and he became a man of God’s Word. He eventually travelled to
England and became the pastor of a small church there on the coast.
Henry Craik, who was pastor near by, became George’s closest and
dearest friend. A lot of the folks in the small church became upset
with some of George’s theology..but there were a core of folks
there.. who really wanted to hear the Word of God taught the way
George was preaching it.. and they kept him on. One such family
were the Groves. Their daughter, Mary, caught his eye as a type
of godly young woman who he would like for a wife.. and they were
married on October 7, 1830. When George saw the nice things that
Mary was bringing into their new home, such as furniture and
china.. and tapestries.. he quickly insisted that they sell
everything and give all the money to the poor. There was never
a dull moment with George Muller.
of sight)
George: De Lord has spoken to me again.
Mary: Should I be sitting down?
George: Vy you should be sitting down?
Mary: Because what you want to tell me could be rather shocking..
and I might fall down in a faint!
George: Oh.. you make a joke! Ha! Dis is not time for making of
jokes, Mary.. I have someting serious.
Mary: If its all the same with you, George, I think I will sit
down.. because last week you were acting just like this..and we
ended up selling most everything we have in our home!
George: Mary! Ve vere in agreement dat dat vas vat de Lord vanted
for us to do! Ve prayed . You prayed. I prayed.
Mary: I know, George. And you are right. But just the same…
when you sprung it on me… well, I just had to get used to the
idea. Not so much for me George.. but wondering what people would
say, knowing that we had sold all our nice silver and china.. and
everything we had of value. And then give the money to the poor.
Now they think we are poor.
George: It only matters vat God tinks.. not vat man tinks! Ve must
obey God!
Mary: Of course, George. I know. Just like I knew that if I
married you… life was going to be interesting. So far, it has
been a most interesting three weeks. So what is it, Dear, that
you are so excited about, today?
George: Vell.. it is dis: You know how ve hold to de conviction
dat ve vill ask no man for anyting?
Mary: Yes.
George: I got to tinking. Dis whole idea of renting pews. Dis
is not a good ting and it must be stopped.
Mary: But George.. that’s the way its done.. churches always rent
pews.
George: Tink about it! God vants us to pay for our seats in His
House??? So.. you have de poor alvays sitting in de back..and de
rich sitting in de front. Dere is vun old man.. who sits vay back
in de corner every Sunday… Und I tink he is a little deaf. He
needs to sit up front so he can hear my sermon.. but he is too poor
to rent a pew up front! It violates James chapter 2!
Mary: It is hard to believe that anyone in our church could not
hear your sermons.. but I know what you mean, George. What can you
do about it? It is the renting of the pews that brings in the
money.. to keep the church going. (slowly.. as she realizes that
this means.. no income) That is how they pay …your salary.
George: Vell, it is wrong! God vants it stopped. People should
not pay for dere pews! Dey should sit verever dey vant in God’s
House! Any money given should come from de heart.. and given
cheerfully.
Mary: I have no doubt that God has a special calling upon your
life, George, but sometimes it just takes a while to let these new
ideas of yours sink in. Now that you say these things.. I
understand.. and I agree with you. It does sound very wrong.
I’m sure there is no place in Scripture where it talks about renting
pews in the House of the Lord…but..
George: But it does talk about asking God to supply all your needs.
Pew renting is a temptation to de preacher to be lacking in
fatefulness to de people and to his own principles. Ve vill take
no salary from de church… and ve vill stop all pew renting!
Mary: They will not like it. Just the way they didn’t like it when
you preached believer’s baptism.
George: Dat vas de Lord’s doing! You know I vas against believer’s
baptism until God showed me in His Vord and convinced me. So I had
Henry Craik baptize me. I vill alvays speak de trute as I see if
from His Vord!
Mary: But is it wrong for a pastor to receive a salary from the
church?
George: I tink it is wrong for us, Mary. God vants us to trust Him
for all our needs. If we have a salary… den ve know de amount..
ve receive it each mont… ve alvays have it.. and ve anticipate it.
Mary: Yes.. so?
George: Dere is no trust in God in dat! How are ve trusting in God?
Mary: But George.. we have an agreement with the Church membership.
It is all arranged.. Tho.. if we stop pew renting.. I don’t know
how they will be able to come up with it.
George: Dey von’t have to. It stops! Ve should ask no man for
anyting!
Mary: But George.. we are not asking for the salary.. I think
receiving a salary for the pastorate is very normal. All churches
do that. It is expected of them. After all, the pastor has to
make a living. (looks at him and notices something) George… you
have that twinkle in your eye… I know you have an idea.. what
is it?
George: A box!
Mary: A box? (he goes to get the wooden box he hid)
George: I just finished making it. Look, Mary. A box to collect
our salary. Ve vill trust God to supply all our needs… by vot
is put in dis box! Ve vill nail it to de vall in de back of de
church. Folks vill give vot de Lord tells dem…and it all goes to
us.
Mary: You really want us to live by faith, don’t you George? This
time I think they will like your idea. They will think you are
crazy, but they will like it. The part about no salary. Not sure
about the rented pews…but if they don’t like it… or if they
don’t like you…. or if they don’t like your sermon on Sunday…
then they won’t put anything in the box! George! What if the box
is empty each week? Sometimes your sermons are very hard to take!
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