I have already written some of the history of Hubert Mitchell. Years ago I heard him tell the story of "The Nail". Daniel, his son, also sent it to me and I want to share it in this posting. It is a remarkable story of faith and God's faithfulness.
The year was 1934 and for some years there had been a move of God's Spirit on the West Coast under the ministry of Amie Semple McPherson at Angelus Temple located in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles and the same was happening in the Mid West under the ministry of Paul Rader.
"I don't want to go there Lord, I am part of a great move of God here in Kansas. The Kubus are over in the middle of the jungle in a nowhere country and I am here and God is Blessing the ministry of Paul Rader and he has given Helen and me an important part in the music ministry. The people enjoy Helen's lovely voice and the they also enjoy my accordion, piano playing and song leading and they say Helen and I make good music together. Anyway there are others who said they would go and that is good enough for me. Yes Lord, I heard what R.A.Jaffrey said about the Kubu Tribes and that they need to hear the Gospel, but people here in America need to hear too and that is why I am here doing Your work Lord, you do understand don't you? And one more thing, I have a wife and a two year old son and what would people think of me taking them out to the wild jungle and maybe having some terrible disease come over them and they die....what would people think of me? Also, I hear there are wild animals out there too Lord, what do you think of that?"
Such was the battle that raged in the heart and spirit of Hubert Mitchell. There was no letup and he could not free himself from those nagging words of R.A. Jaffrey of the Christian & Missionary Alliance Mission spoken some months previous at a missions conference...."Hubert, how can you tell the Gospel story over and over again to people who have heard it hundreds of times and yet there are thousands who have never heard it once. Hubert, the Lord is calling you and He will not let you go."
After a series of meetings and then traveling onto another meeting, they were passing through Arkansas Kansas when he spotted a small church off to the side of the road. Pulling in front he knew he had to get free once and for all. Hubert with Helen following opened the door and knocked on the door marked "office" and walking in asked to speak to the Pastor. After introducing themselves he asked the Pastor if he would pray for the two of them. After a brief explanation of his inner struggle, the Pastor laid hands on them both and prayed. After the Pastor's prayer, Hubert happened to glance up on the wall above the Pastor's desk and spied a plaque with a poem written on it. He got up to see it more clearly and saw that it was written by Annie Johnson Flint. Intrigued with the words He asked the Pastor if he could take it down to look at it and then asked if there was a piano in the sanctuary. With the Pastor's permission, he sat down at the piano and started to play.
The words and notes seemed to blend into melody and harmony as Hubert's fingers spanned the piano keys and before he knew it, the Lord had given him the music to the words of a poem written by Annie Johnson Flint with the title.."He Giveth More Grace" Turning on the piano stool to face his wife seated behind him, he queried..."Helen do you feel the same as I do? Are you willing to go to the Kubu Tribes in Indonesia? The Lord has called us and we need to be obedient to His Call." And so the battle had turned and in a relatively short span of time the three of them, Hubert, Helen and little David Mitchell set out by ocean steamer under the Christian & Missionary Alliance Mission and arrived in Sumatra Indonesia.
After settling his small family down to a regulated schedule, language study and getting used to this new culture was one of Hubert's first priorities. A rudimentary grasp of the Malay language came as he listened, enjoined words and phrases with the local populace and soon he was speaking to small groups of Christians in their homes and churches. On one occasion he went to one of the Dutch government officials and in some strange way received written permission to witness to the Malay Muslims. Unbeknownst to him this was against the law, but his witness was so effective the local Iman protested and the permission paper was revoked. Because of this opposition, the door officially opened for the ministry to the Kubus Tribes, an official Animist group. Along with Tobing his "Man Friday" and other Brothers, forayers into the thick jungles began.
On one of those forayers just after sunrise, Hubert dropped over to the toko, (small shop) and took some canned sardines and dried fish from the shelf and some cans of Mandarin oranges for desert. After paying the owner and passing on some words of encouragement to him the group set out for the trail which would take them deeper into the jungle than they had gone before. This day was particularly hot and the humidity was oppressive and it seemed that not much headway was being made. The saw grass seemed particularly tough as the group hacked their way through with their parangs (long knives)....when suddenly they come onto a clearing. The triple canopy tree growth gave no warning, but here it was! The people who were around suddenly took off when they saw this white man, but Tobing persuaded the Chief who had a parang that he, Hubert had come from a long distance with a wonderful message called "Good News" for him and his people.
