Faith Building
Stories of Faith
A pastor of mine some years ago had many stories that have truly inspired me. I will share those as I remember them as well as other profound stories here. All of them true- nothing exaggerated.
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Pastor Kulakov was from Russia. He was a seventh day adventist. This was during the time of a lot of turmoil and the KGB would bully people. Many would end up in Stalins' work camps. I cannot remember the guy after Stalin, but this family - each generation except the pastor himself were exposed to prison work camps for being underground Christians. This family by the way, was the first family to bring the bible into Russia, translate and rewrite. They would house other underground Christians while they traveled and brought the besorah to Russia.
Michaels' mother was typing the translations one day when the KGB showed up. The fireplace was going good and strong, she ordered him "Michael, take the typewriter and all of the papers and throw them into the fireplace at once"! He did as he was told. The KGB searched the home, found nothing and left. They put the fire out at once to see if they could salvage anything. Amazingly enough, everything was still in tact. Nothing was consumed.
G-d is amazing! His work will always be completed when He is ready. The KGB couldn't stop it.
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When I was about 9 years old or so, I had a Sunday School teacher named Mrs. Mason. She went on vacation and came back a week or two later. She showed us pictures of her trip. While most of those details escape me now 30 years later, the end of her vacation tale didn't! She said she was asleep on the plane coming home when awakened by passengers bumping into her and a lot of commotion. They were all looking out her window and grabbing cameras. She saw the figure in the clouds and snapped pictures of it as well. She showed me the picture- actually all of us, but it seemed so deeply personal to me. Anyway, it was a robed figure in the clouds. You could see feet and even a face sort of- the facial features were obscure, but also long hair.
I cannot tell you if it was Yeshua or an angel. What I can tell you is how it affected me the rest of my life. During my teen years, I had friends who weren't G-dly people- at least not at that time. One told me that he didn't believe in G-d. I stopped dead in my tracks and realized I was in bad company and needed to find new friends as I remembered the picture I saw. G-d had revealed himself to me, His provision for me through that picture I saw so long ago. Whomever it was in that picture was created by G-d and I saw it because He wanted me to.
During police academy, (see story on The Rabbis Page) when my legs were about to snap in two and a being yelled to me- I knew once again that my father in heaven was again revealing Himself to me. These events have given me a strong measure of faith that have gotten me through many things.
Upon having a friend of the family commit suicide in our garage a few years ago, I couldn't understand and was so upset I had close to 20 seizures on that day. Before I went to bed that evening, I tearfully grabbed my bible to read and though I had forgotten the pictures were tucked in that particular bible, they fell out and I somehow knew G-d was with me and I would somehow get through this situation.
G-d knew when I was 9 years old that I needed to have something early in life to get me through trials to come. I am continually thankful for the revelation of Himself through his creation, that He really is there.
I often feel sorry for those who haven't had such revelations in their lives. My prayer is that those who love Him and want to be citizens in His kingdom will have powerful revelations such as I have had. When I can get a hold of another copy of this picture, I will add it to this page.
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