Sign-witnesses must pay a tremendous price

What a price the prophet Ezekiel had to pay to obey God! How his pride as a prophet of God must have suffered as he carried out the seemingly stupid act. How the people must have stared at this dramatic portrayal of his message before their astonished eyes! The price of obedience will no doubt be different for each of us. I know a young married couple who were directed by God to sell their two homes and two cars and take their children with them, to be missionaries to a pagan people in a dangerous jungle. Their fellow believers were amazed as such extravagant devotion and severely chided them for making such a sacrifice. Even deeply matured evangelical believers warned them not to go to such foolish extremes, pleading that the Lord does not expect such sacrifices from His people today. When they came to talk with me in their deep distress, I told them that for every couple who will "go overboard" for the gospel's sake, there will be millions to stay at home and live a selfish and useless life.

Sign-witnesses must be absolutely dead to themselves
Ezekiel was not a Jonah; he did not run away. He was dead to what the people thought of him and his actions. He was not dependent on the praise and approval of his fellow men. Oh, how many times we fail God at the crucial moment because we are not absolutely dead to the criticisms of men!

Across the will of nature
Leads on the path of God;
Not where the flesh delighteth,
The feet of Jesus trod.
0 bliss to leave behind us
The fetters of the slave;
To leave ourselves behind us
The grave-clothes and the grave!
                       Tersteegen

The story is told of a meeting of the Assembly of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland where the delegates were seeking to secure a missionary to join one who had al ready gone out to the South Seas. Disappointed that their efforts had been futile, they decided to cast lots, but even then the result was so indecisive that no one was chosen. Suddenly a young divinity student heard a Voice within saying, "Since none better qualified can be found, arise and offer yourself." This he did with great resolve. All his friends besieged him with their opposition. His minister told him that he had been blessed in his work in Glasgow, and that if he went to the South Seas he "might fail to be useful and would only throw his life away among cannibals."

To this he answered that he had only once to die and that he was content to leave the time and place and the means in the hands of God. One of his friends always ended his protesting arguments by saying, "The cannibals! You will be eaten by cannibals!" To this the young man answered, "I confess to you that if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms; and in the Great Day my resurrection body will arise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer." This young man was John G. Paton

This is copyrighted material from James Stewart's book Come O Breath!, available from Revival Literature, PO Box 6068, Asheville, NC 28816.