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

August 31 ONLY ONE LIFE Avis B. Christiansen, 1895–1985   And He died for all , that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. ( 2 Corinthians 5:15 )   Find your purpose and fling your life out into it; and the loftier your purpose is, the more sure you will be to make the world richer with every enrichment of yourself! —Phillips Brooks How tragic it is to see the great number of talented young people who waste their lives on transient things instead of investing them in that which is eternal. Yet this choice must be made by every individual: Will I commit my life to the highest and best— God and His service —or will I settle for that which is self-seeking and cheap? The results of these two styles of living are obvious; merely observe the difference between the quality of life of those who have engaged in self-indulgent, useless living and those who have spent their time faithfully serving God with a c...

August 30 I SURRENDER ALL Judson W. Van De Venter, 1855–1939   Anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ( Matthew 10:38 , 39 ) The Bible teaches us that brokenness is a prerequisite to blessing and usefulness. No one ever achieves spiritual greatness until he has fully surrendered himself to God . Victorious living comes only as we abandon ourselves to the Lordship of Christ , becoming His loving bond slave . God’s best for our lives is not the result of struggle. Rather, it is simply the acceptance of His perfect will and the recognition of His authority in every area of our lives.   Higher than the highest heaven,   Deeper than the deepest sea,   Lord , Thy love at last hath conquered:   Grant me now my supplication,   None of self and all of Thee . —Unknown Judson Van De Venter wrote this text after surrendering h...

August 29 PRECIOUS LORD , TAKE MY HAND Thomas A. Dorsey, 1899–1993   For I am the Lord, your God , who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, “Do not fear; I will help you.” ( Isaiah 41:13 ) Out of a broken heart after his wife and newly born son had both died, Thomas Dorsey cried to his Lord to lead him “through the storm, through the night” In doing so, he created lines that have since ministered to others in an unusual way. This tender song, written by a black gospel musician in 1932, has since been a favorite with Christ ians everywhere. Thomas A. Dorsey grew up in Georgia as a “preacher’s kid.” As he began to be successful as a composer of jazz and blues songs, however, he drifted away from God . After it seemed to him that he was miraculously spared in brushes with death, Dorsey came back to the Lord . As his life dramatically changed he began to write gospel songs and to sing in church services. It was during a revival meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, th...

August 28 ALL THE WAY MY SAVIOR LEADS ME Fanny J. Crosby, 1820–1915   For this God is our God forever and ever ; He will be our guide even to the end. ( Psalm 48:14 ) Often we become discouraged because we cannot see God’s long range plan of guidance for our lives. We need to remember that God has promised to guide our steps, not the miles ahead. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord ” ( Psalm 37:23 ). This beloved hymn came from the grateful heart of Fanny Crosby after she had received a direct answer to her prayer. One day when she desperately needed five dollars and had no idea where she could obtain it, Fanny followed her usual custom and began to pray about the matter. A few minutes later a stranger appeared at her door with the exact amount. “I have no way of accounting for this,” she said, “except to believe that God put it into the heart of this good man to bring the money. My first thought was that it is so wonderful the way the Lord leads me, I i...

August 27 LORD , I WANT TO BE A CHRIST IAN Spiritual   He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desire. ( 2 Peter 1:4 )   A CHRIST IAN IS …   A mind through which Christ thinks ;   A heart through which Christ loves ;   A voice through which Christ speaks ;   A hand through which Christ helps . —Unknown “Sir, I want to be a Christ ian.” The text for this spiritual song is thought to have been an outgrowth of this remark made by a Negro slave to a minister, William Davis , sometime during the mid 18th century. How would you have replied to this request? Many people today use the term Christian simply to mean someone other than a pagan, Buddhist, or Hindu. Or they equate it with a person who is a church member or perhaps someone who has a strong humanitarian concern for others. The word Christ ian was first ...

August 25 TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE Frances R. Havergal, 1836–1879   So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God . ( 1 Corinthians 10:31 ) In this day of self-centered living and pleasure-oriented lifestyle, the total commitment to God of body , mind, and possessions portrayed in this text is difficult for many Christ ians to achieve. Even though we realize that we have nothing we have not received and that we are only stewards of the good gifts God has entrusted to us, we often fail to apply this basic truth to our daily lives:   The gold that came from Thee , Lord , to Thee belongeth still ;   Oh, may I always faithfully my stewardship fulfill. —Unknown It was said of Frances Ridley Havergal, author of this text, that the beauty of a consecrated life was never more perfectly revealed than in her daily living. She has rightfully been called “The Consecration Poet.” “These little couplets that chimed in my heart one a...

August 24 O TO BE LIKE THEE ! Thomas O. Chisholm, 1866–1960   For we are God’s workmanship , created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ( Ephesians 2:10 )   Great Master , teach us with Your skillful hand ;   Let not the music that is in us die!   Great Sculptor , hew and polish us; nor let   Hidden and lost, Your form within us lie! —Horatius Bonar The Bible teaches that God’s goal for His people is that they “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ ” ( Ephesians 4:13) . We are to daily “put on Christ ” — His love and character—even as we put on our garments ( Romans 13:14 ). Christ -likeness is more than a religious profession or a weekly visit to church. It must become our total way of life. The Scriptures further teach that we are to carry the fragrance of Christ wherever we go—to unbelievers, the smell of death and to fellow believers, the fragrance of life ( 2 Cor...

