God's Smuggler

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This book inspired me to get involved with Open Doors, and 15 yrs on, it's still a book I want to get as many people to read as I can! This harrowing account of his narrow escapes and amazing adventures will bring you to the edge of your seat--and to a bold new level of faith. She also is a longtime contributor to America's best-loved inspirational magazine Guideposts, and best-selling devotional, Daily Guideposts. Open Doors was involved in smuggling Bibles and Christian literature, offering training for Christian leaders, and providing financial and other support for persecuted Christians. I do not often say that something has changed my life, but the nonfiction book God's Smuggler has changed my life.

In his book Light Force, he tells of Arab and Lebanese churches in Lebanon, Israel and Israeli-occupied areas expressing great delight at the mere visit of a fellow Christian from abroad since they felt that the church in the Western world at large was mostly ignoring them. It is not graphic at all (not even close to "Tortured for Christ"), but shows the seriousness and struggles of believers in closed countries. Those later books seem to many times take for granted the salvation of people in the Catholic or Coptic churches. He told his story in God's Smuggler , then for the next 50 years ministered to persecuted Christians around the world while presenting the Gospel to extremist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.The stories of the believers met behind the Iron Curtain brought tears to my eyes on multiple occasions--usually not tears of sadness for their suffering but tears of longing at the sweet, sweet fellowship that we share as believers in any nation. Brother Andrew’s story in “God’s Smuggler” is a story of great God’s amazing power to advance the Gospel behind the Iron Curtain of communism. Brother Andrew's openness to sacrifice and prayer were just two topics exemplified in this true thriller of a Bible smuggler's life. There was also several mentions of drinking, smoking, telling smutty stories, etc (Andy’s time in the army + the girls in the factory where he worked at one time).

I also enjoyed the special features at the end of the book, especially the interview in which Andrew talked about his recent ministry in the Middle East. He converted on the spot and spent the rest of his life smuggling Bibles into Communist and Muslim countries.There have been several books throughout my journey with the Lord that have impacted me so profoundly that I now view the reading of them as milestones in my life. One time I passed on a request for butter by saying, ‘Thus sayeth the neighbour of Andrew, that thou wouldst be pleased to pass the butter. I will say that the events recounted here caused me to reevaluate my own life, my own Christianity, my own faith and my attitude toward faith.

Although later Bro Andrew discovered that various secret police were fully aware of his activities and chose to allow it to continue. God placed people in Andrew's life at key points and I'm sure these people were faithfully praying for him. Andrew van der Bijl (born 11 May 1928 in Sint Pancras, Netherlands), known in English-speaking countries as Brother Andrew, is a Christian missionary famous for his exploits smuggling Bibles to communist countries in the height of the Cold War, a feat that has earned him the nickname "God's smuggler".

I had forgotten that Brother Andrew includes his own personal testimony in the earlier chapters of the book.