Council of Youth: Prayer and Praise and I'll Fight Fest
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Dear Metro Youth,
This is an exciting time as the Holy Spirit continues to move and stir up the youth in the Metropolitan Division and in The Salvation Army. Since Youth Councils I have seen teens and young adults give their lives to Christ, thirst for God’s Word, Worship in Spirit and in Truth, pray without ceasing and accept their inheritance as Believers and specifically as Salvationists.
I just wanted to fill you in on a few things.
On Friday, September 23rd at 7pm we are kicking off a new Metro event called Council of Youth: Prayer and Praise. These will be nights of fellowship, prayer, praise and teaching for our Metro youth that will happen one Friday night each month. We are planning eight of these Council of Youth meetings from September through April for the rest of the year. If your corps is interested in hosting one of these events please have your Officer or Youth Pastor contact me. See the following dates below:
September
Friday 23 – Council of Youth: Prayer and Praise (sleepover kickoff) 7pm Mt. Greenwood Corps
Saturday 24 – I’ll Fight Fest (Echo Grove Camp, Michigan)
October
Friday 14 – Council of Youth: Prayer and Praise 7pm Location??
November
Friday 18 – Council of Youth: Prayer and Praise 7pm Location??
December
Friday 9 – Council of Youth: Prayer and Praise 7pm Location??
January
Friday 27 – Council of Youth: Prayer and Praise 7pm Location??
February
Friday 17 – Council of Youth: Prayer and Praise 7pm Location??
March
Friday 3 – Council of Youth: Prayer and Praise 7pm Location??
April
Friday 21 – Council of Youth: Prayer and Praise 7pm Location??
This first event is special as we are sleeping over at the Mt. Greenwood Corps and then we are going up to Eastern Michigan the next morning to attend I'll Fight Fest at Echo Grove Camp (Go to http://illfightfest.com for more info). I'll Fight Fest begins at 1pm at Echo Grove and ends at 6pm. Captains Stephen Court and Danielle Strickland (from YouthQuake) will be there as will the Supertones, John Reuben, Flatfoot 56, Seeker’s Plant, Skuf, Stephanie Smith and it will also be the Insyderz last show. Cost is $10 per ticket. It will be well worth it. Because the journey is long the Pontiac Corps (Majors Jim and Pat Irvine) have offered to house us Saturday night at the Corps. We also have the opportunity to participate in the Sunday meeting at the Pontiac Corps the next morning.
If you are interested in attending I'll Fight Fest please contact your Officer or Youth Pastor and let me know as soon as possible the following information:
-If your group will attend the Council of Youth: Prayer and Praise on 9/23 (and if so, how many)
-If your group will send chaperones with the group (and if so, how many)
-If your group will be willing to help drive to and from I'll Fight Fest
I hope you are well and—because this event is coming up quickly—hope to hear from you soon.
Grace,
Eric Himes
Posted By: Eric at 4:37 PM : Link : 1 Comments
NEWS BRIEF: SALVATION ARMY BRINGING RELIEF TO SURVIVORS OF HURRICANE KATRINA
Chicago, IL…In the wake of what is being called one of the worst national disasters in U.S. history, The Salvation Army has launched one of the largest emergency disaster services relief efforts in the organization’s history. Currently, The Salvation Army is providing relief to residents and first responders in Hattiesburg, Miss., Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans, La. Additional Salvation Army emergency disaster services vehicles (canteens) are staged in surrounding areas and are prepared to be deployed to other affected areas once emergency management officials determine it safe. The Salvation Army is prepared to serve 500,000 meals a day as well as provide emotional and spiritual support to those trying to recover from Katrina’s wrath.
Salvation Army centers in Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans, La., have become safe havens to 500 people who were evacuated due to the storms. The Salvation Army is providing shelter and food to evacuees, many of whom have no where else to go since the storm annihilated countless homes in its destructive path. Salvation Army canteens are serving hot meals to residents and first responders throughout Mobile and in Hattiesburg, Miss.
More than 250 Salvation Army volunteers, employees and officers (ministers) will be providing aid from at least 100 canteens that will each be able to provide up to 5,000 meals a day. The Salvation Army has staged its two 54-foot mobile kitchens in Baton Rouge, La., and Mobile, Ala. They will be moved to other affected areas once emergency responders determine safe locations.