August 23 SITTING AT THE FEET OF JESUS Source of words and music unknown   Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. ( Luke 10:42 ) The story of Martha the worker and Mary the worshiper ( Luke 10:38–42 ) illustrates an important spiritual principle: We please our Lord most when we learn to sit at His feet in adoration and worship before trying to serve Him in our own strength. Sitting implies our humble dependence upon Him and a sense of quietness of soul that indicates our willingness to hear. We can become so busy with life’s pursuits, even worthy Christ ian activities, that we do not hear the still small voice of God . Or sometimes we pursue God in spiritual spectaculars. But like the story of Elijah on Mount Horeb ( 1 Kings 19:11 , 12 ), the Lord does not always reveal Himself in the wind, fire, or earthquake, but sometimes in the stillness of the small voice.   Speak, Lord , in the stillness while I wait on Thee ;   Hush...

August 22 WHITER THAN SNOW James Nicholson, c. 1828–1876   Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. ( Psalm 51:7 ) God’s people have been placed in their particular circle of influence so they can demonstrate purity and a concern for righteousness. If we do not fulfill this role, who will? It is easy, however, to become so accustomed and hardened to the lust and sin all about us that we lose that fine edge of our Christ ian witness. In fact, without God’s daily cleansing and renewal , we are easily infiltrated with and influenced by the very lifestyle that we reject in others. Unconfessed sin becomes a destructive poison in our lives, not only spiritually but also emotionally and physically. Repentance and confession are always the starting points for a restored fellowship with God . Like the psalmist David did in his prayer in Psalm 51 , we all need to experience God’s cleansing and forgiveness . Only then will we be effec...

August 21 MORE ABOUT JESUS Eliza E. Hewitt, 1851–1920   I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. ( Philippians 3:10 , 11 ) The Christ ian gospel is thrilling to contemplate. It is so simple that even a small child can understand and respond to its basic message—the necessity of placing one’s implicit faith in Christ . But, on the other hand, it is so profound that a lifetime is far too brief to fully comprehend it, since its message is really a person—a growing knowledge and relationship to the eternal Son of God . The author of this hymn text, Eliza Edmunds Hewitt, was an invalid for an extended period of her life. Out of this experience she developed an intimate relationship with God and the Scriptures and a desire to share her feelings with others through writing. She became a prolific author of children’s poe...

August 20 CLEANSE ME J. Edwin Orr, 1912–1988   If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) The inspiration of a thrilling revival in New Zealand prompted the late J. Edwin Orr to blend the 23rd and 24th verses of Psalm 139 with a lovely Polynesian melody that has since become one of our most challenging hymns of revival. Dr. Orr’s text opens with the prayer that the revival begin in him. Then he reminds us that revival begins only after God’s people recognize their sin, receive cleansing from it and surrender their “will, passion, self and pride.” The hymn ends appropriately with the assurance of knowing that God will hear and supply our needs. J. Edwin Orr has been widely known as a challenging evangelist and a noted scholar of historical revival movements. He has written many textbooks and was a professor of world missions. He also lectured and held workshops throughout the world while...

August 18 MAY THE MIND OF CHRIST , MY SAVIOR Kate B. Wilkinson, 1859–1928   Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. ( Philippians 2:5 )   In the home Christ -likeness is kindness;   In business it is honesty;   Toward the weak it is burden bearing;   Toward the sinner it is evangelism;   Toward ourselves it is self-control;   Toward God it is reverence, love and worship. —Unknown Each day our prayer life should include the request that the Holy Spirit reveal the mind of Christ to us. As we mature in the Christ ian faith, our personalities and characters should take on Christ-like qualities. To have a Christ -like mind, it is vitally important that we nourish our minds daily with quality materials—things “that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy” ( Philippians 4:8 ). Kate Wilkinson was a member of the Church of England and actively involved in the Keswick Deeper Life Movement. The hymn...

August 17 I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR Annie S. Hawks, 1835–1918 Refrain added by Robert Lowry   In the day of my trouble I will call to You , for You will answer me. ( Psalm 86:7 ) This deeply personal hymn came from the heart of a busy housewife and mother who had no idea of the spiritual strength that her own hastily written words would bring her later during a sorrowful time in her life. The author, Annie S. Hawks, has left this account about the writing of her poem in 1872:   One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became filled with the sense of nearness to the Master , and I began to wonder how anyone could ever live without Him , either in joy or pain. Then the words were ushered into my mind and these thoughts took full possession of me. Sixteen years later, Mrs. Hawks experienced the death of her husband. Years after, she wrote:   I did not understand at first why this hymn had t...

