God's Service and the Holy Spirit
This evening I want to continue the subject we had this afternoon. There may be some here who were not present this afternoon. Therefore, I will briefly outline the points discussed then. We were talking about the office work of the Holy Spirit, and I tried to show that His office work was to convict of sin, to impart the love of God, fill us with hope and courage, to give us liberty to testify of Christ, to teach us all things, to guide us into all truth and convert us.
Now, I want to go right on and show that it is His work to fill us, and qualify us for God's service. There was one denomination in this country a few years ago that reported that there had not been a single conversion. Now, I believe that every church can be fruit-bearing if it will, and I believe that this very subject we have before us tonight will show us how we can bring forth fruit. I don't believe that any church need return at the end of the year and say, "We have toiled all the year and gained nothing." I believe that it is clearly taught in the Scriptures that it is the privilege of every true child of God to bring forth fruit. "Herein is my father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit." Now, there are a good many sons and daughters of God that are without power. I think there is not one here that will deny that. I do not think that I slander the church when I say nine-tenths of the church members today are without power. I think if you take one-tenth of them you will have about all that have got real Holy Ghost power. Now, I don't believe that ought to be the state of the church. I think it would be a good idea when a man or woman wants to join the church to ask him if he wants to be a member with or without power. If he says, "Without power," it would be well to say, "We have plenty of that kind of church members. What we want is a few with power." I believe you can all have it if you will. The power is here. This old book teaches us how we can get it. Now, I do not know that I am right, but I think you will find three classes of Christians represented in the Bible, and I think you will find them all in our churches. The first is represented in John 3, where Nicodemus came to Christ by night and got life. But he only barely got it. He didn't get it in all its adundance. Nicodemus worked while Peter, James and John were enjoying. They heard all the parables, saw all the miracles, ate with Him, slept with Him, and they were just lifted up into the third heaven you might say, while poor Nicodemus was living on sawdust. He didn't get any food for his soul. And yet I suppose he reasoned in this way: "I am a high member. I am a member of Sanhedrim, and if I should identify myself with that despised Nazarene I should lose my power and influence." He might have become one of the twelve had he taken the stand. We have got to stoop if we are going to conquer, and when a man is not willing to take a low place to get power with God, he is not going to get it. There is a good deal of difference between social power, political power, and a kind of religious power. But these are not the kinds of power that I am talking about. I am talking about Holy Ghost power. Strength is one thing, and power is another. The giant of Gath had strength, but David had power.
In John 4, you will find a higher type of Christian. That woman that came to the well to get water. She got the whole well. She got so much of the living water that you couldn't have kept her in the Sanhedrim. She went back into town and told what Christ had done for her. She drank deeper than Nicodemus did. Isn't a well better than just a little water? If I have a drop of water in a tumbler I can truly say I have water, but there would not be any bubbling up.
In John 7, you will find the highest type, and that is the class I want to belong to. If we could only just get this whole audience into John 7, this city would be turned upside down. On that last day He said, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink, and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." A man once said he had a good well but for two things; it would dry up in summer and freeze up in winter. Every child of God ought to be like rivers. I used to quote it "river" until one day an old man asked me where I got the word "river." I said I found it in my Bible. He said he didn't find it in that way in his Bible, that he read "rivers." Why? Rivers shall flow through man and woman that are filled with the Holy Ghost. We have an idea that the apostles belonged to another race of beings. Not a bit of it. They got so filled with the Spirit of God that rivers actually flowed from them. And you needn't go back to those old apostles, not even one hundred years, to Wesley and Whitfield. Go right back to London. Look at Spurgeon. For nearly forty years he preached to the largest congregation any man has preached since Christ left this earth, and his sermons have been translated into nearly every language under the heavens. On every Thursday thirty thousand of his sermons were scattered through the world. I know that out in the Rocky mountains where there are no ministers, men have gathered together and read Spurgeon's sermons. I venture to say that there are few ministers in Christiandom that haven't some of Spurgeon's sermons in their libraries. He had a society sent out to evangelize. He had a pastor's college where he had men trained who are now preaching in every nation in the world. I cannot begin to tell of the streams that flowed out from that one man. I don't believe that any four walls are going to hold any man's influence. It is the privilege of every one of us to be filled with the Holy Spirit's power. Now, mark you, it is a command to be filled. You know that for years and years we got all our water out of old wells. I remember that in my day I had to pump, pump, pump, until that arm was ready to drop out of its socket. And I didn't get much water out. Why? Because there wasn't much in. Now, you have got to get water before you can get it out. Have you ever seen an artesian well? I don't see so many of them in the east as I have in the west and south, but in a great many places I have found them. They don't stop when they come to water, but go on drilling and by-and-by the water comes to the top of the ground. But even when they don't stop, but go on and on, until they strike a deeper strata, and the water comes bubbling up and up. And so I believe it is the true position of every child of God to be so filled that you haven't got to pump all the time. All you have to do is to open the gates and let the stream flow on and on, and on. And it will never give out. All God wants us to do is to get filled.
