The Parable of the Ten Rooms

This is how my parable begins. Let me call him John. John had a double story house, five plus five rooms. One day there was a gentle knock on the front door. When John opened it was the Lord Jesus. “Please come in”, John pleaded, “I will give you the best room in my house – it is upstairs. Well, Jesus is a gentleman and said “thank you”. 

The next morning someone hammered against the front door. When John opened it who was there? The devil. “No” shouted John, “I don’t want you here” But the devil said “I’m already in” – and a big fight started. Satan poured filthy temptation on him, it was horrible. By the evening John somehow got the victory and threw the devil out. Then he said “wait a minute”. I gave Jesus the best room in the house, why didn’t he come to my rescue?” 

Jesus said to John “Look, you gave me one of the ten rooms…” John was on his knees and said “I can see my mistake. Sorry, Lord. Let’s make 50/50.” Jesus is a gentleman and accepted. 

The next day was a repeat of the day before. Somehow the devil got in and out and John was totally exhausted. “Why didn’t Jesus come to my rescue today? I need to go and ask.” 

The Lord said “My son, why don’t you give me all 10 rooms and then, instead of me staying with you, you stay with me?” 

John broke down. He pulled the key of the front-door from his pocket and handed it to Jesus. Now, he had given it all. 

The next morning, it was still dark, when someone was knocking at the front door so hard that the whole building shook. John jumped frightened and shaken out of bed crying “O, it’s the devil again”, when suddenly he heard footsteps – but this time inside the house. 

Jesus was marching in majesty and power towards the front door. He had the key. It now was His duty to answer the door. John was wondering what would happen and stood right behind Jesus when the Lord opened the door wide. 

Who was it? The devil of course. But when the devil saw Jesus standing in the door he bowed low, very low indeed, and said “Sorry Sir, I knocked on the wrong door!”

Some have given 9 rooms to Jesus and on the door of room number 10 they have written “Strictly Private”. It is there where they have their secret sins and live their double life. But Jesus cannot be cheated. 

C’mon. Let’s sing it together from the bottom of our hearts “Unto Jesus I surrender, unto Him I freely give….I surrender ALL, unto thee my God and Savior, I surrender all.” This is my foolproof recipe for victory! God bless you. 

REINHARD BONNKE.

LOVE IS "I STILL KNOW WHO SHE IS".

It was a busy morning, approximately 8.30 am, when an elderly gentleman in his eighties arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in hurry as he had an appointment at 9.00 am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looked at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I went to evaluate his wound.

On closer examination, it had healed nicely, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.

I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?"

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is." I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life."

True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be , and will not be.

50 Years Felt Like 5 Minutes

On an airplane, I overheard a stewardess talking to an elderly couple in front of me. Learning that it was the couple's 50th wedding anniversary, the flight attendant congratulated them and asked how they had done it.

"It all felt like five minutes..." the gentleman said slowly.

The stewardess had just begun to remark on what a sweet statement that was when he finished his sentence with a word that earned him a sharp smack on the head:

"...underwater."

What Do You Make?

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued,” What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental. You want to know what I make? (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)

I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions. I teach them to write and then I make them write.. Key boarding isn't everything. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator. I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life. (Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.) Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. You want to know what I make? I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make Mr. CEO?

His jaw dropped, he went silent.

Elizabeth Dirks Drowned as Anabaptist

An Anabaptist lady being drowned for her belief

Elizabeth Dirks was a trailblazer and a woman of great courage. Raised in a nunnery in East Friesland, she learned to read Latin and read the Bible through and through. She became certain that monasticism was not the way taught in Scripture. With the help of milkmaids she escaped and became a follower of peaceful Menno Simons. She was one of the first Reformation women ministers, probably a deaconness.

In 1549, Catholic authorities arrested her. When they found her Bible they knew they had the person they were looking for. Mistakenly, they thought she was the wife of Menno Simons. When they tried to get her to take an oath at her interrogation, she refused, saying Christ had taught that our yes should mean yes and our no mean no.

The record of her inquisition shows that the examiners asked her to inform on those whom she had taught. Knowing that this would lead to their arrest, she refused.

"No, my Lords, do not press me on this point. Ask me about my faith and I will answer you gladly."

