Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Where Are God's Men In This Day Of God's Power?

Early Friday morning, I read this hymn (written by John Wesley I believe), while continuing to make my way through volume one of George Whitefield's biography:
Shall I, for fear of feeble man,
The Spirit's course in me restrain?
Or, undismayed, in deed and word
Be a true witness to my Lord?

No; let man rage! since Thou wilt spread
Thy shadowing wings around my head:
Since in all pain Thy tender love
Will still my sweet refreshment prove.

The love of Christ does me constrain
To seek the wandering souls of men;
With cries, entreaties, tears, to save,
To snatch them from the gaping grave.

For this let them revile my name,
No cross I shun, I fear no shame;
All hail reproach, and welcome pain,
Only Thy terrors, Lord, restrain.

Give me Thy strength, O God of power,
Then let winds blow or thunders roar,
Thy faithful witness will I be-
'Tis fix'd! I can do all through Thee!

--John Wesley, as quoted by Arnold Dallimore in his biography on George Whitefield, Volume 1, p. 376
A couple of hours later I read this blog post at Christ Is Deeper Still:
"Where are the young men and women of this generation who will hold their lives cheap and be faithful even unto death? Where are those who will lose their lives for Christ's sake -- flinging them away for love of him? Where are those who will live dangerously and be reckless in his service? Where are his lovers -- those who love him and the souls of men more than their own reputations or comfort or very life?

Where are the men who say 'no' to self, who take up Christ's cross to bear it after him, who are willing to be nailed to it in college or office, home or mission field, who are willing, if need be, to bleed, to suffer and to die on it?

Where are the adventurers, the explorers, the buccaneers for God, who count one human soul of far greater value than the rise or fall of an empire? Where are the men who are willing to pay the price of vision?

Where are the men of prayer?

Where are God's men in this day of God's power?"

--Howard Guinness, Sacrifice, pages 59-60.
George Whitfield, John Wesley, and Charles Wesley were God's men in a day of God's power as the work that God did through them in England and beyond will testify to. And that's why Charles Spurgeon, a century later, would pray for the Lord of the harvest to grant more of such men to His church:
We want again Luthers, Calvins, Bunyans, Whitefields, men fit to mark eras, whose names breathe terror in our foemen’s ears. We have dire need of such. Whence will they come to us? They are the gift of Jesus Christ to the church, and will come in due time. He has power to give back again a golden age of preachers, and when the good old truth is once more preached by men whose lips are touched as with a live coal from off the alter, this shall be the instrument in the hand of the Spirit for bringing about a great and thorough revival of religion in the land. . . .

--Charles Spurgeon, introductory pages to his Autobiography, Volume 1
Spurgeon was an answer to his own prayer. And the dire need of his day is a dire need of our day. Where are God's men in this day of God's power?

So, Father in heaven, for the sake of Your Son and His church and His name being exalted among the nations, please give us more of Your men in this day of Your power. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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