In his autobiography, Just As I Am, Billy Graham told the story of meeting two men on a Caribbean island he was visiting with his wife, Ruth. One of the wealthiest men in the world asked us to come to his lavish home for lunch. He was seventy-five years old, and throughout the entire meal …
Continue reading “65513 13. Dissatisfaction: The Restless Heart”
Lust is the ape that gibbers in our loins,” declares the character Godric in a novel by Frederick Buechner. “Tame him as we will by day, he rages all the wilder in our dreams by night. Just when we think we are safe from him, he raises up his ugly head and smirks, and there’s …
You may remember the scandal from the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in which a French ice skating judge scored a Russian pair higher than the Canadians Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, who had turned in what was widely considered a superior performance. But do you know how the truth came out? With …
Visitors to Castle Ward, a country estate near Strangford Lough in Ireland, are treated to the sight of a house divided against itself, literally. One façade is in the classical style, while the other is in the Gothic style. This difference in design extends to the interior of the house, where the rooms that were …
Continue reading “65516 16. Divisiveness: Disturbing the Peace”
In 1967, the ministry that Vonette and I (Bill) had started years earlier, Campus Crusade for Christ, was running smoothly and expanding steadily. But trouble was brewing on the inside. A half dozen regional directors had become disappointed with me as the CEO, and one day in October, they asked for a meeting with me. …
Continue reading “65517 17. Rebellion: Playing against Your Own Team”
About to open wide, with the drill lowering toward his mouth, a man humorously pleaded with his dentist, “Careful, doc. I can stand anything but pain.” By nature, every one of us is inclined to take the path of least resistance. The dentist usually injects us with Novocain to keep us from feeling any pain. …
Continue reading “65518 18. Irresponsibility: The Undisciplined Life”
A young friend of mine (Bill’s) found that his life had become a nightmare of addiction, promiscuous living, brushes with the law, and loneliness. One night he called out to God for help—he was not seeking salvation, just deliverance. In reply to his prayer, he sensed the Father’s reply: “You don’t want Me in your …
Just as there are physical laws that govern the physical universe, so there are spiritual laws that govern your relationship with God. Law 1: God loves you and created you to know Him personally. God’s Love God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will …
Continue reading “65520 Appendix A: How to Know God Personally”
Every day can be an exciting adventure for the Christian who knows the reality of being filled with the Holy Spirit and who lives constantly, moment by moment, under His gracious direction. The Bible tells us there are three kinds of people: 1. The Natural Person: One who has not received Christ People who aren’t …
Continue reading “65521 Appendix B: How to Be Filled with the Holy Spirit”
If you become aware of an area of your life (an attitude or an action) that is displeasing to the Lord, even though you are walking with Him and sincerely desiring to serve Him, simply thank God that He has forgiven your sins—past, present, and future—on the basis of Christ’s death on the cross. Claim …