Who Cares - Art Reflection

I shared this art reflection in our service Sunday. You will see some places where I put .... because I shortened the quote text for time purposes. If you want the whole thing word for word click on the painting to go to a site where you can read it. 

General William Booth the founder of the Salvation Army, had a vision one day while traveling. He wrote a compelling sermon that has been depicted in this painting. Time does 

not allow for me to share the whole thing but if you click on the painting it will take you to a site where you can read it. This post is intended as more of an art reflection. 

Source: missionsplace.com via Margot on Pinterest

  

I encountered that sermon and this picture when I was a new believer. It profoundly affected me and has stuck with me for 30 years.  Let me share some of General Booths own words. 

“I saw a dark and stormy ocean. Over it the black clouds hung heavily; through them every now and then vivid lightning flashed and loud thunder rolled, while the winds moaned, and the waves rose and foamed, towered and broke, only to rise and foam, tower and break again.

In that ocean I thought I saw myriads of poor human beings plunging and floating; shouting and shrieking, cursing and struggling and drowning; and as they cursed and screamed, they rose and shrieked again, and then some sank to rise no more.

And I saw out of this dark, angry ocean, a mighty rock that rose up with its summit towering high above the black clouds that overhung the stormy sea. And all around the base of this rock I saw a vast platform. Onto this platform, I saw with delight a number of the poor struggling, drowning wretches continually climbing out of the angry ocean. And I saw that a few of those who were already safe on the platform were helping the poor creatures still in the angry waters to reach the place of safety.

On looking more closely, I found a number of those who had been rescued, were industriously working with ladders, ropes, boats, and other means more effective, to deliver the poor strugglers out of this sea. Here and there were some who actually jumped into the water, regardless of all the consequences, in their passion to “rescue the perishing.” And I hardly know which gladdened me most-the sight of the poor drowning people climbing onto the rocks, reaching the place of safety, or the devotion and self-sacrifice of those who were wrapped up in the effort for their deliverance.

As I looked on, I saw that the occupants of that platform were quite a mixed company. That is, they were divided into different “sets” or classes, and they occupied themselves with different pleasures and employment. But only a very few of them seemed to make it their business to get the people out of the sea.

But what puzzled me most was the fact that though all of them had been rescued at one time or another from the ocean, nearly everyone seemed to have forgotten all about it.... and about the poor perishing ones who were struggling and drowning right before their very eyes, many of whom were their own husbands and wives, brothers, and sisters, and even their own children.” 

I think the artist did a pretty good job of capturing the vision. I have watched seen a lot of people come into the Kingdom of God and I am always astonished how quickly people seem to forget where they came from. They get busy pursuing the next big move of God. When they choose their churches they want great show, with music, with feel good teaching, and for their children to be entertained. They joined the bless me Jesus club not the one that requires that they pick up their cross and follow him. "

Listen to a little more from General Booth “I saw that some Of these people on the platform, whom the Wonderful Being had called to come and help Him in His difficult task of saving these perishing creatures, but they were always praying and crying out to Him to come to them.

Some wanted Him to come and stay with them and spend His time and strength in making them happier. Others wanted Him to come and take away their doubts and misgivings they about the truth of some letters which He had written them. Some wanted Him to come and make them feel more secure on the rock... Numbers of others wanted Him to make them feel quite certain that they would really get off the rock and onto the mainland someday;” 

So I want to know where are you in the painting?  

General Booth ends by saying “My friends in Christ, you are rescued from the waters, you are on the rock. He is in the dark sea calling on you to come to Him and help Him. Will you go?”

Prayer: Lord you know where each of us is in the painting. Help us to be honest right now with ourselves and with you. Some need to come out of the ocean. Some of us need to move from our place of ease and complacency and be reminded that our job here is not done. We need reminded that there is a sea of lost and hurting people who need to be loved into the Kingdom. Help us to examine our priorities and to make sure they line up with yours. 

A Collection of Prayer Quotes

 A Devotional by Margot Cioccio

Click Here to see this and other cards by Margot

The following are some wonderful quotes I found about prayer. I hope they speak to you as they have to me. Above all I hope they inspire you to really pray. I put my favorite two at the top. If you have a favorite quote about prayer I invite you to share it in comments.



 




"Prayer does not enable us to do a greater work for God. Prayer is a greater work for God." - Thomas Chalmers


"The Church has not yet touched the fringe of the possibilities of intercessory prayer. Her largest victories will be witnessed when individual Christians everywhere come to recognize their priesthood unto God and day by day give themselves unto prayer." – John R. Mott


"We must wake ourselves up! Or somebody else will take our place, and bear our cross, and thereby rob us of our crown." - William Booth

"Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him.” –James Hudson Taylor

“Wise leaders should have known that the human heart cannot exist in a vacuum. If Christians are forbidden to enjoy the wine of the Spirit they will turn to the wine of the flesh....Christ died for our hearts and the Holy Spirit wants to come and satisfy them." - A. W. Tozer

"A man can not lead others where he is not willing to go himself. Therefore, beware of the prayerless church leader who no longer readily admits his own need for more of the person and power of Jesus Christ. Only a seeking, praying heart can truly encourage spiritual HUNGER in others!" – David Smithers

