Where Art Thou by D.L. Moody

This line cought my attention as D.L. Moody was describing Adam's fall; "Adam ought to have taken the seeker's place, for he was the transgressor. He had fallen, and he ought to have gone up and down Eden crying, 'My God! My God! Where art thou?' But God left heaven to seek him."

I wonder sometimes at how successful our enemy has been at convincing us that God is against us because we haven't measured up. I long for more people to be convinced of the truth.

Paul longed for the same thing, as indicated by his comments to the Ephesians; "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, [b]to grasp[/b] how wide and long and high and deep [b]the love of Christ[/b], and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God".

Good word, brother.

I am reminded of this in Acts 17:26-27 and Rom5:6. Our God does not desire to leave us where we are.

Thank you, Lord Jesus!

May we grow in His grace and in our knowledge of Him.

In this piece by DL Moody, he asks this question - 'Where Art Thou' - of three groups. The first group is the 'professed Christian'. Written well over a hundred years ago, this is what he says.

"Is it not time that the Church of God should wake up and come to the help of the Lord as one man, and strive to beat back those dark waves fo death that roll through our streets, bearing upon their bosom the noblest and the best we have? Oh, may God wake up the Church! And let us trim our lights, and go forth and work for the kingdom of His Son."

In line with some thoughts and discussions I have had with others lately, namely, why do we see so little real transformation in peoples lives today. The Church as a whole has substituted organized programs for prayer. As a result, those that are drawn by that are not changed. They, at best, are cleaned up a little.

How long before we wake up a little and realize what we have done - or haven't done. I thought this good to share.

MJones wrote:
As a result, those that are drawn by that are not changed. They, at best, are cleaned up a little.

Real life:

For the past two years, we have spent the Memorial Day weekend with friends at Kentucky Lake. We have been friends for 20 years. Our kids who are now grown, were all good friends as they were growing up, so, it is a time that we all enjoy getting back together. We strted the lake thing with a jet ski quite a few years ago. Several followed. Then boats, now one family has bought a lake house. The bedrooms are full, the couches, there are sleeping bags in the living room and tents in the yard.

With that many people involved, much like family, there are varrying views regarding life, God and how the two go together. When I am tempted to be critical of those who do not hold the same view that I do, I remember that until the Lord drew me - until I heard his voice - I was no different.

I realized each time we are together, when I am tempted to try to clean some of them up a little, that even if I was successful, at best, that is all that would be accomplished.

So I find myself praying more, that they would hear His voice, that they would truly find Him as I have that they might really know life. We are all lost until we do.

Hey brother,
The problem with the church today is that God needs to win back His pulpits. I pastor Eagle Heights in Davie County, NC. It's hard for God to fire up a church with pastors that are not fired up! Where are the Elijah's of today? Men that can pray down fire. We have over 100 churches in our small county and every 2nd Tue. we have a pastors prayer breakfast. It is attended by pastoral staff from about 7 to 8 churches. How are prayer meetings going to be succesful in churches pastored by men who don't find prayer important. Acts 6:4 says "we are to continually give ourselves to prayer and the Word." Moody brought revival because he was a revived, Holy Spirit filled, prayer walking, man of God. I named my son Lyman after D. L. Moody because Mr. Moody has impacted my life more than any man other than Christ. God has laid on my heart to start a ministry much like Moody's and beg God in prayer for one thing, Revival! We must have Spirit filled men of God preaching Spirit birthed sermons to have revival. Sermons from a man's soul that has travailed, wrestled, and agonized with a Holy God. Pray for me brother and know I have prayed for you. Blessings on you brother.

This question, 'Where Art Thou', addressed to the 'professed Christian', has been much on my mind lately. A good friend of our family died a couple of weeks ago. A thought crossed my mind that I have not been able to shake. 'He is there and he knows.' I kept thinking how he must surely wish he could come back and tell those who were closest to him what he now knows.

Of course he can't. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt like God was using it to make a point with me. We who are still here must have as clear a vision of eternity as he now has in order to convey the fact of heaven and hell with the same conviction as he would if he were allowed to come back.

