My Australian friend Graham wasn’t born blind. He was blinded by a freak accident at age 9. Yet he never felt sorry for himself. Wherever he went, he shared what Jesus Christ meant to him. His last trip was to Thailand as a practicing physiotherapist. Besides using his professional skills there, he wanted to share the gospel of Christ.
Read More »
During the Great Depression, many people in the US lived in shantytowns made up of plywood, tarps, and blankets. These decrepit dwellings, known as “Hoovervilles,” housed those who had been evicted from their homes. Many blamed President Herbert Hoover for the economic woes.
Read More »
Along the old Oregon Trail in Idaho there is a marker—a giant lava boulder known locally as Register Rock. It’s located in an area which was one of the favorite overnight camping areas for westbound immigrants who traveled the trail in the 19th century.
Read More »
When I was growing up, I often spent a week each summer with my grandparents. Many afternoons I would lie in the backyard hammock and read books I found in Grandpa’s bookcase. One was Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. It was heavy reading for a young girl, but I was absorbed by the detailed accounts of Christian martyrs, believers who were told to deny their faith in Christ but refused—thus suffering horrific deaths.
Read More »
Just the other day someone said of a friend, “This man is destined for a great ministry,” by which he meant he was headed for the big time—a high-profile church with a big budget.
Read More »
As a boy, I never shared my father’s enthusiasm for the soil. For several summers he had a little plot of ground in the country where he planted a garden. It provided physical therapy and relaxation for him, as well as a bountifully laden table for family and friends.
Read More »
A first-grader beamed with satisfaction as he handed me a spelling test on which his teacher had written a large “100%—Good work!” The boy said, “I showed this to Mom and Dad because I knew it would please them.” I could just see him riding home on the bus, hardly able to wait for the moment when his parents would express their excitement with how well he had done. His desire to make Mom and Dad happy was obviously a very important motivating factor in his life.
Read More »
A familiar saying goes something like this: “Old age is a matter of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter!”
Read More »
My grandnephew, his wife, and their daughter are serving as missionaries in New Guinea. He closes his newsletters with these words: “Having fun serving Him.”
Read More »
When it came time for Moses to strike the rock in the desert to get water for the thirsty Israelites, his part was very small-just strike the rock. Anyone in Israel could have done it. The main thing was what God was doing in the heart of the earth to provide a bountiful river of water.
Read More »
Adoniram Judson (1788-1850) was gifted with a brilliant mind. He learned to read at age 3, could translate Greek at 12, and enrolled in Brown University when he was 16. While there he was befriended by Jacob Eames, a man who rejected the miracles of the Bible. When Judson graduated as valedictorian in 1807, he had been so influenced by Eames that he denied his Christian faith.
Read More »
Somehow the command to love doesn’t get through to us. We may confess that we lack a strong faith, but seldom do we admit that we are deficient in love. Perhaps we feel we’re as loving as the next person, and maybe a little bit more.
Read More »
In Romans 12:1, the apostle Paul applied the truths of what he had already written to the followers of Jesus in Rome. He said, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice.” He also urged us to keep our bodies from sinning and to avoid the world’s corruption by renewing our minds (v.2).
Read More »
Spartacus is not just a film legend but a historical figure. Historians say that he was likely a Roman soldier who deserted, was recaptured, and then sold into slavery as a gladiator.
Read More »
In Western culture, the Christmas season is a time for a revelry of gift-giving. A world-famous department store annually issues a catalog of gifts of value beyond extravagance. One of them was a $10 million zeppelin-a 230-foot-long, 50-foot-wide airship capable of flying for 24 hours without refueling.
Read More »
Darmeisha didn’t like the neighbor woman Suzanne, but she still knocked at her door frequently. She was an unhappy 8-year-old who seemed to enjoy mocking people. Most of their conversations ended with Suzanne telling her that she needed to go home.
Read More »
Many Christians have succumbed to the false notion that their witness to one individual doesn’t count for much. But that certainly isn’t supported by what we read in the Gospels. Even though Jesus’ public ministry was limited to a little more than 3 years, He was never too busy to deal with one person at a time.
Read More »
When you think of the term evangelism, what picture flashes onto the wall of your mind? A large stadium filled with people? A small booklet with a set of diagrams? A Christian wearing a pin with the symbol of a fish? A zealous believer playing intellectual chess with a pagan opponent? A salesman convincing a reluctant person to “try Jesus”?
Read More »
On one of his voyages to the New World, Christopher Columbus came across a remarkable tree. It had round fruit that bounced like a ball. Its Indian name was caoutchouc—”the weeping wood.”
