DAILY, WEEKEND, AND HOLIDAY INTERNET EVANGELIZE TO THE WORLD MINISTRY

My Search for Messiah, Part I - Day of Discovery

Prayer 1 Samuel 7:5; 2 Chronicles 7:1–3; Luke 11:1–4; Luke 22:39–46; John 17:15   Pray and stay are two blessed monosyllables. —John Donne   prayer is exhaling the spirit of man and inhaling the Spirit of God. —Edwin Keith G. Curtis Jones,  1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching  (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1986). 292.

April 30 ACCORDING TO THY GRACIOUS WORD James Montgomery, 1771–1854   For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. (1 Corinthians 11:26)   Here, O my Lord, I see Thee face to face; here would I touch and handle things unseen, here grasp with firmer hand eternal grace, and all my weariness upon Thee lean. Here would I feed upon the bread of God, here drink with Thee the royal wine of heav’n. Here would I lay aside each earthly load, here taste afresh the calm of sin forgiv’n. —Horatius Bonar In His sovereign wisdom our Lord knew that His followers through the centuries would need a continual reminder of the essential truths of their faith—the sacrificial death, the triumphant resurrection, and the victorious return of Christ. For His disciples, Christ shared the Last Supper and introduced the signs of the new covenant—His broken body and shed blood—symbolized by the bread and the cup. With this supper as the model, H...

Kindness I asked a husband the other day how long he’s been married. He told me that they’d been happily married for thirteen years. The wife poked him in the side with her elbow as she corrected him. “We’ve been married for fifteen years.” “Yea,” he replied, “and thirteen have been pretty happy.” Some people are tackful instead of tactful. Everything they say is tacky and when it has a point—it is sure to be sharp. Men all over the world have wondered how to answer the inevitable shopping question. “Honey, do I look fat in this dress?” Do you say: (A) Yes, or (B) To be honest with you, you look fat in any dress, or (C) The older you get, the more you look like your mother, or (D) No baby, you look just fine, but perhaps a different dress will look even better. Honesty doesn’t mean you never have an unspoken thought. Some times it is wise to carefully word your response to the question of a loved one. What do people really mean when they say, “Can I be totally hones...

Israel & The Church - Day of Discovery

April 29 WORTHY IS THE LAMB Words and Music by Don Wyrtzen, 1942–   You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and have their being. (Revelation 4:11)   Come, let us join our cheerful songs with angels round the throne;   Ten thousand thousand are their tongues, but all their joys are one.   “Worthy the Lamb that died,” they cry, “to be exalted thus.”   “Worthy is the Lamb,” our lips reply “for He was slain for us.”   The whole creation joins as one to bless the sacred Name   Of Him that sits upon the throne, and to adore the Lamb. —Isaac Watts Heaven will be a place of great singing as we join voices with the angels and saints of the ages in praising the One who made it all possible. This popular contemporary hymn is based directly on a text of Scripture that could well be the believers’ theme throughout eternity:   Worthy is the Lamb that ...

In the World This Week In the World Sunday School Lesson

April 28 WERE YOU THERE? Spiritual   It was the third hour when they crucified Him. (Mark 15:25) Folk songs are generally described as songs of which the origins have been lost but which express the heartfelt traditions and experiences of a particular culture or people. Therefore, they become greatly cherished by each succeeding generation. The Negro spirituals represent some of the finest of American folk music. These songs are usually a blending of an African heritage, harsh remembrances from former slavery experiences, and a very personal interpretation of biblical stories and truths. They especially employ biblical accounts that give hope for a better life—such as the prospects of heaven. They symbolize so well the attitudes, hopes and religious feeling of the black race in America. To better understand a Negro spiritual, one must feel even as a black singer does that he or she is actually present and very much involved in the event itself. The event being sung—in this...

