Dr John Paton

One of my Christian heroes is Dr John G Paton. He lived between 1824 - 1897. He was a pioneering Missionary to the New Hebrides. These are islands which lie just South of the Solomon Islands, (basically just of the north west of Australia). At the time of his arrival they we inhabited by cannibals... not so when he left though...

Infact a wee click here will show you all about the islands today and the rich long and christian heritage it enjoys. Just look at the countries motto!
It has been my great privilege to re-read his autobiography to my wife.

Here is a great excert which has made me think about the necessity of living truly as a converted man, which Jesus Christ inside me.

"When I have read or heard the shallow objections of irreligious scribblers and talkers, hinting that there was no reality in conversions, and that the mission effort was but waste, oh, how my heart has yearned to plant them just one week on Tanna, with the "natural" man all around in the person of the cannibal and heathen, and the only one "spiritual" man in the person of the converted Abraham, nursing them, feeding them, saving them, "for the love of Jesus" - that I might just learn how many hours it took to convince them that Christ in man was a reality at all! All its doubts would dissolve under one glance of the new light that Jesus, and Jesus alone, pours from the converted Cannibal's eye".

If you want buy this awesome book go here, and if you want to listen to John Piper give a biography of the man listen here.

It is a thrilling, emotional, challenging, beautiful read which will undoubtedly change your perspective to love, and honour and declare Christ better.