Poetry from the Evangelism sermons

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"That day of wrath, that dreadful day
When heaven and earth shall pass away.
What power shall be the sinner’s stay?
How shall he meet that dreadful day?"

Sir Walter Scott

From "The Question God Cannot Answer"

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An anonymous writer has said:

"Are you an artist? He is altogether lovely.
Are you an architect? He is the chief cornerstone.
Are you an astronomer? He is the bright and morning star.
Are you a biologist? He is the life.
Are you an educator? He is the great teacher.
Are you a florist? He is the Rose of Sharon, the Lily of the Valley.
Are you a geologist? He is the rock of ages.
Are you a judge? He is the righteous judge.
Are you a newspaper man? He is the good tidings of great joy.
Are you a philosopher? He is the wisdom of God.
Are you a theologian? He is the author and finisher of our faith.
Are you a student? He is the incarnate truth.
Are you a Christian? He is the Savior, Redeemer and Lord.
Are you a sinner? He is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world."

From "Dawn after Darkness"

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I said, "Let me walk in the field."
God said, "No, walk in the town."
I said, "There are no flowers there."
He said, "No flowers, but a crown."

I said, "But the sky is black,
There is nothing but noise and din.
"He wept as He sent me back,
"There is more," He said, "there is sin."

I said, "But the air is thick
And fogs are veiling the sun."
He answered, "But souls are sick,
Souls in the darkness undone."

I said, "I will miss the light,
And my friends will miss me, they say."
He answered, "Choose tonight,
If I am to miss you, or they."

I pleaded for time to be given.
He said, "Is it hard to decide?
It will not seem hard in heaven
To have followed the steps of your Guide."

I cast one look at the field,
Then set my face to the town.
He said, "My child, do you yield?
Will you leave the flowers for a crown?"

Then into His hand went mine,
And into my heart came He.
Now I walk with a light Divine,
The path I had feared to see.

(George MacDonald)

From "Worms or Wings"

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There isn't one of us who hasn't joined the poet in his prayer:

From "Heaven"

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The miracle of Calvary! Giving (as someone has said) to all who receive it

"A love that can never be fathomed,
A peace that can never be understood,
A joy that can never be diminished,
A hope that can never be destroyed,
A glory that will never be clouded,
A light that will never be darkened,
A beauty that will never be marred,
And a life that will never die." (Anon.)

The miracle of Calvary! God grant it shall be performed in your heart this evening.

From "Christ’s Greatest Miracle"

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"Oh, for a passionate passion for souls.
Oh, for a pity that yearns.
Oh, for a love that loves unto death.
Oh, for a fire that burns.
Oh, for prayer, prayer that prevails.
That pours out its soul for the lost.
Victorious prayer in the conqueror's name.
Oh, for a Pentecost."

Elijah prayed and God gave him revival fires.
Peter prayed and God gave him Pentecost.
Joshua prayed and God gave him Jericho.
Luther prayed and God gave him Germany.
Knox prayed and God gave him Scotland.
Wesley prayed and God gave him England.
Moody prayed and God gave him America.

And if we pray -- you and I -- if we really pray, I believe God will give us this city for Christ.

From "Let the Fire Fall"

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I’ve rarely received as much blessing from reading the Bible as I have these last few days. The Bible has an answer for every difficulty. It is a never-ending reservoir of strength in time of need. Peter Heylen penned these words about the Bible back in the 16^th century--

"If thou art merry, here are airs;
If melancholy, here are prayers;

If studious, here are those things writ
Which may deserve thy ablest wit.
If hungry, here is food divine;
If thirsty, nectar, heavenly wine."

From "Signs of Life"

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One of my most cherished possessions is a little slip of paper upon which is printed a poem. It was sent to me by a dear saint – some 60 or more years of age. She heard me preach over the radio when I was back East. I’ve never met her and the writing on the letter was so poor I was unable to make out her name. But I know that if I never meet her down here, I’ll greet her on the other side and we’ll share sweet fellowship at the feet of our precious Lord. Here’s the poem she sent me:

"I like to feel that though on earth we never meet,
Yet we may hold heart fellowship
At God’s dear feet.
I like to think in all the work thou hast to do,
That I, by lifting hands of prayer;
May help thee, too.
I like to think that in the path his love prepares,
Thy steps may sometimes stronger be
Through secret prayers.
I like to think that when on high results we see,
Perchance thou wilt rejoice that
I thus prayed for thee."

Do you know what I do when I’m lonely? When I am discouraged? When the meetings are not going well? Do you know what I do? I get off by myself, open my Bible, take out this slip paper and remember that dear soul back in Philadelphia somewhere. That mother in Chicago. That young person in Wisconsin. That couple in California. That grey-haired preacher down in Texas. I remember the hundreds of saints who have promised to pray for this young preacher, and soon the gloom is gone and the glory of God floods my soul.