Now, I want to put this question to the audience. Isn't it the time of need, great need? I think one of the most lamentable things of this day is that Satan can walk right into some of our best Christian homes and families, and haul our children down into the deepest and darkest depths, and we haven't got the power to reach them and bring them back. I don't believe that it is the will of the Almighty that the devil should walk into my home and drag my children down. If we were filled with the Holy Spirit, we could call power down from heaven and save the tempted ones. We haven't got the Holy Ghost power. May God open your eyes now! Perhaps the question comes up, is there any promise that we can lay hold on? Listen, "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Do you know what heaven's measure is? Good measure, pressed down and running over. I remember when we used to sell a man a bushel of oats; we used to take a stick and scrape over the top so that he shouldn't get a grain over measure. The Lord just shakes it down and lets it run over; and when a man is full of the love of God, he has power to resist temptation. When the heart is filled with the Holy Spirit, and Satan comes to put in an evil thought, he throws off the temptation. People come to me and say, "Mr. Moody, don't you think you ought to preach against this and that?" "No, I say, get the people baptized in the spirit and it takes them clean out of the world." A young man came to me one and said, "Don't ou think I ought to get out of the world now that I have become a Christian?" And I said, "No, you won't have to leave the world if you just give a good ringing testimony for the Son of God." And when a man gets filled with the spirit, he won't always be talking about doing this thing and that thing. God wants to fill you. But the moment you begin to talk about being filled, people say, "If you are full of conceit and your own righteousness, full of envy, evil and hate, and all those things, how is the Lord going to fill you?" Take this tumbler, it is filled with air, and you are wondering how you are going to get the air out. [Here Mr. Moody poured water into a tumbler until it ran over.] There! Any air there now? Let us ask God to open the gates and let the flood come in upon us tonight. Come, friend, let the heart be opened tonight. Just pull back that bolt and let the door be thrown wide open. Say to God, "Here I am." And if it is real, hones desire that He should come, He will do so and fill you.
When I was out in Colorado I saw strawberries and peas, and here and there a farm where every blade of grass was green, and everything was fresh and blooming; but just over the fence there would be another farm where everything would be dried up. And I said to a man on the train, "What does this mean?" He looked at me and said, "You are a stranger here. One man brings water down from the mountains and waters his farm, the other man does not." That explained it. One had plenty, and the other didn't have anything. You go into some churches and you will find some men very dry, and a man right next to him with a sunny face, and there all is fresh and bright. Why? Because one has got the anointing, has got the blessing, and the other sits there where the rain is pouring down and doesn't get under it at all. Let's get under the pierced clouds, and then just keep the heart full. It is not sign you are full because you were so two years ago. That is the trouble. A good many are trying to work with the anointing they got three years ago. They are a lot of Samsons around who have lost their hair. How many sermons have you heard of which you cannot remember a single word? What is the trouble?Why, you were not in the right spirit; or perhaps, the man in the pulpit was not in the right spirit, and the sermon didn't lay hold on you. When the Spirit of God is in a man the fire just burns. But, thank God, although Samson lost his strength it came back to him. And some of you Samsons have lost your power can get it back if you will. God used Peter far more after He restored him than He did before his fall. I trust there are some here who may become a flame of fire. Why not? Don't you want that power? You can have it if you will. It is for you. The Lord wants to give it to everyone. Let's have it. You will remember that after Christ rose He met His disciples in a little room, and He raised His pierced hands and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." And right after that He said, "I am now going to leave you, and I want to come back here and pray until you have become imbued with the power from on high." And one of His disciples answered, "Lord, I have the power." And He said, "Ye shall receive the power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you." You want to wait for the power. I believe that is where the church has gone astray; there are hundreds of church members who never think of asking God for power. There are children by birth, sons and daughters of God, but they are without power. Let us seek this power. When the Holy Ghost had come, there were more people converted than had been during the three years of Christ's ministry. O, I hope the Christians here tonight will get power and baptism, and then this whole community will feel the power.
