A LESSON FROM CHINA

Many of you remember the name,

Wang Ming Tao, one of the great house

church leaders of China. He spent twenty

three years in prison for his faith. He

passed away back in about 1991. But his

example of living for God carries on to

challenge us.

Here is a quote from him out of an old

Open Doors publication.

"You ought to make a prison cell for yourself.

When I went into prison, I was broken. I was

an evangelist and wanted to hold campaigns

throughout China. I was a writer and wanted

to write books. I was a preacher and wanted

to read my Bible and write sermons.

"But I didn't have a Bible or a pulpit, a

congregation, a pen or paper. I could do

nothing. Nothing except get to know God.

For 20 years, this was the most beautiful

relationship that I have ever known."

Later he add.

"I was put in a prison cell, but you will have

to do this yourself. Make your life simple, so

that you have time to get to know God."

GOD'S SECURITY FORCE

During this time of sever weather when God seems

to be making a mockery of the "Global Warming"

hoax, his protection is sorely needed. With ice and

snow abounding, the potential for injury has

multiplied. Not to mention evil on every hand.

Terrorism, more idiots than ever AND our own

stupidity.

Quite a few years ago I begin to pray daily that

God would give his angels charge over our family

for protection. Thank God, I have not regretted it.

I have no idea how many times we have been

spared because of it.

This subject was covered by "Faded Ladies" a

a short time back. Go back to their post

"Spiritual Visitors - Part V". You will really

enjoy seeing God's angels in action in this

post. But it comes again to my mind now while

the need is amplified and to remind us of God's

provision.

Consider, after God had given the law to the

nation of Israel, he told them;

"Behold, I send an angel before you, to guard you

on the way and to bring you to the place which I

have prepared....When my angel goes before you,"

-Exodus 23:20 & 23 RSV

The thought is also expressed in,

Exodus 14:19, 32:34, 33:2

And my favorite,

"Because you have made the Lord your refuge,

the Most High your habitation,

no evil shall befall you,

no scourge come near your tent.

For he will give his angels charge of you

to guard you in all your ways."

-Psalms 91:9-11 RSV

This is the Scripture the Devil quoted to Jesus

in the great temptation. But it is open for all

who make the Lord their refuge.

Ask God to have his angels protect you and your

family. You will not regret it.

"Lord give your angels charge to protect all who

make you their refuge. Thank you for giving us

their protection because of your love for us."

TOO SMART FOR OUR OWN GOOD

Personally I would

rather not be around

ignorant, dumb or

stupid people. That

means anyone more

ignorant, dumb, or

stupid than myself.

[If other people think

like that. It may

account for them not bothering me!]

I do not know of any place in the Scriptures that

puts a premium on, ignorance, stupidity, or

dumbness. (You draw the lines of demarcation.)

And I am not trying to advocate them.

But have you ever thought about how sometimes

we are too smart for what we are doing? Too

smart for our own good?

Any time we think we can handle things, or

depend on our own abilities, we are too smart for

our own good. Jesus said,

"for apart from me you can do nothing."

-John 15:5 RSV

The Apostle Paul said,

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,

to show that the transcendent power belongs

to God and not to us.-2 Corinthians 4:7 RSV

We are only the container. It is supposed to be

God who is seen in us. Not us and our skills or

abilities or knowledge.

Look what happened to Moses. He was raised by

Pharaoh's daughter in the palaces of Egypt.

"And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of

the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words

and deeds."

-Acts 7:22 RSV

And you know God could not use him that

way. Moses had to spend forty years in the desert

unlearning what he had learned. But when God

got through with him. He was the meekest man

on earth and God was able to use him in a mighty

way.

"Now the man Moses was very meek, more

than all men that were on the face of the earth.

-Numbers 12:3 RSV

[Hey! what happened to his self esteem???]

See this vessel (container).

That is the way we are

supposed to be. It is cheap,

fragile and no good for any

thing. It's purpose is only

to display the cheesecake.

It's all about the cheesecake,

not the container,

Even what little stands

out on this crummy

container, is advertising

for the cheesecake.

That is the way we are supposed to be. Full of

God, and whatever anyone can see in us is only

about God in us.

K.P. Yohannan in his book "Dependence Upon the

Lord" on page 41 gives us this quote from Mother

Teresa.

"I am convinced that when I am gone, if God finds

a person more ignorant and useless that I, He will

do greater things through that person because it

will be His doing."

"Lord help us to only show you and not ourselves.

May you increase while we decrease."

HOW TO BE FRUITFUL

Most Christians want to know

how to be more fruitful for

God. Not being an expert on

such matters I want to say,

"I don't know how. It beats

me."

However the Lord has drawn

several things to my attention

in the last few days. One is a

thought put forth by Oswald

Chambers. In part he said,

"The people who influence us most are not those who

buttonhole us and talk to us, but those who live their

lives like the stars in heaven and the lilies in the field,

perfectly simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives

that mould us.

"If you want to be of use to God, get rightly related to

Jesus Christ and He will make you of use unconsciously

every minute you live."

-My Utmost For His Highest, p.101

That tree in the top photo

is not real, as you know. And

the "fruit" (Let's call it that.)

obviously is just "stuff" my

wife hung on it. (You know,

just like Religion.)

Not good to eat.

This next photo (Poor as

it and the tree are.) is

the real thing. A real

tree with real fruit.
 And the fruit would be eatable

- if you could stand it.

What did the tree do to produce fruit. Just

existed as a tree and the life of the tree flowed

through it producing fruit. To bear fruit for

God, we simply connect to him and let his life

flow through us. Then the fruit comes.

I want to relate one incident in my life that

illustrates how God can use us without even

trying.

