He was founder and first general of the Salvation Army. He had a passionate heart of an evangelist, and felt the special vocation of the poor in London. The structures of the British churches have not been able to find a place for this man and his ministry. Together with his wife, William began an intensive campaign aimed at attainment of the poor in London with the Gospel and meet their practical needs. The Salvation Army William Booth was a huge success, and today operates throughout the world. With a lot of prayers, hard work and perseverance watched many thousands of people coming to Christ and strengthened in the faith.
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During one of my last trip I was led to consider the spiritual condition of the crowds that surround me, people who live independently of his eternal vocation in the most open and shameless rebellion against God. I thought about the millions of people around me, treated drunkenness and pleasures, interests and worries, policies and problems, in many cases ongoing in blasphemy and anger. During these considerations, I had a vision.
I saw a dark, stormy ocean. Hung over it, heavy, dark clouds, and from time to time they clear cut the lightning and thunder rolled. When the howling winds blew, the waves rose and foam. In this ocean I saw a lot of human beings in the vortexes sucked and floating, screaming, squeaking, blaspheming and struggling, and each of them was falling more and more. As I cursed and screamed they were once again elevating the surface, they shouted again, and then drowned, would no longer proceed.
I have also seen emerging from this dark, evil mighty ocean rock, whose top reached higher than the dark clouds hanging over the stormy sea. Around the base of the rock, I saw a flat platform and watched the delight of these poor, struggling, drowning the poor escaping from the ocean and climb the platform. I saw that some of those who have already helped to secure these poor creatures that were still in the water, climb a safe place.
Looking at the more I saw a group of those who survived, using ladders, ropes and boats, struggling to pull out of the water yet. There were also those who jumped into the water without paying attention to the consequences, wanting to save the drowning. I was not sure what made me the most joy - a view of poor people climbing the rock and found a safe place or the dedication of those who were fully committed to efforts to free their comrades.
However, surprised me one thing: even though each of which are on the rock has been rescued from the ocean, nearly everyone seemed to forget about the horror of this darkness and danger, which did not concern them any more. What seemed to me both strange and shocking was the fact that these people have not revealed the absolutely no concern for these poor, lost creatures, who struggled and drowned before their eyes, even though many of them were family members of survivors. This lack of concern was certainly not the result of their ignorance, because they once lived in this situation, regularly attending lectures, where he reported the status of these poor drowning creatures.
While on the platform were busy with different performance characteristics. Some days and nights were involved in their interests by making their savings in banks and vaults. Many spent their time admiring the flowers, paint, playing instruments or imposing nice clothes in the hope that they will be admired.
On the platform were some who were mainly food and drink. Others spent the time to quarrel about the drowning people, discussing what will happen to them in the future, while others rejoiced that it fulfilled its duty towards the lost interest by the organization of religious ceremonies.
Some of the crowd who had found a place of refuge, they found the road leading up the cliffs, to a higher platform located above the layer of clouds hanging our ocean. They had a good view from there to the central part of the land, where they hoped to find someday. At this higher platform, they spent time thinking about pleasant things, congratulating each other this luck that they were rescued from the stormy depths, and singing songs about the joy that will inherit when they are taken to the mainland. All this happened while the masses of struggling, screaming people drowned in the dark, choppy water in the eyes of those who are happy sitting and waiting for the day when they leave the rock.
How much I wanted to see crowds of people involved in the rescue of others, instead of that small handful! The few workers that I have seen, it seemed to do little beyond crying and helping people. Gave themselves up without reserve and stubbornly held around begging people for help. However, this was regarded as nonsense by many normal and religious people. After all, they continued to work, giving everything they had to buy a boat, ropes and other equipment are helpful to save the poor drowning people.
