JESUS the PATIENT FARMER: “Others have labored, and you have entered into their labors” (Jn 4:38). Almost every Christian has heard about Hudson Taylor, who blazed a trail for God through China. China Inland Mission brought over 800 missionaries to the country. But few have heard of Karl Gützlaff. Born to a German tailor, his […]
“Please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now,…and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You” (Neh 1:6). One mark of spiritual maturity is to shoulder the failures of your people. Adrian […]
George Whitfield (1714-1770), who was used by God to spread the Great Awakening, became perhaps the best-known preacher in Britain and America in the 18th century. In May of 1750, after hearing Whitfield preach, John Thorpe and three friends attended a local “Hell-Fire Club,” an atheists’ gathering. To amuse his friends, with amazing accuracy Thorpe […]
No pressure, no diamonds. No digging, no gold. No challenges, no wisdom. It’s as obvious as that. We’ve been reminded by Job that earth’s treasures must go through a process to become valuable to us. First, they must be sought for and discovered. Then, through grueling effort, they must be brought to the surface from […]
CHRIST DESERVES OUR LOVE: “Do you love Me?” (Jn 21:17). This is the story of an assembly immersed in love. Paul reports: “I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints” (Eph 1:15). He reminded them that “God…is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which […]
“Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” […]
No man is greater than his prayer life. The preacher who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. The pulpit can be the shop window to display one’s talents; the prayer closet allows for no showing off. Poverty-stricken as the Church is today in many things, she is most […]
The book of Job is included in that section of the Bible titled “Wisdom Literature” for a reason. Wisdom Literature closes the door on the grand narrative of the rise and fall of kingdoms, the unfolding of God’s covenant promises, and the dramatic details of the nation of Israel. Virtually none of this is mentioned […]
CHRIST the COMMISSIONER: As our Lord prepared to leave the planet, He sent His own on a mission of ultimate historical significance. The eternal destiny of the human race hangs in the balance. His commission, called “Great” for obvious reasons, would include four momentous ALLs. “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘ALL authority […]