Having a role model is important. Sports hero's are one thing, but what about those who persevered through a war, divorce, a broken back, starvation, poverty, and emotional abuse? Audrey Hepburn is a hero, a role model for many becuase of her pure joy, and beauty. Did you know that she lacked confidence, and was so thin as a result of childhood starvation? She married twice looking for love and woefully she admits a fractured heart as a result of two divorces. Did she ever turn to Jesus for comfort before her death? For the last 20 years of her short life she dedicated her fame to raising money for UNICEF to feed millions of orphans. She identified with orphans who desperately want to be loved. Did her good works, her fame, her money bring her peace? Did someone ever lead her to everlasting peace? Has God used you to speak to a lost soul about His love? Do you believe in the power of speaking God's word? God used Dwight Moody to speak, and through Dwight the Holy Spirit entered the heart of FB Meyer. FB Meyer then told his story in England to a group in the inner city and Wilbur Chapman was convicted by the Holy Spirit. Tracing the impact of one conversion, we learn that Billy Sunday heard Wilbur speak the truth and then God enabled Billy to share the gospel. Mordecai Ham listened and heard the Spirit of God speaking to him. Mordecai began to preach in North Carolina and a curious young man was moved by the Holy Spirit that day and the heart of Billy Graham was changed forever. In 2001, Billy Graham spoke to a large crowd in Fresno, Calif and Hennie Tupas accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. "Now we all want to shine; the mother wishes it for her boy, when she sends him to school, the father for his lad, when he goes off to college; and here God tells us who are to shine - not statesmen, or warriors, or such like, that shine but for a season - but such as will shine for ever and ever; those, namely, who win souls to Christ; the little boy even who persuades one to come to Christ. Speaking of this, Paul counts up five things (1 Cor. 1:27-9) that God makes use of - the weak things, the foolish things, the base things, the despised things, and the things which are not, and for this purpose, that no flesh might glory in his sight - God does use the weak things to confound the wise. For 6,000 years God has been teaching men; with the jawbone of an ass Samson slew 1,000 men (JUG 15), and Joshua obeyed God and marched for 6 days around Jericho while 7 priests blew rams' horns, which all appeared foolish until the walls of Jericho fell (Joshua 6:20). Let God work in His own way, and with His own instruments; let us all rejoice that He should, and let us too rejoice in our weakness, the position in which God can use us." DL MOODY ~ Jesus asks us to "remember Me, and remember where you were when we met." God used a shoe salesman to reach Billy Graham...then He used who to reach you?~ Dwight L. Moody did not attend school beyond the fifth grade. He could not spell, and his grammar was awful. His manners were often brash and crude, and he never became an ordained minister. Once, before he fully surrendered to God, Dwight so outraged an Italian shoe salesmen with a prank, that the man chased him with a sharp knife, clearly intending to kill him. Yet, Dwight L. Moody was used by God to lead thousands of people to Christ. Moody's life of Christian service began with his conversion on the day of April 21, 1855. A believer once told Dwight L Moody
"the world has yet to see what the Holy Spirit could do through one person who is fully surrendered to God." Dwight pondered the commitment to remain completely surrendered and under the full influence and power of the Holy Spirit. Dwight soon chose to agree with God and confess that he was a sinner and ASK that the Holy Spirit "do" whatever it takes to purge him of all his desires and goals, that he might be fully surrendered and available to be of service. That the Holy Spirit would use the words from his mouth to bring all glory and honor to God. Dwight came to Boston as a teenager and he was desperate for work. An uncle took him on as a shoe salesman--on condition that he be obedient and that he attend Mt. Vernon Congregational Church. The young man had been raised in a Unitarian church which denied the full divinity of Christ and did not emphasize human need for salvation from sins. Now Dwight heard about those things. But he decided that he wanted to enjoy the pleasures of the world and wait to get saved until just before he died. However, the kindness of his Sunday School teacher, Edward Kimball, turned young Moody into his life-long friend, and encouraged him to persist in his church attendance and regular Bible reading. Though Moody did try to read the Bible, he couldn't understand it. Kimball later said he had never seen anyone whose mind was as spiritually dark as Dwight's. That changed on this day, April 21, 1855. Kimball came to the shoe store to ask Dwight to commit his life to Christ. Dwight listened closely and became a Christian that day. Immediately he began sharing his faith with others, including his own family. They wanted nothing to do with his faith. "I will always be a Unitarian," his mother said. (However, she converted shortly before her death.) Initially Dwight wasn't allowed to become a church member. Asked what Christ had done for him, the nervous boy replied that he wasn't aware of anything particular. Leaders felt that his lack of a personal experience was unacceptable. When Moody later moved to Chicago he wandered the streets to find young boys to bring to his Sunday School class. He had a passion for saving souls and determined never to let a day pass without telling someone the gospel of Jesus Christ. Often he irritated strangers on the street by asking them if they were Christians -- but his pointed questioning stirred the consciences of many. God used the converted heart of a shoe salesman to become the leading evangelist of his day. Estimates vary, but Dwight is thought to have led as many as a million people to confess faith in Christ. Among his many achievements was the founding of Moody Bible Institute. MOODY REMAINED A HUMBLE SERVANT: With refreshing frankness and an utter disregard for conventionalities and mere compliments, Mr. Moody burst upon an audience of travelling ministers with the bold announcement:'The chairman has made two mistakes. To begin with, I'm not the "Reverend" Mr. Moody at all. I'm plain Dwight L. Moody, a simple Sunday school worker. Do not praise me,
praise God.