Read More »
My father-in-law Pete is a genius. No, he didn’t develop any scientific theories like Einstein did. His genius is that of a handyman. Just ask him about an ailing furnace or a clogged garbage disposal. He can intuitively diagnose the problem and come up with a solution. When my in-laws visit, it looks like a home repair TV show. I often take notes. In many ways, as I watch Pete, I am equipped to do the repairs on my own.
Read More »
It was once my privilege to preach in a church where love and warmth were especially evident. I was impressed by the members’ willingness to pitch in and work. On the Sunday I spoke, three services were scheduled. The women of the church had provided a bountiful meal to be served between the meetings for visitors who had traveled a long distance.
Read More »
I’ve seen a number of recent reports about efforts to remove monuments with the Ten Commandments from public places in the US. It’s regrettable, for the monuments celebrate righteousness, and “righteousness exalts a nation” (Proverbs 14:34). I believe that removing these reminders is a reflection of our crumbling moral foundations.
Read More »
In a photo on my wall, a rusted rake leans against a post in a vegetable garden overgrown with weeds. I took the picture several months after my father-in-law died and there was no one to care for his usually well-tended garden. One afternoon, he had leaned his rake against a post, walked to the house, and never returned.
Read More »
A psychologist made the observation that children often develop lifelong complexes because of their names. That may have been true in the case of a boy I read about. His parents gave him the name Tonsilitis Jones, and it caused him difficulties in school and again when he tried to enlist in the navy.
Read More »
Getting older doesn’t mean becoming obsolete. It can mean growing, maturing, serving, ministering, venturing, enjoying ourselves to the end of our days. “Old men ought to be explorers,” author T. S. Eliot said. One of my friends says, “Have a blast while you last.”
Read More »
Years ago I set out a honeycomb to feed some bees that had a hive a short distance away. To start the process I captured one bee in a cup, placed it over the honeycomb, and waited until the bee discovered the treasure. When it was filled and satisfied, it flew directly to the hive. After a moment the bee returned with a dozen others. These in turn brought many more, until finally a swarm of bees covered the comb and soon had carried all the honey into the hive.
Read More »
In the late 19th century, a former student of Oxford University became the Lord Chancellor of England. One of his classmates became Britain’s Foreign Secretary. A third gained an international reputation as an author. A fourth, Temple Gairdner, was perhaps the most gifted of his classmates but did not achieve fame and influence. Why? He accepted Jesus as his Savior and lived as a missionary in obscure and dangerous places.
Read More »
Two young men had been friends from childhood. One was a Christian, the other was not. The second man was about to embark on a long ocean voyage, and the believer felt the urge to speak to him about Christ before he left. “I’ll do it on the way to the dock,” he promised himself. But when they reached the dock, he still hadn’t done so.
Read More »
The story is told of a painter who was commissioned to portray a run-down church. But instead of an old, tottering ruin, he painted a magnificent edifice of modern design. Through the windows could be seen an ornate collection box for the gifts of the fashionable worshipers. Above it hung a sign bearing the inscription “For Missions.” Sadly, the box was covered in cobwebs.
Read More »
Rabbits are timid creatures that pop out of their holes every morning, try to avoid everything (except other rabbits), eat their food, and jump back into their holes in the evening. “Whew! We made it through another day,” they’d say if they could talk.
Read More »
Elephant seals spend most of their lives sleeping. Science News magazine reports, “Male elephant seals measure 16 feet from trunk-like nose to flipper, and they weigh about 3 tons. Occasionally, a seal will use a front flipper—incredibly tiny for such a massive creature—to scratch itself or flip sun-shielding sand on its body.” Otherwise these huge animals are basically motionless.
Read More »
Fishermen sometimes bestow this blessing on one another: “May you keep a tight line,” by which we mean, “May you always have a trout on your line.”
Read More »
Honey ants survive in difficult times by depending on certain members of their group known as “honey pots.” They take in so much nectar that they swell up until they resemble little round berries, hardly able to move. When food and water become scarce, these ants act as “social stomachs” and sustain the entire colony by dispensing what they have stored in their own bodies.
Read More »
While Martha served Jesus unsparingly, her sister Mary sat at His feet, listening and learning. Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) believed that Martha’s mistake wasn’t her serving, but rather that she allowed it to distract her attention from Jesus. Spurgeon believed that we should be Martha and Mary in one. He wrote, “We should do much service, and have much communion at the same time. For this we need great grace. It is easier to serve than to commune.”
