Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Feb/78

Contributor - Anonymous

Title - They Called Him...John Littlefaith

Topic -

Listen to the story of John Littlefaith. John's home is a prison. He is not forced to stay in this prison, for the key is in the cell. He could let himself out, but he does not do it.

John is a religious man. In truth I must say, he is a Christian. He is assured by the Holy Spirit and he has never doubted that Christ is the sin-bearer for him. He,. told me that many times.

Every Sunday John has his pastor come inside here to read the Bible to him. He celebrates communion in here periodically. His children were all baptized in the prison. John disciplines himself to read the Bible daily. It is good that John does this, for the key to freedom is in this book. "Search the Scriptures", Jesus said, "for in them you have Eternal life."

John confesses his sins when he says, "Forgive me my debts." He knows that he who confesses his sins finds that the blood of Jesus cleans that sin away. John is right about that.

The only thing that bothers John is that he keeps repeating the same old mistakes. Certain things happen on certain prescribed occasions and like the bell on a time-clock, John "goes off."

Pastor Jim enjoys his visits with John very much. John is such a humble, sincere man. Pastor Jim does not know about John's depression, defeats and failures. John doesn't talk about these. He does not tell the pastor that he is not sure his Christianity is working.

Then something happened that set John to thinking. One Of John's teen-age sons left the prison. Junior got mastery over his smoking habit. He was no longer rebellious or careless. All this amazed John. Especially when Junior said that one could be filled with the Holy Spirit.

John didn't agree with Junior's enthusiasm for the Holy Spirit. But how had Junior gotten victory over himself? John Junior had a different pastor. Was he the key? Junior had been baptized again. Was that the magic key to the abundant life?

So, in the course of time, John Littlefaith asked Junior's Pastor to come into the prison. He baptized John there. John was sure he would have victory over his sin nature now. No more miserable defeat and despair.

John really thought he had found his freedom, and indeed, it was 2 weeks and 2 days before the let-down came. One Sunday morning during breakfast, five year-old Jimmy spilled his milk! It went over the table and into John's lap and down the leg of his Sunday pants.

Besides his disgust at Jimmy's carelessness, he was angry at his wife because she always poured Jimmy too much milk. His unsprung temper went into action. It hit Jimmy and his wife and upset the whole house-hold.

Now John was in a double prison. He knew he was wrong and he knew he could not control himself in certain situations. All his optimism went up in the smoke of his cigarette. He was still power-less in an unexpected crisis.

John went into weeks of introspection, ' by did and depression. Why did all his effort and even the sacraments not help him?

It happened that one day a fuzzy caterpillar crawled along the window-sill and up the screen of his cell window. This caterpillar could not fly. It could not begin to fly no matter how long it tried. But it was silly to think of a caterpillar even wanting to fly. Only then it had been changed in-to a butterfly would it desire to fly. Once he had wings he would find the open door and put wings to his desire.

This encouraged John. He was glad that in his own spirit he felt a longing to fly out of his prison. He was meant to fly for this desire had been given by the Spirit of God. Where God gave the desire He would also provide the ability; that John knew. Of course, a timid new butterfly could sit snugly in his cocoon and say, but I can't fly because I have never flown. But no butterfly ever says that.

Then in John's daily Bible reading he noticed things that Paul said about a new-life ability. Jesus had been buried as a symbol Of the burial of the frustration that sin causes the child of God. This cocoon of defeat had been left buried when Jesus broke out of the grave. Jesus came up with a new-life ability and this new life is given to every new child of God. A caterpillar-like crawling is not the destiny of the child of God. The new life power that is given by the Holy Spirit, gives the child of God a new ability. But the ability does not come by effort. The butterfly just believes he can fly; and so would John.

The prison was becoming a pretty closed place to John now. He would not get freedom with his own effort. He would just count on the new ability given to him by virtue of the fact that he was "In Christ". When you are given life by Christ you are not a caterpillar. He has made you a butterfly.

"He was made to us righteousness, wisdom and sanctification", John read. Now he understood. The key was there "The word of faith is near you, even in your mouth." Can I say that his ability will operate in my life? John asked himself that question. And he answered that question, audibly.

Yes, I have His life in me! Yes, I am crucified with Christ. But I live, and the life I'm living, I live "by the faith of the son of God." That is what John said with his mouth. It was by faith.... John had found the key!

John did step out of prison. Now Gal. 2: 20 is his most quoted verse. He tells everybody about it. I should know: he told me himself!

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