According to John, it was Andrew who first introduced his brother to Jesus, and Jesus gave him that name of Peter (= rock): an indication of what he was to become, but certainly not what he was then. Thank God that He sees you and me, not as we are but as we may, by His grace, become.
Peter became one of great leaders of early Christian community. He wrote two of letters that have been preserved for us in the Bible. But without Andrew, there might not have been a Peter.
Edward Kimball was a faithful Christian who wanted to be used by God. He was not a pastor or a missionary, but he knew that he should go and share the gospel. Kimball felt especially burdened for a young man named Dwight, who worked in a Chicago shoe store. He mustered up the courage to go and tell Dwight about Jesus. Much to Kimball's delight, he responded and gave his life to Christ. Dwight later began a preaching ministry, and became known as D.L.Moody, one of the greatest evangelists in church history.
When Moody was out preaching one day, a man named Frederick Meyer was listening. Meyer was already a Christian, but Moody's preaching motivated him to enter full-time ministry. We know him as F.B. Meyer. Kimball reached Moody, and Moody reached Meyer, but the story doesn't end there.
When Meyer was preaching, a young man named Wilbur Chapman responded and gave his life to Christ. Chapman felt called to be an evangelist. One of the young men he took under his wing was a former professional baseball player who, also wanted to preach the gospel and did so with great success. His name was Billy Sunday.
Sunday held a crusade in Charlotte, North Carolina, where many people came to faith. The people there were so thrilled that they wanted to have another crusade. Sunday wasn't available, so a travelling evangelist named Mordecai Hamm was invited to speak. While the campaign wasn't considered as successful as the first one, a young, lanky farm boy walked down the aisle on one of the final nights. We know him as Billy Graham.
Kimball reached Moody, who touched Meyer, who reached Chapman, who helped Sunday, who reached the businessmen in Charlotte who invited Hamm, who then touched Billy Graham. Talk about a legacy! You may not be a Billy Graham, but you might be an Edward Kimball. We all have been entrusted with the gospel. We all have a part to play.
The old Negro spiritual says: “If you can’t preach like Peter, if you can’t pray like Paul; just tell the love of Jesus, and say He died for all.” (There is a balm in Gilead). And it may be that, by the grace of God, it is your neighbour who will then be the Peter, or the Paul, or the Billy Graham.
Tradition says that Andrew was crucified – but on a cross shaped like an X. That’s where we get our national flag, the Saltire. The story is that, before a battle with an English king, Angus mac Fergus, king of the Picts – the people who lived in the lowlands – had a dream in which Andrew appeared and promised him victory. During the battle, a Saltire cross was seen in the sky and this encouraged Angus and his troops. After his victory, Angus ordered that the Saltire be the badge of the Picts.
Andrew is a saint – but according to the New Testament, so am I, and so are you if you belong to Jesus. A little boy was asked to explain what a saint is. He remembered that, in the church building his family attended, there were stained glass windows with pictures of some of the saints in the Bible, and how beautiful they looked when the sunlight shone through them. So he answered that a saint is somebody that the light shines through!
Jesus said: “I am the Light of the world”. But the only way in which some will see Him is if we allow Him to shine through us!
No comments:
Post a Comment