God’s Smuggler
Intro
God’s Smuggler is a book written by Brother Andrew with John and Elizabeth Sherrill. Brother Andrew is a man who courageously smuggled Bibles behind the Iron Curtain during WWII for the encouragement of his brothers and sisters in Christ. After God changed Andrew’s life for the better, Andrew devoted the rest o his days following God’s calling. God’s Smuggler gives you an account of Andrew’s life before Christ, his transformation, and his amazing conversion into a faithful man of God.
Outline
God’s Smuggler is the story of Andrew, who, as a child, was captivated by danger and excitement. As a boy, Andrew was against religion; yet it was not just religion that bothered Andrew, it was God. As the story takes you through Andrew’s childhood in Holland, you will be shocked and slightly humored by the tricks that Andrew thinks up to satisfy his quest for peril. Even as a child, it was the Christians of the town that were singled out for Andrew’s mischief. Like the time when he blocked the chimney of the Whetstras, Andrew was drawn to the ragged edge of disaster. As Andrew grew older, and the Germans invaded the small town in which Andrew’s family lived, Andrew used his excess energy to cause trouble for the Nazis. Firecrackers were never appreciated in the middle of the night when Nazi officers were trying to sleep, and most annoying to the German forces was the fact that the firecrackers somehow went off anonymously. But God had plans for Andrew’s life, and He eventually used Andrew’s need for excitement to bring glory to God.
As soon as Andrew turned 20, he decided to join Holland’s army. Joining the army, from Andrew’s perspective, was only for fun. He loved running the obstacle courses that were set up for the soldiers-in-training, and fighting hand-to-hand with other young men brought him much pleasure. Andrew did not fully grasp the fact that he was training to kill; the truth did not set in until he was deported to Indonesia and saw the ruthless killing that was being done. When Andrew saw that his job required him to kill helpless mothers and children, he was disgusted with himself. After that, he was as reckless as can be thought possible. He began wearing a bright yellow hat into battle, and would get roaring drunk whenever he had a night off of duty. Other young men joined him, and together they had the motto, “Get smart; loose your mind!” On quiet moments, every so often, Andrew would wonder what he was doing, and why. Then, he would just go back to his riotous partying, and forget all about it. He figured he could just get drunk whenever he needed to, therefore choosing to forget anything that bothered him.
God, on the other hand, had different plans. One fateful day, Andrew was shot in the ankle by a stray bullet. Ironically, his famous yellow hat was hit through twice on the crown, without injuring Andrew in the least. Andrew was retrieved by the paramedics, but surgery failed to put his ankle back into proper order. He would have to walk with a cane the rest of his life. This was the lowest point in this athletic man’s life; he could not run, ride a bike, or even walk properly. After six months in the hospital, he was shipped home. While in the hospital, he had tried reading the Bible that his mother had given him, but it made no sense.
When he landed safely at home, he learned about his mother’s death; she had died while he was away. He could not even ask her about his Bible questions, and continued to be a very mixed up man. After a few months, he was invited to a revival meeting. It was during one such revival meeting that God finally took hold of Andrew’s life, and turned it around for the better. Throughout the rest of the book, you will find the amazing testament of God’s love; no matter how deep a person is in sin, God can still make them useful for His kingdom.
After a few revival meetings, Andrew started thinking seriously about the Gospel. God had planted a questioning mind in him, and Andrew was curious about all he had heard regarding Jesus and the Bible. The next few months of Andrew’s life were spent traveling to all the sermons, meetings and Bible studies that he could find. Andrew was quickly gaining knowledge about his knew-found passion, finally accepting Christ on a windy night in 1950.
On September, 1942, Andrew knew that he needed to become a full-time missionary. He needed to share his story with others around the world. Yet, it was so hard to just give everything, including his life, livelihood, possessions and actions to Christ. So, he took a day off from anything else, and sat on the dike praying all day long. Toward evening, he finally gave his life to God to do whatever, and whenever with it He pleased. Andrew told God that He should consider the first step off the dike Andrew’s first step in obedience to God’s calling. And, much to Andrew’s surprise, his first step off the dike wrenched his ankle back into position. Andrew never had a problem with that ankle again!
