Friday: Inside Story – Now Is the Time
Debrah, a Seventh-day Adventist, missed her church fellowship after she married and unbeliever and moved with her husband to an area where there was no church.
After some years, a group of Adventist laymen calling themselves the Now Is The Time team decided to hold meetings in this area.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
The first night of the meetings, Debrah’s husband happened by and came in. Although he was very drunk, he realized that these meetings were being conducted by members of his wife’s church.
Where have you been? he demanded loudly. My wife is a Seventh-day Adventist and she has been waiting years for you to come! One of the workers persuaded him to come outside where his drunken behavior would not interrupt the meeting. Finally, he asked for a Bible to take to his wife and set off for home, some distance away.
Meanwhile, Debrah had awakened from a vivid dream in which she had seen her husband entering the house with a Bible as a gift for her. She lay in the darkness, wondering what the dream meant. She knew it was unlikely that her husband would spend his money to buy her a Bible.
About 2:00 am her husband came home and presented her with the Bible, just as she had dreamed. Thrilled over this sign of God’s care, she couldn’t go to sleep and finally decided to get up and find the place where the meetings were being held.
Arriving very early in the morning, Debrah found the preachers and studied earnestly with them. She decided that nothing would ever keep her from serving the God who had spoken to her in a dream.
Debrah’s husband was tolerant, but his parents were angry. They burned all her clothes. When the evangelistic team gave her more clothes, they burned them too. When her husband’s parents realized that she would not forsake her religion, they threw Debrah out of the home and bought another wife for their son. But eventually, because of his unhappiness, they relented and reinstated Debrah as their son’s wife.
Although her husband was glad to have her back, he showed no interest in religion himself. But as Debrah worked hard to please him and make him comfortable, while also spending as much time as she could helping others, her beautiful Christian life made an impression on him and he decided to become a Seventh-day Adventist. Today, he and Debrah work together to share God’s love.
Debrah and her husband live in an unspecified country of Africa.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.
Find more mission stories at www.adventistmission.org
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this such a beautiful heart touching story!I praise the Lord who can change any situation when we keep praying with faith!
Showly this story is a heart touching one,because I'm in the same boat. I'm a Adventist but my husband is not, he takes me to church almost every Sabbath stays there and listen to the massage.He's so much interesting in what he see and hear, he want's to join the church. But because of his parents and traditional back ground he is still holding back. Please help me to pray for him that the holy spirit will used him to make this decision.
I don't want to detract from the spirit of this story, [I really don't,] but does any-one else remember this story, from 25+ years ago? Even in 1989 I don't think the story was current; and I find myself wondering if it is really true that "today, he and Debrah work together to share God's love." I would like to think they do...
We have noted that a number of the recent Inside Stories are old ones. Sabbath School Net does not produce the lessons we simply pass on what is given to us by the Sabbath School Dept.
I hope that the lesson producers do note our concern and endeavor to print current stories.
Thank you Maurice. Your reply is much appreciated.
Why can't we appreciate these "old" stories and learn something from them?
How old is the Jeremiah story we just finished?
There is nothing wrong with having old stories when they are relevant. What is concerning to me and a number of others is that a couple of times lately, old stories have been recycled in association with appeals for help with current projects. When the story is 25 years old and you know it, you have to ask the question, why didn't they use a recent story that illustrated the need for help. It creates a credibility gap in the minds of those of us who know the story.
In short: By all means use an old story if is relevant but its a good idea to give some sort of indication of when the story occurred.
Don't hide the old stories. The same stories can change someone's life. If we say no to old stories, it's like saying no to the old testament.
Yes current stories would definitely help.
Current or old, bring them on...
Yes, current or old, bring them on... it's just that we hope [I'm sure] that experiences like the ones printed in our Sabbath School books, are still happening, and that we don't really "have to" go to our archives to find suitable material. It would be nice to think that we had an over-supply of recent events...
Yeah our God is one, and they should be no difference btn old and new cos our God is ancient and pressent God.. Stick on love of Christ Jesus..
This mission story has just breathed new life into me. God indeeds is the true restorer of faith, love and joy. All he requires from us is our faithfulness to Him and the purpose He has given us.
Thank you for the reminder! Happy Sabbath.
That's an amazing story! Thanks! Work by faith. We need to show others how we are different as Christians l.
