Tuesday, January 13, 2009  Powerful Message/ Ordinary Package

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces he rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings 19:11, 12.

Often God uses the ordinary things of life. And that's good, because most of us are ordinary. So was William Miller.

The experience of Timothy Cole, pastor of the Christian Connexion congregation in Lowell, Massachusetts, illustrates that fact. Having heard in the late 1830s of Miller's outstanding success as a revivalist, Cole invited him to hold a series of meetings in his church. He went to greet the successful evangelist at the train depot, expecting a fashionably dressed gentleman whose demeanor matched his reputation. Cole watched closely as the passengers debarked the train, but saw no one who corresponded with his mental image. Eventaully an unimpressive old man, shaking with palsy, alighted from the passenger coach. To Cole's dismay, the "old man" turned out to be Miller. At that point he quickly repented of inviting him. Someone of Miller's appearance, he councluded, couldn't know much about the Bible.

More than a little embarrassed, Cole led Miller through the back door of his church and, after showing him the pulpit, took a seat among the congregation. Miller felt a bit ill-used, but proceeded with the service. But if Cole was unimpressed with Miller's appearance, the opposite held true for Cole's reaction to his preaching. After listening for 15 minutes, he arose from the congregation and went up and sat behind William on the platform. Miller lectured daily for a week and returned the next month for a second series. The revival was a success, with even Cole being converted to Miller's views.

The plain fact is that God can do extraordinary things with ordinary people. The Maine Wesleyan Journal characterized Miller as a "plain farmer," but reported that he "succeeds in chaining the attention of his auditory for an hour and a half to two hours." It wasn't the man but his message. William's message was sincere, logical, and biblical. And he also had a bit of spunky humor. On one occasion, when under criticism for his beliefs, he told his audience, "They have reportd that I was insane, and been in a mad-house seven years; if they had said a mad world for fifty-seven years, I must plead guilty to the charge."

An ordinary person with a powerful message. God used him. He can use you also if you let Him.

Teach the children that because of God's great love their natures may be changed and brought into harmony with His. Teach them that He would have their lives beautiful with the graces of the flowers. Teach them, as they gather the sweet blossoms, that He who made the flowers is more beautiful than they. Thus the tendrils of their hearts will be entwined about Him. He who is "altogether lovely" will become to them as a daily companion and familiar friend, and their lives will be transformed into the image of His purity(TFMB 98).