Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 15, 2009
1938 God Moves In Mysterious Ways
At age 32, William Cowper passed through a great crisis in his life. He tried to end his life by taking laudanum. Then he hired a horse-drawn cabbie, ordering the driver to take him to the Thames, intending to throw himself from the bridge. It was one of London’s
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 28, 2009
SECURITY
Consider this story in relying upon God:
The 3-year-old felt secure in his father’s arms as Dad stood in the middle of the pool. But Dad, for fun, began walking slowly toward the deep end, gently chanting, “Deeper and deeper and deeper,” as the water rose higher and higher on the child.
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THE ARTIST AND THE GARDENER
Both the artist and the gardener begin with contemplation, paying close attention to what is already there.
The gardner looks carefully at the landscape; the existing plants, both flowers and weeds; the way the sun falls on the land, and so on. The artist regards their
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Baptist
WE HAVE THE KEY
Father William Bausch told a story of a boy who one morning had arrived very early at school and waited patiently at the door. Next to arrive was a lady who was surprised that this youngster had arrived so early. "It’s locked" the pupil said as the teacher tried the door. She began
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Methodist
Contributed by Matthew Rings on Oct 18, 2012
based on 2 ratings
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STONING THE PASTOR
I bought some small rubber rocks from DC Works and put them on the chairs before people came into the room. As I opened the message, I asked them if I said anything that was blasphemous if they would stone me. I told them not to be shy and to let me have it. I then introduced
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Presbyterian/Reformed
Contributed by Matthew Oliver on Oct 20, 2012
Christian man Carl Behr of Baldwin, Pennsylvania received a notice on Monday ordering him to remove the 24-foot high illuminated cross he has installed in his front yard and kept lit day and night. But Behr plans to fight the order at a municipal meeting. “It’s all about my faith, and some people
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Episcopal/Anglican
Contributed by Matthew Kratz on May 18, 2008
LO! I AM WITH THEE
David Livingstone had spent sixteen years in Africa. The white man was surrounded by hostile, angry natives in the heart of Africa. He was in danger of losing his life and contemplated fleeing in the night. But something happened that changed his mind and gave him peace in his
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on May 18, 2008
based on 1 rating
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KEEPING THE AQUARIUM
"With all our education, our fine buildings, our image of the church, we are doing less to win people to Christ than our unschooled forefathers did. We're no longer fishers of men, but keepers of the aquarium, and we spend most of our time swiping fish from each other's bowl."
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on May 18, 2008
based on 4 ratings
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MENTORING AS A CHURCH PRACTICE
"...In most churches, the congregation pays the pastor to preach, win the lost, and build up the saved—-while the church members function as cheerleaders (if they are enthusiastic) or spectators. The "converts" are won, baptized, and given the right hand of
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 2, 2008
We Praise What We Enjoy
C.S. Lewis said: “I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 2, 2008
based on 3 ratings
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"God's 'glory' is how we describe the sum effect of all of his attributes: grace, truth, goodness, mercy, justice, knowledge, power, eternality--all that He is. Therefore, the glory of God is intrinsic; it is as essential to God as light is to the sun and as wet is to water. You don't make the sun
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 2, 2008
Jonathan Edwards’ Conversion
One day when Jonathan Edwards was at home in his father’s house; some hindrances kept him from going to church one Sunday with the family. A couple of hours with nothing to do sent him listlessly into the library; the sight of a dull volume with no title on the leather
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 9, 2008
"So far we have seen that God is a real being who is perfect, necessary and unlimited, but nothing has been said about the fundamental nature of that being. Invoking the language of substances, we note that things that exist independent of mind are made of one of two types of substance (or of
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 9, 2008
There are three huge gates that lead into the Cathedral of Milan. Over one gate there is an inscription in marble (under a beautiful flower bouquet) that says, "The things that please are temporary." Over the second gate, there is a cross with this inscription: "The things that disturb us are
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 9, 2008
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Eternity magazine contained a new item on immortality and people's fascination with it. The article read: “The quest for pseudoimmortality took a giant leap forward with the announcement that you can send your remains "to the heavens" when you die. The Celestis Group of Melbourne, Florida, has
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 15, 2008
"We cannot be profoundly influenced (or encouraged) by that which we do not know. The comfort and strength of God's Word will avail us not at all if we do not know it"
Source: Hughes, R. K. (1993). Hebrews: An
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Contributed by Matthew Kratz on Jun 15, 2008
1348 Letting Children Free to Develop?
A gentleman named Coleridge was once talking with a man who told him that he did not believe in giving little children any religious instruction whatsoever. His theory was that the child’s mind should not be prejudiced in any direction, but when he came to
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