At the outbreak of the Civil War, a Tennessee cotton-planter could not decide which cause to support, the North or the South. He had friends on both sides, so he decided to be absolutely neutral. He wore a gray jacket and blue trousers, thereby dressing for both the Confederacy and the Union. One day this … Continue reading “CONVICTIONS”
CONVERSION, EXAMPLE OF
Luis Palau tells of a woman in Peru whose life was radically transformed by the power of Christ. Rosario was her name. She was a terrorist, a brute of a woman who was an expert in several martial arts. In her terrorist activities she had killed twelve policemen. When Luis conducted a crusade in Lima, … Continue reading “CONVERSION, EXAMPLE OF”
CONVERSIONS, CONSEQUENCES OF
When many people are converted they make the mistake of thinking that the battle was already theirs, that the victory is now won. But, after serving Christ for a few months, we realize that conversion is like enlisting in the army: there is a battle at hand and many more in the future.250 In England … Continue reading “CONVERSIONS, CONSEQUENCES OF”
CONFERENCES
John R. Mott was for many years head of the Student Volunteer Movement when it was a vital force for Christ and for worldwide evangelism. When asked to evaluate his life, Mott commented, “If I had my life to live over, I would give much more emphasis to student conferences and retreats, because the benefits … Continue reading “CONFERENCES”
CONCLUSIONS
Drawing unwarranted conclusions is like looking through a keyhole. The trouble is, you don’t always see enough to warrant a conclusion, but once you’ve seen a little, it’s difficult to resist trying.233
COMMUNICATION, LACK OF
The story is told of two businessmen, an American and a Frenchman, who met on a transatlantic voyage. As the American was seated for lunch with the Frenchman, the latter raised his wine glass and said, “Bon appetit.” To which the smiling American replied, “Johnson.” Since neither spoke the other’s language, no other words were … Continue reading “COMMUNICATION, LACK OF”
COMMUNICATION, CLARITY IN
If Jesus came to certain theological schools today and asked the professors, “And you, who do you think I am?” what do you think they might reply? Some might answer, “You are the eschatological manifestation of the kerygma in which we recognize the ultimate significance of our interpersonal relations.” And Jesus would probably say, “What?!”224 … Continue reading “COMMUNICATION, CLARITY IN”
COMMITTEES
A secretary burst into the office of a Detroit executive on May 21, 1927, and cried, “Mr. Murphy, a man has just flown from New York to Paris all by himself.” When her employer continued to work calmly, she cried out, “Don’t you understand? A man has just flown the Atlantic all by himself!” Then … Continue reading “COMMITTEES”
COMMITMENT, COST OF
A hen and a pig approached a church and read the advertised sermon topic: “What can we do to help the poor?” Immediately the hen suggested they feed them bacon and eggs. The pig thought for a moment and said, “There is only one thing wrong with feeding bacon and eggs to the poor. For … Continue reading “COMMITMENT, COST OF”
COMMITMENT, COMMUNIST
“If you ask me what is the distinguishing mark of the Communist, what is it that Communists most outstandingly have in common, I would not say, as some might expect, their ability to hate …, I would say beyond any shadow of doubt it is their idealism, their zeal, dedication, devotion to their cause and … Continue reading “COMMITMENT, COMMUNIST”