But, again the power came in Acts 2. I have heard a good many people say, "Why, I don't think it right to ask the Spirit to come." Didn't He come eighteen hundred years ago, and isn't He with the church today? I honestly believe that the place might be shaken as it was in Acts 2. These men were filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, people say that you may preach all you like, so long as you do not preach in His name. But those preachers could not get on without His name; it was their capital in trade, all they had. They had just commenced their ministry, and they couldn't preach on science and higher criticism. They knew nothing about astronomy, geology and botany, and I don't know what else that is preached about these days. All they knew was that Jesus Christ had lived there, they had seen Him die and ascend, and the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they were about preaching in His name. I tell you a man might preach with all the eloquence of Demosthenes, and yet not touch the hearts of the people. But let the Holy Ghost come, and there would be a mighty stir. Some one says, "A lie will get all around the world before the truth gets its boots on to contradict it." Now, mark ye. John and Peter were filled in the second chapter, and again in the fourth. Now, they had either lost some of their power or had greater capacity. If Peter and John needed to be filled again so soon after Pentecost, don't you think you and I need to be filled again? The house in Jerusalem was shaken twice. Those men were filled again and they preached with greater power, and I want to say that I haven't any sympathy with the idea that this miracle could not be repeated again. May God grant that it may be repeated. Why shouldn't there be fires here? Can you give a reason why? But go on. Ten years after there was a meeting down at Cesarea, and I believe that was the only meeting that was all planned in heaven. Peter was brought from Joppa, thirty miles away, and the people sat there and heard what the Lord had to say, And Peter stood up and preached. In Acts 11, he gives us an account of that preaching ten years afterwards.
Now, if the Holy Ghost fell twice in Jerusalem, and ten years after in Cesarea, why shouldn't the Holy Ghost come now? I believe, if we could only get this cursed unbelief out of here, that God would lift the tide-gate, and let the flood come in. This is what we want. People say, "What shall I do to get this blessing?" Give yourself fully, wholly and unreservedly just now, this minute; make a complete surrender and say, "Here am I Lord, take me and use me for Thyself, " and I tell you, if the motive is pure and for the glory of God, the blessing will come. But if you are selfish about it and want it just for your own sake, you are going to be disappointed. A great many mothers are mourning because their children are not saved. Do they ever mourn because other children are unsaved? Are we not selfish?
If any of you tonight really want this blessing and feel down deep in your hearts that you must have it, and you are going to lay yourself out for it, I would like to pray with you for it. I see some aged men here. Would not you like to see all your children and grandchildren gathered into the kingdom before you go? Before you go, wouldn't you like to see the kingdom extended right here in your midst? There is not a man so old but that God can use you. Come! There are none so young that God cannot use you.
