“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:6
(TRUE STORY–as told by Evangelist Robert Pilgrim, who in turn was told by his Grandmother when he was a little boy.)
A certain man, who had been a Christian for 40 years, was now going through a very hard trial of his faith. Things got so bad for him that he just could not take any more, so he decided to QUIT ON GOD.
He took his Bible and Song Book, in hand, and went down to his home Church. All alone, in the church, he walked to the front and placed his Bible and Song Book on the altar. (He was turning them back in to God.)
Standing there at the altar he began to pour his heart out— “Lord, I’ve come to tell you that I quit. I just can’t take anymore Lord. It’s just more than I can bear. —-But, before I quit I just wanted to tell you Lord that I still remember, Lord, how you reached down and saved me from being the town drunk that everybody use to laugh at and make fun of. Lord, I want to thank you for that. And, Lord, I remember that my wife, she was just an ol’ harlot, Lord, and I use to beat her when I got on that whiskey, Lord, and we were just ready to get a divorce–But, Lord, You reached down that same night you saved me and you saved my wife…and Lord, we are still together today—And Lord, I want to thank you for that.
And Lord, I remember, that just after my wife and I were saved, that our little baby boy came down with Rheumatic Fever and the doctor just shook his head and said that he wouldn’t live through the night—But, Lord, I still remember, that very night you reached down with your long arm and you touched our little baby boy, Lord, and Lord, that baby boy is 45 years old now…. Lord, I just want to thank you for that.
And, Lord, I remember when the cupboards were bare and we had nothing to eat and nothing was going right, Lord, but instead of bawling and squalling about it, and murmuring and complaining, we decided to get down on our knees and pray about it, and just then somebody knocked on the front door and brought in a big bag of groceries…. Lord, I just want to thank you and praise you for that.
You know, Lord, I’m just about as low as I’ve ever been in my entire life…. except for that one time about 15 years ago….” (at this point, all of a sudden this discouraged brother remembered something. Then he turned and looked all around that church, as he was remembering…)
Continuing on with the Lord, he said—-
“Wait a minute, Lord, I remember that I was going to quit then, 15 years ago, and I came here and did the same thing that I’m doing now…. And, Lord, I’ll never forget how you touched me that night in the evening service…so, Lord, I think I better not….
(JUST THEN THE POWER OF GOD HIT HIM! IT SEEMED TO GO RIGHT THROUGH THE TOP OF HIS HEAD AND OUT THROUGH HIS TOE NAILS—HE SHOUTED “GLOOOOORY TO GOD!” AND THEN HE TOOK OFF RUNNING AROUND THAT OL’ EMPTY CHURCH. UP AND DOWN ALL THE ISLES AND ALL AROUND HE RAN AN JUMPED FOR JOY AS HE SHOUTED—-“GLOOOOOORY TO GOD!”)
Evangelist Robert Pilgrim concludes by saying— “That man went on and served God until the very day he died. And You, need to look the Devil right in the eye and tell him—
“I’ve climbed to many mountains to quit now!”
“I’ve gone through to many valleys to quit now!”
“I’ve crossed to many rivers to quit now!”
“I’ve come through to many hard times to quit now!”
“I’M GOING TO SERVE JESUS TILL THE DAY I DIE!”
When you are DOWN to nothing…. God is UP to something!
Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible!