Encouragement for Sunday School teachers.

Matthew 25:21 (ESV)

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

In the mid 1850's a troubled teenager from Northfield, Massachusetts moved to Boston to try to find work. He hadn't gone to school beyond the fifth grade; he couldn't spell, his grammar was awful and his manners were brash and crude. Thankfully, an uncle took him on as a shoe salesman--on condition that he be obedient and that he attend church.

The boy had been raised in a Unitarian church which denied the full divinity of Messiah and did not emphasize human need for salvation from sins. At his uncle's church, he began learning about these things, but decided that he wanted to enjoy the pleasures of the world and wait until just before he died to give His life to the Lord. However, through the kindness and persistence of his Sunday School teacher, Edward Kimball, the rebellious teen was encouraged to continue coming to church and study the Bible regularly. Kimball said he had never seen anyone whose mind was as spiritually dark.

On April 21, 1855, Kimball decided to pay a special visit to the boy at his uncle's shoe store in order to ask if he would commit his life to the Lord. The boy listened closely and gave his heart to God that day. Immediately he began sharing his faith with others. Later, the young man moved to Chicago. He wandered the streets to find other young boys to bring to his Church. He had a passion for saving souls and determined never to let a day pass without telling someone about the gospel. The boy's name was D.L. Moody....and he became a great man of faith.

Among his many achievements on either side of the Atlantic was the founding of Moody Bible Institute. In fact, to this day, Moody Bible Institute and the Moody Broadcasting Network continue to reach thousands of souls on a daily basis! It was estimated that before D.L. Moody passed away that as many as a million souls were brought to the Lord.

What a testimony Moody's is! But we overlook the fact that it was a faithful Sunday school teacher's obedience and persistence that changed the course of history! We may think we are doing very little for the Lord... that we're merely teaching a few kids at Sunday school. But the Lord can use anyone in His service -- those whose hearts are given to Him.

Be an Edward Kimball -- reach out and touch someone today for Him -- through one touch, you may be touching future millions.

Dear Lord, we thank You for our Sunday School teachers today. We thank You that they take the time to study and share Your great love with those You bring to their class. Continue to bless them. In The Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Become an intercessor

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 (ESV)

4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Most people have never heard of "Auntie Cooke", but I guarantee you that you'll get to know her in glory!  She arrived in Chicago in 1868 as a perfect stranger, but she immediately became involved in D.L. Moody's church when he was just thirty-one years old.  She described him years later, as a 'diamond in the rough', and someone who needed the divine unction and power.

During a camp meeting in 1871, she felt an intense burden to pray for Moody.  So, along with her friend, Miss Hawxhurst, Auntie Cooke began praying for him that he'd be filled with the anointing power of the Holy Spirit.  While Moody was unsure of this need, nevertheless, he asked the two ladies to meet with him every Friday afternoon and they began to earnestly pray.  Moody's hunger increased for the power of the Spirit and the Friday before the Great Chicago Fire, Ms. Cooke testified, "Mr. Moody's agony was so great that he rolled on the floor and in the midst of many tears and groans cried to God to be baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire."

It was shortly thereafter that Moody went to New York to raise funds for the rebuilding of the church that was destroyed in the fire.  While walking down Wall Street in New York, Moody was hit with power! In fact, Moody recalled how he cried, "Hold, Lord, it is enough!" Throughout his life, he reluctantly talked about that experience, but Moody testified how this was the turning point in his ministry.

Moody stated, "I went to preaching again, the sermons were not different; I did not present any new truths, and yet hundreds were converted. I would not now be placed back where I was before that blessed experience if you should give me all the world."

The lasting legacy of D.L. Moody's ministry was connected to two ladies that most will never read stories about.  Do you want to have a lasting legacy?  Become an intercessor!

Power only comes through prayer – and without any power – how are we going to change the world?

Dear Lord, help us to be people of prayer. Help us take the time each day to earnestly pray for those around us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Successful walk with the Lord

Romans 12:1 (ESV)

I appeal to you therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

D.L. Moody tells a story about having heard Pastor Henry Varley once say that, "The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through the man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him."

As Moody pondered the pastor's words, He realized something. Pastor Varley did not say that God would use an intelligent person. He didn't say an educated person, nor did he say a person who was ultimately gifted. What the wise pastor said was that the person with whom God will work with and for and through will be the person "who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him".

This radically changed Moody's ministry.  God isn’t looking for people with amazing minds or hands or voices or computer skills. He’s not looking for those who are wearing the nicest suits or dresses at church. And He’s not looking for the people with the highest grade point averages at the local Christian College. What God is really looking for, are people who are simply sold out for Him!

One of the great secrets to a successful walk with the Lord, is understanding total commitment to Jesus. But being totally committed requires us to daily take up our cross -- leave the past behind us -- and despite all the obstacles the enemy tries to throw in our path, press forward for the Lord and His work! Let's consecrate ourselves to the Lord again today.

Dear Lord, help us work on being successful. Help us be totally committed to You in all that we do. In The Name of Jesus, Amen.

Does the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on you.

Luke 11:13 (ESV)

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

D.L. Moody has been influential in my personal life.  Since attending Moody Bible Institute in the 80’s I have studied and read about his life and ministry in the 1800's. One of the stories I read was about how D.L. Moody was preparing to lead a revival throughout England to which an elderly pastor protested and said, "Why do we need this 'Mr. Moody'? He's uneducated, inexperienced, etc. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?"