You remember that when Elijah was to be taken up, he was down at Gilgal with Elisha. And Elijah said unto Elisha, "Tarry here, for I go to Bethel;" but Elisha said, "As the Lord liveth, I will not leave thee," So the two prophets were down to Bethel. When they had reached there was young man came up to Elisha and said, "Do you know that your master is to be taken away today?" And Elisha said, "Hold your peace, I know all about it." Presently Elijah turned to Elisha and said, "Tarry here, for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho." But Elisha replied, "As the Lord liveth, I will not leave thee." I have often wished that that whole story had been put on record. And when they came to Jordan there were fifty men there. Elijah took off his mantle and smote the waters, and the river divided, and Elijah and Elisha passed over dry ground. And when they had gone over Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee." And Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit. Elijah answered, "Thou hast asked a hard thing, but if you see me when I am taken up it shall be so." Do you suppose Elisha lost sight of Elijah? O, no! Where Elijah went, there Elisha was to be found, but as they were journeying along, a whirlwind came up, and they were separated. I see Elisha digging the sand out of his eyes, and he happened to see something in the air, and he looked up, and there was Elijah. And he shouted, "My Father, my Father, the chariot of Israel, and the horseman thereof!" And he rent his own clothes. Men, rend your mantle. You are nothing, get down in the dust. And he took up the mantle of Elijah and smote the waters and passed over. Now, I am afraid that if Elisha had some of us he would have said, " I am the same old Elisha. I expected to feel a sensation. I thought I should have a stroke." Man, take God at His word. "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Claim that promise. God can raise up witnesses right out of stone if He wants to. Elisha got all he went for, because he dared to ask. Let us go in for a double portion. Don't you want it? What is the use of living at this dying rate that we sing and talk about? The Lord has plenty. He delights to give. Let us take up the duty of receiving just now. Let us pray the Lord God of heaven t fill us. Let us pray to have the fruit come.---the end.
Pray this prayer below.
Dear Father in heaven,
Even though I may not agree with all of Mr. Moody's message, I do want all that You want me to have. I do want to be full of Your Spirit and Your power. Please fill me now and without doubt or unbelief, I receive ALL that you will give me and all that Jesus purchased for me with His own blood. I want a closer walk with you and I do believe Jesus words in John 7:38 where He said, "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." Father, I want those rivers of living water to flow out of me that I may be a witness and have power in prayer for my family and those around me. Help me to be sensitive to Your Spirit that I may also walk in John 10:4, where it says that Your sheep know Your voice. Help me Father, to know Your voice and be led by Your Spirit.
In Jesus Name
Amen
Now, I want to go right on and show that it is His work to fill us, and qualify us for God's service. There was one denomination in this country a few years ago that reported that there had not been a single conversion. Now, I believe that every church can be fruit-bearing if it will, and I believe that this very subject we have before us tonight will show us how we can bring forth fruit. I don't believe that any church need return at the end of the year and say, "We have toiled all the year and gained nothing." I believe that it is clearly taught in the Scriptures that it is the privilege of every true child of God to bring forth fruit. "Herein is my father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit." Now, there are a good many sons and daughters of God that are without power. I think there is not one here that will deny that. I do not think that I slander the church when I say nine-tenths of the church members today are without power. I think if you take one-tenth of them you will have about all that have got real Holy Ghost power. Now, I don't believe that ought to be the state of the church. I think it would be a good idea when a man or woman wants to join the church to ask him if he wants to be a member with or without power. If he says, "Without power," it would be well to say, "We have plenty of that kind of church members. What we want is a few with power." I believe you can all have it if you will. The power is here. This old book teaches us how we can get it. Now, I do not know that I am right, but I think you will find three classes of Christians represented in the Bible, and I think you will find them all in our churches. The first is represented in John 3, where Nicodemus came to Christ by night and got life. But he only barely got it. He didn't get it in all its adundance. Nicodemus worked while Peter, James and John were enjoying. They heard all the parables, saw all the miracles, ate with Him, slept with Him, and they were just lifted up into the third heaven you might say, while poor Nicodemus was living on sawdust. He didn't get any food for his soul. And yet I suppose he reasoned in this way: "I am a high member. I am a member of Sanhedrim, and if I should identify myself with that despised Nazarene I should lose my power and influence." He might have become one of the twelve had he taken the stand. We have got to stoop if we are going to conquer, and when a man is not willing to take a low place to get power with God, he is not going to get it. There is a good deal of difference between social power, political power, and a kind of religious power. But these are not the kinds of power that I am talking about. I am talking about Holy Ghost power. Strength is one thing, and power is another. The giant of Gath had strength, but David had power.
