A certain man purchased a paper at a newspaper stand. He greeted the newsman very courteously, but in return received gruff and discourteous service. Accepting the newspaper, which was rudely shoved in his face, the customer politely smiled and wished the newsman a nice weekend. A friend observed all of this and asked, “Does he … Continue reading “EVIL, RESPONSE TO”
EVIL, PURPOSE OF
A composer of a musical score sometimes includes some discords to create an overall pleasing effect. In a similar manner, God’s ultimate purpose for the world was best served by a plan that allowed for the presence and activity of evil.430
EVIL, PROBLEM OF
Whatever the answer to why there is evil and suffering in the world, this much is true: God took his own medicine.429
EVANGELISM, NECESSITY FOR
A young boy about seven years old went to Disneyland with his family, but in the excitement of going on all the rides, he was separated from them. He was having such a wonderful time that it was quite a while before he realized that he was lost. When he discovered the predicament he was … Continue reading “EVANGELISM, NECESSITY FOR”
EVANGELISM, MOTIVES FOR
Imagine that I have ten bags of money here, each containing a thousand dollars, and that I offer one of these bags to each of the first ten people who, by this time tomorrow, will share the gospel with a non-believer and invite him to receive Jesus Christ as Savior. The response of the non-believer … Continue reading “EVANGELISM, MOTIVES FOR”
EVANGELISM, MUSLIMS AND
A Christian man was looking for an opportunity to witness to a devout Muslim whom he knew. One day the chance came when the Muslim was preparing for prayer by carefully washing his arms and face and other parts of his body. When he was through, his Christian friend told him that he had forgotten … Continue reading “EVANGELISM, MUSLIMS AND”
EVANGELISM, METHODS OF
In an apparent effort to promote the spread of the gospel message, someone in a major city decided to take a can of spray paint and spray-paint the message “Trust Jesus” on sidewalks, overpasses, and even mailboxes in the downtown area. This was not “evangelism,” but rather, “evandalism.” The right message does not justify the … Continue reading “EVANGELISM, METHODS OF”
EVANGELISM, LOVE AND
This story is told of Harry Winston, who was one of the world’s greatest jewel merchants. One day he watched one of his salesmen show a beautiful diamond to a rich Dutch merchant. The customer listened thoughtfully to the expert description, but he eventually turned away, saying, “It’s a wonderful stone, but not exactly what … Continue reading “EVANGELISM, LOVE AND”
EVANGELISM, COMMITMENT TO
Coca-Cola has fulfilled their own version of the Great Commission many times over. They have virtually put a bottle of Coke in everyone’s hand. If they can do it with a soft drink, we can certainly do it with the gospel.409 Many Christians are like the Arctic River—frozen over at the mouth! In evangelism, the … Continue reading “EVANGELISM, COMMITMENT TO”
EVANGELISM, CLARITY IN
As the following dialogue illustrates, many times well-meaning Christians, including evangelists, fail to communicate the Good News to non-believers because they use terms that the non-believer doesn’t use, or uses in a different way. Evangelist: Are you a member of the Christian family? Store clerk: No, they live two miles down the road, the white … Continue reading “EVANGELISM, CLARITY IN”