The Last Breakfast Series

The Bible says God's mercies are new every morning, and the result is that many of His

blessings have come to His people at breakfast. Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China

Inland Mission, tells of this event in his life as he prepared to go to China. When he got to

China he knew he would have to depend upon God alone, and so he began to practice while

yet in England. He decided that he would move man through God by prayer alone. He

worked for a man who needed to be reminded every time his salary was due. Taylor was

determined to trust God to move him and not do so directly. He began to pray for God to

bring this need to his employer's mind. The time came for his quarterly salary, but Dr.

Harley made no mention of the matter. As the day passed, Taylor prayed without ceasing

until finally he was down to one coin that was worth about one dollar.

On Sunday he had a full day of Christian service, and after the last service at about 10 at

night a poor man asked him to come and pray for his wife who was dying. The man was a

Catholic and so he asked him why he did not send for a priest. The man explained that he

had, but the priest would not come without a payment of 18 pence which the man did not

possess. That reminded Taylor of just how poor he was also at that point. His last coin was in

his pocket and all he had at home was some water-gruel for breakfast. He had nothing for

dinner the next day. He thought how gladly would I give something to these poor people if I

only had more, but to part with his last coin was not even thinkable. When he got to the home

he saw a miserable and wretched sight with five children with sunken cheeks. They were

slowly starving, and there was the poor exhausted mother lying on a pallet.

He began to struggle with himself. He tried to offer words of comfort, but inside he was

calling himself a hypocrite, for he was telling them to trust God, but he would not trust God

alone. He was clinging to that last coin as if that was his only hope. He prayed and rose to

leave. The father said, "You see the terrible state we are in. If you can help us, for God's

sake do!" At that moment the word flashed into his mind, "Give to him that asketh of thee."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his last coin and gave it to the man. Joy flooded his

heart, and he was again on track of trusting God alone and not God plus a coin. He walked

home rejoicing, and that night he reminded the Lord of His Word which said, "He that giveth

to the poor lendeth to the Lord." He asked God to not let his loan be a long one for he had no

dinner for the next day.

The next morning he rose and sat down to eat his last plate of porridge. While he was

consuming this final bit of food, there was a knock at the door. It was the postman with a very

unusual Monday morning delivery. When he opened the letter he found a blank piece of

paper out of which fell half a sovereign. He writes, "Praise the Lord," I exclaimed, "Four

hundred per cent for a 12 hour investment." This was not the end of the story for he did get

his salary also in answer to prayer, but this blessing at breakfast so convinced Taylor that he

could trust God alone to meet his every need that he went on to start the greatest missionary

movement in the history of China. That breakfast was the beginning of a great movement in

fulfilling the Great Commission.

Jesus loves to do some great things at breakfast. As we focus our attention on the beautiful

breakfast on the beach in John's Gospel, let us keep in mind that it was indeed

the last breakfast. We hear much of the last supper, but here was the last breakfast that Jesus

had with His disciples, as far as the record of the Bible reveals. It was also a breakfast of

beginnings, for Jesus here taught the disciples the same lesson Hudson Taylor needed to

learn. He taught them that He can supply their every need, so they are to follow Him and fish

for men, and trust in Him alone. This breakfast was also the beginning of a great missionary

movement. The movement that began the history of fulfilling the Great Commission.

Many great movements begin with decisions made around a meal. Here is one of the