Most of us tend, by nature, to be curious creatures. I don't think much about this, but was challenged by Gary Thomas in "Seeking the Face of God" that our/my curiosity isn't always helpful. He mentions that we don't always need to know all the details and that hit me.
When someone tells me something what do I do? I ask for more info. I may have good reasons for this. The info may be important, but often it's just to satisfy my curiosity. God knows the details and when I bring things before Him I can trust Him to know the truth and to know what needs to be done. My "details" may not be the truth, they are someones perception of the truth, but none of us knows the complete truth.
He also mentions that our minds are full of so much information that we find it hard to be quiet and listen to God without distractions. Many of the information is random and there because or the media around us and many are things we've filled our minds with because of our curiosity. Some of the information is good and valuable, but much is unnecessary clutter.
This has caused me to think more about what I am filling my mind with and my "need" for more details when I'm told something. Sometimes the details are important, but often they are not. I am praying for the wisdom to discern this.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
More stories...
A woman who is now very involved with orphans and abandoned children had a very different life before Christ revealed Himself to her.
She and her husband drank and fought, they were well known in their building. Her children watched Bible cartoons on TV and asked her to by "the Book". She went into town one day to buy Vodka and found a table of Christian books and on Bible. She wanted it but the lady said it had been promised to someone else. She'd have to wait an see if the other woman came back for it. She waited two hours and shared her story with the woman and the woman decided that she needed the Bible and gave it to her.
She read from it to her children that night and after they went to bed she kept reading. She was convicted of her need for Christ's forgivness and received Christ and her children and husband did also. Today he is a pastor.
A pastors wife had a Believing grandmother and parents who didn't believe in God. She believed in Him and at 13 looked for a church to attend. The first church rejected her because she wasn't Russian, she was Korean. At the next church she was told to wear a head covering if she came back and then she found a new church started by Korean missionaries. She continued to attend this church and came to Christ there.
Her husband thanks his grandmother for getting him to church so that he could hear about His Savior. She had an empty feeling and began searching to fill it. She found the same Korean church mentioned above and received Christ. She tried to get her grandson to come, but he resisted. She started going on Wed. nights and asked him to come to walk her home. He began getting there early and listening to the message and eventually heard the truth and came to faith. He is now the pastor of that church.
A young translater came to Christ through a missionary couple that she was translating for. She is planing to go to Spain this sumer for a short term mission, if she finds they are serious about the mission and it's not just a vacation. She speaks Russian, English, very well, and spanish.
A youth pastor is a third generation Christian. His father was imprisoned for his faith as a newlywed, for a year and a half. His uncle spent 20 years in prison for his faith. He remembers attending secret meetings and the fear and mistrust people had. He grew up with the faith, but was very angry until attending the Bible College. There he began to understand his faith and grew in real relationship with Christ, and met his wife, who is a wonderful blessing in his life. He has nine brothers and sisters and they are all involved in ministry.
A church intern and his wife. He came to Christ and in confessing his sin, confessed to his wife about a short affair he had had. She left and moved to Moscow. The Lord appeared to her one night and told her to go back to her husband. She packed her bags and got on the train. During her trip she got a text message from her husband telling her that if they stay apart it will destroy both of them. He had been awake, crying and praying for her to return. Sometime that year she sensed the Lord telling her to come to Him. She wrestled with it and submitted. They have both gone through the Bible College and serve together.
A college student and translater came to Christ after seeing the change in her mom after she received Christ.
These stories encourage me so much and seeing how God is using these people is great. It is hard for them, they still face problems with authorities and don't earn much but they love the Lord and what He has called them to. It is so great for them to get together for the Aluni conferences. It is the only vacation many of them have and it is the only time they get to have fellowship with one another.
She and her husband drank and fought, they were well known in their building. Her children watched Bible cartoons on TV and asked her to by "the Book". She went into town one day to buy Vodka and found a table of Christian books and on Bible. She wanted it but the lady said it had been promised to someone else. She'd have to wait an see if the other woman came back for it. She waited two hours and shared her story with the woman and the woman decided that she needed the Bible and gave it to her.
She read from it to her children that night and after they went to bed she kept reading. She was convicted of her need for Christ's forgivness and received Christ and her children and husband did also. Today he is a pastor.
A pastors wife had a Believing grandmother and parents who didn't believe in God. She believed in Him and at 13 looked for a church to attend. The first church rejected her because she wasn't Russian, she was Korean. At the next church she was told to wear a head covering if she came back and then she found a new church started by Korean missionaries. She continued to attend this church and came to Christ there.
Her husband thanks his grandmother for getting him to church so that he could hear about His Savior. She had an empty feeling and began searching to fill it. She found the same Korean church mentioned above and received Christ. She tried to get her grandson to come, but he resisted. She started going on Wed. nights and asked him to come to walk her home. He began getting there early and listening to the message and eventually heard the truth and came to faith. He is now the pastor of that church.
A young translater came to Christ through a missionary couple that she was translating for. She is planing to go to Spain this sumer for a short term mission, if she finds they are serious about the mission and it's not just a vacation. She speaks Russian, English, very well, and spanish.
A youth pastor is a third generation Christian. His father was imprisoned for his faith as a newlywed, for a year and a half. His uncle spent 20 years in prison for his faith. He remembers attending secret meetings and the fear and mistrust people had. He grew up with the faith, but was very angry until attending the Bible College. There he began to understand his faith and grew in real relationship with Christ, and met his wife, who is a wonderful blessing in his life. He has nine brothers and sisters and they are all involved in ministry.
