Klaus and Michael: A Story of Persevering in Prayer

Klaus-Dieter John and Michael were best friends, and both Christians. Michael hadn't always been, but he had happily given his heart to the Saviour after attending church with Klaus. At the advice of Klaus' father,  Michael had begun reading his Bible regularly afterwards. Unfortunately, Michael's hot-tempered mother found out, and forbade him to associate with Klaus at all. It didn't help that the Johns were not members of the state churches, but rather a Baptist minority. Michael's mother was convinced that her son would return to "normal" if only he stayed away from Klaus and his family. Michael sadly related his mother's decision to his friend as they walked home from school one afternoon.

Naturally, this disheartened Klaus, but  he didn't sink into despondency over it. Instead, upon reaching home, he went into his room and closed the door. Grabbing his Bible, he read its interpretation of Luke 18:1-8. The KJV renders it this way:

"And He spake a parable unto them [to this end,] that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not GOD, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not GOD, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not GOD avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?"

After reading, Klaus kneeled down and prayed, telling GOD that this passage said that He heard people's prayers, and that he was asking GOD to change Michael's mother's mind so that he and Michael could hang out together like before.

 For two days, there seemed to be no change. Michael now took a different way home so as to avoid him, and Klaus didn't see him anymore, but that didn't deter Klaus; whenever he thought of it, he would pray and remind GOD of what He had said. On the third day, Michael was running to meet up with Klaus. All smiles, he said that his mother had told him to never mind about what she had said--he and Klaus could be friends once more!

Klaus was overjoyed, and as I read this account*, so was I. GOD does answer prayer, so long as we have persistence and faith. It should be noted that we can only gain these by waiting, and that is why, though GOD is more willing to answer us than the judge was the widow, He does not do so instantly. It is for our own good that we must do this.  And so, no matter how dark things look, don't give up! It may take three days, three weeks, three months, even three years, but if we keep on trusting and following Him, Jesus will answer our prayers in the best way possible--and in the meantime, we will receive the additional blessing of character refinement!

Blessings,
Jean

*Read it for yourself in Klaus-Dieter John: Hope in the Land of the Incas by Janet and Geoff Benge.







  

Prideful Pilate

Pilate was not only pliable, but also prideful. That pride was in part what kept him from discovering for certain the answer to his age-old question, "What is truth?" (John 18:38).

When Pilate questioned Jesus as to whether He was a king, Jesus asked him: "Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of Me?" (v. 34).

"The Spirit of God was striving with Pilate. The question of Jesus was intended to lead him to examine his own heart more closely. Pilate understood the meaning of the question. His own heart was opened before him, and he saw that his soul was stirred by conviction. But pride arose in his heart, and he answered: 'Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered Thee unto me: what hast Thou done?' Pilate’s golden opportunity had passed." The Story of Jesus, pg. 126.

That wasn't the only opportunity. After Pilate's inquiry, the Saviour went on to explain the nature of His kingdom, which made the governor again ask if he were a king. "Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice" (v. 37).

"Pilate had a desire to know the truth. His mind was confused. He eagerly grasped the words of the Saviour, and his heart was stirred with a great longing to know what the truth really was, and how he could obtain it. He asked Jesus: 'What is truth?'" Ibid., pg. 126.

The Bible tells us that after he asked Jesus, Pilate returned to the scene of tumult. He never knew what Jesus would have said. If he hadn't resisted the first time, he would have known the answer. Thankfully, we can know it. In the previous chapter, verse 17, He said, "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth."

And yet, how many of us refuse the answer, even though it's right in front of us, for the very same reason Pilate missed his golden opportunity? How many of us refuse that which could give us life because it doesn't flatter us, because it doesn't mesh with our plans? All of us have been there at some point, to some degree; there's no denying it. Some, however, have admitted that this is indeed the truth, and submitted to it--though it hurts, in more ways than one. The result? They have found it to be their "shield and buckler", as the psalmist said  they would (Psalm 91:4). May we all choose--initially and continually--to see past our pride, and grasp the truth with mind and heart! We will not be disappointed.

Blessings,
Jean
    
 

Pliable Pilate

We all know that Jesus was crucified at the command of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Yet how many of us realize that there is a lesson for everyone in this man's decision? Yes, a lesson for you and me.

In the morning, the chief priests and the elders took Jesus to Pilate and falsely accused Him before the governor, saying that Jesus had said to not give tribute to Caesar. Pilate was amazed that Jesus had nothing to say for Himself when it came to the charges laid against Him. After Pilate examined Jesus in the judgment hall, he returned to the people and said, "I find in Him no fault [at all.]" (Matthew 27:1; Luke 23:2; Matthew 27:12-14; John 18:38).

Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent, and that the people had brought Him there, not for any just reason, but because they envied Him (Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10). After declaring that he believed Jesus to be guiltless and then finding out that He was a Galilean, Pilate sent Him to Herod, who had jurisdiction of Galilee. Herod couldn't find anything by which to convict Jesus as a criminal either, and had Him returned to Pilate (Luke 23:6-11).


"And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, Said unto them, Ye have brought this Man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined [Him] before you, have found no fault in this Man touching those things whereof ye accuse Him: No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto Him" (Luke 23:13-15).

Once again, Pilate asserts that Jesus has done no wrong; but then, the fateful words: "I will therefore chastise him, and release [Him]" (v. 16). "Here Pilate showed his weakness. He had acknowledged that Christ was innocent; then why should he punish Him? It was a compromise with wrong. The Jews never forgot this through all the trial. They had intimidated the Roman governor, and now pressed their advantage until they secured the condemnation of Jesus." Ellen White, The Story of Jesus, pg. 133.

