Some verse says that there will be a
famine, a birth, a famine of truth, of
the word of God being preached in truth.
That's a prophecy concerning, I believe, now, and
the remnant will rise up everywhere.
That will be willing to make an incredible
sacrifice of travelling where they hear there's any
truth being preached.
And I think that's what's happening in our
world today.
It is something that's just, you can just
identify with, and say this is an uncompromised
presentation.
Even if it comes through a weaker man,
we're going to hear him.
So I do bless God for the remnant
of God's people.
They'll travel from state to state, all over,
and fly from all over this country to
hear these messages that God's burned in my
heart.
It's a great privilege God's given me, having
such lovely people, and trusting, and praying for
me, and attending all these meetings.
I don't think I have to say thank
you to anyone else.
If I forget anyone, forgive me.
Craig for fetching me at the airport, joyful
face, the hospitality in your apartment, brother, and
letting me walk around Portland.
I'm not really a city person, but I
was so sick of sitting.
And I had one afternoon off for the
first time since arriving in America.
The plane actually arrived in time for me
to have about four hours of walking.
I walked, and walked, and walked, and Craig
didn't mind.
And he brought me here, and taking me
home after this, so I can catch the
aeroplane at ten to seven tomorrow morning.
It flies, from Portland.
Now I'm doing something wrong, otherwise Craig wouldn't
be making this start whistling.
Do you want me to put my voice
up, brother?
I've got to do something to stop this
whistling.
Okay, if it whistles, it's like someone standing
behind you whistling while you're preaching.
You know, you want to try.
You people won't have any confidence in this
poor man with all his protections of his
self, you know.
When you get tired, your mind is ten
times harder to concentrate.
Mental tiredness.
So have mercy on the poor man, okay?
There's nothing of venom in my heart, or
carnality there.
Just a begging.
Help, help me to survive.
I want to.
Because I thrill in more than anything else
in life, I suppose, than standing in the
pulpit.
It's a great privilege God gives you, young
man.
If God's leading you to one day say,
to all ambitions, no.
I couldn't stoop to that.
Don't stoop to become a king.
If God calls you to be a preacher,
who said that?
Who knows?
Now, who reads biographies?
Right, that was Cary, William Cary.
The great godly Cary.
Oh, bless the Lord.
Who said this?
Only one life to live?
It will soon be past.
Only what's done for Christ will last.
And he left.
He left a mansion.
And went into huts.
Dung floors.
Who said that?
Hudson Taylor.
No, that wasn't.
That was C.T. Studd.
Yes.
We won't go on with all the question
time now.
Young men, don't stoop to be a king.
If God calls you to preach, I don't
think I've ever sensed God's presence, apart from
one occasion in my life, to the degree
that I sense him almost every occasion I
stand in the pulpit.
That's why I love the pulpit.
More than anything else, why I love the
pulpit.
I sense God here.
And there's no...
In thy presence is fullness of joy.
You'll never know greater joy than knowing yourself
in the presence of God.
This side of heaven.
Father, keep us under the blood of Jesus,
and come wash me in the blood afresh
again, and fill me with the Holy Spirit,
and anoint my heart and my mind, and
every faculty in my being, and the word
thou hast given to me, and the hearts
of each person here, that we may leave
this building, different, changed, radically from when we
came.
By thy grace, for this is our desire.
In Jesus Christ's name.
Amen.
A great general, in a great army, once
wrote careful instructions, once wrote careful instructions, to
all those soldiers who had enlisted to go
to war for their king.
He inspected, he expected, every soldier to carefully
read and obey these instructions.
He expected every soldier to carefully read and
obey these instructions before they dared to go
out to battle.
His instructions have been recorded in this holy
book, have been preserved for us in this
holy book that he wrote for every soldier
that would ever go or dare to go
to war for their king.
And they are found in Ephesians, chapter 6,
verse 10.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord.
Be strong in the Lord.
Be strong in the Lord and in the
power of His might.
Put on the whole armor of God.
Put on the whole armor of God that
ye may be able to stand against the
wild of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places.
Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of
God that ye may be able to withstand
in the evil day.
And having done all, having done all, having
done all to stand, stand therefore, having your
loins girt about with truth, and having on
the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet softened
with the preparation of the gospel of peace,
above all, above all, taking the shield of
faith, above all, taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked.
Hallelujah.
Wherewith ye shall be able to quench, to
undo, to put to nothing anything Satan hold
adieu, anything Satan's got to do, wherewith ye
shall be able, above all, taking the shield
of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to
quench the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, take the
helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, the sword of the Spirit, the sword
of the Spirit, which is the word of
God.
