February 10
John Townsend was born into a well-to-do family in Exeter, England. At the age of 20, while studying to become a clergyman, he realized to his shock that he was an unconverted man himself. He abandoned the ambition of his life which he had chosen, feeling he could not lead others to Christ until he himself was a believer. One day he noticed a Bible in a shop window and, inquiring further, was lead to Christ by the woman who would become his wife. His parents became so distressed and angry at the step he had taken, that they disinherited him. For 25 years he sought reconciliation with them,...
Read MoreFebruary 9
“For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Cor 16:9). “Praying also for us, that God would open to us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ…” (Col 4:3). “Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles” (Ac 14:27). Like a Solomonic triple gate, these three doors must be opened if we are to carry the gospel to the hearts of those still held captive by the “strong man armed” (Lk 11:21). First, we need to pray to the One who...
Read MoreFebruary 8
One evening, H.A. Ironside came upon a gospel meeting at the corner of Market and Grant in San Francisco. When they recognized Ironside, they asked if he would give his testimony. As he closed, a well-dressed man gave him a card. He read it aloud: “Sir, I challenge you to debate in the Academy of Science Hall next Sunday afternoon at four.” Ironside replied that he would agree with certain conditions. The atheist must bring one man and one woman whose lives had been wrecked by sin, but who had entered one of his meetings, heard his glorification of agnosticism and whose hearts were so deeply...
Read MoreFebruary 7
“You shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Some believers think the witness of the Church is only to be conducted by those gifted as evangelists. Was that what the early church did? In Acts 8, we are told that the persecution that arose under Saul of Tarsus drove the Christians across the Roman empire. And the result? “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching (euaggelizo, evangelizing) the word” (v 4). But the “they” in verse 4 does not include the men who were given...
Read MoreFebruary 6
“…Tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Rev 20:10). Lorenzo Dow (1777–1834) preached to more people than any other man of his time. During more than 30 years of ceaseless travel, mostly by foot, Dow preached in almost all parts of the U.S., as well as in Canada, England, Ireland and the West Indies. He wore one set of clothes till they worn out; his only luggage was a box of Bibles. Plagued with asthma, he was compelled to sleep on the floor or on bare ground. He was sometimes chased from one town to another, where he would simply begin preaching where he had left off. Often he could...
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