The Great Account # 2
A captain was within a few weeks of death. A friend was speaking to him of a future state. "Were you to be tried by a Court Martial as to your conduct as an officer and a gentleman - would you be afraid?"
"I would not!" said he emphatically, rising up in his bed as he spoke it. "But you are not to be tried by a Court Martial, but at the bar of Christ, and what shall you answer when He asks: "What have you done for Me?"
"Nothing! I have never done anything for Christ" said the captain thoughtfully. The arrow had reached his conscience. He was now brought to deep conviction, and through it to find rest in Christ.
There will be a "blind guide" - the man solemnly pledged to feed the flock, yet who knew not himself "the unsearchable riches of Christ," nor unfolded them to others.
There will be the faithful under-shepherd, who himself followed the Master, and day by day, in public and in private, exalted Christ and Him alone.
There will be hearers of the Word, who vainly imagined that their duty was done, when for half an hour they had hearkened to the sermon.
There will be doers of the Word, who practiced as well as heard, and only grieved that they did it so little.
There will be those who believe not the Gospel of salvation. It has come to them, but has not been received. Through prejudice, or presuming upon their own endeavors, or a future repentance - they have put away from them the offered blessing.
There will be those who have believed and embraced it. When speaking of the judgment, Paul excludes not himself or other believers. Though sin be forgiven, though for them there can be no condemnation - yet for the glory of Christ and their justification before a world that has trampled upon them, shall they appear before the Judge.
Of all earth's teeming myriads, not one shall be absent!
However difficult to form a conception of the manner in which it can be brought about - of the locality in which it may take place - of the lengthened period of "that day" - yet of this be assured, not one solitary individual shall escape its awful solemnity.
Within a man's own breast, has God fixed a faithful witness to it. Why is it that within, there is that which chides or approves? Is there not a little judgment seat set up there - I mean conscience - which bears a clear testimony to the judgment to be administered hereafter?
Nor in any way can the guilty one flee from the presence of his Judge. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." "For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?"
Behold the Character of the Judgment Which God Has Appointed
In every court of Justice there must be a certain fixed rule of standard, by which people accused may be tried. In our own land, for example, every prisoner is acquitted or condemned according to the code of laws. It is not in accordance with any idea of justice in their own mind - or in that of the judge or jury - but by a clear definite code, known and recognized among us.
So likewise will it be at the Great Day. Various are the standards by which men judge themselves now, so as to quiet conscience and build up themselves in a false security. They cherish certain views of their own, with respect to moral duty, and imagine that if they fairly come up to them, nothing more can be required. Or they judge themselves by the ordinary walk of those with whom they dwell. Or they compare themselves with those who seem greater transgressors than they are - and so they hope that they may not fall far short of the mark.
All such vain imaginations will vanish in a moment before the brightness of Christ's solemn throne. The only standard will be the Word of God. That word contains within it the great rule of duty - supreme love to God, and true genuine love to our neighbor. It reveals also the free promise of life, and eternal salvation to every one who believes in the name of Christ. It declares that true faith works by love, and that none truly believe in the Son of God, who are not led by the Spirit, and bring not forth the fruits of that Spirit in their lives. Such is the rule by which all those will be judged to whom the message of the Gospel has come. Hear the Word of Christ: "He who rejects Me and receives not My words, has one who judges him - the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him at the last day."
Bear in mind not only what is to be the one standard - but that the judgment has respect to the whole course of a man's life.
~George Everard~
(continued with # 3)
Saturday, April 27, 2019
The Great Account # 1
The Great Account # 1
The longest day has its close. The longest life is but for a moment.
"Behold, You have made my days as an handbreath."
"We spend our years as a tale that is told."
"Man is like vanity and a breath; his days are as a shadow that passes then vanishes away."
Such is a true picture of the present life. It is a "handbreath," "a shadow," "a tale that is told," "a passing vapor."
There are insects which are born at sunset, and before the sun rises, they are no more. There are flowers which open with the day, and before evening fade and die. So short an hour of existence is ours, if judged by the light of the eternity that follows.
Everyday life with its comforts and its cares, its joys and its sorrows, its evil and its good - does not long abide with us. Soon buried with us in the habitation appointed for all living - will be the schemes, and thoughts, and pursuits, that now engage the most of our time.
But what then? Has life no further issues? Shall the work of our hands, the words of our lips, the thoughts of our hearts - be heard of no more? Not so. There is a great day approaching. A reckoning must then be made. The book of man's life, closed for a season, will then be reopened. The past shall have a voice given to it, so that not to hearken will be impossible.
In a quiet churchyard a few solemn words were inscribed over one who lay there: "What I was, the day of judgment will declare. Reader, what are you?" It is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." It is written again, "Behold the Judge stands at the door!"
Behold the Judge Himself!
It is the Son of God. He it is, who is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, whose eyes are as a flame of fire, who searches the hearts and tries the thoughts of men.
It is the Son of man. He it is who took our nature and shared our heritage of woe; who dwelt on earth, and wept in Bethany; who felt the tempter's power, and has known by experience what our condition is.
He it is, who alone of the children of men, lived and died unblemished and undefiled. It is fit that the Judge should be guiltless of crimes upon which He must pass sentence in others. The Son of man, though one with us in all beside, "did no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth."
He it is, who was once judged and wrongfully condemned. The High Priest and Pilate sentenced Him to death - but then they shall change places. Christ shall be Judge. At His bar, both of them shall stand.
He it is, who is not the Saviour. "He came into the world to save sinners." He came not to judge, but to redeem. He stretches forth His arm to rescue man from the deep abyss of guilt into which he has fallen. He calls lovingly to perishing ones, to come to Him for salvation. He delights freely to justify through His death and merits, all those who turn to Him. He will finally perfect in holiness, through His sanctifying Spirit, those who commit themselves to His care.
Oh, sinner! Jesus standing at the door of your heart as a most compassionate Saviour - before He comes to you as a righteous Judge. Flee to His mercy-seat for pardon and acceptance - before you are summoned to stand before His judgment seat!
Behold the vast multitude who shall stand beneath the solemn shadow of the great white throne. "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad."
Amid that multitude shall be those now dead, lying around the village church or in the crowded cemetery - those whose remains were buried on the battlefield or who lie fathoms beneath the waves of the sea.
There shall be those now living in various parts of the wide world - those twelve hundred million, who are said to form at this time the population of the earth.
There shall be those yet unborn, who have yet their race to run, and their battle to fight.
Our criminal population shall be there - murderers, thieves, defrauders, and such like - those convicted and those who have escaped.
From a window in York Castle may be seen a narrow grass-plot, where for many a year have been laid the remains of those executed for various crimes. What a place of dread, on the resurrection morn, will be that enclosure, when those who lie there will arise to receive their sentence before a far higher tribunal than any that yet they have known!
Those who have born a character without a stain among their fellow-men will be there also. Tried by any human standard, they need not fear, but "God sees not as man sees."
~George Everard~
(continued with # 2)
The longest day has its close. The longest life is but for a moment.
"Behold, You have made my days as an handbreath."
"We spend our years as a tale that is told."
"Man is like vanity and a breath; his days are as a shadow that passes then vanishes away."
Such is a true picture of the present life. It is a "handbreath," "a shadow," "a tale that is told," "a passing vapor."
There are insects which are born at sunset, and before the sun rises, they are no more. There are flowers which open with the day, and before evening fade and die. So short an hour of existence is ours, if judged by the light of the eternity that follows.
