“ ‘Mom/ I told her, ‘I clearly see the will of God for my life. He has called me to preach the Gospel of His grace which comes to men through Jesus Christ, not through any one church, its priesthood, or sacraments. I know you do not understand, but I must obey Christ and His Word.’ “For several hours we talked. Mother argued and pleaded. What agony for us both! Finally, weep ing hysterically, Mother ran from the room crying, ‘If you leave the church, you are no son of mine.’ “Heartbroken, I packed my bags. I left my church, my home, and my embittered mother, and entered Biola College.” “Studies were hard at Biola.” Murphy resumed his story, “I en tered school at mid-year, and I hadn’t the Protestant background of my fellow students. Often the phraseology and terminology used by the prqfessors completely lost me. However, teachers and stu dents helped me kindly. For a hungry new Christian, it was a thrilling experience. “Then one morning I awoke to the thought, ‘What if the Roman Catholic church is the only church of Jesus Christ after all? If the Roman church is true, then Ed Murphy is doomed to hell.’ “I was conscious of an evil presence in the room with me. Perhaps this sounds melodrama tic to you, Dr. Hillis, but I felt that the Devil was standing there to claim me. What terrible op pression! I could not get out of bed. I was physically sick, mental ly and emotionally tormented. “I didn’t go to classes that morning. I spent the whole day in bed, saying I was ill. How could I explain what was going on in side me? “I knew that Jesus said, ‘But some will come to Me — those the Father has given Me — and I will never, never reject them’ (John 6:37, Living Gospels). “Yet my heart was filled with terror and torment. “Eventually I told my room mate what was happening to me. Soon many of the students were
praying for me. Still I could not leave my bed or free myself of the awful fear that seemed to possess me. “The third day an all-school day of prayer, culminating in a united prayer meeting after sup per. With my roommate’s help, I got up and went to the auditori um. I sat down and tried to pray in my heart with the other stu dents. At last, though I had never before prayed in public, I stood to my feet and cried out to God to deliver me from this terrible oppression. Immediately the evil presence with its fearsome accu sations left me, and the joy of the Lord flooded my soul.” “Never again,” con tinued Murphy, relief and gra titude shining in his grey eyes, “have I suffered such a demonic attack or been tempted to doubt the sav ing grace of God. “You survived your mother’s grief, the priest’s arguments, and demonic oppression,” I inter posed. “I am surprised anything else could shake you, Ed.” “My fiancee wrote saying she would break our engagement if I persisted in my plans to become a missionary.” “I told you, Dr. Hillis, that I had a pretty sweetheart. We had fallen in love when she was just a freshman in high school. We planned to marry in the summer after my first term at Biola. Love ly Loretta, sweet and sensitive! I dreamed of serving the Lord with her at my side. I knew she would follow me anywhere. When we first went together, she had agreed to join the Catholic church to marry me. And now that she was a born-again Christian, I looked blissfully to our marriage and missionary work together.” “Then all of a sudden a ‘Dear John’ letter. Why?” “Mother felt that the surest way to force me to abandon my plans for the Christian ministry would be through my love for Loretta. Loretta was young, im pressionable, new in the faith. If she could be persuaded that she was not suited to mission work,
perhaps she could talk me out of my commitment.” “What did you do, Ed?” I asked. “I left Biola right away, with out even asking permission from the dean of men. “I stayed home a week, trying to comfort and encourage her. But Loretta refused to consider being a missionary’s wife. Even tually it came to a showdown. Loretta said I must choose be tween marrying her and being a missionary. I was heartbroken. I begged the Lord to change her mino. He seemed to say to me just what she had said, ‘Which do you love best, Loretta or My will for you?’ “Dr. Hillis, I actually made plans to quit Biola. But God gave me strength to obey Him and faith to trust my life to His care. “I went back to school, no long er engaged to the girl I deeply loved. “Before the school year was out, Loretta wrote that God had spoken to her. She confessed that she loved me and would serve God with me anywhere in the world. “My mother was terribly upset. All her efforts had failed, With out telling me, she began to search the Scriptures and pray that God would help her to find His truth. When I arrived home for vaca tion after my second year at Biola, Mother greeted me with a radiant face. “ ‘Ed’, she said, hugging me, ‘Jesus Christ is my personal Sav iour and Lord. I have placed all my confidence in His saving death and resurrection.’ ” “But, Ed, you have been out of school six years. Why aren’t you on the mission field?” “I guess maybe I’ve been wait ing to meet you, Dr. Hillis,” said Murphy, grinning disarmingly. “Loretta and I applied to go to India right after graduation, but the Indian government turned down our visas. So we took a pas torate here in California. “But lately I have been getting Cont. on Page 42
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THE KIN G 'S BUSINESS
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