I wonder why today we have to scream and pull and prod for people
to be involved in the Lords work. Why it is our Churches are so dead, no one
walks the isle for salvation; homes are in disrepair inside our churches? Why
is there is no difference between the church and world other than what we do
for two hours on Sunday? Why does a Pastor get up and preach the word rightly
and yet no life change has occurred, no one is brought close to the throne of God?
Why is it within thirty seconds after the last amen, and sometimes before, our
thoughts are carried away with, who’s playing and what are we going to eat for
Lunch. Why is it that this generation seems to be disinterested in God or
supposed dead to them in their lives?
I have heard several excuses to the cause of plight, none of which
have biblical cause, one is that it is a sign of the times and the world is
just wicked and we as Christians are to “hold the fort till Jesus comes!" I am
sorry but that does not sound like a victorious gospel or a powerful God and it
most definitely is not supported on the scripture. Was not the church born in a
wicked time, which could be argued more than today, but she went in power and
struck fear in the heart of the devil.
Even in more recent history we see men used of God in powerful
ways like Jonathan Edwards, William Booth, Spurgeon and Moody. These men had
real power with God and their society was greatly impacted. Of these I have
heard the excuse that these were special men and God used them in a unique way.
I am sorry but I do not believe that! I do not believe that God loved a
generation more than another; I do not believe that God changes from generation
to generation.
I do, however, believe that
God does share His power with those who pay the price. Here is a quote from
R.A. Torrey's address shared at the funeral of D.L Moody:
My subject is "Why God Used D. L. Moody," and I can
think of no subject upon which I would rather speak. For I shall not seek to
glorify Mr. Moody, but the God who by His grace, His entirely unmerited favor,
used him so mightily, and the Christ who saved him by His atoning death and
resurrection life, and the Holy Spirit who lived in him and wrought through him
and who alone made him the mighty power that he was to this world. Furthermore:
I hope to make it clear that the God who used D. L. Moody in his day is just as
ready to use you and me, in this day, if we, on our part, do what D. L. Moody
did, which was what made it possible for God to so abundantly use him.
The whole secret of why D. L. Moody was such a mightily used man
you will find in Psalm 62:11: "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard
this; that POWER BELONGETH UNTO GOD." I am glad it does. I am glad that
power did not belong to D. L. Moody; I am glad that it did not belong to
Charles G. Finney; I am glad that it did not belong to Martin Luther; I am glad
that it did not belong to any other Christian man whom God has greatly used in
this world's history. Power belongs to God. If D. L. Moody had any power, and
he had great power, he got it from God.
But God does not give His power arbitrarily. It is true that He
gives it to whomsoever He will, but He wills to give it on certain conditions,
which are clearly revealed in His Word; and D. L. Moody met those conditions
and God made him the most wonderful preacher of his generation; yes, I think
the most wonderful man of his generation.
I also add an excerpt from Torrey’s book on
the subject of the Holy Spirit:
I
am glad that I was right about Acts 2:39, not that it is of any importance that
I should be right, but the truth thus established is of immeasurable
importance. Is it not glorious to be able to go literally around the world and
face audiences of believers all over the United States, in the Sandwich
Islands, in Australia and Tasmania and New Zealand, in China and Japan and
India, in England and Scotland, Ireland, Germany, France and Switzerland and to
be able to tell them, and to know that you have God's sure Word under your feet
when you do tell them, “You may all be baptized with the Holy Spirit”? But that
unspeakably joyous and glorious thought has its solemn side. If we may be
baptized with the Holy Spirit then we must
be. If we are baptized with the Holy Spirit then souls will be saved through
our instrumentality who will not be saved if we are not thus baptized. If then
we are not willing to pay the price of this baptism and therefore are not thus
baptized we shall be responsible before God for every soul that might have been
saved who was not saved because we did not pay the price and therefore did not
obtain the blessing. I often tremble for myself and for my brethren in the
ministry, and not only for my brethren in the ministry but for my brethren in
all forms of Christian work, even the most humble and obscure. Why? Because we
are preaching error? No, alas, there are many in these dark days who are doing
that, and I do tremble for them; but that is not what I mean now. Do I mean
that I tremble because we are not preaching the truth? for it is quite possible
not to preach error and yet not preach the truth; many a man has never preached
a word of error in his life, but still is not preaching the truth, and I do
tremble for them; but that is not what I mean now. I mean that I tremble for
those of us who are preaching the truth, the very truth as it is in Jesus, the
truth as it is recorded in the written Word of God, the truth in its
simplicity, its purity and its fullness, but who are preaching it in
“persuasive words of man's wisdom” and not “in demonstration of the Spirit and
of power” (1 Cor .2:4). Preaching it in the energy of the flesh and not in the
power of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing more death dealing than the Gospel
without the Spirit's power. “The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.”
It is awfully solemn business preaching the Gospel either from the pulpit or in
more quiet ways. It means death or life to those that hear, and whether it
means death or life depends very largely on whether we preach it with or
without the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Maybe that’s we do not see it today in the same fashion as in years gone by. Maybe we should stop making excuses for why we cannot be
used like that or debating over some useless dispensation divisions of the
Bible and get to seeking the face of God and begging for God to forgive our arrogant
selfish ways and to return His Power, His outpouring of the Spirit upon us in a
real fashion and we could once again see a great move of God. Because helpless
souls hang in the balance!
You can read more from R.A. Torrey on the R.A. Torrey Archive.
Works sighted were:
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