In John 4, you will find a higher type of Christian. That woman that came to the well to get water. She got the whole well. She got so much of the living water that you couldn't have kept her in the Sanhedrim. She went back into town and told what Christ had done for her. She drank deeper than Nicodemus did. Isn't a well better than just a little water? If I have a drop of water in a tumbler I can truly say I have water, but there would not be any bubbling up.
In John 7, you will find the highest type, and that is the class I want to belong to. If we could only just get this whole audience into John 7, this city would be turned upside down. On that last day He said, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink, and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." A man once said he had a good well but for two things; it would dry up in summer and freeze up in winter. Every child of God ought to be like rivers. I used to quote it "river" until one day an old man asked me where I got the word "river." I said I found it in my Bible. He said he didn't find it in that way in his Bible, that he read "rivers." Why? Rivers shall flow through man and woman that are filled with the Holy Ghost. We have an idea that the apostles belonged to another race of beings. Not a bit of it. They got so filled with the Spirit of God that rivers actually flowed from them. And you needn't go back to those old apostles, not even one hundred years, to Wesley and Whitfield. Go right back to London. Look at Spurgeon. For nearly forty years he preached to the largest congregation any man has preached since Christ left this earth, and his sermons have been translated into nearly every language under the heavens. On every Thursday thirty thousand of his sermons were scattered through the world. I know that out in the Rocky mountains where there are no ministers, men have gathered together and read Spurgeon's sermons. I venture to say that there are few ministers in Christiandom that haven't some of Spurgeon's sermons in their libraries. He had a society sent out to evangelize. He had a pastor's college where he had men trained who are now preaching in every nation in the world. I cannot begin to tell of the streams that flowed out from that one man. I don't believe that any four walls are going to hold any man's influence. It is the privilege of every one of us to be filled with the Holy Spirit's power. Now, mark you, it is a command to be filled. You know that for years and years we got all our water out of old wells. I remember that in my day I had to pump, pump, pump, until that arm was ready to drop out of its socket. And I didn't get much water out. Why? Because there wasn't much in. Now, you have got to get water before you can get it out. Have you ever seen an artesian well? I don't see so many of them in the east as I have in the west and south, but in a great many places I have found them. They don't stop when they come to water, but go on drilling and by-and-by the water comes to the top of the ground. But even when they don't stop, but go on and on, until they strike a deeper strata, and the water comes bubbling up and up. And so I believe it is the true position of every child of God to be so filled that you haven't got to pump all the time. All you have to do is to open the gates and let the stream flow on and on, and on. And it will never give out. All God wants us to do is to get filled.
Now, I want to put this question to the audience. Isn't it the time of need, great need? I think one of the most lamentable things of this day is that Satan can walk right into some of our best Christian homes and families, and haul our children down into the deepest and darkest depths, and we haven't got the power to reach them and bring them back. I don't believe that it is the will of the Almighty that the devil should walk into my home and drag my children down. If we were filled with the Holy Spirit, we could call power down from heaven and save the tempted ones. We haven't got the Holy Ghost power. May God open your eyes now! Perhaps the question comes up, is there any promise that we can lay hold on? Listen, "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Do you know what heaven's measure is? Good measure, pressed down and running over. I remember when we used to sell a man a bushel of oats; we used to take a stick and scrape over the top so that he shouldn't get a grain over measure. The Lord just shakes it down and lets it run over; and when a man is full of the love of God, he has power to resist temptation. When the heart is filled with the Holy Spirit, and Satan comes to put in an evil thought, he throws off the temptation. People come to me and say, "Mr. Moody, don't you think you ought to preach against this and that?" "No, I say, get the people baptized in the spirit and it takes them clean out of the world." A young man came to me one and said, "Don't ou think I ought to get out of the world now that I have become a Christian?" And I said, "No, you won't have to leave the world if you just give a good ringing testimony for the Son of God." And when a man gets filled with the spirit, he won't always be talking about doing this thing and that thing. God wants to fill you. But the moment you begin to talk about being filled, people say, "If you are full of conceit and your own righteousness, full of envy, evil and hate, and all those things, how is the Lord going to fill you?" Take this tumbler, it is filled with air, and you are wondering how you are going to get the air out. [Here Mr. Moody poured water into a tumbler until it ran over.] There! Any air there now? Let us ask God to open the gates and let the flood come in upon us tonight. Come, friend, let the heart be opened tonight. Just pull back that bolt and let the door be thrown wide open. Say to God, "Here I am." And if it is real, hones desire that He should come, He will do so and fill you.
