A Bible from the Sky

The Gideons are well-known for their Bible distribution ministry around the world. On average, more than two copies of the Bible are distributed per second through Gideons International. In 2015, the Gideons distributed their historic two billionth Scripture! One of those Bibles went to a little girl who we will call Rosa. She lives in the Philippines and Rosa shared her testimony with the Gideons.

“Rosa was offered a New Testament from the Gideons at school one day. At first, she refused. But when all of her friends took one, she took one, also. Taking the Testament home, she knew her father would not approve of the holy book. When she arrived home, she placed it on the kitchen table where she knew he would see it. When her father came home and saw the Testament on the table, he told her that the book was forbidden in his house. He then took the Testament outside and threw it up on the roof of the house.

Years later, Rosa married and left her father’s house. Within a year, she was pregnant, but her husband had left her. She hoped her father would let her stay in his house. When she arrived at the house, no one was home. She sat down on the front porch to wait. Then the wind became stronger and a little book fell into her lap. Now worn and tattered, it was her New Testament that her father had thrown up on the roof years earlier. She opened it and began to read. Within a short time, she found that she needed this Jesus the book talked about. She then gave her life to Christ.

Shortly after, her family returned and her father allowed her to move into the house. That very night, the girl told her father about the little Testament and how it had fallen into her lap. Her father looked at the book, remembered throwing it out and decided that since it had returned that it was a gift from God. He began to read it over a period of time and eventually he accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. And the rest of the family living there eventually did the same.”[1]

As I read that story, I had several thoughts come to mind:

·         God’s Word never returns void, it but it always accomplishes the purpose for which He sends it out (Isaiah 55:11). Heaven and earth may pass away, but His word shall remain (Matt. 24:35).

·         I wonder who was the unnamed Gideon that faithfully handed that Bible to Rosa, not knowing how it would be used? God knows and his ministry will be rewarded in heaven one day with an amazing testimony from Rosa’s family (Matt. 10:42). Little is much when God is in it!  

·         God’s providential timing is amazing. That Bible stayed on the roof those many years, until Rosa was sitting in the right place and a perfectly timed gust of wind dislodged it into her lap. Not only that, but it came to her at the exact season in her life when she was needing hope (Rom. 8:28).  

·         The Lord is patient and kind with hard-hearted people. Rosa’s father was gently and gradually led to salvation by the working of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-9). God’s love although rejected at first, keeps wooing and pursuing until we have no choice but to give in.   

-DM

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[1] “Testimony: God’s Word Falls into a Lap and Changes an Entire Family,” Gideons International, 15 April 2011, <http://blog.gideons.org/2011/04/testimony-bible-blown-off-roof/>

Praise from the Rubble

6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.   1 Samuel 30:6

As David’s men came closer to Ziglag they saw an unsettling sight—pillars of smoke were rising from the camp. For some time, David’s army of 600 mighty men and their families had been living in Ziglag as a temporary shelter. David’s fighting force had just returned from a confrontation with the Philistines only to discover that in their absence a band of marauders viciously attacked the camp. Homes were pillaged and burned. The women and children were taken captive. In the aftermath, all they could do was sit in the charred rubble and cry.

In this moment of distress, David has no other option but to turn to God. Jonathan is nowhere to be found, his men are on the verge of mutiny, Samuel is dead. What do you do when you reach the bottom and there is no one around to help you? Upon a first glace this verse seems quite odd, doesn’t it? How exactly does one encourage him or herself in the Lord?

It was more than just a five-minute devotional. I believe that David reflected on all that God had done for him. David thought of how many times God had provided and pulled him out of a tight spot. David encouraged himself in the Lord by rehearsing God’s character. He worshiped in the rubble.

In times like these, God’s people must learn to do what David did. In my experience there are at least three ways we can “encourage ourselves in the Lord.” First, there is Scripture. The Word of God is filled with stories that remind us how God met people’s needs, and if He did it for them He will do it for us. Second, there is song. When life falls apart, we can take comfort in the hymns of the faith. A song can raise your spirits and help you realize that everything’s going to be OK. Third, there is solitude. We all need quiet, reflective moments where we get away from the busyness and distractions of life. It’s in the silence we can hear the voice of God.   

