Inspiring Stories (And Jokes) from 3ABN (And Elsewhere)

Inspiring Stories (and Jokes) from 3ABN (and elsewhere):

The Acid Test:

Man decides to sell his watch, thinking it was solid gold. It was the time when anything gold was being bought – and many were rushing to sell. The watch was special, given to him by his grandfather – it was like some sort of heirloom. He did not want to sell … but he was facing real difficult times … and he needed the money – real bad. You could really get a tidy sum for gold in those days. Going into the store he saw a line of persons going to sell. Having joined the line he saw some persons going up to the counter, speaking to the man there and then going round to a back room. Many came out of the room and left the store smiling – seemingly satisfied with the sale. However, there were some whose faces didn’t seem so pleasant (some were trying hard to hide their disappointment). The latter were disappointed because, maybe, they didn’t get the price they wanted. However, the man was confident his would fetch a good price – after all, it had to be solid gold – it was so special. Stepping up to the counter he was wondering if he would be disappointed like the some .. he discovered he had to sign an agreement that he was willing to subject the watch to some amount of testing – to see if it was really gold - to determine its true value. He was a bit cagey – hoping that those behind him might not be watching or listening too keenly – in case he is disappointed he would not feel too embarrassed. But then, he steeled himself and assured himself that the watch is solid gold, so he should have nothing to fear – after all, it was a heirloom! The first test was to scratch the watch – if the “gold” scratched off, of course, it would be proved to be a fake, a cover -up, just “gold coated” – Not the real thing. As the watch was scratched, of course, several persons in the line looked on – but the scratch test was passed! Then, it was time to go round to the back room – for the acid test. This time the man had to agree that a drop of acid be placed on the watch and he had to sign a piece of paper to attest to his permission. He was alone in the room with the storekeeper. Then came the decisive moment … one drop of acid was carefully placed on the watch.

The watch turned out to be just “gold-filled” not solid gold. Suffice it to say … he did not receive what he expected for the watch. Not to mention a deflated ego and a sense of disappointment that his heirloom was not real stuff that he thought it was after all.

It is usually easy to be good, be a great Christian, when we are only scratched. Many will stand up to scratches. A little hunger here or there, a little less pairs of shoes, no new fancy clothes for a while … but if we are really to face real hardship and privation, if we are to be persecuted for what we believe, if we are to risk losing a job, friends or … even our lives … how many of us would stand the test … the acid test? Let us put on the whole armor of God – that we may be able to stand! (Ephesians 6:10 – 18).

The flood was stopped:

The story is told of a lady, a member of a small Seventh-day Adventist Church that was threatened by a flood. The rains were falling heavily for days and it seemed very certain that the flood would certainly destroy the church … it all seemed inevitable. However, there was this old lady who believed that her God was in control of the elements and that He could control the flood. So, she stayed at the church praying for the entire night … the result was that, amazingly, the flood waters stopped only a few feet away from the front door of the church! The church was spared in spite of all the odds! Just because a faithful old lady prayed! (Praise the Lord!)

The Burly Policeman:

The story is told of a young man who was going across state to his uncle. However, he did not know the way very well … in fact he did not know the various neighborhoods that he would need to pass through in order to get there. As he journeyed he came off the bus and began to walk through a particular neighborhood. As he walked, suddenly he was made aware of someone as he was touched on his shoulder. As he turned around there was a tall burly policeman who said, “Son, what are you doing around these parts?” Well, I’m on my way to so and so. Well, the policeman said, this is not a very friendly neighborhood and you are certainly not safe around here. Besides, you are not really going in the right direction. The policeman then walked with him and talked with him for about fifteen minutes until they arrived at a particular point, near a main road. The policeman then told him: “Go across this road … you will see a place where you will find reasonable lodging for the night. In the morning you can go to such place and take a train to where your uncle lives.” The young man found the place and was happy to find that the cost of the lodging was within his ten-dollar budget to get to his uncle’s home.

He proceeded the next day, took the train and found his uncle’s place alright. After staying at his uncle’s a few days he was passing back the place that he had been walking with the burly policeman. He realized, as they traveled on and on, that it was totally impossible for a journey of that distance … from where he had first seen the policeman to where they arrived at the main road … to have taken only about fifteen minutes on foot. Suddenly, it dawned on him that the burly policeman was an angel... sent to protect him from the dangers he did not even knew existed. (Praise the Lord!)

We are in a spiritual warfare. The devil wants to get at us, he wants to destroy us … there are dangers unseen as we go along life’s journey. It is assuring to know that God cares and that He sends angels to protect those who love him. (Praise the Lord!!)

Immediate Answer to Prayer.

