An all-too-common response on the part of not a few Christians when they encounter marked trials and suffering is to doubt God’s goodness and His love for them. Even normally strong believers can experience such doubts when faced with strong adversity.

Where do those doubts come from? How can they be effectively dealt with? An incident from the ministry of Dwight Moody, an eminent evangelist on both sides of the Atlantic during the late 1800s, provides some helpful perspectives on these issues.

While holding evangelistic meetings in Dundee, Scotland, in 1874, Moody was taken to visit a bedridden cripple. When fifteen years old, this individual had fallen and broken his back. Since then he had lain on his bed for about forty years and could not be moved without considerable pain. Hardly a day had passed in all those years without acute suffering.

But day after day God’s grace had been granted to the invalid. To Moody and others it seemed that his bedroom was as near to heaven as one could get on earth. When Moody met the man and beheld his sweet, trusting spirit, he thought he must be beyond the reach of the Tempter. Still he asked him, “Doesn’t Satan ever tempt you to doubt God, and to think that He is a hard Master?”

“Oh yes,” he affirmed, “he does try to tempt me. I lie here and see my old schoolmates driving along in their carriages, and Satan says: ‘If God is so good, why does He keep you here all these years? You might have been a rich man, riding in your own carriage.’ Then I see a man, who was young when I was, walk by in perfect health, and Satan whispers: ‘If God loved you, couldn’t He have kept you from breaking your back?’”

“What do you do when Satan tempts you?” the evangelist queried.

“Ah, I just take him to Calvary and show him Christ. And I point out those wounds in His hands and feet and side, and say, ‘Doesn’t He love me?’ And the fact is, he got such a scare there eighteen hundred years ago that he cannot stand it. He leaves me every time.”

“That bedridden saint had not much trouble with doubts,” Moody often afterward testified of the man. “He was too full of the grace of God.”

When faced with our own hard trials and resulting doubts, let’s focus much on the cross of Christ. Doing so fixedly will greatly help us in maintaining a strong, sweet spirit of trust in God and appreciation for our Savior in His ultimate act of love in our behalf.

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This and a number of other beneficial examples of Christians dealing with adversity in God-trusting, Christ-honoring fashion can be found in my book Timeless Stories: God’s Incredible Work in the Lives of Inspiring Christians (Christian Focus Publications). If you’ve appreciated and benefited from this blog, thanks for sharing it with others. Copyright 2026 by Vance E. Christie

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One thing that has always impressed me about great men and women of faith is: their reflex response to various types of adversity or need is to trust that God is going to care and provide for them. From long exercise of their faith in God’s character and the promises of His Word, they automatically anticipate that His help and provision will definitely come to them.

Throughout his five decades of service as a Christian missionary in China, Hudson Taylor exhibited a reflexive faith response when faced with all variety of challenges, including pressing material needs, overwhelming ministry pressures, imminent dangers, the need for ever-increasing numbers of missionaries, and more. To follow are two examples of his automatically manifesting such faith in the Lord.

During the latter months of 1859, at age twenty-seven, Taylor needed to assume the leadership of the missionary hospital and dispensary in Ningpo, China.  It was a huge task, with care being given daily to fifty or more inpatients, about half of whom were recovering opium addicts.  In addition, a large number of outpatients—more than six hundred by year’s end—came to the dispensary for treatment.

The expenses to keep the medical ministry operating were enormous, and he constantly needed to look in faith to God to provide the need.  One morning, after he had been overseeing the work for a few weeks, the hospital’s cook anxiously informed him, “The very last bag of rice has been opened and is disappearing rapidly.”

“Then the Lord’s time for helping us must be close at hand,” the missionary responded reassuringly.

Before the bag of rice was consumed, Taylor received a letter and a check for fifty British pounds (equaling 250 American dollars, worth twenty or thirty times that amount today) from a faithful supporter back in England. Part of the letter read: “The enclosed check is for any immediate needs which you might have. Would you be so kind as to write fully, after praying over the matter, if there are ways in which you can profitably use more?”

Great was the rejoicing of the missionary and his little band of faithful Christian workers when he relayed this news to them.  They were not bashful about sharing the joyous news with the hospital’s unconverted patients as a testimony of the power and love of the one true God.

Many years later, in the summer of 1886, Hudson Taylor was accompanied by fellow missionary Montagu Beauchamp in making an extended ministry itineration on mules.  During the journey they faced not a little hardship and deprivation.  One morning Beauchamp overheard Taylor singing, “We thank thee, Lord, for this our food.” 

