July 7
Edward Hoare, son of a London banker, was a well-respected evangelical preacher in Tunbridge Wells at the end of the 19th century. One day a businessman requested a tour of the graveyard so he could select a spot for his “final resting-place.” After he had made his choice, Hoare turned to him and asked, “You have found a resting-place for your body, but have you yet found a resting-place for your soul?” Turning abruptly and looking the questioner full in the face, the elderly man replied, “You are the first clergyman who has asked me that question. I am most interested in what you can tell...
Read MoreJuly 6
When William Featherston wrote, “For Thee all the follies of sin I resign,” he reminded us of what Paul confessed regarding his days as a brilliant but lost Jewish zealot: “being exceedingly mad” (Acts 26:11). Sin is a waste, defiling, disappointing, a self-inflicted death wound. G.C. Berkouwer observes about sin’s fundamental senselessness: “Therefore, since every ‘unriddling’ of sin implies a discovery of ‘sense’ where no sense can possibly be found, the very notion of an ‘unriddling’ is impossible. One cannot find sense in the senseless and meaning in the meaningless. All of this does not...
Read MoreJuly 5
Is Christianity a crutch? It was Karl Marx who famously said, “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” There is truth in that statement, because millions have blindly followed their blind religious leaders, as the Lord Jesus described. But true Christianity is no mere religion, and certainly not a drug; it is a living relationship with the God of the universe. But is it a crutch? Josh McDowell writes: “A crutch presupposes two things: (1) that there is a disease, sickness, or hurt, and (2) that a person has been given some type of a remedy (this is why he has the crutch).” This leads, says...
Read MoreJuly 4
My friend John Bjorlie was arrested while preaching from a public sidewalk to some college students at a campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The trial took all day. When the judge came to his summation, he told the packed courtroom that he had found this an unusual trial. It made him take down his Bible at the lunch break, which, he confessed, he had not read in a while. He looked to see where “St. Paul preached” and since he always preaching in public places, “by an Authority higher than this court, I say you’re free to carry on doing what you’re doing.” Some time later, John met the judge...
Read MoreJuly 3
“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the Word, to speak the mystery of Christ…that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak” (Col 4:2-4). Sometimes we shrink from witnessing because we’re afraid of looking stupid; we fear we might not have all the answers. It’s good to look for helpful answers that thinking people ask. But it is also amazing to see how the Holy Spirit helps in providing answers just when we need them. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps...
Read MoreJuly 2
In Good News is for Sharing, Leighton Ford recounts: “I was speaking at an open-air crusade in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Billy Graham was to speak the next night and had arrived a day early. He came incognito and sat on the grass at the rear of the crowd. Because he was wearing a hat and dark glasses, no one recognized him. Directly in front of him sat an elderly gentleman who seemed to be listening intently…When I invited people to come forward as an open sign of commitment, Billy decided to do a little personal evangelism. He tapped the man on the shoulder and asked, ‘Would you like to accept...
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