Everyday life with its comforts and its cares, its joys and its sorrows, its evil and its good - does not long abide with us. Soon buried with us in the habitation appointed for all living - will be the schemes, and thoughts, and pursuits, that now engage the most of our time.
But what then? Has life no further issues? Shall the work of our hands, the words of our lips, the thoughts of our hearts - be heard of no more? Not so. There is a great day approaching. A reckoning must then be made. The book of man's life, closed for a season, will then be reopened. The past shall have a voice given to it, so that not to hearken will be impossible.
In a quiet churchyard a few solemn words were inscribed over one who lay there: "What I was, the day of judgment will declare. Reader, what are you?" It is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." It is written again, "Behold the Judge stands at the door!"
Behold the Judge Himself!
It is the Son of God. He it is, who is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, whose eyes are as a flame of fire, who searches the hearts and tries the thoughts of men.
It is the Son of man. He it is who took our nature and shared our heritage of woe; who dwelt on earth, and wept in Bethany; who felt the tempter's power, and has known by experience what our condition is.
He it is, who alone of the children of men, lived and died unblemished and undefiled. It is fit that the Judge should be guiltless of crimes upon which He must pass sentence in others. The Son of man, though one with us in all beside, "did no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth."
He it is, who was once judged and wrongfully condemned. The High Priest and Pilate sentenced Him to death - but then they shall change places. Christ shall be Judge. At His bar, both of them shall stand.
He it is, who is not the Saviour. "He came into the world to save sinners." He came not to judge, but to redeem. He stretches forth His arm to rescue man from the deep abyss of guilt into which he has fallen. He calls lovingly to perishing ones, to come to Him for salvation. He delights freely to justify through His death and merits, all those who turn to Him. He will finally perfect in holiness, through His sanctifying Spirit, those who commit themselves to His care.
Oh, sinner! Jesus standing at the door of your heart as a most compassionate Saviour - before He comes to you as a righteous Judge. Flee to His mercy-seat for pardon and acceptance - before you are summoned to stand before His judgment seat!
Behold the vast multitude who shall stand beneath the solemn shadow of the great white throne. "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad."
Amid that multitude shall be those now dead, lying around the village church or in the crowded cemetery - those whose remains were buried on the battlefield or who lie fathoms beneath the waves of the sea.
There shall be those now living in various parts of the wide world - those twelve hundred million, who are said to form at this time the population of the earth.
There shall be those yet unborn, who have yet their race to run, and their battle to fight.
Our criminal population shall be there - murderers, thieves, defrauders, and such like - those convicted and those who have escaped.
From a window in York Castle may be seen a narrow grass-plot, where for many a year have been laid the remains of those executed for various crimes. What a place of dread, on the resurrection morn, will be that enclosure, when those who lie there will arise to receive their sentence before a far higher tribunal than any that yet they have known!
Those who have born a character without a stain among their fellow-men will be there also. Tried by any human standard, they need not fear, but "God sees not as man sees."
~George Everard~
(continued with # 2)
Saturday, April 20, 2019
When the World Is On Fire # 4
When the World Is On Fire # 4
III. The Continuance of Christians
Continue in Holiness
Peter beseeches us to do three things in 2 Peter chapter 3. First, we must continue in holiness. God help us, God help me, God help all Bible believing Christians in America, to repent of our sins, to confess them humbly, pleadingly, without hiding a single one of them, to God. God help us to come again and again under the Blood. God help us to live victoriously over sin, to eschew even the appearance of evil.
You remember the records of the early Christians. How the Romans hated them! How the Jews despised them! How the Greeks laughed at them! How they were crucified, imprisoned, scourged, their property confiscated, their women and children ravaged! Oh, the fearful terror that was the lot of our brothers and sisters in Christ in the long ago! But when they were sawn asunder, when they were thrown to the lions, when they were burned at stakes, when they were crucified, when the Roman world ran with their blood like a mighty river, people had to say about them, "See how these Christians live, and see how they die."
What is it I am talking about? The biggest argument against fundamentalism is the lack of love, the lack of real faith, the lack of real loyalty among us. The biggest argument against fundamentalism is that we fundamental people are living as though we did not know the first thing about faith, about love, about the precepts of our adorable Redeemer. There is just one hope for us. We must outlive, outlove, outgive, outshine, outscarifice all the liberals, as well as all the worldlings!
Continue In Hopefulness
Second, not only must there be a continuance of holiness, but there must also be a continuance in hopefulness. I have made up my mind, after some trying days in a revival when the Lord showed me again and again how little faith I really had, when He gave mighty victories in spite of my benumbing fears, that I was never again going to sound a sour note. God helping me, I am not going to do it any more.
Guarhardt Oncken came to Europe to preach the Gospel. He was arrested and imprisoned and fined times without number. Every time he was freed he preached again. The magistrate before whom he was brought time after time finally lost patience. Standing up, leaning over the bench, shaking his finger in the face of the preacher, he said, "Mr. Oncken, you are not going to preach." The preacher straightened up, smiled softly, and looked directly into the face of his tormentor. "Your honor, as long as I can see God above your finger, I will keep on preaching." God is not dead. We have plenty of hope in God. Let us show that hope to a world. Let us exercise that hope. Let us practice that hope. Let us pray for each other that our ministries, our lives, will be filled with hope.
I shall never forget some of the incidents during the first year of my ministry. When I started out to preach, I would go somewhere for a revival. Big crowds would come. There would be few conversions, little power. People would not pray. I would become glum, blue, discouraged, heartsick, unhappy. The Lord would send some old deacon who did not know very much except that he loved God and a had a lot of faith. That old deacon would come up to me and say, "Brother Appleman, don't get discouraged. Just keep on preaching. Just keep right on pouring water into that hole. Pretty soon the rats are going to start coming up!"
Lo and behold, they did run out after a while, the rats of hell. They ran from the presence of Christ! There is a bare, black, bleak world against us. It is getting worse. It will keep on getting worse. But there is still a God in the heavens. His promises are still in the Bible. We are still His children. If we sow in accordance with His promise, in due season we shall reap if we faint not. The promise still is, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32).
Continually Make Haste
Peter calls to our minds a third thing. There must not only be holiness, not only hopefulness, but also haste. We dare not play. The hour is late. Men are dying. We are racing against sin, against satan, against death, against every trick and trap that hell can suggest. We are racing for souls, the prize. Men, women, children, all about us will either be welcomed by Christ in Heaven or be forever tormented by the devil in hell. The times call for haste. We must not dill-dally around. We dare not be "at ease in Zion."
We must not just sit around in church and Bible conferences, drinking in until our souls are fat and sleek. We must not sit there and hear lovely choirs sing until it seems that we can hear the angels echo their voices. It is not enough to let the tears run down our cheeks when one of God's servants sings about the love of God. It is ours to be inspired, then go back home, and say to the devil, "I will give you neither rest nor peace until God calls me home. I will keep on thanking. I will keep on praising. I will keep on preaching. I will keep on giving. I will keep on living. I will keep on sacrificing. devil, I am going to give you a run for your money!"
