Pastoral Resources

When you were born, your mother brought you to church.

When you were married, your wife brought you to church.

When you die, your friends will bring you to church.

Why not try coming to church on your own sometime?

Why Not-give a friend a tract?

Why Not-help an older couple with their groceries?

Why Not-share with a neighbor in need?

Why Not-talk to a friend about his soul?

Why Not-help a friend with a personal problem?

Why Not-have a Bible study with a friend in your home?

Why Not-visit with the newcomer in your community?

Why Not-invite your children's friends to Bible study?

Why Not-show hospitality in your home?

Why Not-give encouragement to a new brother?

Why Not-give support to those who are having trouble in their marriage?

Why Not-encourage someone to take a Bible correspondence course?

Why Not-show concern to those who have lost a loved one?

Why Not-show to others that Christianity is worth sharing anytime, anywhere?

Why Not-invite the checkout person at the grocery to worship service?

Why Not-give a smile to someone today? Let them know that you are happy as a Christian?

Why Not-be nice to people even when you do not feel like it?

Why Not-let God work His purposes in your life?

Why Not-start loving your neighbors as yourself?

Charles Dickens said that we are somewhat mixed up here in America. He told an audience that instead of having one Thanksgiving Day each year we should have 364. "Use that one day just for complaining and griping," he said. "Use the other 364 days to thank God each day for the many blessings He has showered upon you."

Often parents say “no” only because it simplifies matters. I’ve made a practice of saying “yes” when the consequences are not far-reaching. Then the important “no’s” are considerably easier for teens to accept. Think about why “no” is best, and back up your decision with a logical reason. - Sally Stuart

1. 90% have failed in witnessing attempts in the past

2. They are biblically illiterate

3. They leave it to the professionals

4. We shouldn’t impose our faith on others

The sister of Paul Petzoldt, a well-known mountain climber, gave this explanation of why people like to climb mountains:

“They want to get to the top and let the air rush through the holes in their heads.”

Why pray, if God loves us and knows all we need before we pray? “What if he knows prayer to be the thing we need first and most? What if the main object in God’s idea of prayer be the supplying of our great, our endless need—the need of himself? What if the good of all our smaller and lower needs lies in this, that they help drive us to God? Communion with God is the one need of the soul beyond all other needs; prayer is the beginning of that communion.

1. Congregational endorsement (they asked me to lead)

2. Biblical—placed by God in a position of leadership (Heb. 13, Acts 20:28)

3. Force of example on others—I follow Christ, you follow me. Dependent on closeness of relationship.

4. Expertise—knowledge and training

There is a tendency to "spread out" and leave vacant pews in the front of the auditorium. I have come to the conclusion that you will never be motivated to sit toward the front until you convince yourself of the value of doing so. Here are some of the reasons for sitting up front that you might consider.

Because it is considerate of other people. People who come in late, especially visitors, want to be seated as quickly as possible. If they have to walk to the front of the auditorium to find a seat it is quite embarrassing.

There are fewer distractions during worship. By sitting toward the front, I avoid a lot of distractions that disrupt my concentration during worship. I do not see the latecomers filing in, nor the darling baby perched on mother's shoulder. My mind is clear to marvel at the cross of Christ during the Lord's Supper and to sing with "understanding!"

The singing is more enjoyable. Sitting up front means that all the voices are pointed in your direction. You are surrounded by the sound of harmonious voices singing praise to God. I am stirred to sing more enthusiastically myself.

The preaching is better. I am serious. You miss a lot in the back of the auditorium. The expression on the face of the speaker (and the song leader) adds depth to the message being communicated. I feel more a part of the message, as if the speaker were talking directly to me.

It makes a positive statement about my interest and involvement in what is happening. Question: When you buy a ticket to a concert, theater or a sporting event, do you ask for the seat farthest away? When visitors see rows of empty pews at the front, what impression does that make on them as to our involvement in worship and our excitement about the Lord?

It was almost one o'clock in the morning when the phone range in the Winters' home. Dr. Leon Winter, the highly acclaimed Chicago surgeon, was awakened with a start.

Tonight it was a young boy, they said, tragically mangled in a late night accident. Couldn't someone else handle it? Not this time. This time his hands were possibly the only ones in the city, or maybe in the whole regio n, which were skilled enough to save.

The quickest route happened to be through a rather rough area, but with time being a critical factor, it was worth the risk. He almost made it through the worst of the neighborhood. Almost. Then, at a stop light, his door was jerked open by a man in a gray hat and a dirty flannel shirt. "I've got to have your car!" the man screamed, pulling him from his seat. Winters tried explaining the gravity of his situation, but the man was not listening.

The doctor wandered for over 45 minutes looking for a phone. When the taxi finally got him to the hospital, over an hour had passed. He burst through the doors and into the nurses' station, but the nurse on duty only shook her head. Too late. The boy had just died about 30 minutes earlier. "His dad got here just before he died," the nurse told him. He is in the chapel. Go see him, would you? He is awfully confused. He could not understand why you never came."

Without explaining, Dr. Winters walked hurriedly down the hall and quietly entered the chapel. At the front knelt the huddled form of a weeping father, in a gray hat and a dirty flannel shirt. Tragically, he had pushed from his life the only one who could save.

How many today are pushing from their lives the only One who can save?

If Jesus did not rise from the dead, the Christian faith is a foolish fantasy. However, if the resurrection of Christ did occur, it confirms His life, message, and atoning work. It is the basis of our hope of life beyond the grave.

Christ is alive, and the evidence is overwhelming. Here are some of the reasons we can be so sure.

1. Jesus predicted His resurrection (Matt. 16:21; Mark 9:9-10; John 2:18-22).

2. The Old Testament prophesied it (Psalm 16:10; compare Acts 2:25-31; 13:33-37).

3. The tomb was empty and the graveclothes vacant. if those who opposed Christ wished to silence His disciples, all they had to do was produce a body, but they could not (John 20:3-9).

4. Many people saw the resurrected Christ. They looked on His face, touched Him, heard His voice, and saw Him eat (Matt. 28:16-20; Luke 24:13-39; John 20:11-29; John 21:1-9; Acts 1:6-11; 1 Cor. 15:3-8).

5. The lives of the disciples were revolutionized. Though they fled and even denied Christ at the time of His arrest, they later feared no one in their proclamation of the risen Christ (Matt. 26:56, 69-75).

6. The resurrection was the central message of the early church. The church grew with an unwavering conviction that Christ had risen and was the Lord of the church (Acts 4:33; 5:30-32; Rom. 5:24).

