Dr. Paul Chappell

We ought to know better than to despair over the visible result of spiritual endeavor. During a recent visit to Johannesburg I spent a day at one of the gold-mines. There was immense activity, gangs of workers, clouds of dust, hissing steam, deafening stamps, heaps of quartz, torrents of water and cauldrons of slime; but I came away without having seen a single speck of gold. The engineer touched the bottom of a turbid stream, and exclaimed, “There is a particle!” It was however, as invisible to me as the same metal usually is on the collection-plate.

Reflect on compounding interest, the repoductive cycles of nature, and the world's biological population explosion. Soon it will be clear why the multiplication is God's primary method for replenishing the earth. One unspayed female dog and her descendants can produce 4,372 puppies in just seven generations, and one unspayed cat and her offspring can produce 80 million kittens in ten years. This same fundamental concept of multiplication applies directly to the great commission.

There is a story told about the surrender of the Confederacy at Appomattox Courthouse as the Civil War concluded. General Grant was an unusual man. Knowing the war was over and the victory was his, he showed great, and unusual, kindness and respect toward the chief general of the Confederates. He allowed General Robert E. Lee to ride freely in and out of the area. He also allowed the Confederate men to keep their possessions and horses. Grant gave them food because they were hungry and let them all go home undisturbed.

John Harper was a Scottish preacher aboard the Titanic. When the ship hit an iceberg and sank, Harper was clinging to a piece of drift wood. As he was out in the darkness a man drifted close to him crying, and Harper shouted to him, "Are you saved?" the man replied, "No." Harper said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." The man drifted away, but shortly came back into sight.

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

Researchers have found that teenagers who listen to raunchy, sex-filled lyrics are more likely to indulge in early sexual activity than their counterparts who don't.

There was a squadron of men in S.E. Asia who got involved in every form of wickedness possible. Every time they had leave, they would go to the bars and houses of prostitution. One man said, "I have a girl back home. I love her. I'm going to save myself for her." The men became filled with disease except for this one man. When he saw his bride-to-be he was so glad he had been faithful. One day soon, we will marry Jesus! Keep yourself pure and unspotted.

The mother ran into the bedroom when she heard her seven-year-old son scream. She found his two-year-old sister pulling his hair. She gently released the little girl's grip and said comfortingly to the boy, "There, there, she didn't mean it. She doesn't know that it hurts." He nodded his acknowledgment, and she left the room. As she started down the hall the little girl screamed. Rushing back in, she asked, "What happened? The little boy replied, "She knows now."

Source: Unknown

A twelve year old accidentally killed one of his family’s geese by throwing a stone. Figuring his parents wouldn’t notice one of twenty-four gone he buried it. His sister saw his crime and said, “I saw what you did, and if you don’t wash the dishes for me, I’ll tell mom.” The boy did the dishes for days. One day, the boy said, “You do them.” His sister said, “I’ll tell mom.” The boy replied, “I already told her and she forgave me – I’m free again.”

Source: Unknown

Two little boys had quarreled. But the next morning, Johnny took his cap and headed for Bobby’s house again. Surprised, an older member of the family said teasingly, “What! Going to play with him again? I thought you quarreled only last evening and were never going to have anything more to do with each other. Funny memory you have.”

Johnny looked a little sheepish, dug his toe into the carpet for a moment, then flashed a satisfied smile as he hurried away. “Oh, Bobby and me’s good forgetters.”

Source: Unknown

A little boy was sitting on a park bench in obvious pain. A man walking by asked him what was wrong. The young boy said, "I'm sitting on a bumble bee." The man urgently asked, "Then why don't you get up?" The boy replied, "Because I figure I'm hurting him more than he is hurting me!"

How many of us handle forgiveness like this little boy? We endure pain for the sadistic satisfaction of believing we are hurting our offender more than he is hurting us. When we get off the bench of unforgiveness both parties can begin to realize relief from their pain.

Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was reminded one day of a vicious deed that someone had done to her years before. But she acted as if she had never even heard of the incident. "Don't you remember it?" her friend asked. "No," came Barton's reply, "I distinctly remember forgetting it."

Source: Unknown

An attorney, after meditating on several Scriptures, decided to cancel the debts of all his clients that had owed him money for more than 6 months. He drafted a letter explaining his decision and its Biblical basis and sent 17 debt canceling letters via certified mail. One by one, the letters were returned by the Postal Service, unsigned and undelivered. Perhaps a couple people had moved away though not likely.

Imagine the Titanic as a small footnote in history. April 15, 2008 marked the 96th year since the massive ship so quickly sank on its maiden voyage. Scientists have recently discovered that the builder struggled to obtain enough rivets and riveters so they ultimately settled for faulty materials that may have led to the ship's demise. Harland & Wolff were simultaneously building the world's three largest ships - the Titanic, Olympic, and Britannic. Each of the three ships required 3 million rivets that literally held them together.

"The most significant contribution we make in life, is the passing of our faith to the next generation."—Unknown

Some time ago an 18-year-old girl from Washington state attended a worship service. For the first time in her life she heard the gospel message. The following Tuesday the members of the church received a letter from her. It read:

Dear Church Members:

A man in one of D.L. Moody’s meetings once testified that he had lived “on the Mount of Transfiguration” for five years. “How many souls did you lead to Christ last year?” Moody bluntly asked him. “Well,” the man hesitated, “I don’t know.”

“Have you saved any?” Moody persisted. “I don’t know that I have,” the man admitted.

“Well,” said Moody, “We don’t want that kind of mountaintop experience. When a man gets up so high that he cannot reach down and save poor sinners, there is something wrong.”

Source: Unknown

Frank wasn't known for his patience, and he had absolutely no use for negative conversation. When he got a call from his wife during a busy day at work, she talked slowly and didn't seem very upbeat. Frank interrupted her and exhorted her to be brief and positive. She paused for a moment and then cheerfully replied, "I discovered the airbags in our new BMW work great!"

Source: Unknown

"The happiest people on earth are the people who have discovered the joy of giving."—Unknown

“There is more joy in Jesus in 24 hours than there is in the world in 365 days. I have tried them both.”—R. A. Torrey