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heartablaze
Member



Joined: 2007/4/12
Posts: 65


 Re:

The voice of the martyrs and Foxe's Book of Martyrs have very encouraging stories about our persecuted brothers and sisters. Thanks, all for what you have already posted. We should find some more...


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Kelsey

 2007/5/28 22:45Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: Brother Duan's Christmas Miracle

This story ranks among my favorites. I love to read it slowly, savoring the drama as it creeps along.
ginnyrose

[b][size=small]Brother Duan’s Christmas Miracle[/size][/b]

Brother Duan was stranded. It was the middle of winter and the engine of the bus had just given up its battle with the cold. Duan was traveling south and was now stuck somewhere in the Henan province.

Duan was a house leader in northern China. Now seventy-seven years of age he still had no home to call his own. On a whim, he decided to trudge off in the night through the fields of snow. As he walked, he felt so alone. He thought longingly of his beloved wife who died long ago. And then a vision of his little son swam into his tired mind, and a dark cloud settled over his heart.

Cross on the Doorpost
Duan found a village and knocked on a door with a little cross notched on the doorpost. The door was opened and Duan was warmly welcomed by a Christian family. They were all excited as that night they would travel to a neighboring town to hear a dynamic Bible teacher, called brother Wang, from one of the bigger cities. On their way to the meeting, the family told Duan about brother Wang. Duan asked, “How old is he?” When they told him he was in his early forties, a look of pain swept Duan's face. He said, “I once had a son. I knew him for only two months. Now he’s dead. But had he lived, he would be forty-two today. I called him “Isaac,” because we had despaired of ever having a child, but ten years after we were married, along he came, like we were Abraham and Sarah. My wife and I were evangelists in the 1950’s. We were both in great danger of arrest. An old school bully of mine called Wu kept accusing us of imperialism. We worried for our son. One night my wife heard a voice in a vision that said, “Give your son to your enemy.” She said nothing about it, but the following morning I was reading Genesis 22, and when I read verse 2, “Go get Isaac, your only son, the one you dearly love... and sacrifice him to me”, I felt that God was asking me to do something terrible. We shared our thoughts and decided to offer our son to Wu and his wife. A few days later Wu came to the door and arrested us on charges that were groundless. I was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. During my interrogation, I told Wu I wanted to give my boy to him. Wu and his wife were told I wanted to give my boy to him. Wu and his wife were childless. When I came out of jail in 1978 I discovered that Wu adopted my son but that the entire family died in an earthquake in 1975.”

Shocked Silence
They finally arrived at the crowded church. When Brother Wang began preaching, Duan got a terrible shock. It was like hearing himself. Even the preacher’s phrases were similar. He stood up to see better. The preacher stopped and looked over. There was a minute of shocked silence as both men looked at each other. The physical likeness was amazing. Duan began to apologize, “I am sorry for interrupting your excellent message. You see, I had a son who would be your age now. And if he had lived, he would have looked and sounded just like you.” Tears came into Wang’s eyes, and he whispered hoarsely, “Are you Daddy Duan?”

After 40 Years
Father and son were reunited after forty-two years. Wang had been brought up by Wu who had been impressed by Duan’s act of giving that he became a strong believer. Wu used to say to him, “I’m not your real father. He is a great man of God. He gave you to me, and I give you all my love and the encouragement to put God first, just like your real father...” The elder of the church stood up and declared, “We have seen our sermon tonight. Christ came into the world to save sinners –that is Christmas. Just as Duan handed his only son to the care of his enemy, so God handed his own son to us sinners. Let us rejoice in their reconciliation and ours, too.” This article originally appeared on Open Doors’ magazine


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Sandra Miller

 2007/5/30 8:58Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: It's Only a Quarter

richard,

I collect stories - obviously - and in going thorugh my collection, I found this to be sobering.

ginnyrose

[b][size=small]"It's Only a Quarter"[/size][/b]

Several years ago a preacher moved to town. Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to downtown. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidently given him a quarter too much change.

As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, you better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it. Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway the bus company already gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet."

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change."

The driver with a smile, replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking lately about going to worship somewhere. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change."

When my friend stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the nearst light pole and held on, and said, "Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter." -Author unknown


_________________
Sandra Miller

 2007/5/31 9:03Profile









 Re:

And the moral of the story is - always be alert!

Thanks ginny.

 2007/5/31 15:04
ravenmolehil
Member



Joined: 2006/11/10
Posts: 279
North Carolina, US

 Re: Hudson Taylor

This might not fit the thread as it should, but this link contains a great resource on the life of Hudson Taylor

http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?SpeakerOnly=true&currSection=sermonsspeaker&Keyword=Hudson^Taylor

A Biography (5 part - mp3 download)

 2007/6/5 13:11Profile
FreebyWord
Member



Joined: 2007/5/26
Posts: 97


 Re:It's only a Quarter

I cried under conviction as I read ginnyrose's post "It's only a Quarter" because I've failed God so many times in "the little things" just like that situation through sloth, neglect, didn't seem like a big deal, didn't want to take time etc. I pray God's forgiveness. wow how many times have we been tried like this preacher and failed the test. We won't know until we stand before God when every word, thought, and deed will be reviewed.

The big things I suspect we as Believers are more likely do right by God while sometimes letting the seemingly "little things" slide. God convict us that the next time we'll give You Your just due no matter how little or big.

Lord Jesus may we never shame Your Name.

 2007/6/16 17:45Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: It's Only a Penny!

This is a true story, and it happened to me....