When I was out in Colorado I saw strawberries and peas, and here and there a farm where every blade of grass was green, and everything was fresh and blooming; but just over the fence there would be another farm where everything would be dried up. And I said to a man on the train, "What does this mean?" He looked at me and said, "You are a stranger here. One man brings water down from the mountains and waters his farm, the other man does not." That explained it. One had plenty, and the other didn't have anything. You go into some churches and you will find some men very dry, and a man right next to him with a sunny face, and there all is fresh and bright. Why? Because one has got the anointing, has got the blessing, and the other sits there where the rain is pouring down and doesn't get under it at all. Let's get under the pierced clouds, and then just keep the heart full. It is not sign you are full because you were so two years ago. That is the trouble. A good many are trying to work with the anointing they got three years ago. They are a lot of Samsons around who have lost their hair. How many sermons have you heard of which you cannot remember a single word? What is the trouble?Why, you were not in the right spirit; or perhaps, the man in the pulpit was not in the right spirit, and the sermon didn't lay hold on you. When the Spirit of God is in a man the fire just burns. But, thank God, although Samson lost his strength it came back to him. And some of you Samsons have lost your power can get it back if you will. God used Peter far more after He restored him than He did before his fall. I trust there are some here who may become a flame of fire. Why not? Don't you want that power? You can have it if you will. It is for you. The Lord wants to give it to everyone. Let's have it. You will remember that after Christ rose He met His disciples in a little room, and He raised His pierced hands and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." And right after that He said, "I am now going to leave you, and I want to come back here and pray until you have become imbued with the power from on high." And one of His disciples answered, "Lord, I have the power." And He said, "Ye shall receive the power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you." You want to wait for the power. I believe that is where the church has gone astray; there are hundreds of church members who never think of asking God for power. There are children by birth, sons and daughters of God, but they are without power. Let us seek this power. When the Holy Ghost had come, there were more people converted than had been during the three years of Christ's ministry. O, I hope the Christians here tonight will get power and baptism, and then this whole community will feel the power.
But, again the power came in Acts 2. I have heard a good many people say, "Why, I don't think it right to ask the Spirit to come." Didn't He come eighteen hundred years ago, and isn't He with the church today? I honestly believe that the place might be shaken as it was in Acts 2. These men were filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, people say that you may preach all you like, so long as you do not preach in His name. But those preachers could not get on without His name; it was their capital in trade, all they had. They had just commenced their ministry, and they couldn't preach on science and higher criticism. They knew nothing about astronomy, geology and botany, and I don't know what else that is preached about these days. All they knew was that Jesus Christ had lived there, they had seen Him die and ascend, and the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they were about preaching in His name. I tell you a man might preach with all the eloquence of Demosthenes, and yet not touch the hearts of the people. But let the Holy Ghost come, and there would be a mighty stir. Some one says, "A lie will get all around the world before the truth gets its boots on to contradict it." Now, mark ye. John and Peter were filled in the second chapter, and again in the fourth. Now, they had either lost some of their power or had greater capacity. If Peter and John needed to be filled again so soon after Pentecost, don't you think you and I need to be filled again? The house in Jerusalem was shaken twice. Those men were filled again and they preached with greater power, and I want to say that I haven't any sympathy with the idea that this miracle could not be repeated again. May God grant that it may be repeated. Why shouldn't there be fires here? Can you give a reason why? But go on. Ten years after there was a meeting down at Cesarea, and I believe that was the only meeting that was all planned in heaven. Peter was brought from Joppa, thirty miles away, and the people sat there and heard what the Lord had to say, And Peter stood up and preached. In Acts 11, he gives us an account of that preaching ten years afterwards.