"He can do all things who prays well. All soul-winners have conquered on their knees. Wherever the secret of prevailing prayer is found, something supernatural will come to pass." - G. F. Oliver

"Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all." - D. L. Moody

"The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel."-Thomas Watson


"We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions; much machinery but few results." - R. A. Torrey


"The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray." - Samuel Chadwick 

Prayer: 
Dear Lord, 
Forgive us for lifting empty faithless prayers. Forgive us for where we have accepted religious ritual over a relationship with you. Lord you know our hearts and how far or near we are to your desires for each of us. Help us to become people who know you, know your word, who pray prayers of conviction and faith and expect to see you move mountains on our behalf. I pray that when people ask us to pray for them we would not tell them ok unless we really truly do pray. Help us be people who lay hands on the sick in your name and see them recover. Help us be people so led by your Holy Spirit that the words that come out of our mouths edify, and encourage and fan the flames of faith in the lives we touch. No matter where we are in our understanding of prayer, take us further and deeper. Lord just like your disciples we ask you to teach us to pray. 

William Booth - Who Cares?

William Booth in about 1862

William Booth - Who Cares?
A Devotional by Margot Cioccio
 

“While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight;
while children go hungry, as they do now I'll fight; 
while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, 
I'll fight; 
while there is a drunkard left, 
while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, 
while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, 
I'll fight, 
I'll fight to the very end!”
~William Booth 


I try to remember that Christianity did not begin with my generation. There have been many who have gone before and left footsteps for me and others to follow. Their journeys of faith and the legacies they have left have been a great inspiration to me at various times in my life. One of these who I would share with you today, is William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army.

He starts his life out in a fairly well of family in England but due to some poor financial decisions the family ends up bankrupt. His father has to take William out of school at age 13 because they can no longer afford the tuition. He is apprenticed to a pawnbroker and his father's alcoholism soon leads to his untimely demise. Six years later his apprenticeship ends, during which he has studied and read and trained himself to be a lay preacher.  He goes on to find that he is much more passionate about street ministry and preaching than the asignments given through the Methodist Reformed Church. Probably as a result of his own first hand experience with poverty he has a deep heart for the poor and the destitute.

One article that he wrote profoundly impacted my life back in my early 20's and stays with me even to this day. It is an article called Who Cares? (Here's the link). It is a vision that he had one day while traveling and was pondering the condition of the people he saw.  I have never been able to shake the images created by that article. It is part of what moves me to reach out to the basket cases of the world. Even yesterday a friend, I know only from writing back and forth for a year commented. "YOU HAVE BEEN SO SUPPORTIVE...HOW DO YOU PUT UP WITH ME I AM SUCH A BASKET CASE!" I replied "I seem to specialize in basket cases. It seems to be part of how God wired me. I make sense to basket cases or maybe its just that I see people with eyes of faith and hope, most people only see the surface mess." I think it is partly how God has wired me but it is also images from Who Cares? by Willaim Booth have always stuck in my head. I remember that Jesus rescued me. He has picked me up when I have fallen, he has restored my heart and life time and time again. I want to be doing what He is doing. In the following quote from the article Who Cares? I captured His heart at an early age and I hope as you read this devotional and that article that your heart will also be moved to hear His call.
"And then I saw something more wonderful still. The miseries and agonies, and perils and
blasphemies, of these poor struggling people in this dark sea moved the pity of the great God in Heaven; moved it so much that He sent a Great Being to deliver them. And I thought that this Great Being whom Jehovah sent came straight from His palace, right through the black clouds, and leaped right into the raging sea among the drowning, sinking people; and there I saw Him toiling to rescue them, with tears and cries, until the sweat of His great anguish ran down in blood. And as He toiled and embraced the poor wretches, and tried to lift them on to the rock, He was continually crying to those already rescued - to those whom He had helped up with His own bleeding hands - to come and help Him in the painful and laborious task of saving their fellows."

I know with the work with the homeless and poor that I am involved in through my inner city church that it is hard to find help. We cry out for laborers from our fellow suburb churches to come and lend a hand. The response is very small for the most part. We get a big influx of help around Thanksgiving but the homeless and poor are here struggling all year long. Its as if people do their good dead for the year by giving a few old coats or a turkey and check their concern for others off their to do list for the year. I know we all have our own things that we feel called to give our time and energy to- but as I read my Bible and look to see what Jesus was doing - he was not cloistered away in the Temple. He was out on the streets meeting the needs of the sick, the demon possessed, the poor and the broken. I guess I am challenging you to look beyond your own circumstances - you will always find others who's situation is far worse than your own.

I will end with Psalm 41:1 Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. Your own situation may be a mess today but there is something wonderful that happens when we lay down our own concerns and leave them in the hands of Jesus and go about his Kingdom work reaching out to others who are struggling. These words of William Booth's compel me to put aside my own concerns and make myself available to the Lord and His work.
He was continually crying to those already rescued - to those whom He had helped up with His own bleeding hands - to come and help Him

Prayer:
Dear Lord, 
Help me as I spend time with you to catch your vision and your heart. That when I hear you call I will be quick to respond - Lord send me!. You know my own concerns and struggles and I want to intrust them to your care and change my focus from myself to your Kingdom and the needs of others.
Lead me by your Holy Spirit, I make myself available to you.