Feel free to cut and paste the following email ministry stories.

Send to your friends, co-workers, and loved ones. If you have an email ministry

story, please send it 

 

 

 

********

A Little Girls Prayer (This is a true story)

 

Helen Roseveare, a missionary doctor from England to Zaire Africa, told

this as it happened to her in Africa.

 

"One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite

of all we could do she died leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying

two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we

had no incubator. (We had no electricity to run an incubator.) We also had no

special feeding facilities.

 

Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous

drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and

the cotton wool the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up

the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to

tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst. Rubber perishes easily in

tropical climates. "And it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed.

 

As in the West it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa

it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not

grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

 

"All right," I said, "Put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and

sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. "Your job

is to keep the baby warm."

 

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any

of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the

youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them

about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm

enough, mentioning the hot water bottle. The baby could so easily die if

it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her

mother had died. During the prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed

with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. "Please, God," she

prayed, "send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby

will be dead, so please send it this afternoon."

 

While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added by way of a

corollary, "And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the

little girl so she'll know You really love her?"

 

As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly

say, "Amen?" I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes,

I know that He can do everything. The Bible says so. But there are limits,

aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would

be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for

almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from

home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water

bottle? I lived on the equator!

 

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training

school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the

time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the verandah, was a

large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not

open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we

pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper,

taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty

or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top,

I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out.

Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children

looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas -- that would

make a nice batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again,

I felt the.... could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out -- yes, a brand-new,

rubber hot water bottle!

 

I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.

Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out,

"If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!"

 

Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small,

beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted. Looking

up at me, she asked: "Can I go over with you, Mummy, and give this dolly

to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?"

 

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my

former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's

prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the

girls had put in a dolly for an African child -- five months before -- in answer

to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "that afternoon."

 

"Before they call, I will answer!" Isa 65:24 

 

*******

The Refiner

 

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."  
 
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what

this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
 
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back

to the group at their next Bible Study.
 
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch

him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest

beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.    
 
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it

heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the

middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
 
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought

again about the verse that says:  "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."  She

asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the

whole time the silver was being refined.  
 
The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he

had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was

left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
 
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you

know when the silver is fully  refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's

easy -- when I see my image in it"
 
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on

you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you. Pass this on

right now. This very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching

over them.

*******

 

He is the First and the Last

 

He is the First and Last,
the Beginning and the End!
He is the keeper of Creation
and the Creator of all!
He is the Architect of the universe
and the Manager of all times.
He always was,
He always is,
and He always will be...

Unmoved,
Unchanged,
Undefeated,
and never Undone!

He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!

The world can't understand him,
The armies can't defeat Him,
The schools can't explain Him,
and The leaders can't ignore Him.

Herod couldn't kill Him,
The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him,
and The people couldn't hold Him!

Nero couldn't crush Him,
Hitler couldn't silence Him,
The New Age can't replace Him,
and Donahue can't explain Him away!

 

He is light,
love,
longevity,
and Lord.

He is goodness,
Kindness,
Gentleness,
and God.

He is Holy,
Righteous,
mighty,
powerful,
and pure.

His ways are right,
His Word is eternal,
His will is unchanging,
and His mind is on me.

He is my Redeemer,
He is my Savior,
He is my guide, and
He is my peace!

He is my Joy,
He is my comfort,
He is my Lord, and
He rules my life!

I serve Him because
His bond is love,
His burden is light,
and His goal for me is abundant life.

I follow Him because
He is the wisdom of the wise,
the power of the powerful,
the ancient of days,
the ruler of rulers,
the leader of leaders,
the overseer of the overcomers,
and the sovereign Lord of all that was and
is and is to come.

His goal is a relationship with ME!
He will never leave me,
never forsake me,
never mislead me,
never forget me,
never overlook me.

When I fall, He lifts me up!
When I fail, He forgives!
When I am weak, He is strong!
When I am lost, He is the way!
When I am afraid, He is my courage!
When I stumble, He steadies me!
When I am hurt, He heals me!
When I am broken, He mends me!
When I am blind, He leads me!
When I am hungry, He feeds me!
When I face trials, He is with me!
When I face persecution, He shields me!
When I face problems, He comforts me!
When I face loss, He provides for me!
When I face Death, He carries me Home!

He is everything for everybody everywhere,
every time, and every way.
He is God,

He is faithful.
I am His,
and He is mine!

If you're wondering why I feel so secure,
understand this...

He said it and that settles it
God is in control,
and that means all is well with my soul

Everyday is a blessing for GOD Is!

I love the Lord and thank Him for all that
he does in my life

Especially when all seems bleak
I must stay meek
I must seek
A fresh anointing
Pray for understanding
That situations are only a setup for blessings
Testimonies of overcoming transgressions
His way of guiding me in my ascension!

He is Lord!
Forever and ever and ever..

Amen