Roger Marsh: Welcome to this Family Talk broadcast. I'm Roger Marsh and our host today, of course, is psychologist and author, Dr. James Dobson. You know, when you go back to that time of World War II, there are so many remarkable stories that have been handed down to us here today. Stories of survival. Stories of standing up to wickedness. Stories of doing the right thing in the midst of evil. You are about to hear some encouraging words from an absolutely remarkable woman. Dr. Dobson, we know her story includes all of these things and more as she rose above the most difficult circumstance imaginable with the help of God.
Dr. Dobson: Roger, you're referring to an amazing Dutch woman named Corrie ten Boom, who helped to rescue more than 800 Jews from Nazi extermination camps. But someone turned them in to the gestapo. They were taken to a concentration camp where 10 days later, Corrie's father died. Then they were taken to a concentration camp called Ravensbrück. It's one of the worst. Most people did not come out of there alive. Somehow Corrie managed, with the grace of God, to be released. We're going to hear about how. This isn't a message of hate. Even though Corrie lost her family and suffered horribly, this is a story of love, believe it or not.
Roger Marsh: Amen. Amen.
Dr. Dobson: Love in return for persecution, even from the people who were brutal to this family. This is an incredible story, Roger. I hope everyone will stay with every word ...
Roger Marsh: Yes.
Dr. Dobson: ... that Corrie ten Boom spoke so many years ago as she told this story. There is redemption in it and there's also a story of the love of Jesus Christ, even under the most difficult of circumstances.
Roger Marsh: You know Dr. Dobson, that's what makes Corrie's story so timeless and so inspirational. She faced horrors that most of us could never even imagine and yet through it all, she trusted God to guide her.
Dr. Dobson: It's so clear that the Lord had his hand on Corrie ten Boom's life, Roger.
Roger Marsh: He did. Yeah.
Dr. Dobson: She lived, actually, many years after the experience in the concentration camp. She spoke all over the country. A movie was made about her life. The Lord used her in a powerful way. It even reached out to Shirley and me because we heard her story. As I mentioned last time, we had dinner with Corrie just shortly before she died. I want to tell you something that happened on that night. Corrie had been to the doctor and he had told her that her heart was failing and that if they didn't put a pacemaker in, that she was not going to survive.
She told the doctor, "Well, I have to go home and pray about that. I don't know what God's plan is for my life. It may be best that I not have that procedure. I'm going to give him an answer later this week." That was her attitude toward life and difficulty and persecution and even looking death right in the face. That's what she told us at the dinner table that night.
Roger Marsh: Love it.
Dr. Dobson: She did indeed die right after that. That was an inspiration to me. We hold onto life so tightly, but we don't know what God's plan is. We do know that we need to be submissive to it. That's what Corrie was saying to us.
Roger Marsh: Amen.
Dr. Dobson: Let's go on and hear this second half of this presentation, this message that she gave. Corrie died in 1983 on her 91st birthday. We really consider it an honor to be able to share her words, recorded and preserved, with our listeners today.
Corrie ten Boom: When I was brought into that concentration camp, Ravensbrück, I had a small Bible, but whole Bible, Old and New Testament, specially printed for what they called, "the underground workers." But when we entered, I saw that we all had to be searched. I saw that they took away everything that the prisoners had hidden under their clothing. I got scared. I said, "Oh God. God, these people may not see me. God, send your angels and let they surround me." But then I thought, "Yes, but angels are spirits and you can look through a spirit."
I said, "God, make your angels un-transparent today." You can pray very unorthodox when you are in great need, but God did it. God did it. The woman who stood in front of me was searched and then Betsie, who stood behind me and they did not see me. I came with my Bible in the prison. We had to live with 700 prisoners in a room that was built for 200. It was terrible dirty and very soon our clothing were full of lice. Those lice have caused many sicknesses, but in some way they have helped us for the guards would never come into our room. They were afraid to get lice from us. That was good.
The Bible was a forbidden book, but twice a day we had a Bible message in barrack 28. God had used for that: angels and lice. God can use everything. Hallelujah. God can use everything. Many of the people around me were killed, or died, but many died with Jesus' name on their lips. That was worthwhile. Even Betsie's death and all the suffering that I had to endure. Say, can you forgive your enemies? I cannot, but Jesus in me can. Some time ago I had a difficulty that some friends, some Christian friends of mine did something very mean.
I had difficulty to forgive them. I said, "Now Lord, you have given me the grace that I could forgive the murderers of my family. Now Lord, it is not difficult for you to give me forgiveness and love for my Christian friends." It took some time, but I forgave them. You know, that book that I have written, The Hiding Place, I wrote together with John and Tibby Sherrill. I had to tell really my whole life, many things to them. So, they had also heard of my friends. John Sherrill once said to me, "Say, Corrie, these friends of yours who did that mean thing. What about them?" I said, "That is forgiven and forgotten and I will not speak about it anymore."