Praying, praying always, always, always, always, with all
prayer and supplication in the Spirit, in watching
their perseverance, and for all saints, above all,
taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall
be able to quench all the fiery darts
of the wicked.
If this same general wrote specific instructions to
a young exemplary officer in that army, who
he esteemed above all other men, there is
no man like this.
This exemplary, godly young man was called Timothy.
And I want you to listen to the
specific instructions he gave to this godly, exemplary,
example of all, of all, of all the
believers.
The first letter he wrote to him, 1
Timothy, chapter 6, verse 12.
1 Timothy, chapter 6, verse 12.
Fight, the good fight, of faith.
There is a fight in Christianity, brother, sister.
Don't doubt that.
And it's holy, it's sacred, it's a commission.
Fight the good fight, of faith.
1 Timothy, 1 verse 18.
1 Timothy, 1, verse 18.
This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy,
according to the prophecies which went before, on
thee that thou, by them mightest war.
Go to war now.
There's a war God wants you to go
into, if you're right with him.
That thou, by them mightest war, a good
warfare.
Holding faith, and a good conscience, which some,
having put away concerning faith, have made shipwreck.
Holding faith now, go to war, that thou
might, through them, war a good warfare, Timothy.
2 Timothy 2.
2 Timothy 2, verse 3.
Therefore, thou therefore endure hardness, as a good
soldier of Jesus Christ.
Are you a soldier of Jesus Christ?
We have no understanding, no concept, no conscience,
or consciousness that there is a war you
should be involved in.
There's nothing as pathetic as a Christian that
doesn't know this is a war he's in.
Because he doesn't know what's going on.
And oh, he must be confused.
Oh, he must be confused.
2 Timothy 4, verse 7.
2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 7.
I have fought a good fight.
I have finished my course.
I have kept the faith.
I fought a good fight.
Hallelujah.
This godly man, this godly man has.
The great General William Booth.
The great General William Booth who led the
Salvation Army to literal war.
Once God got hold of him.
He led the Salvation Army to literal war.
Once God got hold of him.
He shook and angered.
The Evangelical Church worldwide.
To the core.
Worldwide.
When he fearlessly cried out these words.
The true Church of Jesus Christ was never
meant to sit at ease in monuments of
wealth and luxury as it does.
The true Church of Jesus Christ was never
meant to sit at ease in monuments of
wealth and luxury as it does.
They are called to deny themselves.
To take up the cross.
And to follow Christ to death.
To death if need be.
To reach the soul he has died for
with the gospel.
They are called to deny themselves.
To deny themselves.
When did you do that?
Or don't you know such language in your
testimony?
In your life of ease?
You sing onward Christian soldiers marching as to
war have you ever once.
As a soldier of God deny yourself.
Taken up the cross and followed Christ.
To death if need be.
To reach the soul he has died for
with the gospel.
And beloved he cried.
He has chased to death for every man.
For every man.
He is the propitiation.
The way to God.
The atoning sacrifice.
For our sins as Christians and not for
ours only but also for the sins of
the whole world God says.
Every man.
There is no man unreachable who said it.
And he began to shake the world.
Who has cried out this world is a
battlefield between God and Satan.
And pity the Christian who doesn't know it.
This world is the battlefield between God and
Satan for the souls of men.
And we are charged to be soldiers of
the cross.
We are charged when we are saved according
to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17 onwards.
The moment you find God the world is
your responsibility with what you know and have
found.
Booth said the weapons of our warfare are
not carnal.
Not human weapons but mighty through God to
the pulling down of strongholds.
There is no stronghold Satan has on any
man on this earth that we cannot pull
down and undo to reach that man if
we take up the weapons God has given
us through faith.
With the sword of the spirit to undo
anything that the damage done in the hearts
and consciences and minds.
There is no one that cannot be reached
with the weapons God has given us.
Every man is our responsibility.
And the closer you are to God brother
the more you will have the whole world
on your heart.
For God says Go ye into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature.
God now commanded all men everywhere to repent.
Booth was despised.
He was so despised by the evangelical church
worldwide they were his greatest enemies at the
beginning.
They were so shaken and so rebuked that
they began from the pulpits across the world
many multitudes of the leading churches evangelically to
denounce this man that unethically took to the
streets.
But Booth began to quieten those condemning words.
Suddenly it was no such a forceful cry
when he began to reach the unreachable.
Booth it was said could not pass a
junk once in his life.
I don't know another man that could be
said of in this world's history.