When I was in High School a new boy moved

in the area. His family had been living out

of the country and returned home. So he had

some adjustments to make.

All I remember is I liked the guy. We were both

Christians. He was a nice clean cut fellow. And

when our little group would get together for

Bible study at school (Yes, back then we could.)

he would be, in my estimation, a spiritual

leader - if we even had one.

I had a car. He, didn't. I had a motorcycle, he

didn't. So sometimes I would be taking him to

various Christian functions in my old Ford. We

even cut class together one time. We took my

motorcycle and went up in the mountains. I

think we made it back before the next class. But

my transmission went out in the ordeal. Wow,

what fun for a couple of teenagers.

In short, we were just two Christian teenagers

having a good time together. He went on to

college and got smart. I got married. And of

course our ways parted.

I would hear of him from time to time. He went

on to pastor a church. Then got a doctorate. And

the last I knew was apparently a professor in one

of his denomination's colleges. [I don't know

what he professed. But that's what professors

do, isn't it? Profess.]

Fast forward about thirty five years.

One day leaning against my bench at work a

Christian brother, from another church, came

ambling across my work area. He called this

0ld friend by name and ask if I knew him. Yes.

He ask me if I would be interested in the paper

my friend mentioned my name in. Of course.

I want to quote most of his comment,

"I personally, as a high school student, moved

from the edge of tumbling into the wasteland

of becoming a drop-out into the rich and

productive life I have experienced as a minster

of the gospel, all because a ------ ----- gave me

the most priceless of human gifts - friendship."

Hey! I didn't even try. But God let me be a help.

Jesus said,

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who

abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears

much fruit, for apart from me you can do

nothing."

-John 15:5 RSV

There we have it. Just abide - stay - in Jesus.

Let his life flow through us and grow where

he planted us.

A THOUGHT ON PRAYER

Prayer is breathing

for the Christian.

Without it we cannot

survive. It is the

Christian's life.

For years I have

wanted to be a man

of prayer. Like

everything else, I never made it.
At least to my satisfaction.

Years ago I was reading a book on prayer by a

noted pastor on the west coast. I remember him

saying "that when he set in his chair to pray..."

I thought, no way. Coming before the very God and

creator of the universe. And setting in a chair. No.

The only proper way to come before the King of

Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Potentate of the

universe is prostrated before Him.

Now that I am a older, when I set in my chair

to pray......

Today I was sorting through a few of my books. I

try to keep my books on prayer together as a group.

I have some of the classic books on prayer like

Bounds set and other men of God. And of course a

few of the newer hot shots. No, I have not read all

of them yet. That's so I can always have another to

read, I guess.

As I was sorting I noticed that the pile of books on

prayer was getting larger than several of the other

subjects. And I realized that even with all these

books, I still was not the man of prayer I wanted to

be. There were sixty two books and booklets on

prayer.

Now I'm a simple man. And a very simple thought

came into my mind. With all these books on prayer,

I'm still not the man of prayer I want to be. Wouldn't

I come closer to being a man of prayer by simply

spending more time talking with God?

PROTECTED AGAIN.

I detest calling attention to myself. But you have had

those times that you want to let the world know what God

has done for you. So you will understand, won't you?

As Christians God has called us to be "a chose race, a

royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people,

THAT YOU MAY DECLARE THE WONDERFUL DEEDS

OF HIM who called you out of darkness into his

marvelous light." [Emphasis mine].

-1 Peter 2:9 RSV

So, I'll try.

For the last several years each morning I pray that God

will protect each of us in the family. That "he will give his angels

charge of you to guard you in all your ways."

-Psalms 91:11 RSV

And he has done that lots of times. That is why I am

still alive today. But hear one more.

Yesterday (At the time of this writing.) afternoon I was

at work on my office. I am building it so there is a loft area

above it. That will allow storage of all the stuff we never

should have bought in the first place. And the things that

are used only on occasion, such as luggage.

I was working on the floor of the loft when I tripped. I fell on

my back with my head and shoulders hanging over. I could

feel myself teetering on the edge.

What kept me from falling head first eight feet onto the

concrete and building materials below, I don't know. It had to

be God giving an angel charge over me to protect me.

Praise God and thank you Jesus.

The picture. That's where I would have landed,

if the Lord had not intervened.

LEARNING FROM EVAN ROBERTS

I have been reading an article, "Evan Roberts &

the Welsh Revival" by Ken Horn in the Nov. 15. 09

issue of the Pentecostal Evangel. pp.11-13.

It really grabs me. Oh! that we had preachers and

teachers like that today. Roberts humility and

utter desire to only lift up Jesus seems foreign to

us now. Ken points out several things about Roberts.

• Roberts never let himself become the center of attention.
• He granted no interviews.
• He would not allow pictures to be taken of him.
• If he felt people came to see him, he would apologize and leave.
• His sermons became briefer as the revival progressed.

In "Higher Praise Greatest Preachers (Evan Roberts)" we find

Roberts was anything but conventional. Some times he would

only lead the people in prayer or read the Scriptures. Other

times he sat silent as people confessed their sins and gave

testimony of Christ's victory. "He was a constant example

not of how to preach, but of how to be led by the Spirit."

That sounds more like a New Testament meeting than a

meeting of today.

After reading several accounts of Evan Roberts life and

work, one thing stands out to me, his motivation. Even

from a young age, when he was seeking after God and

thirsting for Spiritual things, it seems that his motivation

was not to be a preacher or teacher. But his motivation

was simply to glorify Jesus and the salvation of his fellow

country men.

Is it any wonder that he was an instrument that God could

use in drawing 100,000 Welsh people to Christ.

"Lord help me to die to self and only lift you up."