Courage for God Perhaps we have forgotten that the good soldier of Jesus Christ is called upon to disentangle himself from the things of the world and to face without flinching the hardships to be encountered. There must be a reckless disregard for our own convenience and comfort. But courage for God is more than daring, more than a display of boldness. It may embody these, but it goes beyond the risk of personal interests and concerns itself with getting a job done for the Lord. It is deeper than patriotism — and more significant. It does not say, “ I will lay down my life.” No, this is secondary. It says, rather, with a ring of genuineness and resolution in the voice, “ I will use my life — not part of it, but all of it — for Him Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” It is said that John Wesley travelled 250,000 miles on horseback, averaging 20 miles a day for forty years. He preached 40,000 sermons, produced hundreds of books; knew ten languages. At 83, he was concerned that he could not write more than 15 hours a day without hurting his eyes, and at 83 was ashamed he could not preach more than twice a day, and noted in his journal that there was an increasing tendency to lie in bed until 5:30 in the morning. This is courage in living for Christ. But let us not mis understand the true meaning of such courage. It is more than fleshly determination; it is more than induced avowal; it is more than promised abstinence; it is more than devised resolution; it is more than outward pretense. It is that strength of practical oneness with the Lord which refuses to be daunted or deterred — a devotion which does not deviate, a virility which does not vacillate,
a determination which does not deteriorate, a faithfulness which does not fluctuate. Courage, to be real, must be bolstered. It must be bul warked sufficiently to withstand the stunning blows which the evil one will be sure to register. This is why Joshua differentiated between strength and courage. This is why he advised strength before he suggested courage. “ Be strong and of good courage . . . be strong and very cour ageous,” he counselled. This called for convictions which pierce the sands of shallow profession and anchor to the bedrock of truth and righteousness. It called for a careful and prayerful alignment with the purpose of the Almighty. To be strong in the Lord demands that one plant one’s feet where the power of God is provided. Then he who stands for Truth stands ruggedly. Sacred history is replete with impressive illustrations of courage in action. It had to be so, else we would neither have an inspiring heritage nor a preserved testimony. The martyrs, though dead, still speak to inspire devotion in us today. They faced the fires without faltering, had a sweet tranquility of soul before the tumultuous throngs, and died unhesitatingly amid the fagots and the flames. Our day calls for a renewal of courage, a re-affirma tion of faith, and a redoubling of zeal. We need, as never before, to be aroused from our lethargy to rediscover what it was that put such strong sinews in the spiritual framework of the stalwart Christians of former days. We need to develop readiness of mind and a willingness of heart to accept such a discovery as applicable to us, and workable in us. We must admit our surprise that we have not seen these simple but profound truths ere this, or, having seen them, humbly confess our utter unwilling ness theretofore to apply them.
GOLDEN JUBILEE FEATURE:
ANSWERS to prayer
supernatural
/by Arthur T. Pierson
U p o n the subject of answers to prayer I believe I ought to add a word of explicit personal testimony. . . . What I have to tell you contains the seed of a revolu tion in my own Christian life so com plete that I seem to have felt a trans formation in all my religious ideas and sentiments and in every fiber of my being. . . . In January 1876 I found myself pastor of a large, wealthy church, with one of the finest and most elegant church buildings in the whole land, with everything to gratify a carnal ambition and lust of human applause. I had been led by a most singular searching of heart to see that I had been making an idol of literary cul ture and worldly position and a few months before, I had solemnly re nounced all these things that I might be a holier and more useful man. For the first time in my life I had no con scious idol in my heart and for the first time I had a consciousness of real communion — shall I say contact? — with God in prayer. I was especially led to ask that I might in some way be enabled to reach the unsaved souls who were around us but outside of
the churches. The clear and positive conviction absolutely possessed me that this prayer would be answered in a marked way that would show the hand of God. This solemn persua sion I communicated to my wife, but to her alone, and joyfully waited for God to fulfill the prayer. On March 19, 1876, unusual power was given me in preaching and in the evening I felt so strongly that the time was very near when God would reveal His right hand to give me new access to unsaved souls that I felt con strained to communicate my feelings to a brother clergyman . . . and at the next Friday evening church prayer meeting, as a pastor, I freely opened my heart to my beloved people. I spoke to them of the obvious lack of power in the church to reach these neglectors of worship and I said that our elegant church edifice perhaps tended to repel the poor. Opening the Bible, I read promise after promise, and the effect of this Scripture testi mony was to drive out unbelief and to fit us all to pray in faith. No one who was present will ever forget the solemnity of those moments when a whole people wrestled with God for
a blessing. While we were praying, the church building was already on fire. When the prayer ceased, the room was partially filled with smoke but we attributed it to the contrary wind driving down the flues. The fact was that the fire had ignited the lath near the stovepipe and was slowly working its way behind the plaster and so escaped detection. Early the next morning the flames burst forth and laid the beautiful building in ruins. I felt that this was God’s way of opening a door great and effectual to the neglected masses about us, and I was at peace. At once we secured an opera house, where for sixteen months I preached the Gospel extemporane ously, with a marked blessing on my work. More souls were converted in one year than in the whole of my previous ministry. They were almost exclusively from these outsiders whom we had hitherto failed to reach, and from that day the church was largely attended by that class of people. You see, the facts leave no room for ex planation on a natural basis. For six months before I had been confident that God would in some signal way lead us and give us access to souls. — From May, 1915 KING'S BUSINESS Magazine
MARCH, 1960
15
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