Booth was incapable of passing a drunk lying
in the gutters or a broken life woman
or man in the gutters in the streets.
He knelt beside them and he wept and
he lifted them up and he carried them
and others carried them he clothed them he
fed them he housed them he prayed them
through and soon soon multitudes of drunks multitudes
of drunks and prostitutes multitudes not some.
An army was growing that was beginning to
make the world tremble an army of the
unreachable in the eyes of most.
Booth said to the church you're too good
for God to use you.
If most sinners on this earth came in
your church door you would feel uncomfortable and
they would be uncomfortable by the discomfort they
see in your eyes and your reactions.
Unless it's your class your culture your standard
you don't want them.
God wants you to stoop to the broken
and that's who you came to reach the
broken.
You'll destroy lives and how is he going
to reach them if it isn't through us
because we've become too good for God to
use.
He marched one day past one of the
great buildings of our faith Evangelical and there
were scowls scowls from the crowd.
He had dressed these drunks and prostitutes and
broken lives and criminals who had come to
Christ a few score in an army uniform.
Booth never wanted a denomination to rise up
called the Salvation Army.
It broke his heart when it had to
be so.
He wanted the world to look upon the
Evangelical Church worldwide as the Salvation Army of
God not a church.
He had nothing in his heart for a
denomination.
Nothing.
As he marched these men clothed not in
shining, lovely material from the best tailors but
the cheapest haggard material he put into a
uniform in his own way that staggered everybody
who was so unique.
He put badges he put a helmet he
took these men and had across them blood
and fire and he said we have one
weapon.
You will get to know how to use
this he said to these drunks such were
some of you that he awashed.
Hallelujah, no one can't be reached.
This is our weapon the more you can
handle it the more God will use you.
He cried as he taught them these drunks
he prayed through who became holy men of
God.
As he marched past this one great building
singing onward Christian soldiers marching as to war
with a cymbal a bowman and a big
drum and one or two trumpets playing weakly
and voices not the best choirs heaven was
hallelujahing such singing because they weren't singing words
that meant nothing.
What percentage of the hymns you have sung
brother, sister and young person meant nothing?
They were marching to war, many to death.
You know when the world stopped condemning Booth?
You know what it was?
His soldiers lay dead in the streets beaten
their skulls beaten open by the wicked criminal
elements where he marched and said no territory
belongs to Satan that we cannot undo and
reach the worst.
So he marched and on the front page
of the world's greatest newspaper they began to
report on a war that had never been
reported on the war between God and Satan.
Do you know why?
Because even the unsaved had to take note
of a man that no one was unreachable
in his eyes and he was reaching them.
Soon a hundred thousand strong army rose up
in this world through this godly man in
many parts of mainly the British Empire colonies.
He went, it somehow had an open foot
to him and he reached Booth, reached them.
He reached them.
He marched to the brothels, town upon town.
He marched with his army of women who
many were prostitutes many were gutter women that
he picked up and carried to salvation.
You ever done that brother?
Have you denied yourself?
Having to face up to sacrifice for a
soul where it's going to cost you?
More than just say to the number I
want so many to God to put I
wouldn't give one effort if it's going to
put me out to sacrifice.
Outside of the brothels they say his voice
was so piercing it undid anyone.
No one was not undone by this man's
voice.
God gifted him with a voice that sweet
through the buildings.
As he cried out on every occasion the
scriptures condemning their sin outside of the brothels,
upon brothels upon brothels, upon brothels and city
upon city he would march carefully with his
army singing and then with no loudspeakers would
cry that everyone in those buildings heard every
word even if the windows were closed.
So gifted was he with the voice God
gave him.
He wept mostly when he preached they said.
They say his harshest words throbbed with such
love.
His harshest words throbbed with such love.
Men and women who had never ever had
once in their life a conviction of sin
were broken within minutes weeping and sobbing under
conviction by the compassion.
Strongly as he cried out the condemnation before
the next breath came that man was crying
out that he tasted death for every one
of you.
While you were yet sinners knowing your sin
Christ died for you he will in no
wise turn away anyone who comes to him
through Christ Jesus.
It is not the will of God that
any should perish but that all should come
to repentance through Christ Jesus.
Who shall call upon the name of the
Lord God will save him.
Shall be saved.
Whosoever will let him come.
Now is the acceptable time.
Today is the day of salvation.
If you will harden not your hearts now
I can save you.
Now.
Come while you can.
Come while you may.
Seek ye the Lord while he may be
found.
Call ye upon him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way and the
unrighteous men his thoughts and let him return
unto the Lord and he will have mercy
upon him and to our God for he
will abundantly pardon.