I came across a modern example of “encouraging yourself in the Lord” that brought a smile to my face and a tear to my eye. It happened near Chattanooga, TN during a local news broadcast.

On top of all the COVID-19 shutdowns, that area of the country received a double whammy in the form of devastating F-3 tornadoes. The reporter was standing near the rubble of the Faith Community Wesleyan Church when his broadcast was interrupted by something sacred.

A lady, Tracy Coats, was driving by the church and saw the piano in the ruins of the church. She stopped, got out of her vehicle and started playing to the Lord. What a sight as the familiar tune of “Because He Lives” came from the heap of timber.[1]  (click here to watch the video)  

-DM

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[1] Shannen Sharpe, “Woman Sees Piano in the Rubble at Chattanooga Church, Decides It Needs to Be Played,”  ABC NEWS CHANNEL 9, 15 April 2020 <https://newschannel9.com/news/local/woman-sees-piano-in-the-rubble-at-chattanooga-church-decides-it-needs-to-be-played>

From Cholera to Coronavirus: Lessons from Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) was one of the greatest preachers of the Victorian era. Known as the “Prince of Preachers,” it is estimated that he preached the gospel to over a million people, and personally baptized 15,000 new believers converted under his ministry. During his vibrant tenure, Spurgeon ministered through two deadly outbreaks of cholera in London, one in 1854 and another in 1866. The latter was more devastating of the two, claiming over 5,550 lives.

Despite the disease, Spurgeon stayed steadfast; preaching the Gospel, ministering to the sick and urging Christians to lead the city in repentance. The parallels between his time and our time are striking. In going over his sermons and stories from his biographers here are few noteworthy gleanings that we can apply directly to our situation.  

·         The Pandemic Was A Perfect Time to Rest in God’s Peace

In the 1854 epidemic, Spurgeon was returning home from yet another funeral when a shard of paper wedged in a shoemaker's window caught his eye. It said, “Because thou hast made the Lord thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” The preacher recognized this quotation from Psalm 91:9-10. Surgeon subsequently wrote: “The effect upon my heart was immediate. Faith appropriated the passage as her own. I felt secure, refreshed, girt with immortality. I went on with my visitation of the dying in a calm and peaceful spirit; I felt no fear of evil, and I suffered no harm.”

·         The Pandemic Provided an Open Door for the Gospel

With the death angel visiting so many homes, Spurgeon found that people’s hearts were suddenly sensitized to the Gospel. He had multiple occasions to make house calls and see souls saved on their sickbeds. He wrote:  

“All day, and sometimes all night long, I went about from house to house, and saw men and women dying, and, oh, how glad they were to see my face! When many were afraid to enter their houses lest they should catch the deadly disease, we who had no fear about such things found ourselves most gladly listened to when we spoke of Christ and of things Divine.”

On one occasion, at three in the morning, Spurgeon was summoned to visit a dying man. Surprisingly, this was not a Christian, but a newspaper reporter who had opposed him. Sadly, the man passed away before Spurgeon could get to him, but it goes to prove a well-worn adage, “There are no atheists in foxholes.” We ought to expect the same kind of Gospel opportunities to present themselves during these days of uncertainty.

·         The Pandemic Was a Wake-Up Call for Repentance

On Aug. 12, 1866 Spurgeon preached a message to his congregation that he titled, “The Voice of Cholera.” In it he made some scathing remarks about London’s sins:

            “Brethren, let me ask you soberly, without fanaticism, to consider whether there has not been enough in England, and especially in this great city, to make God angry with us? Has there not been enough to make him say, “I will walk no more with this people: I will chasten them severely, and send heavy judgments upon them?” Is not the drunkenness of England enough to provoke God to strike it with all his thunderbolts? Shall God not visit London for the sins which nightly pollutes her streets, festers in gilded halls, and riots amid revelry and music?