April 28 WERE YOU THERE? Spiritual   It was the third hour when they crucified Him. (Mark 15:25) Folk songs are generally described as songs of which the origins have been lost but which express the heartfelt traditions and experiences of a particular culture or people. Therefore, they become greatly cherished by each succeeding generation. The Negro spirituals represent some of the finest of American folk music. These songs are usually a blending of an African heritage, harsh remembrances from former slavery experiences, and a very personal interpretation of biblical stories and truths. They especially employ biblical accounts that give hope for a better life—such as the prospects of heaven. They symbolize so well the attitudes, hopes and religious feeling of the black race in America. To better understand a Negro spiritual, one must feel even as a black singer does that he or she is actually present and very much involved in the event itself. The event being sung—in this...

April 26 BECAUSE HE LIVES Gloria Gaither, 1942– William J. Gaither, 1936–   Because I live, you also will live. (John 14:19) Christ’s resurrection is our guarantee of at least two basic truths: First, He has the power to give His life to us and to bring us ultimately to glory to reign with Him forever. And second, His resurrection makes it possible for Him to live in our hearts and to be an integral part of our daily living. For the past two decades the music of Gloria and Bill Gaither has greatly enriched evangelical hymnody. But the song that has especially highlighted the Gaither’s ministry is one that reflects their own philosophy—the resurrection principle in the daily routines of life—“Because He Lives.” Bill Gaither recalls the circumstances that prompted the writing of this favorite:   We wrote “Because He Lives” after a period of time when we had had a kind of dry spell and hadn’t written any songs for a while … Also at the end of the l960’s, our country was...

The Journey I can’t tell you how many times we’ve planned to take the detour over the years, but we’ve always found an excuse not to. I know it is more than a dozen, maybe even a score. After all, the Grand Canyon has been in the same location for thousands of years, it isn’t going to disappear any time soon. For me, vacation isn’t about the journey-it is always the destination. Instead of relishing the good time we had, my greatest satisfaction at the end of every family trip is talking about what good time we made on the trip and how many miles to the gallon the car got. Truth be told, that’s the reason we’ve never pulled over to see the Grand Canyon, Fort Courage or even the large snake or the buffalos for that matter. But this year was different. It wasn’t that we weren’t anxious to get home, or that any of the other excuses we’d used over the years didn’t apply, it was that we were very aware that this might be the last time the whole family would be driving down that Inters...

Jesus: Man, Messiah or More? The Temple Controversy, Part IV - Day of Discovery

PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO YOUR FRIENDS Help us reach every church in America! In the days of the Apostles, it was dangerous to follow Jesus... Today that danger remains. Now, in an unprecedented effort to reach the world with the message of the Gospel - and dangers facing today’s persecuted church... The Voice of the Martyrs is offering their feature-length animated movie,  JESUS: He Lived Among Us . This story of Jesus unfolds through the eyes of His last surviving disciple, John the Beloved. Banished to the Isle of Patmos, the Apostle John recounts the incredible and often dangerous story of what happened when Jesus lived among us! Please help us reach the world with this unique presentation of the Gospel. Sign up your church today for a FREE DVD copy of JESUS: He Lived Among Us PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO YOUR FRIENDS

April 25 HE LIVES Alfred H. Ackley, 1887–1960   He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. (Matthew 28:6) “Why should I worship a dead Jew?” This challenging question was posed by a sincere young Jewish student who had been attending evangelistic meetings conducted by the author and composer of this hymn, Alfred H. Ackley. In his book, Forty Gospel Hymn Stories, George W. Sanville records Mr. Ackley’s answer to this searching question, which ultimately prompted the writing of this popular gospel hymn:   He lives! I tell you, He is not dead, but lives here and now! Jesus Christ is more alive today than ever before. I can prove it by my own experience, as well as the testimony of countless thousands. Mr. Sanville continues:   Mr. Ackley’s forthright, emphatic answer, together with his subsequent triumphant effort to win the man for Christ, flowered forth into song and crystallized into a convincing sermon on “He Lives...

