MOUNTAIN STREAMS

The Story of Tommy was first published February, 1971.

1992, Mountain Streams, Postfach 241, 8021 Zurich, Switzerland. Vol.1, No. 6, Nov. 1992

THE STORY OF TOMMY

By David Brandt Berg

We should never underestimate the power of the written word! Where would we be today without it, without the first five Books of Moses, without the chronicles of history in God's Word, without the Psalms of David, the recorded prophecies of both the Old Testament and the New Testament, without the record of the Gospels and the Book of Acts? What would we have done without the Epistles of the apostles which are all preserved for us in the New Testament by the thoughtfulness of these men, their scribes, secretaries, helpers, students and followers, to be handed on down to us even to this day, continuing a perpetual ministry to the millions of God's children throughout the ages!

I dare say that none of these ever realised how important these writings were to become in the years and generations of those to follow! The apostle Paul could not possibly have comprehended the total extent of the ministry of even one of his Epistles at the time he was actually writing it! He was simply writing letters of inspiration, comfort, encouragement, doctrine, admonition, exhortation and direction to personal friends and groups of believers with whom he was acquainted, or had ministered to in the past, including those he himself had won to the Lord, the churches he had personally organised, as well as their converts and other churches which had sprung up as a result of their ministry--the atomic chain-reaction explosion of the Gospel!

So never underestimate the ministry of the written word! These Epistles of the apostles have been duplicated by the billions for nearly 2,000 years, by means of the printed word. What would we have done without the Bible, God's love letter to us? And how wonderful it is that we have gotten to know the Author through His Words to us, For faith cometh by hearing and reading the Word of God" (Romans 10:17).--And faith can even come from hearing your word, your testimony, your witness, your letter, containing the Words of God to a friend, relative, or interested party!

I'm reminded of a true story I heard when I was young, about a boy named Tommy. Tommy was a little crippled newsboy, whose mangled body lay almost helpless on a pitiful pallet by the third story window of an old rickety tenement on a busy street of a large city. One day he asked a newsboy friend of his to bring him the book about the Man Who went about everywhere doing good! The little lad searched and searched for this unnamed book for his crippled friend, until one book dealer finally recognised that he must be talking about the Bible, and the story of Jesus!

The tiny lad scraped together what few pennies he had, and the kindly bookseller gave him a copy of the New Testament, which he rushed back to Tom on his third-floor pallet!

They began to read it together, until Tommy was marvellously saved through the Words that he read in the book, and he too wanted to do good, like the Man in the book--but he was crippled, and could not even leave the little one-room apartment of his old aunt with whom he lived! But he prayed and asked God to help him, and the Lord showed him a plan!

He began to laboriously scribble helpful verses from the Bible on tiny scraps of paper, which he would then drop from his third-floor window to flutter to the busy street below! Passers-by would see them fluttering down, and curiously pick them up to see what they were, only to read the words of a Man Who went around everywhere doing good!--Christ Jesus! Many were helped, encouraged, comforted, and even saved through the simple ministry of this little lad and his Bible.

One day a wealthy businessman was wonderfully saved through reading one of these little verses. After finding Jesus, he returned to the spot where he had found the tiny scrap of paper that had led him to the Lord, seeking some key as to how it got there! Suddenly he noticed another little bit of paper fluttering down to the sidewalk from above. He watched as a poor, tired old woman stooped painfully to pick it up, and noticed her countenance brighten as she read it--and there seemed to be new strength in her step as she journeyed on!

The businessman, now transfixed to the spot, kept his eyes glued upward, determined to find the source! He had to wait a long time, for it took poor little, crippled Tommy many painful minutes to scrawl even one verse on one of those bits of paper! Suddenly the businessman's eyes were drawn to a certain window, as he saw a thin, little scrawny hand reaching outward to drop a tiny piece of paper, like the one that had brought a whole new life to him! He carefully noted the location of the window, dashed up the stairs of the dirty tenement, and finally found the little one-room hovel of tiny Tom, the sidewalk missionary!

He and Tom immediately became fast friends, and he brought Tom all the help and medical attention that he could. Finally one day he asked Tom if he would like to come and live with him in his palatial mansion outside the city.

Much to his new friend's surprise, Tom answered, I'll have to ask my Friend about it."--Meaning Jesus!

