>> Carl wrote:
>>
>> This is more of a set of challenges by Dwight Moody than your typical
Sunday
>> sermon. He challenges three sets of which he refers to as "the
professed
>> Christians, the Backsliders, and the Ungodly." When you read this, take
up
>> his challenges if you have the courage and fortitude.
>>
>> May God bless,
>> Carl
>> my website -- http://www.mentally.com/saints/
>> my blog -- http://www.fanniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/fudgepackpress/
>>
>> ---
>>
>> Where Art Thou?
>
> He may well ask !
>
> This particular god is in good company, along with tens of
> thousands of man's other gods - the total we have created
> since early times when we could speak in simple tongues will
> never be known, but we can be sure that it exceeds tens of thouands....
>
> ......so let us by all means ask....
> "Where are though"
>
>
>> by D.L. Moody
>>
>> The very first thing that happened after the news reached heaven of the
fall
>> of man, was that God came straight down to seek out the lost one. As He
>> walks through the garden in the cool of the day, you can hear Him
calling
>> "Adam! Adam! Where art thou?" It was the voice of grace, of mercy, and
of
>> love. Adam ought to have taken the seeker's place, for he was the
>> transgressor. He had fallen, and he ought to have gone up and down Eden
>> crying, "My God! my God! where art Thou?" But God left heaven to seek
>> through the dark world for the rebel who had fallen - not to hurl him
from
>> the face of the earth, but to plan him an escape from the misery of his
sin.
>> And he finds him - where? Hiding from his Creator among the bushes of
the
>> garden.
>>
>> The moment a man is out of communion with God, even the professed child
of
>> God, he wants to hide away from Him. When God left Adam in the garden,
he
>> was in communion with his Creator, and God talked with him; but now
that he
>> has fallen, he has no desire to see his Creator, he has lost communion
with
>> his God. He cannot bear to see Him, even to think of Him, and he runs
to
>> hide from God. But to his hiding place his Maker follows him. "Where
art
>> thou, Adam? Where art thou?"
>>
>> Six thousand years have passed away, and this text has come rolling
down the
>> ages. I doubt whether there has been anyone of Adam's sons who has not
heard
>> it at some period or other of his life - sometimes in the midnight hour
>> stealing over him - "Where am I? Who am I? Where am I going? and what
is
>> going to be the end of this?" I think it is well for a man to pause and
ask
>> himself that question. I would have you ask it, little boy; and you,
little
>> girl; and you, old man with locks turning gray, and eyes growing dim,
and
>> natural force abating, you who will soon be in another world. I do not
ask
>> you where you are in the sight of your neighbors; I do not ask you
where you
>> are in the sight of your friends; I do not ask you where you are in the
>> sight of the community in which you live. It is of very little account
where
>> we are in the sight of one another, it is of very little account what
men
>> think of us; but it is of vast im****tance what God thinks of us - it is
of
>> vast im****tance to know where men are in the sight of God; and that is
the
>> question now. Am I in communion with my Creator, or out of communion?
If I
>> am out of communion, there is no peace, no joy, no happiness. No man on
the
>> face of the earth, who was out of communion with his Creator, ever knew
what
>> peace, and joy, and happiness, and true comfort are. He is a foreigner
to
>> it. But when we are in communion with God, there is light all around
our
>> path. So ask yourselves this question. Do not think I am preaching to
your
>> neighbors, but remember I am trying to speak to you, to everyone of you
as
>> if you were alone. It was the first question put to man after his fall,
and
>> it was a very small audience that God had - Adam and his wife. But God
was
>> the preacher; and although they tned to hide, the words came home to
them.
>> Let them come home to you now. You may think that your life is hid,
that God
>> does not know anything about you. But he knows our lives a great deal
better
>> than we do; and His eye has been bent upon us from our earliest
childhood
>> until now.
>>
>> "Where art thou?" I should like to divide my audience into three
cl***** -
>> the professed Christians, the Backsliders, and the Ungodly.
