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
April 26
If the Bible is rooted in history, that presents a problem: how can you trust the accounts of Jesus when we now know that history is simply propaganda written by the winners? This is an increasingly popular view, especially in academia. Postmodernist historian Greg Dening argues: “History is something we make rather than something we learn…I want to persuade [my students] that any history they make will be fiction.” The argument quickly grows less robust when the Holocaust is mentioned. Do we not have evidence galore for it’s reality? Yet less than a generation later, Holocaust deniers reject it’s historicity. Amy Orr-Ewing writes: “Luke and the other Gospel writers recorded the events that had taken place with scrupulous accuracy. Their intention in writing was that we as future generations could read about Christ confidently, knowing that historians had thoroughly researched and compiled the material in a rigorous way.” See Luke 1:3-4; 2 Pet 1:16.
Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 10-12 Memorize: Micah 7:7April 25
Ira Sankey tells of an incident in Brooklyn, NY. “A fine-looking young man came into the inquiry room. I asked him if he was willing to accept Christ as his Savior. He bowed his head in his hands, while his whole frame shook: “Jesus will not accept me.” “Why not?” “For the last eight years I have traveled the world, speaking against Him.” He explained that his Christian mother in Scotland had made him promise to attend when Moody came to the city. “Do you want Him to forgive you?” I asked. “Yield to Christ and he will receive you.” He bowed his head, his trembling form telling how deeply he was moved. After a hard struggle, he took my hand: “By the grace of God, I take Jesus Christ as my Savior now!” A few evenings later, I met him at the door. He said he had sent a cable to his mother. “I just said, ‘I’ve found Jesus,’ and signed my name.” “Thank the Lord,” I said. “Yes,” he exclaimed, “that’s just what my mother cabled back, “Thank the Lord, O my soul.’” So pray on!
Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 7-9 Memorize: Micah 6:8April 24
If God made everything, who made God? John Lennox responds: “One of the central arguments of The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins’ book, is the famous school-boy argument, ‘If we believe in a Creator, we’ll have to ask: Who created the Creator?’ But if you ask, ‘Who created God?’ you are thinking of created gods. Now the ancient world knew all about created gods; we call them idols. If Richard Dawkins thinks he is demolishing belief in created gods, then good for him! But he could have written a far shorter book, because millions of us don’t need any convincing that created gods are a delusion. Christianity, of course, does not believe in a created God; it believes in a God who is eternal and is the Creator of everything else. In other words, the God of the Bible is, by definition, uncreated.” Thus there is no infinite regress. And, in the end, it is not merely a philosophical question: “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut 33:27).
Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 4-6 Memorize: Micah 5:2April 23
William Haslam (1817-1905), an Anglo-Catholic vicar, on hearing many conversion testimonies, came under deep conviction. He felt he could no longer preach. “The thought came to me that I would go to church and read the morning prayers and after that dismiss the people…The psalms and hymns were especially applicable to my case…So I gave out my text: ‘What think ye of Christ?’ Something was telling me, ‘You are no better than the Pharisees. You do not believe that He has come to save you.’ I do not remember all I said, but a wonderful light and joy came into my soul. I was seeing what the Pharisees did not. All of a sudden a local preacher, who happened to be there, stood up and shouted, ‘The parson is converted! Hallelujah!’ His voice was lost in the shouts and praises of three or four hundred…I joined in the outburst of praise; and to make it more orderly, I gave out the Doxology and the people sang it with heart and voice, over and over again.”
Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 1-3 Memorize: Jonah 2:7, 9April 22
It is natural that we should turn to the Acts of the Apostles to see how the first preachers proclaimed the gospel. We have ample evidence to go on, for no less than twenty-two sermons or speeches are recorded in that book. Of these, nine are by Peter (Acts 1:15ff; 2:14ff; 3:12ff; 4:8ff; 5:29ff; 8:20ff; 10:34ff; 11:4ff; 15:7ff). Nine are by Paul (13:16ff; 13:46ff; 14:13ff; 17:16ff; 20:17ff; 22:1ff; 24:10ff; 26:1ff; 28:25ff). Others are as follows: Stephen at his stoning (7:1ff); Philip to the eunuch (8:30ff); James at the council (15:13ff); and Ananias to Saul (22:12ff). What a wealth of material we have here that we may learn how to preach the gospel. These men by the testimony of their foes “turned the world upside down” (17:6) and saw thousands converted (2:41; 4:4). This was followed by a seven-fold action: they were baptized, continued in the apostle’s teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, in prayers, giving, and holy joy. O for such converts today! —G. Goodman
Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 27-29 Memorize: Joel 2:12-13April 21
Hasn’t the New Testament been changed since it has been repeatedly recopied throughout time? This is key. As F.F. Bruce explains, “The historical ‘once-for-all-ness’ of Christianity which distinguishes it from those religious and philosophical systems, which are not specially related to any particular time, makes the reliability of the writings which purport to record this revelation a question of first-rate importance” (The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? p 8). Sir Frederic Kenyon, director of the British Museum, stated: “The interval between the dates of original composition (of the NT) and the earliest extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact negligible, and the last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books of the New Testament may be regarded as finally established” (The Bible and Archaeology, pp 288-289).
Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 24-26 Memorize: Joel 2:32April 20
On that tragic Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School near Denver, CO, two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, massacred 12 students and one teacher, injuring 21 other students. One of those who died that day was Rachel Scott, age 17. Some time before, she had written: “I have no more personal friends at school. But you know what? I am not going to apologize for speaking the name of Jesus. I am not…going to hide the light that God has put into me. If I have to sacrifice everything, I will.” Another believer who was gunned down, Cassie Burnall, stated: “Now I have given up on everything else. I have found it to be the only way to really know Christ and to experience the mighty power that brought Him back to life again, and to find out what it means to suffer and to die with Him. So, whatever it takes I will be one who lives in the fresh newness of life of those who are alive from the dead.” To live = Christ; to die = gain (Php 1:21).
Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 19-23 Memorize: Hosea 14:9