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by David W. Cloud (1982) |
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The
following interesting and unusual testimony was recorded originally on tape as
it was related by Brother Titus in September, 1981. It was transcribed from
tape, translated from Nepali into English, then
edited into its present form. Titus is one of the many unknown and unsung
heroes of the faith who serve the Lord in a humble, quiet manner without wide
publicity outside of their relatively narrow circle of acquaintances. We want
to make the challenge of this brother's life and faith known to more people,
but we realize that Titus' desire and reward is not the earthly applause of men.
His desire looks forward to that day in which his blind eyes will see and
behold the beauty of his heavenly Master. |
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We trust
the Lord will be pleased to make the testimony of His blind servant a
blessing and challenge to many. |
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Before my birth
my mom and dad left |
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BLINDNESS |
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At the age
of twelve, my eyes started paining. It was quite customary for us to consult
the village witch doctor, so one of the doctors was called by my father in
order to have my eyes cured. He came, chanted prayers, and did many things to
cure my eyes. In return, he was well fed and paid, and regarded as a savior.
My family had high hopes that soon I would be well. |
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Alas! The
next morning I had gone from bad to worse. My sight decreased to a great
extent. The days following I started seeing only the darkness. I lost my two
beautiful eyes, no more in this life to behold the lovely sights of nature. |
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This was
the beginning of the saddest chapter of my life. I was now a helpless and
completely handicapped person. I wept bitterly. The childhood joy was already
gone. In addition to all these anxieties, both my dad and mom died within two
years after my sight had been lost. |
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A SCHOOL
FOR ME |
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You could
imagine the terrible state of my life. One day some good well-wishers took me
out of my village and put me in a school for the blind. But in the new
environment it was difficult for me to adjust and to learn my lessons.
Slowly, though, I learned reading and writing in Braille. I also learned to
work with cane, making different kinds of furniture and other things. Since
the school was operated by a Christian mission, I also heard about Jesus
Christ. But I always resisted Him and His teachings. I quarrelled many times
with some of my friends who claimed to be Christians. Deep down in my heart,
though, I was continually wrestling about the meaning of life. |
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MEETING MY
TRUE SAVIOR |
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One night
I was very restless. I tried to sleep but in vain. I began to recall my
childhood days, adolescence, and to reflect on the life I was living at that
time in the school. I could not escape the thought of life after death, and I
was terribly shaken. A great fear of helplessness made me frightened, but in
the midst of these fears I remembered the Lord Jesus Christ. I called upon
His name and asked Him to save me from death and to forgive my sins. Tears
rolled down my blind eyes. I surrendered myself to Him, opening my heart as I
said, "Lord Jesus, you are from now on my Lord and Savior!" |
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The following
day I was one of the happiest persons in the school. I started sharing my
new-found relationship of Christ with friends and neighbors. |
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My life
was sailing smoothly career wise as a teacher in the school, and my Christian
life was rapidly growing. I continued to witness for my Lord at every
opportunity. Many people were led to Him. |
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A
FULL-TIME EVANGELIST |
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It was in
the year 1967 - seven years after my conversion - that I dedicated my life as
a full-time evangelist. Of course, it was an unusual step for me, a
handicapped person, to surrender to travel as an evangelist in this difficult
mountain terrain. Certainly I felt completely unfit and unworthy for such an
important work. I had no available source of income, either from churches or
individuals. But I was sure God was calling me. I took my step in firm faith,
assured there was nothing which could stop me from becoming a co-labourer in
Jesus' harvest. Earnestly I wanted to "go" for Him everywhere. I
quit my job in the school. |
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"You
are handicapped; how can you manage your life
without a job!" somebody said. |
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"How
is it possible for you to become a Christian evangelist? You are blind!"
some others commented. |
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And such
reactions kept pouring into my ears. On my part I just kept looking toward
the Lord who had called me. I was not moved an inch from my decision. |
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Trusting
absolutely upon our Lord Jesus Christ, I began my evangelistic work in the nearby
villages. Among nominal Christians I openly told them to accept Jesus as
their Lord and Savior. And to non-Christians I plainly shared my personal
testimony. Many young people responded and started following Jesus, leaving
their old life-styles. Others opposed me. |
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Within a
couple of years I completed testifying of the Lord and preaching the Gospel
in all the villages of our area. Afterwards I turned my efforts to reaching
the people of the tea gardens in the district of Darjeeling. ( |
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Please
note that I was preaching (and still do) in the region of the Himalayan
mountains, the highest, most rugged mountains of the world. I walked up and
down the narrow, often treacherous paths, passing through hilly jungles
infamous for robbers and dangerous wild animals, crossing streams and rivers.