>>
>> First, I would like to ask the professors this question, or rather let
God
>> ask it - Where art thou? What is my position in the church, and among
my
>> circle of acquaintance? Do my friends know me to be, out and out, on
the
>> Lord's side? You may have been a professing Christian for twenty years,
>> perhaps thirty, perhaps forty years. Well, where are you tonight? Are
you
>> making progress towards heaven? And can you give a reason for the hope
that
>> is within you? Suppose I were to ask those who were really Christians
here
>> to rise, would you be ashamed to stand up? Suppose I should ask every
>> professed child of God here, "If you should be cut down by the hand of
>> death, have you good reason to believe you would be saved?" Would you
be
>> willing to stand up before God and man, and say that you have good
reason to
>> believe you are passed from death unto life? Or would you be ashamed?
Run
>> your mind back over the past years: would it be consistent for you to
say,
>> "I am a Christian;" and would your life correspond with your
profession? It
>> is not what we say so much as how we live. Actions speak louder than
words.
>> Do your shopmates know that you are a Christian? Do your family know?
Do
>> they know you to be out and out on the Lord's side? Let every professed
>> Christian ask, Where am I in the sight of God? Is my heart loyal to the
King
>> of heaven? Is my life here as it should be in the community I live in?
Am I
>> a light in this dark world? Christ says, "Ye are My witnesses." Christ
was
>> the Light of the world, and the world would not have the true Light;
the
>> world rose up and put out the Light, and now Christ says, "I leave you
down
>> here to testify of Me; I leave you down here as My witnesses." That is
what
>> the apostle meant when he said that Christians are to be living
epistles,
>> known and read of all men. Then, am I standing up for Jesus as I should
in
>> this dark world? If a man is for God, let him say so. If a man is for
God,
>> let him come out and be on God's side; and if he is for the world, let
him
>> be in the world. This serving God and the world at the same time - this
>> being on both sides at the same time - is just the curse of
Christianity at
>> the present time. It retards the progress of Christianity more than any
>> other thing. "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and
take
>> up his cross daily and follow Me."
>>
>> I have heard of a great many people who think if they are united to the
>> church, and have made one profession, that will do for all the rest of
their
>> days. But there is a cross for everyone of us daily. Oh, child of God,
where
>> are you? If God should appear to you tonight in your bedroom and put
the
>> question, what would be your answer? Could you say, "Lord, I am serving
Thee
>> with my whole heart and strength; I am improving my talents and
preparing
>> for the kingdom to come?" When I was in England in 1867, there was a
>> merchant who came over from Dublin, and was talking with a business man
in
>> London; and as I happened to look in, he introduced me to the man from
>> Dublin. Alluding to me, the latter said to the former, "Is this young
man
>> all O O?" Said the London man, "What do you mean by O O?" Replied the
Dublin
>> man, "Is he Out-and-Out for Christ?" I tell you it burned down into my
soul.
>> It means a good deal to be O O for Christ; but that is what all
Christians
>> ought to be, and their influence would be felt on the world very soon,
if
>> men who are on the Lord's side would come out and take their stand, and
lift
>> up their voices in season and out of season. As I have said, there are
a
>> great many in the church who make one profession, and that is about all
you
>> hear of them; and when they come to die you have to go and hunt up some
>> musty old church records to know whether they were Christians or not.
God
>> won't do that. I have an idea that when Daniel died, all the men in
Babylon
>> knew whom he served. There was no need for them to hunt up old books.
His
>> life told his story. What we want is men with a little courage to stand
up
>> for Christ. When Christianity wakes up, and every child that belongs to
the
>> Lord is willing to speak for Him, is willing to work for Him, and, if
need
>> be, willing to die for Him, then Christianity will advance, and we
shall see
>> the work of the Lord prosper. There is one thing which I fear more than
>> anything else, and that is the dead cold formalism of the Church of
God.
>> Talk about the isms! Put them all together, and I do not fear them so
much
>> as dead, cold formalism. Talk about the false isms! There is none so
>> dangerous as this dead, cold formalism, which has come right into the
heart
>> of the Church. There are so many of us just sleeping and slumbering
while
>> souls all around are peri****ng. I believe honestly that we professed
>> Christians are all half asleep. Some of us are beginning to rub our
eyes and
>> to get them half-opened, but as a whole we are asleep.
