Greater is he who is in you than the one in the world

The brain washing has been going on for weeks, upto 14 hours a day, 48 hours straight in one occasion. yet the man held his ground and he would not yield. The place was a Communist prison camp in China in the early 1950s. the man being tortured for christ`s sake is a radiant Chinese Christian. Finally after repeated mockery, grilling and torture the Christian told his oppressors: "you are wasting your time, sirs. My faith is rooted than any torture you might inflict upon me. It is rooted eternally in God`s son Jesus Christ".

Furious, the Communist indoctrinator slapped him across the face and screamed,''drop to your knees! Drop to your knees and pray. because in 3 minutes we are going to put a bullet through your head.!" While the indoctrinator, an armed guard and fifty more of the man`s fellow prisoners looked on,he did as he was told.

"Lord" the man began to pray,"I thank you for the peace that is within my heart. I thank you for the faith which makes it possible for me to believe that, inspite of my oppressors, my my heavenly father sits up on the throne, able at any moment to silent forever the lips that blaspheme His name. Lord, at this moment, You are able to prove your power to these two men. You are able to show yourself to be God. In a moment Your power could strike these men dead and -----"

But he did`nt get to finish his prayer;for gasping with pain,the two communists, the indoctrinator and the guard fell simultaneously to the floor. in a few hours, both of them were dead. The Christian was set free and lived unmolested with his family ever after.

This incident was personally reported by Rev. Leslie Millen, long a CIM missionary in China, during his own imprisonment by the communists.

OUR GOD IS A FAITHFUL GOD
²⁴ He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:24

 I heard about the life of a man named John Clarke, who went as a missionary to the remote parts of the African jungle to do the Lord`s ministry. There was not one white man within hundreds of miles and not even a government outpost to run for help, near that place. It was at this time, his wife Mina ,was burning with a tropical fever, with nobody to help them around.
She put a strange request to him , that she needed three ripe tomatoes, and that it will give the necessary nourishment to sustain her, till help comes.

But to their dismay,  as far as he knew , there were`nt ripe tomatoes in the whole of Belgian Congo. There might be some canned tomatoes in a distant outpost, but never ripe ones. They just did not grow tomatoes in that part of Africa.John Clarke was so troubled with all sought of questions in his mind. Why did the Lord allow his Wife to suffer so, to approach death with no hope of a doctor`s help for another week? Perhaps, they should not have come to this lonesome jungle. Why in the world , had they ever come to Africa? But no! that was doubting God. He had sent them there, blessed their work, souls were saved and a native church was built.Surely, God wanted them to be there.Then why?

Steadily the tropical fever was sapping out her life from Mina Clarke.By nightfall she was too weak to talk and all that she could do is to moan and whisper. In agony of spirit, John Clarke  heard that dying request -three ripe tomatoes.He would go to any extreme to get those three ripe tomatoes,if it is humanly possible.

It was at this time, he was visited by a bush - woman in a familiar tribal dress , who wanted to see him.Questioning her, he found that she was a bush- woman from the tribe he visited last month and she had been sent to him for advice, if they can eat this queer fruit, that she had grown from the seeds left to them by a white man, as food was scarce in their place that summer.As John Clarke peered into the basket he almost cried out of joy. for their in that basket was - Three ripe tomatoes, and the woman also said that she had more of them.These tomatoes came as an answer for Mina`s prayer and as a rebuke to his doubts, from the seeds that was sown months before, as a providence from God.

Mina Clarke ate those tomatoes and lived till the doctor came with the healing medicine,lived for a successful ministry through the appearance of the three ripe tomatoes , planted, raised and ripened at the right time by the hand of the all-wise God.This story is retrieved from miracles and melodies.

Our God is a faithful God and he will never let us go......
Though the storms may come and the winds may blow,
he will never let go our hands.

the song "Be Thou My Vision"

 Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. 

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

The story behind the song:

 St.Patrick was born in Scotland in AD 373. He was kidnapped by pirates and was taken to Ireland as a slave, when he was 16. There he gave his heart to Jesus. Though he escaped from them, and came back home, he could never forget the encounter he had with Jesus. Then, when he was 30, he returned back to his captors and the only possession he had with him was a Latin Bible. As a result of his preaching, over 200 churches were established and 100,000 converts were baptized in Ireland.

Some scholars believed that, King Logaire of Tara, an Irish king, had decreed, that no one was allowed to light fire, until a pagan festival where the fire was lit for the pagan god. This edict restricted the lighting of candles for Easter. But St. Patrick chose to defy the King`s decree, and took a stand to honor God, even if it meant death. The King himself appreciated this act of his bravery and rendered his mission work unhindered. This song was written as a tribute on St. Patrick by Dallan Fragaill for this brave act.  

To conclude, some believe that, this song was written by St. Patrick himself and some say that it is written by Dallan Fragaill. Whatever be it, this song has always been an expression of a deep sacrifice for Christ.

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Philippians 3:7

 ³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Romans 8:37-39