God, ever on our side working for Seventh Day Adventists who generally attach little value to His plain instructions. Not all such marriages end well. IT IS SOOO MUCH TROUBLE to marry outside our faith and WORK to change the situation, especially for women. Things that we take soo forgranted, those of us born in this faith, prove such life long burdens. Happy for them though.
New or old story, do you really think that the lesson brought by the story depends inevitably by its age? Why to leave a comment for a pointless thing?
Really, Do you believe that your redemption depends on your requirement on the age of the story and the end of their story after 25 years?
The story is talking about God's time, as the song says, He makes all things beautiful in his time but not about what happened after 25years or more.
As I said early, there is nothing wrong with old stories but we need to acknowledge when they are old. It is the way that old stories are used that is of concern.
In a similar vein, I remember someone returning from a recent GC session with a story that was told in a way that sounded as though it was a recent occurrence. The issue that I had with the story was that I had heard the same story 50 years earlier, which made the recent recital of the story somewhat suspect. When it comes to stories such as those used for mission stories etc, we need to ensure that their facts are credible and that includes providing a time frame of some sort.
I am a younger SDA than those pointing out the age of these stories. To me it doesn't matter that they are old. The Bible stories are all older and they are repeated AND they are timeless examples of Christ at work in His people yet today. I have not had the opportunity to hear the newer stories and appreciate that they are being shared. They bless everyone who hasn't had the years in the church. Do you complain when your spouse repeats a story just in case you hadn't already heard it? Or your elderly parent revisiting an experience that taught them a lesson or made an impression? Let us never tire of hearing about Gods work on earth. Share your stories as well.
Sometimes our characters plays big role others than our gifts to others.
I enjoy all of your mission stories, however, I yearn for current stories. Lots of us are living in war zones or where natural disasters occur often. Wouldn't it be powerful to see God's hand at work in these instances. Also God is every where. How about stories set in the Caribbean? Has God forgotten us ?cheryl
Yes. When Christians come together for fellowship, there is power in fresh testimonies. We are part of a church that has a membership in excess of 18 million people, and I think it would be natural to assume that God would be working somewhere among our people every day. (Especially in war zones and in places where disaster has come, as you say.) But logistically it does not appear to be an easy matter to find, and to gather up, the testimonies.
I am a sigle adventist, and to me this story encourages believer marrying a non-believer,and every thing works out fine in the end, dosen't the adventist church preach against that, mine does. confuse?
Hi Althea,
Read the story carefully. There is no encouragement to marry non-believers. The story is about someone who made a wrong choice but through the work of the Holy Spirit found her way back to God and in so doing brought her husband into the truth. That fact that God is willing to continue to love us even when we have made the wrong choice is a cause for rejoicing. It is *not* encouragement to do the wrong thing.
That will be my story too 🙂 Working to help others saved is not easy but with God we can do all things Philliphians 4:13....Amen
I married a man that was raised without a church. I wanted very, very much for us to attend the Adventist Church together with our children (5). He refused emphatically for 44 years and then one Sabbath he got up and asked could he go to church with me. By then, our five children were grown and on their own. I and the children had quit going to church at one of the most important times of their lives -- their teenage years. I am ETERNALLY grateful he was baptized and joined our church and we were blessed with 10 years of enthusiastically going to all the church meetings we could attend and never missed a Sabbath; however, we MISSED 44 years of going to church and being blessed with attending as a FAMILY. I have NO doubt our children would not have made some of the mistakes they made because of not having a SOLID foundation with the Lord. Pray for the right spouse and be led by the Holy Spirit and you will not miss out!!!
It's quite interesting to read old stories, keep on giving us more. There are many lesson to learn from it.
Very touching story. Our neighbours, relatives and friends need to see our persistence in the things of Lord no matter what. God bless Debrah and her husband.
Touching story...God really works in ways unbelievable to man...
The "news" happened yesterday, so it is old. If you want NEWs you have to let your light shine and God will annoint your eyes to see his work in others. His testimonies are then borne by you! Bring on the stories of what God is doing in you!
Heart touching story.let's thank & praise Him for all his blessing....
thanks a lot my brother.i saw your mail late.otherwise we need the holy spirit to help us know the gifts from GOD.enjoy the day.
thank you i learnt something.