We are fighting a bitter fight. We are fighting a more bitter fight than our soldiers in recent wars. We are fighting principalities and powers. We are fighting the devil and all the hosts of hell. The prize is not the freedom of our lives here for a few years upon this earth; the prize is immortal souls to reign and rejoice with Jesus Christ in Heaven or to be ruined forever in a devil's hell. The cry of God to every one of us is to drink, drink, drink deep; to eat, to eat much; to fill our souls, to fill our hearts, to fill our minds, to fill our lives, then to go out and win as many souls as we can, bringing them to the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here, then, is the call to holiness, to hopefulness, to haste.
May the Holy Spirit of God use us to start the conflagration we have been talking about, praying about, longing for, in the very depths of our hearts.
~Hyman Appleman~
(The End)
III. The Continuance of Christians
Continue in Holiness
Peter beseeches us to do three things in 2 Peter chapter 3. First, we must continue in holiness. God help us, God help me, God help all Bible believing Christians in America, to repent of our sins, to confess them humbly, pleadingly, without hiding a single one of them, to God. God help us to come again and again under the Blood. God help us to live victoriously over sin, to eschew even the appearance of evil.
You remember the records of the early Christians. How the Romans hated them! How the Jews despised them! How the Greeks laughed at them! How they were crucified, imprisoned, scourged, their property confiscated, their women and children ravaged! Oh, the fearful terror that was the lot of our brothers and sisters in Christ in the long ago! But when they were sawn asunder, when they were thrown to the lions, when they were burned at stakes, when they were crucified, when the Roman world ran with their blood like a mighty river, people had to say about them, "See how these Christians live, and see how they die."
What is it I am talking about? The biggest argument against fundamentalism is the lack of love, the lack of real faith, the lack of real loyalty among us. The biggest argument against fundamentalism is that we fundamental people are living as though we did not know the first thing about faith, about love, about the precepts of our adorable Redeemer. There is just one hope for us. We must outlive, outlove, outgive, outshine, outscarifice all the liberals, as well as all the worldlings!
Continue In Hopefulness
Second, not only must there be a continuance of holiness, but there must also be a continuance in hopefulness. I have made up my mind, after some trying days in a revival when the Lord showed me again and again how little faith I really had, when He gave mighty victories in spite of my benumbing fears, that I was never again going to sound a sour note. God helping me, I am not going to do it any more.
Guarhardt Oncken came to Europe to preach the Gospel. He was arrested and imprisoned and fined times without number. Every time he was freed he preached again. The magistrate before whom he was brought time after time finally lost patience. Standing up, leaning over the bench, shaking his finger in the face of the preacher, he said, "Mr. Oncken, you are not going to preach." The preacher straightened up, smiled softly, and looked directly into the face of his tormentor. "Your honor, as long as I can see God above your finger, I will keep on preaching." God is not dead. We have plenty of hope in God. Let us show that hope to a world. Let us exercise that hope. Let us practice that hope. Let us pray for each other that our ministries, our lives, will be filled with hope.
I shall never forget some of the incidents during the first year of my ministry. When I started out to preach, I would go somewhere for a revival. Big crowds would come. There would be few conversions, little power. People would not pray. I would become glum, blue, discouraged, heartsick, unhappy. The Lord would send some old deacon who did not know very much except that he loved God and a had a lot of faith. That old deacon would come up to me and say, "Brother Appleman, don't get discouraged. Just keep on preaching. Just keep right on pouring water into that hole. Pretty soon the rats are going to start coming up!"
Lo and behold, they did run out after a while, the rats of hell. They ran from the presence of Christ! There is a bare, black, bleak world against us. It is getting worse. It will keep on getting worse. But there is still a God in the heavens. His promises are still in the Bible. We are still His children. If we sow in accordance with His promise, in due season we shall reap if we faint not. The promise still is, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32).
Continually Make Haste
Peter calls to our minds a third thing. There must not only be holiness, not only hopefulness, but also haste. We dare not play. The hour is late. Men are dying. We are racing against sin, against satan, against death, against every trick and trap that hell can suggest. We are racing for souls, the prize. Men, women, children, all about us will either be welcomed by Christ in Heaven or be forever tormented by the devil in hell. The times call for haste. We must not dill-dally around. We dare not be "at ease in Zion."
We must not just sit around in church and Bible conferences, drinking in until our souls are fat and sleek. We must not sit there and hear lovely choirs sing until it seems that we can hear the angels echo their voices. It is not enough to let the tears run down our cheeks when one of God's servants sings about the love of God. It is ours to be inspired, then go back home, and say to the devil, "I will give you neither rest nor peace until God calls me home. I will keep on thanking. I will keep on praising. I will keep on preaching. I will keep on giving. I will keep on living. I will keep on sacrificing. devil, I am going to give you a run for your money!"
We are fighting a bitter fight. We are fighting a more bitter fight than our soldiers in recent wars. We are fighting principalities and powers. We are fighting the devil and all the hosts of hell. The prize is not the freedom of our lives here for a few years upon this earth; the prize is immortal souls to reign and rejoice with Jesus Christ in Heaven or to be ruined forever in a devil's hell. The cry of God to every one of us is to drink, drink, drink deep; to eat, to eat much; to fill our souls, to fill our hearts, to fill our minds, to fill our lives, then to go out and win as many souls as we can, bringing them to the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here, then, is the call to holiness, to hopefulness, to haste.
May the Holy Spirit of God use us to start the conflagration we have been talking about, praying about, longing for, in the very depths of our hearts.
~Hyman Appleman~
(The End)
When The World Is On Fire # 3
When The World Is On Fire # 3
The Coming Will Be Sudden
There will be no warning bells. Just as He came to Bethlehem's manger on that starry night, even so He is coming again, only this time in His glory, in His power, in His authority, in His might, in His magnificent majesty! However, it will be just as sudden as it was 1900 years ago. Oh my soul, how afraid I am that too many of us Christians, as well as too dreadfully many of the unsaved, will not be ready for the appearing of the blessed Son of God. I have found this to be true. I am passing this on to you for what it is worth. The Lord has given me the privilege of going across this continent. I suppose I have been in as many different churches as anyone of you reading this book, perhaps more than anyone of you. And hear me, beloved! You show me a church that majors on the premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, next to the Cross, next to the shed Blood, next to the resurrection, and I will show you a church constrained to consecration, compelled to soul-winning. Surely the person who believes in the imminent coming of the Son of God is not going to go to places, is not going to spend money or time on things that he or she would not want to be doing, where he or she would not want to be found when Jesus Christ comes to claim His own.
Christ's Coming Will Be Spectacular
The heavens will be dissolved. The earth will go up in smoke and flame. The atomic and hydrogen bombs will look like fizzy firecrackers alongside the matchless glory that will accompany the return of the Son of God. The Bible teaches it. Most of us, if not all of us, will see it. Then you will not have to take my word for it.
I am jealous for Jesus Christ. I am jealous for His good Name. I am jealous for His mighty fame. It hurts me no end to find a brass band orchestra leader paid more money than a dozen preachers of the gospel. A moving picture actress of any prominence makes more money than a multitude of preachers put together. It is because the world hates God and Christ. It is because the world is not interested in the things of God, in the things of Christ. Jesus Christ is getting the small end of it right now. I am jealous because of that. But I need not be. Every time I get to thinking about it carefully, seriously, I am reminded of the classic illustration I am sure you have all heard.