Despite my total blindness, I have attempted to go wherever God has directed
in order to proclaim the precious Gospel. |
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Slowly and
steadily God has blessed my efforts. He has opened the way for me to speak in
different churches and meetings, and my area of ministry has expanded to
places other than my home district. God has taken me to |
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I praise
the Lord that many of those to whom I have preached in different places have
glowing testimony of salvation and are witnessing to others of Christ. A few are
in the full-time ministry. For these blessings I am greatly thankful. |
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DANGEROUS
TRAVEL AND GOD'S HELP |
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I travel
almost all the year long, and in fact have no house of my own or even a rented
room. When I return from my travels to my home district, I stay with friends
or at the school where I once taught. I journey by train, bus, and other
available means of transport. But mostly I have to walk and walk across the
high mountains and lower foothills of |
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God has
always been faithful to me. It is true that I am a handicapped man, and I have
normally not had a Christian companion to accompany me in my travels, but the
Lord Jesus Christ has been my faithful Guide and Companion as I have carried
His Gospel to the untold. |
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This, of
course, is just a part of the whole story of my life and experiences. I have
many stories I would like to tell you which have happened on different
occasions, but space is limited. The struggle in a crowded Indian railway
station just to get a ticket and enter the train is a difficult task for a
blind man. Yet I praise the Lord that I have never had anything stolen in all
these past years of travelling. |
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One day
some years back I was being guided by a coolie along a mountain path in
western |
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The coolie
and I arrived on the scene not knowing of our imminent danger, when suddenly
a whistle sounded, warning of the blast which was to occur in seconds. The
coolie immediately left me and retreated to safety, while I stood frightened
to death, but because of my blindness, helpless to know where to go. Within
seconds the dynamite exploded, blasting big pieces of rock all over the area
in which I was standing. |
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Of course
I was praying! And the coolie was amazed to return and find me completely
uninjured, even though debris from the blast was lying all around me! I was
able to give a good witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. |
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Another time
I was travelling in a bus in northeast |
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Suddenly
some knocks on the window awakened me. The knocks continued, and not knowing
who it was, and being entirely alone, I was very frightened. A man outside
the bus then called to me and told me he had been informed of my dangerous
situation and had come from a nearby place to take me to his house. I
consented, and on the way I learned that he was a Brahman (high caste Hindu). |
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When we
arrived at his house, he told me I must sleep outside because his religion
would not allow him to bring me inside. We talked for awhile about Jesus
Christ, and he became so interested that he decided I could sleep on the
porch. But when we continued talking, he decided that I must be brought into
the house! So it was right in the kitchen of this kind Brahman's house that I
slept and ate that night. |
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In such
ways God has never failed to take care of me. He has proven that He is indeed
faithful. |
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A FINAL
CHALLENGE |
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If you are
reading this story of Titus' life but have never known the Lord Jesus Christ personally,
we urge you to receive Him this very moment. The Bible says we are all
sinners before God. We have all broken God's holy laws and must be punished
for our sins. But because He loves us greatly, God sent His only Son, Jesus
Christ, into the world to pay the punishment for our sins. Jesus had never
sinned, but He died a cruel death nailed to a wooden cross in order to take
away our sins. Three days later He rose from the dead, proving that He is the
Son of God! Today the Bible promises that any person who will call upon Jesus
and ask Him for forgiveness and new life will receive it. One precious verse
in the Bible says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." (John 3:16) |
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Call on
the Lord Jesus today! |
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And if you
are a true Christian already, let me urge you to give your life wholly for
God's service in this life. A great work has been given to us - that of telling
all people about Jesus and training converts and establishing churches
throughout the world. Have you made your life and possessions available to
God for this great and urgent work? There are multitudes of people here in |
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Perhaps
you think you are too weak, too handicapped somehow to be useful in God's
work. Please remember Titus, your blind brother in Christ. God delights to
use the weak things of this world to glorify His name. |
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Or perhaps
you think you are too poor to serve God. But remember that Titus has never
had promised or regular income these past years of evangelistic work. No
church, denomination, organization, or individual has stood behind him in a regular
way, but God has provided for his needs as he has gone forth to obey Him. And
remember, too, that Titus preaches among the poorest people in the world. The
average person in |
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One time
after Titus had preached in a church in Nagaland, a lady came up to him and
handed him an egg. She said she wanted to help him, and that is what she had.
One egg! So though Titus has never had a lot of this world's goods, God has
seen that he has always had at least one egg for nourishment! He certainly
will do the same for us if we will serve Him faithfully. The Bible promises,
"Seek ye first the |
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