Now, if the Holy Ghost fell twice in Jerusalem, and ten years after in Cesarea, why shouldn't the Holy Ghost come now? I believe, if we could only get this cursed unbelief out of here, that God would lift the tide-gate, and let the flood come in. This is what we want. People say, "What shall I do to get this blessing?" Give yourself fully, wholly and unreservedly just now, this minute; make a complete surrender and say, "Here am I Lord, take me and use me for Thyself, " and I tell you, if the motive is pure and for the glory of God, the blessing will come. But if you are selfish about it and want it just for your own sake, you are going to be disappointed. A great many mothers are mourning because their children are not saved. Do they ever mourn because other children are unsaved? Are we not selfish?
If any of you tonight really want this blessing and feel down deep in your hearts that you must have it, and you are going to lay yourself out for it, I would like to pray with you for it. I see some aged men here. Would not you like to see all your children and grandchildren gathered into the kingdom before you go? Before you go, wouldn't you like to see the kingdom extended right here in your midst? There is not a man so old but that God can use you. Come! There are none so young that God cannot use you.
You remember that when Elijah was to be taken up, he was down at Gilgal with Elisha. And Elijah said unto Elisha, "Tarry here, for I go to Bethel;" but Elisha said, "As the Lord liveth, I will not leave thee," So the two prophets were down to Bethel. When they had reached there was young man came up to Elisha and said, "Do you know that your master is to be taken away today?" And Elisha said, "Hold your peace, I know all about it." Presently Elijah turned to Elisha and said, "Tarry here, for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho." But Elisha replied, "As the Lord liveth, I will not leave thee." I have often wished that that whole story had been put on record. And when they came to Jordan there were fifty men there. Elijah took off his mantle and smote the waters, and the river divided, and Elijah and Elisha passed over dry ground. And when they had gone over Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from thee." And Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit. Elijah answered, "Thou hast asked a hard thing, but if you see me when I am taken up it shall be so." Do you suppose Elisha lost sight of Elijah? O, no! Where Elijah went, there Elisha was to be found, but as they were journeying along, a whirlwind came up, and they were separated. I see Elisha digging the sand out of his eyes, and he happened to see something in the air, and he looked up, and there was Elijah. And he shouted, "My Father, my Father, the chariot of Israel, and the horseman thereof!" And he rent his own clothes. Men, rend your mantle. You are nothing, get down in the dust. And he took up the mantle of Elijah and smote the waters and passed over. Now, I am afraid that if Elisha had some of us he would have said, " I am the same old Elisha. I expected to feel a sensation. I thought I should have a stroke." Man, take God at His word. "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Claim that promise. God can raise up witnesses right out of stone if He wants to. Elisha got all he went for, because he dared to ask. Let us go in for a double portion. Don't you want it? What is the use of living at this dying rate that we sing and talk about? The Lord has plenty. He delights to give. Let us take up the duty of receiving just now. Let us pray the Lord God of heaven t fill us. Let us pray to have the fruit come.---the end.
Pray this prayer below.
Dear Father in heaven,
Even though I may not agree with all of Mr. Moody's message, I do want all that You want me to have. I do want to be full of Your Spirit and Your power. Please fill me now and without doubt or unbelief, I receive ALL that you will give me and all that Jesus purchased for me with His own blood. I want a closer walk with you and I do believe Jesus words in John 7:38 where He said, "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." Father, I want those rivers of living water to flow out of me that I may be a witness and have power in prayer for my family and those around me. Help me to be sensitive to Your Spirit that I may also walk in John 10:4, where it says that Your sheep know Your voice. Help me Father, to know Your voice and be led by Your Spirit.
In Jesus Name
Amen