Taking a cue from Tobing, Hubert began to tell the story from the Gospels how Jesus Christ came into the world as a miracle baby, grew up like any man and because of the miracles He did and the things He said, the religious rulers were jealous of him. They condemned him to die and nailed this man Jesus to a cross (salib). Hubert asked one of the Brothers to cut down a sapling and then with the same parang, cut it in two. Cutting down some rattan, thin jungle ratan vine, he tied the two pieces together forming a cross. As more people gathered around him and all this time telling the crucifixion story, he laid down on the cross and with his hands making motions, told the people surrounding him looking on with great interest that the soldiers nailed Jesus' hands and feet to the cross. As he went on with the story.... .
Suddenly from the middle of the crowd rang a question from the Chief..."what is a nail'? Taken aback Hubert lay there trying to explain what a nail (paku) was. As he talked, the people started to pull away from where he was lying. "Don't go, there must be a nail somewhere around here" Hubert intoned. Again the question came from the crowd but this time more pointed and insistent..."what is a nail?!" The more he tried, the more the crowd dispersed with muttering until finally no one was there except for some curious boys, Tobing and the Brothers and Hubert searched his pockets and nap sack and asked the others to do the same, but no nail.
Dejected and frustrated Hubert asked the men to prepare some rice for lunch and with a prayer and a plea for a miracle they sat down to eat rice and dried fish with some canned sardines. As he slowly ate with a spoon, these thoughts flooded into his mind..."Oh Lord You brought me all this way from the US for this? What will Tobing and the Brothers think of me now? Lord what about all these people who are left hanging in the air?" After the meal and grabbing for his nap sack and at the same time reached in took out one of the cans of oranges for desert and pouring them onto his plate was ready to toss the can to a group of the small boys who were eying this strange white man eating....when he heard a rattle and opening the can further he looked inside and there on the bottom of the can was a nail!
Grasping the nail in his right hand and jumping to his feet at the same time Hubert ran yelling out as loud as he could..."this is a nail!....this is a nail! this is a nail! This is what they put into the hands of Jesus! He ran to the Chief's hut and up the notched log he literally bounded. meeting the Chief coming down. He grabbed the Chief's hand and pushed the point into his palm..."this is what a nail feels like and this is what they did to Jesus!" He then grabbed the back of the Chief's hand and taking the nail scratched the dark skin. "Don't make my hand sick!" cried the Chief. Calling everyone back to the center of the clearing the Chief asked Hubert to tell the crucifixion story again. As he retold the story how the agony and tragedy of the Father was such to see His only Son die and become SIN himself, for everyones sin. When suddenly the people started to weep with deep sobs and tears flowing down their cheeks creating little rivulets of moist skin. Tobing, Hubert and the Brothers came around and hugged the people in small groups and told them God loved them so much and how their sins could be forgiven and their hearts cleansed from their SINS. With the Chief leading, Tobing led the people in a prayer of confession of SIN and repentance. They knew they were sinners, convicted by the power of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. Hubert then went on with the story of the Lord Jesus' Resurrection from death and that He appeared to over 500 people to prove His Power and Heavenly Glory. The Assention was told and then the Command to go out to others with this message and make disciples of all nations...."and this is why I am here to tell you this story" Hubert went on.
Suddenly the Chief turned and up the notched log to his hut he ran and coming back with two large baskets in his hands he said to Hubert..."when you see Jesus give these to Him. They are my most precious possessions and I was going to sell them to Chinese traders for knives and things we could use, but I want to give these to Jesus." The baskets were filled with bear and tiger claws, animals which he had killed in close encounters with a homemade spear. Hubert explained that Jesus was not here on earth, but in Heaven and now he, his Family and tribe would be there with Jesus one day. "But I want to give something to Him!" said the Chief. "But you did" replied Hubert, "you just gave Him your heart and life and that is what Jesus Christ wants and not only that, He wants you to tell others what you have just heard.".......
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