World History

Have you ever been discouraged by the fleeting stability of earthly governments and kingdoms? Kings come and go. Empires rise and fall. Nations rise from obscurity to power, enjoy prosperity for a time, but then sink into the mists of history. Of the vaunted glory of ancient civilizations, such as the Aztec and Inca in the Americas or the Egyptian and Sumerian in the Fertile Crescent, only a few scattered remnants remain of their existence.

The French nobleman opened again the book he held in his hands. The nobleman was a prisoner of war, taken captive by the Spanish while defending Saint Quentin (France) in 1557. His brother had sent the book for him to read in his captivity. In the eyes of many, it was a forbidden book—a French Bible. Admiral Gaspard de Coligny was about to read that forbidden book! How might that book change his life?

As a young man, he had been a drunkard, a gambler, a fighter, and a man known for violent outbursts of temper. But all that had changed before the war when the Lord Jesus had transformed Alvin. He was now a man of meekness, a humble Christian who cared for his mother, farmed his land, and looked forward to marrying his fiancée, Gracie, if he ever got home again to the mountains of Tennessee. When he was drafted upon the entry of the United States into the First World War, he had written simply on his draft card: “I do not want to fight.”

Many men find great satisfaction in their work. It is natural and healthy for a man to find satisfaction in the success of his vocational achievements. Nehemiah in the Old Testament provides a splendid example of God’s prescribed pattern for work, rest, and worship. Nehemiah is best known for his tremendous accomplishment of building the walls of Jerusalem, but his faithful legacy of remembering the sabbath day to keep it holy is worthy of our consideration. This biographical sketch begins in the year 444 B.C. at Shushan, the winter retreat palace of the Persian monarchs. A few years earlier, Esther and Mordecai had been God’s choice instruments to spare His people from destruction in this same city. Zerubbabel, a royal descendant of King David, had led the first return of Jewish exiles to Jerusalem and had begun the construction of the Second Temple. Prophets such as Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people of Judah to keep their priorities right and to finish the construction. Ezra the scribe had led a second return of exiles to Jerusalem. He also instructed the priests regarding some areas they were neglecting to obey in God’s Law: to sanctify themselves, to keep the appointed feasts, […]

The October wind whipped about, chilling passersby in Wittenberg, Germany. Seemingly unaware of the bitter cold, a short man stood before the massive doors of the town’s church. Steadily, he nailed a long paper to the wooden doors where other public announcements were displayed. His bold public proclamation would gain attention throughout the worldfor years to come! A priest and university professor, Martin Luther boldly posted his ninety-­five theses—statements for public debate—on the Wittenberg Church doors. This historic event occurred on October 31, 1517. As an extremely pious monk, Dr. Luther had spent many hours in prayer and solitude. He had even starved and beaten himself physically, desperately trying to appease God’s just wrath for his sin. However, his efforts yielded him no peace. Then, God began to reveal His truth to Dr. Luther. Gradually, the despondent monk began to grasp what the Bible meant by “the just shall live by faith.” Upon realizing that salvation is not by works, but by faith in Jesus Christ alone, Dr. Luther trusted Christ’s full payment for his sin and began sharing this important truth with others. One point of Dr. Luther’s theses publicly proclaimed salvation could not be obtained through buying indulgences, […]

A powerful testimony to the worldwide recognition of the importance of diligence.