James Gilmour, a missionary to Mongolia, was once asked to treat some wounded soldiers. Although Gilmour was not a doctor, he had some knowledge of first aid, so he felt he should help the men the best he could. He cleaned and dressed the wounds of two of the soldiers, but the third man’s leg was badly broken. The missionary …
Although their denominations and doctrinal positions may disagree, nearly all notable Christian leaders seem to agree on this one point: God works within us and speaks to us in stillness. God looks on the heart, and a pure heart attuned to Him is of far more value to Him than many words. Here is what some have said: “God wants …
The story of Hannah and he son Samuel has a modern counterpart in Adjai Samuel Crowther and his mother. Adjai, eleven years old, was seized by slavers near his village in West Africa about 1820. The terrified boy was thrown in a crowded slave pen, then chained aboard a slave ship. He suffered untold panic and pain until the ship …
A businessman was once very concerned about his ability to sell a warehouse property he owned. Since he had last surveyed the building, vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and strewn trash throughout it. The building had been empty for several months and needed other repairs due to weather and general lack of maintenance. As the man showed …
We pray because prayer opens up the floodgates of God’s infinite grace and power to flow toward the person in need. God can act without prayer, but He chooses to operate within the boundaries of human will and invitation. He allows us to participate in His work on earth with each prayer. Leonard Ravenhill once said about prayer, “One might …
Which direction do I take? This is a question we all ask ourselves several times throughout our lives. What do I do after high school? What major should I choose in college? Which path do I take in my career? Sometimes the direction is clear, other times not so clear. Sometimes we can overthink ourselves into a tizzy, causing us …
With the national coffers depleted from costly wars, King Frederick William III of Prussia found his nation seriously short of funds as it attempted to rebuild. He refused to capitulate to his enemies, and he couldn’t face disappointing his people. After considerable thought, he asked the women of Prussia to bring their gold and silver jewelry to be melted down …
Gladys Aylward saw herself as a simple woman who just did that God called her to do. Yet, her life was so remarkable that both a book (The Small Woman) and a movie (The Inn of Sixth Happiness) were produced about the great things God accomplished through her. A British citizen, Aylward left her home in 1920 and sailed for …
In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria became tired of his responsibilities as king, the pressures of international politics, and the mundane worldliness of court life. He made an application to Prior Richard at a local monastery to be accepted as a contemplative, to spend the rest of his life in prayer and meditation there. Prior Richard responded, …
For years, ministers around the world have marveled over the sermons of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He didn’t prepare manuscripts in advance, seldom knowing on Friday what he would speak about on Sunday. Yet, when he stood to preach, audiences were entranced by his eloquence, insight, authority and bluntness. The modern American pulpit seldom speaks of “hell, fire and brimstone.” But …