A SPECIAL HORSE STORY

"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;" (Hebrews 5:8)

Today, I want to share a very powerful story that another minister published in one of his books a number of years ago. This one's a real gem. I used it as a sermon illustration several times in my preaching. The thing that makes the story a gem (and true Christians will undoubtedly discern this as you read it) is that is obviously is a story given by God and not a mere product of human imagination. The story appeared in one of the books by the late Rev. Bill Britton of Springfield, Missouri. The Rev. Bill died at least twenty years ago. He pastored an independent Pentecostal church in Springfield, Missouri. (I believe he was originally an Assemblies of God minister.) I've read a number of Bill Briton's books and heard some of his sermon tapes, although that was all over twenty-five years ago. Britton did hold to some controversial views, with which I do not agree. His eschatological beliefs (that is, his beliefs about the end times and the return of Christ) were very different from those of most born-again Christians, particularly his belief that an elite class of Christians will burst forth in the end times and will do great things for God. It's regrettable that Believers who hold to some unorthodox theological views can so often be marginalized and that so many of their really good and really helpful teachings are ignored and ultimately lost to the rest of the Body of Christ. One of my Professors at Central Bible College (Dr. Terry Lewis) used to encourage us to, "take the meat and leave the bones" when listening to sermons or reading books by Christian pastors. That's good advice! Yes, there were some "bones" in Bill Britton's teachings, but there was also a lot of meat. This story is definitely very "meaty"! I repeat the story as best as I remember it. If I have not represented the story with exact accuracy, I hope my readers and any of Bill Britton's friends, family, and followers will forgive me!

As Bill Britton expressed the story, God gave him a powerful vision one day while he was attending a ministers' convention. He was attending this event and suddenly God was giving him this vision like he was sitting and watching a movie! It must have really freaked him out! He just sat there and watched it. In the vision, Bill saw a team of horses hitched up to a coach. This was not some 1870s stage coach nor some 1840s wagon for a family heading west. This was a very expensive and very fancy coach- one that perhaps a very wealthy person of the 1700s or 1800s would own. There were several horses hitched up to it. The horses were beautiful, and impeccably groomed. They were about the best specimens of horses one could imagine. The coach and horses were stopped on a beautiful grass field. The driver of the coach was laying on the ground partially under the coach fixing something.

"Boy, that driver isn't too smart," Bill thought, "If a yellowjacket startled or stung one of the horses, they could suddenly bolt and he could be badly injured or even killed!"

The horses, however, stood perfectly still like statues. Then, Bill Britton noticed that off in the distance were two little colts. The colts ran up to and around the horses, trying to get their attention. Amazingly, the team of horses payed no attention to the colts. Then, a horse trainer with a whip showed up! He was no "horse whisperer"! He used that whip and drove the colts into a barn. Bill then saw a new scene. The trainer was whipping the colts and yelling commands. They were so unhappy. Their fun was over. At one point, the trainer turned his head. One colt decided to make a break for it and he did! Amazingly, the trainer did not go after the runaway colt. The other colt stayed.

Now, Bill had another scene change in his vision and he knew in his spirit that several years had gone by for the horses. He saw the colt that ran away. To Bill's surprise, the colt was still a colt! There also had been a famine in the land. The grass was no longer lush. It was brown and dry. The colt looked emaciated. He was obviously having a hard time finding food. The other colt, however, fared much better. The colt who stayed was no longer a colt but rather a grown horse. That horse was now one of the horses pulling that expensive coach. The coach was the King's coach, and even in the worst times of famine, the King's horses had plenty of good food and first-class treatment. They didn't mind being perfectly disciplined.

That was the end of Bill Britton's vision.

In his book, the Rev. Bill Britton then shared what he believed is the interpretation of the vision. The two little colts represented two brand new born-again Believers,and the team of horses represented a group of mature Christians. So many times, brand new Christians are "hoppin' and boppin' around", quoting a few Bible verses, acting super-spiritual, driving everyone crazy, and seemingly having all the answers and believing that life with Jesus is just one big bowl of cherries in which you have lots of fun and never have any problems. The seriousness and solemnity of many mature Christians seems completely foreign to them. The trainer with the whip is the Holy Spirit. I know you may not have pictured the Holy Spirit that way, but for any of you who've gone through God's School of Hard Knocks (or are going through it right now) this may not be so difficult to understand! There are times when God seems very mean and unreasonable; when life seems unfair and too hard. Honestly, I've been there- even recently. There are times when you say to yourself, "This Christianity is not worth it! I had a better life when I was unsaved! How about if I just decide I'M OUTTA HERE?!".

Some Christians do decide just that. I hate to admit how many times I've been close to just "chucking it all". But then I remembered the words of Peter in John's Gospel when he resists the temptation to reject and leave Jesus Christ, saying, "Lord, to whom shall we go, for You have the words of everlasting life?"

The trainer did not chase the colt who ran away. If we reject the Lord and reject His calling on our lives, He will not chase us, either. But in times of spiritual famine, we will not fare well! We will not have grown! The smart Christian is the one who submits to the Lord's discipline (see Hebrews chapter 12) and who then experiences many privileges of ministry and close fellowship with God.

I am not just horsing around sharing this story! I felt impressed of the Lord to share it today. I hope it blesses and helps you!