Joseph Joseph’s brother’s didn’t like him. No, they couldn’t stand him. They knew he was their father’s favorite, and so did Joseph. Joseph seemed to have a knack for rubbing it in their faces. On an errand for his father, Joseph approached the field where his brothers were working. When the boys spotted him, their anger reached a boiling point so they threw him into a pit, intending on killing him. Instead, they decided to profit from their sin, they sold him into slavery and told their Dad that he died. Joseph prospered as a slave and became a servant to a high official in Egypt. The official’s wife had designs on Joseph, but because he was a righteous man, he rebuffed her advances. Humiliated by his rejection, she told her husband that Joseph had made advances to her, so he was thrown into prison. He prospered in prison too, and became the jailer’s assistant, and helped interpret dreams for prisoners. When Pharaoh had dreams that troubled him, he heard about Joseph’s abi...

April 24 CHRIST AROSE Robert Lowry, 1826–1899   Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. (Romans 6:8, 9) “Alleluia, He is Risen!” “Alleluia, He is Risen Indeed!” If you and I had been living during the early Christian era, this undoubtedly would have been our greeting to one another as believers on an Easter Sunday. For the past century, however, many evangelical churches have been inspired anew in celebrating this triumphant day by singing “Christ Arose”, written and composed by Robert Lowry in 1874. Robert Lowry is a highly respected name among early gospel hymn writers. He served for a time as a professor of literature at Bucknell University, pastored several important Baptist churches in the East, and then became the music editor of the Biglow Publishing Company. It has often been said that the quality of Lowry’s numerous publ...

Lord, bless us all is my prayer. Amen.

Jesus the Messiah: Unlocking Old Testament Prophecy - Day of Discovery

The Prayer of a Little Boy Named Solomon And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7       And now, O LORD my God , thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 8       And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9       Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Researc...

John Who could that be at this hour? William thought as he slipped on his house shoes. William flipped on the light in the living room and walked to the front door. With his hand on the deadbolt, he looked through the peep hole. When he recognized the man outside, he turned the deadbolt counterclockwise, and opened the door. “Well hello, ‘John.’ ” William said. “Come in.” “Thanks, Preacher,” John said, “Sorry to come by so late, but I didn’t know where else to turn. John’s wife, “Mabel” was an active member at William’s church, but not John. John was an alcoholic that would go on drinking binges for several months at a time. Mabel was always requesting prayer for John’s salvation, and the church was faithful to pray for him whenever they gathered. William could smell liquor on John’s breath-he’d been drinking again, but this time, something was different. John talked a while and sobbed a while. He had hit the bottom, and was ready to turn to the Lord for help. William liste...

April 23 CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAY Charles Wesley, 1707–1788   I am the First and the Last, I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! (Revelation 1:17, 18) What a glorious truth to ponder—Jesus is not the “Great I WAS” but rather the “Great I AM!” He is not only a historical fact but a present-day, living reality. The whole system of Christianity rests upon the truth that Jesus Christ rose from the grave and is now seated at the Father’s right hand as our personal advocate. “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” has been one of the church’s most popular Easter hymns since it was first written by Charles Wesley just one year after his “heart-warming” experience at the Aldersgate Hall in London, England, in 1738. The first Wesleyan Chapel in London was a deserted iron foundry. It became known as the Foundry Meeting House. This hymn was written by Charles for the first service in that chapel. Following his Aldersgate encounter with Christ, Charl...

Job Driving up Hwy 1 from the hospital back to the office today, the sheer beauty of God’s creation startled me. To the right, was the forested area of Monterey to the left was an amazing view of the Bay. For a split second, I didn’t know whether to look to the left or the right. Finally, I decided to move my attention back to the road in front of me. That’s when I saw it—a powder blue VW (not one of those new fiberglass forgeries, it was the real deal-an old-fashioned bug) with a bumper sticker that said, “I want to be a Cadillac when I grow up.” Have you ever wanted to be someone else? Like David with your foot on Goliath’s armor and your hands held high in victory? Or Simon Peter when Jesus said, “upon this rock I’ll build my church?” Have you ever wanted to be Job? Not me. Who would? Face it, the guy had it rough. He suffered severe loss all because he was righteous. He lost his family, his fortune, his health. The only thing he got to keep was that wife of his and his so-c...

April 22 Lesson 8 SAMARITAN WOMAN FINDS LIVING WATER DEVOTIONAL READING: Revelation 22:10–17 BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: John 4:1–42 KEY VERSE The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. — John 4:14 The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2011-2012, ed. Ronald L. Nickelson and Jonathan Underwood (Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing, 2011). 289.