As Hurricane Katrina moved onshore in coastal Louisiana, The Salvation Army’s New Orleans Area Command was prepared to ride out the storm. Majors Richard and Faye Brittle, in charge of The Salvation Army’s work in the New Orleans area, along with 250 evacuees, sought shelter and safety at The Salvation Army’s Center of Hope in New Orleans.
“We are feeding and caring for 250 people including three kidney dialysis patients in need of a safe and secure building,” said Major Richard Brittle. According to the Major, The Salvation Army is using its canteen (emergency disaster services vehicle) to cook food and feed evacuees as well as provide power through its generator.
The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) has been tirelessly working to provide information concerning the health and welfare of affected residents to anxious family members and loved ones. In one day, SATERN received more than 600 health and welfare requests. Health and welfare inquiry forms may be found at www.salvationarmyusa.org.
At this time, The Salvation Army is only asking for monetary donations. A $100 donation will feed a family of four for two days, provide two cases of drinking water, and one household clean-up kit. Monetary donations may be sent your local Salvation Army earmarked “Disaster Relief,” made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY.
Posted By: Eric at 1:52 PM : Link : 0 Comments
PREFACE BY THE LATE GENERAL
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
1912 Salvation Army Songs Songbook
Surely no man has ever been called upon to make, or direct the making of, so many Song Books as I have. It is no little consolation at seventy to know that millions of people in every part of the world are singing God’s praises together as a result of the efforts He has helped me to put forth or to direct for their good.
Yet it has seemed good to me at this time to attempt something like a thorough selection of those songs which we have found most useful in all lands, so that my people may have a larger storehouse of songs that may be used for all occasions, and that they may the more easily see what I would have them leave behind, and what preserve, translate and use.
I thank God for the gifts of all His servants, ancient and modern, whose compositions I have been able to adopt; but it is not intended in any degree to limit the flow of new songs; for wherever these songs are sung they will cause the production of others, and many here may yet be left behind should the number of our best song-makers be multiplied. I also wish to prevent the lowering of our standard, the taste of our people, and the character of our service, by the use of songs that may have some worldly popularity just because they are not so definite or so hot as these.
Let others, if they please, heap together pretty poetry, and sing it to what is called “refined music.” Let us preserver in our singing of the simple old truths in the simple old hearty way that God has already blessed so widely to the salvation of souls and the making and training of red-hot soldiers.
But, above all, let me urge all who possess this book to make the utmost use of it in three ways:
1. Take in the meaning of every song. How thoughtlessly many sing familiar words! Yet here is a great treasury of truth, if you will but search into its riches. Be determined that by God’s grace you will never sing what you do not really mean, and that you will be fitted to sing all you find here.
2. Sing and read and teach these songs to your children, morning and evening, at birthday celebrations, and other family functions, as well as to the sick and to all whom you can influence. What a debt many of use owe to the songs we learned in childhood! What clear-thinking, plain-speaking, God-knowing Salvationists will those be who have properly learned what these songs contain! Banish from your homes and children hymns and songs that are not straight and plain.
3. Sing so as to make the world hear. There cannot be a greater farce than for people to sing these songs at home and in our barracks amongst admiring listeners, unless they sing them also to the world. The highest value of our singing after all has not been the mere gladness we have felt because of our own salvation but the joy of pouring out the praises of or God to those who have not known Him, or of arousing them by our singing to new thoughts and a new life.
And sing till your whole soul is lifted up to God, and then sing till you lift the eyes of those who know not God to Him who is the fountain of all our joy.
William Booth
International Headquarters of The Salvation Army, London.
Posted By: Eric at 11:37 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Repainting the Christian Faith
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Rob Bell—pastor of Mars Hill and Nooma video man—has a new book out called “Velvet Elvis”. It looks super cool and I’m sure it will be a great read. Anyway, I’ve only read the prologue and I have already been impacted. Here’s the part I want to share with you:
“Here’s what often happens: Somebody comes along who has a fresh perspective on the Christian faith. People are inspired. A movement starts. Faith that was stale and dying is now alive. But then the pioneer of the movement—the painter—dies and the followers stop exploring. They mistakenly assume that their leader’s words were the last ones on the subject, and they freeze their leader’s words. They forget that s that innovator was doing his or her part to move things along, that person was merely taking part in the discussion that will go on forever. And so in their commitment to what so-and-so said and did, they end up freezing the faith.
