LISTEN AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS

LISTEN WITH ALL YOUR HEART

Those who really listen to God’s Word with all their heart will understand even the parables, and they will bring forth much fruit. As our January Bible study was being held at church, I stared at our text, Matthew 13. The name Dixie Randolph was written there in the margin by verse 9. I remembered writing her name there last year when I read Matthew through in my daily devotions.

Dixie is a perfect example of one who heard God’s Word and accepted it totally. She had accepted Jesus into her heart as a young teenager after my friend Donna had invited her to church. I learned that Dixie lived around the corner from our house, so I suggested we walk to prayer meeting together the next Wednesday. It was about a mile to church, so we had time to talk at length.

Dixie told me that Jesus had changed her life but she said it was really hard to follow Him. She didn’t tell me until years later that one of her brothers was taking drugs or that she came from a very poor family. I didn’t even know that anyone took illegal drugs for entertainment in the 1940's. She probably thought that I wouldn’t believe her. I had never been inside Dixie’s home or met any of her family at that time.

I had been a believer only about four years myself and had given myself to serve the Lord wherever He needed me. I felt that He might lead me to China, but I knew definitely that He wanted to use me right then to witness to people around me in Los Angeles.

Dixie was already a believer, so all I did was encourage her. I told her that God would never fail her, to keep on trusting Him no matter what the cost. We became close friends, but Dixie never told me until years later that her mother had threatened to kick her out of the home.

“Stop talking about Jesus so much!” her mother had yelled at her. “I don’t want to hear that. I’ve heard all that before, and God doesn’t care about us. We just do what we can, whatever we want to do.” Dixie began reading her Bible at night under the covers or in the kitchen when everyone else was in bed. She couldn’t give up her faith in Jesus Christ, for He had changed her and given her something to live for.

I was busy with my studies in high school. It was important to keep my grades up so I could go on to Bible college and qualify to serve the Lord overseas or wherever He took me. But Dixie and I became close friends. She came to church regularly and also attended Euodia Club where we met once a week near our school to study the Bible. At that point in my life, I was just an encourager to anyone who crossed my path, and a witness for Jesus to the unsaved classmates that I knew. I was a rather shy person, but I did my best, and that was all that God asked of me.

Dixie asked me for advice about what Bible college to attend. She didn’t go to the one I recommended but went to Biola right there in Los Angeles. That was fine. I left her in the hands of the Lord and kept in touch as much as possible to encourage her to go on with God. I went to Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alberta, Canada, and graduated in 1953.

Imagine my surprise when I returned home from Laos many years later and found that Dixie was married to a hospital chaplain, David Randolph, and was doing a puppet ministry among juvenile delinquents at the state-run Juvenile Hall in Santa Ana. Later they moved to San Bernardino, where they are still busy giving out the Good News of salvation. Their financial support has dwindled in recent years, but Dixie and Dave sacrifice much and continue to give all their time to the Lord’s work in hospitals and state youth facilities. Dixie helps many young people whose families have kicked them out. Through Christ many discouraged young men and women have found deliverance from addictions and criminal activities.

Dixie has been more of a blessing to me than I have been to her. She has probably won more people to Christ and has endured more hardships than I have ever known. She has given her full time to Christian evangelism for more than forty years with no paycheck at all. In 1991 she was recognized publicly as one of the Points of Light by then President George H. W. Bush because of the many lives that had been changed through her selfless, dedicated ministry. I have pictures of her with him beside the plane, Air Force One, that brought him to the ceremony.

All I did was be an encourager. You can do that, too. Who do you know who needs hope and encouragement that God will be faithful to take them victoriously through life? Tell others what Jesus can do for them. But first we must each be one who listens closely to God and follows Him with a sincere heart.

GOD'S WISDOM AND MERCY

I have been meditating on Romans 11:33 since our pastor preached on that Sunday night. These are some things the Lord showed me. This takes the strain out of praying for our loved ones.

THE RICHES OF GOD’S WISDOM AND MERCY

We know that God understands all things, every situation, the need of every heart. His wisdom is unsearchable. “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (Rom. 11:33).

This verse comes in a chapter that specifically deals with unbelievers who do not trust God or want to know Him. We all have an unsaved family member or friend that we are praying for. After sharing the Gospel with them and making sure they know that Jesus is the only way to God, our main responsibility is simply to pray for them.