The younger missionary could not help but ask, “Where on earth is the food?”

“It can’t be far away,” Taylor responded cheerfully.  “Our Father knows we are hungry and will send our breakfast soon.”  He then added with a smile, “But you will have to wait and say your grace when it comes, while I shall be ready to begin at once!”

As providence would have it, just a couple of minutes later they met a man selling ready-cooked rice and were able to purchase their breakfast.

What are the difficulties and needs we are facing currently? By reminding ourselves of the character and promises of God, let’s seek to exercise strong, steadfast faith that He can and will help us with those matters. With the Lord’s enablement, may we over time come to have an automatic faith response in Him.

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These and dozens of other examples of Taylor’s remarkable reflexive faith in God can be found in two of my books: Hudson Taylor: Gospel Pioneer to China (P&R Publishing); Timeless Stories: God’s Incredible Work in the Lives of Inspiring Christians (Christian Focus Publications). If you’ve appreciated and benefited from this blog, thanks for sharing it with others.

Copyright 2026 by Vance E. Christie

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Here’s a contrasting set of prayer examples which remind us that the blessing and benefit to be derived from prayer often depends on the spirit with which we carry it out. If we approach prayer as a privilege to be relished rather than as a duty to be discharged, we’re far more likely to have greater enjoyment and profit in it.

About the main characters in these contrasting examples: Amy Carmichael grew up in Ireland, then served as a Christian missionary in India for fifty-six years. Her fruitful ministries to over 2,500 orphans were marked by great faith and compassion. Betsie and Corrie ten Boom were sisters from Haarlem, Holland, who were imprisoned in a German concentration camp for sheltering Jews from the Nazis during World War 2. While Betsie died there, for three decades after the war Corrie carried the message of God’s love and forgiveness to more than sixty countries around the world.

Once as a young girl, Amy Carmichael attended a Wednesday evening prayer meeting where the speaker’s theme was “Our Departure from This World.”  To amuse herself, Amy paged through the hymnal and counted up all the various things song writers said Christians would do at the precise moment of their earthly departure.  She could not imagine how a dying person could possibly manage all those things at once.

Coming across William Walford’s familiar hymn, Sweet Hour of Prayer, she read the last verse:

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer,
May I thy consolations share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home, and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing thro’ the air,
Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!

Amy was especially encouraged at the prospect of shouting while passing through the air, “Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!”  She thought the words must surely apply to that very prayer meeting, which was apparently running rather long to her youthful way of thinking!

Very much by way of contrast, long before dawn one frigid winter morning, Betsie and Corrie ten Boom walked toward the square where roll call was to be held in Ravensbruck, the concentration camp where they were prisoners.  The cruel head of their barracks had heartlessly ordered everyone out into the bitter cold a full hour earlier than necessary.

Corrie and Betsie went to the square by a different route than their fellow prisoners.  The bright early morning stars were their only light.  They could faintly see the outlines of the barracks, the gas chamber, the crematorium, and the guard towers.

As they walked hand in hand they prayed, savoring the Lord’s and each other’s company.  First Betsie prayed, followed by Corrie.  Then they were both quiet and sensed God’s reassuring presence with them.

Suddenly Betsie broke the silence by exclaiming: “Isn’t this a bit of heaven! And, Lord, this is a small foretaste.  One day we will see You face-to-face. But thank You that even now You are giving us the joy of walking and talking with You.”

For us, may prayer not seem like a duty to be discharged while carefully keeping one eye on the slowly moving clock. May it instead prove to be a welcome privilege, to relish fellowship with our heavenly Father while simultaneously seeking His gracious blessings in the midst of life’s ongoing challenges.

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These and numerous other beneficial examples relating to prayer and additional key aspects of the Christian life can be found in my book Timeless Stories: God’s Incredible Work in the Lives of Inspiring Christians. If you’ve appreciated and benefited from this blog, thanks for sharing it with others.

Copyright 2026 by Vance E. Christie

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Here’s a short, sweet true story (and a related Scripture passage) to encourage us to be generous in our giving to the Lord’s work and in helping to meet the needs of others. Such Christlike giving is commendable for all Christians, whether we possess much or little financially speaking.

George Muller is well known to many Christians as the faith-filled individual who raised the equivalent of millions of dollars in the 1800s to provide the material, spiritual, educational, and occupational-training needs of thousands of orphans in England. Ultimately, of course, God gets the glory for (1) the strong, unshakable faith He gave Muller in the promises of God’s Word and (2) the amazing manner in which He abundantly blessed Muller’s faith in carrying out the ministries into which the Lord led him.