"We will make it so tough that you will tell us," they threatened.

When she would not reveal who had baptized her or whom she had taught, they questioned her beliefs. She insisted that church buildings were not the house of God, for our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. She denied that the New Testament spoke of the bread and wine as a sacrament but rather as the Lord's Supper. Asked if she were saved by baptism, she replied, "No, my Lords. All the water in the sea cannot save me. All my salvation is in Christ, who has commanded me love the Lord, my God, and my neighbor as myself." She denied that priests have authority to forgive sins--only Christ.

Still refusing to reveal who had baptized her, she was taken to the torture chamber and said, "So far we have treated you gently. Since you won't confess, we will put you to the torture."

A man named Mr. Hans applied screws to a thumb and fingers until blood spurted from under her fingernails. Still she wouldn't give away her friends, but her agony was so great that she cried aloud to Christ and received relief. So they lifted her skirt to apply torture to her shins. She pleaded that she had never allowed anyone to touch her body and they promised to respect her.

Then they crushed her leg bones with screws until she fainted. The men thought she was dead, but she came to and assured them she was not. Realizing that they could get nothing out of her, the authorities condemned her to die. Rather than burn her, as was customary, they tied her in a bag and drowned her on this day, March 27, 1549.

Bibliography:

1. Bainton, Roland H. Women of the Reformation in Germany and Italy. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg, 1971.
2. Williams, George Huntston. The Radical Reformation. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Westminster Press, 1962.

The Cambridge Seven

The Cambridge Seven
C.T. Studd, M. Beauchamp, S.P. Smith,
A.T. Polhill-Turner, D.E. Hoste, C.H. Polhill-Turner, W.W. Cassels

I have been preaching a sermon that uses the Cambridge Seven as models of faith. These men had served their generation and now it is our turn to serve ours. The bible is clear that God watches over lives that serve their generations. King David is a very good example:

For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. (Acts 13:36)

David served his generation and he was known as a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). In the same verse, the bible says that 'he will do everything I want him to do'. Even David made a lot of mistakes, he was still an obedient servant of God.

Looking at the 1800s, little known stories of heroes of faith were being created by committed servants of God. In 1881, Harold Schofield who was a young missionary doctor, serving in the northern province of Shansi, China, was suffering from typhus. He was bed-ridden but that did not stop him from praying. He asked God for a replacement, knowing full well that he may not recover. He prayed that God will send graduates from England's top colleges to evangelize China. On August 1, 1883, Harold Schofield went home to be with the Lord. This dear brother was only 31 years old.

Did God answer his prayer? Yes, In February, 1885, Schofield's prayer was answered as seven Cambridge students volunteered to leave behind cosy lives of wealth and privilege to serve God in whatever way they were led. These men became known as THE CAMBRIDGE SEVEN. They were namely:

1. Charles Thomas Studd
2. Montagu Harry Proctor Beauchamp
3. Stanley P. Smith
4. Arthur T. Polhill-Turner
5. Dixon Edward Hoste
6. Cecil H. Polhill-Turner
7. William Wharton Cassels

At the commissioning service of the Cambridge Seven, they said, "Pray that God may keep us faithful".

These seven inspired thousands of others to think seriously of missionary service. Included among the Cambridge Seven was C.T. Studd, captain of England and the finest cricketer of his day - if he could give all that up, then so could anyone! Many were inspired to serve God. In 1885, there were only 163 missionaries serving in China Inland Mission. By 1890, that number had doubled and by 1900, there were 800 active missionaries serving God in China through China Inland Mission. That represented one-third of the entire Protestant missionary force of those days.

Here are some details of what happened to the Cambridge Seven:

William Wharton Cassels (1858 - 1925)

William worked in China for 10 years and then returned to England in 1895 where he was consecrated as the new Bishop of a new diocese in Western China. He then returned to Western China — he ministered here until his death in 1925.

Stanley Peregrine Smith (1861 - 1931)

Stanley was sent to North China. Here he learned the Chinese language and soon became as fluent a preacher in Chinese as he was in English. He died in China on January 31, 1931.

Charles Thomas Studd (1860 - 1931)

A famous England cricketer - he was sent home because of ill health in 1894. Later he worked in India and Africa and was the founder of WEC. He died in 1931in Ibambi, Belgian Congo.

