Man is like a breath his days like a fleeting shadow. Psalm 144: 4

This is the final October devotional. This devotional blog will resume on December 1st – December 30th during the season of Advent. You can unsubscribe if you wish or remain as a subscriber for the month of December. The Cambridge House of Prayer will be meeting, on the following days and times, in November and December :

Wednesday 6th November (Joint meeting with YWAM Cambridge - Lynn Green guest speaker) – Round Church 7.30pm -9.30pm

Thursday 28th November (Joint meeting with YWAM Cambridge – Andrew Taylor speaker)- Costa Coffee, Sidney Street. 7.30pm- 9.30pm

Thursday 5 December – 17 Rustat Avenue, CB1 3PF, 7.30pm-9.30pm

Thursday 12 December – 17 Rustat Avenue , CB1 3PF, 7.30pm-9.30pm

Thursday 19 December - 17 Rustat Avenue, CB1 3PF, 7.30pm-9.30pm

• DAY 30 MORNING PSALM 144-146

• DAY 30 EVENING PSALM 147-150

At 7am on Wednesday February 23, 1791, John Wesley now aged 87 years and nearly nine months set out in his two-horse chaise to preach in the country village of Leatherhead, where he preached what turned out to be his last sermon. A few days later his health deteriorated quickly and he had difficult even holding a pen to write his name. So John Wesley who had helped so many overcome the fear of death, lay happily awaiting his departure. He said goodbye and focused calmly on Christ, “ he is all, he is all,’ he murmured and ‘ we have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Christ.’ Once he cried out in a remarkably strong voice, ‘The best of all is, God is with us!’ He died at about 10’oclock on Wednesday March 2nd. Memorial services were held in countless cities and villages throughout Great Britain.

One secular journal, ‘The Gentleman’s magazine' that had scorned and criticized him when he was alive said in its long obituary, ‘Though his taste was classic and his manners elegant, he sacrificed that society in which he was particularly calculated to shine; gave up those preferments which his abilities must have obtained and devoted a long life in practicing and enforcing the plainest duties. Instead of being ’an ornament to literature, ‘he was a blessing to his fellow creatures; instead of ‘the genius of the age ,’he was the servant of God!’

Because of his charitable nature he died poor, leaving as the result of his life's work 135,000 members and 541 itinerant preachers under the name "Methodist". It has been said that "when John Wesley was carried to his grave, he left behind him a good library of books, a well-worn clergyman's gown" and the Methodist Church.

He summarized his vision with these words: ‘The church has nothing to do but save souls; therefore spend and be spent in this work.’

• We began this devotional praying with Psalm 4:3 ‘The Lord has set apart the godly for himself.’ Lord, you set John Wesley apart to be your vessel to see a national awakening unto revival in the eighteenth century. Do it again Lord…We thank you for our godly heritage and all that you did in the past....but we call out to you today. Set your chosen vessels apart for a national awakening today. Do not let the candle go out. Let your church in this land catch the vision to do nothing but save souls, TO SPEND AND BE SPENT for this work. Restore the Gospel to England ONCE AGAIN we pray!

REFERENCES

Skevington-Wood, A. The burning heart John Wesley: Evangelist,Cliff College Publishing.

Pollock, J. The preacher, Kingsway, 257, 260-261