And then I saw something miraculous. Suffering, danger and sorrow of these poor, struggling in the dark sea creatures have caused sorrow in heaven God - touched him so much that he sent a wonderful essence to free them. This one came straight from his palace through the dark clouds, straight into the raging sea between the drowning people. He began to rescue them weeping and tears, until the sweat poured down his pain with the blood. When he took the arms of drowning, trying to put them on a rock, still wept and cried out to the survivors - those who have already been helped blood his hands - to help in this difficult, demanding task, which was to rescue their comrades.
The most frightening thought is that those located on the platform, which called, they were so busy with their own affairs and problems, saving money and pleasures, family and religious obligations, or preparing to travel to the center of the land that did not pay attention call this Being, he loved - the one who himself went down to the sea. When you heard the cry of ignoring them completely or just not pay any attention. And in this way more crowds struggled, cried, and sank into darkness.
And then I saw something that gave me even more terrifying than anything he had ever seen. Some of the people on the platform, previously asked by this great Being, to come and help in this difficult task, all the time praying for that someone to come. Some wanted to come and stay with them by giving time and strength to make them happier. Some wanted to come and help them feel more secure on the rock, as it was known that some went so carelessly that they lost the ground under his feet skidded back into the water. These people met, comprised as high as they could and looking towards the mainland, where they thought that there is a great Idea, shouted: "Come to us! Come and help us. " All this time he was at the bottom, between the struggling, splashed creatures. Surrounding them with their arms trying to pull them, looking imploringly, but to no avail for those in the rock. His voice was hoarse from cries of "Come to me! Come and help me! "
Then I realized this vision. It was quite clear. The sea is the ocean of life - the sea of human existence. Lightning sparks of acquiring the truth coming from the throne of God. Thunder is a distant echo of God's wrath. Countless people who tibia and struggled in agony in the choppy waters, were thousands of thousands of poor sinners from every tribe and tongue and nation.
How is the sea was black! And what multitudes of rich and poor, educated and uneducated were in it all so differently comprehending the circumstances and conditions, but so alike in one thing - all sinners before God, held back by their iniquity, fascinated by some idol, the slaves evil concupiscence, deceived by a cruel enemy of the infinite abyss!
They were similar not only in his iniquity, but if you have not been rescued, including those that drowned going down to the same place. This great, protects the rock represented Calvary, and people are located on it were rescued. The manner in which its energy benefits, gifts and time, showed activities of those who claim to be saved, redeemed from sin and hell, to be followers of Jesus Christ.
This handful of passionate, determined to rescue the soldiers of salvation. Being powerful is the Son of God, the same yesterday, today and forever, which is still struggling to save the dying multitudes from the bottom of this terrible destruction. His voice is still heard over the music, machinery, and rebellion of life, he urges survivors to come and help him save the world.
My friends, you are rescued from the water, you are on a rock. He is in the dark sea calling on you to come help him. Did you go? Raging sea life filled with endangered souls move about to the place where you stand.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is in the midst of this decaying crowd, struggling to help them. He calls you, you jumped into the sea, you immediately went over to his side, helping him in his holy struggle. Can you jump? Did you go and give in totally to him? Are you who still linger on the shore, put away his pride, concern for the opinion, the love of all that simple, and other selfish pleasure, where you been so long attached and you run to save the endangered multitude of souls?
Is it a sea swirl does not look scary? Of course, yes. There is no doubt that this act will be for you and for others taking the challenge, marked difficulties, pain and suffering. For some this may mean even more - death. He who calls you into the sea, however, knows what it will mean, and still calls and invites you and me to go.
Satisfaction long enough to secure religion. We already had pleasant feelings, pleasant songs, pleasant meetings and fun ideas. There have been a lot of luck, much clapping of hands and a lot of heaven on earth. And now we go to God and tell Him that we are prepared to, if necessary, to turn away from it all and that we want to spend the rest of my life dealing with the multitude of endangered, regardless of price.
Going down to the dying - this is our calling. Our happiness at this time will consist of share in suffering, our facility will be sharing their pain, wearing the crown of our cross, and our skies will arrive in the same gates of hell to save them.
Did you go?
