Right vs. Almost Right
The legendary preacher, Charles Spurgeon once said, “Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.” Often the question is whether something is “right” or “wrong”, and may be answered quickly and easily. But sometimes we are faced with a much more difficult discernment: the difference between
Pure Gold
The American gold rush ran from 1800-1900 in various states. It swept the nation as people flooded the west. It started the cry: “There’s gold in them thar hills!” No one disputes the fact that gold is valuable. We sometimes question why people would go so far from home to look for something that only a few would obtain. However, people do the same thing
Where’s The Fruit?
If you keep a grain of wheat in your pocket, it will look exactly the same ten years from now. But place it in the right environment with some good soil and enough water, and it will sprout into a living sheaf of grain! Every kind of life requires a beneficial environment in order to achieve its full potential. It’s no different with the
Be Humble
Hudson Taylor was scheduled to speak at a Large Presbyterian church in Melbourne, Australia. The moderator of the service introduced him in the most eloquent and glowing terms. He told the large congregation all that Taylor had accomplished in China, and then presented him as “our illustrious guest.” Taylor stood quietly for a moment, and then opened his message by saying, “Dear friends, I
Totally Committed
Here’s a powerful parable written by a Haitian pastor, illustrating to his congregation the need for total commitment to the Lord. A certain man wanted to sell his house for two thousand dollars. Another man wanted very badly to buy it, but couldn’t afford the full price the owner was asking. After much bargaining, the seller agreed to sell the house to the poor
Put Your Faith Into Action
Throughout the Bible, the faith of the saints was never something passive. Rather, it was a faith that was put into action. If Abraham never acted on His faith, He would never have departed to the “land of milk and honey” or birthed a new nation. If Moses never acted on His faith, He would never have led the children of Israel out of
A Leap Of Faith
One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee flames by jumping to the ground from the roof. His father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, “Jump! I’ll catch you.” But the boy was afraid. He couldn’t see his father. All he could see was flame, smoke, and blackness. He was terrified. Still,
The Beginning And The End
When I can’t sleep, I spend that time in prayer and think of worship songs. On one such occasion recently, I was thinking of an older Michael W. Smith song where he lists several names of God in Scripture. When I got to Alpha and Omega, the Lord stopped me. He put a vision in my mind of an early morning. He told me
Finish The Race
Are you familiar with the story of the marathon runner in Mexico City at the 1968 Olympic games? Hours behind the runner in front of him, the last marathoner finally entered Olympic stadium. By that time, the drama of the day’s event was almost over and most of the spectators had gone home. But the story of Tanzanian marathoner John Stephen Akwari was still
Have Abundant Faith
One of the greatest stories of the Bible is David and Goliath. The world has come to make common use of it. A prime example of this is when the underdog faces an invincible champion in just about any sport on television, commentators always seem to make mention of David and Goliath. Imagine the scene at the time of David. The children of Israel
