August 21
Alfred Wiener, a Jew born in Frankfurt, Germany, became familiar with “St. Matthew’s Passion” by Bach and Handel’s “Messiah” through his love of good music. When Hitler came to power, Weiner ended up in Buchenwald. He grew deathly sick. As he lay in the darkness, not knowing whether he was delirious or dreaming, an abyss opened beneath. “I saw hands reaching out, ready to pull me down into an eternity of perdition. Then came a hand from above, and in that one hand was the print of a nail. At this moment, I cried: “Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Redeemer, I die. But You, You alone are able...
Read MoreAugust 20
Want to help advance the gospel? Evaluate needs: see your area as a mission field; map population centers; identify people groups. Assess opportunities: pray for “open doors” (Acts 14:27; 1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3); observe where people gather; look for vulnerabilities (Lk. 4:18) as entry-ways to the good news; observe and develop channels of communication. Inventory resources: mobilize prayer warriors; contact local evangelists, assess current outreaches; consider a gospel fund; encourage tent makers; explore ways to free up time for gospel work. Provide the tools: must be...
Read MoreAugust 19
The remarkable conversion of British thinker C.S. Lewis is described in his own words: “To find their way, atheists must make sense out of a random first cause, denounce as immoral all moral denunciation, express meaningfully all meaninglessness, and find security in hopelessness.…You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet.…In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed:...
Read MoreAugust 18
How can people in this century take the idea of the virgin birth seriously? Interestingly, the most detail regarding the birth of Christ is given by a medical doctor, in the Lord’s biography by Luke. Often people argue that first century peasants believed in the miracles because they didn’t understand the scientific explanations behind events. But Luke begins his Gospel with the story of Zacharias, who, when told his wife was expecting, didn’t believe the angel, because he understood how babies are born, and that his wife was too old to have a child. The virgin birth was clearly prophesied...
Read MoreAugust 17
“There are two things I like that Islam teaches,” I told a group of upset young Muslims. Upset because I had told them about some Muslims I knew who had found true peace in Christ. “Islam teaches that God is God the Just, and God the Merciful. But when you stand before Him at last, will He be just or merciful?” “Both,” they responded. “That’s a quick answer, but it can’t be right. Justice means God receives full payment for every sin you have committed. Mercy means He has found a way not to charge you. Both can’t be true.” They chased their tails for a while until I interjected with the...
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