Grif.Net

10/31/15 Weekend Grif.Net – Streaking Meteor or Faint Star?

10/31/15 Weekend Grif.Net – Streaking Meteor or Faint Star?

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[Today ends “Pastor Appreciation Month”, October each year. I trust you have
showed your personal appreciation for the man of God who is giving his life
to serve God by serving you.]

In his book, ”

Boring: Finding an Extraordinary God in an Ordinary Life”, Michael Kelley
tells the story of Bert Elliot, brother to missionary Jim, as an example of
what faithfulness over a lifetime looks like. The story of Jim Elliot has
been told and retold with good reason: It’s an amazing account of unswerving
courage and faithfulness to the gospel. He was a standout both academically
and athletically during his days as a student and was presented with
opportunity after opportunity to go and do most anything he wanted to be.

But as his education continued, Jim became convinced of God’s will and
purpose for His life-to push back the darkness in the world by preaching the
gospel where it had never been preached before. So he began his preparations
to spend the rest of his life sharing the gospel with the previously
unreached people of Ecuador known as the Auca.

Elliot, along with four other missionaries, began making contact with the
indigenous people through a loud- speaker and a basket to lower gifts from
their airplane. After several friendly encounters, they made plans to visit
the people they thought they had befriended.

But on January 8, 1956, the missionaries were attacked and killed by a group
of ten warriors from the people with whom they were trying to share the
gospel. Elliot’s body was found downstream in the river, along with those of
the other men. His life purpose and vision was immortalized by his journal
entry for October 28, 1949, which expressed his belief that missions work
was more important than his life. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot
keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

It’s an amazing story that sent ripples through the Christian and
non-Christian world. Life magazine published a ten-page article about the
missionaries. Jim’s wife, Elizabeth, not only published two books about her
husband but continued the work among the very people who had killed her
husband. Thousands upon thousands of people were not deterred by the danger
but instead committed themselves to the work of the gospel overseas. Few
events in modern history have been used more powerfully by God to send
people out into the world for the sake of the gospel.

Jim Elliot’s story is a familiar one, but have you heard of Herbert Elliot?
I had not. Bert is Jim Elliot’s older brother. He’s the one who isn’t
famous. He was a student at Multnomah Bible College in 1949, and he and his
young wife were invited by a missionary to come to Peru and join the work
there. Other than an occasional furlough, there they have stayed the course.
Bert died in his beloved adopted home in Trujillo, Peru, at age 87 just
three years ago.

If you Google “Bert Elliot”, you find just a handful of entries. But over
the years, Bert and Colleen have planted more than 170 churches. And when
asked to reflect on his brother, Jim, Bert’s response is stirring: “My
brother Jim and I took different paths. He was a great meteor, streaking
through the sky.”

Bert was not. He did not go streaking through the sky. Nobody lined up with
their telescopes to watch his life. Instead, he was the faint star in the
distance that faithfully rises night after night, always there. Always
faithful. Always doing the same, boring thing.

In the kingdom of God, there is a great need for streaking meteors, but most
of us won’t be that. We will instead be faint stars-husbands and fathers,
wives and mothers. We will be accountants and teachers, business people, and
students. We will go through life, day after day, doing very much the same
thing tomorrow that we did today.

The important thing for us to remember is that we are needed. There is a
great need for people willing to chase the little donkeys of life, not
because it’s exciting but because they believe in the constant presence and
purpose of God. There is a great need for people willing to stand in the
midst of the boring, convinced that there is no such thing as ordinary when
you follow an extraordinary God.

Rise and stand. Then tomorrow, do it again.

~~

Dr Bob Griffin

[email protected] www.grif.net

“Jesus Knows Me, This I Love!”

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[Today ends =
“Pastor Appreciation Month”, October each year. I trust you =
have showed your personal appreciation for the man of God who is giving =
his life to serve God by serving you.]

In his =
book, “Boring: Finding an =
Extraordinary God in an Ordinary =
Life

, Michael Kelley tells the story =
of Bert Elliot, brother to missionary Jim, as an example of what =
faithfulness over a lifetime looks like. The story of Jim Elliot has =
been told and retold with good reason: It’s an amazing account of =
unswerving courage and faithfulness to the gospel. He was a standout =
both academically and athletically during his days as a student and was =
presented with opportunity after opportunity to go and do most anything =
he wanted to be.

But as his education continued, =
Jim became convinced of God’s will and purpose for His =
life—to push back the darkness in the world by preaching the =
gospel where it had never been preached before. So he began his =
preparations to spend the rest of his life sharing the gospel with the =
previously unreached people of Ecuador known as the =
Auca.

Elliot, along with four other =
missionaries, began making contact with the indigenous people through a =
loud- speaker and a basket to lower gifts from their airplane. After =
several friendly encounters, they made plans to visit the people they =
thought they had befriended.

But on January 8, 1956, the =
missionaries were attacked and killed by a group of ten warriors from =
the people with whom they were trying to share the gospel. =
Elliot’s body was found downstream in the river, along with those =
of the other men. His life purpose and vision was immortalized by his =
journal entry for October 28, 1949, which expressed his belief that =
missions work was more important than his life. “He is no fool who =
gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot =
lose.”

It’s an amazing story =
that sent ripples through the Christian and non-Christian world. Life =
magazine published a ten-page article about the missionaries. =
Jim’s wife, Elizabeth, not only published two books about her =
husband but continued the work among the very people who had killed her =
husband. Thousands upon thousands of people were not deterred by the =
danger but instead committed themselves to the work of the gospel =
overseas. Few events in modern history have been used more powerfully by =
God to send people out into the world for the sake of the =
gospel.

Jim Elliot’s story is a =
familiar one, but have you heard of Herbert Elliot? I had not. Bert is =
Jim Elliot’s older brother. He’s the one who isn’t =
famous.  He was a student at Multnomah Bible College in 1949, and =
he and his young wife were invited by a missionary to come to Peru and =
join the work there. Other than an occasional furlough, there they have =
stayed the course. Bert died in his beloved adopted home in Trujillo, =
Peru, at age 87 just three years ago.

If you Google =
“Bert Elliot”, you find just a handful of entries. But over =
the years, Bert and Colleen have planted more than 170 churches. And =
when asked to reflect on his brother, Jim, Bert’s response is =
stirring: “My brother Jim and I took different paths. He was a =
great meteor, streaking through the sky.”

Bert was not. He did not go =
streaking through the sky. Nobody lined up with their telescopes to =
watch his life. Instead, he was the faint star in the distance that =
faithfully rises night after night, always there. Always faithful. =
Always doing the same, boring thing.

 

In the kingdom of =
God, there is a great need for streaking meteors, but most of us =
won’t be that. We will instead be faint stars—husbands and =
fathers, wives and mothers. We will be accountants and teachers, =
business people, and students. We will go through life, day after day, =
doing very much the same thing tomorrow that we did =
today.

The important thing for us to =
remember is that we are needed. There is a great need for people willing =
to chase the little donkeys of life, not because it’s exciting but =
because they believe in the constant presence and purpose of God. There =
is a great need for people willing to stand in the midst of the boring, =
convinced that there is no such thing as ordinary when you follow an =
extraordinary God.

Rise and stand. Then tomorrow, =
do it again.

 

~~

Dr Bob =
Griffin

[email protected] www.grif.net =

"Jesus Knows Me, This I =
Love!"

 

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