7. Men and women today testify that the power of the risen Christ has transformed their lives. We know that Jesus is alive not only because of the historical and biblical evidence but also because He has miraculously touched our lives.

Spurgeon speaks of an evening when he was riding home after a heavy day's work. He felt weary and depressed, when as suddenly as a lightning flash came this verse, "My grace is sufficient for thee." He said, "I should think it is, Lord," and he burst out laughing. It seemed to make unbelief so absurd.

"It was as if some little fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry, and the river says, 'Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for thee.'

"Or, it seemed like a little mouse in the granaries of Egypt after seven years of plenty fearing it might die of famine, and Joseph might say, 'Cheer up, little mouse, my granaries are sufficient for thee.'

"Again, I imagined a man away up on yonder mountain saying to himself, 'I fear I shall exhaust all the oxygen in the atmosphere.'But the earth might say, 'Breathe away, oh man, and fill thy lungs ever; my atmosphere is sufficient for thee.'"

Little faith will bring our souls to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to us.

Why would Christians choose to sin rather than choose what they know God wants them to do? Four answers are commonly given today.

1. Some would point to Romans 8:16 and explain that Christians who willfully sin have forgotten their true identity as “children of God.” While it is true that Christians can forget who they are and sin as a result, Christians can also be well aware of who they are and sin anyway.

2. Some say Christians choose to sin because they have lost sight of what God has done for them. 2 Peter 1:9 indicates that Christians can be “blind or short-sighted, having forgotten

3. [their] purification from [their] former sins.”

4. Some wisely state that Christians consciously choose to sin because they have forgotten that God will severely discipline disobedient believers.

5. Some have said that Christians who consciously sin have lost their focus on the future. These Christians have forgotten that God will reward in heaven only those who have lived faithfully for Him here on earth (1 Cor 9:24). Christians who fail to keep eternity in mind often sin in the here and now.

On February 15, 1947 Glenn Chambers boarded a plane bound for Quito, Ecuador, to begin his ministry in missionary broadcasting. But he never arrived. In a horrible moment, the plane carrying Chambers crashed into a mountain peak and spiraled downward.

Later it was learned that before leaving the Miami airport, Chambers wanted to write his mother a letter. All he could find for stationery was a page of advertising on which was written the single word “WHY?” Around that word he hastily scribbled a final note. After Chambers’ mother learned of her son’s death, his letter arrived. She opened the envelope, took out the paper, and unfolded it. Staring her in the face was the question “WHY?”

No doubt this was the question Jesus’ disciples asked when He was arrested, tried, and crucified. And it was probably the question Joseph of Arimathea asked himself as he approached Pilate and requested the Lord’s body (v.58).

It must have nagged at him as he wrapped the body in a linen cloth, carried it to his own freshly hewn tomb, and rolled the massive stone into its groove over the tomb’s mouth.

In the face of his grief, Joseph carried on. He did what he knew he had to do. None of Jesus’ relatives were in a position to claim His body for burial, for they were all Galileans and none of them possessed a tomb in Jerusalem. The disciples weren’t around to help either.

But there was another reason for Joseph’s act of love. In Isaiah 53:9, God directed the prophet to record an important detail about the death of His Messiah. The One who had no place to lay His head would be buried in a rich man’s tomb.

Joseph probably didn’t realize that his act fulfilled prophecy. The full answer to the why of Jesus’ death was also several days away for Joseph and the others. All he knew was that he was now a disciple of Jesus—and that was enough to motivate his gift of love.

Glendale, California. - A survey by the Barna Research Group suggests widespread confusion about the gospel - even among churchgoers who feel responsible to spread the gospel. Almost half of the respondents (46 percent) say they have a personal responsibility to explain their beliefs to others. Most of those “evangelizers” (81 percent) believe that the Bible is accurate in all its teachings and that Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected (94 percent). But 48 percent of the evangelizers also believe that “if people are generally good, or do enough good things for others...they will earn places in heaven.”

“There is plenty of reason for churches to worry if nearly one-half of their people who believe in evangelism also believe in salvation by works,” says George Barna, president of the Barna Research Group. “The central message of Protestantism is in salvation by faith alone in Christ, yet (many) Protestant evangelizers seem to be preaching a different message.”

Respondents from “mainline” Protestant churches tended to believe in salvation by works more frequently than those from “evangelical” churches. Yet pastors from mainline churches seemed more confident in their members’ ability to evangelize. Almost half (46 percent) of mainline pastors believe their congregations are qualified to present the gospel, while only one-fourth (24 percent) of Baptist pastors do.

In 1858 Scottish missionary John G. Paton and his wife sailed for the New Hebrides (now called Vanuatu) Three months after arriving on the island of Tanna, his wife died. One week later his infant son also died. Paton was plunged into sorrow. Feeling terribly alone, and surrounded by savage people who showed him no sympathy, he wrote, “Let those who have ever passed through any similar darkness as of midnight feel for me. As for all other, it would be more than vain to try to paint my sorrows...But for Jesus, and [His} fellowship..., I [would] have gone mad and died.”

Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells of a wife who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband. “I do not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me.

Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious plan “Go home and act as if you really love your husband. Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him. After you’ve convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb. Tell him that you’re getting a divorce. That will really hurt him.”

With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, “Beautiful, beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!”

And she did it with enthusiasm. Acting “as if.” For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, sharing.

When she didn’t return, Crane called. “Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?”

“Divorce?” she exclaimed. “Never! I discovered I really do love him.” Her actions had changed her feelings. Motion resulted in emotion. The ability to love is established not so much by fervent promise as often repeated deeds.

- J. Allan Petersen

Don’t refuse to go on an occasional wild goose chase. That is what wild geese are made for.

Writing in Moody Monthly, Carl Armerding recounted his experience of watching a wildcat in a zoo. “As I stood there,” he said, “an attendant entered the cage through a door on the opposite side. He had nothing in his hands but a broom. Carefully closing the door, he proceeded to sweep the floor of the cage.” He observed that the worker had no weapon to ward off an attack by the beast. In fact, when he got to the corner of the cage where the wildcat was lying, he poked the animal with the broom. The wildcat hissed at him and then lay down in another corner of the enclosure. Armerding remarked to the attendant, “You certainly are a brave man.” “No, I ain’t brave,” he replied as he continued to sweep. “Well, then, that cat must be tame.” “No,” came the reply, “he ain’t tame.” “If you aren’t brave and the wildcat isn’t tame, then I can’t understand why he doesn’t attack you.” Armerding said the man chuckled, then replied with an air of confidence, “Mister, he’s old—and he ain’t got no teeth.”