I am not your distant American cousin! But by the grace of God, I'm your brother, who is interested with you in our Father's work for His children.' Living out the TRUTH: 2 Corinthians 10:12 'For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.' During gigantic urban revivals in 1875 and 1876, the Chicago-shoe-salesman-turned-religious-evangelist Dwight Lyman Moody set the northern United States ablaze with the fires of a great religious awakening. Over two million Americans of all Protestant affiliations attended his meetings in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, New York City, and Chicago. Although his popularity had been unrivalled, DL Moody worried about his campaign that would begin in Boston in 1877. To carry the day, he knew that he would need the help of "the New England women." Frances E Willard, a school teacher from New York. (Frances born Sept 28, 1939 and lived until Feb 17, 1998) Before Frances died at the age of 58 she preached with Moody on several different occasions. "What a power they would be," Moody claimed. Knowing that Frances was fully surrenedered and endowed by the Holy Spirit, Moody sought out Frances to preach with him. When the two met, the evangelist asked, "Will you go with me to Boston and help in the women's meetings?" After considering the invitation for several days, Willard agreed to join him. She did more than merely minister to women, however. On one occasion, as she recounted later, "Mr. Moody placed my name upon his program" to "literally preach" to men and women. Francis Willard wondered aloud if the sight of a woman preaching would shock the audience and asked Dwight "Brother Moody, perhaps you will hinder the work among these conservatives." Responding, Moody "laughed in his cheery way, and declared that 'it was just what they needed.'" From her home office, her den, Frances Willard rallied support for important reform movements including woman's suffrage, women's economic and religious rights, prison reforms, education reforms and labor reforms. She was a well-read author and public speaker, Willard captivated the imaginations and mobilized the sentiments of countless women. Although the most prominent female leader during these revivals, Francis Willard was not the only woman to work alongside Moody. Quaker Sarah F. Smiley of Philadelphia, Maria T. Hale Gordon of Boston, and temperance leader Mary C. Johnson of Brooklyn also led meetings and addressed large crowds of women and men.
Today God is using Anne Graham Lotz, Billy's shy daughter in a mighty way. Her book and workshops on "Just Give Me Jesus" has deepend the faith of men and women around the globe. One journalist recognized that a bevy of women "unnamed in the press but known of God, whose service has been of the first order" have played key roles during the spiritual awakenings since revivals began. "The record of the revival," a writer reported, "so far as human effort is concerned, we must give due credit of women's significant part."MY HEROS OF THE FAITH: Billy Graham on TV. Charles Stanley on TV. Anne Graham Lotz "Pursuing More of Jesus" Beth Moore "A Heart Like His" Christy Vogel led a woman's group at Santa Cruz Bible Church. Christy became Barbara Alley's sponsor and led her through the 12 steps of surrender to Christ in the Celebrate Recovery Program 1997. In the year 2000 Barbara became a Co-Dependency group leader for Quail Lakes. Carol Robinson and her husband hosted an in home bible study and became prayer partners. In Sept 2000 Anne Graham Lotz book "VISION OF HIS GLORY" DVD series through the book of Revelations. Barbara hosted a Progressive Dining on His Word Party while leading people through Anne's teaching. 2001 Pastor Marc Maffucci prayed for the City of Stockton on Sept 11, 2001 and has faithfully fed Barbara with his study and teachings.
Today God is using Anne Graham Lotz, Billy's shy daughter in a mighty way. Her book and workshops on "Just Give Me Jesus" has deepend the faith of men and women around the globe. One journalist recognized that a bevy of women "unnamed in the press but known of God, whose service has been of the first order" have played key roles during the spiritual awakenings since revivals began. "The record of the revival," a writer reported, "so far as human effort is concerned, we must give due credit of women's significant part."MY HEROS OF THE FAITH: Billy Graham on TV. Charles Stanley on TV. Anne Graham Lotz "Pursuing More of Jesus" Beth Moore "A Heart Like His" Christy Vogel led a woman's group at Santa Cruz Bible Church. Christy became Barbara Alley's sponsor and led her through the 12 steps of surrender to Christ in the Celebrate Recovery Program 1997. In the year 2000 Barbara became a Co-Dependency group leader for Quail Lakes. Carol Robinson and her husband hosted an in home bible study and became prayer partners. In Sept 2000 Anne Graham Lotz book "VISION OF HIS GLORY" DVD series through the book of Revelations. Barbara hosted a Progressive Dining on His Word Party while leading people through Anne's teaching. 2001 Pastor Marc Maffucci prayed for the City of Stockton on Sept 11, 2001 and has faithfully fed Barbara with his study and teachings.
