THE KING’S BUSINESS
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their own strength for the Spirit of the living God was upon them. They were mighty in God. Look at that man, Gideon, who marshalled his army of 30,000 men to give battle to the Midianites. God said, “Gid eon, your army is too great. My people will be lifted up and they wifi take the glory unto themselves.” God said to Gideon, “You just say# to the men who are fearful and afraid, ‘Go home’.” So the Lord reduced the army 20,000, leaving only 10,000 men. But God said, “Gideon, you have got too many yet. If those 10,000 men get victory, they will say, ‘Look what we have done.’ Just take them down to the water and we will try them again. Those that drink in one way and those who lap the water up in another shall be separated.” Then God took away all but 300. God said that was enough. If I get the victory by these 300 I will get the glory. I would rather have 300 men in New York whose hearts are right with God than a host who take to them selves the glory which belongs to the Lord. I have no doubt but that some here will say, “There are too many ob stacles in the way. I don’t believe we are going to succeed. You won’t succeed in New York. It is a very hard place, New York is.” If God be with us, we are going to succeed. If we leave God out of our plans we are going to fail and we ought to fail. Is not the God of our fathers strong enough to take this city and shake it as a little child? There is not a skeptic in the city of New York that the power of God cannot reach. When we were in Philadelphia, we almost failed for a few weeks. The crowds were so great that many of those who attended the meetings spent most of their time watching the people. We could not get their eyes
open the book. But pretty soon the voice said, “Don’t weep. The Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy to open the seals,” and John began to look around to see the Lion, and lo! thé Lion was only a Lamb. Instead of wanting strength, we want weak ness; the Lion is the Lamb of Cal vary. He overeante the Lion of Hell—He conquered him. What we want tonight is to ask God to give us weakness, not strength, then these obstacles how small they lopk. When we are walking with God, all these obstacles how they flee away. Go up in a balloon and look down upon some giant, and how small he looks. Go up into a mountain and look down upon some giant and how small he looks. But get on a level with him and how large he looks. God takes the weak things to con found the mighty. When he wanted twelve men to introduce His Gos pel, whom did He take? Did He call the wise and mighty? No, He called a few ignorant Galilean fishermen. It was those men, the power of God rushed in upon them. They were weak in themselves but strong in God. So tonight, if there is a band weak in themselves but strong in God, what a work they can do. No other strength is worth having but the strength of God. When God wanted Germany to be blessed, He gave power to one man, the Spirit came upon Martin Luther and all Ger many was blessed. When darkness and superstition was settling over Scotland, the Spirit of God came upon John Knox and he moved all Scotland. You can go ‘ where you will in, Scotland today and every where you will hear the name and feel the influence of John Knox in that country. You can go to Eng land today and feel the influence of Wesley and Whitefield, grand men and mighty. They relied not upon
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