More recently, the Christian walk of Will Houghton, a preacher who became the president of Moody Bible Institute during the 1940s, played a large role in the conversion of an agnostic who was contemplating suicide. The skeptic was desperate, but he decided that if he could find a minister who lived his faith he would listen to him. So he hired a private detective to watch Houghton. When the investigator’s report came back, it revealed that this preacher’s life was above reproach; he was for real. The agnostic went to Houghton’s church, accepted Christ, and later sent his daughter to Moody Bible Institute.

- H.V.L.

Will Rogers was known for his laughter, but he also knew how to weep. One day he was entertaining at the Milton H. Berry Institute in Los Angeles, a hospital that specialized in rehabilitating polio victims and people with broken backs and other extreme physical handicaps. Of course, Rogers had everybody laughing, even patients in really bad condition; but then he suddenly left the platform and went to the rest room. Milton Berry followed him to give him a towel; and when he opened the door, he saw Will Rogers leaning against the wall, sobbing like a child. He closed the door, and in a few minutes, Rogers appeared back on the platform, as jovial as before.

If you want to learn what a person is really like, ask three questions: What makes him laugh? What makes him angry? What makes him weep? These are fairly good tests of character that are especially appropriate for Christian leaders. I hear people saying, “We need angry leaders today!” or “The time has come to practice militant Christianity!” Perhaps, but “the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20).

Will Rogers’ stage specialty used to be rope tricks. One day, on stage, in the middle of his act, he got tangled in is lariat. Instead of getting upset, he drawled, “A rope ain’t so bad to get tangled up in if it ain’t around your neck.” The audience roared. Encouraged by the warm reception, Rogers began adding humorous comments to all his performances. It was the comments, not the rope tricks, that eventually made him famous.

A fishing boat sank in rough, cold waters off Vancouver Island, leaving two men in a life raft tied to the sinking boat by a nylon rope. Neither had a knife to cut the rope, and had the ship sunk, it would have pulled the boat and the men down with it. For an hour, the two men alternated chewing the rope, Minutes before the ship sank, the men finally chewed through the rope and survived.

On January 21, 1930, the name of Harold Vidian became synonymous with heroism. On that day, England’s King George V was scheduled to give the opening address at the London Arms Conference. The king’s message was to be sent by radio all around the world.

Donald McCullough, in his book The Trivialization of God (NavPress, 1995), tells us that a few minutes before the king was to speak, a member of the CBS staff tripped over an electrical wire and broke it, cutting off the whole American audience. With no hesitation, chief control operator Harold Vidian grasped one end of the broken wire in his right hand and the other in his left, thus restoring the circuit. Electricity surged through his body. Ignoring the pain, Vidian held on until the king had finished his address.

I see in this a challenge for Christians. The message of the King of kings must go to the whole world. But only as we allow God’s power to pass through us can the Lord’s saving gospel be transmitted. Paul wrote, “How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?” (Rom. 10:14). If we are willing to serve as conduits, regardless of the cost to us, the good news will be proclaimed around the world.

Will you be a conduit for the King’s message? -VCG

One congregation found that where both parents were faithful to the Lord, including active interest in the local congregation's programs, 93 percent of the kids remained faithful. On the other hand, if only one of the parents was faithful, that figure dropped to 73 percent. Where the parents were only what we would call reasonably active in the Lord's work, only 53 percent of the young people maintained their faith.

Now here comes the shocker: In those cases where both parents attended only infrequently, the percentage of their children who remained faithful to the Lord dropped to 6 percent. Want your children to go to heaven? Then make certain you are leading them.

William Barclay gives us an excellent insight into the nature of the true church. He writes:

Suppose a great doctor discovers a cure for cancer. Once that cure is found, it is there. But before it can become available for everyone, it must be taken out to the world. Doctors and surgeons must know about it and be trained to use it. The cure is there, but one person cannot take it out to all the world; a corps of doctors must be the agents whereby it arrives at all the world’s sufferers.

That precisely is what the church is to Jesus Christ. It is in Jesus that all people and all nations can be reconciled to God. But before that can happen, they must know about Jesus Christ, and it is the task of the church to bring that about. Christ is the head; the church is the body. The head must have a body through which it can work. The church is quite literally hands to do Christ’s work, feet to run upon His errands, and a voice to speak His words.

In the 1880s a young man who was an earnest Christian found employment in a pawnshop. Although he disliked the work, he did it faithfully “as unto the Lord” until a more desirable opportunity opened for him. To prepare himself for a life of Christian service, he wrote on a scrap of paper the following resolutions:

“I do promise God that I will rise early every morning to have a few minutes—not less than five—in private prayer. I will endeavor to conduct myself as a humble, meek, and zealous follower of Jesus, and by serious witness and warning I will try to lead others to think of the needs of their immortal souls. I hereby vow to read no less than four chapters in God’s Word every day. I will cultivate a spirit of self-denial and will yield myself a prisoner of love to the Redeemer of the world.”

That young man was William Booth, who later led thousands to Christ and founded the Salvation Army.

William Carey is considered the father of modern missions. The man who spent his early years as a cobbler became one of the greatest linguists the church has ever known. It’s reported that Carey translated parts of the Bible into as many as 24 Indian languages. When he first went to India, some regarded him with dislike and contempt. At a dinner party a distinguished guest, hoping to humiliate Carey, said in a loud voice, “I suppose, Mr. Carey, you once worked as a shoemaker.” Carey responded humbly, “No, your lordship, not as a shoemaker, only a cobbler.” Carey didn’t claim to make shoes, only to mend them.

Maltbie Babcock, in Bits and Pieces, June, 1990, p. 12

William Jennings Bryan, Secretary of State in Woodrow Wilson’s Cabinet, was interviewing a man who was seeking a diplomatic post in China. Bryan warned the applicant that it was necessary to qualify as a linguist. “Can you speak the Chinese language?” he asked.

The man was equal to the occasion. Looking Bryan squarely in the eye, he replied, “Try me. Ask me something in Chinese.”

William Randolph Hearst invested a fortune collecting art treasures from around the world. One day Mr. Hearst read the description of a valuable art item which he sent his agent abroad to find. After months of searching, the agent reported that he had finally found the treasure. To the surprise of Hearst, the priceless masterpiece was stored in none other than the warehouse of William Randolph Hearst.