He said, "I know that. But I should like to know what do they think of it?" I said, "They take it easy. They simply say they have not done it. They can say that, but I have everything black and white in the letters that they have written me." John said, "What? Say, where are your sins? You have told that when you brought your sins that God has cast them into the depths of the sea and that there is a sign, 'No Fishing,' allowing. That is what happens with your sins, and the sins of your friends you have black on white? Oh God, give Corrie the grace to burn all the black and whites of sins of others, as a well-smelling sacrifice for you." I have done it though.
See, have you black on white? Of sins of others? Do you realize that you have no forgiveness? You can't forgive? No, I can't either. But Jesus can. You will find out that forgiveness is a tremendous joy. It is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness. No, you and I have to be the light of the world. I like to illustrate that with my flashlight. You know, this flashlight doesn't give light. It's not broken but I've only one battery in it. I need, of course, two batteries.
Now this is like your and my heart. That first battery, that is what happened when you said your first, "yes" to Jesus. So, that real decision. And if there are here who have never done it, I hope you will do it tonight. Do you realize that when you say yes to Jesus, to really have meant it, that the angels rejoice? For your soul is very, very precious in God's eyes. The moment that you receive the Lord Jesus, I told you already, all the promises of the Bible are yours. I asked a lady, see, "Have you ever received the Lord Jesus as your savior?" She said, "I go every Sunday to the church." I said, "That's good but a mouse born in a biscuit tin is therefore not yet a biscuit." You know?
To be in the church doesn't make you a child of God. She said, "But my father and mother are very fine children of God." I said, "But God has no grandchildren." You have to make a decision because the Lord loves you and he likes to hear that you say, "Yes, Lord Jesus. I thank you that you love me and I will love you. Thank you that you died at the cross for me." Now, I'm glad she did it, that lady. But now, there comes such a terrific joy in your heart when you know that your sins are forgiven, that many people say, "Hallelujah, I'm saved. That's the end." Now you may say, "Hallelujah," but don't say it's the end. It is the beginning.
That moment you must cash your checks, you must take all the promises of the Bible and you must learn to live as limitless, rich king's children. One of the great promises of the Bible is that Jesus said, "I will send you the Holy Spirit." The Bible says, "Be filled with this spirit." That is that second battery. That second battery, the fullness of the Holy Spirit, gives you to be the light of the world, but I could not get it in my flashlight because it is full of rags. These rags are unrepented sins. This is pride. This is jealousy. Envy. This one is unclean thoughts. Unclean deeds. Unclean words. This is selfishness. These are [00:12:28 inaudible] sins. Now, I'm going to ask you something. Will you tonight pray and will you say, "Search me, oh God, and know my heart today," that is said in the Psalms as a beautiful prayer.
You can also say, "Lord, show me if there are rags in my flashlight," and that's just the same. Then the Lord will show you. Then in the power of the Lord, turn away from your sins. When Jesus shows his great love for sinners, when that woman that was found in adultery was brought to him, the Lord said, "I don't throw a stone on you." Then he said, "Go and sin no more." That is what Jesus can say, for he bids us fly and gives us wings. One experience of a short time ago, I was in Russia. You may not speak as a foreigner in a church, but I asked if I could bring the greetings from America and from Holland and they said yes.
My greetings took 30 minutes. Then we sang a hymn and I asked the pastor, "Pastor, may I say goodbye?" He said, "Yes." I said goodbye 30 minutes. So, my sermon was a whole hour. Oh, it was a joy to speak to the Christians. I say, "Don't lose courage. The suffering of this time is not worthy to be compared with the coming glory. God himself will wipe away the tears from the eyes. The best is yet to be. This world will be covered with the knowledge of God like the waters cover the bottom of the sea. Jesus is alive and his life is stronger than the deepest darkness. I have experienced it, that you cannot go so deep, always deeper are the everlasting arms that carry you."
Oh, it was a joy. It's always a joy to give these people comfort. But one morning I was in my hotel room and I said, "God, I like to bring the Gospel to the communists. They have an eternity to lose or to gain, Lord. You died to take on the sins of the whole world. Lord, I cannot reach them. Lord, I need a miracle but you are a God of miracles. Give me the miracle that I can reach the communists today." The same moment I saw on the floor, little holes in the form of a pepper box. The holes in the pepper box. I understood there is the secret microphone. In all the hotel rooms in communist countries there are secret microphones. They take every word you say on that microphone, on the tape.
I said, "Thank you, Lord, for that answer." What a joy. I could give a message to communists, if they listen, they not only listen, they took it on the tape. They did not keep the tape. They gave the tape to their chiefs. We prayed for all the people who had to read these tapes. Boy, I had the joy.
I said, "I have here in my hand a book. A book almost bursting by good news. This book is among all the riches is the great answer for the two paramount problems that every human being has. That is the problem of sin and of death. For in this book you can read everything that you have to know about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died at the cross for the sins of the whole world. When you receive Jesus Christ as your savior and you repent of your sins, then he will cleanse your heart from your sins and, [00:16:51 inaudible], he will fill you with the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is peace and joy and love. And Jesus gives you everlasting life. That means life in Heaven. That is the answer for your death problems. Jesus has said, 'Come unto me all," and all that is also you there.'"
