A Flame of Fire

If you have never read, Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Elliot you really ought to order it now. You may be thinking, "Well, I saw End of the Spear, the movie about it." Trust me, the story of Jim Elliot and his passion for missions and his full-bodied effort for Christ to be glorified in all of his life is worth reading.

Here are a few qoutes:

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

"We are so utterly ordinary, so commonplace, while we profess to know a Power the Twentieth Century does not reckon with. But we are "harmless," and therefore unharmed. We are spiritual pacifists, non-militants, conscientious objectors in this battle-to-the-death with principalities and powers in high places. Meekness must be had for contact with men, but brass, outspoken boldness is required to take part in the comradeship of the Cross. We are "sideliners" -- coaching and criticizing the real wrestlers while content to sit by and leave the enemies of God unchallenged. The world cannot hate us, we are too much like its own. Oh that God would make us dangerous!"

"Those whimpering Stateside young people will wake up on the Day of Judgment condemned to worse fates than these demon-fearing Indians, because, having a Bible, they were bored with it - while these never heard of such a thing as writing"

"'He makes His ministers a flame of fire.' Am I ignitible? God deliver me from the dread asbestos of 'other things.' Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that I may be a flame. But flame is transient, often short-lived. Canst thou bear this, my soul, a short life?"

I know no one like Jim Elliot. Therefore I long to be like him.