write well about prayer. He prayed because the needs of the world were upon him. He prayed, for long years, upon subjects which the easy-going Christian rarely gives a thought, and for objects which men of less thought and faith are always ready to call impossible. From his solitary prayer-vigils, year by year, there arose teaching equaled by few men in modern Christian history. He wrote transcendently about prayer, because he was himself, transcendent in its practice.
“As breathing is a physical reality to us so prayer was a reality for Bounds. He took the command, ‘Pray without ceasing’ almost as literally as animate nature takes the law of the reflex nervous system, which controls our breathing.” -Claude Chilton, Jr., in the Foreword to Necessity of Prayer .
Edward McKendree Bounds was trained and apprenticed as an attorney, but instead of pursuing a legal career, he entered the ministry in his early twenties. In 1859 he was ordained as pastor of the the Monticello Methodist Church in Missouri.
Bounds was a chaplain in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was captured by the Union Army in Franklin, Tennessee and later released. After his release, he strove to build up the spiritual state of Franklin by starting weekly prayer sessions.
Bounds was an associate editor of the official Methodist newspaper, The Christian Advocate, and is best known for his numerous books on the subject of prayer.
How to grow in grace-
In The Necessity of Prayer,(click for free PDF book format)E. M. Bounds quotes this advice, giving credit only to “an eminent old divine”:
Click to read.
Would you be freed from the bondage to corruption? Would you grow in grace in general and grow in grace in particular? If you would, your way is plain.
Ask of God more faith. Beg of him morning, and noon and night, while you walk by the way, while you sit in the house, when you lie down and when you rise up; beg of him simply to impress divine things more deeply on your heart, to give you more and more of the substance of things hoped for and of the evidence of things not seen.
Agenţia spaţială americană NASA a publicat o carte de excepţie, cu fotografii ale celor mai inedite puncte ale Terrei, văzute din spaţiu, pe care o oferă gratuit, în format electronic.
„Această carte celebrează frumuseţea Pământului, manifestată în tiparele, formele, culorile şi texturile pământului, ale oceanelor, gheţurilor şi atmosferei,” anunţă NASA în descrierea cărţii care cuprinde 75 de imagini uluitoare realizate cu ajutorul sateliţilor Terra, Landsat 5, Landsat 7, EO-1 şi Aqua.
Datorită senzorilor cu care sunt dotaţi aceşti sateliţi, imaginile arată mai mult decât se poate vedea cu ochiul liber. Ele au fost realizate „mai degrabă pentru a satisface privirea observatorului decât pentru interpretarea lor ştiinţifică”, spun reprezentanţii NASA.
Cartea poate fi descărcată gratuit, în două variante: Earth As Art (format .pdf) şi Earth As Art (aplicaţie de iPad).
An inspirational Christian biography to share with your family:
An introduction to David Livingstone from Ravi Zacharias (9 minutes) from LovingTheTruth1
Sometimes you wonder how God gives us desire for one subject matter, or another, while we attend school, and, how that eventually plays out in the trajectory of our lives, all under His sovereign plan for our lives. Dr. David Livingston loved science, to the chagrin of his father, who thought it could ruin his son’s faith. Yet, Dr. Livingstone’s science background, especially the fact that he was a medical doctor, was extremely valuable to him in his travels throughout Africa where malaria and dysentery was a regular occurrence . But, even more important was his love for geography, which fueled Dr. Livingstone’s desire to find the source of the River Nile; something which he failed to do, but it took him on journeys across a vast expanse of far off lands. How better to proclaim the Christ he believed in, and worshipped, than by traveling through a vast expanse of land in pursuit of a scientific quest. He did have some success as he eventually charted some previously unknown lakes and river tributaries. (Also, see the second map in this article- it is a hand drawn map by Dr. Livingstone’s own hand, and it has amazing accuracy and precision when checked against later maps). One of the lesser known facts is that the same Mr. Stanley, a journalist who set to find out what happened to Dr. Livingstone in Africa, and who asked Dr. Livingston to please not try and convert him as he proclaimed to be ‘the biggest swaggering atheist on the face of the earth’, four month after meeting Dr. Livingstsone, knelt down on that african soil and gave his life to Jesus.