A preacher was driving by Stone Mountain outside Atlanta, Georgia, that tremendous mountain of stone the like of which there is not found anywhere in the world. A man was leaning against that mountain, huffing, puffing, pushing, red in the face. "What are you doing, sir?" asked the preacher. "I am holding up the mountain." "You do not have to hold up the mountain. It can hold itself up." "But, preacher, you go on the other side and see what is happening." The preacher rode around to the other side of the mountain. There was a man with a little pickax out of a boy's tool chest, chipping at the mountain. About every hour or so he struck a spark of fire, struck off a stone about the size of a pinhead. Coming back, the preacher said to the man supporting the mountain. "You do not have to hold up that mountain. That man will be trying a long time before any part of it will ever fall."
Neither do I have to worry about the Lord Jesus Christ. He can take care of himself. I heard a preacher say the other day, "You don't have to set a poodle dog to watch a lion, to take care of a lion. All you have to do is just open the cage and let the lion loose. He will take care of himself." It is identically the same with the Lord Jesus Christ. I love to think about His coming. He is coming to display His omnipotent power. There are many of God's choices evangelists in this day who sob their hearts out, weep their souls out, pay with their heart's blood, with their sweat, their tears, with sleepless nights, with agony-filled days for the souls that they win to Jesus Christ. yet the world goes on in its heedless way. But, thank God, praise God, it is going to be changed. One of these days the biggest name in the world will be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. One of these days the biggest job in the world will be serving the blessed Son of God.
Christ's Coming Severe
The second coming of Jesus Christ will not only be sudden, not only spectacular, but also severe. It will be severe in its searching. It will be severe in its judgments. It will be severe in its cursing. It will be severe in its castigation. I want with all my heart and soul for Jesus Christ to come, yet I cannot fully say it and mean every bit of it. I cannot say with all my heart that I want Jesus to come right now. There are so many unsaved people who need Him, who may be lost at His coming. Yet, in spite of it all, if I could only see Him, if I could only kneel at His feet, if I could only tell Him face to face how much I love Him!!. But His coming again may be the end of the dispensation of grace to these multiplied, multitudinous millions who are on the road to a devil's hell. That is the thought that I have like a burning coal in my heart, on my mind all the time. When Christ comes again there may be no second chance. When He comes again there may be no gospel preached. When He comes again the Holy Spirit may be withdrawn. Some say He will be withdrawn;some say He will not - I do not know. But there is the danger for these unsaved myriads at the coming of the Son of God.
~Hyman Appleman~
(continued with # 4)
The Coming Will Be Sudden
There will be no warning bells. Just as He came to Bethlehem's manger on that starry night, even so He is coming again, only this time in His glory, in His power, in His authority, in His might, in His magnificent majesty! However, it will be just as sudden as it was 1900 years ago. Oh my soul, how afraid I am that too many of us Christians, as well as too dreadfully many of the unsaved, will not be ready for the appearing of the blessed Son of God. I have found this to be true. I am passing this on to you for what it is worth. The Lord has given me the privilege of going across this continent. I suppose I have been in as many different churches as anyone of you reading this book, perhaps more than anyone of you. And hear me, beloved! You show me a church that majors on the premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, next to the Cross, next to the shed Blood, next to the resurrection, and I will show you a church constrained to consecration, compelled to soul-winning. Surely the person who believes in the imminent coming of the Son of God is not going to go to places, is not going to spend money or time on things that he or she would not want to be doing, where he or she would not want to be found when Jesus Christ comes to claim His own.
Christ's Coming Will Be Spectacular
The heavens will be dissolved. The earth will go up in smoke and flame. The atomic and hydrogen bombs will look like fizzy firecrackers alongside the matchless glory that will accompany the return of the Son of God. The Bible teaches it. Most of us, if not all of us, will see it. Then you will not have to take my word for it.
I am jealous for Jesus Christ. I am jealous for His good Name. I am jealous for His mighty fame. It hurts me no end to find a brass band orchestra leader paid more money than a dozen preachers of the gospel. A moving picture actress of any prominence makes more money than a multitude of preachers put together. It is because the world hates God and Christ. It is because the world is not interested in the things of God, in the things of Christ. Jesus Christ is getting the small end of it right now. I am jealous because of that. But I need not be. Every time I get to thinking about it carefully, seriously, I am reminded of the classic illustration I am sure you have all heard.
A preacher was driving by Stone Mountain outside Atlanta, Georgia, that tremendous mountain of stone the like of which there is not found anywhere in the world. A man was leaning against that mountain, huffing, puffing, pushing, red in the face. "What are you doing, sir?" asked the preacher. "I am holding up the mountain." "You do not have to hold up the mountain. It can hold itself up." "But, preacher, you go on the other side and see what is happening." The preacher rode around to the other side of the mountain. There was a man with a little pickax out of a boy's tool chest, chipping at the mountain. About every hour or so he struck a spark of fire, struck off a stone about the size of a pinhead. Coming back, the preacher said to the man supporting the mountain. "You do not have to hold up that mountain. That man will be trying a long time before any part of it will ever fall."
Neither do I have to worry about the Lord Jesus Christ. He can take care of himself. I heard a preacher say the other day, "You don't have to set a poodle dog to watch a lion, to take care of a lion. All you have to do is just open the cage and let the lion loose. He will take care of himself." It is identically the same with the Lord Jesus Christ. I love to think about His coming. He is coming to display His omnipotent power. There are many of God's choices evangelists in this day who sob their hearts out, weep their souls out, pay with their heart's blood, with their sweat, their tears, with sleepless nights, with agony-filled days for the souls that they win to Jesus Christ. yet the world goes on in its heedless way. But, thank God, praise God, it is going to be changed. One of these days the biggest name in the world will be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. One of these days the biggest job in the world will be serving the blessed Son of God.
Christ's Coming Severe
The second coming of Jesus Christ will not only be sudden, not only spectacular, but also severe. It will be severe in its searching. It will be severe in its judgments. It will be severe in its cursing. It will be severe in its castigation. I want with all my heart and soul for Jesus Christ to come, yet I cannot fully say it and mean every bit of it. I cannot say with all my heart that I want Jesus to come right now. There are so many unsaved people who need Him, who may be lost at His coming. Yet, in spite of it all, if I could only see Him, if I could only kneel at His feet, if I could only tell Him face to face how much I love Him!!. But His coming again may be the end of the dispensation of grace to these multiplied, multitudinous millions who are on the road to a devil's hell. That is the thought that I have like a burning coal in my heart, on my mind all the time. When Christ comes again there may be no second chance. When He comes again there may be no gospel preached. When He comes again the Holy Spirit may be withdrawn. Some say He will be withdrawn;some say He will not - I do not know. But there is the danger for these unsaved myriads at the coming of the Son of God.
~Hyman Appleman~
(continued with # 4)
Saturday, April 13, 2019
When The World Is On Fire # 2
When The World Is On Fire # 2
Anti-millennialism
The second contention of these scoffers is anti-millennialism. When it comes to a showdown, there are just two classes of people in this world on the millennium question. Do not let them fool you. It is pre-millennialism or non-millennialism. The post-millennialists do not preach very much about the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. An anti-millennialism here is what you have. Instead of preaching the gospel as the panacea for the needs, for the cure, for the salvation of a lost world; instead of preaching the Blood for the remission of sins, too dreadfully many of our churches have gone astray on a social kind of gospel, and are giving their time to social service and activities. Talk to them about it and they will glibly deny it. Nevertheless it is true. They are spending their thousands to promote the welfare of their communities or to build impressive buildings, forgetting the lost on their way to hell around about them.