One day as a missionary went about his work he needed to go across a very vile, crime-filled neighborhood. He was a bit apprehensive and hesitated but, as he reasoned, he realized that he was not idling but was on the Lord’s work and was not going through the place unnecessarily, i.e. he was not putting himself in danger so, he prayed for God’s protection and proceeded. As he finished praying he saw three men approaching him … he knew that they had dangerous and maybe murderous intensions towards him … he was alone in the street … they were most likely coming to rob him, etc. As the men approached him a police car sped around the corner, took the three men and sped away … God took away the danger! He answers prayer!

The Sabbath … A Special Day!

As some students witnessed about the Lord and the Sabbath they were having difficulty convincing their fellow students as to the importance of the Sabbath. Suddenly the commandments appeared suspended in mid air in an adjacent room (they could see it as the doors of the rooms were opened). As they went closer to examine the strange sight, the commandments appeared again … this time with a glow around the fourth commandment! This supernatural happening had the effect of helping to convince the doubting students as to the importance of keeping the seventh-day Sabbath as a part of the Ten Commandments (happened in a student hostel somewhere in a country in the former Soviet Union). Praise the Lord!!

With God all Things are Possible.

As the Global Mission pioneer joined the ranks of those who are breaking new grounds taking the message of salvation to the world, he asked to be placed in the most difficult un-entered territory possible … as he entered a village in the area he heard weeping and wailing. As he proceeded he saw many persons weeping. When he enquired why they were crying he was told that a (beloved) young man – about 16 years old – had died. He was moved by this and asked to be taken to the boy’s home. When he went to the house he discovered that the boy’s body was still in the house and the traditional mourning was going on … the house was packed. When he went in he spoke to the parents and others around and told them that he served an omnipotent God that could bring back the young man to life. These people were heathen and did not serve the true and living God. As he offered to pray to his God to resurrect the boy he set out the following criteria … if there are those who do not believe it can happen … you must leave the room … (many persons left the room) and if you remain showing that you believe, you must be willing to kneel / bow down to the God to whom I will pray … only a very few persons were left in the room with him. They knelt and the missionary prayed a very earnest prayer to the God of the Universe … when he finished praying … in a few minutes the boy sat up in the bed … he was given life again!! The God of Heaven is an awesome God!!! Needless to say … many believed after the boy was resurrected and the entire village turned to the worship of the true God. PRAISE THE LORD!!

Choir Aglow…Instruments Disappear.

The KGB came to a small church one day to spy and to persecute, prosecute / arrest / harass the Christians. As the choir sang the officers noticed a glow around it. As the meeting ended the KGB officers went around to the back to seize the musical instruments the choir used … however, they were unable to find them no matter how they searched … although they had just been passed (quickly) through the windows as the members heard that the KGB officers were coming!

Feet, “get even”!

We do not know if Jesus ever spoke those words. However, we heard of the case where a Global Mission pioneer had entered a village and was able to make arrangements to preach to many members of the village at a particular venue. As the pioneer stood up to speak he recognized that the son of the village chief was in attendance and was sitting at the front row. The Chief’s son had a condition of one foot being shorter than the other. The pioneer prayed to God and, before everybody’s eyes the boy’s shorter foot grew to be the size of the other (normal) foot! We serve an Almighty God!

The lady that two dogs sent to church!

9.As she was introduced to the Bible and Jesus, this lady was not sure what to believe and, she resisted the Holy Spirit. She did not know if she should accept what she was told or not or, to attend the church to which she has been invited. As she walked down the road one day, coming from the shop, two vicious looking dogs came running straight at her. She ran and ran, as fast as she could – and all the time the dogs were getting closer and closer to her. She felt very desperate as she realized she could not outrun the dogs. I a desperate attempt to escape she ran into a churchyard, hoping that the dogs would then turn back. However, the dogs just stopped at the gate looking at her – she waited – but, they did not go away. So, she decided to go into the church. She went in, sat down and listened. She found the preaching to be very interesting and the preacher referred to and quoted from the Bible a lot. When the service was over, she went outside to find that the dogs were gone. She kept going back to the church – eventually, she was baptized.

Fed by a Cat!

