A ROCKY FOUNDATION

  While very ill, John Knox the founder of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland called to his wife and said “read me that scripture where I first cast my anchor”. After he listened to the beautiful prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17 he seemed to forget his weakness. He began to pray for the ungodly who had thus far rejected the gospel. He pleaded on behalf of the people who had been recently converted. He requested protection for the Lord’s servants, many of whom were facing persecution. As Knox prayed, his spirit went home to be with the Lord. The man of whom Queen Mary had said “I fear his prayers more than I do the armies of my enemies” ministered through prayer until the moment of his death (our daily bread April 11). Paul’s prayers for the Philippians (1:9-11) end in verse 11 in a God-focused way. A s their love becomes limitless and their discernment deepens, they would become fully sincere and fruitful. They would develop a godly character and abound in good deeds. God...

  One of the greatest songs by Johnny Cash has these words:  I'm just a chunk of coal, But I'm gonna be a diamond someday I'm gonna glow and grow, til I'm so blue pure perfect I'm gonna put a smile on everybody's face I'm gonna kneel and pray everyday Lest I should become vain along the way I'm just a chunk of coal, now Lord But I'm gonna be a diamond someday Philippians is Paul’s letter to a church that he loved dearly.   Paul’s prayer for the Philippians was that “love may abound still more and more in knowledge and discernment that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God ” (Phil. 1:.9-11). He concludes with the desired end result, which is that they be “ filled with the fruits of righteousness...praise and glory of God”. Paul desired that the peopl...

                            A story is told of a man who fell in love with an opera singer.  He hardly knew her, since his only view of the singer was through binoculars from a third balcony.   But he was convinced he could live "happily ever after" married to a voice like that .  He did not notice she was considerably older than he was.  Nor did he care that she walked with a limp.   Her great soprano voice would take them through whatever might come.   After a whirlwind romance and a hurry-up ceremony, they were off for their honeymoon together.   She began to prepare for their first night together.   As he watched, his chin dropped to his chest.  She plucked out her glass eye and plopped it into a container on the nightstand.  She pulled off her wig, rippe...

                                                                           When Charles Cowman the founder of Oriental Missionary Society won Ernest Kilbourne to Christ, Kilbourne became his closest friend. Their relationship, said Mrs. Cowman was “too beautiful for words”.   When Cowman lay dying in 1924, he and Kilbourne reminisced about their long and happy relationship in the Lord with each other. “God knit our hearts together” the ailing leader sighed. Then reflecting in the silence that followed, Cowman corrected himself “no, knit is not the word. He has burned our hearts to...