In the World This Week with the Word The Sunday School Lesson

    Christians in Conflict       1 Corinthians 6           I.      Introduction          A.      First Corinthians is a very Practical Book          1.      While not giving much space to doctrine, it deals with life          2.      Meets the Christian in his day-to-day relationship with other believers            a.      Morality … malice … money            b.      Bickering … backbiting … spiritual babyhood          B.      Conflicts that Call for Court Action          1.      Believers going to court          2.      Does this apply today? Yes!          C....

Jesus & The Gospels: Answers to Tough Questions, Part II - Day of Discovery

April 22 THE STRIFE IS O’ER Anonymous Latin hymn from approximately 1605 English translation by Francis Pott, 1832–1909   Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ( 1 Corinthians 15:55, 56, 57 ) The thrilling news from the empty tomb is that life has triumphed over death! This is a message that dispels our fears and gives us the sure hope that because Christ lives, we shall live also ( John 14:19 ). Alleluia! This inspiring Easter hymn first appeared anonymously in a Jesuit collection, Symphonic Sirenum, published in Cologne, Germany, in 1695. It was more than 150 years after its writing, however, before this hymn was used by English-speaking churches. In 1859 the translation was made by Francis Pott, an Anglican minister. The music is an adaptation from the “Gloria Patri,” published in 1591 by Palestrina...

DAILY, WEEKEND AND HOLIDAY INTERNET EVANGELIZE TO THE WORLD MINISTRY Lord we bless this Lord's Day in Your honor because You deserve all of our praise and blessings. - Amen.

Renewal Lord, renew me by Your Spirit as I offer these prayers to You: May I love the Lord my God, obey His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is my life and the length of my days. (Deuteronomy 30:20) May I be holy to You, for You the Lord are holy, and You have set me apart to be Your own. (Leviticus 20:26) I have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. Therefore, may I put away all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. (1 Peter 1:23; 2:1) Since I call on the Father who judges each man’s work impartially, may I conduct myself in fear during the time of my sojourn on earth. (1 Peter 1:17) Pause to add your own prayers for personal renewal. Kenneth Boa, Handbook to Prayer : Praying Scripture Back to God (Atlanta: Trinity House, 1997).

Jaws Ever since seeing the movie “Jaws” when I was a kid, I’ve been afraid to go into the bathtub, much less the ocean. You can tell me all you want that it was only a movie, and there is a greater chance of being struck by lightning than being attacked by a shark, as the experts say. I still say, there is no reason to tempt fate. I mean, I wouldn’t dance on a tin roofed building during a lightning storm, and I have no desire to swim with the sharks. My position my be extreme, but you’d think that even people that aren’t terrified of sharks would be careful when they are in their waters. Anyway, with the recent headlines about people being maimed or killed by shark attack, you’d think people would exercise great care in waters that are known to harbor sharks, but recently, in Australia, a group of sightseers petted the snouts of sharks during a feeding frenzy on a whale carcass. One of the daredevil tourists was even holding a baby with one hand while touching the sharks with...

April 21 THE DAY OF RESURRECTION John of Damascus, early 8th century English translation by John M. Neale, 1818–1866   Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:14 KJV) This hymn from the early eighth century is one of the oldest expressions found in most hymnals. Its origin is rooted in the liturgy of the Greek Orthodox Church. It was written by one of the famous monks of that church, John of Damascus, c. 676–c. 780. The celebration of Easter has always been a spectacle of ecclesiastical pomp in the Greek Orthodox Church. Even today, as a vital part of the ceremony, the worshipers bury a cross under the high altar on Good Friday and dramatically resurrect it with shouts of “Christos egerthe” (“Christ is risen”) on Easter Sunday. With this announcement begins a time of joyous celebration. Torches are lit, bells and trumpets peel, and salvos of cannons fill the air. The following account describes such a scene:   Everywhere...