It is a comfort to me to remember that God truly knows that person’s heart. The Lord knows exactly why he is rejecting Jesus Christ. God knows what would bring him to faith, and the Holy Spirit is continually arranging circumstances so that person will realize his need.

God not only knows the facts. He is rich in wisdom. His wisdom has a depth and intensity that we can only imagine. He knows whether that person will ever surrender to Jesus.

This tells me that as I pray for that individual I can relax and trust God for the result. God is doing all He can to reveal truth to that loved one. If that person persists in rejecting Jesus, God’s decision regarding him will be just and fair.

We should be ready to speak a word in season when God moves us, but most of all we must continue in confident prayer. Sometimes when we speak in our anxiety, it only makes the person harden his heart all the more. Trusting and praying is the best way.

The verse says that God’s judgments are unsearchable. His decisions are beyond our understanding, but His love remains steadfast. He never stops loving the unsaved. He continues to draw them to Himself.

“God’s ways are past finding out,” the verse says. We cannot see and trace everything God is doing in that person’s life, but God is still at work. God is yearning over that one, so we can trust the Lord completely to do the right thing.

We need to believe that if there is any way for that person to hear the Gospel again clearly and properly at exactly the right time, it will happen in answer to our prayers. God’s love and His wisdom assure us of that.

So as we pray for the lost, let us rest in the knowledge that God is not only loving but is also perfectly wise and just. God cares even more than we do. So our faith should be a resting faith, a confident faith. Anxious, worried prayers are not resting in the goodness and mercy of the Lord.

God will have mercy upon all. God is not only great, He is good, perfect in His love and mercy.

THE DEVIL'S TRICKS

The devil is a mean one. He is a real person, a spirit trying to influence our lives and he has a bag of tricks. I don’t like to call him Satan, because that word is too smooth, silky and slimy. He is an evil, cruel personality. He tries to deceive us even after we have become followers of Jesus.

Do you have a strong point? Are you a little bit proud of your dedication to God? Watch out, because the devil will attack you right there.

When I was younger, I knew Jesus was my best friend. He would always be with me. The girls I knew at church, even in junior high, were always talking about getting a boyfriend. Well, I told them I would never chase a boy. If God wanted me to be married, He would bring the right young man into my life. God had called me to serve Him, and that was my main interest even at a young age.

So I set my face toward the mission field. I went to Prairie Bible Institute where the girls weren’t even allowed to talk to the boys, let alone date one. It didn’t bother me. Studying Gods Word was all I needed to satisfy my soul, I thought.

Then I went on to the home mission field and worked among the Navajo Indians in Colorado and Utah. Finally God opened the door to southeast Asia and gave me the courage to go to Laos. I was strong and committed to the Lord alone.

But I wasn’t as strong as I thought. Several times along the way I became fascinated by a young man who was serving God. I even tried to help God make him notice me.

I struggled against these infatuations for a long time. God told me to give them up, and finally I yielded completely. I put my “Isaac” on the altar. But I didn’t confess it as sin. I knew I hadn’t had any evil thoughts or done anything wrong. Surely it was just a weakness. But the obsessive affection didn’t go away for years until I confessed it as sin. It almost ruined my ministry and put me on the ash heap. I should have been focusing only on Jesus.

The devil had tricked me right at the point where I thought I was strong. It really humbled me when I realized what had happened.

Beware of the devil’s tricks. If you are a Christian he is still working on you today, trying to lead you astray. Maybe you are obsessive about studying and you think you don’t need friends. You won’t take time to be friendly or open with other believers because you think Jesus is the only one you need. I fell into that trap, too, for awhile.

It was a revelation when I heard my acquaintance Ellie talking to Flo, sharing a spiritual battle she was having. Was that a good thing? I was blessed as I got to know these young women, and I found out it was good to have close friends. So gradually I let down the barriers in my soul and became more open and honest with a few girls. This has enriched my life. But I almost became a cold, stern, lonely Christian just to satisfy a feeling of pride.

It is humbling to be honest with your friends, to even admit that you need friends. Yes, you need to be very careful that you pick the right friends to share private thoughts with. But the Lord will lead you and keep you from being tricked by the devil if you seek God with all your heart and humble yourself before Him.

We can never make it on our own. We need to be watchful and resist the evil one.
The devil has some special tricks planned for each of us, but if we keep our eyes on Jesus, we will be safe.

Don’t let yourself be tricked by the devil and his evil designs. Jesus has overcome him!

