Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Touched by a Testimony



   I read a testimony from a dear friend of mine the other day and I have decided to share this excerpt. This is from a missionary in a creative access country, where sharing the gospel comes with great risks. It blessed me, convicted me and challenged me and I can only hope and pray that it does the same to and for you.  Here it is.
     I went to the gathering of our small international group. As I entered the room, I saw that everyone was crying. My friends told me that a man from our group had been killed in a motorbike accident. I did not know him well, but he was the worship leader at our gatherings, and he had a real heart for worship. He and his wife and children have lived in this country for several years, and he was greatly loved by everyone who knew him. He had a great passion for life, for music, for people, and for his Lord. In a room filled with grief, we started to worship and then listened to the message from the preacher. God was comforting us through his Word. Halfway through the message, a group of people entered the room. They were local people, who had heard of our friend’s death and came to sympathize. They sat near the front and were crying uncontrollably. At the end of the service, we closed with a song. The chorus says: “And I will trust in You alone...” Despite the hurt of loosing a brother, people were lifting hands to the Lord, and the presence of the Holy Spirit was there. I looked at our local friends and thought, “they must think we are crazy.” How do we explain that we can have joy in the midst of sorrows.
     A few days later we had a memorial service. The little church was packed and the majority of those present were local people who loved him and came to say goodbye. During the service, many people shared about how this man had touched their lives, but I was mostly touched by the testimonies of his local friends who fearlessly shared about the hope they had found through their friendship with him. At one point, his wife shared something he had written years ago about the meaning of life and that death has no hold on us anymore. We ended the service with some of his favorite songs. As we worshiped our King, people all over the room were crying and laughing. His wife was dancing with her arms in the air. I looked around at our local friends who did not understand this joy. This is foolishness to the world. I thought of the hope our friend had and how Christ was glorified throughout his life, and even in his death.
     In that moment of worship, I prayed to God that my life would also shine...that whatever time I have in this country, would be used to make Him known...that He would be glorified though my life. I also prayed that as this faithful servant has died, God would raise up 10...20…100 fold more servants and that others will count the cost and come in his place to continue the
work.
Though we cannot share this missionary’s identity in public, please pray for God’s blessings and protection.  

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