Jesus & The Gospels: Answers to Tough Questions, Part I - Day of Discovery

There is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good And never sins. ( Ecclesiastes 7:20 ) Truly I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. (Joshua 7:20) If I claim to be without sin, I deceive myself, and the truth is not in me. If I confess my sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive me my sins and purify me from all unrighteousness. If I claim I have not sinned, I make Him a liar and His word is not in me. ( 1 John 1:8–10 ) Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness. I will sing praises to the Lord And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, But His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. ( Psalm 30:4–5 ) Kenneth Boa, Handbook to Prayer : Praying Scripture Back to God (Atlanta: Trinity House, 1997).

Investments Have you made any investments that have worked out for you lately? No, I’m not talking about the stock or bond market, I’m interested in your personal investments—your investments in people. For the past year, I’ve collected news items for a lecture I give at the Seminary in a Pastoral Ministries class on weddings. It seems that society’s views of weddings and marriages are changing. In France and in the United States, there is a debate about whether homosexual couples can enter into “holy matrimony.” When I lived in California, I was asked to perform a ceremony for two lesbians. Unbelievable, isn’t it? One of my favorite news stories came out of St. Paul, MN. David Weinlick was tired of his friends asking him when he was going to tie the knot, so he set a date and asked them to choose his bride for him. Twenty-five women showed up for the “cattle call” and the committee chose Elizabeth Runze to be his “lawfully wedded wife.” Recently, a man in Sicily surprised th...

April 20 ALL GLORY, LAUD AND HONOR Theodolph of Orleans, 760–82l Translated by John M. Neale, 1818–1866   The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” (John 12:12, 13) The triumphant procession began after the disciples obtained the colt (Luke 19:30). They were implicitly obedient in following their Lord’s command, even though it no doubt seemed to be a trivial request. And still today—obedience is the key to our effective service for God. The Palm Sunday procession also teaches us that our Lord is still leading His people—“bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10), our heavenly Jerusalem, “whose architect builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Our responsibility is to be His faithful follower and to extol His name with our daily praises. This Palm Sunday hymn was written approximately A.D. 820 by Bish...

The Devil and the Duck (I'M IN THE 93%) There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods; but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck.. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in  the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved!  In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see  his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch the next day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes", b ut Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the  kitchen."  Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?"  So Johnny did the dishes. Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and  Grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper....

Jesus & The Gospels: Answers to Tough Questions, Part II - Day of Discovery

    PRAYER FOR FAITH AND KNOWLEDGE     EPHESIANS 1:15–17 IN THE FIRST HALF OF  Ephesians 1   we have what is probably the profoundest and most comprehensive doctrinal summary to be found in  Holy Writ ;  in the second half of the chapter   we are shown, by implication, what our response should be to that doctrine. In view of the wondrous spiritual blessings with which  God  has blessed us,  His  people in  Christ , we should go to  Him  in praise and prayer. Those duties are clearly suggested by the example which the apostle sets before us here.  His  prayer on this occasion is the longest one recorded in the  New Testament . It reaches depths and points to heights which faith alone can sound and scale. For the purpose of analysis we may outline the prayer thus.  First, its occasion ,  when the apostle had heard of the faith and love of the  Ephesian   saint...

Integrity It didn’t take long for the baseball world to take sides over Sammy Sosa’s indiscretion over using a corked bat at the plate. Some say he was trying to break out of his batting funk created by being hit in the head by a pitch a few weeks before. Others took him at his word; he simply picked up the wrong bat as he was going to the plate-a bat that he said he used to put on a hitting show for the crowds during batting practice. I want to believe Sammy-most fans want to believe Sammy, because Sammy has become a celebrity to most people and a hero to others-even to people who aren’t baseball fans. In an editorial for USA Today, Andrew Abrams offers some insight into the difference between celebrities and heroes. “Society is generally eager to forgive when its heroes occasionally stumble. However, consistent with heroic mythic, when the heroes falter because of character flaws, they must realize the error of their ways and seek forgiveness with sincere remorse. Often this re...

