Page 81 - Living Epistles

Maurice Reuben

In a day when it is often hard to find living examples of faith close to home,
men and women that we can interact with personally, I have found that the
biographies of these lights of God’s Kingdom can often provide the
encouragement that I very much need. I have been blessed to read quite a
number of excellent books on the lives of men and women who have followed
God in exceptional ways. Among them is the book Rees Howells - Intercessor
authored by Norman Grubb.

I believe that such books will be of great value in coming days as Christians
turn away from the television and other forms of entertainment and begin
looking for that which edifies. We will truly need to be feeding upon those
things that build up the spirit of man that we might have the strength to
overcome in the midst of difficult days.

In the book Rees Howells - Intercessor there is a testimony of a young Jewish
man who lived in Pittsburgh in the early 1900s. The man’s name was Maurice
Reuben, and it was while listening to this man give his testimony that Rees
Howells saw his great need of the Savior, and came to understand the cross
that all disciples must bear.

This testimony is important as it reveals that there are distinctions among the
walk of various Christians. Some have come to confess Christ has Savior, but
they have not counted the cost of taking Him as Lord of their lives. Many
profess belief in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, but they have not
themselves forsaken all and taken up the cross to follow Him. Oftentimes it is
those who profess Christ as Savior, but who do not accept the cost of
discipleship, who become the greatest persecutors of those who have accepted
the cost. This truth is brought out in the following testimony as recorded in the
book Rees Howelss - Intercessor.

Meeting the Risen LORD

Rees had not been long in his new home when he heard that a converted Jew,
Maurice Reuben from Pittsburgh, had come to the city for a series of
meetings. The first night that he went to hear him, Reuben told the story of
his conversion and how the Holy Spirit had revealed Calvary to him. “I had
heard preaching on Calvary scores of times before and believed it,” said Rees,
“but I had never seen Calvary before that night...”