Dr. Livingstone’s Christian faith is evident in his journal, where one entry reads: “I place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in relation to the kingdom of Christ. If anything will advance the interests of the kingdom, it shall be given away or kept, only as by giving or keeping it I shall promote the glory of Him to whom I owe all my hopes in time and eternity.
Below, you will find some materials which are meant to inspire. They show us the dedication and perseverance of a father of 6, who answered his calling in the 1800′s to be a missionary to Africa- Dr. David Livingstone of Blantyre, Scotland.
A 13 min documentary from the Scotland National Archives
The following are excerpts from Wikipedia:
David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873), was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”
David Livingstone was born on 19 March 1813 in the mill town of Blantyre, in a tenement building for the workers of a cotton factory on the banks of the Clyde River under the bridge crossing into Bothwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was the second of seven children born to Neil Livingstone (1788–1856) and his wife Agnes Hunter (1782–1865). Along with many of the Livingstones, David was at the age of ten employed in the cotton mill of H. Monteith & Co. in the village of Blantyre Works. David and his brother John worked twelve-hour days as “piecers,” tying broken cotton threads on the spinning machines. David Livingstone, the great African missionary and explorer, was a student at the Charing Cross Hospital Medical School. His medical studies extended from 1838 to 1840 and records show that he “paid the fees for the full course of medical practice, midwifery and botany.
Livingstone’s father Neil was very committed to his beliefs, a Sunday School teacher and teetotaller who handed out Christian tracts on his travels as a door to door tea salesman, and who read extensively books on theology, travel and missionary enterprises. This rubbed off on the young David, who became an avid reader, but he also loved scouring the countryside for animal, plant and geological specimens in local limestone quarries. Neil Livingstone had a fear of science books as undermining Christianity and attempted to force him to read nothing but theology, but David’s deep interest in nature and science led him to investigate the relationship between religion and science.[3] When in 1832 he read Philosophy of a Future State by the science teacher, amateur astronomer and church minister Thomas Dick, he found the rationale he needed to reconcile faith and science, and apart from theBible this book was perhaps his greatest philosophical influence.
Livingstone attended Blantyre village school along with the few other mill children with the endurance to do so despite their 12-hour workday (6 am–8 pm), but having a family with a strong, ongoing commitment to study also reinforced his education. After reading Gutzlaff’s appeal for medical missionaries for China in 1834, he began saving money and in 1836 entered Anderson’s College (now University of Strathclyde) in Glasgow, founded to bring science and technology to ordinary folk, and attended Greek and theology lectures at the University of Glasgow. It is now known that to enter Medical School he required some knowledge of Latin. A local Roman Catholic, Daniel Gallagher, helped him learn Latin to the required level.
In addition, he attended divinity lectures by Wardlaw, a leader at this time of vigorous anti-slavery campaigning in the city. Shortly after, he applied to join the London Missionary Society (LMS) and was accepted subject to missionary training. He continued his medical studies in London while training there and was attached to a church in Ongar, Essex, to be a minister under LMS. Despite his impressive personality, he was a plain preacher and would have been rejected by the LMS had not the director given him a second chance to pass the course.
Livingstone hoped to go to China as a missionary, but the First Opium War broke out in September 1839 and the LMS suggested the West Indies instead. In 1840, while continuing his medical studies in London, Livingstone met LMS missionary Robert Moffat, on leave from Kuruman, a missionary outpost in South Africa, north of the Orange River. Excited by Moffat’s vision of expanding missionary work northwards, and influenced by abolitionist T.F. Buxton’s arguments that the African slave trade might be destroyed through the influence of “legitimate trade” and the spread of Christianity, Livingstone focused his ambitions on Southern Africa. He was deeply influenced by Moffat’s judgment that he was the right person to go to the vast plains to the north of Bechuanaland, where he had glimpsed “the smoke of a thousand villages, where no missionary had ever been.”