The multi-millionaire had been searching all over the world for a treasure he already possessed. Had he read the catalog of his treasures, he would have saved himself a lot of time and money.

A good many are kept out of the service of Christ, deprived of the luxury of working for God, because they are trying to do some great thing. Let us be willing to do little things. And let us remember that nothing is small in which God is the source.

This incident occurred between John Wesley and Joseph Bradford. Bradford was for some years the traveling companion of Mr. Wesley for whom he would have sacrificed health and even life, but to whom his will would never bend. "Joseph," said Mr. Wesley one day, "take these letters to the post office." Bradford replied, "I will take them after your preaching, sir." Wesley again said, "Take them now, Joseph." Bradford turned to Mr. Wesley and said, "I wish to hear you preach, sir; and there will be sufficient time for the post office after the service." Wesley was not at all pleased and said, "I insist upon your going now, Joseph." Bradford rather angrily replied, "I will not go at present." "You will not!" "No, sir." "Then you and I must part," said Wesley. "Very well, sir," was Mr. Bradford's quick response. The good men slept over it. Both were early risers. At four o'clock the next morning, Wesley said to Bradford, "Joseph, have you considered what I said-that we must part?" "Yes, sir," was the reply. "And must we part?" "Please yourself, sir," Then Wesley said, "Will you ask my pardon, Joseph?" "No, sir," came the quick reply from Bradford. "You will not?" "No, sir," Bradford said again. "Then," answered Wesley, "I will ask yours, Joseph." That is what a Christian should do-be willing to ask forgiveness instead of expecting others to ask forgiveness of him.

A new convert declared his determination to give all that he had for the Master. He said, "Pastor, if I had fifty pigs, I'd give twenty-five of them to the Lord." "That's very nice," said the pastor. "If you had thirty would you give fifteen to the Lord?" "Of course I would," said the new Christian. "If you had ten would you give five of them?" asked the pastor again. "You know I would," he answered. Then the pastor said, "If you had two, would you give one to the Lord?" "Now Pastor, don't ask me that. You know I have only two pigs."

William Barclay tells the story of Paedaretos who lived in Sparta in ancient Greece. A group of 300 men were to be chosen to govern Sparta. Though Paedaretos was a candidate, his name was not on the final list. Some of his friends sought to console him, but he simply replied, “I am glad that in Sparta there are 300 men better than I am.” He became a legend because of his willingness to stand aside while others took the places of glory and honor.

A converted native was to be baptized in a river. The missionary took a long spear with him into the swift current to steady himself. Inadvertently he stabbed the foot of the convert beneath the water. The man neither spoke nor moved. After the ceremony when the accident was discovered, the convert was asked why he had kept silent. "I thought it was part of the ceremony," he replied. In a way he was right. Baptism should be an external expression of willingness to suffer for the Lord Jesus Christ in whose Name the believer is baptized.

Openness is essentially the willingness to grow, a distaste for ruts, eagerly standing on top-toe for a better view of what tomorrow brings. A man once bought a new radio, brought it home, placed it on the refrigerator, plugged it in, turned it to WSM in Nashville (home of the Grand Ole Opry), and then pulled all the knobs off! He had already tuned in all he ever wanted or expected to hear. Some marriages are “rutted” and rather dreary because either or both partners have yielded to the tyranny of the inevitable, “what has been will still be.” Stay open to newness. Stay open to change.

Franklin Roosevelt’s closest adviser during much of his presidency was a man named Harry Hopkins. During World War II, when his influence with Roosevelt was at its peak, Hopkins held no official Cabinet position. Moreover, Hopkins’s closeness to Roosevelt caused many to regard him as a shadowy, sinister figure. As a result he was a major political liability to the President.

A political foe once asked Roosevelt, “Why do you keep Hopkins so close to you? You surely realize that people distrust him and resent his influence.” Roosevelt replied, “Someday you may well be sitting here where I am now as President of the United States. And when you are, you’ll be looking at that door over there and knowing that practically everybody who walks through it wants something out of you. You’ll learn what a lonely job this is, and you’ll discover the need for somebody like Harry Hopkins, who asks for nothing except to serve you.”

Winston Churchill rated Hopkins as one of the half-dozen most powerful men in the world in the early 1940s. And the sole source of Hopkins’s power was his willingness to serve.

P.R.., Our Daily Bread

In a door-to-door survey conducted by Willow Creek Community Church the question was asked: if you don’t go to church, why? The five biggest reasons: (1) Boring, (2) Irrelevant, (3) Asking for money all the time, (4) I’m too busy already, (5) I feel awkward at church.

Toad baked some cookies. “These cookies smell very good,” said Toad. He ate one. “And they taste even better,” he said. Toad ran to Frog’s house. “Frog, Frog,” cried Toad, “taste these cookies that I have made.” Frog ate one of the cookies, “These are the best cookies I have ever eaten!” said Frog. Frog and Toad ate many cookies, one after another. “You know, Toad,” said Frog, with his mouth full, “I think we should stop eating. We will soon be sick.” “You are right,” said Toad. “Let us eat one last cookie, and then we will stop.” Frog and Toad ate one last cookie. There were many cookies left in the bowl. “Frog,” said Toad, “let us eat one very last cookie, and then we will stop.” Frog and Toad ate one very last cookie. “We must stop eating!” cried Toad as he ate another. “Yes,” said Frog, reaching for a cookie, “we need willpower.” “What is willpower?” asked Toad. “Willpower is trying hard not to do something you really want to do,” said Frog. “You mean like trying hard not to eat all these cookies?” asked Toad. “Right,” said Frog. Frog put the cookies in a box. “There,” he said. “Now we will not eat any more cookies.” “ But we can open the box,” said Toad. “That is true,” said Grog. Frog tied some string around the box. “There,” he said. “Now we will not eat any more cookies.” “ But we can cut the string and open the box.” said Toad. “That is true,” said Frog. Frog got a ladder. He put the box up on a high shelf. “There,” said Frog. “Now we will not eat any more cookies.” “ But we can climb the ladder and take the box down from the shelf and cut the string and open the box,” said Toad. “That is true,” said Frog. Frog climbed the ladder and took the box down from the shelf. He cut the string and opened the box. Frog took the box outside. He shouted in a loud voice. “Hey, birds, here are cookies!” Birds came from everywhere. They picked up all the cookies in their beaks and flew away. “Now we have no more cookies to eat,” said Toad sadly. “Not even one.” “Yes,” said Frog, “but we have lots and lots of willpower.” “You may keep it all, Frog,” said Toad. “I am going home now to bake a cake.”