From "Signs of Life"

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When Lucille and I were in Boros, Sweden we stayed in the lovely home of a man named Joe Svelander. One day Joe and I were chatting and I asked him, "What is your business?" He replied, "I am a Christian." I thought he had misunderstood me and remembering Swedes often call their business their "affair" I said, "No Joe, I was talking about your affair. Your main concern. Your daily work." He smiled. "I understood you, Johnnie. I’m a Christian. That’s my affair. That’s my main concern. I sell Ford automobiles to pay the expenses."

My Swedish friend had it right. That’s being a Christian. That’s bearing the right kind of fruit. It is, as the poet put it:

"Paying a visit to sorrows abode,
Helping a burdened one o’er a rough road;
This the sweet thought making duty delight,
Turning the shadows of gloom into light --

Just to please Jesus.
Giving a smile or taking a hand,
Leading lost feet to the fair Better Land;
Doing and thinking and hearing and seeing,
Eating and drinking and waking and being --

Just to please Jesus.

From "Signs of Life"

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"Oh Zion, haste thy mission high fulfilling.
To tell to all the world that God is light.
That he who made all nations is not willing
One soul should perish, lost in shades of night.
Behold how many thousands still are lying,
Bound in the dark some prison house of sin,
With none to tell them of the Savior’s dying,
Or of the life he died for them to win.
Give of thy sons to bear the message glorious.
Give of thy wealth to speed them on their way.
Pour out thy soul for them in prayer victorious,
And all thou spendest, Jesus will repay."

From "Signs of Life"

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"Art thou weary, art thou languid,
Art thou sore distressed?
Come to me," said Jesus, "and coming,
Be at rest."

From "The Savior’s Invitation"

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 "I’ve anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest
I’ll sail the wild seas no more.
The tempest may sweep o’er the wild, stormy deep,
In Jesus, I’m safe ever more."

From "The Savior’s Invitation"

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"There is no name so sweet on earth,
No name so sweet in heaven,
As that name before his wondrous birth
To Christ, our Savior, given."

From "Why Jesus?"

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Beloved,

"I give you a watchword for the hour
It is a thrilling word, a word of power;
A battle cry, a flaming breathe
That calls to conquest or to death;
A word to rouse the church from rest,
To heed the Master’s high behest.
The call is given; ye hosts arise!
Our watch word is evangelize.
The glad evangel now proclaim
Throughout the earth in Jesus’ name
The word is ringing through the skies
Evangelize, evangelize,
To dying men a fallen race,
Make known the gift of gospel grace.
The world now in darkness lies,
Evangelize, evangelize."

From "The Church’s Challenge"

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Someone has said,

"Salvation is easy. All it requires is acceptance.
The difficult part is Christianity, for that entails living."

That means becoming a follower of Jesus in all of its fulness. It means forsaking your past sins. It means righting of wrongs you have done. It means the complete dedication of all you are and ever hope to be, to God. That is not always easy, but if we are to win the world to Jesus, then following his example is exactly what we must do.

We must heed the words of the poet who charges,

"Be strong! We are not here to play, to dream, to drift,
We have work to do and loads to lift.
Shun not the struggle, face it.
‘Tis God’s gift.
It matters not how deep entrenched the wrong.
How hard the battle goes.
The day how long.
Stand up, fight on!
Tomorrow comes the song."

From "What Is the Gospel"

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"There is life in a look at the crucified one.
There is life at this moment for thee;
Then look, sinner, look unto him and be saved.
Unto him, who was nailed to the tree.
Doubt not thy welcome since God hath declared,
There remaineth no more to be done.
Christ Jesus once in the world appeared,
And finished the work He begun.
Then take with rejoicing from Jesus at once
The life everlasting he gives,
And know with assurance thou never canst die,
Since Jesus, thy righteousness, lives."

From "What Is the Gospel"

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"There is a time, I know not when,
A place, I know not where,
Which marks the destiny of men
To heaven or despair.
There is a line by us unseen,
Which crosses every path;
The hidden boundary between
God’s patience and his wrath."

From "The Point of No Return"

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As the poet says so powerfully --

"From heaven above God’s eye is bent
Still ranging to and fro,
Where e’er in this wide world
There roams a child of woe.
And when that rebel chooses hell,
God wails his hopeless lot,
Deep breathings from his heart of love,
‘I would, but ye would not.’"

