July 23
“God” in various religions might be thought of as benevolent towards creation, but the gospel was Good News when it first burst on the world because men realized “God is Love.” The revelation provided by Christ Himself, the awe-full brunt of suffering which He was prepared to bear in order to redeem mankind, His triumph over man’s last enemy, His ascension to timeless reality taking Human Nature with Him—all these showed one thing, that God is by nature Love and that He loves humanity. Those who accepted this foundation-truth…found that their own “love-energy,” which had previously been...
Read MoreJuly 22
J. Budziszewski, a “repentant atheist,” writes: “How then did I become undeceived? Not because anyone called my bluff. When I told the faculty of the University of Texas that there is no rationally knowable difference between good and evil and that we aren’t responsible for our deeds anyway, they gave me a job teaching the young.” Explaining the change, he says: “I did pray to God one night. I told him that I thought I was talking to the wall. I said that if he existed, he could have me, but he would have to show me because I couldn’t tell. As the minutes ticked past, the wall looked more...
Read MoreJuly 21
God-hungry men find God. “As the hart pants after the water brooks” (Ps 42:1), so the souls of the Upper-Room crowd panted for the living God. Spiritually naked, they fled to Him to be clothed upon with the blessed Spirit. Empty, they craved to be filled. Powerless, they tarried until they were endued. Bankrupt, they pled the riches of His grace. Then this fear-filled crowd became fire-filled messengers. Though swordless, these soldiers of Christ fought the might of imperial Rome and won. Though without ecclesiastical prestige, they opposed the frozen orthodoxy of sterile Judaism and pierced...
Read MoreJuly 20
“Is not My word like…a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jer 23:29). A couple of undergraduates were standing in one of the quads in Oxford. One was a Christian. In his hand he held a Bible, having come from a church service. The other man looked at him and said, “What have you got there?” “Oh,” he said, “it’s my Bible.” “What do you carry that around for?” “It means a lot to me, and helps me.” “What,” he said, “you don’t believe that rubbish. That’s just the same as any other book.” “I know it isn’t,” said the Christian. “Well, I bet you can’t prove to me that it’s different from any...
Read MoreJuly 19
“The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus” (Jn 12:21). Sometimes the enemy tries to convince us that no one is interested in the gospel. Not true. Millions today will receive earth-shattering news—inoperable cancer, a spouse is leaving them, job loss, or a child in trouble. Jesus said He came for the broken-hearted, and there are more of those every day. Sometimes when a person responds, “I’m not interested,” I ask, “Not interest in what? What do you think I’m offering you?” Often they think we are going to ask...
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