Life Is A Gift
When I was 8 years old, a classmate died. At the funeral service I pictured him "safe in the arms of Jesus." This comforted me and made death less fearsome.
Drive The Pipe Deeper
During Bill Leslie's ministry as pastor of LaSalle Street Church in Chicago, there was a difficult period when he felt as if his soul was becoming a desert. His people were making so many demands that he was becoming spiritually drained.
The Wrong Example
In his book Out Of My Mind, Joe Bayly told of a pastor friend who had three sons. When two of them began to stutter, he took them to a speech therapist. After evaluation the counselor spoke to the pastor and bluntly told him that it was his own neglect that was responsible for the speech defect.
Lasting Nourishment
Do you remember what your pastor spoke about 8 weeks ago? Probably not. After all, it's been a while. But does that mean it wasn't a valuable message or that it was a waste of your time to hear God's Word being preached?
Be True To Your Word
Shortly before his death, the Duke of Burgundy was presiding over the Cabinet Council of France. A proposal was made that would violate an existing treaty but would secure important advantages for the country. Many "good" reasons were offered to justify this action. The Duke listened in silence. When all had spoken, he closed the conference without giving approval. Placing his hand on a copy of the original agreement, he said with firmness in his voice, "Gentlemen, we have a treaty!"
Broken Toes, Broken World
Twice in my life I've broken one of my little toes by colliding with furniture. Ouch! For days I limped painfully, my body protecting its tiny injured member. My body was doing exactly what it was designed to do. It supported and sympathized with the part of me that was hurting. Gradually my toe healed, resuming its thankless task.
The Value Of One
When Harvey Penick died at the age of 90, the world of golf lost one of its greatest teachers. Although his books have sold millions of copies, he was remembered most for his direct impact on people.
He Paid The Toll
My daughter Ann and her family were about to cross the Mackinac Bridge into Michigan's Upper Peninsula when a wild storm hit. High winds forced authorities to close the world's longest suspension bridge. When it finally opened, a long string of cars crossed over.
Unable To Sleep
William Booth, the founder and commanding general of the Salvation Army, was unable to sleep one night. His son Bramwell, who lived next door, saw that the light was on in his father's home. Thinking something might be wrong, he went to his parents' house. He found his father pacing back and forth with a wet towel wrapped around his head. "Father," he asked, "shouldn't you be asleep?"
A Profile Of Courage
One of the most tragic, unforgettable nights in the Bible is described in Daniel 5:30, "That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain."
Spiritual Cleansing
Plutonium, a naturally radioactive element, is one of the deadliest substances known to man. Its radiation can make normal cells cancerous. For that reason, it was headline news a number of years ago when two scientists from the University of California announced they had found a substance that could remove plutonium from living tissue.
He Had Never Heard
While explaining the gospel to a young soldier in Kentucky, I referred to Jesus being crucified on the cross. He gave me a puzzled look and said, "I've never heard about that."
Power Up!
While it is still dark, a solitary car drives through the gate to the factory. A lone figure makes his way to a back door, unlocks it, and steps inside. A light goes on, then another. Large machines are fired up, temperature control equipment is engaged, banks of machinery soon begin to hum. By the time 7 a.m. rolls around, the millwright has the plant all powered up and ready for a new day's production.
Jesus Is Greater
All the Ethiopian teenager had to do was tell the men who were beating her that she no longer believed in God, and they would have stopped. Yezeshewall was being detained and beaten because of her faith in Christ. But she told her tormentors, "Jesus is greater than all, . . . greater than Marxism, greater than anything."
Use Your Gift!
God never gives a person a task without also providing him with what's necessary to perform the responsibility.
Better Than Looking Good
In today's society, two popular factors, the "feel-good factor" and the "look-good factor," are being confused with success. Anyone not feeling or looking good is often regarded as mediocre—even a failure.
Loving Relationships
A reporter in USA Today quoted a young woman who said of her baseball superstar father: "I don't know why he never spent any time with us. All we wanted him to do was spend time with us. He never liked us."
From Loss To Gain
The book In His Steps may have earned less money for its author than any other bestseller in history. Charles M. Sheldon wrote it in 1896, and it was first published by a religious weekly magazine. The magazine's publisher failed to meet copyright regulations, so Sheldon lost legal ownership of the book. Scores of publishers then sold millions of copies, and the author couldn't claim any royalties.
Counterfeit Happiness
It's easy to fool people about how we really feel. Simply wear a deceptive smile or hum a cheerful song like this one that was very popular during World War I and many years afterward:
Reach Out And Teach
I met Paul, Steve, and Tom when they were each about 14 years old—just a trio of guys who weren't interested in much except basketball. As their coach and English teacher, I taught them what I could about those two things—and about how to live the Christian life.
Where's This Bus Going?
A man who habitually slept as long as he could every morning awoke one day even later than usual. Looking at the clock, he bolted out of bed, threw on some clothes, splashed cold water on his face, quickly combed his hair, gulped down a glass of milk, grabbed his briefcase, gave his wife a kiss as he ran out the door, and raced to catch the bus. He barely got on it as it began to pull away. Dropping a coin in the meter, he lurched down the aisle toward a seat. Suddenly he looked around and breathlessly blurted out, "Where's this bus going anyway?"
For Future Generations
When a team of Christians visited Stavropol, Russia, in 1994 to hand out Bibles, a local citizen said he recalled seeing Bibles in an old warehouse. They had been confiscated in the 1930s when Stalin was sending believers to the gulags. Amazingly, the Bibles were still there.
Costly Rescue
All America waited anxiously. Many of us prayed. Captain Scott O'Grady's F-16 had been shot down as he was flying over Serbia. Had he been killed or captured? Was he seriously injured? The hours ticked by. Five days passed. On the sixth day another pilot picked up a faint message from O'Grady's radio. He was alive, managing somehow to hide from hostile soldiers.
Enjoyment Or Addiction?
With the growing use of computers and on-line services, an increasing number of people are withdrawing into cyberspace. Despite eye and wrist strain, and complaints from their families and employers, they continue to spend hours a day browsing bulletin boards and visiting discussion groups on the Internet.
Ugly Gremlins
In her book Less Stress, More Peace (published by Fleming H. Revell), Verna Birkey refers to a 72-year-old woman named Jo who worried about growing older. Jo called these fears "ugly gremlins." To gain victory over them, she wrote a "Declaration of Commitment and Faith," which I quote in part:
Holiness
Sometimes God seems to overreact. In Leviticus 10 we read about people who dropped dead simply because they didn't worship correctly. Priests were threatened with death if they didn't stay well-groomed or if they wandered away from the tabernacle. To modern readers who like to dress casual and live free, all of this sounds a bit stifling.
What Did You Say?
At the University of Santa Clara, California, a researcher conducted a study of 1,500 business managers that revealed what workers value most in a boss. Employees said they respected a leader who shows competence, has the ability to inspire workers, and is skillful in providing direction.
Two Sides Of Work
Ruth was facing serious problems. Her husband had died, and she had come to a foreign land with her widowed mother-in-law.
He Accepts It
When we have done our best to serve the Lord, a thoughtless or critical remark can take away our joy. When that happens, we must focus instead on what God thinks about us.
