More Jim Elliot
No man has enlarged my vision and challenged my faith like the young martyr, Jim Elliot. His diary, like David Brainerd’s, has impacted thousands of lives with its passion to know and please Jesus Christ and his willingness to die to see his glory spread to the ends of the earth. See if his words to not spark a desire and a decision in you that will not be satisfied with being a “nice” Christian. Get ready to be rocked!
Glad to get the opportunity to preach the gospel of that matchless grace of our God to stoical pagan Indians. Oh what a privilege to be made a minister of the things of the “happy God.” I only hope that He will let me preach to those who have never heard that name of Jesus. What else is worth while in this life? I have heard of nothing better. “Lord, send me.”
Flood of peace within this morning as I seek God’s face. “He came preaching peace to you which are far off.” Lord Jesus, I thank Thee that Thou didst banish the very principle of distance from the Cross. Thou wast forsaken, thrust away from God, that Thou shouldst bring me near. Grace! All grace.Prayed a strange prayer today. I covenanted with the Father that He would do either of two things: either glorify Himself to the utmost in me or slay me. By His grace I shall not have His second best. For He heard me , I believe, so that now I have nothing to look forward to but a life of sacrificial sonship [that’s how my Savior glorified Him] or heaven- soon. Perhaps tomorrow! What a prospect!We are so ordinary, so common place, while we profess to know a Power the Twentieth Century does not reckon with. But we are harmless, and therefore unharmed. We are spiritual pacifists, non-militants, conscientious objectors in this battle to the death with principalities and powers in high places. Meekness must be had for contact with men, but brass, outspoken boldness is required to take part in the comradeship of the Cross. We are sideliners- coaching and criticizing the real wrestlers while content to sit by and leave the enemies of God unchallenged. The world cannot hate us, we are to much like its own. Oh that God would make me dangerous!“Enjoyed prayer, not for the thrusting out of laborers so much as for their heart-preparation in learning to know Christ. What a ragged, shoddy thing Christianity has come to be, honoring men and means, places and crowds- O Lord, deliver me from the spirit of this faithless generation. How I should long to see the simplicity and powerful beauty of the New testament fellowship reproduced, but no one seems to be similarly exercised here, so I must wait. O Christ, let me know Thee- let me catch a glimpse of Thyself, seated and expectant in glory, let me rest there despite all wrong surging around me. Lead me in the right path, I pray.”Te Lord is a hard taskmaster, telling me to rejoice and sing a praise-psalm when things oppress. Naturally, I rebel and quote Proverbs 25:20, ‘As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather….so is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart.’ Sympathize’, I cry, and he peels off my overcoat of self-pity by saying, ‘Praise, child, and be warmed within! Ever notice that? Whenever I want comfort he tells me to ‘count it all joy,’ and then queerly, I heed, and it all becomes sweet.”
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Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By Dr. Gary Rieben. © Give Me That Book. Email: Grieben@aol.com. Website: www.GiveMeThatBook.org. Postal: GMTB | P.O. Box 1045| La Quinta, CA 92247 USA | 619.829.2390
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