GOD DID IT!
Pastor Cymbala told of the Pakistani Christians under siege and how the Holy Spirit had made a way for us to help them. But the story didn't end there.
On Saturday night of the same week, Steve, our CFO, called me. He had just been talking to the minister from Pakistan, and news was grim. The pastor told Steve that something had set off the Muslims again during their evening call to prayer. "He said they're shouting, 'Death to the Christians! Death to the Christians!' He's afraid of what might be coming." Steve and I agreed that we would both pray that night and that the next day we would ask the church to pray as well. (Pakistani Christians)
The next morning, I, Pastor Cymbala, went to The Brooklyn Tabernacle, (his church), and prepared for our Sunday nine o'clock service. My associate pastors and I were in my office, along with some of our prayer band members — seven or eight church members who pray with us before the services and then stay together and pray for us during each service.
We finished praying. I was on my way to the elevator when one of the volunteers who was answering our phones that day called out to me. . .
"Pastor Cymbala, there's a phone call for you."
"I can't take it now; the service is about to begin."
"Pastor, the call is from Pakistan."
I made a U-turn. The call came through to my phone. I answered. It was the Pakistani minister. There was terror in his voice.
I asked, "What's going on?"
"We are trapped on the roof on a house. I'm up here with other believers from our church. There is a mob in the square carrying torches. They are working themselves into a frenzy. They are screaming, 'Death to the Christians! Death to the Christians!"
"Okay," I said. "Be strong, brother. I'm going into our Sunday service now. And we're going to pray."
I hung up the phone and went downstairs as fast as I could. The service had begun, and the congregation was singing. I walked directly to the pulpit and interrupted the meeting. For the benefit of those who had not been at the prayer meeting, I told them what had happened on Tuesday. I then told the congregation what was happening in Pakistan at that very moment.
"We need to pray right now!" I said.
The Holy Spirit helped us, and we prayed fervently, our hearts united in prayer for our Pakistani brothers and sisters in Christ. We continued praying for several minutes. Then a sense of peace settled over everyone. We felt confident that God had heard our prayer.
On Monday, Steve called and told me that he had talked to the Pakistani pastor again. And I thought, "Thank God he's alive!"
"Is he okay?" I asked.
"He's fine, But you're not going to believe what happened."
Steve then related the story.
"The Pakistani church members had been stranded on the roof, clinging to one another. Shortly after the pastor called me, dark clouds formed in the sky. It got dark, almost as dark as it gets after the sun goes down. Then it began to rain torrentially. It rained so hard that the crowd scattered and ran to their homes. And that was that. The tension was broken, and the Christians were able to get down from the roof and return to their homes."
Even now, when I look back on it, the whole story amazes me. It was something that only the Lord through His Holy Spirit could have done!
(This was taken from FAN THE FLAME by JIM CYMBALA) (pp. 93-95)
Let's pray-
Father, we are awed with what You did for our Pakistanian friends! What a perfect way to put out the torches and their animosity against the Christians there on the roof of the building! No one but You could have come up with such a solution to save them! Thank You for sending the rain! We know that it encouraged those Christians to see how fast You solved their real problem that night in answer to prayers by far away friends! In the mighty name of Jesus, we give You praise! Amen.
"We can't fight cancer, but we can walk victoriously through this day. Our joy is not because of our circumstances, but because we have an eternal relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ. Since our joy comes from the Holy Spirit and not by human effort, we can be like the Proverbs 31 woman who "laughs at days ahead.' We have joy and giggles, rest and stillness because God is fighting for us, and He never loses. Tie a 'joy ribbon' around your heart today and laugh!"
#106 Testimony- A friend's friend
She was having a major surgery and they had to remove a large tumor. They had prayed that it would not be cancerous, and it wasn't! She is home recovering. The same thing happened with another friend who had a mass on her ovary. They prayed and it was not cancerous either!
MY STORY: GrammaJean
When in Vermont years ago, living in a small trailer out in the open field we were buying, a wind storm suddenly came up. The trailer started to rock, so I called out on the name of Jesus! The strong wind immediately stopped!
Another time, when we'd built a roof on the side of that trailer, covering our storage area and entrance, the wind again began to blow things around. I called out on the name of Jesus, and the wind stopped!
Another time, while driving home from a church meeting in Moira, here in NY, the snow was coming down so heavily, that I couldn't see the road to drive safely, so I prayed quietly to Jesus for help! (I had three ladies with me and I needed to get them safely to Potsdam!) The snow immediately became a flurry, and when a car sped past us, I followed it all the way into Potsdam! Truly, God hears and answers prayer!
(If you have a story of God's help, let me know of it, so I can share it too! Thanks. (With or without your first name.)
1826-1830 One-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted-
1826- Ez. 20:44a "And you will know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you
for my name's sake."
1827- Is. 55:4 "Behold, I have given him . . . a leader and commander to the people."
1828- Jer. 4:2a "The LORD, liveth in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness."
1829- Lam. 3:39a "Wherefore doth a living man complain?"
1830- Ps. 119:90a "Thy faithfulness is unto all generations."
#106 Hymn- O God Our Help in Ages Past
Another hymn in Isaac Watts' 1719 Psalms of David is based on Psalm 90,and is perhaps Watts' most bracing hymn. It was planed on the radio by the BBC as soon as Word War II was declared, and was later sung at the funeral service of Winston Churchill. Some of the original verses have fallen into disuse, but as you read them, think of the ailing hymnist, sitting at the desk in his room on the Abne estate, pouring over Psalm 90 and penning these words:
"Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home."
Some encouraging words-
"I'm not sinless but saved, not perfect but forgiven, not rejected but chosen, and not unloved but cherished. This identity in Christ comes through grace. Amazing grace!"
Church Notes: GOD REMEMBERED!
1) He is the Star of Exodus. He remembered His covenant w/ Abraham, Isaac & Jacob.
He promised that all families would be blessed through them.
He promised to stay with them.
Satan wants us to forget God's covenant, and bring hard times.
We're strengthened through trusting God in the hard times!
Weakness tends to develop during good times.
We forget. God remembers and hears our cries.
2) We're not to forget that Jesus saves us and He's our Deliverer!
3) God won't let His children forget, but will remind them of His Goodness.
4) We must be born again of God's Spirit.
We're to be prepared to help others know Him.
Satan offers bribes to forget. But we will remember, as God will help us!
Upcoming posts:
5/9- BE CAREFUL! -Alyson Kieda
16th- SMALL BEGINNINGS- Kristen Holmberg
23rd- THE EXCHANGE- Jasmine Goh
Jean's blog (Click to see snippets of the 7 recent posts)
