FRIDAY
As we did yesterday, today we are looking at another encounter with God reported by another, more modern revivalist. Remember, this is not Scripture but I hope it encourages us, strengthens our faith and helps us believe that we can experience God today, just as Christians have throughout the history of the church.
Dwight Lyman (D.L) Moody was a revivalist in Chicago in the second half of the 19th century. Many of you, I’m sure, are familiar with the Moody Bible Institute, Moody Church, Moody Radio and Moody Publishing in Chicago. These organizations all originated from Moody’s work. Contrary to Finney, Moody was uneducated (he only received a 5th grade education) but possessed a magnanimous personality. After the Chicago fire destroyed his church, his home and his YMCA (he was the president of the YMCA), he traveled to New York to raise funds to rebuild. While he was walking the streets of New York to a friend’s house, he felt as if God was near so he went to his friend’s house and asked for a private room. Here’s what he reported of his experience with God that day:
“I can only say God revealed Himself to me and I had such an experience of His love that I had to ask Him to stay His hand. After this I went to preaching again. The sermons were not different, I did not present any new truths, yet hundreds were converted. I would not now be placed where I was before that blessed experience if you should give me all the world.”
Similar to what we see in the New Testament, both Finney and Moody had powerful encounters with the Holy Spirit that empowered them to bear witness to the gospel of Jesus.
Acts 1:8 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
May the Spirit continue to fill us today to bear witness to the glorious gospel of Christ.