Another indispensable factor in Muller’s remarkable accomplishments were the untold thousands of Christians who generously, even sacrificially, supported his ministries financially and in other practical ways. Some did so out of their material abundance, while others gave who had little or nothing to spare.

While raising funds for the establishment of his initial orphan ministry in December 1835, Muller was surprised to receive a donation of 100 pounds (equaling $500) from a seamstress who could not earn that much money in ten years’ time.  Going to visit the woman, he discovered she had recently received an inheritance of 480 pounds at her father’s death.  She had paid off some outstanding family debts with a large portion of the money, had given her mother 100 pounds, and had donated the same amount to Muller’s orphan ministry.

He spoke with her at length, actually trying to persuade her to reconsider whether or not she should make such a sizeable donation.  She replied earnestly: “The Lord Jesus has given His last drop of blood for me, and should I not give all the money I have?  Rather than that the orphan house should not be established, I will give all the money I have.”

Muller left her house with the original donation plus an additional five pounds that she insisted he take for the poorer members of the church he pastored.  He afterward commented: “During her lifetime, I suppose not six brethren and sisters among us knew that she had ever possessed 480 pounds, or that she had given 100 pounds towards the orphan house.”

We’re reminded of the biblical example of the Macedonian Christians in contributing to a freewill offering for needy saints in Judea: “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints” (2 Corinthians 8:1-4).

Jesus Himself provides Christians with the ultimate model of generous, sacrificial giving for the good of others: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”

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Many more inspiring, instructive examples of selfless giving and faith-filled service can be found in my book Timeless Stories: God’s Incredible Work in the Lives of Inspiring Christians. If you’ve enjoyed and benefited from this blog, thanks for sharing it with others. 

Copyright 2026 by Vance E. Christie

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Throughout Luis Palau’s long, fruitful career as an eminent worldwide evangelist, he saw many instances of people’s lives being dramatically transformed by Christ and the Christian Gospel of salvation.  Here’s one of those amazing true stories.

Late in 1970 Luis Palau and his team were making advance preparations for a large evangelistic campaign to be held in Lima, the capital of Peru, the following year. At that time Peru was not a safe, stable country. A military dictatorship had seized control of the nation, and communist rebels were trying to overthrow the government. Many rebels were carrying out guerilla warfare. Bloodshed was common in parts of the country.

Luis was invited to preach at some pre-crusade rallies in Lima in December 1970. At one of those meetings, a communist revolutionary named Rosario came with the intention of attacking him or perhaps ending his life!

Rosario was born out of wedlock in the slums outside Lima. She grew up full of anger at the lack of food and water as well as the poverty she saw all around her.

Although she did not finish her formal education, she became an avid reader. By age thirteen she was reading the works of Marx and Linen. By the time she was eighteen she had become a militant communist.

She hated the upper classes and anyone else whom she thought stood in the way of communist ideals being set up in society. More than once on her missions, she had violently attacked or even killed her perceived opponents. She also hated anything having to do with God or Christianity.

Rosario happened to hear one of Luis’s Spanish radio programs and learned that he would be speaking live at a theater in Lima that evening. Though she knew nothing else about him, she was immediately filled with rage and hatred toward him.

That night Rosario sat in the auditorium, listening to Luis’s message on ‘The Five Hells of Human Existence’ – murder, robbery, deceit, hypocritical homes, and hatred. Each sin he mentioned pricked her conscience. When he gave an invitation at the close of the sermon, she came forward with scores of other people. But murder rather than becoming a Christian was on her mind.

A little old lady, a Peruvian Christian, had come forward as well, to counsel anyone who might desire guidance in making a spiritual decision. Approaching Rosario, the older woman asked, ‘Madam, may I help you receive Christ?’ Rosario struck the well-intentioned counselor, then panicked at the commotion she had caused and fled from the theater.

Later that night, as Rosario tossed and turned in bed, God’s Spirit kept pressing two verses from Luis’s message on her mind. The first, Jeremiah 17:5, states: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord.’ The contrasting verse, Jeremiah 17:7, says: ‘Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.’

Very early the next morning, Rosario fell on her knees and trusted in Christ Jesus to save her from her many sins. She stood back up a fully forgiven, completely changed child of God.