>>
>> There was a little story going the round of the American press that
made a
>> great impression upon me as a father. A father took his little child
out
>> into the field one Sabbath, and, it being a hot day, he lay down under
a
>> beautiful shady tree. The little child ran about gathering wild flowers
and
>> little blades of grass, and coming to its father and saying, "Pretty!
>> pretty!" At last the father fell asleep, and while he was sleeping the
>> little child wandered away. When he awoke, his first thought was,
"Where is
>> my child?" He looked all around, but he could not see him. He shouted
at the
>> top of his voice, but all he heard was the echo of his own voice.
Running to
>> a little hill, he looked around and shouted again. No response! Then
going
>> to a precipice at some distance, he looked down, and there upon the
rocks
>> and briars, he saw the mangled form of his loved child. He rushed to
the
>> spot, took up the lifeless corpse and hugged it to his bosom, and
accused
>> himself of being the murderer of his child. While he was sleeping his
child
>> had wandered over the precipice. I thought as I heard that, what a
picture
>> of the church of God!
>>
>> How many fathers and mothers, how many Christian men, are sleeping now
while
>> their children wander over the terrible precipice right into the
bottomless
>> pit of hell. Father, where is your boy tonight? It may be just out
there in
>> some public house; it may be reeling through the streets; it may be
pressing
>> onwards to a drunkard's grave. Mother, where is your son? Is he in the
house
>> of the publican drinking away his soul - everything that is dear and
sacred
>> to him? Do you know where your boy is? Father, you have been a
professed
>> Christian for forty years; where are your children tonight? Have you
lived
>> so godly, and so Christ-like, that you can say, Follow me as I followed
>> Christ? Are those children walking in wisdom; are they on their way to
>> glory; have they been gathered into the fold of Christ; are their names
>> written in the Lamb's Book of Life? How many fathers and mothers today
would
>> be able to answer? Did you ever stop to think that you were to blame;
that
>> you had not been faithful to your children? Depend upon it, as long as
the
>> church is living so much like the world, we cannot expect our children
to be
>> brought into the fold. Come, O Lord, and wake up every mother, and may
>> everyone of us who are parents feel the worth of the souls of the
children
>> that God has given us. May they never bring our gray hairs with sorrow
to
>> the grave, but may they become a blessing to the church and to the
world.
>> Not long ago the only daughter of a wealthy friend of mine sickened and
>> died. The father and mother stood by her dying bed. He had spent all
his
>> time in ac***ulating wealth for her; she had been introduced into gay
and
>> fa****onable society; but she had been taught nothing of Christ. As she
came
>> to the brink of the river of death, she said, "Won't you help me; it is
very
>> dark, and the stream is bitter cold." They wrung their hands in grief,
but
>> could do nothing for her; and the poor girl died in darkness and
despair.
>> What was their wealth to them? And yet, you mothers and fathers are
doing
>> the same thing in London today, by ignoring the work God has given you
to
>> do. I beseech you, then, each one of you, begin to labor now for the
souls
>> of your children!
>>
>> A young man, some time ago, lay dying, and his mother thought he was a
>> Christian. One day, passing his room door she heard him say, "Lost!
lost!
>> lost!" The mother ran into the room and cried, "My boy, is it possible
you
>> have lost your hope in Christ, now you are dying?" "No, mother, it is
not
>> that; I have a hope beyond the grave, but I have lost my life. I have
lived
>> twenty-four years, and done nothing for the Son of God, and now I am
dying.
>> My life has been spent for myself; I have lived for this world, and
now,
>> while I am dying, I have given myself to Christ; but my life is lost."
Would
>> it not be said of many of us, if we should be cut down, that our lives
have
>> been almost a failure - perhaps entirely a failure as far as leading
anyone
>> else to Christ is concerned? Young lady! are you working for the Son of
God?
>> Are you trying to win some soul to Christ? Have you tried to get some
friend
>> or companion to have her name written in the book of life? Or would you
say,
>> "Lost, lost! long years have rolled away since I became a child of God,
and
>> I have never had the privilege of leading one soul to Christ?" If there
is
>> one professed child of God who never had the joy of leading even one
soul
>> into the kingdom of God, oh! let him begin at once. There is no greater
>> privilege on earth. And I believe, my friends, there has never been a
time,
>> in our day, at least, when work for Christ was more needed than at
present.
