I’ve been reading some stuff by Andrew Murray. He was a powerful evangelist in the 1800s. Most of his ministry was in South Africa. He was a contemporary of John G. Lake and Spurgeon. This is a quote from his book titled “Experiencing the Holy Spirit.”
“Man has two great enemies by whom the devil tempts him and with whom he has to contend. The one is the world without, the other is the self-life within. This last, the selfish Ego, is much more dangerous and stronger than the first. It is quite possible for a man to have made much progress in forsaking the world while the self-life retains full dominion within him. You see this fact illustrated in the case of the disciples. Peter could say with truth: “Lo! we have left all and followed Thee.” Yet how manifestly did the selfish Ego, with its self-pleasing and its self-confidence, still retain its full sway over him.”
I heard a story by Dan Mohler about a kid in Indonesia. I may not get it completely correct but I think you will get the point. There were some Muslims that came into a Christian camp. They were there to make a point. They grabbed this 15-year-old boy and put him in the center of a circle with the rest of the camp watching. They had machetes and meant business. They told the boy that he could live if he renounced Christ and gave his allegiance to Allah. He replied, “I don’t know if there is an Allah. I only know I am a soldier in the army of the Lord and Christ.” The men then proceeded to cut his arm off. OK, pretty graphic from here so I will leave it out. The boy died but replied the same every time they told him to renounce Jesus. Here is the link to the entire message: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3KGGTVLPf8
So when you hear stuff like this what do you think? For some they may get angry and begin to question. For some they may wish harm on the offenders. For all of us we are stunned. There is a good part to the story. After the boy falls to the ground there is such mass confusion the attackers don’t know what to do. They run away. Totally Angel of the Lord stuff.
For me I put myself in the place of the boy. Could I do what he did? The answer is no, sort of. Jesus in me could. He already did. So I saw myself for the first time completely surrendered to His life and able to follow through. It was a powerful and humbling moment in my life. Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death. How could we give anything less if we are living His life?
I must say after that experience I will never be the same. It is like a door has opened to a new freedom. I so much want more of Him. He really is our savior. He really is our deliverer. He really can transform us. He really can renew our minds. He really does give us a measure of faith that we couldn’t conceive in our natural self. Don’t you want that? Surrender to His transforming power in love.
Yay Jesus!
Lance
alancetotheheart 