God speaks today Wednesday | July 14, 2021

Leonardo: Thanks, it's fair, today, for me, Amen

Jose Malpica: The word of God is great, his infinite mercy, Amen

Edgar Hoyos: God bless you

Estela Sanchez: Hebrews 11: 1 "So faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" Blessings

Sonia Caballero: Powerful word that I treasure in my heart. Glory to the Lord.

Karina: Thank you!

Eduardo Gonzalez Soriano: Thank you for each and every one of your submissions! As a complement to today's preaching: I hope you like reading, I share this story with you, * David Flood, his young wife, Svea, and their 2-year-old son * In the year 1921 they left Sweden for the interior of Africa. They were traveling with another young missionary couple — these two couples had been very active members, sang in the church choir, Svea played the violin, and was a soloist. They had committed their lives to bringing the gospel to the lost tribes of Africa. They were full of enthusiasm and optimism to the point that they crossed the mountains of the Congo with a machete to begin their ministry in a place still undetermined for them. To their surprise, village after village refused to admit them, convinced that the presence of these whites would anger the gods and bring them great trouble. Days of carrying their belongings, hungry, weak, they prayed that the next village on the other side of the mountain would allow them to develop their ministries. But the chief of the next village was even more hostile than all the previous ones put together. He asked them to leave. Their biography reads, "They struggled to get their belongings to the top and by setting up the tents they knew they would be too tired to camp again." They then decided to clear the land and build a mud hut, doing their best to withstand the hostility of the villagers. During the next agonizing weeks, which turned into months, David and Svea Flood struggled with the Swahili language and, together with the Ericksons, tried their best to get close to the tribal chief, who further hardened his position. Villagers were still forbidden from visiting missionaries — only one little boy was allowed to go and sell chickens and eggs to them. David was amazed at his wife's insistence that even if they were not able to enter the village or reach Africa for Christ, she could still win this child to the gospel. So, every time the boy visited, she showed him love and attention ... until the other missionaries saw how one day she knelt with the boy and led him in a prayer of repentance. The boy had to keep his decision a secret, because they would probably not let him visit them again. For the others, this mission was a failure. One day the Ericksons decided to leave the Floods and return to the mission station that was hundreds of miles behind. Later Svea announced that she was expecting her second child. He was weak and David feared the worst. It was too late to travel through the jungle of the Belgian Congo — the child would have to be born in the hut, on the mountain. The Christian boy brought this news to the village, and surprisingly, the chief allowed a midwife from the tribe to collaborate. When the baby was due, Svea Flood caught malaria — when the tribal matron arrived, Svea was moaning with fever. Their baby girl was born, and Svea whispered that she would be called Aina, a classic Swedish name for girls. Seventeen days later, Svea Flood passed away. Desperate and filled with bitter rage, David buried his 27-year-old wife. How would you take care of your 2-year-old and a baby without help? He hired a man from the village and took his sons to the mission station. His ministry, the gospel, and his relationship with God had ended for him. As far as he knew, God had taken his wife's life and his ministry was nothing more than a tragic loss. The problem was that, when she returned to Sweden, no one would be able to take care of her little baby. The Ericksons had been unable to have children, and David offered them the opportunity to adopt Aina. They gladly agreed. Now David could go back to his son, leave that mission station never to return ... in fact, when he left the place, he never turned his face back. Before the girl Aina was a year old, Joel and Berta Erickson were poisoned by natives, and within a day of each other they both died. Aina was left without parents again. It was claimed by another missionary couple who already had their own daughter. When she was 3 years old, Aina and her adoptive parents left Africa and settled in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Her Swedish name was changed to Aggie. Aina would later write that, even as a child, she knew she was different. She was known as the daughter of the missionary who died on the mountain, rescued by missionaries who were poisoned and, really, as the title of her biography says, "Being a girl without a country." Eventually, Aina attended North Central Bible College where she met a promising young man, Dewey Hurst, who was entering the ministry. Years passed. Aina did not have any information on her father. He knew little about his past. He knew the names of his parents and Sweden, but little else. I didn't have time to think about it… with a husband and family busy in ministry. Her husband had been appointed president of a Bible college in another state. One day, unexpectedly, a Swedish magazine appeared in his mailbox. He had no idea who was sending it, and of course, he didn't understand the content. But as he turned the pages, a photograph captured his attention. The photo of a small white cross buried with the name of Svea Flood. He jumped into the car looking for a Swedish teacher from the Bible school. Two missionaries, walking through the jungle, came to a village in the Belgian Congo and took that photo. Investigating in the village they told the story that they reproduced in the article. They also said that after the missionaries left, the Christian boy requested permission from the chief of the tribe to start a school. Gradually, this now young boy, a teacher and leader, taught the Gospel to all his students. And then his parents, and even the boss accepted Christ. Now that village had 600 believers and a very active church. All thanks to the sacrifice and