>> I do not believe there ever was in your day or mine a time when the
Spirit
>> of God was more poured out upon the world. There is not a part of
>> Christendom where the work is not being carried on; and it looks very
much
>> as if the glad tidings were just going to take, as it were, a fresh
start,
>> and go round the globe. Is it not time that the Church of God should
wake up
>> and come to the help of the Lord as one man, and strive to beat back
those
>> dark waves of death that roll through our streets, bearing upon their
bosom
>> the noblest and the best we have? Oh, may God wake up the Church! And
let us
>> trim our lights, and go forth and work for the kingdom of His Son.
>>
>> Now, Secondly, let me talk a little while to those who have gone back
into
>> the world - to the Backslider. It may be you came to some great city a
few
>> years ago a professed Christian. You were member of a church once, and
a
>> teacher in the Sabbath school, perhaps; but when you came among
strangers
>> you thought you would just wait a little - perhaps take a class by and
by.
>> So you gave up teaching in the Sunday school; you gave up all work for
>> Christ. Then in your new church you did not receive the attention or
the
>> warm welcome that you expected. and you got into the habit of staying
away.
>> You have gone so far now, that you are found in the theater, perhaps,
and
>> the companion of blasphemers and drunkards. Perhaps I am speaking now
to
>> someone who has been away from his father's house for many years. Come,
now,
>> backslider, tell me, are you happy? Have you had one happy hour since
you
>> left Christ? Does the world satisfy you, or those husks that you have
got in
>> the far country? I have traveled a good deal, but I never found a happy
>> backslider in my life. I never knew a man who was really born of God
that
>> ever could find the world satisfy him afterwards. Do you think the
Prodigal
>> Son was satisfied in that foreign country? Ask the prodigals in this
city if
>> they are truly happy. You know they are not. "There is no peace, saith
my
>> God to the wicked." There is no joy for the man in rebellion against
his
>> Creator. Supposing he has tasted the heavenly gift, and been in
communion
>> with God, and had sweet fellow****p with the King of Heaven, and had
pleasant
>> hours of service for the Master, but has backslidden, is it possible
that he
>> can be happy? If he is, it is good evidence he was never really
converted.
>> If a man has been born again, and has received the heavenly nature,
this
>> world can never satisfy the cravings of his nature. Oh, backslider, I
pity
>> you! But I want to tell you that the Lord Jesus pities you a good deal
more
>> than anyone else can. He knows how bitter your life is; He knows how
dark
>> your life is; He wants you to come home. Oh, backslider, come home
tonight!
>> I have a loving message from your Father. The Lord wants you, and calls
you
>> back tonight Come home, oh wanderer, this night; return from the dark
>> mountains of sin." Return, and your Father will give you a warm
welcome. I
>> know that the devil has told you that God won't have anything to do
with
>> you, because you have wandered away. If that is true, there would be
very
>> few men in heaven. David backslid; Abraham and Jacob turned away from
God; I
>> do not believe there is a saint in heaven but at some time of his life
with
>> his heart has backslidden from God. Perhaps not in his life, but in his
>> heart. The prodigal's heart got into the far country before his body
got
>> there. Backslider! tonight come home. Your Father does not want you to
stay
>> away. Think you the prodigal's father was not anxious for him to come
home
>> all those long years he was there? Every year the father was looking
and
>> longing for him to return home. So God wants you to come home. I do not
care
>> how far you have wandered away; the great Shepherd will receive you
back
>> into the fold tonight. Did you ever hear of a backslider coming home,
and
>> God not willing to receive him? I have heard of earthly fathers and
mothers
>> not being willing to receive back their sons; but I defy any man to say
he
>> ever knew a really honest backslider want to get home, but God was
willing
>> to take him in.