Livingstone’s exploration-southern and central Africa
After the Kolobeng mission had to be closed because of drought, he explored the African interior to the north, in the period 1852–56, and was the first European to see the Mosi-oa-Tunya (“the smoke that thunders”) waterfall (which he renamed Victoria Falls after his monarch, Queen Victoria), of which he wrote later, “Scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.” (Jeal, p. 149)
Livingstone was one of the first Westerners to make a transcontinental journey across Africa, Luanda on the Atlantic to Quelimane on the Indian Ocean near the mouth of the Zambezi, in 1854–56. Despite repeated European attempts, especially by the Portuguese, central and southern Africa had not been crossed by Europeans at that latitude owing to their susceptibility to malaria, dysentery and sleeping sickness which was prevalent in the interior and which also prevented use of draught animals (oxen and horses), as well as to the opposition of powerful chiefs and tribes. The qualities and approaches which gave Livingstone an advantage as an explorer were that he usually travelled lightly, and he had an ability to reassure chiefs that he was not a threat.
Livingstone was a proponent of trade and Christian missions to be established in central Africa.
His motto, inscribed in the base of the statue to him at Victoria Falls, was “Christianity, Commerce and Civilization.” At this time he believed the key to achieving these goals was the navigation of the Zambezi River as a Christian commercial highway into the interior. He returned to Britain to try to garner support for his ideas, and to publish a book on his travels which brought him fame as one of the leading explorers of the age.
Believing he had a spiritual calling for exploration rather than mission work, and encouraged by the response in Britain to his discoveries and support for future expeditions, in 1857 he resigned from the London Missionary Society after they demanded that he do more evangelizing and less exploring. With the help of the Royal Geographical Society’s president, Livingstone was appointed as Her Majesty’s Consul for the East Coast of Africa. Below-right: Dr. Livingstone’s hand drawn map of Lake Malawi (from Scotland’s National Archives)
In January 1866, Livingstone returned to Africa, this time to Zanzibar, from where he set out to seek the source of the Nile. Richard Francis Burton, John Hanning Speke and Samuel Baker had (although there was still serious debate on the matter) identified either Lake Albert or Lake Victoria as the source (which was partially correct, as the Nile “bubbles from the ground high in the mountains of Burundi halfway between Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria”). Livingstone believed the source was further south and assembled a team of freed slaves, Comoros Islanders, twelve Sepoys and two servants, Chuma and Susi, from his previous expedition to find it.
With his health declining he sent a message to Zanzibar requesting supplies be sent to Ujiji and he then headed west. Forced by ill health to travel with slave traders he arrived at Lake Mweru on 8 November 1867 and continued on, travelling south to become the first European to see Lake Bangweulu. Finding the Lualaba River, Livingstone mistakenly concluded it was the high part of the Nile River; in fact it flows into the River Congo at Upper Congo Lake.
The year 1869 began with Livingstone finding himself extremely ill whilst in the jungle. He was saved by Arab traders who gave him medicines and carried him to an Arab outpost. In March 1869 Livingstone, suffering from pneumonia, arrived in Ujiji to find his supplies stolen. Coming down with cholera and tropical ulcers on his feet he was again forced to rely on slave traders to get him as far as Bambara where he was caught by the wet season. With no supplies, Livingstone had to eat his meals in a roped off open enclosure for the entertainment of the locals in return for food.
On 15 July 1871, according to Livingstone’s recently released original handwritten diaries, while he was visiting the town of Nyangwe on the banks of the Lualaba River, he witnessed around 400 Africans being massacred by slavers. The massacre horrified Livingstone, leaving him too shattered to continue his mission to find the source of the Nile. Following the end of the wet season, he travelled 240 miles from Nyangwe – violently ill most of the way – back to Ujiji, an Arab settlement on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, arriving on 23 October 1871.
Geographical discoveries
Although Livingstone was wrong about the Nile, he discovered for Western science numerous geographical features, such as Lake Ngami, Lake Malawi, and Lake Bangweulu in addition to Victoria Falls mentioned above. He filled in details of Lake Tanganyika, Lake Mweru and the course of many rivers, especially the upper Zambezi, and his observations enabled large regions to be mapped which previously had been blank. Even so, the furthest north he reached, the north end of Lake Tanganyika, was still south of the Equator and he did not penetrate the rainforest of the River Congo any further downstream than Ntangwe near Misisi.
Livingstone was awarded the gold medal of the Royal Geographical Society of London and was made a Fellow of the society, with which he had a strong association for the rest of his life.