What gets lost is the truth that whoever painted that version was just like us, searching for God and experiencing God and trying to get a handle on what the Christian faith looks like. And then a new generation comes along living in a new day and a new world, and they have to keep the tradition going or the previous paintings are going to end up in the basement.
The tradition then is painting, not making copies of the same painting over and over. The challenge of the art is to take what was great about the previous paintings and incorporate that into new paintings.
And in the process, make something beautiful—for today.”
Posted By: Eric at 10:24 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Congratulations are in Order!
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
*Congratulations to Andrea and Jon Bukiewicz who welcomed their son Mylo Forrest Bukiewicz into the world on August 15, 2005. Jon, Andrea, Chloe and Mylo are all doing very well. Jon also just became the Youth Director at the Hammond Munster Corps. Pray for them as they: adjust to having another miracle running (but for now, crawling) around their house, as they move to Hammond and as they begin their ministry at Hammond.
*Congratulations to Kyle Madison—a recent Band of Survivor—who was accepted to Project 1:17, a Salvation Army School of Youth Ministry and Mission located in Suffern, New York. Kyle leaves on Sunday for a year of “Learning to do right, seeking justice, encouraging the oppressed, defending the cause of the fatherless and pleading the case of the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). Pray for him: that his family and financial situations will be taken care of, that he is molded and broken and made into the very image of God.
Posted By: Eric at 12:34 PM : Link : 0 Comments
Thoughts on Writing by Commissioner Phil Needham
“’Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Mt. 4:4)’
Whatever we are tempted to write that does not speak to the deepest hunger of the soul, that is ‘bread alone’. Whatever we say in our clever, facile way that presents discipleship without crucifixion, that is ‘bread alone’. Whatever we put to writing that suggests that the rules and regulations of a narrow Christianity are what define us as followers of Jesus Christ, that is ‘bread alone’. Whatever we compose that correlates righteousness and a successful career, that is ‘bread alone’. Whatever interpretations of this Christian faith we pen that sanction a neat, self-contained, missionless calling, that is ‘bread alone’.
I think it boils down to this question: ‘For whom are we speaking when we write?’ Jesus was often challenged over his claim to speak for God. Once, he answered with these words:
‘My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. (John 7:16-18)’”
Remember this when you write on xanga, blogger, myspace or any other place. As Believers we need to realize that we are speaking for Christ.
Posted By: Eric at 12:33 PM : Link : 1 Comments
History of Storm the Forts of Darkness by Robert Johnson (SASB #696)
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
First published in The Musical Salvationist, March, 1892; 1899 S.A. song book.
Written to the melody of the song “‘Here’s to good old whisky, drink it down,’ wrote Lieut.-Colonel Salter, ‘this is one of the most vigorous and spirited of Army war songs. Again and again has it roused a meeting to the glow of enthusiasm. A band in full strength, putting forth its biggest tone, never seems out of place in accompanying the singing of such war-like strains. Yet how narrowly the song escaped being lost for ever. I was told by Johnson himself that he sent the song to The War Cry—the only medium he had for getting the song into general use—three times before it was accepted. For what reasons was it turned down? Perhaps the tune was hardly known sufficiently; perhaps the title was too startling; perhaps in the weekly pile of some 200 songs sent to the paper in those days, it was overlooked, or rather passed into the waste-paper basket unread owing to the pressure of work in the editorial office. Johnson had a strong faith in his song, however, so he sent up copy after copy, and was at last rewarded by seeing his words published in the official organ.”
Taken from Gordon Avery’s “Companion to the Song Book of The Salvation Army” 1961.