A church intern and his wife. He came to Christ and in confessing his sin, confessed to his wife about a short affair he had had. She left and moved to Moscow. The Lord appeared to her one night and told her to go back to her husband. She packed her bags and got on the train. During her trip she got a text message from her husband telling her that if they stay apart it will destroy both of them. He had been awake, crying and praying for her to return. Sometime that year she sensed the Lord telling her to come to Him. She wrestled with it and submitted. They have both gone through the Bible College and serve together.
A college student and translater came to Christ after seeing the change in her mom after she received Christ.
These stories encourage me so much and seeing how God is using these people is great. It is hard for them, they still face problems with authorities and don't earn much but they love the Lord and what He has called them to. It is so great for them to get together for the Aluni conferences. It is the only vacation many of them have and it is the only time they get to have fellowship with one another.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Stories from the United States of Russia
We were in Russia recently. Tim taught 4 times a day and was quite tired. I, on the other hand, got to visit with people and I heard some wonderful testimonies that I want to share. I'm not giving names because it still isn't safe in some areas to be known Christians.
A pastor -
He was interested in God and cut verses out of the newspaper whenever he found them for his daughter. Some friends invited his wife to a Bible study and she and his daughter started attending regularly. One Sunday his wife was sick and hid daughter cried, crocodile tears he said, for him to take her, so of course he did. When he got there it was all women so he stood against the back. A man came in and called him brother, this confused him, he wasn't his brother. He attended for a year before he gave his life to Christ and he and his wife were baptized together.
A pastor -
His mother was a Believer, but he wasn't interested. He was in a gang and happy with his life. One day, however, he was looking for jazz music on the radio and heard a Christian program. He continued to listen and was convicted and repented. At 15 he was arrested for listening to the radio, they thought it was Radio Free America, and he spent two years in prison. He would have spent 10 if he had been an adult. When he got out people would stand on his steps to see if he was listening again.
A musician -
This man, an atheist, was invited to a Christian concert by evangelists on the street. They prayed with him and he thought that was the end of it. But the day of the concert he had nothing else to do so he went. He went for the three days and heard the answers to his specific problem with the Bible. The last day he went forward to receive Christ. He was the only one for that went forward in the three days of the campaign.
A pastor -
this man had been a detective and successful in ju-jitsu until he broke his back. He was in the hospital for a year and very depressed. A group came to his room and shared with him about Christ. When he got out he started going to Church and came to faith in Christ. After six months of prayer, his wife came to Christ also. She had miscarried and been told she would not be able to get pregnant and yet she did. They prayed throughout the whole pregnancy and have a healthy 10 year old son today.
A medical student -
Another student invited her to her church and she was ready to hear and receive Christ. She now mentors other new Believers from the medical school.
A pastors wife -
As a university student she was invited to a Campus Crusade Bible study and received Christ there.
One man received Christ as a result of the Jesus film and his ministry today is to take the Jesus film to different cities.
A couple planting a church in and unchurched city of 4,000 -
He came to Christ through a friend. She, a Muslim, resisted, but within a couple of years came to faith in Christ also. Their children are grown and one of their sons gave them a ping pong table that they use for outreach. It's set up in their home and they invite people over for tea and ping pong, and the gospel.
God is very creative and I loved hearing these stories. There are more that I'll share later in the week.
A pastor -
He was interested in God and cut verses out of the newspaper whenever he found them for his daughter. Some friends invited his wife to a Bible study and she and his daughter started attending regularly. One Sunday his wife was sick and hid daughter cried, crocodile tears he said, for him to take her, so of course he did. When he got there it was all women so he stood against the back. A man came in and called him brother, this confused him, he wasn't his brother. He attended for a year before he gave his life to Christ and he and his wife were baptized together.
A pastor -
His mother was a Believer, but he wasn't interested. He was in a gang and happy with his life. One day, however, he was looking for jazz music on the radio and heard a Christian program. He continued to listen and was convicted and repented. At 15 he was arrested for listening to the radio, they thought it was Radio Free America, and he spent two years in prison. He would have spent 10 if he had been an adult. When he got out people would stand on his steps to see if he was listening again.
A musician -
This man, an atheist, was invited to a Christian concert by evangelists on the street. They prayed with him and he thought that was the end of it. But the day of the concert he had nothing else to do so he went. He went for the three days and heard the answers to his specific problem with the Bible. The last day he went forward to receive Christ. He was the only one for that went forward in the three days of the campaign.
A pastor -
this man had been a detective and successful in ju-jitsu until he broke his back. He was in the hospital for a year and very depressed. A group came to his room and shared with him about Christ. When he got out he started going to Church and came to faith in Christ. After six months of prayer, his wife came to Christ also. She had miscarried and been told she would not be able to get pregnant and yet she did. They prayed throughout the whole pregnancy and have a healthy 10 year old son today.
A medical student -
Another student invited her to her church and she was ready to hear and receive Christ. She now mentors other new Believers from the medical school.
A pastors wife -
As a university student she was invited to a Campus Crusade Bible study and received Christ there.
One man received Christ as a result of the Jesus film and his ministry today is to take the Jesus film to different cities.
A couple planting a church in and unchurched city of 4,000 -
He came to Christ through a friend. She, a Muslim, resisted, but within a couple of years came to faith in Christ also. Their children are grown and one of their sons gave them a ping pong table that they use for outreach. It's set up in their home and they invite people over for tea and ping pong, and the gospel.
God is very creative and I loved hearing these stories. There are more that I'll share later in the week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)