July 9
“You know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us and of the Lord” (1 Thess 1:5-6). A recent believer wrote the following to a friend who had encouraged her to find new life in Christ: “I saw that you lived by convictions and priorities and not just by convenience, selfish pleasure, and financial gain. And I had never met anyone like that before. I felt a depth of love and concern as you listened to me…you demonstrated kindness and generosity—and not just to me, but to other people, as well. And you stood for something. You were willing to go against...
Read MoreJuly 8
Having given a stirring appeal to every believer to engage in a ministry of gospel reconciliation on behalf of God Himself, the apostle Paul then paints a portrait of such a servant/ambassador. His description includes these lines: “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain…But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God…as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all...
Read MoreJuly 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...
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