August 16 NEARER, MY GOD , TO THEE Sarah R. Adams, 1805–1848   Draw nigh to God , and He will draw nigh to you. ( James 4:8 KJV ) This well-loved hymn was written by a talented and charming English woman who lived only 43 years. In spite of her delicate health, Sarah Flower Adams had an active and productive life. After a successful career on the London stage as Shakespeare’s Lady MacBeth, she began to write and became widely known for her literary accomplishments. The cross mentioned in the first stanza of her hymn text may have been the physical handicaps that limited her many ambitions. Sarah’s sister Eliza was gifted musically and often composed melodies for her sister’s poems. Together they contributed 13 texts and 62 new tunes for a hymnal that was being compiled by their pastor. One day the Rev. William J. Fox asked for a new hymn to accompany his sermon on the story of Jacob and Esau. Sarah spent much time studying Genesis 28:10–22 and within a short time complet...

August 15 HAVE THINE OWN WAY, LORD Adelaide A. Pollard, 1862–1934   Yet, O Lord, you are our Father , We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand . ( Isaiah 64:8 ) An elderly woman at a prayer meeting one night pleaded, “It really doesn’t matter what you do with us, Lord , just have your way with our lives.” At this meeting was Adelaide Pollard, a rather well-known itinerant Bible teacher who was deeply discouraged because she had been unable to raise the necessary funds for a desired trip to Africa to do missionary service. She was moved by the older woman’s sincere and dedicated request of God . At home that evening Miss Pollard meditated on Jeremiah 18:3 , 4 :   Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels, and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Before retiring that evening, Adel...

August 14 TAKE TIME TO BE HOLY William D. Longstaff, 1822 -1894   But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” ( 1 Peter 1:15, 16 ) The valuable guidelines given in this hymn for living a holy life are just as pertinent for believers today as they were when William Longstaff wrote them more than a century ago. God still requires a holy lifestyle for His people . We sometimes confuse holiness with piety, which can be merely a hypocritical goodness that masks inner deceit or impurity. A truly holy or Christ -like life reveals the virtues mentioned in 2 Peter 1:5 , 6 : Goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. We are surrounded today by so much sham and insincerity that we are often unconsciously affected by such influences. To maintain the quality of life that God demands, we must determine to take time to develop a life that is genuinely and consistently hol...

August 13 JESUS , I MY CROSS HAVE TAKEN Henry F. Lyte, 1793–1847   Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” ( Matthew 16:24 ) Every believer has a cross of some kind that Christ expects him to carry cheerfully each day as a demonstration of his discipleship. Life is a matter of choices. If we have made a decision to follow Christ , there must be purposeful self-denial in our lives or we have not really learned the meaning of true discipleship. Salvation is free, but discipleship is costly. Bearing the cross involves a willingness to look beyond our own affairs and to share the load of others in order that they too may have a personal relationship with the Savior . Henry Lyte spent the last 23 years of his life ministering to an Anglican parish of humble fishermen in Devonshire, England. In spite of his cross of frail health, Lyte worked tirelessly to build up a Sunday school of more than ...

August 11 THY WORD HAVE I HID IN MY HEART Words and Music by Ernest O. Sellers, 1869–1952   The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. ( John 6:63 )   O cleansing Word , O precious Word , Your promises are true;   They keep and purify my heart; Your truths are ever new. —Unknown God has made provision for each believer to live holy and pure lives—regardless of his or her environment. That provision is the power of His Word . The ability to live above the filth and evil in the daily world around us can be achieved only through listening to and responding to the truth of the Scriptures . Portions of the wonderful 119th Psalm , with the majority of its 176 verses speaking pointedly regarding the importance of God’s Word , were paraphrased by Ernest O. Sellers and set to a melody in 1908 to provide us with a hymn that still has an important place in our hymnals. The first stanza of this...

August 9 TAKE THE WORLD, BUT GIVE ME JESUS Fanny J. Crosby, 1820–1915   What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? ( Mark 8:36 , 37 ) In every believer there is a constant struggle between the old nature, which is attracted to the world, and the new nature, which responds to God . These two opposing natures will never cease to struggle as long as we are residents of this world. Worldliness can be described as anything that tends to draw us away from God and limits us from being all that He wants us to be. Separation from the world, however, does not mean that we are to live in isolation from individuals within the world, whether they be saint or sinner. We cannot represent our Lord if we remain aloof from the needs of those around us. There must always be that fine balance in our lives between a closeness and total commitment to Christ and an availability and helpful contact with those in our ...

August 8 TEACH ME THY WAY, O LORD Words and Music by ManseIl Ramsey, 1849–1923   Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path. ( Psalm 27:11 )   I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands , that I still possess. —Martin Luther   I thank God for my handicaps, for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God . —Helen Keller Whatever absorbs our thinking will ultimately control our actions. It is so important for a Christ ian , then, to let the ways of the Lord become the controlling force in life. It was C. S. Lewis who reminded us that we are becoming now what we will be in eternity—either something beautiful and full of glory or something hideous and full of darkness. A spiritual knowledge of Christ is always a personal knowledge. It is not gained through the experiences of others. Knowing the Lord in all of His fullness for every situation we encounter is a lifetime pu...