But oh seek ye the Lord while he
may be found.
Don't harden your hearts.
Now I can work.
Tomorrow may be too late.
If you will harden not your hearts as
they did here in the day of provocation
now I can do something.
Oh turn ye from your evil way.
Why will you die?
God cries.
Why?
Oh his harshest word was suddenly engulfed by
love from God's heart through this book.
This is a staggering thing.
Reported now at this occasion on the headlines
of most of the world's prominent newspapers across
the whole world.
Front line as normally given for the great
wars between nations was now the war between
God and Satan for a man demanded that
even the conscience of the lost had to
respect this man.
With solemnity they reported as he cried the
brothels.
They streamed out at his head never longer
than twenty minutes.
I don't know if that's true but here's
one statement Harry.
Every prostitute was on their knees weeping.
Broken.
God loved them.
They knew they were condemned.
They just didn't know how much God loved
them in this.
In spite of this he hates your sin
but he loves your soul.
They came to Christ and put on a
uniform.
When they stood the moment they stood proved
they could stand.
And that they had a thirst for this
book more than anything in life Bruce gave
them the uniform.
He said you're a soldier of God now
to win the next one.
Beside these prostitutes men knelt who were betraying
their wives and children.
In the streets they knelt under such conviction.
Broken.
Weeping to God for mercy on their souls.
Brothel upon brothel closed down and the world's
newspapers in the front pages reported on this
staggering phenomena that was going on the man
of God called William Booth who was marching
to war against Satan and his strongholds to
set the captives free and he would not
retreat.
Booth front page headlines Booth marches his soldiers
into the crime infested gang infested areas where
the mafia rule where police are scared to
venture for fear of not coming out alive.
He marches his soldiers lie dead in their
scores their skulls smashed open by crowds storming
down with batons bashing them, smashing with big
steel barrels filled with coals they would pour
on these bodies until stents of burning bodies
all over the streets Booth weeping loud conscious
of what was going on would say to
his soldiers we will not retreat.
The church worldwide couldn't condemn him any longer
he was bringing the worst criminals on earth
to God their testimonies were being printed and
spread across the earth men who ruled with
rods of iron criminal elements in areas large
areas of cities across the world but Booth
had something else in mind one day he
marched to the mafia head of the world
the leader the most feared man on earth
in mafia circles and everyone knew where he
was going down an alley came a whole
team of men with steel bars and wooden
bars and they began to smash these men's
open blood flowed like a river in some
blood the blood just pouring as they just
carried on in their anger in their venom
of God's people entering into the devil's territory
to save the devil's children who had chosen
strongly to serve the devil but Booth marched
on he marched until he reached the doorway
of a building that housed this mafia leader
with 60 of the world's leaders in the
mafia 60 under this man feared by thousands
of the mafia gang leaders of the world
answerable to him or they die Booth stood
out of that building soldiers dead down the
streets lying dead all down the streets those
who were still standing with him were shaking
in fear weeping, weeping it was not easy
to follow William Booth to the heart of
Satan's stronghold but they followed him tears were
pouring down his eyes and yet they say
never was there anger in his eyes only
love only love could be seen in those
eyes no matter what they did to him
a gentleness that undid the heart of sin
who threw profanity and blasphemy at him and
a fist in his face again and again
gentleness only love reacted to hate and he
won them outside of the building Booth cried
out and he cried out the scriptures of
the judgment of God upon the sinner upon
wicked men the eternal damnation he went on
and on and then he cried out the
love of God but suddenly under such conviction
as that voice piercing through those wooden walls
reached every ear and every heart sixty men
ran out of that door screaming like animals
they were under such conviction they were screaming
like animals they began to beat the soldiers,
one man behind Ruth fell down and blood
just poured and touched within seconds flowed onto
Booth's boots and he said to this mafia
leader standing in front of him hurling abuse
and profanity at him and anger and hatred
with love in his eyes God still loves
you I still love you I hate your
sin God hates your sin but he loves
your soul he died for you while you
were yet sinners knowing what you would be
doing knowing this, knowing this and I want
you to find forgiveness and no judgment I
want you to find eternal life the gift
of eternal life through Jesus Christ this man's
soul smashed in his heart tears coming down
his face but through anger in his eyes
spat in the face of Booth in the
most uncouth way spat and spat again saliva
covered this man's face this godly way in
Booth as he did that the other men
walked up to those salvationists still standing and
spat all over them spitting and spitting until
their faces were covered with saliva a man
behind Booth whimpering in fear and Booth turned
and looked he started to wipe the saliva
and Booth stepped back and did something that
made heaven stand and hell tremble Booth took
hold of his arm and said brother don't
wipe it off these are medals these are