C. T. Studd was the one who penned this famous quote: "Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell". When he was old, some of his critics asked him to go home and retire. Studd refused, He said, "God has called me to go, and I will go. I will blaze the trail though my grave may only become a stepping stone that younger men may follow".

Cecil Polhill-Turner (1860 - 1938)

Cecil served God in North West China and also Tibet. He and his wife were nearly killed in 1892 in a riot. In 1900, his health failed and was sent home to England. He made seven prolonged missionary visits. In 1908 in Sunderland he became the leader of the Pentecostal Missionary Union and was greatly used in the formation of the Pentecostal Movement in Britain.

Arthur Polhill-Turner (1862 - 1935)

Arthur was ordained as a minister in 1888. He moved to the densely populated areas to reach as many people as he could. He remained in China throughout the uprisings against foreigners and did not leave there until 1928, when he retired and returned to England. He died in 1935.

Sir Montagu Harry Proctor Beauchamp (1860 - 1939)

In 1900 Montagu was evacuated from China because of the uprisings but returned again to China in 1902. He then returned again to England in 1911 and served as a chaplain with the British Army. His son became a second-generation missionary in China and in 1935 he went back to China; he died at his son's mission station in 1939

Dixon Hoste (1861 - 1946)

Dixon succeeded Hudson Taylor as the Director of the China Inland Mission and for thirty years, he led the Mission. He retired in 1935 but remained in China until 1945, when he was interned by the Japanese. He died in London, in May 1946 and was the last remaining member of the "The Cambridge Seven" to die.

Dixon said, "The man who does not learn to wait upon the Lord and have his thoughts molded by Him will never possess that steady purpose and calm trust, which is essential to the exercise of wise influence upon others, in times of crisis and difficulty."

These faithful men had served God for their generation. Their testimonies proved that when lives are fully committed to the Lord, they will create great impact upon their generation for the kingdom of God. May God raise up more faithful men and women to serve our generation.

By Rev Albert Kang

For further reading, please check out these publications: The Cambridge Seven by J.C. Pollock; A Cambridge Movement by J.C. Pollock; C.T. Studd: Cricketer and Pioneer by Norman Grubb; Student Volunteer Movement (notes) by Charles Mott.

Disappointment is His Appointment

Andrew Murray

During a low period in the life of noted author Andrew Murray, he wrote the following words: “He brought me here. He will keep me here. He will make this trial a blessing. He will bring me out again. Therefore, I am here by God’s appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time.” 

It is often said that “disappointment is his appointment.” We don’t see that in advance, only in reverse. Be encouraged. God knows what he is doing even when we don’t have a clue.

Extract from Ray Pritchard

Keep Believing Ministries

A prolific author and church pastor, Andrew Murray, was a 19th century missionary. He led many Christians in ministry to the indigenous black populations of South Africa.

God's Chair

A man's daughter had asked the local pastor to come and pray with her father. When the pastor arrived, he found the man lying in bed his head propped up on two pillows and an empty chair beside his bed. The pastor assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. 

"I guess you were expecting me," he said.

"No, who are you?" 

"I'm the new associate pastor at your local church,"  the pastor replied. "When I saw the empty  chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up." 

"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man.  "Would you mind closing the door?" 

Puzzled, the pastor shut the door. 

"I've never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. 

"But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it always went right over  my head. I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day about four years ago my best friend said  to me, 'Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of  having a conversation with Jesus. Here's what I suggest: Sit down  on a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I'll be  with you always.' Then just speak to him and listen in  the  same way you're doing with me right  now.'  So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day.  I'm careful, though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair,  she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me to off to the  funny farm." 

The pastor was deeply moved by the story and  encouraged the old guy to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, and returned to the church. 

Two nights later the daughter called to tell the pastor that her daddy had died that afternoon. 

"Did he seem to die in peace?" he asked. 

"Yes, when I left the house around two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me one of his jokes, and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange, in fact, beyond strange... really weird. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on a chair beside the bed." 

Following God in Obscurity

In Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, Eugene Peterson recounts the story of the fourth century church father Gregory of Nyssa whose brother Basil had arranged for him to be made bishop of Cappadocia. 