Read More »
A businessman gave his heart to Jesus as a result of a Billy Graham evangelistic event. When he told his co-workers, his Christian business partner was elated. But the new believer hadn’t known about his faith, and said, “You know, you’re one reason I resisted becoming a Christian for several years. I figured that if someone like you could live a good life and not be a Christian, there was no need for me to become one.”
Read More »
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he lacked the money to buy it.
Read More »
In a debate at Boston College, Christian scholar William Craig Lane convincingly set forth the historical arguments for believing in Jesus’ resurrection, much as the apostle Paul did in Acts 26. Then Lane told the story of his conversion.
Read More »
Perhaps the most effective advertisement ever written appeared in a London newspaper early in the 20th century: “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger. Safe return doubtful.” Those were the words written by Sir Ernest Shackleton, the famous South Pole explorer.
Read More »
When it comes to telling others about Jesus, I’m sometimes like a cautious farmer who keeps his eye on the weather, looking for the perfect day to plant his crops. The season passes and he sows nothing. The opportunity is gone; the harvest is lost (Ecclesiastes 11:4).
Read More »
Jesus was having dinner one evening when “many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him” (Matthew 9:10). The religious leaders of that day were outraged by His behavior. Their conclusion was that Jesus was a friend of sinners, and as it turns out, He was. “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
Read More »
Winston Churchill knew that people who work behind the scenes don’t always get the credit they deserve. During World War II, many of England’s coal miners wanted to enlist and fight on the front lines. Churchill acknowledged their patriotism but reminded them of how valuable their work was to the cause of the war. “Some must stay in the pits,” he said, “and others must stay in the army. Both are equally needed, and for both there is equal credit.”
Read More »
Whenever I meet a Christian for the first time, I’m interested in learning how he came to trust Jesus as his Savior. Each person has a different story to tell, but they all testify that they learned the truth because of the efforts of others—their parents, pastors, Sunday school teachers, Bible club leaders, friends, writers. Someone has rightly observed that the body of Christ grows through “an unbroken chain of teachers.”
Read More »
They know Tom Dotson pretty well in the prisons of Michigan. They ought to. He spent more than a decade behind bars.
Read More »
There’s an old legend about three men who were crossing a desert on horseback at night. As they approached a dry creek bed, they heard a voice commanding them to dismount, pick up some pebbles, put them in their pockets, and not look at them till the next morning. The men were promised that if they obeyed they would be both glad and sad. After they did as they were told, the three mounted their horses and went on their way.
Read More »
A preacher who was growing weary in the ministry had a dream. He saw himself pounding away at a huge chunk of granite with a pick-axe. It was his job to break it into small pieces. But hard as he tried, he couldn’t chip off even a tiny piece. At last, tired and disappointed, he decided to give up.
Read More »
My wife and I received a notice that we had won a prize of either $1,000 dollars in cash or $250 in vouchers. When we arrived at the collection site, we were told that to be eligible, we would have to sit through a 90-minute presentation.
As we listened, we learned that we could receive vacation accommodations for 25 years at today’s prices, which would amount to about $15,000 in savings. But to enjoy this privilege, we had to pay a membership fee of $5,200. We declined the offer but were given some discount vouchers, which we realized we’d probably never use.
On the 50th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic ascent of Mt. Everest, a television newsman said that much of Hillary’s status as a hero in Nepal was “not about what he did when he stood on top of the world, but what he did when he came back down.” After conquering the world’s highest mountain with his climbing companion Tenzing Norgay in 1953, Edmund spent the next five decades helping to build schools, hospitals, and bridges for the Sherpa community.
Read More »
As I sat looking at my beehives, I was especially interested in the activities of a considerable number of bees that seemed to be busybodies. They were always buzzing, going in and out of the hive, but doing no apparent work. These nonproductive ones are called drones. They are male bees—much larger than a worker or even the queen. Their only function is to fertilize a queen and then die.
Read More »
Charles Plumb was sitting in a restaurant when a man came up to him and said, “You’re Plumb. You flew jet fighters in Vietnam. You were on the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!” “How in the world did you know all that?” asked Plumb. The man, who had been on the same ship, replied, “I packed your parachute.” Then he added, “I guess it worked.” “Indeed it did,” said Plumb.
Read More »
When we read the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, we may think we understand why He was doing that for them. John, for instance, was a close friend. Then there were Peter and Andrew, who had been so faithful in following the Master.
Read More »
A visitor was being shown around a leper colony in India. At noon a gong sounded for the midday meal. People came from all parts of the compound to the dining hall. All at once peals of laughter filled the air. Two young men, one riding on the other’s back, were pretending to be a horse and a rider and were having loads of fun.