Notre Dame football star George Gipp could do it all—run, pass, and punt with unparalleled skill. The 1920 season established the Gipp as a football immortal. But on December 14, 1920, young George Gipp died of pneumonia. But thanks to football legend—and a movie in which former president Ronald Reagan portrayed Gipp—the story of George Gipp lived on. On November 10, 1928, Notre Dame and Army were tied at halftime. Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne, himself a legend, told of being at the dying Gipp’s bedside. Rockne recalled how Gipp feebly said, “Sometime, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are going wrong and the breaks are beating the boys—tell them to go in there with all they’ve got and win just one for the Gipper.” They did.

When Paul went to Rome, every morning a new soldier of the Praetorian guard was chained to him, until each Praetorian guardsman had Paul under his custody. People might have said, "What a pity that a powerful preacher like Paul should have an audience of only one man a day, and a different one every day at that." But Paul could say, "God has enabled me to preach the gospel to the whole Praetorian guard." Who knows how much the conversion of pagans in Rome may be attributed to Paul's being chained to the soldiers of the Praetorian guard?

"Did you ever notice," asked an old lady, as she smiled into the troubled face before her, "that when the Lord told the discouraged fishermen to cast their nets again, it was right in that same old place where they had been working all night and had caught nothing? If we could only go off to some new place every time we get discouraged, trying again would be an easier thing. If we could be somebody else, or go somewhere else, or do something else, it might not be hard to have fresh faith and courage. But it is the same old net in the same old pond for most of us. The old temptations are to be overcome, the old faults to be conquered, and the old trials and discouragements which we failed yesterday must be faced again today. We must win success where we are if we are to win it at all. It is the Master Himself who, after all these toilsome, disheartening efforts that we call failures, bids us, 'Try again.' "

A winner says, “Lets find out.”

A loser says, “Nobody knows.

When a winner makes a mistake, he says, “I was wrong”;

when a loser makes a mistake, he says, “It wasn’t my fault.”

A winner isn’t nearly as afraid of losing,

as a loser is secretly afraid of winning

A winner works harder than a loser and has more time;

a loser is always “too busy” to do what is necessary

A winner goes through a problem;

a loser goes around it, and never gets past it.

A winner makes commitments;

a loser makes promises.

A winner says, “I’m good, but not as good as I ought to be”;

a loser says, “I’m not as bad as a lot of other people.”

A winner listens;

a loser just waits until it’s his turn to talk,

A winner respects those who are superior to him and tries to learn from them;

a loser resents those who are superior to him, and tries to find chinks in their armor.

A winner explains;

a loser explains away.

A winner feels responsible for more than his job;

a loser says, “I only work here.”

A winner says, “There ought to be a better way to do it”;

a loser says, “That’s the way it’s always been done here.”

A winner paces himself;

a loser has only two speeds—hysterical and lethargic.

Winners see luck as opportunity. They see the rewards of success in advance. They do not fear the penalties of failure.

The winning individual knows that bad luck is attracted by negative thinking and that an attitude of optimistic expectancy is the surest way to create an upward cycle and to attract the best of luck most of the time.

Winners know that so-called luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity. If an individual is not prepared, he or she simply does not see or take advantage of a situation. Opportunities are always around, but only those who are prepared utilize them effectively.

Winners seem to be lucky because their positive self-expectancy enables them to better prepared for their opportunities.

When asked by a news reporter how she thought she would do in one of her early career swimming meets in the United States several years ago, 14-year-old Australian Shane Gould replied, “I have a feeling there will be a world record today.” She went on to set two world records in the one-hundred and two-hundred-meter freestyle events.

When asked how she thought she would fare in the more testing, grueling, four-hundred-meter event, Shane replied with a smile, “I get stronger every race, and besides ... my parents said they’d take me to Disneyland if I win, and we’re leaving tomorrow!” she went to Disneyland with three world records. At 16 she held five world records and became one of the greatest swimmers of all time, winning three gold medals in the 1972 Olympics. She learned early about the power of self-expectancy.

The winner glories in the good; the whiner majors in the mediocre. Winners’ thinking processes differ from other people’s. As part of their normal, moment-to-moment stream of consciousness, winners think constantly in terms of I can and I will. Losers concentrate their waking thoughts on…what they should have done … would have done … what they can’t do. When the mind’s self-talk is positive, performance is more likely to be successful.

The huge majority of our negative doubts and fears are imaginary or beyond our control.

- Denis Waitley

Winners see risk as opportunity. They see the rewards of success in advance. They do not fear the penalties of failure. The winning individual knows that bad luck is attracted by negative thinking and that an attitude of optimistic expectancy is the surest way to create an upward cycle and to attract the best of luck most of the time. Winners know that so-called luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity. If an individual is not prepared, he or she simply does not see or take advantage of a situation. Opportunities are always around, but only those who are prepared utilize them effectively. Winners seem to be lucky because their positive self-expectancy enables them to better prepared for their opportunities.

When asked by a news reporter how she thought she would do in one of her early career swimming meets in the United States several years ago, 14-year-old Australian Shane Gould replied, “I have a feeling there will be a world record today.” She went on to set two world records in the one-hundred- and two-hundred-meter freestyle events. When asked how she thought she would fare in the more testing, grueling, four-hundred-meter event, Shane replied with a smile, “I get stronger every race, and besides…my parents said they’d take me to Disneyland if I win, and we’re leaving tomorrow!” She went to Disneyland with three world records. At 16 she held five world records and became one of the greatest swimmers of all time, winning three gold medals in the 1972 Olympics. She learned early about the power of self-expectancy.

The late Vince Lombardi, former great coach of the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Redskins, is famous for his statement, “Winning isn’t the most important thing; it’s the only thing!” Shortly before he died, he looked back at the quote and declared, “I wish I’d never said it. I meant the effort. I sure didn’t mean for people to crush human values and morality.”

Many people think money is security, but I Timothy 6:9 warns that it can be just the opposite. A few years ago, columnist Jim Bishop reported what happened to people who won the state lottery:

1. Rosa Grayson of Washington won $400 a week for life. She hides in her apartment. For the first time in her life, she has “nerves.” Everyone tries to put the touch on her. “People are so mean, “ she said. “I hope you win the lottery and see what happens to you.”