"Gregory objected," Peterson writes. "He didn't want to be stuck in such an out-of-the-way place. His brother told him he didn't want Gregory to obtain distinction from his church but to confer distinction upon it." 

Is this not what Christ wants for us as well? To seek the good of the small places in which he has placed us and to confer distinction upon them by serving him with humility there? The path of glory is often an obscure one. It is the way of the cross.

—John Koessler, "George Bailey Lassos the Moon," on his blog A Stranger in the House of God (3-18-10)

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More about

Saint Gregory of Nyssa

Early Church Father and Doctor of the Church

Gregory of Nyssa was the younger brother of St. Basil the Great and St. Macrina.  Born around 330 AD, Gregory married and spent several years of his life in secular employment before he entered the monastery founded by his elder brother.  He was consecrated Bishop of Nyssa in 371 and fought tirelessly for the Trinitarian faith of Nicaea that was reaffirmed by the great Creed of the Council of Constantinople, which he attended.  In the last few years of his life, he traveled a great deal since he was in great demand as a preacher, teacher, and spiritual writer. 

St. Gregory of Nyssa was a theologian of great depth and originality.  He wrote famous treatises against trinitiarian herietics Eunomius and Apollinarius and instructed new Christians about the the Trinity, Incarnation, Redemption and Sacraments in his Catechetical Orations.  But his theological reflections far surpassed controversy and cathechesis--indeed, St. Gregory provides us with the first systematic presentation of Christian doctrine since Origen over 150 years earlier.  

Gregory wrote many reflections and commentaries on Scripture, most notably his Life of Moses and homilies on the Lord's Prayer, the Song of Songs, and the Beatitudes.  His most important contribution was in the area of spirituality.  While his brother gave eastern monasticism its structure and organization, Gregory provided its heart and mystical vision. For this reason he came to be know as "Father of Mysticism."

St. Gregory of Nyssa died around the year 395 AD and is revered as one of the greatest of the Eastern Church Fathers.  He, his brother Basil and their friend St. Gregory of Nazianzen, are known as the Cappadocian Fathers, from the region in modern Turkey from which they came.  His feast day is March 9th.

One Hundred Points

This guy dies and goes to heaven where he meets Peter at the Pearly Gates. Before he can enter Peter gives him a few questions to answer. He has to accumulate 100 points before he can go in.

"So, how often did you go to church?" Peter asks.

"I went every Sunday and Wednesday," replied the man.

"That's one point," answers Peter.

"One point? wow! I figured it would be worth more than that."

"And did you give in the offerings?" asked Peter.

"Yes, I gave 10% of all my income every week," answered the man.

"Well, let's see," answers Peter, "that's worth 3 points. Did you do anything else?"

"Well, right off hand, I can't think of a whole lot. I did mostly what I thought I was supposed to do."

"Well, we'll give you 5 points for good behavior, can't you come up with something else?"

By this time, the man is completely flustered. He finally cries, "Well, I can't come up with anything else. It looks like that no one can enter heaven except by the Grace of God!"

"100 points! Come on in!"

Wit & Wisdom - May 5, 1998

Ruling By Being Obedient

In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made application to Pryor Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. 

"Your Majesty," said Prior Richard, "do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king." 

"I understand," said Henry. "The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you." 

"Then I will tell you what to do," said Prior Richard. "Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you." 

When King Henry died, a statement was written: "The King learned to rule by being obedient." 

When we tire of our roles and responsibilities, it helps to remember God has planted us in a certain place and told us to be a good accountant or teacher or mother or father. Christ expects us to be faithful where he puts us, and when he returns, we'll rule together with him. 

Steve Brown, Key Biscayne, Florida.

Can You Sleep When The Wind Blows?

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer.

"Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him.

"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him.

The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters.

He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot.

Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down.

Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

MORAL: When you're prepared spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life?

The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We, as believers in Christ, secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God. We don't need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the midst of the storms.

Sleep well.

Contribution and Commitment

A pig and a chicken were walking by a church where a gala charity event was taking place. 

Getting caught up in the spirit, the pig suggested to the chicken that they each make a contribution.

"Great idea!" the chicken cried. "Let's offer them ham and eggs?"

"Not so fast," said the pig. "For you, that's a contribution. For me, it's a total commitment."