>>
>> A number of years ago, before any railway came into Chicago, they used
to
>> bring in the grain from the Western prairies in wagons for hundreds of
>> miles, so as to have it ****pped off by the Lakes. There was a father
who had
>> a large farm out there, and who used to preach the gospel as well as
attend
>> to his farm. One day, when church business engaged him, he sent his son
to
>> Chicago with grain. He waited and waited for his boy to return, but he
did
>> not come home. At last he could wait no longer, so he saddled his horse
and
>> rode to the place where his son had sold the grain. He found that he
had
>> been there and got the money for the grain; then he began to fear that
his
>> boy had been murdered and robbed. At last, with the aid of a detective,
they
>> tracked him to a gambling den, where they found that he had gambled
away the
>> whole of his money. In hopes of winning it back again, he then had sold
the
>> team, and lost that money too. He had fallen among thieves, and like
the man
>> who was going to Jericho, they stripped him, and then they cared no
more
>> about him. What could he do? He was ashamed to go home to meet his
father,
>> and he fled. The father knew what it all meant. He knew the boy thought
he
>> would be very angry with him. He was grieved to think that his boy
should
>> have such feelings towards him. That is just exactly like the sinner.
He
>> thinks because he has sinned, God will have nothing to do with him. But
what
>> did that father do? Did he say, "Let the boy go?" No, he went after
him. He
>> arranged his business and started after the boy. That man went from
town to
>> town, from city to city. He would get the ministers to let him preach,
and
>> at the close he would tell his story. "I have got a boy who is a
wanderer on
>> the face of the earth somewhere." He would describe his boy and say,
"If you
>> ever hear of him or see him, will you not write to me?" At last he
found
>> that he had gone to California, thousands of miles away. Did that
father say
>> "Let him go?" No; off he went to the Pacific coast, seeking the boy. He
went
>> to San Francisco, and advertised in the newspapers that he would preach
at
>> such a church on such a day. When he had preached he told his story, in
>> hopes that the boy might have seen the advertisement and come to the
church.
>> When he had done, away under the gallery there was a young man who
waited
>> until the audience had gone out; then he came towards the pulpit. The
father
>> looked, and saw it was that boy, and he ran to him, and pressed him to
his
>> bosom. The boy wanted to confess what he had done, but not a word would
the
>> father hear. He forgave him freely, and took him to his home once more.
>>
>> Oh, prodigal, you may be wandering on the dark mountains of sin, but
God
>> wants you to come home. The devil has been telling you lies about God;
you
>> think he will not receive you back. I tell you, He will welcome you
this
>> minute if you will come. Say, "I will arise and go to my Father." May
God
>> incline you to take this step. There is not one whom Jesus has not
sought
>> far longer than that father. There has not been a day since you left
Him but
>> he has followed you. I do not care what the past has been, or how black
your
>> life, He will receive you back. Arise then, O backslider, and come home
once
>> more to your Father's house.
>>
>> Not long ago, in Edinburgh, a lady who was an earnest Christian worker,
>> found a young woman whose feet had taken hold of hell, and who was
pressing
>> onwards to a harlot's grave. The lady begged her to go back to her
home, but
>> she said no, her parents would never receive her. This Christian woman
knew
>> what a mother's heart was; so she sat down and wrote a letter to the
mother,
>> telling her how she had met her daughter, who was sorry, and wanted to
>> return. The next post brought an answer back, and on the envelope was
>> written, "Immediately - immediately!" That was a mother's heart. They
opened
>> the letter. Yes, she was forgiven. They wanted her back, and they sent
money
>> for her to come immediately. Sinner, that is the proclamation, "Come
>> immediately". That is what the great and loving God is saying to every
>> wandering sinner - immediately. Yes, backslider, come home tonight. He
will
>> give you a warm welcome, and there will be joy in heaven over your
return.
>> Come now, for everything is ready.
>>
>> A friend of mine said to me some time ago, Did you ever notice what the
>> prodigal lost by going into that country? He lost his food. That is
what
>> every poor backslider loses. They get no manna from heaven. The Bible
is a
>> closed book to them; they see no beauty in the Word of God.
>>
>> Then the prodigal lost his work. He was a Jew, and they made him take
care
>> of swine; that was all loss for a Jew. So every backslider loses his
work.
>> He cannot do anything for God; he cannot work for eternity. He is a
>> stumbling block to the world. My friend, do not let the world stumble
over
>> you into hell.