Those of us who believe that this world is getting worse and worse, that the only One who can straighten it out is the Lord Jesus Christ, that there is not much in it, after all, worth saving aside from the souls of men, will major on the gospel, on preaching, on soul winning, will sacrifice all that we are and have to bring souls to the Redeemer. But these others will spend their time in P.T.A.'s in lodges, in civic organizations, in running here, there, and yonder. They have no time to pray, no time for religious visitation, no time for witnessing, no time for the tarrying for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The tragedy is that so many follow these blind leaders. They do seem to realize that the thing God expects us to do is to call out the Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. I would to God that all of us had the same attitude toward these things as did the great D. L. Moody when he said: "This world is a sea. Men are lost on the waves of it. God has given me a rowboat. It is my business to see how many of them I can save from the destroying waves before they are engulfed in the pit of hell."
Scoffers Contend Against Evangelism
The third thing that scoffers contend may be found in the word. "Anti-evangelism". But why anti-evangelism? Because of anti-Godism. Because of anti-millennialism. The three things go together. They are intertwined. These scoffers say, "We don't need any evangelism. What we need is better communities, better laws, better peace-treaties, better organizations, more education. What we need is to solve the racial problem, anti-Semitism. What we need is to see that communism and capitalism get along, that labor and management do not fight with each other."
You would be surprised how many books are written by preachers, how many sermons are preached Sunday mornings and Sunday nights in some of the mightiest churches of our land, churches that at one time were blazing lighthouses of soul-winning impact, to patch up the crazy quilt that we have in labor disputations, in race difficulties. These are the three contentions of the scoffers that we have to face as we try to advance the interests of the kingdom of God, to carry out the commission of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is again anti-Godism.
The Gideons are here. Thank God for them. The very first Gentile Bible (if you understand my meaning - perhaps I ought to say, the very first Christian Bible) I ever touched, I ever looked into, which started me on the road to becoming a Christian, was a Gideon Bible in the Y.M.C.A in Kansas City, Missouri. If it had not been in that room that night I might not be a Christian now. But if some of these beloved Gideons have an idea, or if any of the rest of us have thought that because we have given out and sold more Bibles than we have ever given out and ever sold before in any generation, that therefore there are more Bibles being read, studied, practiced, we are desperately wrong. It is not so. The ignorance of the Bible is appalling. D. L. Moody said, and every evangelist echoes it to this day, that at the end of his life it was hard to get people interested in the Word of God. Holding up his Bible in the last meeting he ever conducted, in Kansas City, he cried out, "There used to be a time when if I appealed to the Bible, the majority of the congregation knew what I was talking about. But now if I say something is in the Bible, many of you do not even understand that I am quoting the Word of God!"
My heart broke as I read those words, as I thought of the anguish in the soul of that mighty man of God, who in a lifetime had seen the Bible relegated to the shelf instead of to the most prominent place in the heart of the home. What about this situation? Are the scoffers right? Are they right in their anti-Godism? Are they right in their anti-millennialism? Are they right in their anti-evangelism?
II. The Coming of the Lord
The second point in this message is the coming of the Lord. The coming of the Lord is imminent. I believe with all my soul, He is coming very, very soon. I can almost hear the jingle of the spurs as the angels burnish them up, ready for His use. He is coming soon. You have heard this said, and it is increasingly true. There is no promise, no prophecy of any importance of any weight in the Bible, which was to have been fulfilled before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ that has not been fulfilled already, or that is not being fulfilled right now. Sooner than most people expect, the blessed Son of God is coming.
~Hyman Appleman~
(continued with # 3)
Anti-millennialism
The second contention of these scoffers is anti-millennialism. When it comes to a showdown, there are just two classes of people in this world on the millennium question. Do not let them fool you. It is pre-millennialism or non-millennialism. The post-millennialists do not preach very much about the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. An anti-millennialism here is what you have. Instead of preaching the gospel as the panacea for the needs, for the cure, for the salvation of a lost world; instead of preaching the Blood for the remission of sins, too dreadfully many of our churches have gone astray on a social kind of gospel, and are giving their time to social service and activities. Talk to them about it and they will glibly deny it. Nevertheless it is true. They are spending their thousands to promote the welfare of their communities or to build impressive buildings, forgetting the lost on their way to hell around about them.
Those of us who believe that this world is getting worse and worse, that the only One who can straighten it out is the Lord Jesus Christ, that there is not much in it, after all, worth saving aside from the souls of men, will major on the gospel, on preaching, on soul winning, will sacrifice all that we are and have to bring souls to the Redeemer. But these others will spend their time in P.T.A.'s in lodges, in civic organizations, in running here, there, and yonder. They have no time to pray, no time for religious visitation, no time for witnessing, no time for the tarrying for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The tragedy is that so many follow these blind leaders. They do seem to realize that the thing God expects us to do is to call out the Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. I would to God that all of us had the same attitude toward these things as did the great D. L. Moody when he said: "This world is a sea. Men are lost on the waves of it. God has given me a rowboat. It is my business to see how many of them I can save from the destroying waves before they are engulfed in the pit of hell."
Scoffers Contend Against Evangelism
The third thing that scoffers contend may be found in the word. "Anti-evangelism". But why anti-evangelism? Because of anti-Godism. Because of anti-millennialism. The three things go together. They are intertwined. These scoffers say, "We don't need any evangelism. What we need is better communities, better laws, better peace-treaties, better organizations, more education. What we need is to solve the racial problem, anti-Semitism. What we need is to see that communism and capitalism get along, that labor and management do not fight with each other."
You would be surprised how many books are written by preachers, how many sermons are preached Sunday mornings and Sunday nights in some of the mightiest churches of our land, churches that at one time were blazing lighthouses of soul-winning impact, to patch up the crazy quilt that we have in labor disputations, in race difficulties. These are the three contentions of the scoffers that we have to face as we try to advance the interests of the kingdom of God, to carry out the commission of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is again anti-Godism.
The Gideons are here. Thank God for them. The very first Gentile Bible (if you understand my meaning - perhaps I ought to say, the very first Christian Bible) I ever touched, I ever looked into, which started me on the road to becoming a Christian, was a Gideon Bible in the Y.M.C.A in Kansas City, Missouri. If it had not been in that room that night I might not be a Christian now. But if some of these beloved Gideons have an idea, or if any of the rest of us have thought that because we have given out and sold more Bibles than we have ever given out and ever sold before in any generation, that therefore there are more Bibles being read, studied, practiced, we are desperately wrong. It is not so. The ignorance of the Bible is appalling. D. L. Moody said, and every evangelist echoes it to this day, that at the end of his life it was hard to get people interested in the Word of God. Holding up his Bible in the last meeting he ever conducted, in Kansas City, he cried out, "There used to be a time when if I appealed to the Bible, the majority of the congregation knew what I was talking about. But now if I say something is in the Bible, many of you do not even understand that I am quoting the Word of God!"
My heart broke as I read those words, as I thought of the anguish in the soul of that mighty man of God, who in a lifetime had seen the Bible relegated to the shelf instead of to the most prominent place in the heart of the home. What about this situation? Are the scoffers right? Are they right in their anti-Godism? Are they right in their anti-millennialism? Are they right in their anti-evangelism?
