Bristol, Here I Come

Dear blogging buddies:

Thank you for your prayers, your comments, your best wishes and your kind thoughts as I prepare to leave tonight on my Pilgrimage to England. I've been too busy to respond to your comments but they are greatly appreciated!

Please check my blog daily for updates on how things are going. It has become a jam-packed itinerary but it will be a rewarding journey. Thanks again, dear friends, and please pray daily for me and also for Carol and my family here at home.
Much love in Christ,

David

If You're Into Numbers

Just thought you might be interested in some of these figures:

In reviewing the 63 years he spent in a faith ministry, the results are staggering.

The schools collectively had 121,683 students.

The orphanage had five (5) mammoth buildings.

He accommodated the needs of 10,000 orphans.

It is believed that 2,813 orphans left the institution as believers, and they in turn led thousands more to Christ.

It is believed that of the 2,000 students in the orphanage, when Mr. Muller closed his diary, 609 of them were believers.
The institution also distributed over 281,000 Bibles, nearly 1.5 million New Testaments, and over 111 million tracts.

Several hundred missionaries received financial assistance.

Sixty-three (63) foreign missionaries were sent out from his church alone.

He built 10 other churches.

Guess what! God can still do that today! O that we would exercise simple faith in a mighty God!

Just Wondering...

The following post appears on my "Pilgrim Scribblings" and "the Barnabas Blog" web sites today. I wonder if George Muller ever wrote something similar. O that might might trust HIM more!

I wrote:

Greetings, my friends! This morning I went digging in the Pilgrim Scribblings archive mine and came up with a post that evoked more response than most of my other writing. As I read it I realized that I am still "there". I still haven't learned to trust Him more implicitly. I'm still edgy as I "wait for the salvation of the Lord".

During these uncertain days I'm cast upon the Lord like never before. May I learn to trust Him more, the One who is completely trustworthy, the One who changes not and always keeps His word.

Here is that post. May the God of all grace use it to challenge you today!

I wrote:

Time and time again I go back to a book, Bright Days, Dark Nights, penned by a favorite writer of mine, Elizabeth Skoglund (see my links). She writes on subjects such as confidence, depression, anxiety, change and transition using the writings of the Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, to illustrate her point.

The following quote by Spurgeon mirrors a statement that I used to make quite honestly and quite often. But now, I must confess, I don't know that I'm able to truthfully say it any more. The ravages of uncertainly, the stresses of being "down to the wire", the scariness of "not knowing" have played havoc with "all I once held dear".

Admitting this is difficult! What I once declared may have sounded very "noble", very "spiritual", very "right" but the years have taken their toll.

Let me give you Spurgeon's quote before I continue... "If I might have any choice between having abundant wealth, or being brought to absolute dependence upon daily supplies, if, in the latter case, I could have greater power to exhibit and to exert faith in Christ, I must confess that I should prefer the mode of living which would give me most room to enjoy the luxury of depending upon my God. I believe it is more happy and more divine a life to live from hand to mouth, dependant upon the provinces of God, and having the confidence to trust Him, than it is to have all the abundance of this world, but to have nothing about which faith may exercise itself." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

There it is! As I said, I used to echo these thoughts although not so eloquently. Do I want to trust God implicitly? Of course! Do I believe that He can provide all I need? Absolutely! Do I want abundant wealth in a worldly way? Definitely not!

So, as I find myself in uncertain waters, I am crying out to God to be the Great Provider. He has been that in the past for me and He will never change.

Living on the edge has made me edgy and that can be a good thing.

For example...

Positively speaking:

1. I could be on the edge of another God-thing...another miracle that has no explanation other than that God did it!
2. I could be on the edge of a breakthrough where I experience deeper intimacy with God than ever before.
3. I could be on the edge of a new career path...a new vocation where God continues to be at the center.

Or, in a negative sense:

1. I could be on the edge of financial ruin.
2. I could be on the edge of unexpected grief or pain.
3. I could be on the edge of something that could shatter hope.

So, as I begin a new day with my hand held firmly by a Sovereign God I will say, "Surely God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid." - Isaiah 12:2

Yes, the unknown is scary! Yes, I want to truthfully say what Spurgeon said! But, for now, I will say this, "Moment by moment I'm kept in His love."

I'll choose to look at the positive "edges" and "expect great things from God."

Thanks for your prayers during my bumpy pilgrimage!

Transparently,

David

February 15th, 2007 note: I trust that you will be encouraged after reading this post in which I bared my heart and soul. Step out by faith and trust Him wholly. Because... "those who trust Him wholly, find Him wholly true" as the hymnwwriter has so ably written.

Trust Him today!

Secret of George Muller's Spiritual Peace

Click on the following link for an excellent article by Roger Steer (pictured) entitled "Seeking First the Kingdom...the secret of George Müller's spiritual peace." This article appeared in Discipleship Journal, a great magazine published by The Navigators. Roger wrote the biography, Delighted in God concerning Muller's life.

http://www.navpress.com/EPubs/DisplayArticle/1/1.31.1.html

Gallery From the Past

As I look forward to my trip to Bristol, England I've been checking out various web sites pertaining to this city.

Click on the Ashley Down section of this link for some pictures of the district of Bristol where George Muller built the five (5) large orphanages that cared for thousands of homeless children.

ENJOY!

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=2988320&uid=570503

Thrilling

Recently I watched the Ken Anderson Films video on the life of J. Hudson Taylor.

At one point in the film, Taylor and his wife were opening their mail. It was at a time of great need and they had been trusting God to provide. The scene shows them opening the envelopes that had arrived that day. They reach for one envelope and exclaim, "this one's from George Muller!"

It thrilled my heart because I know that Muller was one of Taylor's biggest financial supporters and Taylor had been largely influenced by Muller's life of implicit trust in the God who provides.

The same God provides today!

The Ticket Is Paid For

Well friends, I did it! I bought my ticket for London, England and will fly February 27th, Lord willing, to Gatwick airport to begin 8-9 days of reliving history.

I've dreamed of this for over 50 years and now it's coming to pass!

One of the highlights will be a trip from London to Olney to see the Cowper/Newton Museum. Of course John Newton wrote the famed hymn, Amazing Grace and William Cowper (pronounced "Cooper")wrote There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood, which is in my top 10 of all time favorite hymns.

Thanks for your prayers as I plan this trip. I'll be blogging throughout my travels to keep you up to date on what I'm experiencing. Hopefully you'll vicariously take the trip with me.

Stay posted!