Time was given for testimonies. Among others, the lady who is the owner of this very
hotel and restaurant told the story of how her husband was finally convinced to
attend a service in the tent meeting. I
was preaching in the tent and painting a picture nightly offering it the next
night to the person who brought the most new people. She was determined to win a picture and brought
over 40 new people. Her husband had
never had any interest in the things of God, but at her insistence came to help
her win the picture. She said that night
as I gave the altar call, I told the story of a minister that gave an altar
call and carried his Bible to the main door of the church, placing it on the
threshold saying, “If you walk out of this church tonight, you’ll have to step
over God’s Word and his invitation of love and forgiveness.” I remember that night, because I only told
that story once. I did not lay my Bible
on the threshold, but only told the story. That night he mumbled to his wife something
like, “Who cares if I step over a Bible!
I’m out of here.” He headed for
the door of the tent and heard an audible voice close behind him telling him to
stop. He turned to look and no one was
there. That did it. He made a U-turn, came down to the altar and was
powerfully saved that night. Several
years ago he crossed over into glory.
The church gave me a beautiful clock to help me remember this church in
the extreme north and where I have ministered many times over the years,
several times in tent meetings including that one held in the late 60’s. The pastor showed me into his office area
where two of my simple paintings hang framed.
I shot a picture of one of them (above).Today the pastor of the church where I had ministered on Sunday June 24, contacted me to update me on a big man that had come forward at the invitation. I remember how he was still in the aisle coming forward when I saw him fall backward with a terrible crash. No one had talked to him or touched him. His fall was so heavy that the pastor called an ambulance and rushed him to the hospital. When he came to… he confessed that he was a thief and had come to the church to perform a robbery. God knocked him flat. Hey, we are not in this thing alone! God’s invisible army surrounds us. I think the angel, Gabriel, was probably giggling when this guy woke up in the hospital where one of the counselors was leading him to Jesus.
After a long week of activity, and meeting new people… and after many hundreds of hugs and kisses on the cheek… my
two girls were ready to relax a little.
It was such a joy to take them today to the amazing Iguazú Falls. Felicia had been here before and I have been
here with Frances several times. It is
truly an awesome experience. We hiked up
and down hundreds of stairs and for what seemed like miles through the rain forest
jungle... even on a footbridge out to the border of the “Devil’s Throat” where thousands
of tons of water whirl and plunge into a seemingly bottomless pit while drenching
everything and everyone within a hundred feet.
We even took the crazy boat ride below the falls through the wildest rapids I have ever
seen up to the base of the falls and… I couldn’t believe they would do this…
into the very falls themselves, drenching us thoroughly. They had made us place our cameras and shoes in sealed bags, but every piece of clothing I had on was soaked. We screamed and laughed until we ached all
over. (Well, at least I did… ha.) Tomorrow we plan to return for another hike,
this time above the falls at the very edge of the huge drop. Don’t worry it is a well protected walkway.Ralph
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