II. The Coming of the Lord
The second point in this message is the coming of the Lord. The coming of the Lord is imminent. I believe with all my soul, He is coming very, very soon. I can almost hear the jingle of the spurs as the angels burnish them up, ready for His use. He is coming soon. You have heard this said, and it is increasingly true. There is no promise, no prophecy of any importance of any weight in the Bible, which was to have been fulfilled before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ that has not been fulfilled already, or that is not being fulfilled right now. Sooner than most people expect, the blessed Son of God is coming.
~Hyman Appleman~
(continued with # 3)
When The World Is On Fire! # 1
When The World Is On Fire # 1
II Peter 3:3-14
The atomic experts tell us that unless we came to some sort of a peace league, that unless we invent or evolve some sort of an international organization that will definitely control the nuclear bomb, the result will be that nuclear weapon misuse will destroy the world. I do not believe it at all! The reason these experts seem to believe it is because they do not study the Word of God. Nuclear bombs are not going to destroy the earth. That is reserved for the Lord. God is going to destroy it when He gets ready! Our nuclear weapons will act just as did gunpowder, or dynamite, or TNT, or cannons, or poison gas, or, before that, bows and arrows, or any other weapons. It will just make one more mess for us to get into. That is all. It is not going to solve any problems. It is not going to stop any wars. It is not going to make wars quicker or easier. Those of us who are waiting and watching for the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ are constantly saying that the world will be on fire at His coming. We forget the fact that in many ways the world is on fire already. I believe we have in some way missed this point.
This world of ours right now nationally. There is no great nation on earth that is fully at peace, not even our own United States of America. Think of the strikes, of the race problems, of the awful and many difficulties that beset us in our land. Multiply them by the tremendous burdens that are weighing down every other nation and you will see that I am justified in saying that the world is on fire. Think of England. Think of France. Think of Spain. Think of Germany and Japan. Think of the internal conflicts waging in Asia. You will agree with me further that this world of ours is on fire internationally. Nations are at odds, at loggerheads, with each other, seemingly unable to come together on any sort of peace terms. I remember very distinctly, at the end of World War I, some of our preachers even went so far as to say that there never wold be any more wars, that the League of Nations would solve, and dissolve war forever. They prophesied that the death-dealing destruction of the awful days between 1914 and 1918 taught mankind a lesson that would preclude forever the change of our engaging again in any such bitter cataclysm. Now we all know better. We know that wars do not - cannot - prevent wars. Neither can elaborate and impressive peace treaties. Nothing can. My Bible teaches, as does yours, that there shall be wars and rumors of wars until the Lord Jesus, the Prince of Peace, comes to establish peace.
The world is on fire religiously. Hear me! Some short months ago in a certain southeastern state a group of preachers met together in a conference. One of them from a northern city preached a sermon on "Hubba-Hubba." This was his thought: He said that the disciples did not really believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. He said that when Peter cried our, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," he was just saying the words as a boy would say them in "Hubba-Hubba" fashion about a beautiful girl. Those other preachers sat there and kept on listening to him instead of rising in a body and walking out of that room. In that same sermon, this preacher declared that when Thomas sobbed out, "My Lord and my God," he did not mean that at all. He meant "Hubba-Hubba." This world is on fire!
There are certain things that God expects us to do. It is not enough for Christians to come together in Bible conferences, then go away, their own souls filled, knowing more about the Bible, yet not putting into practice the things that have fired their souls during the days together. My purpose is - my prayer is- that God will use me as a man uses a match to strike fire to the heaped-up wood that you already have in your souls. God grant that a conflagration might start and spread wherever you go in this nation and to the ends of the earth.
Let us consider, then, an outline based on this chapter of Scripture. First, there is the contention of the scoffers. Secondly, there is the coming of the Lord. Thirdly, there is the continuance for us Christians, what we Christians are to continue to do in the Name of the Lord while we are waiting for the appearing of the Son of God.
1. The Contention of the Scoffers
Travel with me as the Lord leads from one end of this continent to the other. Make contact, as I have by the very force of my ministry, with liberals, with fundamentalists, with fundamental liberals, with liberal fundamentalists. I have the good fortune (sometimes I think it is a misfortune) of having to review scores of books yearly, books pouring off the religious presses. These books would shout an amen to the contention of the scoffers here in our country and abroad.
The Attitude of Anti-Godism
With your permission, may I coin a word about these scoffers? There is an attitude of anti-Godism - not the attitude of anti-godliness, but anti-Godism. The Lord Jesus Christ has been destroyed. The Saviourhood of the Son of God is being denied. His sovereign rights are ridiculed. He is just one more great teacher, according to so many of these scoffers. Not only have they denied the Lordship of Jesus Christ, but they are also using their penknives on the Word of God. They have taken out of the blessed Book all that pertains to old-time religion, repentance, faith, the new birth. Morality is preached instead of repentance. Even in so-called fundamental circles, instead of faith, there is a kind of ideology that exalts the manhood and the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some of them go so far as to grant Him the rights of divinity, but treating it merely as a historic transaction, having absolutely no echo, no feeling, no responsive attitude in their hearts and souls.
Instead of new birth, they teach an idealism, a psychology, a kind of Dr. Cone proposition, "Day by day in every way I am getting better and better." [the old "I", "self", the idea that "self" is more important than Christ. In truth, Christ teaches us to rid ourselves of "self" and depend on Him and the Holy Spirit.]
~Hyman Appleman~
(continued with # 2)
II Peter 3:3-14
The atomic experts tell us that unless we came to some sort of a peace league, that unless we invent or evolve some sort of an international organization that will definitely control the nuclear bomb, the result will be that nuclear weapon misuse will destroy the world. I do not believe it at all! The reason these experts seem to believe it is because they do not study the Word of God. Nuclear bombs are not going to destroy the earth. That is reserved for the Lord. God is going to destroy it when He gets ready! Our nuclear weapons will act just as did gunpowder, or dynamite, or TNT, or cannons, or poison gas, or, before that, bows and arrows, or any other weapons. It will just make one more mess for us to get into. That is all. It is not going to solve any problems. It is not going to stop any wars. It is not going to make wars quicker or easier. Those of us who are waiting and watching for the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ are constantly saying that the world will be on fire at His coming. We forget the fact that in many ways the world is on fire already. I believe we have in some way missed this point.
This world of ours right now nationally. There is no great nation on earth that is fully at peace, not even our own United States of America. Think of the strikes, of the race problems, of the awful and many difficulties that beset us in our land. Multiply them by the tremendous burdens that are weighing down every other nation and you will see that I am justified in saying that the world is on fire. Think of England. Think of France. Think of Spain. Think of Germany and Japan. Think of the internal conflicts waging in Asia. You will agree with me further that this world of ours is on fire internationally. Nations are at odds, at loggerheads, with each other, seemingly unable to come together on any sort of peace terms. I remember very distinctly, at the end of World War I, some of our preachers even went so far as to say that there never wold be any more wars, that the League of Nations would solve, and dissolve war forever. They prophesied that the death-dealing destruction of the awful days between 1914 and 1918 taught mankind a lesson that would preclude forever the change of our engaging again in any such bitter cataclysm. Now we all know better. We know that wars do not - cannot - prevent wars. Neither can elaborate and impressive peace treaties. Nothing can. My Bible teaches, as does yours, that there shall be wars and rumors of wars until the Lord Jesus, the Prince of Peace, comes to establish peace.
