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 19
What does man find objectionable about the gospel? Everything! Think of John 3:16. “For God,” and some object to the idea that God even exists. “So loved the world,” and they object to Him loving all, even the worst. “That He gave,” and they are offended that they cannot contribute something of merit. “His only begotten Son,” and they do not like the exclusivity of the One Way. “That whosoever,” and they ask, “Do you mean mass murderers can pray and have a lifetime of sin wiped out?” “Believes on Him,” and they stumble at its simplicity. “There must be more,” they say. “Should not perish,” and they deny that they are so bad as to deserve such a fate. “But have,” and they call it presumption to say you know you are saved. “No one can know,” they opine, in flat contradiction to Scripture. “Everlasting,” but no, they argue, “It must be possible to lose it, or else one would live like the devil.” “Life,” not religion or rules, but life as a gift! Thank God for His convincing Spirit! —J.B.N.
Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 16-18 Memorize: Hosea 13:14April 18
W.T.P. Wolston was born at Brixham, England, on September 6, 1840, and was converted at the age of 20 while listening to Charles Stanley, a commercial hardware salesman from Sheffield who led thousands to Christ. Wolston eventually became a loved and respected physician in Edinburgh, Scotland where he took every opportunity to speak to people about his Savior. He writes: “A short time ago I was traveling on a train, and there was in the car with me a bright-eyed boy named Robert, on his way home from school. We got into conversation. Presently I said to him, ‘Robert, I know a friend of yours.’ ‘Know a friend of mine? I never saw you before. Who can it be?’ His whole face brightened with expectation. He guessed a half-dozen names and then gave up. ‘Shall I tell you?’ I asked. ‘Jesus!’ His face fell. Alas! the dear boy’s heart was just like many, a stranger to Jesus, and he had no interest in Him.” But what a Friend He is—“a friend of…sinners!” (Lk 7:34).
Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 13-15 Memorize: Daniel 9:9April 17
Anyone witnessing will be challenged on homosexuality. Some will say it’s wrong to condemn, since people are born that way. Others will say grace prohibits judging. What is our response? First, we are all born sinners (Ps 51:5) with proclivities in different directions, but cannot excuse our sins by claiming “that’s the way I am.” Second, although some sins do greater damage that others, we should declare a gospel that both condemns all sin and provides forgiveness for all sin repented for. Third, it is not temptation to sin that is deserving of judgment (unless we put ourselves in harm’s way), but yielding to sin. A person who feels Christianity cannot be for them because they could not abandon their homosexuality must be told not only about Christ as Savior from sin’s penalty, but also from its power. “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (see 1 Cor 6:9-11).
Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 10-12 Memorize: Ezekiel 36:26April 16
Andrew Stenhouse writes: “We rented a hall on one of the main arteries of the city. It was busy and noisy, but God gave us the joy of seeing souls saved there. On one occasion a gentleman, Senor Marfan, was walking by when he had a seizure of pain and looked around for somewhere to sit. The nearest place was the doorstep of our hall. One of our young men, distributing invitation cards, brought him some water. In a few minutes he felt better and went on his way, after receiving an invitation. He didn’t return, but told his wife about his experience and handed her the card. As a result, she came to the meetings, bringing two daughters; in a short time all three were converted. Senor Marfan did not come for about three years, but one day this son expressed scepticism in the existence of God. “What! my son an atheist! I am to blame; I’ve never shown any interest in the things of God.” Both father and son began to attend the meetings and were also happily converted.
Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 7-9 Memorize: Ezekiel 33:11April 15
“If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God…” (Jn 7:17). When Pilate asked Jesus the question, “What is truth?” Jesus answered him with a categorical response. In effect, Jesus was asking Pilate if his was a genuine question or purely an academic one. Jesus was not merely checking on Pilate’s sincerity. He was opening up Pilate’s heart to himself, to reveal to Pilate his unwillingness to deal with the implications of Jesus’ answer. “They who are on the side of truth, listen to Me” (Jn 18:37), He said. Intent in the pursuit of truth is prior to content, or to the availability of it. The author George Macdonald once said, “To give truth to him who loves it not is only to give him more plentiful reasons for misinterpretation.” The struggle in our time is posed as one of the intellect, in the assertion that truth is unknowable. But that may be only a veneer for the real struggle, which is that of the heart. —Ravi Zacharias
Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 4-6 Memorize: Ezekiel 18:20April 14
Ridley Haim Herschell, born to a devout Jewish family in Strzelno, Poland, had no peace. One morning he bought something wrapped in scrap paper on which was printed: “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” A few days later, he picked up a New Testament, which opened at the same passage! He borrowed the book and eagerly read it. He wrote: “One day I wept bitterly before the Lord, entreating Him to give me peace. These words of Jesus came to mind: ‘Hitherto ye have asked nothing in My name. Ask…’ (Jn 16:24). I cannot describe the reluctance I felt to pray in Jesus’ name. At length I cried out: ‘Lord, I believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Redeemer, and King of Israel, who “was wounded for our transgressions”; for His sake have mercy on me and give me peace.’ No sooner had I offered this prayer than the peace of God entered my soul…I was now ‘justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus’ (Rom 3:24).”
Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 1-3 Memorize: Ezekiel 18:4April 13
In Bill Maher’s movie, Religulous, he baits a U.S. senator for believing in “a talking snake in the garden.” But “why should it be thought a thing incredible” for atheists to believe in a snake with the ability to talk? Don’t they believe that a whole species of “animals” arose after millions of years of non-talking life forms and that they somehow developed, by a series of happy accidents, the ability to use articulate speech? Steven Pinker, director of MIT’s Center of Cognitive Neuroscience, stated in The Language Instinct: “As you are reading these words, you are taking part in one of the wonders of the natural world. For you and I belong to a species with a remarkable ability: we can shape events in each other’s brains with remarkable precision…That ability is language…The ability comes so naturally that we are apt to forget what a miracle it is.” Christian, use that miraculous (the evolutionist’s word) ability to sow the seed of God’s Word in others’ minds for the Spirit’s germination.
Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 21-25 Memorize: Lamentations 3:22-23