NEVER FEAR WHEN GOD CALLS

When I was only 13 years old, God called me to serve Him overseas. He led me to work in Laos with the Overseas Missionary Fellowship. I had experienced leg aches and back trouble since I was a child, but I knew God could help me overcome every health problem, and He did. In 1959 I found myself striding up a mountain in Laos, feeling great. By the end of the day, 25 miles later, my legs felt like numb stumps attached to my hips, but I was thrilled to be where God wanted me. We were able to take two treks into the Nong area where missionaries had never lived.

In April 1961 God led me to visit a remote village near some territory controlled by the communist Viet Cong. I rode my bicycle to La Tup village where I played Gospel recordings on my portable phonograph for the people. That village sent a guide with me to the next village. It was a hot two-hour walk across the dry paddy fields to Keng La Teng. Both villages showed good interest. At the last village I saw men in black clothing sitting in the background as I chatted and played the records in the headman’s house. They were probably rebels looking me over. I felt a chill of anxiety but pushed it away, knowing that God had led me there.

One man in black asked what I thought about the war. I told him honestly that I was not on either side because my main responsibility was to teach people about Jesus. I ate the rice they served me and didn’t stay long. I had traveled a total of 46 kilometers that day, walking 20 miles of that with the guide. The next day people came from that village to inquire more about the Lord. Two weeks later my home and all that area were taken over by communist troops, and we were never able to return.

This may sound like a dangerous adventure, but it doesn’t compare with what Alice Compain did the same month. She had stayed behind when her coworkers went to a wedding. Then she felt impelled to visit a new believer in an area quite near the Lao-Vietnamese border. The Viet Cong were already advancing rapidly along the Annamite mountains toward her area, so she had been told to prepare for evacuation.

Alice knew of a man called Nai Aprang who had inherited a Gospel of Luke from his father, who although himself illiterate, had bought it from a Lao evangelist many years previously. Nai Aprang treasured this book but knew little about the Lord Jesus. Alice felt God prompting her to take a Laotian Bible to the Aprang family before the enemy invaded the area.

As she heard the guns pounding in the distance Alice developed “heart” symptoms which she tried unsuccessfully to alleviate with an injection. She realized it was the stress of the situation. She set off, however, on the 11-mile ride toward the Vietnamese border, praying for safe passage, only to have a tire puncture just out of town. She prayed that if the puncture repair held she should continue. Rather unusually it did, so she went on to reach the family at dusk, much to their surprise. They retired late that night after she passed on all the information required for them to get started reading the Old Testament in Lao.

The next morning she returned to Takong and resumed packing for evacuation. A fellow missionary came for her and they left on the regular bus for Savannakhet the next day. A few days later she heard of the death of a French Roman Catholic missionary who had been in the country since 1940, right through the Japanese occupation. He was not afraid to meet the Viet Cong. But later he did meet them at Takong (where Alice had lived). Soon his body was returned to the French authorities. Alice knew she had taken a big risk, but God had protected her on the mission of delivering the Word of God to Aprang. She felt God had put His mark on her so she could continue to serve Him in Laos and Cambodia for the next 45 years.

Years later some Bru Christians crossed the mountains from Vietnam to bring the Gospel into that eastern part of Laos. They reaped the seed that we had sown. Now there are hundreds of believers there in several villages. It is always important to obey God’s promptings. We can trust Him to take care of us in any situation.

Some years later two young men serving in Laos in a safe area were captured at KengKok and taken north to Hanoi by the Viet Cong. They endured many months in prison but were finally released and eventually returned to serve again in southeast Asia. God doesn’t promise to protect us from all suffering, but He does promise to always be with us and to make our lives worthwhile.

Listen to the Lord, and you may hear His call upon your life. Don’t be afraid to follow Him.

THE JOURNEY OF LIFE

Life is a journey to the destination we hope for and choose. I thought of this as we drove across Kansas and Colorado to Manti, Utah, to visit my sister Diane. We have always been close friends because we like to talk about our spiritual journey and our victories through Christ.

So look at these pictures and apply them to your own life, dear friends.



This is the view from the front of our lodge in the mountains where we stayed in Colorado.







We each choose our eternal destiny. If you haven’t chosen to be with Jesus, you can change your mind if you do it before you die. I was looking forward to being with my precious sister, just like I eagerly anticipate living in heaven someday with Jesus my Lord. So I chose to get out on the road and take a few risks. Sure enough, there was rain on the way home, but God brought us through safely.