The world is on fire religiously. Hear me! Some short months ago in a certain southeastern state a group of preachers met together in a conference. One of them from a northern city preached a sermon on "Hubba-Hubba." This was his thought: He said that the disciples did not really believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. He said that when Peter cried our, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," he was just saying the words as a boy would say them in "Hubba-Hubba" fashion about a beautiful girl. Those other preachers sat there and kept on listening to him instead of rising in a body and walking out of that room. In that same sermon, this preacher declared that when Thomas sobbed out, "My Lord and my God," he did not mean that at all. He meant "Hubba-Hubba." This world is on fire!
There are certain things that God expects us to do. It is not enough for Christians to come together in Bible conferences, then go away, their own souls filled, knowing more about the Bible, yet not putting into practice the things that have fired their souls during the days together. My purpose is - my prayer is- that God will use me as a man uses a match to strike fire to the heaped-up wood that you already have in your souls. God grant that a conflagration might start and spread wherever you go in this nation and to the ends of the earth.
Let us consider, then, an outline based on this chapter of Scripture. First, there is the contention of the scoffers. Secondly, there is the coming of the Lord. Thirdly, there is the continuance for us Christians, what we Christians are to continue to do in the Name of the Lord while we are waiting for the appearing of the Son of God.
1. The Contention of the Scoffers
Travel with me as the Lord leads from one end of this continent to the other. Make contact, as I have by the very force of my ministry, with liberals, with fundamentalists, with fundamental liberals, with liberal fundamentalists. I have the good fortune (sometimes I think it is a misfortune) of having to review scores of books yearly, books pouring off the religious presses. These books would shout an amen to the contention of the scoffers here in our country and abroad.
The Attitude of Anti-Godism
With your permission, may I coin a word about these scoffers? There is an attitude of anti-Godism - not the attitude of anti-godliness, but anti-Godism. The Lord Jesus Christ has been destroyed. The Saviourhood of the Son of God is being denied. His sovereign rights are ridiculed. He is just one more great teacher, according to so many of these scoffers. Not only have they denied the Lordship of Jesus Christ, but they are also using their penknives on the Word of God. They have taken out of the blessed Book all that pertains to old-time religion, repentance, faith, the new birth. Morality is preached instead of repentance. Even in so-called fundamental circles, instead of faith, there is a kind of ideology that exalts the manhood and the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some of them go so far as to grant Him the rights of divinity, but treating it merely as a historic transaction, having absolutely no echo, no feeling, no responsive attitude in their hearts and souls.
Instead of new birth, they teach an idealism, a psychology, a kind of Dr. Cone proposition, "Day by day in every way I am getting better and better." [the old "I", "self", the idea that "self" is more important than Christ. In truth, Christ teaches us to rid ourselves of "self" and depend on Him and the Holy Spirit.]
~Hyman Appleman~
(continued with # 2)
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Classic Quotes From Classic Ministers
Classic Quotes From Classic Ministers
A Godly Response to Criticism
No one likes criticism, but encountering some is inevitable, so we need to learn how to respond in a godly way. Although you might be tempted to become defensive or angry, remain calm and listen. The words may hurt, but great benefits come to those who carefully consider what is said.
If we refuse to accept reproof, we'll limit our potential for Christlike character development and spiritual growth. Some of life's best lessons come through difficult experiences. If God allowed the situation, you can be sure that He wants to use it in transforming you into His Son's image. Whether the criticism is valid or not, whether it's delivered with kindness or harshness, your goal should always be to respond in a way that glorifies the Lord. Remember that you are responsible only for how you handle yourself, not for how the other person is acting.
When a criticism comes your way, be quiet and listen until the other person has finished. Make direct eye contact to show attentiveness and respect. When your critic finishes, thank him for bringing his concerns to your attention, and tell him that you will consider what he's said. Ask the Lord if the accusation is valid. Let Him search your heart and either affirm your innocence or convict you.
Every rebuke is an opportunity from God. It's a chance to let your Christian character shine by showing love to your critic. If he is angrily attacking you, your respect and kindness become a powerful testimony. Criticism is also an occasion to humble yourself and accept the Lord's correction.
~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~
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Prepare To Meet Thy God # 2
Prepare To Meet Thy God # 2
God has equipped us all with capital. He gave you your mind. He gave you your hands, your will, your heart. He gave you your feet, your lips, your eyes. You must give an account. Have your eyes looked upon that which is evil? Has your heart held thoughts that were impure? Has your mind been in rebellion against Him? Have your hands pushed down instead of lifted up? To what houses have your feet taken you? Prepare - prepare to meet thy God. I ask you to prepare because you may meet Him sooner than you think. I have no desire to frighten anyone, but I would do even that if it were the only way. Perhaps you may soon face Him. You may meet Him before tomorrow morning? There is a doctor of repute beside you. Turn and whisper to him. How about it, doctor, nine o'clock in the morning? I know what his answer will be. He will say: Only God knows. When you close your eyes in sleep tonight your vitality will drop, and drop, and drop, until at last it will reach the lowest point. Then it will rise again until the day is born and you awake - unless God should touch you with His finger. I don't understand why men stay away from God. I don't understand young college men. There has never been a day since colleges were established when trained intellects were at such a premium. Trained minds and strong characters can do more today than ever before, yet business men, professional men, and students, too, plunge into sin. Tomorrow, is eternity.
I stood at the foot of my pulpit and a man came to me and said: "I wish that you might have such perfect health as I have. Never in my life have I had a headache, never a pain, never have I called a doctor for myself." I was his minister. A few months after, my telephone bell summoned me to his house. An excited voice said: "Hurry, hurry." I went, to find his daughter alone with him, the rest of the family had gone away. Her father had risen saying that he must keep an early business appointment. "Meet me in the break room," he said. In fifteen minutes she was there, but her father was not. She climbed the stairway to his room and found him seated in his chair with a newspaper on his knees, head back, eyes shut. Never an ache or a pain! Never a doctor! Fifteen minutes warning! Dead! But yon young men say: "How old was he?" Past sixty. We were seated in a hotel in Australia and were resting for the evening, when a quick knock came at the door. I took a cable from the boy, and got the code book and deciphered this: "Charles died today. Sick two days." He was dead. My nephew. A promising athlete, trained in a military school. Never sick a day in his life. Not a man in the college could surpass him in physical strength. Gone in two days. Prepare to meet thy God.
Let me say a word to you men. I want to say that if you turn away from God's only means of preparation, you miss the best for this life. There is only one way to prepare. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! Turn from your sins! Accept Him! A friend of mine was going to preach in a country village. One of the officers of the church met him, and, as they walked along an old-fashioned board walk, my friend stopped and said: "What is that?" There came from the window of a house near them an agonizing cry of a man. As they listened, they heard the voice say, "Oh, Jesus, can't you help me?" The church officer said: "The man who lives there is dying, and he has rejected God all his life. He has led scores of our boys and girls away from the faith of their fathers. He is dying in infidelity." And the cry came again. "Oh, Jesus, can't you help me?" Every minister in the community was trying to help him. Many of the Christians were interested in him. He could not find the way. The last thing they heard him say was the sentence: "Oh, Jesus, can't you , can't you?" Prepare to meet thy God.
