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From Ryan Fullerton:
Marie Monsen was a Norwegian missionary to China (1878-1962). She was a woman of great faith. In 1917 God moved her to pray for Revival in that great land, 20 years later it came, and lasted a decade! In the course of her ministry she taught many Women's Bible Studies.
This morning I read a story from one of those Bible Stories. I thought it might be an encouragement to the many moms, and single ladies, and widows at Immanuel who are teach Bible Studies as disciplers, and missionaries to Louisville, and beyond. I thought it might be encouragement for you to see how your 'ordinary' Bible Study work can touch deep issues like abortion.
In a chapter called, At last-the Miracle, Monsen writes,
We had been holding classes for three days. On the fourth I was to have a lesson with the group of heathen women again. There were sixteen of them. We dealt with infanticide. Suddenly, in extreme amazement, one of the women said:
"Can't we do what we like with our own children?" We talked about it for a little longer. Then they broke down:
"Oh, and I have killed three."
"And I five..."
"I took the lives of eight of my children."
"And I of thirteen, but they were all girls."
(All the others had probably been girls too.) Only two of them did not confess themselves guilty of this sin.
It was the first time in over twenty years on the mission field, that I heard women, who knew we regarded the killing of infants as sin, confess that they themselves had committed this particular sin. They all knew, of course, of many others who had done it. This was the first time I had seen the Holy Spirit deal with a whole group - a miracle indeed.
The experience left me speechless. Then one of them suddenly asked:
"Why can't we sleep here?" (my note - they were staying with the missionaries at this time).
"Don't you sleep? What do you do at night?"
"We weep, we only weep."
"Why do you weep?"
"We remember so much."
"Do you remember all the wrong things you have done?"
They nodded in silent admission. Then I knew that He, who had come to convict the world of sin, had been doing it in this group of ignorant of heathen women from the very first day they came to us."
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I pray God would use many of our homes, our Bible Studies, our lives, to convict the world of sin, and to drive them to the sweet relief of the Savior.
Ryan
This morning I read a story from one of those Bible Stories. I thought it might be an encouragement to the many moms, and single ladies, and widows at Immanuel who are teach Bible Studies as disciplers, and missionaries to Louisville, and beyond. I thought it might be encouragement for you to see how your 'ordinary' Bible Study work can touch deep issues like abortion.
In a chapter called, At last-the Miracle, Monsen writes,
We had been holding classes for three days. On the fourth I was to have a lesson with the group of heathen women again. There were sixteen of them. We dealt with infanticide. Suddenly, in extreme amazement, one of the women said:
"Can't we do what we like with our own children?" We talked about it for a little longer. Then they broke down:
"Oh, and I have killed three."
"And I five..."
"I took the lives of eight of my children."
"And I of thirteen, but they were all girls."
(All the others had probably been girls too.) Only two of them did not confess themselves guilty of this sin.
It was the first time in over twenty years on the mission field, that I heard women, who knew we regarded the killing of infants as sin, confess that they themselves had committed this particular sin. They all knew, of course, of many others who had done it. This was the first time I had seen the Holy Spirit deal with a whole group - a miracle indeed.
The experience left me speechless. Then one of them suddenly asked:
"Why can't we sleep here?" (my note - they were staying with the missionaries at this time).
"Don't you sleep? What do you do at night?"
"We weep, we only weep."
"Why do you weep?"
"We remember so much."
"Do you remember all the wrong things you have done?"
They nodded in silent admission. Then I knew that He, who had come to convict the world of sin, had been doing it in this group of ignorant of heathen women from the very first day they came to us."
_____
I pray God would use many of our homes, our Bible Studies, our lives, to convict the world of sin, and to drive them to the sweet relief of the Savior.
Ryan
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