Read More »
A mild-mannered man was reading a book on being self-assertive and decided to start at home. So he stormed into his house, pointed a finger in his wife’s face, and said, “From now on I’m boss around here and my word is law! I want you to prepare me a gourmet meal and draw my bath. Then, when I’ve eaten and finished my bath, guess who’s going to dress me and comb my hair.” “The mortician,” replied his wife.
Read More »
James Deitz has produced paintings of airplanes and their crews that are so realistic they look like photographs. His works hang in many aviation galleries in the United States, including the Smithsonian Institution.
Read More »
The death of C. S. Lewis on November 22, 1963, has long been overshadowed by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on the same day. While the anniversary of Lewis’ death rarely makes the headlines, the worldwide impact of this British scholar, teacher, and author continues to grow 40 years after his passing.
Read More »
Felipe Garza was 15 when he gave away his heart. His girlfriend Donna Ashlock had become critically ill and needed a heart transplant. One day he told his mom, quite unexplainably, “I’m going to die, and I’m going to give my heart to my girlfriend.” He died suddenly 3 weeks later when a blood vessel ruptured in his brain. Doctors then took Felipe’s heart and gave it to Donna, saving her life.
Read More »
As we grow older, we sometimes become set in our ways and unwilling to admit when we are wrong. Worse yet, if we don’t see eye-to-eye with others, we become critical of them and try to discredit their views.
Read More »
Author Anne Lamott tells about a 7-year-old girl who got lost in a big city. The girl frantically ran up and down several streets, looking for a familiar landmark. A policeman saw the girl, realized something was wrong, and offered to help. So she got in the car and he slowly drove through nearby neighborhoods. Suddenly the girl pointed to a church and asked the policeman to let her out. She assured him, “This is my church, and I can always find my way home from here.”
Read More »
In 2000, a movie was digitally transmitted over the Internet from a studio in California to its world premiere in Atlanta, Georgia. It went from studio to theater screen without ever touching film. With digital distribution, electronic impulses are used instead of huge reels of celluloid.
Read More »
A motel chain once had a series of radio commercials that ended with the reassuring words, “We’ll leave the light on for you.” My mother used to say the same thing to me.
Read More »
The Lake Michigan shoreline (a short drive from where I live) is dotted with lighthouses built to enable ship captains to navigate into safe harbors. The structures are varied in size, shape, and color, but each has unique charm and beauty. Pictures of the lighthouses are featured in books and calendars, and some people collect replicas and other lighthouse items.
Read More »
A skilled fly fisherman whips his line back and forth over his head. Then he releases the line and sets the fly-like lure down on the water’s surface exactly where he wants it. If he’s successful, a big rainbow trout will rise, strike the lure, and the fisherman will set the hook. The battle is on!
Read More »
Evangelist Franklin Graham wrote, “If we want to become the type of people that God can use anytime, anywhere, anyplace, we must offer ourselves, our homes, our kitchens, and our living rooms as outposts for the kingdom of God.” People who practice these words are fulfilling Paul’s challenge to “be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share” (1 Timothy 6:18).
Read More »
I read a story about a pastor of a small, rural church in Scotland. He had been forced out by his elders, who claimed they saw no fruit from his ministry. The village in which the pastor served was a difficult place. People’s hearts were cold and hostile to the truth. During the time the pastor served, there had been no conversions and no baptisms. But he did recall one positive response to his preaching.
Read More »
A Washington, DC, couple invited friends to bring their loose change to a party to benefit a charity fund. From what people had at home in boxes, cookie jars, plastic bags, and a few old socks, they brought coins totaling more than $1,500.
Read More »
We often hear people say things like: “I’m only a housewife.” “I’m only a janitor.” “I’m only an average student.”
Read More »
Shortly before Peter Doot died at age 92, he said, “I am six-foot-four, and every inch belongs to the Lord.” I had known him for 65 years, and I’m sure what he said was true.
Read More »
Some Christian groups exert pressure on their members to talk, act, or look alike. This must frustrate the people who are judged for not conforming. In trying to make them “fit,” the group may be stifling their strongest and best gifts.
Read More »
A young missionary in Central America was tempted to give up. He wrote to friends and family, “I go about on fishing boats through the day. At night I sleep on piles of hides on the deck. The people do not seem to be interested in the gospel message I bring. Sometimes the adversary tempts me to discouragement in the face of seeming lack of success.” But then he added, “I take courage and press on anew as I remember that God does not hold me responsible for success but for faithfulness.”
