Page 35 - Living Epistles

There was a problem of accommodation. There has always been a problem of
accommodation in Russia, even now. They had to live someplace. So what did
they do? They went a little outside the town and dug little caves into the sides
of the mountain. The whole group lived in those caves for quite a length of
time, praying and seeking the face of the Lord. "Lord what is next?" That was
their dwelling place.

I wonder how many bedrooms they had? Did they have a flushing toilet? - I'm
not sure, I didn't ask my mother! Now, did they have running water in the
caves when they dug them? Did they have a separate bed and privacy and a
locked door? I'm not sure what they had there, but each family lived in a cave,
in a hole in the mountain. But praise God, that was a group which was willing
to follow the Lord at any cost.

Early in the morning, 5 o'clock in the morning, one brother would come and
he'd start to sing a psalm. The Russian people sing lots of psalms. They have
been put to a tune. He started out with his big voice to sing a song, a psalm,
and then everybody woke up, washed their faces and came out. They start
worshiping the Lord right there on the grass. Right in front of their own caves
and praising God and ascending their prayers to the Lord and seeking for His
guidance, for His direction and for His protection.

Before long, the murmuring started in the camp. Following the Lord is not all
carpets and roses. If we read the Bible sincerely, check how the men of old
lived. Take a look at how the prophets Elijah, Isaiah, Micah, lived. What luxury
did they have? Did they live a luxurious life? Did they live a comfortable life?
Did they live a rich life? Consider how many bedrooms Elijah had for his own
accommodation, or any of the prophets of old? What about the apostles?

These people were seeking the face of the Lord but still the murmurings
started in the camp. They said, "We left our cattle, and we left our milk cows
there. There's no milk for children here. Lord what do we do?"

And the people started to complain and murmur. Wives started to complain
to their husbands. "Now what? What is this? We are stuck here. There is no
going ahead. We don't hear any more instructions from God and Lord told us
He would deliver us into a new country. Here we are, still in Russia and we are
in such poverty Lord."

People started to complain and then quite a few of them decided to go back to