2. When the McGugarts of New York won the Irish Sweepstakes, they were happy. Pop was a steamfitter. Johnny, twenty-six, loaded crates on docks. Tim was going to night school. Pop split the million with his sons. They all said the money wouldn’t change their plans. A year later, the million wasn’t gone; it was bent. The boys weren’t speaking to Pop, or each other. Johnny was chasing expensive race horses; Tim was catching up with expensive girls. Mom accused Pop of hiding his poke from her. Within two years, all of them were in court for nonpayment of income taxes. “It’s the Devil’s own money,” Mom said. Both boys were studying hard to become alcoholics.

These people hoped and prayed for sudden wealth. All had their prayers answered. All were wrecked on a dollar sign.

Who can ever forget Winston Churchill’s immortal words: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills.” It sounds exactly like our family vacation. - Robert Orben

Winston Churchill exemplified integrity and respect in the face of opposition. During his last year in office, he attended an official ceremony. Several rows behind him two gentlemen began whispering. “That’s Winston Churchill.” “They say he is getting senile.” “They say he should step aside and leave the running of the nation to more dynamic and capable men.” When the ceremony was over, Churchill turned to the men and said, “Gentlemen, they also say he is deaf!”

• I remember a gentleman of Boston, a man high in life, a Congressman, who was accustomed to carry with him little cards and distribute them wherever he went, and on some of these cards were words like these: "I expect to pass through this world but once, and therefore if there be any kindness I can show, if there is anything I can do to make men happy, I shall do it, for I may not pass this way again."
  
  
• A man was asked what his persuasion was. He said it was the same as Paul's. I don't know what Paul's persuasion was. All persuasions claim him. Sankey says he is a Methodist. Listen: "I am not ashamed, for I know whom I believe, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him." That is Paul's persuasion. You may call it what you have a mind to, it is a good persuasion.
  
  
• If we are going to be successful, we have got to take our stand for God, and let the world and everyone know we are on the Lord's side. I have great respect for the woman that started out during the war with a poker. She heard the enemy were coming and went to resist them. When some one asked her what she could do with the poker, she said she would at least let them know what side she was on. And that is what we want.
  
  
• Let us do all the work we can. If we can't be a lighthouse, let us be a tallow candle. There used to be a period when people came to meeting bringing their candles with them. The first one, perhaps, wouldn't make a great illumination, but when two or three got there, there would be more light. If the people of Boston should do that now, if each one should come here in this Tabernacle, with a candle, don't you think there would be a little light.
  
  
• When I was a little boy I used to try and catch my own shadow. I don't know whether any of you have ever been so foolish as that or not. I could not see why the shadow always kept ahead of me. Once I happened to be racing with my face to the sun and I looked over my head and saw my shadow coming back of me, and it kept behind me all the way. It is the same with the Sun of Righteousness. Peace and joy will go with you while you go with your face toward Him.
  
  
• There are nine different qualities--peace, gentleness, long-suffering, hope, patience, charity, etc., but you can sum them all into one, and you have love. I saw something in writing the other day bearing upon the subject which I just took a copy of: "The fruit of the Spirit is in just one word--love. Joy is love exalted; peace is love in repose, long-suffering is love enduring, gentleness is love in society, goodness is love in action, faith is love on the battle field, meekness is love in school, and temperance is love in training. And so you can say that the fruit is all expressed by one word--love."
  
  
• I believe there is a great deal more hope for a drunkard or a murderer or a gambler than there is for a lazy man. I never heard of a lazy man being converted yet, though I remember talking once with a minister in the back woods of Iowa about lazy men. He was all discouraged in his efforts to convert lazy men, and I said to him, "Did you ever know of a lazy man being converted?" "Yes," said he; "I knew of one, but he was so lazy that he didn't stay converted but about six weeks." And that is as near as I ever heard of a lazy man being converted.
  
  
• I remember, I was talking with a man one day and an acquaintance of his came in, and he jumped up at once and shook him by the hand--why I thought he was going to shake his hand out of joint, he shook so hard--and he seemed to be so glad to see him and wanted him to stay, but the man was in a great hurry and could not stay, and he coaxed and urged him to stay, but the man said no, he would come another time and after that man went out my companion turned to me and said, "Well, he is an awful bore, and I am glad he's gone." Well I began to feel that I was a bore too, and I got out as quickly as I could. That is not real love.

The crust is bread itself; the ice is the very water of the river; and the hard ground is the very soil of the earth. It is the very substance of the thing that it imprisons. Each forms a barrier which resists outside influences. That's exactly what happens to man. His wisdom and self-assurance are the barriers that keeps God's wisdom from reaching him. A child is fit for the Kingdom of God because, as yet, he has not formed a crust-like barrier.

Mary Kimbrough composed this poem based in Job 13:15, which underscores the wisdom of trusting God through trial:

“Though He slay me, I will trust Him,”

Said the sainted Job of old;

“Though He try me in the furnace,

I shall then come forth as gold.

“Though the ‘worms of deep affliction’

Cause this body to decay,

In my flesh I shall behold Him —

My Redeemer—some glad day.”

“Though He slay me”—can I say it

When I feel the searing fire,

When my fondest dreams lie shattered —

Gone my hope and fond desire?

“Though He slay me, I will trust Him,”

For He knows just how to mold,

How to melt and shape my spirit —

I shall then come forth as gold!

Abraham Lincoln once said, "You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

Baylor University is a thriving institution in Beaumont, Texas. The Christian who gave the money for building that school later lost all his property. Men of the world asked him, "Don't you wish you had the money back that you put into that school?" He replied, "Not at all. It is all that I have saved. If I had kept that money, I would have lost it too. I am thankful that I gave that building when I did." The world may judge us by what we do with the property God has placed in our keeping. Nevertheless, we should only be concerned with God's estimation of our stewardship of His gifts.

A wise old owl lived in an oak

The more he heard, the less he spoke.

The less he spoke, the more he heard,

Why can’t we all be like the wise old bird?

Supreme Court Justice Horace Gray once informed a man who had appeared before him in a lower court and had escaped conviction on a technicality,

"I know that you are guilty and you know it, and I wish you to remember that one day you will stand before a better and wiser Judge, and that there you will be dealt with according to justice and not according to law."

At the end of the Battle of Britain, British vice-marshal Alexander Adams was driving to a meeting at his headquarters when he came upon a sign: ROAD CLOSED—UNEXPLODED BOMB. Adams called over the policeman on duty, hoping he might be able to suggest an alternate route. “Sorry, you can’t go through,” said the policeman as he approached the car. “The bomb is likely to go off at any minute now.” Then he caught sight of Adams’s uniform. “I’m very sorry, sir,” he said, “I didn’t know you were a wing commander. It is quite all right for you to go through.”

