Soaked in Scripture
Whilst this article is not about Bible translation per se, it’s about the importance of God’s Word, particularly in the life of a well-known Christian from yester-year. And the reason for this focus is mainly as a result of last month’s newsletter! A friend of mine responded in connection with an Albanian pastor, which led to a visit to Bristol, which in turn led to a visit to the nearby George Muller museum – where I was able to see his well-worn Bible! I came away encouraged by Muller’s love and commitment to the Bible, and am convinced that if the book of Hebrews was being written today, his name would be included in the ‘Hall of Faith’ because of his immense faith in God.
Here are the essential facts on George Muller:
Born in Germany in 1805.
Came to Bristol in 1832 to be the pastor of a church he went on to pastor for over 60 years.
In 1836 he opened his first orphanage to cater for 30 children. By the time of his death in 1898 he had built 5 large orphan homes, which housed over 10,000 orphans during his lifetime. And yet His stance on educating these children actually drew criticism from some….. “for raising the children above their station and for robbing factories, mills and mines of the cheap labour on which they relied”!
He co-founded the Scriptural Knowledge Institute to support missionaries.
Without asking for funds, he received £1.3 million in answer to his prayers. In today’s money that comes to over £100 million!
At the age of 70 he decided to carry out a worldwide ministry of preaching and teaching, travelling 200,000 miles across the world, preaching to over 3 million people! It lasted for 17 years until he was 87! He wanted to encourage Christians to become lovers of God’s Word, and tell a wider audience about God’s faithfulness.
Muller was a humble and unassuming man who was full of faith and trust in God; a man who delighted in God’s Word, and loved to spend time in it. His journals suggest that he read the Bible through more than 200 times! In one of his letters, he says this with regard to the Bible:
“I have a deep conviction of the need of it (the Bible)being spread far and wide, and this has led me to pray that God would use me as an instrument to do this, and that he would supply me with the needs for it. He has condescended to enable me to circulate the Scriptures in all parts of the earth in various languages; and has been pleased to bring thousands of people to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus through it”.
TWFTW can certainly identify with Mullers words here. We have a deep conviction that the Bible needs to be spread far and wide; we praise God that He has enabled us to circulate the Scriptures in many parts of the world in various languages; we pray those Bibles will be instrumental in bringing thousands to know Jesus; and we move forward in faith believing that God will provide the funds we need to do this.
At the same time, let’s pray that we would be a people who are drawn more and more to the reading of God’s Word; that we would “delight in the law of the Lord, and meditate on it day and night”, so that we would be like “trees planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in season” (Psalm 1:3).
Out & About Diary Dates:
7-9 June: Bible teaching at Oak Hall ‘Word’ Event, Otford, Kent.
15-22 June: Holiday Cairngorms
16 June: Elgin Baptist Church – TWFTW Presentation (PM)
30 June: Preaching at Belvedere Grace Church, Bexley Heath (AM & PM)
Pray & Praise Points:
Ethiopia: The Guji people are at last receiving a full Bible! The dedication/launch is planned to take place from the 7-12 June with a large crowd expected.
Roma: Last month TWFTW was able to participate in the International Roma Networks Conference in Albania. The event was very successful, uniting pastors, ministries, and organisations serving the Roma communities worldwide, highlighting our crucial work on Romani dialects in Europe.
Southeast Asia restricted country: “We’re thankful for God’s protection during our recent consultant check in the city. Despite initial concerns, the hotel manager ensured our safety, allowing us to make significant progress. Currently, we’re focusing on reviewing the book of Galatians”.
Preaching: Please pray for the UK Director’s preaching/speaking appointments listed above; that he would preach and present well.