I didn’t know what I would find on the other side of the mountains but by faith I knew that Diane and her husband Jay were waiting there to see us. It takes effort to cross mountains even in this modern day, but it is a worthwhile trip if you have a good destination in mind.




The road through Colorado

Some people travel on the upper level, with their thoughts fixed on eternal things. Others go through life on a lower road and don’t care to learn much through their trials. At other times we all go through rough rapids in life, like the Colorado river in this picture. God will bring us through safely if we are trusting in Him each moment and seeking His guidance.





After Denver we went through the tunnel that is 1.6 miles long over Loveland Pass in Colorado. It is dark in the tunnels of life, but believers in Christ have faith that they will soon come out into the light again.

We had a relaxing night in the Quality Inn near Golden, Colorado. Our room had comfortable chairs and even a small sofa, which helped our tired backs. Outside the window we could see the Continental Divide toward the west and way down below the trees was the road we had traveled from Denver in the east. Beautiful pine trees were all around us. It reminded me how God provides special blessings for His children along the path of life.





With my sister at last! In this life we are separated by at least two days of travel. But in heaven we will enjoy fellowship together for ever because we both love Jesus and do our best to live for Him. The odd reflections in the glass door remind me of the confusing journeys of life that we will forget about when we are safe with Jesus.





Diane ad Jay are productive in physical ways as well as spiritual . They had worked hard on their garden this spring (see it in the background). Too much bending had brought on a spell of back pain for Diane, but she was accepting it with a smile. She rested on the bed a lot while we were there, to relax her back muscles. We need to always rest our hearts in Jesus, no matter what pain we are going through. Jesus is our strength and He has things for us to do even when we are laid aside physically.



Lindell (on the left) enjoyed fellowship with Jay. It is sometimes hard to find spiritual fellowship in this life with people who have the same deep interests we have. But God provides friends along the way. We should seek Christian friends and be friendly even to strangers and try to win them to Jesus.



Lindell has recovered almost completely from the dark journey of last year of
severe pain from his injuries caused by being hit by a pickup truck while on his bicycle. God has given him back his smile and optimism about life.

On our trip we stopped to find my cousin Donna’s grave near Grand Junction, Colorado.



Her daughter Roxanne had put up a lovely headstone. We have wonderful memories of Donna and how she walked with the Lord and glorified Him. All our lives will end with death if Jesus doesn’t come for us first in the air. Donna is not there in the ground now. She is with Jesus who loved her and died to redeem her from sin. Someday we will see her again.

Do you know where you will spend eternity? Just knowing about Jesus will not be enough. You need to invite Him to be your own Lord and Savior and decide you will follow Him closely all your life. I am glad that I will see most of your dear friends in heaven someday. There we will have thousands of years to fellowship together and learn more about our loving God and Father.

Rosemary Watson

REVIVAL IS ON THE WAY

OPENNESS IN PRAYER

Revival is on the way and it begins with openness. I feel this in my spirit. Most revivals are born in prayer, and I long to be able to pray with someone about this in a setting where we are completely open, honest, and vulnerable. Then God can show us what we really need and He can remove all hindrances.

I have prayed with women on this level over the years, and it was a blessing. We called out to God for His blessing. We didn’t pray long prayers, often just short sentence prayers. And we listened for the Lord to show us what to pray. But at this time I don’t have such a prayer partner in my life. My dear friend Ellie has gone on to heaven. This must be a "God thing" so I am waiting on the Lord to show me the right woman to pray with.

Do you need someone like this in your life? Call out to God, and He will bring you together with the right person. Women often find it easier than men do to open up humbly to one another, but we can help one another. If we are focusing on God, we will not worry about being vulnerable.

Everyone has problems with someone in their family or with themselves. God is the only one who can solve these problems.

Fellowship in prayer will make us stronger in our faith. We will be more open with God if we can learn to be open with another person. This person must be trustworthy, of course, so it will probably be someone we have known for a while. Our church has been praying for revival and I am eager to see what God will do for us.

REVIVAL IS ON THE WAY

Prepare the road, remove the obstacles!
Revival is on the way.
God lives on high but He reaches down.
He wants to revive us today.

God reaches out to the lowly and contrite.
He wants to energize us and forgive.
He is grieved by our sin and rebellion.
Jesus will show us a better way to live.

God will guide us and restore comfort.
He will create praise on our lips that mourn.
But first we must bring Him hearts that are broken.
Are we grieved by our sin? Are our hearts torn?

© Rosemary Watson
Isaiah 57:14-15