Stanley meeting
Henry Morton Stanley meets David Livingstone. Henry Morton Stanley, who had been sent to find him by the New York Herald newspaper in 1869, found Livingstone in the town of Ujiji on the shores of Lake Tanganyika on 10 November 1871, greeting him with the now famous words “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” to which he responded “Yes”, and then “I feel thankful that I am here to welcome you.” These famous words may have been a fabrication, as Stanley later tore out the pages of this encounter in his diary. Even Livingstone’s account of this encounter does not mention these words. However, the phrase appears in a New York Herald editorial dated 10 August 1872, and theEncyclopædia Britannica and the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography both quote it without questioning its veracity. The words are famous because of their perceived tongue-in-cheek humorous nature: Dr. Livingstone was the only white person for hundreds of miles. Stanley’s book suggests that it was really because of embarrassment, because he did not dare to embrace him.
Despite Stanley’s urgings, Livingstone was determined not to leave Africa until his mission was complete. His illness made him confused and he had judgment difficulties at the end of his life. He explored the Lualaba and, failing to find connections to the Nile, returned to Lake Bangweulu and its swamps to explore possible rivers flowing out northwards.
Death
David Livingstone died in that area in Chief Chitambo’s village at Ilala southeast of Lake Bangweulu in present-day Zambia on 1 May 1873 from malaria and internal bleeding caused by dysentery. He took his final breaths while kneeling in prayer at his bedside. (His journal indicates that the date of his death would have been 1 May, but his attendants noted the date as 4 May, which they carved on a tree and later reported; this is the date on his grave.) Britain wanted the body to give it a proper ceremony, but the tribe would not give his body to them. Finally they relented, but cut the heart out and put a note on the body that said, “You can have his body, but his heart belongs in Africa!”. Livingstone’s heart was buried under a Mvula tree near the spot where he died, now the site of theLivingstone Memorial. His body together with his journal was carried over a thousand miles by his loyal attendants Chuma and Susi to the coast to Bagamoyo, and was returned to Britain for burial. After lying in repose at No.1 Savile Row—then the headquarters of the Royal Geographical Society, now the home of bespoke tailors Gieves & Hawkes— his remains were interred at Westminster Abbey, London.
Legacy
By the late 1860s Livingstone’s reputation in Europe had suffered owing to the failure of the missions he set up, and of the Zambezi Expedition; and his ideas about the source of the Nile were not supported. His expeditions were hardly models of order and organization. His reputation was rehabilitated by Stanley and his newspaper, and by the loyalty of Livingstone’s servants whose long journey with his body inspired wonder. The publication of his last journal revealed stubborn determination in the face of suffering.
He had made geographical discoveries for European knowledge. He inspired abolitionists of the slave trade, explorers and missionaries. He opened up Central Africa to missionaries who initiated the education and health care for Africans, and trade by the African Lakes Company. He was held in some esteem by many African chiefs and local people and his name facilitated relations between them and the British.
Partly as a result, within fifty years of his death, colonial rule was established in Africa and white settlement was encouraged to extend further into the interior.
On the other hand, within a further fifty years after that, two other aspects of his legacy paradoxically helped end the colonial era in Africa without excessive bloodshed. Livingstone was part of an evangelical and nonconformist movement in Britain which during the 19th century changed the national mindset from the notion of a divine right to rule ‘lesser races’, to ethical ideas in foreign policy which, with other factors, contributed to the end of the British Empire. Secondly, Africans educated in mission schools founded by people inspired by Livingstone were at the forefront of national independence movements in central, eastern and southern Africa.
While Livingstone had a great impact on British Imperialism, he did so at a tremendous cost to his family. In his absences, his children grew up missing their father, and his wife Mary (daughter of Mary and Robert Moffat) endured very poor health, and died of malaria trying to follow him in Africa. He had six children: Robert reportedly died in the American Civil War; Agnes (b.1847), Thomas, Elizabeth (who died two months after her birth), William Oswell (nicknamed Zouga because of the river along which he was born, in 1851) and Anna Mary (b.1858). Only Agnes, William Oswell and Anna Mary married and had children.
His one regret in later life was that he did not spend enough time with his children, whom he loved immensely
His Christian faith is evident in his journal, where one entry reads: “I place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in relation to the kingdom of Christ. If anything will advance the interests of the kingdom, it shall be given away or kept, only as by giving or keeping it I shall promote the glory of Him to whom I owe all my hopes in time and eternity.
