“God Has Spoken”

Day 8

“God Has Spoken”

1. God has spoken, I have heard Him, And I dare not disobey;
He has bid me take the gospel to the heathen far away.

 2. They have never heard the story of salvation full and free;
Oh, then, may I take it to them e’re they die eternally.


3. Is it fair that I should know Him while they perish in their sin?
Some of ev-‘ry tribe and nation He would have me gather in.


Refrain:

All the world must hear the message of a Savior crucified,
I must go as He commands me, and must win them to His side.

Text: Oswald J. Smith
Music: John C. Hallett
© Copyright 1969 by John C. Hallett

This song combines the talents of John Hallett with one of the leading missionary statesmen in church history: Oswald J. Smith,

“Oswald Smith (1889-1986) was a Canadian pastor and evangelist, enthusiastic missions supporter, pastor, poet, hymn lyricist, and author. He pastored congregations in Chicago, Los Angeles and Toronto, but is best known as the founding pastor of The Peoples Church, a large congregation in greater Toronto. He also traveled throughout the world and used radio broadcasts to share the gospel message and stimulate missions awareness.

To share his vision for world missionary outreach, Smith inaugurated annual missions conferences featuring future and furloughing missionaries and messages challenging greater missions awareness and responsibility. The combination of Smith's sermons, his international tours, the annual conferences and his implementation of such innovations as the "faith promise offering" and slogans such as "Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice before everyone has heard it once?" and "I must go, or send a substitute" fueled the church's giving of personnel and finances to missions. The missionary conferences expanded, going for as long as a month, and yielding faith pledges, a concept developed by Smith, of $300,000 annually. As a result of the evangelistic and missionary emphasis of his preaching, he was in demand throughout the US and Canada.” http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/docs/smith01.htm

The words of this text came from the heart of a man who did exactly what he wrote.

What a challenge today: “God has spoken, I have heard Him, And I dare not disobey;”

Will I be like Isaiah who, when he “heard the Lord of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’” replied, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)

“Is it fair that I should know Him while they perish in their sin?” This line come from the man, as stated above, who said, "Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice before everyone has heard it once?"

Because people like Oswald J. Smith and countless others have obeyed the call of God, the scripture in Revelation 7 will be fulfilled, “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne….and they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:9-10)

So, are we listening again today?

What will my response be?