Your personal responsibility

May 3  Numbers 7, 8      One thought stands out in Numbers 7:9. The sons of Kohath were to be given no aid in bearing the furniture of the sanctuary. The others were given covered wagons and oxen to pull them. This speaks to me of methods used in doing God's work. Some phases of it - the Gospel testimony, for example - can be carried on with various plans and in different manners, letting the work append on all sorts of things (so long as it was a covered wagon so that the holy things were not exposed to common view). But worship, the service of the sanctuary, can have no clever means of execution and transport - It must be upon the individual's shoulders, his personal responsibility.

Uit 'The journals of Jim Elliot'

Great God of the Here and Now!

I sought God in the commonplace,

And I found Him every day,

Not in the streets of Jerusalem

Nor caressed by Galilee's spray;

But I found God on the sidewalks,

The backyard, and our upstairs,

And I walked with Him on Main Street;

He handled my school affairs.

My Christ stands not in a synagogue

With a beard and a long white gown,

But I know Him in the grocery store,

He rides our car downtown.

Many smile when I tell them,

Some say it is not right

To find the Lord on Broadway

'Neath the glow of a neon light.

Great God of the Here and Now,

I pray for that key of Belief

Which unlocks Thee in the daytime,

Which does not wait for grief

To make the Unseen real,

Recalling that word You did say,

"I am the God of tomorrow, yesterday

...and today."

Prachtig gedicht van Jim Elliot uit 'The journals of Jim Elliot'. 

Ik bid dat God (nog meer) werkelijkheid word in je dagelijkse leven!

A strong argument

March 24  Exodus 32      `When Moses delayed to come down, the people gathered themselves to Aaron´ (v. 1). How like the people of God in my own day. Thinking the Lord delays His coming, they make men their center points for gathering, forgetting that Shiloh is to come and 'unto Him shall the gathering of the people be' (Gen. 49:10). They forgot God entirely, saying of Moses that it was he, a man, who brought them out of Egypt. Jahweh takes up their words and speaks to Moses thus: 'Thy people whom thou broughtest up' (v. 7). Moses' argument is strong because he reverses this wording. Why are You angry with Your people whom You brought forth (v. 11). God's anger is allayed, when His servant reminds Him that it is His own Name, His own people, that would be dishonored if He destroyed them.*

Citaat uit 'The journals of Jim Elliot'

The finger of God

'The 'finger of God' (Ex. 31: 18) is an interesting expression. In Luke 11:20 the Lord says He casts out demons by the finger of God. Parallel portions in the other Gospels substitute Spirit for finger, thus making Spirit equal finger. Christ is God's 'right arm', but the Holy Spirit is represented by the finger. I can think of three instances where the fingers are instruments used by God, and I think they may correspond to the threefold ministry of the Holy Spirit. He shall convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement. Here in Exodus the finger of God writes the law - 'that sin might be seen to be sin.' In John 8, Jesus writes with His finger, and men are convicted of righteousness. In Belshazzar's feast (Dan. 5), the finger of a man's hand convict the king of impending judgement.'

Citaat uit 'the journals of Jim Elliot'


Ik vond de hele film in een keer, dus nu geen deel per citaat.

'The journals of Jim Elliot' bewerkt door Elisabeth Elliot

January 29  Genesis 35       Lord, I would recenter my spiritual life as Jacob does in this portion. Instead of Beth-El, he centers his experience on El Beth-El – not the house of God but the God of that house. Often I feel compassion for Thy Church, because it is visible and can be physically apprehended, but I would not have that be my concern any longer. Lord, I want to be centering my interest on Thee, the God of God’s house. Be then revealed to me that my desires might be fixed on the primary thing. Christ, the Son of sorrow has now become the Son of the right hand. Praise God, the Savior is exalted in heaven and there given His deserved place. “As in heaven, so in earth.” Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

In deze maand geen recensies van boeken, maar ik wil jullie wat mooie citaten geven uit het boek 'The journals of Jim Elliot'. Jim was één van de vijf mannen die hun leven gegeven  hebben door het Evangelie te brengen naar de Auca stam in Equador. Zijn vrouw 'Elisabeth Elliot' heeft veel boeken geschreven over hun leven. Een aantal heb ik gelezen en zij zijn stuk voor stuk prachtig. Dat maakt dat ik dit boek eigenlijk heel bijzonder vind, omdat het door Jim Elliot zelf geschreven is. Mijn gebed is dat het je zal inspireren, zal bemoedigen, zal aanvuren en dat het een zegen voor je is! 

Op Youtube kun je de film over dit getuigenis zien. Hierbij het eerste deel. Onder elk volgend citaat zal ik het volgende deel plaatsen. Het is behoorlijk spannend. Ik heb er ooit naar gekeken, maar heb de helft denk ik niet gezien...:)