From "The Point of No Return"

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Tomorrow, he promised his conscience,
Tomorrow, I mean to believe.
Tomorrow I’ll think as I ought to,
Tomorrow my Savior receive.
Tomorrow I’ll conquer the habit that
Holds me from heaven away.
But ever his conscience repeated
One word, and one only, today!
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow,
Thus day after day it went on.
Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow,
Till youth like a vision was gone.
Till age and his passions had written
The message of fate on his brow;
And forth from the shadows came Death
With the pitiful syllable -- now!
What will you do with Jesus?

The call comes loud and clear.
The solemn words are sounding
Now! In your listening ear.
Eternal life is in question,
And joy through eternity.
Then what will you do with Jesus?

Oh, what will your answer be? (Anon.)

From "The Point of No Return"

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"There is a time, I know not when,
A place, I know not where,
Which marks the destiny of men
To heaven or despair.
There is a line by us not seen
Which crosses every path.
The hidden boundary between
God’s patience and his wrath.
To cross that limit is to die,
To die, as if by stealth.
It may not pale the beaming eye,
Nor quench the glowing health.
The conscience may be still at ease,
The spirit, light and gay.
That which is pleasing, still may please,
And care be thrust away.
But on that forehead God hath set
Indelibly a mark,
By men unseen, for man as yet
Is blind and in the dark.
And still the doomed man’s path below,
May bloom like Eden bloomed.
He did not, does not, will not know
Nor feel that he is doomed.
He feels, he sees, that all is well,
His every fear is calmed.
He lives, he dies, he wakes in hell,
Not only doomed, but damned.
Oh, where is that mysterious bourn,
By which each path is crossed,
Beyond which God himself hath sworn
That he who goes is lost?

How long will men go on in sin?

How long will God forebear?

Where does hope end and where begin
The confines of despair?

One answer from the skies is sent,
‘Ye who from God depart,
While it is yet today, repent,
And harden not your heart.’"

From "The Point of No Return"

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"You’re writing a gospel, a chapter every day
By the deeds that you do and the things that you say.
Men read what you write, whether faithless or true.
Say, what is the gospel according to you?"

From "The Parable of the Eagle"

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"Do you want joy, real joy, wonderful joy?
Let Jesus come into your heart.
Your sins he’ll wash away,
Your night he’ll turn to day,
Your life he’ll make it over anew.
Do you want joy, real joy, wonderful joy?
Let Jesus come into your heart."

From "Let’s Be Honest"

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"The world is weary of new tracks of thought
that lead to naught,
Sick of quack remedies prescribed in vain for mortal pain.
But still above them all one figure stands with outstretched hands.
One message stands above the strife.
I am the way, the truth, the life."

From "Let’s Be Honest"

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"They tell me the story of Jesus is old,
They ask that I preach something new.
The babe in a manger, who became the man on a cross,
For the wise of this world will not do.
But the story is old as the sunlight is old,
It is new, every morn, all the same.
It will never grow old. It will never grow old
While sin lives unvanquished and death rules the world.
The story of Jesus will never grow old."

From "They Can’t Stop It, Can They!"

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Great living always comes at a great price. But,

"It is great to be out where the fight is strong,
Out where the heaviest troops belong,
In this fight with God for man.
Oh, it sears the body and wracks the brain,
It pierces the heart ‘till man’s friend is pain,
Does this fight with God for man.
But it’s great to be out where the fight is strong
Out where the heaviest troops belong
In this fight with God for man."

From "They Can’t Stop It, Can They!"

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"Oh God, is there no other way
Except through sorrow, pain and loss
To stamp Christ’s likeness on my soul?
No other way except the cross?
And then a voice stilled all my fears
As stilled the waves on Galilee.
‘I bore the cross. I know its weight.
I drank the cup I hold for thee.
Canst thou not follow where I lead?
I know the way, just follow me.’"

From "Our Impossible Goals"

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Yesterday is already a dream.
Tomorrow is but a vision.
But every today lived for Jesus Christ
will make every yesterday
a dream of happiness,
and every tomorrow
a vision of hope                                             

"They tried to take you from me.
They said you were but an idle myth,
A delusion and a childish superstition.
When I prayed, they mocked me.
When I worshiped you they called me mad.
But oh, my master, I have met you and I know.
I have heard your voice in the stillness of the night
And in the infinite silence I have beheld your glory.
In the hour of pain I have felt your comforting hand.
How can I doubt you whom I know?

From "Our Impossible Goals"

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"We are not here to play, to dream, to drift.
We have work to do and loads to lift.
Shun not the battle, face it, ‘tis God’s gift!
It matters not how deep entrenched the wrong,
How hard the battle goes, the day how long.
Stand up. Fight on.
Tomorrow comes the song."

From "Our Impossible Goals"

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