April 19 HOSANNA, LOUD HOSANNA Jennette Threlfall, 1821–1880   Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest. (Matthew 21:9) The week preceding Easter Sunday is known as Holy or Passion Week. These seven days have been described as the most intense and important week of history. The dramatic events that occurred during Christ’s final days on earth are recorded in all four gospels (Matthew 21; Mark 11; Luke 19; John 12).   Palm Sunday: John 12:12–15— The only day of triumph known by Christ in His earthly ministry. A fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Zechariah 9:9).   The Lord’s Holy Anger: 1. At a fig tree that bore no fruit (Matthew 21:18–19). 2. At the moneychangers who were misusing the temple (Matthew 21:12, 13).   The Last Supper: Matthew 26:26–28— Observed on Maundy Thursday.   The Foot Washing: John 13:1–10— An object lesson taught by Christ regarding the basic qualities of true discipl...

Jesus & The Gospels: Answers to Tough Questions, Part I - Day of Discovery

Almighty Father , thank  You  for  Your grace and mercy  to me, family, friends and enemies. Thank  You  for reaching out to the people that those that read this daily devotion requesting prayer; this shows that  You  are  Omnipresent, Omnipotent and   Omnipotent.  I pray for all peoples of the world that are Christian's and those that are secular, especially, those that are secular will through faith in  Jesus , sincerely repent of their sins, accept  Jesus  as their  Lord and Savior ; then, and only then will they become heir, ambassador's and can have their prayers answered, because they will have a  Father  in heaven-- Hollow  is  Your  name--the only  God  of god's. Bless all in  Jesus'  name I pray. Amen. -  Rev. Lynwood F. Mundy

Have you ever wondered about the scholars who translated and wrote the King James Version 1611? If so, here is its original history from conception.  http://chronicle.com/article/All-They-That-Labored/130155/

April 18 JESUS PAID IT ALL Elvina M. Hall, 1820–1889   “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18) It has been stated that all religious systems can be spelled with just two letters—D O. The gospel of Christ, however, is spelled with four letters—D O N E! This hymn text, written by a lay woman named Elvina Hall, speaks pointedly to this basic truth, which is the very basis of our Christian faith. Mrs. Hall wrote these words one Sunday morning while seated in the choir loft of the Monument Street Methodist Church in Baltimore, Maryland, supposedly listening to the sermon by her pastor, the Rev. George Schrick. One can imagine a conversation something like this following the service:   Pastor Schrick, I must confess that I wasn’t listening too closely to your message this morning. Because, you see, once you started preaching ...

Integrity After my Junior year in High School, I spent the summer working as a grounds keeper at the cemetery. As I recall, the pay was fairly low, and the work was hard. Really, hard isn’t the word. Mowing the grass and cutting down the weeds was the easy stuff. The hard work involved using a shovel. And we used a shovel almost every day. We laid gravel on the dirt roads in the cemetery by hand. We’d shovel it from a pile into the back of the head caretaker’s old pickup, then he’d drive down the dirt road and I’d shovel it out of the back. Shoveling gravel is particularly hard because the shovel doesn’t go in smoothly. It was much harder than shoveling dirt, but to tell you the truth, I’d rather spend the day shoveling gravel than dirt. We shoveled dirt on two occasions, either the grave caved in after a hard rain or someone passed away. Because it was a small town, I usually knew anyone who died, sometimes I even considered them friends. I hated shoveling dirt. But the job wa...

Israel: Crossroads of Eternity, Part I: Why Israel Can't Be Ignored - Day of Discovery

“Thy Kingdom Come” "In recent years we have witnessed the rapid decline of more than 150 years of strong Christian biblical influence in this country. A few years ago someone suggested that we were living in post-Christian America. Although it struggles to deserve a nominal Christian label, today it is more like sub-Christian America. People attend religious services and say they believe in  God , but at best they adhere to a practical atheism and situation-al morality. Whatever vestiges of Christian religion still remain in our culture have become weak and compromising, if not cultism and apostate. Our nation now affirms, through its legislative bodies and courts, a distinctively anti-Christian agenda. Anything singularly Christian has been virtually swept away under the aegis of equal rights and moral freedom. The divine standards and biblical morality that our nation once embraced are assaulted constantly. Moral freedom now reigns. Materialism and th...