I found the talk as fascinating as Dr. Livingston’s story, as the author recounted his own trek to the roads and places that Dr. Livingstone once walked. It helped create a picture of the dangers that Dr. Livingstone and Stanley lived on a daily basis- some dangers that are obviously still encountered in the present, as Mr. Dugard says- Africa is this still vast deserted expanse in many places.
You can watch the 44 minute C span video of a talk at Vroman’s Bookstore, where Mr.Dugard discussed his book Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone, published by Doubleday. The book tells the story of journalist Henry Morton Stanley’s journey into Africa in the hopes of locating explorer and former Christian missionary Dr. David Livingstone. In 1866, in the midst of an exploratory mission into central Africa, Dr. Livingstone vanished without a clue. After years passed without any indication of Livingstone’s fate, an American newspaper publisher sent Stanley on a mission to locate Dr. Livingstone in the hopes that such a captivating story would increase readership. Mr. Dugard tells the stories of both Livingstone and Stanley and chronicles their respective lives in the years after leaving Africa. After his presentation Mr. Dugard answered questions from members of the audience. Click here to watch C span’s video - http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/176539-1
And here’s a 13 minute clip from the Dr. David Livingstone movie (it is available at Amazon for instant download)
“A afirma despre crestinism ca n-a izbutit in Europa si in America este o grava eroare, ce nu este bazata pe cunoasterea reala. Totodata in calatoriile mele din Occident am gasit oameni atat de ocupati cu munca, afacerile, biroul, negotul lor, ca ei nu mai au timp sa se roage si sa primeasca binecuvantarile Evangheliei. Unii dintr-insii mi-au marturisit ca viata le-a devenit atat de complicata si de aglomerata, ca sunt istoviti. Daca un om s-a anemiat din cauza ca n-a mancat si baut, putem oare sa zicem ca greseala se datoreaza alimentelor? Desigur ca nu. Singura neglijenta acestui om este cauza slabirii sale.
“El le-a vorbit despre multe lucruri in pilde” Matei 13:3
Care a fost motivul care l-a impus pe Sadhu sa paraseasca lucrarea sa din India si sa vina in Europa?
Mai inainte de toate pentru el a fost un act de simpla supunere: -”A trebuit sa ascult, Dumnezeu m-a trimis contra vointei mele. Eu nu sunt in largul meu in orasele mari, nici in India, nici in alta parte”.
Apoi Sundar a vrut sa vada personal daca acuzatia unor hindusi era justificata; Europa mai este oare crestina? N-a pierdut oare seva Evangheliei si influenta in lume?
Ca raspuns la o intrebare ce i-a fost pusa la Geneva cu privire la subiectul acesta, a spus: -”Venind aici, primul meu scop a fost sa depun marturie despre Isus Christos si despre puterea Lui. Apoi, am dorit sa multumesc adevaratilor crestini pentru aceea ce au facut pentru tara mea. Hindusii nu sunt ingrati. In fine, am vrut sa pot combate pe studentii nostri veniti sa studieze in Europa si care neantalnind adevarati crestini, la reantoarcerea lor in India, ataca crestinismul si defaimeaza munca misionarilor”.
“A afirma despre crestinism ca n-a izbutit in Europa si in America este o grava eroare, ce nu este bazata pe cunoasterea reala. Totodata in calatoriile mele din Occident am gasit oameni atat de ocupati cu munca, afacerile, biroul, negotul lor, ca ei nu mai au timp sa se roage si sa primeasca binecuvantarile Evangheliei. Unii dintr-insii mi-au marturisit ca viata le-a devenit atat de complicata si de aglomerata, ca sunt istoviti. Daca un om s-a anemiat din cauza ca n-a mancat si baut, putem oare sa zicem ca greseala se datoreaza alimentelor? Desigur ca nu. Singura neglijenta acestui om este cauza slabirii sale. Europenii care insa au acceptat crestinismul cu toata inima lor si au primit binecuvantari, au desteptat lumea din somnul de moarte si au lucrat la mantuirea ei”.
Este interesant sa mai stim impresiile a doi hindusi care cunosc Occidentul, Rabindranath Tagore si Gandi. Primul a declarat: “Voi (occidentalii) nu puteti sa predicati crestinismul inainte de a fi devenit asemenea lui Christos. Cand veti fi astfel, nu veti mai predica crestinismul, ci dragostea lui Dumnezeu, pe care El ne-o reveleaza”.