Andrew’s missionary career began at the home-front. He started working at a chocolate factory where many workers were converted because of his patient efforts. When he went of to seminary school in Scotland, Worldwide Evangelization Crusade taught him how to be reliant upon God. Once, when he found that he was out of soap, and at the same time learning that he only had six pence to his name, decided to see how exactly God would provide the extra two pence for soap. Obviously the soap was needed to stay clean, so he marched down to the store anyway. He started scanning the gutters for two pence, but quickly realized that if he was the son of a King, then surely God would provide two pence in a more heavenly manner. The soap happened to be on sale, two pence off. As much like a coincidence as it might seem, numerous circumstances like these brought Andrew to the knowledge that only by trusting fully in God can one be completely content.
During his stay at WEC, Andrew became passionate about helping the Christian Church around the world, especially in countries where Bibles were inaccessible and illegal. He went on a few overseas trips as a student, and was even more energetic to gather Bibles for the Church behind the Iron Curtain. Once he finished school in Scotland, his work began; coming back to Holland to gather Christian literature and Bibles in a specific language, and then back out again to share the books with the brethren. Despite his busy schedule, Andrew began feeling lonely. He longed for a wife, but who would possibly consent to marry a man who did not have a regular pay roll, and who risked his life regularly?
As his work continued to grow, Andrew grew more and more in his walk with the Lord. The Lord blessed Andrew’s ministry by constantly supplying the necessary funds for all Andrew’s endeavors. Once, when Andrew knew it was God’s will for pocket-sized Bibles to be smuggled into various countries, Andrew began saving money for this endeavor. All the Bible printing shops he contacted refused to print pocket sized Bibles for him. Finally, he obtained the bid of $15,000 for 5,000 Bibles from a Scottish printer. Yet, where was Andrew supposed to get that much money? As Andrew and his wife counted the money saved up, their hearts fell as they realized $11,000 was still needed. The only way to obtain that money quickly was to sell their house; Andrew’s wife was pregnant again, and along with other circumstances, they knew they could not sell their house. Yet, the urgency still remained, and finally, after months of prayer, Andrew and his wife put their house on the market. The first bid they received was for $11,000. Andrew and his wife found peace in knowing they did the right thing, and that the Bibles would help pastors around the world. Surprisingly, Andrew received a phone call the next day from Dutch printer. If they were willing to have the Bibles printed in Holland, the printer said, then the Dutch printer would pay half of it! Andrew joyfully told his wife the good news, and they excitingly praised the Lord for his goodness. They could keep their house, since funds for 7,500 were already raised. Andrew and his family were being tested to see if they would trust God, and since they fully believed in Him, He rewarded their faithfulness. Many trials and victories kept Andrew’s life exhilarating, while smuggling Bibles kept him praying.
When Andrew became needed in so many places at once, it got to the point when he was only around for four out of the first twelve months of his first-born child. Andrew and his wife began praying for another worker. So, bachelor Hans came to join the band. And when the work became hectic again, Rolf came on the team. Even if it meant that Rolf had to get married, help was always there when God deemed it necessary to expand.
Throughout Andrew’s Christian walk, he was constantly kept on his toes, or rather, on his knees. The need for Bibles, new workers, and money always set Andrew praying. And God always provided what was needed. That is not to say that God just gave Andrew whatever he wanted; indeed, quite the opposite. God is not controlled by man, but when one of God’s children follows His call, God will richly bless that child. God’s Smuggler continues to encourage and bless Christians around the world through its story of an excitement-seeking young man whose life was completely transformed under God’s skilled hands.
God’s Smuggler
The story of a boy and his mischief, a young man and his daring, and an adult with his courageous and practically impossible achievements is a book to be enjoyed and cherished by all. You will come to love Brother Andrew’s skill with the impossible, and his unfailing trust in God. “The Royal Way” will also continue to amaze you, as you see how God can and will open enormous doors when full trust is put in Him. God’s Smuggler is a book that will be an all-time favorite for anyone who reads it; once you start, you can not put it down!
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