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Yes, LORD! Introduction
By Pat Boone
CBN.com -- Ever wonder what kind of a guy Abraham was?
I mean, can you imagine a character just pulling up stakes in his home town, packing up his dad, his wife, his close relatives, and all his considerable earthly possessions in a big unwieldy caravan, and wandering from country to country—without even knowing where he was going?
Can you imagine this same legendary figure, now an old man, taking his grown son up on a mountain and actually raising a knife to kill him, believing that God had commanded such a terrible thing?
“Yes, Lord.”
Have you ever, in your imagination, tried to savor the personality of a man like Moses who obeyed a “voice” coming to him out of a burning bush? A meek man like Moses who would leave his sheep after 40 years of hermit-like existence and dare to approach a powerful world monarch and command him to release Egypt’s whole slave population? And present himself as their “wagon-master”—to lead over 2 million people to a country none of them, including Moses, had ever seen?
“Yes, Lord.”
Have you ever wondered how Gideon felt when he stood shivering in the night air, looking down at the massive Midianite camp, about to give the order to his “troops”? An order to 300 mystified men to break the earthen pitchers in their hands, exposing 300 ridiculous torches, and to blow on their trumpets with all their might—deliberately waking up the thousands of sleeping enemies below?
“Yes, Lord.”
Would you like to sit down with incredible old Elijah and ask him if he didn’t feel just a little bit foolish (and a whole lot scared) when he challenged the 450 prophets of the heathen god Baal? I mean, can you picture yourself, with thousands of people watching, standing before an altar with a dead ox on it, ordering young men to douse and soak the whole business with water three times—and then shouting into the skies for God to suddenly burn the altar down, without even a match? Mightn’t you have felt foolish and scared?
“Yes, Lord.”
Well, I think I’ve known such a man as these. His name is Harald Bredesen.
Oh, Harald will cringe at the comparison with these mighty spiritual giants. He’s painfully aware of his shortcomings and his many flops, as you’re about to read for yourself.
But so was Moses. Remember, he tried his best to get out of going down into Egypt, listing all his obvious drawbacks to God. But when Moses finally got around to saying “Yes, Lord,” God did amazing things with him!
Harald is about to tell you how long, how painfully long, it took him to quit trying to work out God’s promises with his own schemes and to experience the heady thrill of the yielded Faith Walk.
Sort of reminds me of Abraham. It took him a while, too.
But each time Abraham said “Yes, Lord,” God led him into a new miracle—and the Lord seems tolike Abraham’s kind of faith, doesn’t He?
I really think that knowing Harald Bredesen is a little like knowing Elijah, too. Because even after God answered that dramatic and seemingly foolhardy call for fire, consuming the ox, altar and the 450 prophets of Baal—Elijah soon experienced doubt, fear and depression. He ran off into a mountain cave and hid, even asking God to take his life!
It makes me think of the time Harald . . . but you’ll soon be reading that for yourself.
My point is not that Harald Bredesen is just by nature a spiritual giant. Far from it. He’s flesh and blood, strength and weakness, fear and faith—just like me.
The thing that has thrilled me about Harald in the several years I’ve known him is that he is so willing to say “Yes, Lord”—and because of that he has lived the wonderful adventure you’re about to share.
He and his remarkable Gen have already followed in some of the footsteps of Abraham and Sarah—miracles trail them wherever they go. They know this Jesus that they speak about—intimately —and He “works with them, confirming His word” as they act upon it.
And best of all, they’ve given me and thousands of others the realization that there is the potential of Moses, Elijah, Gideon and Jesus in each of us—as we learn, like them, to say “Yes, Lord.”
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Yes, LORD! Preface
Yes, LORD! Chapter One
More teaching on the Holy Spirit
More from Spiritual Life
More from The 700 Club
More Bible Teaching on Media Center
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