Pauls Testimony
He would work for them if their faith in Him did not fail.
Paul and his wife Angela who were born in Gozo, the tiny sister island of Malta, now live in Australia. When Angela was pregnant in l978 she was exposed to 23 X-Rays because of a back ailment. As the doctors discovered she had been a few weeks pregnant during this treatment, they were shocked. They were unanimous in trying to persuade her to have an immediate abortion, assuring her that the baby would be a vegetable for life, being terribly deformed. Both Paul and she without the slighest hesitation, decided to ignore this advice and to thank the Lord in advance for the miracle they were sure He would work for them if their faith in Him did not fail. They were joined by three nurses who also had the gift of faith and between them, they stormed heaven.
Because it was the 5OOth anniversity of saint Thomas More ( a man of great faith ) they enlisted his support and promised to call the baby Thomas More if he were a boy. Two months later Angela was approached by another famous doctor who again advised her to have this abortion for the same reasons.
Can you imagine the joy and rejoicing in that hospital when on the l7th December at 4 p.m. Thomas More made his debut into this wonderful world, strong and healthy in wind and limb and the epitome of health and vigour - with not a bother on him!
Aged I5 at the time of his father's testimony, his record at school read: Outstanding pupil. Excellent in all subjects. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for him". Unfortunately, I cannot supply this information because they returned home to Australia from that vacation in their homeland and I never met them again.
Paul and Angela had real faith and see how God rewarded them. So often we have enough faith to pray ourselves out of a trial but not enough faith to persevere and go through it. We have faith until the test comes and the storm arrives. The storm is only sent to test and try our faith but we panic when the heat and pressure comes and the situation gets desperate and we cry out "Lord get us out of this! deliver us!" And very often He does and we get a great deliverance. We think that's faith; but is it ? Might it not be failure - a lack of faith - fear and unbelief? We're saying " O Lord, thank you for this great deliverance, for your mighty power!" but He is saying "why were you so fearful ? How is it that you have so little faith in Me ?"
Perhaps you are going through a severe trial just now. Are you fearful? Does everything seem to be falling apart? Do you want to cry out to God for deliverance? Take courage! Perhaps what you need is not deliverance out of your trial but faith, patience and perseverance to go through it. Encourage yourself in the Lord. He knows exactly what He is doing with you. Stop being fearful .
MAKE A DECISION TO TRUST THIS TIME.
And you will be astounded at what He will do for you. He never goes back on His promise. With Him everything is possible.
'Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom.' (Shakespeare).
"Five hundred years ago, in the year 151O, Thomas More was just 22 years old. A year earlier his glittering political career had begun when Henry V111 came to the throne. 2O years later he became the first layman to be appointed as Chanceller of England. He was a man of prayer and a loving, caring father to his family. Despite the burden of his office and the numerous attempts to persuade him otherwise, he remained true to his convictions, and true to Pope Clement V11. He could not however prevent the King from breaking away from Rome - not for theological reasons but for political and personal ones - in order to secure his divorce.
Thomas More was forced to resign his office and was accused of all kinds of crimes that he had not committed. He refused to sign the Oath of Supremacy, which denied the spiritual authority of the Pope. Finally, he was accused of high treason, condemned to death and beheaded. On 3Ist October 2OOO St. Thomas More was declared patron saint of politicians and statesmen by Pope Paul II.
Let us pray to God to grant all Christian believers who hold political office the strength, courage and fidelity to the truth shown by the holy martyr St. Thomas More."
"It is an ever fixed mark, that looks on tempests, but is never shaken". ( Shakespeare ).
Anita kilbride - Jones,
St Paul's Bay,Malta.