Read More »
Author Anne Lamott once wrote that the people she admires have “purpose, heart, balance, gratitude, joy. . . . They follow a brighter light than the glimmer of their own candle; they are part of something beautiful.”
Read More »
What will keep us serving the Lord in our church and community when the going gets tough? Although we may be sensitive to the needs of others, that alone isn’t enough. Nor should we be driven by a need that we have—a desire to be appreciated or loved by others. Our needs are deep, and only God can satisfy them. The more we try to satisfy them with anything else—even God’s work—the more dissatisfied we will become.
Read More »
My daughter Julie and her friend Jenni were driving one evening from their college to a nearby town. Along the way, they passed through a community that had an eerie darkness to it because of a power outage. It was strange—almost frightening—to drive through that blacked-out community.
Read More »
The cross in Roman times was designed for death. It had no other use. So what did Jesus mean when He said that anyone who wants to follow Him must “take up his cross daily”? (Luke 9:23). He wasn’t saying that we must all be crucified. The “cross” to which He was referring is the act of putting to death our own heart’s desires and quietly submitting to God’s will.
Read More »
You may have heard the story of John Stephen Akhwari, the marathon runner from Tanzania who finished last at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. No last-place finisher in a marathon ever finished quite so last.
Read More »
The main character in the movie Up Close And Personal is a TV newsman who dies trying to get a story in one of the world’s trouble spots. After his death, he is remembered for saying, “I once thought reporting was about glory. But I’m here for only one reason—to tell the story.”
Read More »
Her bright smile and cheerful voice seemed unusual for someone working at a discount store checkout counter early in the morning. I glanced at her nametag, then looked more closely to make sure I had read it correctly. It said: MARY-N-GOD. So I asked her if she and the Lord were doing this job together. “Oh, yes!” she said, beaming. “He works with me and walks with me and talks with me, and we share the most wonderful life together. I couldn’t do it without Him.”
Read More »
I thought it was a misprint when the schedule at a Christian men’s conference noted 2 1/2 hours for introductions. But the time was correct and it turned out to be the most meaningful part of the weekend for me.
Read More »
When Dave Thomas died in early 2002, he left behind more than just thousands of Wendy’s restaurants. He also left a legacy of being a practical, hard-working man who was respected for his down-to-earth values.
Read More »
Some people feel like a small pebble lost in the immensity of the Grand Canyon. But no matter how insignificant we judge ourselves to be, we can be greatly used by God.
Read More »
It was the kind of moment that people have nightmares about. A tanker truck filled with 2,500 gallons of propane gas caught fire while parked at a fuel storage warehouse. The flames shot 30 to 40 feet out of the back of the truck and quickly spread to a loading dock. Several large tanks nearby were in danger of exploding.
Read More »
The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates (469-399 BC) believed that if you are truly wise you will not be obsessed with possessions. Practicing to an extreme what he preached, he even refused to wear shoes.
Read More »
Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s restaurants, appeared in more than 800 television commercials. He offered his homespun humor and “old-fashioned hamburgers” to a worldwide audience. Viewers saw him as friendly, funny, believable, and caring. In spite of his popularity, though, Thomas always said he was “the messenger, not the message.”
Read More »
Not only was the Son of God born in an unlikely location and of unlikely parents, He chose His first followers at an unlikely place. He didn’t search the religious schools for the most learned scholars. He didn’t look among the ranks of brilliant military leaders. He stayed away from skilled statesmen and famous orators. Rather, Jesus went to the shores of Galilee and called out four common fishermen—Peter and Andrew, James and John.
Read More »
In some ancient kingdoms, a king who wanted to mark or secure a document with his seal used his signet ring. He pressed it into softened wax and allowed it to harden into an unbroken seal that bore the mark of his ring. The signet ring represented the honor, authority, and personal guarantee of the king, so it was highly valued.
Read More »
Even the weakest among us can participate in sports, but only the strongest can survive as spectators. According to a heart specialist, when you become a spectator rather than a participant, the wrong things go up and the wrong things come down. Body weight, blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol, and triglycerides go up. Vital capacity, oxygen consumption, flexibility, stamina, and strength go down.
Read More »
At certain times in life we may feel insignificant and useless. Surrounded by people with greater talent than ours, we are tempted in our weak moments just to settle back and let somebody else do the work. We reason that what we have to offer won’t make much difference anyway.
Read More »
One of my sons was a master at tuning out what he didn’t want to hear. In church, his mind was a million miles away. He could tell you the number of panels in the ceiling and how many seats were in the choir loft. Many times I heard my wife say to him in the midst of a scolding, “Are you listening to me?”
Read More »