Don't Waste Your Business

Recently a friend made a purchase online from Alpha Automotive, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  He forwarded a copy of his receipt to me.  I dare say you may never have seen a receipt like this before!  The red highlighting and blackouts are mine.

Here's a closeup of part of the bottom:

 

Life is too short and eternity is too long to wear a muzzle for 40 hours a week.  Don't let fear of loss of money cause you to be silent about Jesus!  (And then, back up your words with impeccable service and integrity.)

Hymn: Facing a Task Unfinished

I recently was introduced to the hymn "Facing the Task Unfinished", by Frank Houghton.  You can sing it to the tune of "The Church's One Foundation" (Aurelia). 

Facing a task unfinished
That drives us to our knees
A need that, undiminished
Rebukes our slothful ease
We, who rejoice to know Thee
Renew before Thy throne
The solemn pledge we owe Thee
To go and make Thee known

Where other lords beside Thee
Hold their unhindered sway
Where forces that defied Thee
Defy Thee still today
With none to heed their crying
For life, and love, and light
Unnumbered souls are dying
And pass into the night

We bear the torch that flaming
Fell from the hands of those
Who gave their lives proclaiming
That Jesus died and rose
Ours is the same commission
The same glad message ours
Fired by the same ambition
To Thee we yield our powers

O Father who sustained them
O Spirit who inspired
Saviour, whose love constrained them
To toil with zeal untired
From cowardice defend us
From lethargy awake!
Forth on Thine errands send us
To labour for Thy sake

Got Gospel?

Some subjects are inexhaustible.  Five local churches, including ours, are joining together on Saturday, January 23, to hold a conference about the gospel.  The conference is free, including lunch!  I would love to see you there.

Here are the details:
Where: Cottonwood Bible Church, 1020 S. Camino Real, Cottonwood, AZ 86326
When: 9 AM to 4 PM, Saturday, January 23
Cost: free (includes lunch)
Topics: What is the gospel?
How do I respond to the gospel
How does the gospel make me right with God?
How do I live out the gospel?
How do I proclaim the gospel?

R. A. Torrey, the Busy B

Reuben Archer Torrey did not have the folksy warmth of his mentor D. L. Moody, nor the intellectual depth of Edwards, nor the eloquence of Whitefield, nor the theological precision of Spurgeon.  Compared to these giants, he was a grade "B" preacher.  But he was a busy B, starting both the Chigago (now Moody) Bible Institute and the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (now Biola University), conducting worldwide evangelistic tours like an early Billy Graham, and spearheading the conservative response to theological liberalism through the publication of "The Fundamentals".  The man was driven.

Torrey does not get as much press as the giants in whose shadow he followed.  And rightly so.  Nevertheless, when I learned that Fred Sanders had compiled a biographical portrait of Torrey using Torrey's own sermons and that Moody Press would give me a copy for free in exchange for an unbiased review, I quickly clicked okay.

How God Used R. A. Torrey contains thirteen complete sermons by Torrey, interspersed with short biographical bridges.  These sermons are sometimes bland, a tad repetitive, and occasionally wrong.  Nevertheless, they reveal the sincere heart of a man burning with burden to point his listeners to Jesus.  His "Found Wanting" contains an exposition of the 10 Commandments that sounds like something straight from Ray Comfort.

But Torrey was more storyteller than expositor, and the Lord blessed him with some amazing life experiences to tell about. His sermon "Why God Used D. L. Moody", while containing only one verse of Scripture, is jammed with powerful stories of his mentor's love for Jesus.

Should you buy this book?  If you don't read much, my recommendation is that you stick with reading more substantive dead authors such as Spurgeon.  But if you are a bookworm and enjoy biographies of Christian leaders, you will enjoy this book.  Most of the sermons contained in the book are available online, so you can read some to get a taste for free.  I also have a copy I'll give to anyone who will pay the postage for me to mail it to you!