What God can Do With One Man Totally Committed to Him.

January 3: Philippians 3:12-14 (RSV)
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

In this day of success driven ministries and church growth conferences and principles of how to grow large churches and build thriving ministries I find some things very disturbing, something of vital importance is being neglected. I just finished reading a brief biography of Dwight L. Moody and found things in his life that were very visible at the outset that never left his ministry.

At the beginning of his ministry Mr. Moody heard a preacher raise the question, “The world has yet to see what God can do with one man that is totally committed to him.” Upon hearing that it is told that D.L. Moody said to himself and a few gathered around him that he wanted to be that man. It would be his practice from then on to rise early every morning for prayer and serious Bible study. Most mornings would find him up before 4 a.m. studying in his small prayer room.
This practice of significant Bible study would be the foundation on which God would build a worldwide ministry. Out of his commitment to serious Bible study he discovered the regular discipline of intercessory prayer. It would become his lifelong thrill to take every concern to his Heavenly Father and seek to prove the reality of God by his own prayers. He would often call many of those who supported his ministry to times of prayer and fasting for specific meetings in the cities he would travel in.

Out of his continued walking with God he came upon the commitment to not let a day go by where he did not talk with at least one person about their need for Christ. There would be some days when he would be preparing for bed and realize that he did not speak with someone about their need for Christ and he would get up and go about the city seeking to find one person whom he could share his Savior with.

I suppose if you were to travel with Mr. Moody you have been somewhat embarrassed by his constant pleading with people to put their faith in Christ. The conversation would not cover the topics of the day but would often turn to the truths of Scripture. Gossip would not do around Mr. Moody for there was too little time and too many lost persons around to spend it in trivial conversations.

May we set our course like that of Mr. Moody and set our sights much higher because of the path he has set for us, which in reality is only the path that our Savior has set before us. Let us seek to study and pray and share as if we had no more time before our Savior would come for us.

God give us the same spirit that was given to Mr. Moody, in our day,

Pastor Phil