Posted By: Eric at 11:22 AM : Link : 0 Comments
keep the flame going
Thursday, August 18, 2005
we tend to come back from an impactful event full of the Holy Spirit and so motivated to do so much! but then it begins to fade away...slowly until its gone.
psalm 51:10-12
creat pure thoughts in me and make me faithful again. dont chase me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me, make me as happy as you did when you saved me. make me want to obey.
we need to nourish our spirit otherwise we will be the ones to chase the Holy Spirit away and when it is gone it will be very hard to bring that flame up again.
dont let the devil take your mornings of devotion and nights of praying.
if you could do it during camp you can most definitely do it during school time, this is when you MOST need of Him. so dont let Him go
encourage me. encourage others.
how do you do it?
leave a tip to help others that have no clue how to come close to God, or know how to devotion.
read the prayer wall we need help with those prayers.
we NEED your comments
Posted By: Anonymous at 6:02 PM : Link : 2 Comments
Band of Survivors and the Staircase Revival
Friday, August 12, 2005
This summer 25 young adults from the Metropolitan Division of the Central Territory embarked on a month- long discipleship school known as Band of Survivors. Taking its name from 2 Kings 19:29-31, Band of Survivors participated in worship warfare, evangelism, service at local corps, Christian community, and studied the book of Acts. Each team member played a part in a prayer rotation that spanned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Connecting Survivors with the mission of the early Salvation Army was also a main focus of discipleship; Survivors read about the Army’s history, studied and even reenacted old Army texts such as William Booth’s “A Vision of the Lost,” and sang songs of praise and worship from the Salvation Army song book.
* * *
I am giving you a personal account of what happened on July the 5th, 2005. That night the Band of Survivors led a youth meeting at the Salvation Army Blue Island Outpost on the South Side of Chicago during which they participated in prayer, testimony, worship, and gave a gospel challenge. I was thoroughly convicted of my iniquities throughout the meeting so I responded by humbling myself at the altar and prayed that God would forgive my poor, wretched, filthy soul. He quickly did. Another member of our team—who was enslaved by drugs and trapped in gang culture—came forward and sincerely accepted Christ as his Savior.
At the conclusion of the meeting four Survivors sang a simple gospel benediction:
O Lord, how excellent. How excellent is thy Name. There is none like You. Jesus, excellent is thy Name in all the earth.
The Holy Spirit stirred in a powerful way as they sang these words. One member of the quartet was particularly blessed as the Holy Spirit came down upon her. She glowed and tearfully sang. When the meeting concluded she left the chapel. I was concerned and felt she had unfinished business with the Lord. I took a picture of her with my digital camera as she sat weeping, outside the chapel.
The first picture did not turn out very well so I took another; this picture was incredibly bright and blurry.
As the congregation greeted and embraced each other, one rather serious team member approached me as I was staring, dumbfounded, at the aforementioned picture. He asked me what I was looking at and I immediately replied, “The Holy Spirit.” I was just as surprised by the comment as he was. Even so, his countenance soon melted and he surrendered his burdens to Christ, asking for forgiveness and for the strength to forgive his father, who had abandoned him.
After we finished praying I told him that our moment of healing was possible because I had asked for forgiveness; the Lord was rewarding me for repenting of sin and was encouraging me by allowing me to minister to him. I thought about how a spirit of repentance attracts the Holy Spirit. The two of us packed up our things and as we left the chapel, another team member ran to us and said we needed to see something. He sounded scared. We walked behind him and approached the distant sounds of wailing and screaming.
(Entering the unexpected presence of the Holy Spirit is like walking into a sauna. The sensation is overwhelming. Your pours explode. You feel alive.)
There were already a handful of Survivors there when we walked down the narrow, poorly-lit cement staircase to the basement of the Corps. At the bottom, the girl who had the Holy Spirit fall on her during the meeting (who I had taken those two pictures of) was held down by a few team members who were rocking with and praying for her.
The girl was convulsing, furious and shouted, “I am not yours! I am not yours! You are not my father! I will never love you!” She was only 14 years old and I assumed that she was rebuking an abusive past, perhaps a memory or situation she had long repressed. As she continued to be held on the cool, tiled, basement floor, the staircase gradually crowded with the twenty other Band of Survivors members. Soon I realized—with breath-stopping clarity—that she was not rebuking a father but was calling out the Devil himself.
She prayed these fervent prayers for well over an hour, howling: “I am not yours! I am a child of the light! I have been washed in the blood of my Savior!” Her radical, destructive, audacious faith had completely shamed me. I had never even thought about rebuking the Enemy with such audible frustration and aggression.
And then…there was an explosion of prayer. Each Band of Survivor member erupted in praise and petition of our Lord. Some prayed in Spanish, some in English, some sang songs or read scripture. Most wept. The Lord gave words of encouragement or prophesies. For over two hours the Band of Survivors prayed for their friends, family, Corps, for Chicago, Israel and for the revival of The Salvation Army. We had an “upper room experience” (see Acts 2) in a crowded, dark, old, brick staircase of a Corps basement.