the tears of David, and first of all of Svea. Aina couldn't believe it. He started crying and thanking God for letting him know the truth about his parents and their sacrifice. For the 25th anniversary of their wedding, the Bible College gave the Hurst couple a ticket to visit Sweden, where Aina, among other things, could look for her father. It wasn't difficult — David Flood had married, had 4 children, but his second wife had also passed away. That old man was now an alcoholic, agnostic, and cursed anyone who mentioned God to him. After an emotional reunion with her half brothers and sister, Aina wanted to see her father. His brothers weren't very happy with that idea — he had become a bitter man, they didn't see him much either, and most of all, he hated God. They warned him, "If you see him, don't talk to him about spiritual things ... when he hears the name of God, he explodes with fury." Aina was determined to see him. At last he went to his apartment — the door was answered by a cleaning lady. Inside his room there were liquor bottles on every window ledge; the table was covered with more bottles. And in a secluded corner - she wrote in her autobiography - a wrinkled little old man sprawled on an unmade bed, his head against the wall. Diabetes and a stroke had crippled him in that room for 3 years. The lady approached him and said softly, "Papa, Aina is here." He turned to me and I took his hand. "Dad?" I said. He started crying. "Aina," he said, "I never wanted to leave you." "Okay, Papa," I said as I took his hands. "God took care of me." He stiffened and stopped crying. "God forgot us all," he spat, "Our lives are like this because of Him. I was in Africa the whole time ... and just a little boy ... and then I lost your mother." “Dad, I have a story to tell you. You did not go to Africa in vain. Mama did not die in vain. The little boy they won for the Lord grew up and the whole village today recognizes Jesus. Today, 40 years later, there are 600 people in that place who serve the Lord because you heard the call of God in your life. David Flood turned slowly until his eyes met mine — eyes of hope, wishing that what I was saying was true… wishing that the turmoil of his life would somehow be redeemed. " Papa, it's a good story… we have a great God ”. The tears came back ... he began to speak. By the end of that afternoon, the goodness of God had brought him to repentance, forgiveness, and restoration of fellowship. Aina and her husband finally returned to America… a few weeks later, David Flood left for the heavenly homeland. Then they would tell Aina that in the last hours of her life — delirious, she spoke Swahili. Let me add an appendix to this story. Years passed and Aina and her husband went to an evangelistic conference, this time in London. Several leaders of different denominations and church associations from Africa came to give their reports. One of them was from Zaire, superintendent of the association of national churches of that country, representing 100,000 baptized believers. He spoke eloquently about spreading the gospel in his country. He said, “We have 32 mission stations; a 120-bed hospital; various Christian schools — and our churches today have 100,000 baptized Christians. Then Aina ran up to that man and asked him some questions — one in particular. I let you read what she said herself, “Sir, did you meet a young missionary couple named David and Svea Flood? They were at a mission station — and all I know is that they were on top of a mountain. " "Yes, Madame," he replied, "I used to sell them chickens and eggs ... it was Svea Flood who led me to Christ." "Who are you?" “I am the daughter of Svea Flood; I was born on that mountain ”. Tears rolled down that man's cheeks, he hugged me, and in his African style, he held me, and began to dance, sobbing from the depths of his soul. "Many times I asked myself," she said crying, "what happened to that little girl whose mother died for us?" He said, "You must go back to her birthplace — your mother is the most famous person in our church." She agreed. After months of planning, Aina and her husband made the long journey back to that special place. In fact, they came to the place where her father gave her up for adoption to the Ericksons. In this place she had lived and played in the mud with her African friends, learning the Swahili language. He visited the grave of his adoptive parents. Reaching the village was as difficult as it was for his parents, but this time there were hundreds of people waiting for him, in the middle of an arch of flowers. Aina writes, “The village shepherd led me to the top of the mountain, all the people following us; at the top there was a flat place under a grove of trees. The pastor pointed his finger and said, "This is the place where your parents made the hut where you were born." Then he turned and pointed, without saying a word, to a grave surrounded by concrete, a palm tree nearby, and below, the entire valley. A white cross that said Svea Flood (1896-1923). Aina writes, "and now I know the harvest of the seed that she sowed." The pastor opened his Bible, surrounded by hundreds of believers, and read a single line from the Psalms. Psalm 126, verse 5 "Those who sowed with tears will reap with joy." David & svea flood2 God knows what it's like to cry. God knows what it means to suffer losses. God knows what it means to sow seed that looks like it won't bear fruit. But God knows the end… He knows the end of history… that the tears of pain, and loss and frustration and pain and grief will soon be erased… replaced by indescribable joy. Copied from Facebook

Brandt Gillespie: Thank you Ernst for your faithfulness. The Spurgeon comment about the Egyptian throwing his seed into the Nile river was particularly thought provoking. Blessings, Brandt

Norma Hinojosa: Thank you for sending us the word of God and with resources to deepen them. They are vital to nurture our spirit and be useful in those difficult times for our family, in the faith community ministry and our society.

María Rivas: Thank you father for your perfect, fair and kind word .. Thank you for giving me exactly what I need every day ❤️

Norelis: Thanks Eduardo. Nice story.

Jose Rodriguez: Only God knows our end.