Cornerstone

2 Cor 11:22-33 (30)

Some days I could not remember no matter how hard I tried. I will never forget one particular day, however. I was a high school senior at Mt. Zion Bible School. Mary Kimbrough and I stood on the campus behind the boys dorm. I held the brand new book that she had written in my hands. It was titled, “His Way With Me.” I had just asked her to autograph the book and now I watched as she took the pen in knurled hands. The crooked fingers struggled to clutch the pen. As a missionary to India and later Jamaica, she suffered many physical afflictions. Even though this was the case she did not give up or give in. Her flesh may have been weak but her spirit was strong. As she wrote she cheerful and optimistically spoke of her work for the Lord as a missionary. She encouraged me to serve God faithfully. She didn’t say, “Serve even if you hurt,” but she was a living example of one who did not complain as she faithfully gave every ounce of her energy for the service of her Lord. “God, please teach me to follow examples like this in faithfulness! When I don’t feel good help me to ignore this and continue to do what is needed that others might be able to hear the message that Jesus saves.”

Dr. Gayle Woods

Acts 4:23-30 (24)

In our affluent society it is difficult to find a person who has been truly persecuted for Christ’s sake. We are pampered and spoiled. Our view of the Tribulation Period is probably skewed because we have not run in terror from the Secret Police. We have a filtered mental image of trial because we have not been deprived of the necessities of life by heartless and cruel rulers. And yet I have met a few people who have gone through times of hardship and persecution even though it may have been brief. One of those men whom I highly admire is Rev. Leland Trussell. As missionary to Bolivia he sought to spread the gospel message to an unreached area in Cochabamba. There he was threatened with bodily harm and finally had to leave because of the severity of the persecution. He remained in Bolivia and continued to work faithful in another location, however, and saw a very fruitful ministry. The happy ending to this story is that the work he attempted to begin was not lost. Years later his son and daughter both served as missionaries to Bolivia. Through their faithful efforts a work that their father strived to open was finally blessed of God. Thank God for pace setters who have a backbone so strong that it won’t allow them to waver in their commitment and service for God.

Dr. Gayle Woods