April 18 2018 – Click here to listen
I did a television interview on Cornerstone TV and the host and I talked for a few minutes before we taped his show, and the subject came up of both of us having several experiences of facing death up close and personal and surviving. He told me of an experience that he had in the Sudan where he was visiting an orphanage with 300 kids and suddenly armed rebels surrounded the camp. They had every intent of killing everyone in the compound which was nearly defenseless with only a handful of missionaries and workers.
He was urged by one of the orphanage employees to pick up an AK 47 and help defend the kids, but since he was a man of God he refused, insisting that instead he would be more useful if he spent his time praying for their safety. Next, they tried to hand him some hand grenades and insisted that he use them when the rebels came through the bamboo fence surrounding the compound. Again, he refused and went to the corner of the room and prayed for about an hour.
When he was finished he told his friend that he was going to bed. He was promptly told that if he did so, that he would die in his sleep. He responded if that were the case, when he opened his eyes again he would see the face of Jesus, or if not, he would see the face of his friend again. Either way would be fine with him.
He saw the face of his friend and the compound was never attacked.
Later he was told that the armed men that had surrounded the camp were encountered by government forces later in the week and half of them were killed, (75 men). The others were captured and when each was interviewed and asked why they did not attack the nearly defenseless orphanage, to the man they all responded that it was because it was surrounded by a great army and they were afraid to risk it.
I wondered aloud if the great army that they had seen were angels like the vision of Elisha’s servant as recorded in 2 Kings. Had the Lord opened the eyes of the rebels to see the vast army in order to scare them away and spare the orphanage and its missionary staff? He agreed that must have been the case.
I don’t fear death and neither does my new friend. This is not bravado-talk on our parts because we have both faced it up close and personal numerous times and did not blink. We don’t fear death because we have tremendous faith in God and are certain that when we cross the threshold into eternity that we will see the face of Jesus Christ and enter His rest forever.
It is a comforting feeling my friends and one anyone can know. We have faith and according to the Bible faith comes from hearing the word of God. The more we hear it the more faith we have.
I urge you to shore up your faith today. Read the Bible daily; begin in Romans and then read the New Testament followed by reading the Old Testament. Study commentary like Matthew Henry, J. Vernon McGee, Wesley, and others. Attend a Bible believing church and by all means get enrolled in a small group or Bible study class that goes through the Bible book by book.
God is still performing miracles and men and women of great faith get to experience God’s wonders in ministries all over the world. I urge you to participate; it is an indescribable feeling to witness and be a part of.
I’ve experienced it time and again in prison ministry where I never tire of seeing burly, murderous, hardened criminals, tougher than case hardened nails, with tattoos all over their muscled arms, standing with bowed heads in humility with tears streaming down their faces asking Jesus to come into their lives.
We need not be afraid, we are surrounded by the Lord’s army of angels and like my friend said, the face of Jesus awaits us whenever we finally do cross that line. So, what is to fear?
2 Kings 6:17
And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.