With “advisors” like that, who needs enemies! Although that policeman—who was trained to respect rank—momentarily allowed his deference to a vice-marshal to overcome his good sense, Adams had better sense than to follow his advice.

While eating in a restaurant, I reprimanded my four-year-old son for speaking with his mouth full. “Mump umn Kmpfhm,” was all I heard.

“Drew,” I scolded, “no one can understand a word you’re saying.”

“He says he wants some ketchup,” my husband said calmly.

A woman sitting nearby leaned over and asked, “How in the world did you understand him?”

“I’m a dentist,” my husband explained.

A young man in the army confided to his padre that he never went about with another girl if he was within fifty miles of home, his loyalty went fifty miles.

How far does your loyalty to Jesus Christ go?

Without shedding of blood, no remission Heb. 9:22

Without faith no pleasing God Heb. 11:6

Without holiness, no heaven Heb. 12:14

Without chastisement, no sonship Heb. 12:8

Let me take you back in time; the date is Wednesday, April 10, 1912, and the world watches in awe as the glamorous Titanic begins her maiden voyage. But, little did the world know that the greatest ship man ever made would be on the bottom of the Atlantic ocean only four days later.

And on that ship, in the second-class section, was a man named John Harper who was coming to America to preach here at Moody Church.

I first heard the phenomenal story of John Harper, many years ago while growing up in Canada. My brother showed me a one-page tract titled I was Harper’s Last Convert. It was the story, told by a man, who floated next to Harper briefly in the icy waters of the Atlantic.

If you had been with John Harper on the Titanic that fateful night you would have felt a tremendous jolt when the mighty ship collided with an iceberg on the starboard side of her bow. You would have heard the hull plates buckle as an iceberg tore a 300-foot long gash in the side of the ship.

And you may have even heard the panic in the Captain’s voice when he knew his ship was sinking, and he only had enough lifeboats for half of the passengers....

The Captain also knew he had to keep order among the 2,227 people on board. So he asked John Harper to remain on deck and keep peace among the passengers.

If you had been on deck you would have seen families torn apart. Husbands saying goodbye as they watched their wives and children leave on lifeboats. Wives deciding to stay on board to die with their husbands. Children waving goodbye to their parents—and praying that they would see each other again.

And you would have seen John Harper kiss his six-year-old daughter, Nana, goodbye and put her safely in a lifeboat.

As the minutes crept by, and all of the lifeboats were gone, 1,521 people were left on board the sinking ship—including Harper.

With every minute that passed the deck became steeper as the bow plunged under the water. Finally the ship broke in two, hurling the remaining passengers into the icy depths of the Atlantic.

It is said the ships lights blinked once, then went out, leaving people to freeze to death in the darkness of the Atlantic.

And the few hundred people that were safe in lifeboats could see their husbands, fathers, and many other families as they were shrieking in terror and thrashing in the water trying to gasp for breath.

But, during this horrific tragedy God was at work.

You see, Harper wasn’t afraid to die; he knew that he was going to come face to face with his Maker. And he wanted other people to know his Lord and Savior.

So with death lurking over him, Harper yelled to a man in the darkness, “Are you saved?”

“No,” replied the man.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and ye shall be saved!” Harper screamed as he struggled in the dark, cold, Atlantic.

Then the men drifted apart into the darkness. But later the current brought them back together. Weak, exhausted, and frozen, a dying Harper yelled once more, “Are you saved?”

“No!”

Harper repeated once again, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and ye shall be saved.” And with that, Harper slipped down into his watery grave.

The man whom Harper sought to win to Christ was rescued by the S.S. Carpathia. Because of Harper, he dedicated his life to Jesus Christ right there, two miles above the floor of the ocean, and lived to tell people that he was Harper’s Last Convert.

It makes me wonder, how many other dying people did Harper convert before he drowned? Harper sacrificed his own life so he could share the plan of salvation with the dying. He was a man who lived and died by his immense faith in Jesus Christ.

There are so many things that come to mind when people speak about the great loss of human life on the Titanic. Some may even ask could it have been avoided?

What if the owner hadn’t determined to surprise America by arriving a night early? Or if the Captain hadn’t cut the corner on an area of ocean they knew had been dangerous before? Or simply, what if the lookout’s binoculars hadn’t been missing from the crow’s nest?

If only one of these things had not been the case, the Titanic might have been the very definition of luxury, romance, and fortitude.

But those things did happen. I like to ask, what if John Harper hadn’t been on board traveling to Moody Church? How many people would have died not knowing that they could be eternally saved?

Charlie Hainline is a layman at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is a man who radiates the love of Christ, and is serious about sharing his faith with others. One year, his goal was to lead 1650 people to faith in Christ (5 a day)! Once, he was out witnessing with a couple of other folks, and though he didn’t share the gospel, he sat there and smiled broadly as a teammate did. When the teammate was finished and asked if the person would like to trust Christ and receive the gift of eternal life, the person replied, “If being a Christian would make me like him (point to Charlie), I want it!” Charlie’s life wasn’t a bed of roses by any means. His daughter was kidnapped, killed, and her head was found floating in a canal. When the murderer of his daughter was caught and convicted, Charlie went to jail in order to witness to the man.

Level of Spiritual

Development

Characteristic

Witnessing Tactic

Ignorance

Uninformed

Pray, instruct, nurture

Indifference

Unconcerned

Share, Confront with the claims of Christ.

Ask the Holy Spirit to stir.

Hostility

Bitter, angry

Love, listen, share Jesus.

Continue with patience.

Conviction

Heavy hearted, Miserable

Call attention to work of Holy Spirit.

Guide through the steps in coming to Christ.

Conversion

Ready

Guide through the conversion experience. Instruct in how to follow Christ.

Growing

Already a Christian.

Following Christ.

Share in fellowship. Encourage to witness.

Pray together for lost acquaintances.

Spiritual Declining

Discouraged, defeated,

Overcome by sin

Show patience, love, listen, encourage.

Help reinvolve the person in following Christ. Help bridge the gap

A woman, carrying her baby on her back, was trapped by a prairie fire. As she looked about, she realized there was no way of escape. Hurriedly she took the baby off her back and began digging a hole in the earth with her bare hands. She then placed her child into it and covered the child with her body. Later the woman was found dead, but the child was saved.

