The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers

When I first read "My Utmost for His Highest" (also available online on http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/utmost/), Oswald Chambers' popular and serious devotional, I was mesmerised by the integrity of his words. All his books were based on all his sermons and only exist thanks to his faithful wife Gertrude Hobbs (Biddy, as Oswald calls her), who transcribed all his sermons. Since then, I was looking for more of his work that were published. I stopped looking when I came across "The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers"! A dream come true - all his works in one single volume. This volume comes with a CD-ROM containing an electronic version of the volume plus other additions such as the King James Version Bible and helpful cross-references.Oswald Chambers was born in Scotland in 1874 and was educated at London's Royal College of Art and the University of Edinburgh. Perhaps it was the fact that he was gifted in the arts, that his decision to move into a preaching ministry that spanned Britain, America and Japan, turned out to be such a legacy for people of today like you and I. When World War I broke out, he left London to become Chaplain to the Allied troops in Egypt in October 1915. His wife Biddy and their 2½ year old daughter, Kathleen, followed in December 1915. "My Utmost for His Highest" was written primarily in that time of war. Oswald died of complications following an operation to remove his appendix in 1917. The telegram which his wife sent simply read: "Oswald, in His presence." As J. I. Packer wrote in ChristianityToday.com, Oswald Chambers, like C. S. Lewis "had a brilliant mind, a stout faith, an uncannily empathetic and perceptive imagination, and a masterful way with words. Each was a teacher by instinct and gift. Each was spiritually honest and down-to-earth to an almost frightening degree. Each was well versed in the Western theological heritage, and in Western philosophy, literature, and history. Each adored the Lord Jesus Christ unstintingly as his Savior and Master. And each had a similar approach to the nitty-gritty of living through a war."Oswald Chambers' works are truly inspirational and soul-piercing. I suggest buying "The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers" not only because of that. Some of his work will NEVER be reprinted ever again! It has been decided that some of the lesser-known individual titles will go out of print including:- Approved Unto God- Bringing Sons to Glory- Daily Thoughts for Disciples- God's Workmanship- He Shall Glorify Me- Highest Good- Making All Things New- Not Knowing Where*- Our Portrait in Genesis*- Place of Help- Shade of His Hand- Shadow of an Agony(*Published in the UK as "Gems from Genesis")That makes this volume about the MOST complete works of Oswald Chambers ever, now and for the future!So buy it. NOW.

Oswald Chambers is one of this age's greatest Protestant preachers. He has keen insight into the human condition; consequently, his is able to call all our bluffs. His is also one of the greatest Christ-centered preachers ever. These two axes are the reason why this man, though he was an active preacher for only a decade, has such sticking power.Chambers was an active preacher for only one decade. He died of appendicitis at age in Cairo, due to complications with his appendicitis. Providentially, his wife was a trained stenographer, and she kept copious notes of her husband's sermons and lectures. This book preserves these great sermons for all posterity.He had a very broad mind. He has studies on the Sermon on the Mount, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and other topics. This book also has his book "Baffled to Fight Better," his very substantive and piercing study on the book of Job, and, of course, his daily devotional "My Utmost For His Highest." Also included are "Biblical Psychology," "Christina Disciplines," and "The Shadow of an Agony."To think he did all of this in the short space of ten years. If he had lived, we would place him on the level of A. W. Tozer, C. S. Lewis, and Billy Graham. Even as it is, this book is not merely impressive, but absolutely mind and soul-blowing! Oswald Chambers embarrasses everyone: he did more in ten years than most do in their entire life.The book itself is textbook size, and is printed on thin scripture paper. The font is contemporary and has an impeccable look to it, so it is easy to read. The text is also in double columns, which for some reason always impresses me with importance, probably because the scriptures and Shakespeare are usually in double column format. This also allows for two more margins to write notes and cross-references.The CD is the perfect companion, and compensates for the rather skimpy index, and absence of illustrations. Personally, I believe the perfect index could only be a CD ROM-instant access to everything. In addition to containing the text of the book, it also has the e-text and pictures of "Abandoned to God," David McCasland's biography of Chambers. I give many brownie points and many tips of the hat to the compilers for including the King James Version of the Bible on the CD, which can only help your study of Chambers thoughts and insights into Christ.

I've only had this book an hour or so, and am totally thrilled. I was only familiar with Chambers via "My Utmost for His Highest", and hadn't even read all of that.I can't recommend this book highly enough. GET IT! Be warned, however, of two things: (1) Don't think of all of his writings as purely devotional, like the mushy feel-good stuff coming out from so many authors now. There is real meat here. (2) Chambers was not afraid to use words of more than one syllable! This book can be an intellectual challenge, as well as a spiritual one. I'll end with two quotes on prayer(BTW, the included CD makes it very easy to copy and paste passages like this). I love his phrase "worship of prayer", as opposed to "prayer of worship":From page 306:How many cease from praying by indiscernible, unconscious ways! They are not those who because of intellectual barriers have determined on prayerlessness, or who have abandoned praying in favour of a cherished sin, but those who have ceased praying by more indecipherable ways. The life of God in us is manifested by spiritual concentration, not by pious self-consciousness; pious self-consciousness produces the worship of prayer, which is anti-Christian. This unscriptural piety fixes itself on the actual incidents in such verses as Mark 1:35-"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed," and disproportionately emphasises "rising up a great while before day," implying that if this actual early rising were imitated it would produce Christ-likeness in us; whereas our Lord prayed because He was concentrated on God; that is, He did not worship prayer.And from page 307:There is a quietism of devotional self-indulgence which takes the place spiritually that loafing does socially. It is easy to call it meditative prayer, but meditation is only attained in actual life by the strenuous discipline of brooding in the centre of a subject.

First off the book itself is of textbook quality. It's got 1300 pages, but it's very easy to flip through. Plus! it comes with a CD ROM that contains the Complete Works... and more.I would have paid double for the CD.Oswald Chambers is one of the most mature Christians in written word you'll come up against. As with all words spoken from God through man, the Holy Spirit Himself will challenge and convict you, and fill you up!

If you are a fan of Oswald Chambers, you will definetly welcome his complete works. If you have never read Oswald Chambers, welcome to one of the clearest voices as to the real message of Christ. OC, as his admirers refer to Oswald Chambers, draws you into the heart of Christ without you ever being aware that OC's own words have led you there. In every word that he writes, his only aim is to connect you with Christ, yet he does so in the most cogent and clear reasoning. Although I already have most of his works, it was great to pick up a few I have never been able to find; mainly the "Psychology of Redeemption" and the "Philosophy of Sin". High sounding words, but don't worry...all roads of Oswald Chambers lead only to Christ and in today's world that is roadmap to be treasured. The physical layout of the complete works enabled me to see something I missed in his individual books; namely, to catch his outline at a glance as kind of a sneak preview to the context of his words. Wonder what did Christ really mean? Read the Complete Works of Oswald Chambers and every question will be answered in a way that not only your mind will grasp, but your soul will be fed as well. This book could well be subtitled, The Guidebook to the Life and Teachings of Christ for the Modern Day. Satisfaction guaranteed.