Gandi, celor care-l intrebara la Lausanne ce trebuia sa faca pentru ca crestinismul sa devina o forta in India, raspundea: “Trebuie ca voi, misionarii, sa traiti cum Christos a trait. Crestinismul este bun, insa foarte multi crestini sunt rai.
poza – Ghandi in 1906 (sursa wikipedia)
Sadhu vorbind de acesti doi barbati pe care ii cunostea personal, a spus: “Tagore si Gandi ar fi devenit probabil crestini, daca ei n-ar fi visitat Europa. In India nu ducem lipsa nici de religie, nici de scoli teologice sau filozofice, dar ceea ce lipseste in viata si conduita lor este Christos. India nu stie ce sa faca cu misionarii care nu vad in Christos decat un mare Maestru si nu cred in divinitatea Lui. Pe acestia pastrati-i la voi si nu va lasati rataciti de modernism si de critica biblica”.
Daca Sadhu nu este un amic al invataturii biblice, apoi s-a ridicat cu energie contra acelora care vor sa i se de-a primul loc si contra intelectualismului religios. El nu este primul pentru ca: “lucrurile acestea sunt ascunse inteleptilor si inteligentilor si decoperite copiilor”. Inima este mai presus de ratiune.
- “Eu nu condamn stiinta teologica, nici pe toti teologii din care cei mai multi sunt sfinti. Eu nu ma opun studiilor, insa acelea fara viata, intuneca viziunea spirituala. O teologie fara rugaciune, este o fantana fara apa. Am invatat multe lucruri utile la studiile mele, dar cunoasterea Spiritului am primit-o la picioarele Mantuitorului”.
Reantors in India, Sundar a venit la Sabathu. Tatal sau insista sa-i construiasca o casa, lucru care a modificat viata sa de “sadhu” prin ceea ce poseda de acum inainte, adica un loc unde sa-si odihneasca capul. El cumpara o veche casa a misiunei, invecinata de o parte cu un cartier aglomerat, murdar si zgomotos, iar pe de alta parte cu dealurile dimprejur si cu o vedere mareata in departare. Aceasta locuinta era ca si simbolul vietii lui Sundar, in contact in acelasi timp cu lumea profana, adeseori murdara si cu solitudinea naturii, calma si inspiratoare.
Casa, mai era ocupata de unul din prietenii sai, un medic lucrator la azilul leprosilor din Sabathu, Sadhu se bucura acolo de viata de familie. Una din trasaturile caracterului sau era dragostea pentru copii, si lui ii placea sa se joace cu micutii doctorului. El se gandea la primirea pe care a facut-o Isus celor mai mici dintre ei, dandu-i ca exemplu: “Daca nu veti deveni ca si copiii cei mici, nu veti intra in Imparatia cerurilor; Oricine va fi smerit ca un copil, acela va fi cel mai mare in Imparatia cerurilor”.
Camera lui Sundar, foarte sobra, continea o mica biblioteca cu carti de mistica, psihologie si stiinta si fotografiile amicilor sai.
C. F. Andrews, un amic personal al lui Sadhu, ne da detalii despre aceasta perioada din viata lui. In timpul lunilor linistite pe care Sundar le-a petrecut la Sabathu, a scris mai multe dintre cartile sale traduse din “urdu” in engleza si unele in franceza: “La picioarele Mantuitorului”, “Viziuni din lumea spirituala”, “Meditatiuni asupra diferitelor aspecte ale vietii spirituale”.
De indata ce engleza i-a devenit familiara, a citit mai mult. Un volum de stiinta moderna, subliniat cu grija, marturiseste interesul ce-l manifesta in lectura sa.
A fost o revelatie pentru prietenii sai, foiletand paginile atat de minutios adnotate, sa descopere una din partile necunoscute sufletului lui Sadhu. El pastra totdeauna o atitudine de spirit umila si simpla, dar puterea sa intelectuala era dezvoltata si maturizata. El s-a straduit sa patrunda in acest alt domeniu al gandirii umane, atat de diferit de al sau. Avea o mare admiratie pentru inteligenta oamenilor si nu combatea valoarea rationamentului si descoperirilor lor, insa credea cu fermitate in legile ignorate ale domeniului spiritului.