Because a woman’s vocal cords are shorter than a man’s she can actually speak with less effort than he can. Shorter vocal cords not only cause a woman’s voice to be more highly pitched, but also require less air to become agitated, making it possible for her to talk more with less energy expended.

Single woman outnumber single men 7 to 1 on the mission field according to EFMA, IFMA.

There is a direct correlation between age at loss of virginity and having an affair later in life. In women who have their first sexual relationship at age 21, or later, cheating occurs with only 16%. But for those who have their first sexual relationship at a younger age, up to 50% cheat on a future mate.

Women who never have children enjoy the equivalent of an extra three months a year in leisure time, says Susan Lang, author of Women Without Children. If that figure seems high, remember that the average mother spends 3.5 more hours a week doing housework than would a woman without children, plus 11 hours a week on child-related activities. This adds up to an additional 754 hours of work every year—the equivalent of three months of 12-hour, 5-day work weeks.

In London, in 1872, one Sunday morning a minister said to me, "I want you to notice that family there in one of the front seats, and when we go home I want to tell you their story." When we got home I asked him for the story, and he said, "All that family were won by a smile." "Why," said I, "how's that?" "Well," said he, "as I was walking down a street one day I saw a child at a window it smiled, and I smiled, and we bowed. So it was the second time I bowed, she bowed. It was not long before there was another child, and I had got in a habit of looking and bowing, and pretty soon the group grew, and at last, as I went by, a lady was with them. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to bow to her, but I knew the children expected it, and so I bowed to them all. And the mother saw I was a minister, because I carried a Bible every Sunday morning. So the children followed me the next Sunday and found I was a minister. And they thought I was the greatest preacher, and their parents must hear me. A minister who is kind to a child and gives him a pat on the head, why the children will think he is the greatest preacher in the world. Kindness goes a great way. And to make a long story short, the father and mother and five children were converted, and they are going to join our church next Sunday."

Won to Christ by a smile! We must get the wrinkles out of our brows, and we must have smiling faces.

Many people think money is security, but I Timothy 6:9 warns that it can be just the opposite. A few years ago, columnist Jim Bishop reported what happened to people who won the state lottery:

1. Rosa Grayson of Washington won $400 a week for life. She hides in her apartment. For the first time in her life, she has “nerves.” Everyone tries to put the touch on her. “People are so mean, “ she said. “I hope you win the lottery and see what happens to you.”

2. When the McGugarts of New York won the Irish Sweepstakes, they were happy. Pop was a steamfitter. Johnny, twenty-six, loaded crates on docks. Tim was going to night school. Pop split the million with his sons. They all said the money wouldn’t change their plans. A year later, the million wasn’t gone; it was bent. The boys weren’t speaking to Pop, or each other. Johnny was chasing expensive race horses; Tim was catching up with expensive girls. Mom accused Pop of hiding his poke from her. Within two years, all of them were in court for nonpayment of income taxes. “It’s the Devil’s own money,” Mom said. Both boys were studying hard to become alcoholics. All these people hoped and prayed for sudden wealth. All had their prayers answered. All were wrecked on a dollar sign.

- Chuck Rasmussen

Stuart Briscoe tells of being hired by a bank. He was young, new, and just learning the business. One day his boss told him, “If Mr. _______ calls for me, tell him I’m out.” Briscoe replied, “Oh, are you planning to go somewhere?” “No, I just don’t want to speak to him, so tell him I’m out.” “Let me make sure I understand—Do you want me to lie for you?” The boss blew up at him. He was outraged, angered. Stuart prayed and God gave him a flash of insight. “You should be happy, because if I won’t lie for you, isn’t it safe to assume that I won’t lie to you?”

The male’s inability to ask directions is genetic. That’s the reason why it takes 500,000,000 sperm to fertilize one egg. None would bother to stop and ask directions.

The year was 1772. One of those almost impenetrable fogs had settled down over the city of London.

In a dismal flat in the heart of the crowded East End, a man stood gazing into the fireplace. Then suddenly, overcome by emotions of discouragement, gripped by fears that he could not name, he threw his cloak about him and walked resolutely toward the door. He turned the key and walked out into the night.

Carefully he groped his way across the pavement and felt for the iron horse's head and the ring of the hitching post. Then, guided by the curbstone, he made his way to the nearest corner, where he knew a horse-drawn cab was always waiting.

He opened its door and ordered the driver, "To the Thames, sir!" For in his deep depression there seemed no way out but to jump from the bridge.

It should have taken 15 minutes, but after an hour and a half of negotiating the dark and foggy streets they realized they were hopelessly lost. In desperation, he decided to walk and paid the driver his fare.

But as he alighted, his arm struck a familiar object. It was the iron horse's head of the hitching post that to him was so familiar. After an hour and a half of fitful wandering he had alighted in front of his own home.

So impressed was he that he climbed the stairs to his flat, lighted the lamp, and knelt to ask God to forgive him for what he had thought to do. And then, there in that same room that had so lately overcome him with its gloom, he wrote these immortal words that were long a favorite hymn:

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea,

And rides upon the storm.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,

And He will make it plain.

Yes, it was William Cowper who learned that night something of the wonder of God's providence.

One morning R. C. Chapman, a devout Christian, was asked how he was feeling. “I’m burdened this morning!” was his reply. But his happy countenance contradicted his words. So the questioner exclaimed in surprise, “Are you really burdened, Mr. Chapman?” “Yes, but it’s a wonderful burden—it’s an overabundance of blessings for which I cannot find enough time or words to express my gratitude!” Seeing the puzzled look on the face of his friend, Chapman added with a smile, “I am referring to Psalm 68:19, which fully describes my condition. In that verse the Father in heaven reminds us that He ‘daily loads us with benefits.’”

F. E. Marsh has enumerated some of these blessings:

An acceptance that can never be questioned. (Eph. 1:6).

An inheritance that can never be lost (I Peter 1:3-5).

A deliverance that can never be excelled (2 Cor. l:10).

A grace that can never be limited (2 Cor. 12:9).

A hope that can never be disappointed. (Heb. 6:18, 19).

A bounty that can never be withdrawn. (I Col. 3:21-23).

A joy that need never be diminished (John 15:11).

A nearness to God that can never be reversed (Eph. 2:13).

A peace that can never be disturbed (John 14:27).

A righteousness that can never be tarnished (2 Cor. 5:21).

A salvation that can never be canceled (Heb. 5:9).