Initially, I believed that we were going to be in that staircase for days, even weeks. I was about to make preparations for a long stay but the Spirit had other plans. We needed to go; to share; to live. We sang our theme song for the summer, a great old Army battle cry, “Storm the Forts of Darkness” (SASB #696). We were red hot in our faith and boldly proclaimed these words:
Warriors of the risen King,
Great Army of salvation,
Spread his fame, his praises sing
And conquer every nation.
Raise the glorious standard higher,
Work for victory, never tire;
Forward march with blood and fire,
And win the world for Jesus.
* * *
That Staircase Revival was the beginning of an incredible summer for Band of Survivors. For in those moments the Holy Spirit convicted, comforted and strengthened us to be “Warriors of a Risen King”. The Spirit had sealed us for a great work; we saw people set free, salvations take place, Survivors transformed by the power of prayer and our team accept their great inheritance and mission as Salvationists.
Posted By: Eric at 1:23 PM : Link : 1 Comments
become part of Band of Survivors' C.U.P.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
hello everyone
my name is ade and i was a part of the band of surivovrs during this summer. we had 24/7 praying times and they were such blessing to everyones lives. starting in october we will start a 24/7 praying group with metropolitan division corps, i will post times and dates for you to become part of this huge event. please post any prayer request so we can start praying. take a chance and start practicing your hour prayer.
Posted By: Anonymous at 3:53 PM : Link : 0 Comments
Corps United in Prayer (C.U.P.)
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. 1 Timothy 2:1-6
God has called us to pray for the lost; for those who do not know him. This verse demonstrates that the Lord wants all men “to come to a knowledge of the truth.” God gives us the gift to intercede on behalf of our friends and families through prayer.
A few Band of Survivors have responded for our Divisions need for prayer. Ade Villatoro will head up a 24/7 prayer initiative known as Corps United in Prayer (C.U.P.). If you are interested in signing up for a prayer shift (1 hour or more) comment or email me. In the meantime, share your prayer requests on the Prayer Wall section of this website. We will keep you posted on this exciting prayer venture. Sign up and stay tuned…
Posted By: Eric at 1:52 PM : Link : 0 Comments
New Worship Songs Added!
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
I posted the following songs (lyrics with guitar chords) under the Worship Resources section of the site:
Agnus Dei
Blessed Be Your Name
Come Thou Fount
Dancing Generation
Heaven Came Down
How Great Is Our God
I Surrender
It Is Well With My Soul
Never Mind, Go On!
No One Like You
Nothing But The Blood
O Boundless Salvation
Praise Awaits You
Singing We Go
Soldier, Rouse Thee!
Storm The Forts Of Darkness
There Is Power In The Blood
To The War! To The War!
Your Grace Is Enough
Now, go use these songs to "worship the Lord in spirit and truth." Let me know if you have any questions. Praise on!
Posted By: Eric at 2:25 PM : Link : 1 Comments
24/7 Prayer
Monday, August 08, 2005
Check this out. The S.A. is praying 24/7 in New Zealand. Take a look at the prayer calendar and see what the different corps are doing. I took part in this ministry a few summers ago in Australia and we prayed 24/7 during Band of Survivors. What do you think about going 24/7 in the Metro Division? I think we can do it.
Posted By: Eric at 1:52 PM : Link : 0 Comments
A Vision Of The Lost
Sunday, August 07, 2005
By William Booth (1829-1912)
On one of my recent journeys, as I gazed from the coach window, I was led into a train of thought concerning the condition of the multitudes around me. They were living carelessly in the most open and shameless rebellion against God, without a thought for their eternal welfare. As I looked out of the window, I seemed to see them all . . . millions of people all around me given up to their drink and their pleasure, their dancing and their music, their business and their anxieties, their politics and their troubles. Ignorant—willfully ignorant in many cases—and in other instances knowing all about the truth and not caring at all. But all of them, the whole mass of them, sweeping on and up in their blasphemies and devilries to the Throne of God. While my mind was thus engaged, I had a vision.