medals for a true soldier Booth held the
cross and he looked at this man again
God still loves you I still love you
come to Christ this man fell how could
anyone stand on his knees he sobbed like
a baby and Booth led him to Jesus
Christ the most feared mafia gangster on earth
crumbled under God's love and the repercussions never
stopped what happened in that man's life all
60 men fell down at what they saw
that man doing and wept to God for
God to save their souls with the salvation
that would help them all were imprisoned most
were put to death as they died they
died testifying they had no fear of death
they're going straight to heaven there's no condemnation
to them within Christ Jesus and hallelujah we
know we pass from death unto life when
we say it the spirit itself bears witness
with the spirit that you know we know
we're the children of God we have eternal
life these men had no fear of death
while they lived they led warders to Christ
those that were alive to live Booth said
they didn't wear the same color army uniform
but it was the same army uniform they
used prison uniforms but they were just as
much soldiers in the army of God as
us for it isn't the color of the
material it's the heart their bibles were in
tatters before they died this is a wonderful
testimony of those men tatters they had won
so many to God in the prisons it
was something beyond comprehension that so many even
the warders and police came to them to
find Jesus Christ Christ was so in these
men you think the devil can stop you
because you're put in prison for what your
past was no, he's in trouble he'll just
win the world in the prisons that's probably
why God allowed them to live and die
in dignity and peace with a testimony that
few outside of the prisons could have won
and the respect of multitudes within the prisons
and out for what the fruit of their
lives was the way they lived for Jesus
Christ as Salvation Army officers in prison and
the prisons were full of Salvation Army officers
across the world before Bruce died men who
had to go to prison for life but
who brought those prisoners to God in their
multitudes when
Booth was an old man word got out
that he was going to preach again in
a conference convention that people crossed the Atlantic
people crossed lands former prostitutes drunkards and criminals
made great sacrifice to hear the General once
more I wish I could have been there
for such a man when he walked
out silence, an uncanny silence it was like
nobody could breathe as they saw the frail
but tall but thin man with long white
beard and his uniform and his eyes of
love God's love never was there anger always
love across him was a big velvet
ribbon with golden letters blood and fire he
stood and said certain things but this is
his last statement I have one requirement of
you to use that army uniform I have
one requirement of you to stay in that
army uniform that you can look the world
in the eyes and say I have had
a personal covery of Jesus Christ and denied
myself of everything in life for the privilege
of taking up the cross of God and
to bring this world to God I have
laid my life on the altar of God
and had absolute surrender and I am filled
with God the Holy Spirit controlled and he
will never never control you until you have
a personal covery but when he does the
love of God is shed and brought in
your heart by the Holy Ghost and the
love of God that was revealed on the
cross will be revealed in your life every
step you take if you have had a
personal covery to every soul you come near
if you cannot say that has happened in
your Christian experience I would ask you to
be careful to keep that uniform on or
to seek it desperately before you bring shame
on God's name and on this army tell
me have you ever had a personal covery
brother, sister have you ever denied yourself everything
in that moment of absolute surrender taking up
a cross no matter what it costs to
follow Christ to death if need be I'm
going to be careful here that God doesn't
want you and I don't want you and
you know this to go out now to
the criminal areas tonight and die you know
that I don't request this of you but
I would ask every one of you sitting
here tonight what sacrifice have you ever made
really of life for souls and
will you ever unless you have a personal
cover and absolutely surrender to God and
be filled with God the Holy Spirit by
faith that means to be controlled within you
the person that is not controlling you in
control total control if you want to be
honest that's what when the great Livingston
was last seen in England as he boarded
the boat at Plymouth an American newspaper reporter
ran screaming David Livingston through the crowds that
were not applauding, they didn't applaud missionaries those
days but they were there never to see
him again, only one white man ever saw
him again in life they carried his body
back to be buried next to the kings
of England in Westminster Abbey from Africa but
this reporter cried out and Livingston turned on
the gangway and looked back and puffing and
panting and out of breath he said I
have crossed the Atlantic from one of the
greatest newspapers on earth and I have to
have a report from you what do you
want from me you sacrificed life for the
gospel you sacrificed your children your wife, nobility
wealth luxury, privilege above most men in England
and the world it could have been yours,
you turned your back on that, was it
worth it Livingston he said have a fear
when you look at what Jesus did on
the cross, the sacrifice he made young man
nothing you can do in life could be
termed sacrifice to take that message to the
world only privilege can we stand please