>>
>> The prodigal also lost his testimony. Who believed him? I can imagine
some
>> of these men came along, natives of that country, and they saw this
poor
>> prodigal in his rags, barefooted and bareheaded. There he stands among
the
>> swine and someone says to another, "Look at that poor wretch." "What,"
he
>> says, "do you call me a poor wretch? My father is a wealthy man; he has
got
>> more clothes in his wardrobe than you ever saw in your life. My father
is a
>> man of great wealth and position." Do you suppose these men would
believe
>> him? "That poor wretch the son of a wealthy man!" Not one of them would
>> believe him. "If he had such a wealthy father he would go to him." So
with
>> the backsliders; the world does not believe that they are the sons of a
>> King. They say, "Why don't they go to Him, if there is bread enough and
to
>> spare? Why don't they go home?"
>>
>> Then, another thing the prodigal lost was his home. He had no home in
that
>> foreign country. As long as his money lasted, he was quite popular in
the
>> public house and among his acquaintances; he had professed friends, but
as
>> soon as his money was gone, where were his friends? That is the
condition of
>> every poor backslider in London.
>>
>> But now I can imagine someone saying, "There would be little use of me
>> attempting to come back. In a few days I should just be where I was
again. I
>> should like very much to go to my Father's home again, but I'm afraid I
>> wouldn't stay there." Well, just picture this scene. The poor prodigal
has
>> got home, and the father has killed the fatted calf; and there they
are,
>> sitting at the table eating. I can imagine that was about the sweetest
>> morsel he ever got - perhaps the nicest dinner he ever had in his life.
His
>> father sits opposite; he is full of joy, and his heart is leaping
within
>> him. All at once he sees his boy weeping. "My son, what are you weeping
for?
>> Are you not glad to have got home?" "Oh, yes, father; I never was so
glad as
>> I am today: but I am so afraid I will go back into that foreign
country!"
>> Why, you cannot imagine such a thing! When you have got one meal in
your
>> Father's house, you will never be inclined to wander away again.
>>
>> Now let me speak to the Third class. "If the righteous scarcely be
saved,
>> where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" Sinner, what is to
become of
>> you? How shall you escape? "Where art thou?" Is it true that you are
living
>> without God and without hope in the world? Did you ever stop to think
what
>> would become of your soul if you should be taken away by a sudden
stroke of
>> illness - where you would stand in eternity? I read that the sinner is
>> without God, without hope, and without excuse. If you are not saved,
what
>> excuse will you have to give? You cannot say that it is God's fault. He
is
>> only too anxious to save you. I want to tell you tonight that you can
be
>> saved if you will. If you really want to pass from death to life, if
you
>> want to become an heir of eternal life, if you want to become a child
of
>> God, make up your mind this night that you will seek the kingdom of
God. I
>> tell you, upon the authority of this Word, that if you seek the kingdom
of
>> God you will find it. No man ever sought Christ with a heart to find
Him who
>> did not find Him. I never knew a man make up his mind to have the
question
>> settled, but it was settled soon. This last year there has been a
solemn
>> feeling stealing over me. I am what they call in the middle of life, in
the
>> prime of life. I look upon life as a man who has reached the top of a
hill,
>> and just begins to go down the other side. I have got to the top of the
>> hill, if I should live the full term of life - threescore years and ten
-
>> and am just on the other side. I am speaking to many now who are also
on the
>> top of the hill, and I ask you, if you are not Christians, just to
pause a
>> few minutes, and ask yourselves where you are. Let us look back on the
hill
>> that we have been climbing. What do you see? Yonder is the cradle. It
is not
>> far away. How short life is! It all seems but as yesterday. Look along
up
>> the hill, and yonder is a tombstone; it marks the resting place of a
loved
>> mother. When that mother died, did you not promise God that you would
serve
>> Him? Did you not say that your mother's God should become your God? And
did
>> you not take her hand in the stillness of the dying hour, and say,
"Yes,
>> mother, I will meet you in heaven!" And have you kept that promise? Are
you
>> trying to keep it? Ten years have rolled away: fifteen years - but are
you
>> any nearer God? Did the promise work any improvement in you? No, your
heart
>> is getting harder: the night is getting darker; by and by death will be
>> throwing its shadows round you. My friend, Where art thou? Look again.