Previously Rosario tried to help the poor by forcing radical communist ideology on society, even through the use of violence. After her Christian conversion, she did even more to aid the poor, but now out of Christian compassion. Through her efforts, running water and electric lights were provided for the poor neighborhood where she had grown up.

She also met with factory bosses and admonished them to treat their employees fairly. ‘I warn them,’ she stated, ‘that Christ is over them’ (Colossians 4:1). She addressed high school classes and debated political issues, using her own experiences to show that only Christ can meet people’s deepest needs. Scores of young people came to believe in Jesus as a result of her ministry.

Luis did not learn about Rosario’s Christian conversion and subsequent service until he read her testimony in a German news service report, a full ten years after the initial Lima crusade of 1971. A few more years passed before he finally met her during another Lima campaign.

Luis correctly points out: ‘Marxist revolutions in Latin America and elsewhere have never transformed lives for the better. As Rosario’s story illustrates, the only revolution that works occurs every time someone becomes a new creation in Christ. He alone changes lives for good here and now – and for all eternity.’

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Many more examples of people’s lives being dramatically transformed through saving faith in Jesus Christ are included in my new youth biography, Luis Palau: Calling the World to Christ. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at www.vancechristie.com if you would like to learn more about coming to know Jesus as one’s Savior and Lord.  

Copyright 2025 by Vance E. Christie

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As those of you who are familiar with my writing ministry can affirm, through the years I’ve done a fair amount of missionary biography reading and writing. But just this year I’ve become acquainted with an absolute treasure trove of missionary biography which I was entirely unaware of previously. Thanks for allowing me to introduce you to this valuable resource if, like me, you’ve not been aware of it till now.

The treasure trove I’m recommending is M. R. Conrad’s outstanding trio of book-length “missions devotionals” published by Church Works Media. His newest volume has just been published and is entitled Daring Decision: A 31-Day Journey with Those Who Followed God’s Leading. It explores the vital issue of how God calls and guides people to serve Him with their lives. It features the examples of individuals who carefully sought, then faithfully followed, God’s leading in serving Him, both at home and abroad.

Conrad’s first collection of missionary biography devotionals (published 2020) is entitled Daring Devotion: A 31-Day Journey with Those Who Lived God’s Promises. It introduces readers to the rich spiritual resource of missionary biography, and relates the testimonies of missionaries who claimed the promises of God in His Word in carrying out their ministries.

Conrad’s second work in this series is Daring Dependence: A 31-Day Journey with Those Who Found Their Strength in God (published 2022). It shares the examples of missionaries who manifested an all-out dependence on God and His enablement in order to carry out the Christian living and service He desired of them.

These books provide a veritable Who’s Who of prominent missionaries, mainly from the past three centuries, including Gladys Aylward, William Borden, David Brainerd, William Carey, Amy Carmichael, Oswald Chambers, Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth, Adoniram Judson, Eric Liddell, David Livingstone, Henry Martyn, Robert Moffat, Lottie Moon, Robert Morrison, John Paton, Mary Slessor, John and Betty Stam, C. T. Studd, and Hudson Taylor. In addition, the volumes also introduce us to a number of somewhat less known but equally dedicated missionaries, such as Geoffrey Bull, William Burns, Alexander Duff, James Gilmour, Betty Green, Norris and Mary Groves, Arthur and Wilda Mathews, Peter Rumachik, Peter Torjesen, Lilias Trotter, and John Williams. Several other notable promoters of worldwide missions and evangelism are featured in the books, among them being Robert Murray M’Cheyne, Dwight Moody, George Muller, Charles Simeon, George Whitfield, and Nicolas von Zinzendorf.

Conrad’s books devote one chapter to each of these (and numerous other) individuals, all of whom are well worth getting to know. The author briefly relates some of the significant features of each person’s spiritual development and service, then brings out a primary lesson from his or her life. Each individual’s testimony is related in an interesting fashion that captures and holds the reader’s attention.

Conrad concludes each chapter by relating its main point of emphasis to our Christian living and service today. His spiritual perspectives and guidance are sound and substantive. His applications are challenging but also encouraging.

Every chapter includes a suggested Scripture reading, and often additional Bible references, which establish the primary lessons on a solid biblical foundation. A short set of “Personal Reflection” questions at the end of each chapter further assists readers in thinking through and applying the material under consideration.

These readings can be profitably used as a part of one’s personal or family devotions. The chapters are not long, only five or six pages each, so can be read in a relatively brief amount of time. But they should certainly not be rushed through, rather prayerfully pondered and personally applied.

