John Hyde's Testimony

“John Hyde’s close walk with God had aroused spiritual difficulty in the community where an Indian doctor decided to test the preacher’s daily life. Many had been converted and the native physician wanted to know whether or not Hyde’s religion at home was as genuine as he claimed.

So he dispatched a friend to the missionary, affirming that he too was a Christian believer. Hyde at once opened his home to the Indian, and asked him to remain for several days. This fitted perfectly into the doctor’s scheme, and so the native accepted the invitation. Living with Hyde, he had occasion to study the man in action.

After three or four days the man ran away and went to the doctor who sent him, saying “He has no fault, that man has no fault; he is a god, he is a god, and not a man!”

-- from "Praying Hyde," by Basil Miller

Reading this provoked me to ask myself: "Is that what my testimony is? Do people see my actions and marvel at the work which God does in me?" Is it? I answered myself with a yes....yet hesitated, because I don't actually interact with as many people as I could be interacting -- I find my character to be upright, but that I am often reluctant to place myself on top of the hill, in contact with all I see. This is what God has been pushing me to do (and I have been doing more and more), and the more I do it, the more I see God's marvelous power work. To Him be the glory!

What about you...are you giving the testimony of God that Hyde was?

Angry Young Men

Angry Young Men
By Randy Stonehill

“He wants some angry young men
Ones who can't be bought
Ones who will not run from a fight
Ones who speak the truth whether it's popular or not
Ones who'd give up anything to walk in His light

Chorus:
Rest assured when Jesus comes again
He'll be looking for some angry young men

He wants some angry young men
With fire in their eyes
Ones who understand what Jesus gave
Ones who have grown weary of the world and all its lies
Ones who won't forget they've been delivered from the grave

Rest assured when Jesus comes again
He'll come back for the angry young men

Yes He will

Bridge:
They say if you don't laugh you cry
I say if you don't live you die
Well, well, the road to hell is paved with some impressive alibis
But unless you thirst for Jesus first
Man, heaven will pass you by (uh huh)
Heaven will pass you by

You'll be tempted, tried and tested
There'll be wars the devil wins
But God's love is not a license to lie there in your sins
He understands the human heart
His mercy is complete
But His grace was not intended
As a place to wipe your feet

Rest assured when Jesus comes again
He'll be looking for some angry, angry men

He wants some angry young men
Who love the Lord they serve
Ones who'll do much more than make a speech
Ones who'll act their faith out with the passion it deserves
'Cause if we cannot live it – tell me, who are we to preach?

Rest assured when Jesus comes again
He'll come back for the angry young men

Rest assured when Jesus comes again
He'll be looking for the angry young men
He'll be looking for the angry young men

Where’s the angry men?

Yes He will,
He’ll be lookin’

Yes He will

Hey!
Where’s the angry men?”
_________________________________________

An “angry young man.” Yes, this is what I want to be. In fact, I’ll ask you – am I:

One who can't be bought?
One who will not run from a fight?
One who’ll speak the truth whether it's popular or not?
One who'd give up anything to walk in His light?
One with fire in my eyes?
One who understands what Jesus gave?
One who has grown weary of the world and all its lies?
One who won't forget he’s been delivered from the grave?
One who thirsts for Jesus first?
One who loves the Lord he serves?
One who'll do much more than make a speech?
One who'll act his faith out with the passion it deserves?
One who lives it?


Tell me – am I one to preach?

…...Are you?

Putting Others On The Right Path

"Charity shall cover a multitude of sins" (I Peter 4:8)

To return Christians who have erred from the way of salvation is just as important as saving the souls of those who have not yet tasted of the heavenly gift. Fortunately, we should not be apprehensive about approaching these people, since (hopefully) they have been in the church, and we have a chance to acquaint ourselves with them.

How then shall charity cover sins? Should it simply gloss over them as if they were nonexistent? God forbid. James speaks of it in his epistle, chapter 5, verse 20: "He which converteth a soul from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins" -- that is, many sins shall not be committed because of the corrective influence. Jesus even gives us protocol for dealing with people who persist in iniquity: first talk to him (or her), then bring others to talk to him, if he won't listen, then tell the church, and if worst comes to worst, "let him be to thee as an heathen" (Matthew 18:15-17).

We must at all times show in our conduct the righteousness and holiness that is in our hearts ("be holy for I am holy"), because of what our Lord Jesus has done for us - that others might see our good works and glorify God.

Sin is the very antithesis of God's character. Therefore, as His representatives, we should always strive to keep one another out of sin, and in the way of righteousness.