El a ramas fidel principiului fundamental care dicta actiunile sale, intreaga sa dependenta de Christos, “inceputul si sfarsitul” a toata stiinta; “Misterul lui Dumnezeu in care sunt ascunse toate comorile intelepciunei si stiintei”.
Biblia era pentru el Cuvantul chiar al lui Dumnezeu. “Ea este indrumatorul, lumina, hrana sufletului meu. Experienta a dovedit ca nu exista o alta carte in lume, care sa poata raspunde nevoilor spirituale omenesti. Greutatea limbii originale, a traducerilor, critica textelor, nici sa micsoreze influenta ei asupra sufletului meu pentru ca unicul ei scop este sa ne faca a cunoaste pe Christos”.
- “Deschizand Biblia am gasit bogatii nemasurate si eterne si impartindu-le cu altii, ele n-au facut decat sa creasca pentru mine si pentru ei. Fara aceasta carte eu n-as fi cunoscut niciodata iubirea cea infinita a lui Dumnezeu, revelata la cruce. Puterea de atractie a Bibliei nu este simtita decat de cei care o studiaza cu sinceritate si cu rugaciune. Foarte multi oameni citesc lucrari despre Biblie, in loc sa o citeasca pe ea insusi”.
Sundar avea totdeauna cu el Noul Testament in “urdu”. Ani intregi a fost singura carte pe care a citit-o. El vorbea mereu de bucuria intensa ce o gasea si stia pe dinafara Evangheliile. Istoria lui Isus era un viu exemplu inaintea sa. El cauta sa se supuna “ad literam” instructiunilor date ucenicilor. Cand Christos a zis: “Vulpile au vizuinile lor, pasarile cerului au cuiburile lor, dar Fiul Omului n-are unde sa-si plece capul”. Sundar gasea in aceste cuvinte confirmarea vietii sale de sadhu. La ordinul: nu luati cu voi nici punga, nici toiag, nici haina, el se supunea intocmai, calatorind in lumea intreaga fara sa ia cu sine vreun ban. Noi vedem Biblia din viata sa, nu numai predicata ci si traita cu toate severitatile, bogatiile si miracolele ei. Ceea ce poate sa ne apara un ideal intangibil, se gaseste intr-un fel putin comun, realizat de acest discipol al Mantuitorului.
Natura era de asemenea pentru el o carte deschisa, scrisa de Duhul Sfant intr-un limbaj spiritual. Elementele: apa, focul, norii, marea, raurile, muntii, arborii, plantele, animalele ca si scenele diferite ale vietii omenesti sunt tot atatea paralele, ilustratii, imagini care anima predicile sale. In obositoarea lui viata, el gasea o mare odihna sa contemple natura si sa descopere pretutindeni aici noi invataturi. Acolo a citit “scrise cu litere mari”, dupa expresia sa, operele Creatorului.
“Cerurile arata gloria lui Dumnezeu, si intinderea lor fara sfarsit, lucrul mainilor Lui”.
Sundar avea o credinta ca de copil in protectia divina si credea ca o putere ingereasca il inconjoara in ceasul pericolului. El a fost obiectul unor mari scapari miraculoase, pe care deseori le-a povestit in predicile sale cu scopul sa intareasca credinta crestinilor in Atotputernicia lui Dumnezeu.
- “Multi oameni declara ca minunile nu sunt decat povesti si refuza sa le creada, pentru ca neavand cunostintele necesare, ei nu inteleg miracolul. Astfel in sudul Indiei niciodata nu este frig. Vorbind locuitorilor acestor tinuturi, eu le-am povestit ca am vazut “O punte de apa, deasupra apei”. Imposibil mi-au raspuns. Atunci le-am explicat ca suprafata apei fiind inghetata, se putea merge pe ea cu toata siguranta si ca nu era in toate acestea nimic contra legilor naturii. Locuitorii tarilor cu clima rece inteleg faptul, insa cei care n-au parasit niciodata regiunile tropicale, cum vor sesiza lucrurile oare? Tot astfel, cei care traiesc dupa felul lumii, seamana cu acei oameni care nu s-au urcat niciodata pe inaltimile de unde pot fi vazute aceste punti extraordinare. Numai cei care duc o viata de rugaciune pot urca si pricepe. Cand ma intreaba cineva despre minuni, raspund ca le-am experimentat. Eu stiu ca Christos este o Forta”
- “Desigur ca nu vei vedea minuni sfinte mergand la teatru. Daca intr-adevar doriti sa cunoasteti minunile puterii lui Dumnezeu in vietile voastre, consacrati din timpul vostru pentru rugaciune. Christos nu face nimic in scopul satisfacerii curiozitatii cuiva, ci vrea numai sa raspunda sufletului care in fiecare zi se apropie de El si se supune voiei Lui”.