I saw a dark and stormy ocean. Over it the black clouds hung heavily; through them every now and then vivid lightening flashed and loud thunder rolled, while the winds moaned, and the waves rose and foamed, towered and broke, only to rise and foam, tower and break again.
In that ocean I thought I saw myriads of poor human beings plunging and floating, shouting and shrieking, cursing and struggling and drowning; and as they cursed and screamed they rose and shrieked again, and then some sank to rise no more.
And I saw out of this dark angry ocean, a mighty rock that rose up with it’s summit towering high above the black clouds that overhung the stormy sea. And all around the base of this great rock I saw a vast platform. Onto this platform, I saw with delight a number of the poor struggling, drowning wretches continually climbing out of the angry ocean. And I saw that a few of those who were already safe on the platform were helping the poor creatures still in the angry waters to reach the place of safety.
On looking more closely I found a number of those who had been rescued, industriously working and scheming by ladders, ropes, boats and other means more effective, to deliver the poor strugglers out of the sea. Here and there were some who actually jumped into the water, regardless of the consequences in their passion to "rescue the perishing." And I hardly know which gladdened me the most—the sight of the poor drowning people climbing onto the rocks reaching a place of safety, or the devotion and self-sacrifice of those whose whole being was wrapped up in the effort for their deliverance.
As I looked on, I saw that the occupants of that platform were quite a mixed company. That is, they were divided into different "sets" or classes, and they occupied themselves with different pleasures and employments. But only a very few of them seemed to make it their business to get the people out of the sea.
But what puzzled me most was the fact that though all of them had been rescued at one time or another from the ocean, nearly everyone seemed to have forgotten all about it. Anyway, it seemed the memory of its darkness and danger no longer troubled them at all. And what seemed equally strange and perplexing to me was that these people did not even seem to have any care—that is any agonizing care—about the poor perishing ones who were struggling and drowning right before their very eyes . . . many of whom were their own husbands and wives, brothers and sisters and even their own children.
Now this astonishing unconcern could not have been the result of ignorance or lack of knowledge, because they lived right there in full sight of it all and even talked about it sometimes. Many even went regularly to hear lectures and sermons in which the awful state of these poor drowning creatures was described.
I have always said that the occupants of this platform were engaged in different pursuits and pastimes. Some of them were absorbed day and night in trading and business in order to make gain, storing up their savings in boxes, safes and the like. Many spent their time in amusing themselves with growing flowers on the side of the rock, others in painting pieces of cloth or in playing music, or in dressing themselves up in different styles and walking about to be admired. Some occupied themselves chiefly in eating and drinking, others were taken up with arguing about the poor drowning creatures that had already been rescued.
But the thing to me that seemed the most amazing was that those on the platform to whom He called, who heard His voice and felt that they ought to obey it—at least they said they did—those who confessed to love Him much were in full sympathy with Him in the task He had undertaken—who worshipped Him or who professed to do so—were so taken up with their trades and professions, their money saving and pleasures, their families and circles, their religions and arguments about it, and their preparation for going to the mainland, that they did not listen to the cry that came to them from this Wonderful Being who had Himself gone down into the sea. Anyway, if they heard it they did not heed it. They did not care. And so the multitude went on right before them struggling and shrieking and drowning in the darkness.
And then I saw something that seemed to me even more strange than anything that had gone on before in this strange vision. I saw that some of these people on the platform whom this Wonderful Being had called to, wanting them to come and help Him in His difficult task of saving these perishing creatures, were always praying and crying out to Him to come to them!
Some wanted Him to come and stay with them, and spend His time and strength in making them happier. Others wanted Him to come and take away various doubts and misgivings they had concerning the truth of some letters He had written them. Some wanted Him to come and make them feel more secure on the rock—so secure that they would be quite sure that they should never slip off again into the ocean. Numbers of others wanted Him to make them feel quite certain that they would really get off the rock and onto the mainland someday: because as a matter of fact, it was well known that some had walked so carelessly as to loose their footing, and had fallen back again into the stormy waters.
So these people used to meet and get up as high on the rock as they could, and looking towards the mainland (where they thought the Great Being was) they would cry out, "Come to us! Come and help us!" And all the while He was down (by His Spirit) among the poor struggling, drowning creatures in the angry deep, with His arms around them trying to drag them out, and looking up—oh! so longingly but all in vain—to those on the rock, crying to them with His voice all hoarse from calling, "Come to Me! Come, and help Me!