Nicu Butoi: Was put in solitary confinement in prison as punishment because he was hated for preaching Jesus to others and, to the prisoners amongst whom he was placed. As they placed him in solitary confinement they expected him to starve … they would give him no food! After days in solitary confinement, as they checked on him he was quite healthy, alive, well and strong. They were amazed! How are you able to survive? You see, they had made the mistake of not only troubling God’s servant but had remarked: “let’s see if your God will help you now!” As Nicu prayed he trusted God to supply his need… and God honored his request. As he was in his cell he saw a cat jump up on the small window at the top of the cell … he had a piece of bread in his mouth … bread was something of a rarity in the prison … even under normal circumstances … the cat put down the bread, Nicu picked it up, removed the part that was in the cat’s mouth … and ate the rest! He then had water to drink … literally, God’s word was fulfilled “your bread and water shall be sure”! Praise the Lord!! This went on for days. It was discovered that the cat was the cat of the prison guard that was in charge of the prison … the very person who ordered the solitary confinement! ... and the cat was taking the bread straight from his dinner table to Nicu Butoi’s cell! Praise to the Lord, the King of Heaven.

One Text!

11. Nicu Butoi: As Nicu preached in Russia he was at a very large meeting with hundreds of listeners. There was a “showdown” brewing as the head of the Russian Orthodox Church that was severely opposing the meetings and was telling the people that Nicu and his kind were telling them lies / were just deceivers. As the people listed to Nicu they were convicted but they kept looking to see what the Orthodox Church leader would do / say. Nicu was then inspired by the Holy Spirit to do something unusual … he was aware that he really needed his car (a brand new Audi) … he was also acutely aware that any car – old or new – was in great demand in Russia. However, he obeyed the Holy Spirit … he offered his brand new car to the Russian Orthodox leader or any other person who could show one text in the Bible that authorizes Sunday – keeping. Of course, some people were extremely surprised as a “hushed roar” went up through the crowd. Everybody was looking at the head of the Orthodox Church to just supply the text and claim the car … but he did not move or say anything! Was he mysteriously paralyzed? No! Of course, he knew that there is no such text in the Bible! Suffice it to say that many persons were convinced about and accepted the Sabbath truth from that night!

12. Another story told on 3ABN that was / is very inspiring: The most feared (because he is so extremely wicked) prison guard becomes his friend! He gets to witness to all the prisoners by going round with the prison guard to do “punishment” work (“pretending” to mop cell floors but then, going in to witness to the men in the cells!) … on the Sabbath! Check Laymen Ministries for this story.

13. (a) James Carter gets a new bodyguard! A KGB agent/soldier that tried to kill him was converted … and volunteered to be his bodyguard for the rest of the time of the meetings! (b) Told to shut down the meetings in Kiev (1996): much opposition: no police protection – God provides police presence at the meetings – no public transportation would carry those to be baptized … many very large buses came from another Province! Thousands baptized! Victory in Jesus!

Pastor Micheff – driving along one day with three friends; suddenly impressed by the Spirit to stop; told driver to stop; asked why he wanted them to stop, said he didn’t know but must go over to the big white house near where they’d stopped; it was a hot day, the shutters of the house were down, doors and windows closed; as he knocked and no one answered his friends laughed; kept knocking, no answer as they laughed and said, perhaps no one is home / they didn’t hear you – knock louder; so he did. Suddenly the door burst open and a woman appeared and asked what he wanted … and she was very angry! He said he didn’t know but God had told him to come – she cursed again and said – follow me to the kitchen if you want! She & her 3 daughters were preparing to kill themselves! Her husband left the night before saying he wanted to be free – from the 3 children & her … He prayed, etc. went back and visited – the woman & her daughters were baptized within weeks!

Joke?

One man said to his wife, you know, Betty, my relationship with the Lord is such that I wouldn’t be very surprised if the Lord just translates me any time now! His wife replied: but, certainly, I and everyone else who know you would be terribly surprised! Indeed!

Dwight Nelson: In China – villagers lived in the mountains and farmed in the valley – one day those left behind in the mountains while the other were working saw a tsunami on the horizon – they went to the edge of the cliff and shouted at the top of their voices with all their might – but, the people below could not hear – the tsunami was gigantic – and it was getting closer and closer – it was so huge it seemed to be able to engulf the entire valley –what could they do?? - They got an idea! - They hurriedly took torches – from fires that had been lit – time was running out as the tsunami got closer and closer! – they torched their houses! As the flames from the houses lifted the alarm was sounded as one after the other saw the flames. Everyone decided to run up to the mountain – to help, -to put out the flames from the houses! They ran with great speed and urgency, their hearts pounding all the way in fear of what they might see when they arrived! – Perhaps they might even be too late! (to save the houses, etc.) – they arrived to see the others waiting – they were then shown the tsunami – they had arrived just in time to see it smash into the valley – totally devastating the valley – crops, livestock, everything in the valley was lost! What a salvation! Jesus came to rescue us. Have we heard and accepted the warning? Let us run to Jesus!

We should plant good things in our garden: (heard from Earnhart on 3ABN)

Lettuce: Let us, worship in Spirit & in truth, let us, love each other, let us study God’s words, let us, be ready for Jesus’ coming!