Finding And Telling
Many years ago some prospectors were panning for gold in Montana when one of them found an unusual stone. Breaking it open, he saw that it contained gold. Working eagerly, the men soon discovered an abundance of the precious metal. With unrestrained delight they shouted, "We've found it! We've found gold! We're rich!"
Standard Equipment?
An intriguing 3-page automobile ad in the Wall Street Journal reminded me how the secular world capitalizes on our tendency to envy. Page 1 shows a 1960 Mark II Jaguar. The caption reads: "Just as this was the envy of the automotive world . . ." Then on pages 2 and 3 is a picture of a brand-new Jaguar, and the caption continues, "Once again envy will be standard equipment."
A 'Must Read' Book
Shortly after the novel Gone With The Wind had been published, a young woman sat beside a history professor at a dinner. Trying to make conversation, she asked him if he had read it. "No," the professor answered. The woman admonished, "You'd better hurry up. It's been out 6 weeks." Then the professor inquired, "Have you read Dante's Divine Comedy?" "No," the woman said. The professor responded, "You'd better hurry up. It's been out 600 years."
Meekness And Majesty
Can meekness and majesty exist together in the same person? Amazingly, these wonderful virtues coexisted in the God-man, Jesus.
Fleeting Success
Having many friends and being rich are great blessings, but popularity and success do not guarantee a happy life. To make this point, Solomon called attention to an elderly king who ignored the wishes of his subjects and was replaced. His young successor was popular at first, but he also fell into disfavor. Solomon concluded, "Surely this also is vanity and grasping for the wind" (Eccl. 4:16).
One Solution
It's the bad news about sin and its consequences that makes the gospel of Jesus such good news. Because it is a message for sinners only, who, then, are the sinners?
From The Heart
"This is a brand-new horse," my sister-in-law said as she stood next to the mare who had bucked her off several weeks before. She told me that after a skilled trainer had spent time with the horse, the animal had returned with a new personality.
Pattern And Power
The great pianist Paderewski (1860-1941) was in London for a concert. Joseph Parker, a pastor who was quite an accomplished musician himself, attended the performance. The minister was so moved by what he heard that he did a strange thing when he returned home. Standing by his piano, Parker called to his wife, "Bring me an ax! Today I heard great music for the first time. By comparison, what I can do amounts to nothing at all. I feel like chopping my piano to pieces."
The Race
In 1992 the Summer Olympic Games were held in Barcelona, Spain. One of the runners in the 400-meter race was an English athlete named Derek Redmond. He had trained for years to compete in the Olympics. But while sprinting in a qualifying heat, he suddenly pulled a hamstring and crumpled to the track in pain.
