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
August 29
Bob Brown began life February 12, 1944 as a throw-away child in an orphanage in South St. Paul, Minnesota. Purchased by a young couple for $55.50, Bob was raised in a nominally Christian home, but religion did nothing to fill the void. He studied at the university and then married his high school sweetheart. During time in the Navy, they had three daughters. But ten years later, the marriage collapsed and Bob ended up living in the Bachelor Chiefs Barracks at a naval station in Pennsylvania. Then God brought an old shipmate back into his life. Charlie and his wife had been saved. One day Charlie asked Bob if he knew for sure that he would go to heaven. Bob didn’t think anyone could know that. Charlie read 1 John 5:13, but Bob set out to prove Charlie wrong from the Bible. He failed, but in the process found Christ as his Savior. The Lord gave him back his wife and family, and set him on the path to joyful living and happy service for Him.
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 46-48 Memorize: Romans 3:10-12August 28
Did religions evolve from polytheism to monotheism? Renowned Assyriologist Stephen Langdon writes: “In my opinion the history of the oldest civilization of man is a rapid decline from monotheism to extreme polytheism and widespread belief in evil spirits. It is in a very true sense the history of the fall of man.” And anthropologist Dr. Arthur C. Custance observes that scholars of antiquity “found themselves dealing with a tremendous number of gods and goddesses and other spiritual powers of a lesser sort which seemed to be always at war with one another and, much of the time, highly destructive.…As earlier and earlier tablets, however, began to be excavated and brought to light, and skill in deciphering them increased, the first picture of gross polytheism began to be replaced by something more nearly approaching a hierarchy of spiritual beings organized into a kind of court with one Supreme Being over all.” — The Doorway Papers, Paper 34, p. 3
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 43-45 Memorize: Romans 2:12August 27
“God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Lk 18:13). Only a person’s sins rightly introduces himself to God. This was graphically illustrated at the funeral of Empress Zita, the last of the Hapsburgs. The procession stopped at the closed church doors. A member of the funeral party knocked, and was asked from within, “Who goes there?” The titles were read out: Queen of Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia, etc. From within came the response, ““I do not know her.” A second knock and the repeated question, “Who goes there?” The response: “Zita, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary.” Again, “I do not know her.” But when the question was asked the third time as to her identity, wisely the answer finally came: “Zita, a sinning mortal.” Only then was the door opened. Infinitely better, to introduce oneself at heaven’s Door while still in this life, and then to enter the next world with the words, “I was a guilty sinner, but Jesus died for me.”
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 40-42 Memorize: Romans 2:4August 26
“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Cor 10:4). The believer has a fearsome enemy but remarkable weaponry. The word panoplia is used twice in the NT. In Luke 11:22, the Lord described His ability to defeat the strong man, taking away his panoply in which he trusted. Then in Ephesians 6:13-18, the same Lord gives us the panoply (“whole armor”) of God to prepare us for battle. What does it include? The belt: the strengthening influence of truth; the breastplate over our vitals: the protective influence of righteousness; the shoes: the preparative influence of the gospel; the shield: the adaptive influence of faith, where believing God is suitable for every situation; the helmet: the selective influence of salvation, showing us what to let in, what to keep out; the sword: the preemptive influence of the Word, anticipating the enemy’s moves; and the supply line: the comprehensive influence of prayer. But we need to put it on!
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 37-39 Memorize: Romans 2:1-3August 25
Joseph Tremblay of Quebec, ordained a priest in Rome, was serving in Chile, where, he writes, “One Sunday I chose as my theme: ‘Religious Hypocrisy,’ and used the text: ‘Not every one that says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven…I will profess to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who work iniquity’ (Mt 7:21-23). As I delivered my message, I sensed Someone was preaching to me: ‘I never knew you: depart from Me.’ So I argued: ‘How is it possible? Am I not Your priest? Look at all the sacrifices I have made for You.’ But in spite of my arguments, the condemnation continued: “I never knew you.’ Then the storm broke; the tears prevented me from continuing so I took refuge in my office. This was the moment God was waiting for, to offer me His grace. Jesus was closer than I thought. I hurried to invite Him to enter my heart. ‘Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Be its Master, O Beloved Savior!’ At that moment I was saved. I had eternal life.”
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 34-36 Memorize: Romans 1:20-21August 24
Here are three prayers that, if prayed believingly, would revolutionize the work of the gospel in our areas. First, “Lord…send forth laborers!” (Lk 10:2). Of course, this means we must be prepared to be sent ourselves, and to support those whom the Lord sends in answer to our prayer. Then we need to ask, “Lord, teach us to pray!” (Lk 11:1) so that our efforts in the harvest fields are rewarded when God gives “the increase” (1 Cor 3:6). Finally, our prayer should be: “Lord, increase our faith!” (Lk 17:5). These three requests seem to be nested into each other. What would our acknowledgement of His Lordship be without serious labor for Him? What would all our labor accomplish—zealous and sacrificial though it be—without true prayer? What would prayer be without faith in the God who alone answers our petitions? These three heartfelt requests resulted, in the days of the early church, with the inestimable blessing of “the Lord working with them” (Mk 16:20).
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 31-33 Memorize: Romans 1:18-19August 23
Journalist Malcolm Muggeridge was one of the West’s leading atheists. But in a stunning reversal, in 1969 he published Jesus Rediscovered, declaring his faith in Christ. “I may, I suppose, regard myself as a relatively successful man. People occasionally stare at me in the streets; that’s fame. I can fairly easily earn enough to qualify for admission to the higher slopes of the Internal Revenue Service. That’s success. Furnished with money and a little fame, even the elderly…may partake of trendy diversions. That’s pleasure. It might happen once in awhile that something I said or wrote was sufficiently heeded for me to persuade myself that it represented a serious impact on our time—that’s fulfillment. Yet, I say to you—and beg you to believe me—multiply these tiny triumphs by millions, add them all together, and they are nothing—less than nothing, a positive impediment—measured against one drop of that living water Christ offers to the spiritually thirsty.” —p. 77
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 26-30 Memorize: Romans 1:16-17