The next day the businessman returned, eagerly awaiting Tom's reply. Oddly enough, Tom asked him some strange questions: Where did you say your home is?"

Oh," said the businessman, it's far out in the country, on a large and beautiful estate. You'll have a beautiful room all your own, and servants to care for you, delicious meals, a good bed, every comfort and attention, and anything your heart desires.--And my wife and I will love you dearly, and rear you as our own son."

Hesitantly, Tom queried again, Are there any folks that would pass under my window?" Surprised, and somewhat baffled, again the businessman replied, saying, Why, uh, no, only an occasional servant, and perhaps the gardener! You don't understand, Tommy, this is a gorgeous estate, way out in the country, far from the busy noise of the city and the tumult of the people! You'll have quiet there, and be able to rest, and read, and do all you want--away from all this filth and smoke and noise and busy throngs."

After a long and thoughtful silence, Tom's face looked very sad, for he hated to hurt his new-found friend, but finally he said quietly, but firmly, with tears in his eyes, I'm sorry, but you see, I could never live anywhere where people don't pass under my window."

Ibelieve this simple little true-life story was a turning point in my own life as a little lad, for when I heard it told to me by my mother, I determined then and there, by the grace of God, that I would never live anywhere that people could not pass under the window of the ministry of God's Love in my life! As Tommy said, I could never live anywhere that people don't pass under my window!" Could you?

Having once met the Man Who went about everywhere doing good to those who passed under the window of His life, how could I ever live selfishly again, where people could not pass under my window and receive the same? Freely ye have received, also freely give" (Matthew 10:8). And unto whom much hath been given, of the same shall much be required" (Luke 12:48).

Are you living where people can pass under your window? Are you ministering to those who do? There are people passing under our window all the time! Are they going to receive what they need?

Here's the true-life story of someone so simple, so helpless and so isolated, you might have thought he could never have had any ministry at all, and would seemingly have had every excuse for not ministering to others but rather needed to be ministered unto. But love found a way!

Someone is passing under your window right now! Has your love found a way to help them? Has God's Love showed you how you can help them? He will, if you want to, no matter what your conditions, or your limitations.--For God has a window too, and He has promised that, if we obey Him, and open the window of our lives upon others, He will open the windows of Heaven, and pour out such a blessing, there will not be room enough to hold it" (Malachi 3:10). Praise the Lord!

Are you being faithful in all the windows of your life? Are you feeding His sheep, giving them green pastures, still waters, and the sunshine of His Love through the windows of His Word? You dare not fail them! You must give them what they need! How are you to do it? What can you do more than you are now doing? You can pour out more! You can give more! You cannot stop! For the Lord's children, there's no such thing as standing still! You're either going ahead or falling behind! You must keep going! You must pour out even more, as you work the works of Him that hath sent you, while it is yet day, 'ere the night comes, when no man can work (John 9:4). Redeem the time, for the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16). Pour more, witness more, and God Himself will do more, more than you ever dreamed!

If you selfishly withhold, it will come to naught. There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself" (Proverbs 11:24,25). You can't outgive God!

David Livingstone, the famous British missionary who left his wealth behind in order to pioneer the jungles of Africa, and died there on his knees, once said, I never made a sacrifice!" He had discovered that he could never outgive God. Although he gave his life, he'll reap Eternal Life and dividends of immortal souls, thousands saved forever! How can we outgive God?

But it's going to cost something! As King David said, I will not give unto the Lord of that which hath cost me nothing!" (2Samuel 24:24). You have to give something, you have to pour out, you have to live by a window, and you have to be faithful! You have to put something into it to get something out of it! You have to give to get, pour to receive, sow to reap, invest to profit, die to live, bury to resurrect!

If you have not yet found and received the Man Who went about doing good," Jesus, and would like to know God's Love through His Son Jesus Christ, you can personally receive Him right now! You can not only have His Love and Salvation for yourself, but you can be filled to overflowing with His Spirit of Love so you can be a blessing to others who need His Love. Jesus said, He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38).

You can ask Jesus into your heart and begin your a life of love and happiness by simply praying the following prayer:

Dear Jesus, please forgive me for my sins and give me Your free gift of Eternal Life, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit so I too, like Tommy, can find ways to help those that pass under the window of my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

If you have sincerely prayed and believed the above prayer, you indeed have what you just asked for; for Jesus promised, Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).

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