When God Speaks
Recognize any of these statements? “I’m going to lose weight.” “I’m going to start reading my Bible every morning.” “I’m going to quit this bad habit.” We all make statements like these—strong declarations of what we want to happen. But saying something and making sure it occurs are not the same. It takes effort and dedication, and even then what we want to happen may not take place.
Our Caring Creator
Christian astronomer David Block tells us that the Milky Way contains 100 billion stars—and that is just one small part of the vast heavens of which our planet is but a tiny speck. Considering the utter insignificance of our earth, it is hard to believe that the Creator of the cosmos cares about what happens to the human family that has been cynically described as a semi-invisible rash on the skin of a sub-microscopic planet in a second-rate solar system.
Living Royally
There is an ancient story about a man named Astyages who determined to do away with a royal infant by the name of Cyrus. He summoned an officer of his court and told him to kill the baby prince. The officer in turn delivered the youngster to a herdsman with instructions that he should take him high up into the mountains where the baby would die from exposure.
Music’s Power
A college student was troubled by sinful thoughts. Even though he regularly read his Bible and prayed, he continued to struggle, so he sought help from a Christian counselor.
Helpful Honks
Each fall we are visited by flocks of migrating geese who stop off at a meadow near our home. For several weeks those birds fly in long, wavy V-formations over our house, honking as they go. But then, as winter approaches, they are off again on their long flight south.
The Cape of Good Hope
At the southern tip of Africa, a cape jutting out into the ocean once caused sailors great anxiety. Many who attempted to sail around it were lost in the swirling seas. Because adverse weather conditions so often prevailed there, the region was named the Cape of Storms. A Portuguese captain determined to find a safe route through those treacherous waters so his countrymen could reach Cathay and the riches of the East Indies in safety. He succeeded, and the area was renamed the Cape of Good Hope.
His Mind Never Wanders
Has this ever happened to you? I was driving down the highway on a pleasant evening after a full day. I was paying attention to traffic and driving defensively. The next thing I knew, I heard the crunch of tires on gravel. They were mine! I snapped to attention.
Jawbone Credit
In 1878, a merchant in Bozeman, Montana, extended to Andrew Garcia what was called “jawbone credit.” Without putting anything into writing, he gave Garcia $300 worth of supplies for a hunting and trapping expedition. The trapper promised to return and pay his debt with hides and pelts from his expedition.
Prayer Evangelism
Over the centuries since Jesus died for our sins and rose victorious from the grave, many methods have been used to spread the gospel. From Peter’s first sermon, when 3,000 were saved, to great preaching campaigns of men like Charles Spurgeon and Billy Sunday, to friendship evangelism, many ways of influencing others to accept Jesus’ free gift have been tried.