These books are not only for those interested in missions and those contemplating vocational Christian service. All Christians who desire to serve the Lord well – right where they’re at presently and wherever He leads them in the future – will gain great encouragement and benefit from the works.

Conrad is well qualified to have written these volumes. The Lord used many of the biographies Conrad references to play a part in discipling him as a young man, as he considered God’s will for his life. He served in urban Asia for twelve years in church planting and leadership training. His leadership training ministries now include key areas in the Middle East and East Africa. His years of firsthand experience in personal missionary endeavor and his obvious commitment to helping expand Christ’s worldwide kingdom work enable him to write as a knowledgeable and passionate practitioner rather than merely as a theoretician.  

Conrad’s books also provide a wealth of bibliographical information. Each chapter and its endnotes contain a primary biography about the missionary being considered, and often a number of other bibliographical sources as well. In addition, at the end of each of his three books Conrad includes an “Essential Missionary Biography Checklist,” which in Daring Decision (his third book) has grown to a list of twenty “Must-Read Missionary Biographies” and thirty-eight “Worth-Reading Missionary Biographies.”

Which of Conrad’s three books should you start with?  Perhaps the primary theme of one of the volumes as briefly described above will appeal to you most at this time. Any and all his works will prove spiritually profitable. You can learn more about the author and his books at his website www.mrconrad.net.

Copyright 2025 by Vance E. Christie

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William Carey, the eminent pioneer missionary to India, wrote a letter to his son Jabez on the eve of the latter’s launching out on an extremely important ministry venture at the tender age of twenty. The letter brims over with Carey’s sage fatherly advice and provides a sterling example of a Christian parent’s sound, spiritual counsel to an adult child. The missive is beneficial for our own consideration as well, though it was originally written only as a private correspondence.

Here’s the brief backstory to the letter, followed by several paragraphs from the missive. May it prove to be a great blessing to you, as it doubtless was for its original recipient.

Late in 1813, William Carey received a request from the president of the island of Amboyna, part of the Maluka Islands of Eastern Indonesia, to send some missionaries there to superintend their schools. The inhabitants of Amboyna were confessing Christians and Muslims, who lived in separate villages from each other. Each of Amboyna’s forty-two Christian villages had its own church and school, but none had a resident minister. The local schoolteachers, in addition to instructing the children, performed all the duties of a minister to the church, except administering communion and conducting weddings and baptisms.

The missionaries at Serampore, where Carey and his colleagues ministered, were “greatly distressed” at having no one prepared presently whom they could send to Amboyna as a supervising missionary. Then, however, Carey’s next-to-youngest son, Jabez, volunteered himself to serve in that role. He was publicly consecrated to the mission work on January 26, 1814. The British government, at its own expense, provided Jabez and his newlywed wife Eliza with passage to Amboyna. Upon reaching the island, he assumed oversight of all forty-two of Amboyna’s Christian schools.

On January 24, two days before Jabez’s commissioning service, Carey penned his invaluable letter of substantive, savory advice to his son:

“You are now engaging in a most important undertaking, in which you and Eliza have not only my prayers for your success, but those of all who love our Lord Jesus Christ and know of your engagement. I know a few hints for your future conduct, from a parent who loves you very tenderly, will be acceptable, and I shall, therefore, give you them, assured that they will not be given in vain.

“Pay the utmost attention at all times to the state of your own mind both towards God and man. Cultivate an intimate acquaintance with your own heart; labor to obtain a deep sense of your depravity and to trust always in Christ. Be pure in heart and meditate much on the pure and holy character of God. Live a life of prayer and devotedness to God. Cherish every amiable and right disposition towards man. Be mild, gentle and unassuming, yet firm and manly. As soon as you perceive any wrong in your spirit or behavior, set about correcting it, and never suppose yourself so perfect as to need no correction.

“You are now a married man. Be not satisfied with conducting yourself towards your wife [merely] with propriety. Let love to her be the spring of your conduct towards her. Esteem her highly and so act that she may be induced thereby to esteem you highly. The first impressions of love arising from form or beauty will soon wear off, but the esteem arising from excellency of disposition and substance of character will endure and increase. Her honor is now yours, and she cannot be insulted without you being degraded.

“I hope as soon as you get on board and are settled in your cabin, you will begin and end each day in uniting together to pray and praise God. Let religion always have a place in your house. If the Lord bless you with children, bring them up in the fear of God, and be always an example to others of the power of godliness. This advice I also give to Eliza and, if followed, you will be happy.

