EARNESTLY CONTEND FOR THE FAITH WHICH WAS ONCE DELIVERED UNTO THE SAINTS
As Christians, part of our walk with God — and one of the ways we grow spiritually — is going through periods of trial. Some time ago, I faced a prolonged situation that not only caused emotional pain, but began to affect me physically as well. As it began to weigh me down, I turned to the ...
Occasionally a pleasant event is interrupted by bad news, and in just a matter of minutes we find ourselves feeling burdened and distressed instead of happy and excited. At such times, our instinct as Christians is to turn to God in prayer.
I had that experience a couple of years ago when a friend and I were about to leave Florida on...
Ivan Moiseyev — or Vanya, as he was called by his friends — entered the Soviet Army in 1970 at the age of eighteen to fulfill his two-year term of required military service. Though he had been taught Communist philosophy and atheistic beliefs in school, Vanya’s parents were Christians, and in his teen years he had been wonderfully saved. From that point on,...
While visiting a small town on the picturesque Southern Oregon Coast, my wife and I decided to travel a different road back over the mountains to our home. Though the coastline offers many gorgeous scenic vistas, the high country has its own type of beauty, and enjoying the scenery and the fresh mountain air in that area seemed like a...
When we lean upon God and put our trust in His Word, He gives us courage to face those who “reproach” us for our faith. A brother in our Lagos church is one of the many who have experienced how...
Covetousness — a greedy, acquisitive, avaricious love of money — is an insidious evil. To many individuals who build their lives around acquiring and accumulating wealth, money represents success, power, and prestige; to others, it represents security. John G. Wendel and his sisters may have been in the latter category, although no one knows for sure. Whatever their reasons, they are considered to be among the most...
It was the day after Thanksgiving and I was tired. My head was throbbing, and adding to my woes, I discovered the drain for the kitchen sink had plugged, creating a pool of dirty water several feet wide in the basement. What a mess! It took way too many trips up and down stairs, three excursions...
John Clasper, known to many as “Brother Scotty,” was a beloved minister in the Apostolic Faith work. When he was about to pass into eternity, the nurse in attendance asked if she could do anything for him. He said, “Just roll back the roof, and let me go!” There was no fear in his heart as he approached the end...
My parents are buried in a lovely cemetery that is spread across rolling hills and surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens. From time to time, my brother and I go there to honor and reminisce about our mom and dad. Recently we brought flowers they both had loved. As I laid the blooms across the names ...
During World War II, the compassionate and devout family of watchmaker Casper ten Boom provided refuge for people fleeing the Nazi secret police in Holland. A small secret area was created behind one wall of daughter Corrie’s tiny bedroom on the uppermost story of the family...