The masses of our people do not regard God, do not care for the Lord Jesus, and have no thought about eternal things. We believe that God sends all pestilences, and that he sends them with a purpose. It is our business as ministers of God, to call the people’s attention to God in the disease, and teach them the lesson which God would have them learn. This dreaded cholera is only a gentle blow from His hand, and if its lesson is not learned He may remove the candle of his gospel out of its place from those who have despised it.”          

 

If that warning applied to London over 150 years ago, then how much more does it apply to America today? Indeed, judgment begins at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). God’s people must repent for our nation—if not us, then who? If not now, then when?

·         The Pandemic Rallied the Church into Action

Christians of all generations follow the same pattern—in times of prosperity spiritual desire wanes, but in times of calamity spiritual desire increases. Spurgeon noted that the pandemic served to help purify the church, as trials often do. He preached to his church about God’s overall purpose:

“If you ask me what I think to be the design, I believe it to be this—to waken up our indifferent population, to make them remember that there is a God, to render them susceptible of the influences of the gospel, to drive them to the house of prayer, to influence their minds to receive the Word, and moreover to startle Christians into energy and earnestness, that they may work while it is called today.”

Finally, speaking in 1866 Spurgeon gave this charge to his people:

“And now, again, is the minister’s time; and now is the time for all of you who love souls. You may see men more alarmed than they are already; and if they should be, mind that you avail yourselves of the opportunity of doing them good. You have the Balm of Gilead; when their wounds smart, pour it in. You know of Him who died to save; tell them of Him. Lift high the cross before their eyes. Tell them that God became man that man might be lifted to God. Tell them of Calvary, and its groans, and cries, and sweat of blood. Tell them of Jesus hanging on the cross to save sinners. Tell them that: “There is life for a look at the Crucified One.”

-DM

Good News! The World is on Lock-down, but God Isn't!

Ever since the COVID-19 outbreak has paralyzed our world, it seems that all we hear from the 24/7 media machine is bad news. Fueled by panic and uncertainty our world news is bent towards reporting the worst-case scenario. As the old journalism saying goes, “If it bleeds, it leads.” I get it—we can’t sugarcoat the crisis. Reporting the daily death toll and the rising unemployment rates is necessary in coming to grips with the pandemic. But after a while, the constant barrage of negativity has a way of wearing your spirit down and leaving your mind frayed. The cumulative effect is that in the darkness you can lose perspective.

Right now, Christians all over the world are singing the words to the modern praise anthem, “Waymaker,” which reminds us: “Even when I can’t see it, you’re working. Even when I can’t feel it, you’re working. You never stop, you never stop working.” (click here to listen) As God’s people we know that’s true from Scripture. God works invisibly, powerfully and providentially behind the scenes. Darkness, disease and death do not arrest His hands. In fact, we see in the Bible several instances in which God’s servants had to take a step back from whatever adversity swallowed them up and be reminded that God was carrying out a secret, sovereign plan.

·         Elijah wanted to die and was convinced that there was no hope for Israel, yet God reminded him in a still, small voice, “Elijah, you aren’t the only one in the world serving me.” 1 Kings 19 says, “ 18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

·         When John the Baptist was in prison facing execution, he started doubting his ministry and his endorsement of Jesus. He sent messengers to Jesus to ask if He really was the Messiah. 4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”  (Matt. 11:4-6)

·         Paul was no stranger to criticism. Even while in prison he heard that some of his critics were preaching Christ with mixed motives. Despite his chains, Paul rejoiced that at least some one was preaching the Gospel, writing, “18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.” (Phil. 1:18)  

What I take from these examples is that God’s people should be looking for the silver lining in each storm cloud. Yes, there are problems all around, but God is able to bring good from evil, triumph from trials. Presently, there is a lot of good news that isn’t being reported by the mainstream. In fact, here are just a few encouraging stories that I’ve run across.

·         More people than ever are tuning into hear the Word of God preached from churches doing live stream services.

