I am trusting the Holy Spirit to use what I learned in my inmost being from this next true story of faith to make me more ready to go the extra mile for God's Kingdom expansion like this family did.

This is another testimony coming from "Situation Psalms" by Ray Harrison.  Ray tells about a family in Yugoslavia who were filled with the passion of Jesus to get the good news of Jesus to their community and nation.  They turned their whole home/house into a Chrsitian bookstore so that it could be used to print and distribute Christian literature and they themselves moved upstairs to live in the attic, with their baby and small child!  Thank you Lord for this witness to devotion to you who died for us.

Mr. Harrison goes on to tell us that the lady of the house had a stroke later in life and it caused many to ask why?  He says we do not know why, but God does know why.  Do you know what?  As I thought about this briefly a possible insight from God may have flitted across my grey matter!  The idea came through that just like we humans are very fearful or disturbed by lightning striking and starting forest fires which endanger lives or by hurricanes blowing through and destroying homes- this stroke also stirs up our fears- even though God has his wise purposes.  The parallel when further to point out as an earlier blog article detailed- those hurricanes help to balance out the global weather and longevity of the people and planet.  Those hurricanes lift up those aerosols to the cloud cover to keep things on earth from getting to hot (the oceans) and bring more rain to needy areas.  So this dear womans stroke may have lifted up praises or testimony to God's goodness into the spiritual atmosphere within hearts or for angels to see and learn from as she bore with her suffering.    Hmmmm.  What do  you think?

Thanks again to DC Talk and Voice of the Martyrs for this testimony from the Philippines taken from their book "Jesus Freaks". 
During a riot among inmates in a Philippino Prison Jackie Hamill of Australia and another girl were taken hostage and raped.  Jackie remained calm and "radiantly focused on Jesus", singing hymns and presenting the gospel.  One of the inmates who was rioting threw down his gun and committed his life to Jesus then.  She was later shot in a shouut out between the prisoners and the soldiers, but she died singing and praying.

Lord, thank you for testimonies such as these which stir our hearts and spirits and build our kingdom understanding.  We pray that you might be continuing the work you started through Jackie and through this inmate.  May  your word be spreading through his cellmates, guards, enemies, friends, family and any children he has. Amen.

A testimony to ponder from Voice of the Martyrs and DC Talk in their book, "Jesus Freaks".   Thomas Hudson had not denied his faith in Jesus through lengthy questioning or while he was imprisoned in England in 1558.  Now he was walking to his execution.  Right before they fastened the chain upon his legs to be burned at the stake, he stopped and stepped aside.  He quickly kneeled and asked God in prayer for more strength and courage to die for Jesus.  He had sensed that his faith was weakening by doubts entering his mind.   He did not want to die while doubting, but in faith. He received comfort to go on. Then he bravely stood up went back to the executioner, was chained to the stake and the fire was lit.  Praise God who gives His children all the courage and faith they need for the things they are called to endure for His name's sake.  Praise God also that He is there in the flames with them and they are not alone, just like Thomas here and Meshach, Abednego and Shadrach before him.

I am always encouraged and refreshed in my faith in God's great ability to reach people's hearts in different cultures.  Here is a quick summary of Mattayo's story taken from Paul Eshleman's book, "I Just Saw Jesus".
Mattayo grew up in Kenya where teenage boys must prove their manhood by killing a lion with his own spear or dying.   When that time came Mattayo was able to kill the lion with his spear as was required.  On another day he and his friend were confronted by a lion and his friend was badly injured in the attack.  He then carried his mangled friend 20 kilometers to a mission station for medical help from missionaries.  The freind died after only a few hours, but Mattayo was told about Jesus from the missionaries there and received new life from Jesus as his savior.  When his friends found out about his new faith they stole his cattle and rejected him.  He left his village and began traveling from village to village telling others about Jesus the Savior.

Mattayo reminds me of a modern tribal Samson or David with his lion fighting experience similar to theirs.
As I was writing this testimony up for you, the Lord, I believe, quickened my heart or mind to see a spiritual parallel here.  We also have friends who have been seriously injured or mauled by a lion, a spiritual lion- Satan.  We need to be more vigilant in asking the Holy Spirit how we can carry our spiritually injured friends to Jesus for spiritual help like Mattayo did in Kenya.  Lord, please help us to have the courage to give our friends spiritual aid even at personal expense, like walking 20 km with aching arms like Mattayo to do all that we can do for our friends.  Please open our eyes to see when our friends worship family, pleasure, leisure, alcohol, drugs, sex or other idols in our culture.  Please quicken our hearts to respond and obey your leading on giving our friends spiritual CPR.  Amen.