Leonard Ravenhill puts it this way; 'we need to have eternity stamped on our eyeballs'. So in light of Moody's question - where are we - how clearly do we see eternity? Is it on the back burner or does it burn in us as if we have seen it for ourselves and have been given the opportunity to tell others what we have seen?

get2knowGod,

That has to be a God thing. While I was working on my post, you were working on yours. I believe they complement each other quite well. The one point that I did not make here, which I did make on my blog site, was the role of the altar in our ability to gain this fresh vision of eternity that is so needed. You do well to point this out in yours.

Welcome to SI. I see that was your first post. The Lord won't seem to let me go on this. Not that I want Him to. But I have been praying more about it lately and it seems He is answering.

The second group Moody refers as he asks this quuestion, 'Where Art Thou', is to the prodigal - 'to those who have gone back into the world - to the Backslider'.

He makes a statement I find interesting; 'If a man has been born again, and has received the heavenly nature, this world can never satisfy the cravings of his nature'.

'Backsliding' may be more often associated with a total falling away, but with me it was more a series of subtle distractions. I would seriously seek God for a period of time, but then I would always compromise. The compromise would start a slight falling away or a cooling.

It was during these times that the cravings of the old nature were the strongest, and when we are not full of the heavenly nature, we are, to an extent, powerless against the old.

Another statement Moody makes that I find interesting, 'I know that the devil has told you that God won't have anything to do with you, because you have wandered away'. In most cases, that is how I felt. Typical satan style, tempt you to do something you know you shouldn't, then beat you over the head with it when you do.

I think my favorite quote is fitting here. Hudson Taylor said, 'God does not give us overcoming lives. He gives life to those who overcome'. As it was hard to resist the old nature when I was not full of the new, so the converse of that is true - by staying full of the new, the old is easier to resist.

If only the prodigal son had known of the horizon-searching love of his father, he might have returned sooner. The prodigal's view of his father was based upon what he deserved, but upon his repentant return he found forgiveness, rejoicing and restoration.

Amazing grace!!

run2win,

Without a doubt, His love has done more to constrain/compel me than the fear of His punishment was ever able to do.

Moody now asks 'Where Art Thou' - sinner.

He gives "three steps to the lost world" - Neglect, Refusal and Dispise.

I like the example he uses for neglect. He describes a person in a small boat on a swift river. There is a waterfall ahead. All who go over it perish. "I need not row the boat down; I have only to pull in the oars, and fold my arms and neglect."

Then there are those who intentionally refuse and those who litterally dispise.

Whatever the case, there is an unfortunate end of which we the church need to catch a new vision. We are in desperate need of an awakening as everyone here knows. It seems to be stirring. Does anyone else sense it more lately than normal?

Mjones,
I can not say that I sense the stirring of revival and awakening, but rather the continued deepening of the need for revival and awaking. A friend and I started meeting at the church on Fridays at noon for prayer back in December. 2 other men join us off and on. But watching the church membership, many of whom are lost, the sense of need for God to move, to show Himself, to manifest His glory, to break the pride of our "Independent fundamental Baptist" selves deepens every week.
We pray for revival, we seek God's face. And we know He'll bring revival, but we do wonder if it will come to our church, or if our church will be called Ichabod before revival comes to this area.

Jason

Hi Jason,

It is interesting that you that you say, "We pray for revival, we seek God's face". The last couple of mornings in my reading (John 12), I have picked up on something. We all long for awakening; we pray for it, we preach about it; write about it; etc, but I believe there is a dying that has to take place before we will experience it.

Rather than going in to all the things I see in John 12 that points to that, I'll leave it to you and others that may have interest in it to read it and see what you might see.

I appreciate your comments. I was very involved in our Baptist church for quite a few years. They will work you to death if you let them. I got burned out. Now kindof laying low (workwise) in a very good Methodist church, and simply seeking God. As I have said before, I have worked for God - I am now learning to walk with Him. Becomming more and more ready to go back to work.

All for now,

Mike