“Behave affably and genteelly to all, but not cringingly or unsteadily towards any. Feel that you are a man and always act with that dignified sincerity and truth which will command the esteem of all. Seek not the society of worldly men, but when called to be with them act and converse with dignity and propriety. … A gentleman is the next best character after a Christian, and the latter includes the former. Money never makes a gentleman, much less a fine appearance, but an enlarged understanding joined to engaging manners.”

After giving Jabez some pointers on how to commence his responsibilities as superintendent, Carey counseled: “Do not, however, consider yourself as a mere superintendent of schools. Consider yourself as the spiritual instructor of the people and devote yourself to their good. God has committed the spiritual interests of the island – 20,000 men or more, a vast charge – to you. But He can enable you to be fruitful to the trust. Revise the catechisms, tracts and schoolbooks used among them, and labor to introduce among them sound doctrine and genuine piety. Pray with them as soon as you can, and labor after a gift to preach to them … Form them into Gospel churches when you meet with a few who truly fear God, and as soon as you see any fit to preach to others, call them to the ministry and settle them with the churches. You must baptize and administer the Lord’s Supper according to your own discretion when there is proper occasion for it. Avoid indolence and love of ease, and never attempt to act the part of the great and gay in this world.” (All these weighty spiritual responsibilities were to be carried out by a young man of just twenty years of age!)

“Your great work, my Dear Jabez, is that of a Christian minister. … The success of your labors does not depend upon outward ceremony, nor does your right to preach the Gospel or administer the ordinances of the Gospel depend on any such thing, but only on the divine call expressed in the word of God. The church has, however, in their intentions and wishes, borne a testimony to the grace given to you, and will not cease to pray for you that you may be successful. May you be kept from all temptation, supported under every trial, made victorious in every conflict. And may our hearts be mutually gladdened with accounts from each other of the triumphs of divine grace. God has conferred a great favor on you in permitting to you this ministry. Take heed to it, therefore, in the Lord, that you fulfill it. We shall often meet at the throne of grace.”

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This letter is cited from The Journal and Selected Letters of William Carey, collected and edited by Terry G. Carter (Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 2000), pp. 130-132. If you’ve found this blog beneficial, thanks for sharing it with others.

Copyright 2025 by Vance E. Christie

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John MacArthur, one of the most prominent Christian preachers of our generation, recently went to be with the Lord in Heaven. For five and a half decades MacArthur faithfully and unapologetically proclaimed the truths of God’s Word through his preaching, writing, and radio ministries that reached multiple millions of people around the globe.

Yet as a teen John had a different career ambition. The story of how God redirected him into vocational Christian ministry is not only remarkable, but also suggests some of the ways in which the Lord leads His disciples into the ministries He has for them to carry out.

John’s father and grandfather both pastored local churches and maintained a radio preaching broadcast in southern California. John was greatly impacted by his father’s capable preaching, as well as by his unfailing integrity in consistently living out the scriptural standards he encouraged his family and congregation to embrace.

In high school John excelled in football, basketball, baseball, and track (as a sprinter). Athletics were his absorbing interest, and a professional sports career was an attractive possibility.

But his mother had prayed that her son would become a preacher. And from his early years John had sensed a call in that direction. With that expectation in view, his parents sent him to Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. John was not enthused about attending BJU because it had no intercollegiate athletics. He also did not embrace the school’s hyper-Fundamentalist environment with its ultra-separatist practices.

At the end of his first year at BJU, John shared a car ride with five other students who were all bound for home. As they drove down an Alabama highway at the speed limit, the driver lost control of the vehicle. As the car turned over, one of its doors flew open, and John was thrown out. He landed in a seated position on the asphalt road and slid for over 100 yards. Incredibly, none of his bones were broken, but third-degree friction burns took the flesh off his back and left asphalt embedded in the tissue that remained. One of his hands would be scarred for life.

John later related of the life-changing impact of this accident: “As I stood up on that highway, having never lost consciousness, I committed my life to serving Christ. I told Him I would no longer resist what He wanted me to do, which was to preach His Word. I realized I was not in control of my future. I had survived something that should have killed me. God suddenly had my undivided attention.”

After the initial hospital care, three months of painful treatment followed. John underwent skin grafts and other treatment which required him to lay on his stomach for extended periods.

This marked a great turning point in his life. From that point on, “the Christian ministry became the pole star of his life.”