A younger, yet wiser pastor stood up and responded, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody."

Do you truly want to be monopolized by the Holy Spirit? Let's face it -- the degree of fullness of the Spirit of God is in direct proportion to the intensity of our true desire. The reality of the spirit-filled life is -- we have as much of God as we truly want.

Let's allow the Holy Spirit to monopolize our lives and in doing so -- we'll be empowered to do the great things God has called us to do in these days!

Dear Lord, Help us let You monopolize our life and the things that we do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

There's so much work to do.

Philippians 2:13 (ESV)

For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

God used D.L. Moody in a mighty way. Even though he only had an 8th grade education he changed the world for the better. Thousands have come to the Lord through his ministry and the fruit has remained much after his passing.

Some of you have heard of R.A. Torrey, an equally anointed man who worked closely with Moody and knew him well. He gave a sermon illustrating the seven reasons for Moody's great anointing and success for the Lord and I wanted to share these with you. My wife was moved to tears of conviction when we read them last night.

1. Moody was a fully surrendered man, he held nothing back from the Lord (...they loved not their lives unto the death. -- Revelation 12:11).

2. He was a man of much prayer (Pray without ceasing. -- 1 Thes. 5:17).

3. He was a deep and practical student of the Bible (Study to shew thyself approved unto God... -- 2 Timothy 2:15).

4. He was a humble man (Be not wise in your own conceits... -- Romans 12:16).

5. He was not a lover of money (For the love of money is the root of all evil... -- 1 Timothy 6:10).

6. He had a consuming passion for the salvation of the lost (Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

-- Mark 16:15).

7. And he was endued with Power from on High (... until ye be endued with power from on high. -- Luke 24:49).

If we want to bear much lasting fruit for the Lord, I think this is a surefire way to go about it. I know my heart is convicted, how about yours?

Let's strive to look at these areas of our lives and ask the Lord to empower us to make good changes! There's so much work to be done!!

Dear Lord, we pray that you would give us the power to make good changes in this world. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Be the light in the darkness.

Matthew 5:15-17 (ESV)

15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

D. L. Moody told the story of a man who was crossing the Atlantic by ship. He was terribly sick and confined to his cabin. One night he heard the cry “Man overboard!” He felt that there was nothing he could do to help, but at second thought, he said to himself, “I guess I can at least put my lantern in the porthole.” He struggled to his feet and hung the light so it shined out into the darkness.

The next day he learned that the person who was rescued said, “I was going down in the dark night for the last time, when someone put a light in a porthole. As it shone on my hand, a sailor in a lifeboat grabbed it and pulled me in."

All of us have weaknesses -- and times of weakness. The fact of the matter is, though, that weak or not, we need to muster up the strength to put our lights in our portholes for the sake of the dying and the lost among us. It’s so tempting to sulk in our weaknesses, and stay in our beds -- but God expects more of us. He has given us the strength to do all things -- even move mountains! There are so many people around us sinking in despair. But God has chosen us to reach out and light up their lives!

Let's do something extraordinary for the Lord today. Be bold, speak up! Let’s get beyond our weaknesses and light up the darkness around us!

Dear Lord, help us do something extraordinary for You today. Give us the strength to be what You want us to be today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

How many spiritually dead neighbors do you have?

Psalm 85:6-7 (ESV)

6 Will you not revive us again,

    that your people may rejoice in you?

7 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,

    and grant us your salvation.

D.L. Moody was on vacation in England from his ministry in Chicago. At one point during his sabbatical there, a local pastor prevailed upon Moody to speak at his parish church. So D.L. went to preach the next Sunday morning. That afternoon he recorded in his journal that it was the deadest crowd he had ever seen and the only thing worse than preaching to those people was that he had promised to speak again the same night.

But that night, midway through his sermon something happened. The people started to come to life, and Moody felt compelled to ask if anyone would like to become a Christian. Many people stood up. He was taken aback, "Maybe you don't understand what I am asking. So when we are dismissed if you want to become a Christian come over to this little room and meet with me." When the service was over, D.L went to the room and it was packed; and many became believers.

Now he was on vacation, and so next day, Moody boarded a train for Ireland...but the Lord had other plans. Disembarking in Ireland he found a message awaiting him, "Come back. Revival has broken out." So Moody returned to the church and preached for 10 straight nights and over 400 people came to the Lord. Moody was perplexed. How could he have known that an 80 year old widow named Mary Ann Adeland had read one of his sermons in the newspaper and begun praying every day that God would bring D.L. Moody to her church?

We might well wonder what this thing is about prayer...especially prayer in the secret place. How does it work? Why does it work? A little old widow's love and concern for her spiritually dead neighbors inspires her to pray relentlessly and specifically, and the vacation plans of a great revivalist are adjusted for a local harvest, a God- orchestrated vacation revival for D.L. Moody, right in her home town! Believers pray because they love, and little passionate souls like Mary Ann Adeland are hidden gems in the Lord's crown. How many spiritually dead neighbors do you have?

Dear Lord, we pray that we would have our eyes open for those around us that need Your love. Help us pray for them that their hearts will be softened to hear Your love. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.