I can attest to this personally. The little church where I serve, Liberty Baptist in Candler, NC, has had our videos viewed hundreds of times by people all over the country. A few days before Palm Sunday, President Trump tweeted that he was planning on watching Pastor Greg Laurie’s service. Because of Trump’s plug, the church Laurie pastors, Harvest Chapel in Riverside, CA, reported that their Palm Sunday webcast service drew 1.3 million people, with 11,207 people indicating through an online forum they were making decisions to begin a relationship with Christ! Laurie commented, “I have been preaching the Gospel for 45 years. I have never seen an opportunity like this, where people are open. We have the technology to reach them.”[1]

·         Bible sales have skyrocketed.

While the vast majority of Americans own Bibles, a large percentage say they’ve never read it, but it appears this crisis and social distancing measures are changing that. Bible retailers like Alabaster have seen a 143% increase of Bible sales. Lifeway is up 62% and so is Tyndale. The CEO of Lifeway, Ben Mandrell said, “We believe this is no accident, as people often go to the Bible as a source of hope in times of crisis and uncertainty. People draw hope from Scripture because in it they see a God who is with us during our suffering.”[2]

·         Christ is being glorified in some surprising ways.

Each day, President Trump holds media briefings from the Coronavirus Taskforce. On March 31, 2020 Trump invited the CEO of My Pillow company, Mike Lindell, to share the podium. Lindell announced that he retooled three-fourths of his company’s manufacturing capability to make cotton face masks for health care workers. He said the company is aiming to produce 10,000 to 50,000 masks a day. At the end of his speech, Lindell made some “off-the-cuff” remarks. Here’s what he said (click here to watch the video):

“God gave us grace on November 8, 2016, to change the course we were on. God had been taken out of our schools and lives. A nation had turned its back on God. I encourage you to use this time at home to get back in the Word, read our Bibles and spend time with our families...With our great president, vice president and this administration and all the great people in this country praying daily, we will get through this and get back to a place that's stronger and safer than ever.”[3]

·         People are recovering from COVID-19 and God is answering the prayers of His people.

CNN reported the story of a Rome, Georgia man, Clay Bentley, who was admitted into the hospital with a case of pneumonia. Bentley’s case worsened and when doctors tested him for COVID-19 he was positive. Bentley was near death and could hardly breathe. But Clay’s church family started a fervent prayer vigil for his healing. To the amazement of doctors, Clay pulled through. Clay even received a phone call from Vice President Mike Pence who encouraged him and prayed with him during the ordeal! When reporters asked Clay and his wife what got them through, they said, “It's been a hard road. But I’m here to tell you, that when you've got the word of God to stand on, there ain’t no weapon formed against you that can prosper.”[4] (click here to watch the video)

My friends, don’t give into the darkness. The Gospel light is still shining. God is not dead and God is not done! We have yet to see all the wonderful things that our God can do. -DM

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[1] Samuel Smith, “Greg Laurie's Palm Sunday webcast draws 1.3M viewers, Trump: People are open to the Gospel,” Christian Post, 6 April 2020 <https://www.christianpost.com/news/greg-lauries-palm-sunday-webcast-draws-13m-viewers-trump-people-are-open-to-the-gospel.html>

[2] Caleb Parke, “Coronavirus outbreak spurs record Bible purchases: ‘People are looking for hope,’” Fox News, 6 April 2020 <https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/coronavirus-bible-book-update-sales-record>  

[3] Jason Silverstein, “MyPillow CEO tells Americans to pray and read the Bible during appearance at White House coronavirus briefing,” CBS NEWS, 31 March 2020 <https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mypillow-ceo-tells-americans-to-pray-and-read-the-bible-during-white-house-coronavirus-briefing/>

[4] Sarah Taylor, “Georgia coronavirus patient details scary health struggle, says Pence personally called him with prayers,” The Blaze, 12 March 2020 <https://www.theblaze.com/news/georgia-coronavirus-patient-details-scary-struggle-says-pence-personally-called-him-with-prayers>