After attending another year at Bob Jones University, John transferred to Pacific College in Los Angeles, where he completed his Bachelor’s degree. There he participated in athletics again, excelling especially in football. He was named to an All-America squad as halfback, and more than one professional team showed interest in him.

But John now had a higher purpose and pursuit in life. This was confirmed to him through an unexpected opportunity which arose out of a football luncheon at which he received a reward. After he used the occasion to speak of his faith in Christ, one of his hearers asked him if he would visit a seventeen-year-old girl named Polly in the hospital. Her spinal cord had recently been severed in an accident, and she was left paralyzed for life.

When John went to the hospital to see Polly, her first words to him were: “I’d kill myself if I could. I have no reason to live.”

Not knowing what else to do, John started sharing the Gospel of salvation and eternal life with her: “It’s not what happens to your body that matters most, Polly; it’s what happens to your eternal soul. You’re going to live forever somewhere. God can bring joy into your heart even now if the issue of your soul is taken care of. Would you like to hear about how that can happen?”

The Lord opened her heart to listen to what he had to share. After several occasions of conversation and prayer, she was able to say: “You know, John, in some ways I’m glad this accident happened. If it hadn’t, I would never have met Jesus Christ.”

That early experience in evangelism and pastoral care profoundly affected John. He later stated of it: “After that exposure to the power of the Gospel, I thought: ‘This is all I want for my life. Nothing else even comes close in significance’.”

John subsequently attended and graduated from Talbot Theological Seminary in La Mirada, California, before embarking on his long, fruitful career of vocational Christian ministry.

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This narrative was adapted from the first chapter of Iain Murray’s excellent biography, John MacArthur: Servant of the Word and Flock (Banner of Truth, 2011).

Copyright 2025 by Vance E. Christie

The post John MacArthur’s Dramatic Call to Christian Ministry appeared first on VanceChristie.com.

Luis Palau came to have tremendous fruitfulness and prominence in his worldwide evangelistic ministry. But as a young man, he seriously questioned his ability to effectively proclaim the good news of salvation and was tempted to give up his evangelistic efforts. To follow is a vital lesson he learned about evangelism, and a valuable reminder for all of us in our various forms of service for the Lord.

By the time Luis was in his early twenties, he and several other young men in the Gospel-preaching church he attended in Cordoba, Argentina, held many evangelistic street meetings, sold Bibles, and handed out tracts. They also organized a Sunday School program, led youth meetings, and held all-night prayer meetings.

However, Luis became frustrated that his evangelistic preaching seemed to have no spiritual power. He sought to be studied up, prayed up, and fired up in his ministries. Yet he saw no immediate fruit from his evangelistic efforts, except a few children who trusted in Christ as their Savior when he directed and taught Vacation Bible School.

Finally, he decided that if he did not see any converts by the end of the year, he would quit preaching. He would still be an active Christian and would continue to study the Bible and pray. But he would resign himself to simply assisting others in their ministries rather than leading in ministry himself. When the year ended with no one turning to Jesus, he firmly concluded, “I don’t have the gift of evangelism.”

On a Saturday morning, just a few days into the new year, Luis sat down to read The Secret of Happiness, a book written by Billy Graham, who by that time had become a famous young American evangelist. Luis was blessed by Graham’s thoughts on Christ’s Beatitudes recorded in Matthew 5:3-12. As he read, he memorized the main points Graham made on each Beatitude.

That evening Luis did not feel like going to the home Bible study he usually attended on Saturdays. But to support the church leaders, he went anyway. When the intended speaker never arrived, Luis was asked to speak. “Oh, I’m not prepared to speak tonight,’ he tried to excuse himself. “And besides, I forgot to bring my Bible.”

But eventually he was persuaded. With just enough time to breathe a silent prayer, Luis urgently asked the Lord for His help and blessing. He borrowed a New Testament, turned to Matthew 5, and read the first Beatitude. After repeating a few points he remembered from Billy Graham’s book, he read the next verse and did the same.

When he came to verse 8, he read: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Suddenly a woman from the neighborhood stood and started to cry. “Somebody help me!” she pleaded. “My heart is not pure. How am I going to find God? Somebody tell me how I can get a pure heart.”

Luis directed her attention to 1 John 1:7 and read: “The blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” He went on to explain that Christ shed His blood on the cross so that those who trust in Him can be cleansed from sin and saved from its judgment. As a result, the woman believed in Jesus and went home that night with a pure heart that was at peace with God.