What a joy. So, people pray. Pray for your fellow Christians, especially now for the fellow Christians in China. Pray that your president will be used, that there comes an opening that Christians can come into China and help the Christians there and bring the Gospel to the many who have never heard the Gospel. Half of- the greatest half of the body of Christ is suffering persecution. Watchman Nee said, "When my feet were ripped, my hand felt pain." The feet are ripped of the Christians over a great part of the world. Pray for your fellow Christians in these countries and be sure that you cash your check so that you will be strong in times when you should come in difficulties of persecution. The great joy is when you surrender all to the Lord.
He will fill your heart with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a spirit not of fear, but of love and of power and a sound mind. I've here a glove that cannot do anything. But when my hand is in the glove, it can cook, it can write, it can do many things. No, I know that isn't the glove, that's not the glove, that's the hand in the glove. You and I are nothing but gloves. The hand, that is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does the job, that he makes you children of the light. The light in this very dark world. You must give room to the Holy Spirit. When my hand is only in the midst of the glove, now the glove cannot do anything. No, you must surrender every finger, every corner of your life, to the Lord. He will fill you with the Holy Spirit.
Hallelujah. Amen. We pray, thank you, Lord, that there is such an ocean of love available. That love that you have brought into our heart through the Holy Spirit, thank you Jesus that you did that. Thank you Father that that love in us is sufficient and more than sufficient to overcome the problems that we have to face when we come home. When we go to our work, we praise and thank you Lord that your love still stands also when all else has fallen. And oh Lord, search our hearts. Show us if there are unconfessed sins. Rags in our flashlight. Pride. Envy. Selfishness. Tell us this, Lord, and we praise and thank you when we repent, you forgive and cleanse us. Lord, show us if there are black on whites of sins of others in our life, in our heart, perhaps in a little drawer at home.
Dr. Dobson: Well Roger, that recorded message touched my heart again. Many, many years after I first heard it. Corrie's account of her persecution reminds me of the first half of the 11th chapter of Hebrews, which is called, "The Hero's Hall of Fame," by theologians today. It recounts the godly men and women who suffered terribly for their faith. They remained faithful to the Lord despite the hardships that they went through, even death, as we'll read. I want to read this passage in closing today and do it in memory of Corrie. Hebrews 11:35-40. This is what it says. It goes back through the centuries to godly men and women who didn't waver despite the horrible things they went through. This is what it says:
"Others were tortured and refused to be released so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned. They were sawed into. They were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated in the world that was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts, in mountains and in caves and in holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."
What is meant by that last passage is that they did not see Christ in the flesh. They lived before he came. They didn't understand the full implications of what would later be called the Gospel, but they remained faithful to God because they believed in him.
Roger Marsh: Amen.
Dr. Dobson: I believe they're in Heaven today and I believe Corrie is there too.
Roger Marsh: Amen.
Dr. Dobson: She refused to become bitter against her Nazi tormentors because she loved the Lord Jesus Christ. She went on to introduce millions of people to him who will, I believe, be with her in Heaven too. Maybe that harvest of souls will also include some of our listeners today who happened, I used the word happened today as though it were a coincidence, but I don't really believe it. The people who have been listening today, some of them, will choose to accept that wonderful forgiveness and grace that is provided to us by our Lord Jesus Christ. So, I hope you enjoyed and were touched by this message today. It's a pleasure to bring it to you.
Roger Marsh: That is a fitting conclusion to a very deeply moving testimony by Corrie ten Boom. That's been the focus of the past couple of days of our Family Talk broadcasts. Doctor, I have certainly been touched by her story and I know that many of our listeners who are in my situation, who are hearing this for the first time and responding to it, and then your touching close from the Faith Hall of Fame there in Hebrews chapter 11, we're not going to be the same. We have been changed over what we've heard over the past couple of days and many hearts have been changed even by the power of the Gospel in what you just shared.
Friend, if that is your story and you want to hear Corrie's amazing testimony again, or maybe you heard it and you've been so inspired by this that you know someone in your world, maybe one of your children, maybe one of your friends, someone at church, maybe your pastor, I encourage you to call us here at Family Talk and get the CD of the entire two day presentation. Now you can reach us over the phone at 877-732-6825, or you can just go to DrJamesDobson.org and download the broadcast there. We also have a link if you want to learn more about the life of Corrie ten Boom and the rest of her family. Go to DrJamesDobson.org for that information.
Thanks for joining us, as well. Be sure to tune in again next time right here for another edition of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk.
Announcer: This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
Dr. Dobson: Well, thank you everyone for tuning into our program today. You may know that Family Talk is a listener supported program. We remain on the air by your generosity, literally. If you can help us financially, we would certainly appreciate it. God's blessings to you all.