Francis Asbury was “The Most Recognized Man in America.” He changed the world you and I live in today by the power of God and a relentless faith.
Yet when he died on March 31, 1816, at the age of 70, he owned little more than a saddle, a few Bibles, and the clothes on his back.
Over the rugged roads and hazardous river crossings of a young nation, Asbury traveled over 275,000 miles by horseback and wagon, preaching Jesus Christ. He averaged a sermon a day for 45 years. Under his leadership, more than 300,000 people came to faith.
At a conference in Bristol, England, on August 17, 1771, John Wesley had challenged, “Our brethren in America call aloud for help. Who are willing to go over and help them?” The young aspiring preacher and one other young man answered, “We will go.”
Less than a month later, they sailed from Bristol. Asbury had no money. Friends gave him some clothing and ten pounds in cash.
On the ship, Asbury wrote what would become a famous journal. He pledged, “Whither am I going? To the New World. What to do? To gain honour? No, if I know my own heart. To get money? No: I am going to live to God, and to bring others so to do.”
Fifty-six days later, the young preacher landed in America. That same day, he preached his first sermon. He never stopped.
Asbury slept wherever night overtook him. On the ground. In one-room cabins packed with children, dogs, strangers, sickness, and smoke. On his first visit to Nashville, he slept in the jail. Once, he slept in a vermin-infested room with sixteen adults and several children crowded into seven beds. At times, even a rough board beneath him felt like a blessing.
Francis Asbury was unmoved. His motto was simple: “Live or die, I must ride.”
That was not just a slogan. It was a consecration, the giving of his life for others. He lived what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy chapter 2:
“Endure hardship… preach the word… fulfill your ministry.”
That is not poetry. That is a battle plan.
Not fame, money, comfort, or reputation. It is about the mission. “I am going to live to God, and to bring others so to do," Asbury wrote.
That is the heart of a man on mission.
Brother, we are living in another frontier moment.
The terrain is different, but the need is the same. Men are lost. Families are fractured. Nations are shaking. Culture is confused. Churches are looking for men with fire in their hearts and steel in their spines.
We do not need pleasant men. We need rugged men committed to the mission.
Life is more complex, yet communication is simpler. And the mission is still Jesus.
Gather your family for study and prayer. Buy some CMN books and hand them out to friends. Or read together. Courage, Maximized Manhood, Identity, whichever speaks to you. Because….
Live or die, we must ride.
We are CMN.
We rescue men.