[b][size=x-small]It's Only a Penny![/size][/b]

Many years ago our small town had a Sears catalog office where one could place orders for items from Sears, Roebuck. I made many purchases from Sears. They had good products and it was so very handyand convenient.

One day they called me informing me I had a package come in. I asked them what the amount was and they told me. I went in to the store to pick it up and during the process of talking with them by phone and going to the store, the sales lady irked me. What she did to annoy me, I have no clue - it faded from my memory soon after this incident. Anyhow, as I went to write the check, I noticed she made an error in the amount I owed but I went ahead and made my check out for the amount she told me, knowing full well I was underpaying her.

I left with the package, feeling very guilty. But I argued: I was annoyed; it was only a penny! And so the arguments went...it went on for years....sometimes months went by and I never thought about it.

One day, the Holy Spirit got very severe with me: "You mean to tell me you would give up heaven for one cent?!" I broke. Yes, you are right, I will repay that one cent. By now the store had closed but that former owner lived only a few miles down the road from us. Now I called Betty and asked her if I could come see her. She said, "Come on....I am canning tomatoes..." I told her it would not take long.

I went to Betty's house and after some small talk, she asked me what brought me to her house. I told her what I did so many years ago and now offered to pay her a dollar as compensation for what I stole. She was so delighted with my confession, said she never knew it and by no means will she accept my payment! And that I am forgiven!

Living with that guilty conscience was a lot worse then making that restitution. Learned a powerful lesson then.

And the Holy Spirit was pleased and never again convicted me about that sin.

ginnyrose


_________________
Sandra Miller

 2007/6/20 0:32Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: Encouraging Stories

Here is a story a friend emailed me. Thought it might inspire someone....

ginnyrose


[b][size=small]Maximilian Kolbe[/size][/b]

In contrast to the Duchess of Buckingham, one man I admire greatly is Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941). Maximilian Kolbe was a Catholic priest, who was put in a Nazi concentration camp for his faith.

On May 28, 1941, he was transferred to the concentration camp at Auschwitz. During his time there, he would share his meager rations of food with those around him who were hungry.

Despite the evil in the camp perpetrated against the inmates, Kolbe pleaded with the prisoners to forgive their persecutors and overcome evil with good.

A protestant doctor who treated the patients in Kolbe’s block said that Kolbe would not let himself be treated before any other prisoners in that block. He sacrificed himself for the other prisoners. The doctor said about Kolbe: "From my observations, the virtues in the Servant of God were no momentary impulse such as are often found in men, they sprang from a habitual practice, deeply woven into his personality.

One day a man in Kolbe’s block escaped. All of the men from that block were brought out into the hot sun and made to stand there all day with no food or drink.

At the end of the day, the man that had escaped was not found and so Fritsch, the Nazi commandant told the prisoners that ten men would be selected to die in the starvation cell in place of the one that had escaped.

One man, a polish sergeant ( Francis Gajowniczek)was one of those selected. He begged to be spared because he was worried that his family would not be able to survive without him. As he was pleading with the commandant, Maximilian Kolbe silently stepped forward and stood before the commandant.

The commandant turned to him and said asked, "What does this Polish pig want?"

Kolbe pointed to the polish sergeant and said, "I am a Catholic priest from Poland; I would like to take his place, because he has a wife and children."

The commandant stood silent for a moment in disbelief. He then allowed the sergeant to go back to his place in the ranks and Kolbe took his place in the starvation bunker.

Each day the guards removed the bodies of those who had died. However instead of the usual sounds of screaming, all they could hear was the sounds of Kolbe and the others in the bunker singing hymns and praying.

When Kolbe couldn’t speak any longer due to hunger and lack of energy, he would whisper his prayers. After two weeks, the cell had to be cleared out for more prisoners. Only four prisoners were left and Kolbe was one of them.

The guards injected each with a lethal injection and on August 14, 1941, Kolbe paid the ultimate price.

Kolbe viewed others as more important than himself. And in that he was following the Master. Philippians 2: 5-11 put the matter well when he said: Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.



_________________
Sandra Miller

 2007/6/21 18:56Profile
ginnyrose
Member



Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi

 Re: Encouraging Stories

Another story....my friend emailed me this, this one being a family story. I know this family quite well.

ginnyrose


[b]Rationing and God’s Provision [/b]
–by Rosie Bontrager

During World War II, ration cards were issued for some commodities. Among other items, gas was rationed. When Ezra Daudy (Grandpa) heard about the rationing he felt uncertain whether it was right for him to participate. He and Grandma and their married children living near them decided not to take part in the cards for two reasons. First, it was helping the war effort, and second they were unsure if it might be connected with the mark of the beast mentioned in Revelation.

Of course this called for some sacrifice on their part. They went back to using a horse and buggy for short trips and also rode together for going to church, etc. Before rationing started, they filled what tanks and cans they had available with gas.

Ezra Daudy’s lived on a mill stream which came from the Little Elkhart River. One morning after the rationing had started, Daudy went out to find oil floating down the mill stream. (There had been a break in the oil line upstream.) By raising the flood gates so nothing went over the top, the water was still able to pass through below and the oil accumulated on top thick enough that they could dip it off. Although it was similar to kerosene and smoked some in the vehicles, they were able to use it. They still had some left when rationing was lifted.

In later years, Daudy doubted that rationing had anything to do with the mark of the beast. However, at the time he wasn’t sure. This story has blest us through the years as a tangible confirmation that God blesses our faith in Him and our willingness to sacrifice for His cause. We trust it will bless you too. .

(NOTE by the writer's mother-in-law: this oil was used to operate the machinery that provided for their livelihood.)




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Sandra Miller

 2007/6/21 19:04Profile





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