So it was. From then on, the more Pilate sought to release Christ, the more adamant the Jews became in seeking His crucifixion. Eventually they cried, "If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar" (John 19:12). "This was touching Pilate in a weak place. He was already under suspicion by the Roman government, and he knew that a report of this kind would be his ruin." Ibid., pg. 137.

The governor tried to escape from sentencing the Saviour by literally washing his hands of the matter (Matthew 27:24). "In vain Pilate tried to free himself from the guilt of condemning Jesus. Had he acted promptly and firmly at the first, carrying out his convictions of right, his will would not have been overborne by the mob; they would not have presumed to dictate to him. His wavering and indecision proved his ruin. He saw that he could not release Jesus, and yet retain his own position and honor." Ibid., pg. 137.

Pilate was pliable, and a lover of his rank and reputation more than a lover of right. He could not hold on to both; he must choose, and sadly he decided to surrender the latter in favor of the former. "But in spite of his precautions, the very thing he dreaded afterward came upon him. His honors were stripped from him, he was cast down from his high office, and, stung by remorse and wounded pride, not long after the crucifixion he ended his own life." Ibid., pg. 137.

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 6:24; 16:25).

We have seen what happens when one allows himself to be swayed this way and that by those around him, when he tries to have the best of both worlds; he meets with total loss--temporally and spiritually. May we learn from the life of Pilate, and choose, not to be pliable or pleasure-loving as he was, but completely unyielding where the truth is concerned--even willing to give up all that the world has to offer for its sake! In so doing, we will gain what can never be lost.

Blessings,
Jean


 
 

 

 

 

 

 

  

A Chronicle of Cups and Conscience

*Lily* and *Rose* had made the acquaintance of *Rachel* and *Tony*, a mother and son. They were very nice people, and the two sisters began to spend a lot of time with them. There was just one difference between the two groups: Lily and Rose were Christians, while Rachel and Tony were not. The girls tried to be good witnesses; but often their overall approach was clumsy, and Rose capitulated much of the time. Sometimes Lily would too, but she managed to stand firm for a while longer on the larger things, refusing to watch movies or engage in meaningless conversations. As time went on, however, her remaining willpower began to erode, until at last she joined in. She tried to lose herself in the fun and frolic, but always there seemed to be a convicting Voice in the back of her mind, marring her enjoyment.

One day, the group went to a mall. This mall had a store that sold many things from various Disney movies. Lily and Rose were not unfamiliar with these things--they hadn't grown up followers of Christ--but Lily especially felt that it shouldn't be a part of their lives anymore, considering what they claimed to be. All of this passed through Lily's mind as she entered the store, for the voice of conscience was still very much present, and it left her feeling very uneasy. Then she saw a cup with a character she used to really love on it. As she stared at it, memories of the movie and its pleasure came to her--that, along with the Holy Spirit's pleadings to resist the temptation. A battle raged in Lily's mind as she pondered these things.

"Do you want one?" It was Rachel speaking.

Time seemed to stand still as the girl hesitated, her mental disturbance greater than before. Now there was the question, How can I say no to Rachel? I would love to write that Lily called on Jesus and refused, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Her own desires, coupled with this invitation from someone she had grown to love, proved too much for her weakened will.

"Yes," Lily replied, and along with Rose, chose the particular cup she wanted. The gleeful face of the character and the happy orange background did nothing to increase her own happiness as she held it. She knew she had done wrong yet again, and try as she might, she could not look at that mug afterwards without remembering something of that day.

Lily did use the cup, and kept it for a long time, but as her love for her LORD was rekindled, she hated to even bring it out of the cabinet to where others could see it. Eventually neither she nor Rose used them, and they sat on the shelf out of sight, until the day they were thrown away.

Thankfully, Lily and Rose never lost the presence of the Holy Spirit entirely, and were able to untangle themselves from the mess they created. Even so, both admit that it would have been far better if they had listened all that time. May their experiences be a lesson to us. Will you listen when "thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This [is] the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isaiah 30:21)?

Blessings,
Jean

A Lesson from the Life of Henry Moorhouse

For those of you who don't know, Henry (or Harry, as he is sometimes called) Moorhouse was an English lad who was raised in a home that was Methodist only in name. Despite this, his Sunday school teacher was able to show him the love of Christ, and sow seeds of truth in his mind. Unfortunately for him, they were forgotten for a time as he developed friendships with wicked youth and plunged into a life of misery and sin. Different people along the way sought to turn him to Jesus, but to seemingly no avail. One night Henry and some friends were in a back alley. While he continued on, they seemed drawn to something in a nearby building, and motioned for him to come along. When he asked what was going on, they told him, "Lots of drink and fun!" as a practical joke. By this time, strains of a hymn reached Henry's ears, but strangely, he felt like going in. It was there that he was wholly converted. While he did not have all the truth, and reached a few erroneous conclusions, he had much correct.

One of the first things I learned about Henry was that he used to be a pick pocket, and after his conversion he still struggled with the urge to steal. His solution? Boxing gloves. Henry would wear these when he went out because he could not grab anything (especially what wasn't his) when he had them on. This incident impressed me. Henry obviously believed that GOD had forgiven him for his past thefts, and that GOD could give him the victory over this terrible habit; but he also knew that GOD wouldn't just hand him the victory on a silver platter, and that he had a work to do, a part to play, as well--hence the gloves. Bible teaching is in perfect harmony with this way of thinking. Paul tells us, "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfill] the lusts [thereof]" (Romans 13:14). In doing this, Henry was making sure his fleshly nature couldn't get the better of him. After a time, he no longer needed the gloves, for the desire had left. "Submit yourselves therefore to GOD. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). Henry submitted and resisted by making no provision, and came off victor. May we all seek to do the same.

Blessings,
Jean