Trace Jesus Passion Week Google Maps Isus- Saptamina Patimilor cu harta Google
Filmul Isus (vizionati in limba Romana / choose any language to watch the ‘Jesus’ film)
RICHARD WURMBRAND – English/Romanian
Global Persecution Watch
Christian movies & Beautiful nature shots – Filme crestine si Filmari din natura pe Youtube Channel
PREDICI – Florin Ianovici
PREDICI – Vladimir Pustan
PREDICI – Nelu Brie
Cristian Barbosu Arad – PREDICI
Biserica Gloria Arad Bujac Transmisie Live
Pagina – Predici
Faceti click pe poza pt. site – Administrat In Romania
PREDICI de la A 44-a Conventie USA/CANADA la Seattle, Washington 2012
Predici de la Congresul Bisericilor Baptiste USA si Canada 2012 Cleveland Ohio
Biserica Baptista Speranta Oradea
Vasile Oprea Interviu, Cintari – Nou: Serviciul de Florii 2012
NEW PAGE – All family related articles and videos – on being single, marriage, intimate relations, on raising kids…
Jesus said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” Matthew 16:26. Isus a zis: “Si ce ar folosi unui om sa cistige toata lumea daca si-ar pierde sufletul?”
To mortify sin is not to utterly destroy it. (That’s Jesus’ job, not your job.)
Vorbind despre salvarea sa din putul de la Rasar, Sundar a zis: “Poate ca un inger era cel ce m-a eliberat, sau chiar Isus insusi, insa cel mai mare miracol in acelasi timp a fost pacea care mi-a umplut inima pe durata celor trei zile petrecute in aceasta bolnita oribila. El a facut din inchisoarea mea un cer veritabil. In unele momente prezenta lui Christos era stralucitoare ca soarele la amiaza si acest sentiment s-a inaltat uneori pana la o bucurie triumfatoare. Nici o indoiala n-a putut sa-i strabata spiritul”.
„Această carte celebrează frumuseţea Pământului, manifestată în tiparele, formele, culorile şi texturile pământului, ale oceanelor, gheţurilor şi atmosferei,” anunţă NASA în descrierea cărţii care cuprinde 75 de imagini uluitoare realizate cu ajutorul sateliţilor Terra, Landsat 5, Landsat 7, EO-1 şi Aqua.
David Livingstone was born on 19 March 1813 in the mill town of Blantyre, in a tenement building for the workers of a cotton factory on the banks of the Clyde River under the bridge crossing into Bothwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was the second of seven children born to Neil Livingstone (1788–1856) and his wife Agnes Hunter (1782–1865). Along with many of the Livingstones, David was at the age of ten employed in the cotton mill of H. Monteith & Co. in the village of Blantyre Works. David and his brother John worked twelve-hour days as “piecers,” tying broken cotton threads on the spinning machines. David Livingstone, the great African missionary and explorer, was a student at the Charing Cross Hospital Medical School. His medical studies extended from 1838 to 1840 and records show that he “paid the fees for the full course of medical practice, midwifery and botany.
After the Kolobeng mission had to be closed because of drought, he explored the African interior to the north, in the period 1852–56, and was the first European to see the Mosi-oa-Tunya (“the smoke that thunders”) waterfall (which he renamed 
In January 1866, Livingstone returned to Africa, this time to Zanzibar, from where he set out to seek the source of the Nile. Richard Francis Burton, John Hanning Speke and Samuel Baker had (although there was still serious debate on the matter) identified either Lake Albert or Lake Victoria as the source (which was partially correct, as the Nile “bubbles from the ground high in the mountains of Burundi halfway between Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria”). Livingstone believed the source was further south and assembled a team of freed slaves, Comoros Islanders, twelve Sepoys and two servants, Chuma and Susi, from his previous expedition to find it.
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