A
>> little further up the hill there is another tombstone. It marks the
resting
>> place of a little child. It may have been a little lovely girl -
perhaps her
>> name was Mary; or it may have been a boy - Charley; and when that child
was
>> taken from you, did you not promise God, and did you not promise the
child,
>> that you would meet it in heaven? Is the promise kept? Think! Are you
still
>> fighting against God? Are you still hardening your heart? Sermons that
would
>> have moved you five years ago - do they touch you now?
>>
>> Once more look down the hill. Yonder there is a grave; you cannot tell
how
>> many days, or weeks, or years it is away, you are hastening towards
that
>> grave. Even should you live the life allotted to man, many of you are
near
>> the end, you are getting very feeble, and your locks are turning gray.
It
>> may be the coffin is already made that this body shall be laid in; it
may be
>> that the shroud is already waiting. My friend, is it not the height of
>> madness to put off salvation so long? Undoubtedly I am speaking to some
who
>> will be in eternity a week from now. In a large audience like this,
during
>> the next week death will surely come and snatch some away; it may be
the
>> speaker, or it may be someone who is listening. Why put off the
question
>> another day? Why say to the Lord Jesus again tonight, "Go thy way for
this
>> time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for Thee?" Why not
let
>> him come in tonight? Why not open your heart, and say, "King of Glory,
come
>> in?"
>>
>> Will there ever be a better op****tunity? Did not you promise ten,
fifteen,
>> twenty, thirty years ago that you would serve God? Some of you said you
>> would do it when you got married and settled down; some of you said you
>> would serve Him when you were your own master. Have you attended to it?
>>
>> You know there are three steps to the lost world; let me give you their
>> names. The first is Neglect. All a man has to do is to neglect
salvation,
>> and that will take him to the lost world. Some people say, "What have I
>> done!" Why, if you merely neglect salvation, you will be lost. I am on
a
>> swift river, and lying in the bottom of my little boat. Down yonder,
ten
>> miles below, is the great cataract. Everyone that goes over it
perishes. I
>> need not row the boat down; I have only to pull in the oars, and fold
my
>> arms and neglect. So all that a man has to do is to fold his arms in
the
>> current of life, and he will drift onwards and be lost.
>>
>> The second step is Refusal. If I met you at the door and pressed this
>> question on you, you would say, "Not tonight, Mr. Moody, not tonight;"
and
>> if I repeated, "I want you to press into the kingdom of God," you would
>> politely refuse: "I will not become a Christian tonight, thank you; I
know I
>> ought, but I won't tonight."
>>
>> Then the last step is to Despise it. Some of you have already got on
the
>> lower round of the ladder. You despise Christ. You hate Christ, you
hate
>> Christianity; you hate the best people on the earth and the best
friends you
>> have got; and if I were to offer you the Bible, you would tear it up
and put
>> your foot upon it. Oh, despisers! you will soon be in another world.
Make
>> haste and repent and turn to God. Now, on which step are you, my
friend;
>> neglecting, or refusing, or despising? Bear in mind that a great many
are
>> taken off from the first step; they die in neglect. And a great many
are
>> taken away refusing. And a great many are on the last step, despising
>> salvation.
>>
>> A few years ago they neglected, then they got to refuse; and now they
>> despise Christianity and Christ. They hate the sound of the church
bell;
>> they hate the Bible and the Christian; they curse the very ground that
we
>> walk on. But one more step and they are gone. Oh ye despisers, I set
before
>> you life and death; which will you choose? When Pilate had Christ on
his
>> hands, he said, "What shall I do with him?" and the multitude cried
out,
>> "Away with Him! crucify Him!" Young men, is that your language tonight?
Do
>> you say, "Away with this gospel! Away with Christianity! Away with your
>> prayers, your sermons, your gospel sounds! I do not want Christ?" Or
will
>> you be wise and say, "Lord Jesus, I want Thee, I need Thee, I will have
>> Thee?" Oh, may God bring you to that decision!
You must have a very dull and uneventful life with this much time on your
hands to copy, read *OR* write this garbage...pathetic you are, very
pathetic...
--
At the RNC ***** is priority-one because that's how the GOP got started,
yes, all the way back to THEE Virgin Birth ;)
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com
**
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