This perpetual calendar includes:
- Remarkable testimonies of souls won to the Savior
- Explanations of gospel concepts
- Answers to frequently-asked questions
- Stories of real-life witnessing opportunities
- Encouragements and tips for sharing the glorious gospel
March 21
Evolutionary paleontologist Niles Eldredge confesses: “That individual kinds of fossils remain recognizably the same throughout the length of their occurrence in the fossil record had been known to paleontologists long before Darwin published his Origin. Darwin himself…prophesied that future generations of paleontologists would fill in these gaps by diligent search…120 years of paleontological research later, it has become abundantly clear that the fossil record will not confirm this part of Darwin’s predictions. Nor is the problem a miserably poor record. The fossil record simply shows that this prediction is wrong…The observation that species are amazingly conservative and static entities throughout long periods of time has all the qualities of the emperor’s new clothes: everyone knew it but preferred to ignore it. Paleontologists, faced with a recalcitrant record obstinately refusing to yield Darwin’s predicted pattern, simply looked the other way.”
Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 23-25 Memorize: Isaiah 44:6March 20
It is a common attack on the Bible that the word “Trinity” is not found anywhere. True enough. But the truth of the Three-in-One God can be found often in Scripture. Here are a few verses from the New Testament that link, in a sentence or two, the three Members of the Godhead. Notice that in many of them not only are the Members of the Godhead mentioned, but the distinctive functions of each Member is described. Some good examples would be Rom 15:16; 15:30; 1 Cor 2:7-10; 1 Cor 6:10-11; 1 Cor 12:3-6; 2 Cor 1:21-22; 2 Cor 13:14; Eph 3:14-19; Eph 5:18-20; 1 Thess 4:2-5,8; Heb 9:14; 1 Pet 1:2; 1 Pet 3:18; and 1 Jn 4:2. Another thrilling passage that links the Trinity in one sentence reads: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 20-21). May today find us building, praying, keeping, and looking!
Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 20-22 Memorize: Isaiah 43:25March 19
Biblical truth is the substance of gospel work, so the early believers “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). Divine love is the motivation of it and joy is the strength of it, and thus we “preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph 3:8; see also 2 Cor 5:14). “Justification and sanctification are the spiritual objectives of it, so we seek to make known “the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Col 1:27-28; see also 1 Cor 6:11). Grace and peace are the blessed effect of it because “Grace and peace [is] multiplied…through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Pet 1:2). Universal need is the reason for it, so “preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk 16:15). And of course the Lord Jesus is the blessed subject of it so “we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord” (2 Cor 4:5).
Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 17-19 Memorize: Isaiah 43:11March 18
The town of Crimond in Scotland is remembered for two things. It was the home of Jessie Seymour Irvine, daughter of a local minister. She composed the haunting melody which has borne the words of Psalm 23 out of the Scottish Psalter all round the world. Many a soul crossing over to The Other Side has done so to the words of it’s final stanza, sung to Crimond. “Goodness and mercy all my life, Shall surely follow me; And in God’s house forevermore, My dwelling place shall be.” The village of Crimond is also noted for its unusual tower clock. When the clock maker was constructing it, he inadvertently added one extra minute mark on the face. One might hope that it would be this easy to add twenty-four extra minutes to every day. But Paul explained the secret when he wrote: “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time” (Col 4:5). Buy up every opportunity for the Master today. It is crucial to remember: There is time enough to do the will of God.
Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 14-16 Memorize: Isaiah 42:1-3March 17
“What is that to thee? Follow thou Me” (Jn 21:22). If the Enemy cannot use disinterest or discouragement to stop evangelism, he will tempt us with distractions. In his classic work, Via Sacra, T.H. Darlow writes: Curiosity becomes perilous, not because it is in itself evil or irreverent, but because it is so apt to dissipate the soul. Our Lord will have nothing to distract us from simple, personal faith in His own Person. To our subtle doubts and curious fears and eager questionings, He has one reply: What is that to thee? Follow thou Me. The stress falls on the last word. He says in effect: “I am the Answer to all the questions men can ask.” And as we do follow Him faithfully, we discover at last the key to every problem and the clue to every mystery in Christ Himself. He is Himself God’s supreme Answer to the enigma of human life—the reward of every labor, the justification of every sorrow, the compensation for every sacrifice, the satisfaction of every desire. — pp 132-133
Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 11-13 Memorize: Isaiah 41:10March 16
Thomas Olivers (1725-1799), a Welsh orphan, billed himself as “the worst boy known in Tregynon for thirty years.” Thrown out of town at age 18, he arrived in Bristol, England, where he heard George Whitefield preaching on the words of Zechariah 3:2, “Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” As Olivers recounts, “When the sermon began, I was one of the most abandoned and profligate young men living; before it ended, I was a new creature. The world had changed for Tom Olivers.” He gave his life to spreading the gospel wherever he went. One Sabbath evening in 1770, he heard an opera singer, Meyer Lyon, present Yigdal, a Hebrew Doxology. Deeply impressed, he took the words and added to them the light of New Testament truth. We now sing his hymn titled “The God of Abraham Praise.” Included are the lines: “We shall behold His face; We shall His power adore, And sing the wonders of His grace, Forevermore.”
Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 6-10 Memorize: Isaiah 40:31March 15
The gospel is free so everyone can afford it. Its terms are so simple that “wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein” (Isa 35:8). It is a universal offer: all are welcome. If someone asks, “What about Hindus and Muslims?” we answer, “Yes, He invites them too! The gospel is also easy to verify for any serious skeptic: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Ps 34:8). The provision is unlimited in its supply (although it is a limited-time offer) so there is no fear of a shortage in “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph 3:8). And this gift is “one-size-fits-all,” just what every soul needs. It never breaks or wears out. Eternal satisfaction is guaranteed by the Maker: “My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, saith the Lord” (Jer 31:14). In fact this one Gift—God’s beloved Son and life in Him—includes every other gift in one, for we are “blessed…with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3).— J.B.N.
Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 3-5 Memorize: Isaiah 40:28