I do not want you to think that God is other than just, or that He is other than loving. It is true that ever since you came into the world He has been seeking you. Jesus Christ came all the way to Calvary for you. He is seeking you now. Listen! He is seeking you now. Don't reject Him. Hear this text again: "I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God." Driving swiftly down the streets of one of our western cities, brought the horses to a standstill and saved a man's life. By a strange coincidence the man whose life was saved was charged with murder. The trial judge was the man who had saved him. Later the trial came on. The lawyers had made their pleas. The judge had charged the jury. They had reached a verdict, and just as the judge turned to speak to him, the prisoner arose and said: "Your honor, I don't think you know me." The judge said: "Answer my question. Have you anything to say why a sentence of death should not be passed upon you?" Stretching out his arms, the prisoner said again: "I don't think you remember me. I am the man you saved. Don't you remember? Have mercy! Have mercy!" The judge leaned forward with tears on his cheeks and said: "Yes, I do remember you. I have known you ever since you came before me, but then I was your saviour, now I am your judge. I must sentence you to die." And today Christ is your Saviour, tears in His eyes, blood upon His brow, scourges upon His back, agony in His heart, saying: "Turn ye, Turn ye, for why will you die."
I had read the funeral service in a beautiful home, when the undertaker came to the door and said: "Will all the friends kindly retire. The members of the family are coming in." The daughter of the home came in leading her father. The mother was lying in the coffin. The old man bent forward and said to the wife who had journeyed with him all the years: "Goodbye. I will soon see you." The daughter said it after him, and two or three of the boys said it. The oldest boy was a drunkard. He stood inside the door with the hot tears running down his cheeks. I walked over to him and said: "Tom, come and say goodbye to your mother." Partly from weakness and partly because he was under the influence of drink, he staggered forward. But I never heard a boy cry like that. Such sobs as came from his heart! Over and over he kept saying: "Mother, Mother!" His sister stepped forward and said: "Tom, don't take on so. Mother has gone to heaven, and you will soon see her." He threw one arm around my shoulder and the other around hers, and cried out: "Oh, my God! I am not going! I am not going!"
Prepare to meet thy God. Acknowledge your sins. Accept Him as your Saviour and Lord. Confess Him before men. Follow Him faithfully. One day you will meet God, and will hear His welcome - "Well done."
~J. Wilbur Chapman~
(The End)
God has equipped us all with capital. He gave you your mind. He gave you your hands, your will, your heart. He gave you your feet, your lips, your eyes. You must give an account. Have your eyes looked upon that which is evil? Has your heart held thoughts that were impure? Has your mind been in rebellion against Him? Have your hands pushed down instead of lifted up? To what houses have your feet taken you? Prepare - prepare to meet thy God. I ask you to prepare because you may meet Him sooner than you think. I have no desire to frighten anyone, but I would do even that if it were the only way. Perhaps you may soon face Him. You may meet Him before tomorrow morning? There is a doctor of repute beside you. Turn and whisper to him. How about it, doctor, nine o'clock in the morning? I know what his answer will be. He will say: Only God knows. When you close your eyes in sleep tonight your vitality will drop, and drop, and drop, until at last it will reach the lowest point. Then it will rise again until the day is born and you awake - unless God should touch you with His finger. I don't understand why men stay away from God. I don't understand young college men. There has never been a day since colleges were established when trained intellects were at such a premium. Trained minds and strong characters can do more today than ever before, yet business men, professional men, and students, too, plunge into sin. Tomorrow, is eternity.
I stood at the foot of my pulpit and a man came to me and said: "I wish that you might have such perfect health as I have. Never in my life have I had a headache, never a pain, never have I called a doctor for myself." I was his minister. A few months after, my telephone bell summoned me to his house. An excited voice said: "Hurry, hurry." I went, to find his daughter alone with him, the rest of the family had gone away. Her father had risen saying that he must keep an early business appointment. "Meet me in the break room," he said. In fifteen minutes she was there, but her father was not. She climbed the stairway to his room and found him seated in his chair with a newspaper on his knees, head back, eyes shut. Never an ache or a pain! Never a doctor! Fifteen minutes warning! Dead! But yon young men say: "How old was he?" Past sixty. We were seated in a hotel in Australia and were resting for the evening, when a quick knock came at the door. I took a cable from the boy, and got the code book and deciphered this: "Charles died today. Sick two days." He was dead. My nephew. A promising athlete, trained in a military school. Never sick a day in his life. Not a man in the college could surpass him in physical strength. Gone in two days. Prepare to meet thy God.
Let me say a word to you men. I want to say that if you turn away from God's only means of preparation, you miss the best for this life. There is only one way to prepare. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! Turn from your sins! Accept Him! A friend of mine was going to preach in a country village. One of the officers of the church met him, and, as they walked along an old-fashioned board walk, my friend stopped and said: "What is that?" There came from the window of a house near them an agonizing cry of a man. As they listened, they heard the voice say, "Oh, Jesus, can't you help me?" The church officer said: "The man who lives there is dying, and he has rejected God all his life. He has led scores of our boys and girls away from the faith of their fathers. He is dying in infidelity." And the cry came again. "Oh, Jesus, can't you help me?" Every minister in the community was trying to help him. Many of the Christians were interested in him. He could not find the way. The last thing they heard him say was the sentence: "Oh, Jesus, can't you , can't you?" Prepare to meet thy God.
I do not want you to think that God is other than just, or that He is other than loving. It is true that ever since you came into the world He has been seeking you. Jesus Christ came all the way to Calvary for you. He is seeking you now. Listen! He is seeking you now. Don't reject Him. Hear this text again: "I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God." Driving swiftly down the streets of one of our western cities, brought the horses to a standstill and saved a man's life. By a strange coincidence the man whose life was saved was charged with murder. The trial judge was the man who had saved him. Later the trial came on. The lawyers had made their pleas. The judge had charged the jury. They had reached a verdict, and just as the judge turned to speak to him, the prisoner arose and said: "Your honor, I don't think you know me." The judge said: "Answer my question. Have you anything to say why a sentence of death should not be passed upon you?" Stretching out his arms, the prisoner said again: "I don't think you remember me. I am the man you saved. Don't you remember? Have mercy! Have mercy!" The judge leaned forward with tears on his cheeks and said: "Yes, I do remember you. I have known you ever since you came before me, but then I was your saviour, now I am your judge. I must sentence you to die." And today Christ is your Saviour, tears in His eyes, blood upon His brow, scourges upon His back, agony in His heart, saying: "Turn ye, Turn ye, for why will you die."
I had read the funeral service in a beautiful home, when the undertaker came to the door and said: "Will all the friends kindly retire. The members of the family are coming in." The daughter of the home came in leading her father. The mother was lying in the coffin. The old man bent forward and said to the wife who had journeyed with him all the years: "Goodbye. I will soon see you." The daughter said it after him, and two or three of the boys said it. The oldest boy was a drunkard. He stood inside the door with the hot tears running down his cheeks. I walked over to him and said: "Tom, come and say goodbye to your mother." Partly from weakness and partly because he was under the influence of drink, he staggered forward. But I never heard a boy cry like that. Such sobs as came from his heart! Over and over he kept saying: "Mother, Mother!" His sister stepped forward and said: "Tom, don't take on so. Mother has gone to heaven, and you will soon see her." He threw one arm around my shoulder and the other around hers, and cried out: "Oh, my God! I am not going! I am not going!"
Prepare to meet thy God. Acknowledge your sins. Accept Him as your Saviour and Lord. Confess Him before men. Follow Him faithfully. One day you will meet God, and will hear His welcome - "Well done."
~J. Wilbur Chapman~
(The End)
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