Luis returned home full of joy and praise to the Lord that He had used him in pointing this woman to the Savior. Through this incident he was reminded that it is God’s Holy Spirit who convicts people of sin. God draws individuals to Jesus and salvation in His own good time.

Not only in evangelism, but in all our endeavors to serve the Lord, we do not control when or to what degree positive spiritual fruit will be borne. Rather, our part in the process is to always serve Christ in the ways we believe He would have us to, while prayerfully depending on Him to use our efforts for good. God will graciously use us to bear fruit when and how He desires. In this way it remains clear that He, rather than we, deserves all the credit and glory for any fruit resulting through our efforts. (See also John 15:5-8 and 1 Corinthians 3:5-9.)

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This is just one of many interesting, spiritually-instructive incidents in my new youth biography Luis Palau: Calling the World to Christ. If you missed it earlier, you may also be interested in my recent blog, “Reasons to Read My Luis Palau Youth Biography”: https://vancechristie.com/2025/08/26/reasons-to-read-my-luis-palau-youth-biography/

Here’s a link to further information from the publisher about the book:

https://www.christianfocus.com/en-us/product/9781527113688/luis-palau-calling-the-world-to-christ-paperback

Copyright 2025 by Vance E. Christie

The post Luis Palau’s Vital Lesson about Evangelism appeared first on VanceChristie.com.

Launch day is here for my new youth biography, Luis Palau: Calling the World to Christ! My sincere thanks goes to all of you who are helping spread the word about this new release.

I thought some of you would enjoy reading a brief account of the story behind my writing of this book, so here it is:

Luis Palau was the second most prominent evangelist in the world at the turn of the twenty-first century (second only to Billy Graham). Therefore, when Christian Focus Publications invited me to write a youth biography on this eminent herald of the Gospel, I was delighted to embrace the opportunity. What a privilege to help acquaint a new generation of Christian young people with the amazing true story of God’s extraordinary work in and through Luis’s life.

About thirty years ago, while still a young pastor, I read Luis’s inspiring autobiography, Luis Palau: Calling America and the Nations to Christ (published 1994). For decades since then, I’ve related numerous illustrations from Luis’s life and ministry, using his example to flesh out various biblical themes in my own preaching and teaching. It’s a pleasure, now, to share those beneficial examples and many other profitable lessons to be gained by a recounting of his life.

While writing this book I also read other accounts of Luis’s life, including The Impact of Luis Palau on Global Evangelism (published 2010) and Palau: A Life on Fire (2019). I was repeatedly and clearly reminded that the only way to explain all the notable developments of Luis’s life and the extraordinary outcomes of his ministry endeavors is to understand that God was obviously and powerfully at work in and through it all. “It was a God thing” accurately summarizes the exceptional features and results of his life and ministry. 

On the whole, this was a fairly simple and very enjoyable book to write. Luis’s boyhood was filled with experiences and challenges kids will find interesting and instructive. His adult life was comprised of: not a few difficulties and dangers through which God helped him; numerous jaw-dropping ministry opportunities and accomplishments; witnessing many dramatic conversions, both of individuals and of people coming to Christ in droves; as well as important lessons he learned all along the way. With all that good material to draw from, one difficult aspect in writing the book was deciding what could be included and what would need to be left out.

Another challenge was condensing and presenting the highlights of Luis’s expansive ministry career in a fashion that would be engaging and beneficial for kids. Luis preached in-person to some thirty million people in about 480 evangelistic crusades and festivals held in over eighty countries. All told, he ministered to a billion people around the globe through all types of media, including radio, television, online, and in print. I’ve sought to provide an interesting overview of the scope and variety of Luis’s ministries, without getting bogged down in too much repetitive detail.

As I’ve spoken of this book to others, a number of Christian adults have indicated they know a little about Luis as an evangelist or from having heard him on the radio. But they acknowledge they’re not familiar with the details of his life. My hope is that, in addition to children, many adults will read this book to learn about and profit from the example of this outstanding Christian servant.

If you missed it earlier, you may also be interested in my August 26 blog, “Reasons to Read My Luis Palau Youth Biography.”

Luis Palau: Calling the World to Christ can be ordered from Christian Focus Publications or other of your favorite booksellers. Here’s a link to further information from the publisher about the book:

• https://www.christianfocus.com/en-us/product/9781527113688/luis-palau-calling-the-world-to-christ-paperback  

Copyright 2025 by Vance E. Christie

The post The Story Behind My Luis Palau Youth Biography appeared first on VanceChristie.com.