And then I understood it all. It was plain enough. The sea was the ocean of life—the sea of real, actual human existence. That lightening was the gleaming of piercing truth coming from Jehovah’s Throne. That thunder was the distant echoing of the wrath of God. Those multitudes of people shrieking, struggling and agonizing in the stormy sea, was the thousands and thousands of poor harlots and harlot-makers, of drunkards and drunkard makers, of thieves, liars, blasphemers and ungodly people of every kindred, tongue and nation.
Oh what a black sea it was! And oh, what multitudes of rich and poor, ignorant and educated were there. They were all so unalike in their outward circumstances and conditions, yet all alike in one thing—all sinners before God—all held by, and holding onto, some iniquity, fascinated by some idol, the slaves of some devilish lust, and ruled by the foul fiend from the bottomless pit!
"All alike in one thing?" No, all alike in two things—not only the same in their wickedness but, unless rescued, the same in their sinking, sinking . . . down, down, down . . . to the same terrible doom. That great sheltering rock represented Calvary, the place where Jesus had died for them. And the people on it were those who had been rescued. The way they used their energies, gifts and time represented the occupations and amusements of those who professed to be saved from sin and hell—followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The handful of fierce, determined ones, who were risking their own lives in saving the perishing were true soldiers of the cross of Jesus. That Mighty Being who was calling to them from the midst of the angry waters was the Son of God, "the same yesterday, today and forever" who is still struggling and interceding to save the dying multitudes about us from this terrible doom of damnation, and whose voice can be heard above the music, machinery, and noise of life, calling on the rescued to come and help Him save the world.
My friends in Christ, you are rescued from the waters, you are on the rock, He is in the dark sea calling on you to come to Him and help Him. Will you go? Look for yourselves. The surging sea of life, crowded with perishing multitudes rolls up to the very spot on which you stand. Leaving the vision, I now come to speak of the fact—a fact that is as real as the Bible, as real as the Christ who hung upon the cross, as real as the judgment day will be, and as real as the heaven and hell that will follow it.
Look! Don’t be deceived by appearances—men and things are not what they seem. All who are not on the rock are in the sea! Look at them from the standpoint of the great White Throne, and what a sight you have! Jesus Christ, the Son of God is, through His Spirit, in the midst of this dying multitude, struggling to save them. And He is calling on you to jump into the sea—to go right away to His side and help Him in the holy strife. Will you jump? That is, will you go to His feet and place yourself absolutely at His disposal?
A young Christian once came to me, and told me that for some time she had been giving the Lord her profession and prayers and money, but now she wanted to give Him her life. She wanted to go right into the fight. In other words, she wanted to go to His assistance in the sea. As when a man from the shore, seeing another struggling in the water, takes off those outer garments that would hinder his efforts and leaps to the rescue, so will you who still linger on the bank, thinking and singing and praying about the poor perishing souls, lay aside your shame, your pride, your cares about other people’s opinions, your love of ease and all the selfish loves that have kept you back for so long, and rush to the rescue of this multitude of dying men and women.
Does the surging sea look dark and dangerous? Unquestionably it is so. There is no doubt that the leap for you, as for everyone who takes it, means difficulty and scorn and suffering. For you it may mean more than this. It may mean death. He who beckons you from the sea however, knows what it will mean—and knowing, He still calls to you and bids to you to come.
You must do it! You cannot hold back. You have enjoyed yourself in Christianity long enough. You have had pleasant feelings, pleasant songs, pleasant meetings, pleasant prospects. There has been much of human happiness, much clapping of hands and shouting of praises—very much of heaven on earth.
Now then, go to God and tell Him you are prepared as much as necessary to turn your back upon it all, and that you are willing to spend the rest of your days struggling in the midst of these perishing multitudes, whatever it may cost you.
You must do it. With the light that is now broken in upon your mind and the call that is now sounding in your ears, and the beckoning hands that are now before your eyes, you have no alternative. To go down among the perishing crowds is your duty. Your happiness from now on will consist in sharing their misery, your ease in sharing their pain, your crown in helping them to bear their cross, and your heaven in going into the very jaws of hell to rescue them.
Now what will you do?
Posted By: Eric at 2:02 PM : Link : 1 Comments
