In Norway, the rivers can be swift and hard to cross by boat. Hans had the feeling that danger was close by. He tells the story in his words: “When I was thirteen, my father and I, a brother, and another man, were nearly drowned hauling hay across the river by boat. One of the […]
Service. In contemporary society, it is a word with scores of connotations, many of them very positive. Yet it was not always so. Being a servant meant hard hours of laboring in obscurity for a master whose expectations were high, and whose commendations may have been few. In our world where you are what you […]
There are in the New Testament four words that describe the gifts God has given to the Church. First of all, they are called “spiritual gifts,” reminding us that they are given by the Spirit of God and can only be used rightly in the spiritual realm. They are called “gifts of grace,” and that […]
It was hotter than I had ever experienced, and the convoy of trucks made dust so thick it seemed we were traveling in a cloud. The 45-mile trip to our Vietnam base camp seemed to take forever. I had my M-16 loaded and in my lap; I was scared, but so glad to be on […]
When was the last time you read a good biography? You should resolve to read at least one in this coming year. Let me define “good biography.” A biography that is written to praise a man and exalt his wonderful work is not a “good biography.” You will come away from a “good” biography praising […]
He belongs to an elite society composed entirely of nobility (Rev. 1:6). His private estate dwarfs those of the Fortune 500’s most extravagant spenders (Eph. 1:3). His investments would take a Middle East oil sheik’s breath away (1 Pet. 1:3-4). Yet for all that, the man would pass on the street for a commoner. He […]
The evangelist must remember that it is not the government that gives him the right to preach publicly. That right comes to us from the One who said, “All authority is given unto Me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore . . . ” So when it comes to the when and where […]
The apostle Paul refused to take anything for his support from the saints at Corinth, but he gladly took what was sent from the Philippian church. What was the reason? There was a great difference between the two. In the church at Corinth, there were some who thought that they had as good a right […]
Who will fill the gap? This ringing challenge completed the biography of a brother just recently gone to glory. For many years, the man had held a responsible job at a large firm. He had raised a family and had also been, at various times in his life, a Sunday School teacher, a young people’s […]