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Theodore
Stoykoff pulled his coat tighter around him as the winter wind blew. Thoughts
of a warm fire and a cup of hot tea flashed through his mind. What wonderful
things they would be! |
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But warm
fires and tea would have to wait. Theodore had important work to do. He was
on a journey to visit 30 villages in |
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Theodore was
an evangelist. He traveled from place to place to preach the gospel. In
almost every area he went, he found people who were eager to hear his message
and accept Jesus as Savior. Although the threat of Communism was growing in |
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Standing
in the bitter cold, he saw a sad sight coming toward him. A woman and her
children were walking in the cold. They had no shoes, even though the
temperature was freezing. The pitiful sight touched his heart. |
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Soon
Theodore learned more about the family. They were told they must leave their
home because they believed in Jesus! The woman barely had enough money to
feed her children. She certainly could not afford to buy warm winter clothes. |
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Suddenly,
the Holy Spirit spoke to Theodore, "Buy clothes for the family." |
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"But,
Lord, I don't have much money myself," Theodore prayed. "How can I
buy clothes? I still need money to get back home to Burgas." |
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But God's
direction only grew stronger. "Buy clothes for the family." |
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Theodore
knew he couldn't ignore God's will. He took the woman and her children to a
shop and bought shoes and warm clothes for each one. When the bill was
totaled, it took every cent Theodore had. |
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Theodore
decided to trust God to meet his need. He continued on his journey, stopping
here and there to preach. He never mentioned his need for transportation
money to Burgas. He knew God was aware of it, and that was enough for him. |
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One
evening after speaking at a church, Theodore sensed the Holy Spirit speaking
to him again. "Go to the train station," He said. |
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"Why
should I go to the train station?" Theodore wondered. "I have no
money to buy a ticket. I don't know anyone who works there." But again
Theodore knew that God had spoken. He went in faith, knowing that God is in
control. |
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At the
station, Theodore watched people and workers bustle about in all directions.
Suddenly a piece of paper fluttering on the train track caught his eye. He
went over, picked it up, and realized it was a ticket-a train ticket to
Burgas. |
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Markings
on the ticket let him know it had been purchased earlier in the day. No one
was searching for a ticket. It apparently had no owner. God had placed the
ticket on the track just for him. |
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With a
thankful heart, Theodore boarded the train for Burgas. He had obeyed God, even
though it cost him all the money he had. In return, God was faithful to meet
the needs of a hurting family and take care of Theodore, too. |
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(Note:
Information for this story came from an article by Nicholas Nikoloff printed
in a 1932 issue of the Pentecostal Evangel.) |
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From: http://4kids.ag.org/ |