Posts by M. R. Conrad
Three Reasons Why the Exclusivity of the Gospel Causes Offense
Have you been there? You’re just trying to obey God and be a good witness for Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8). But suddenly, your pleasant conversation turns combative. This was not your intention, but there you are. The friend you care about is upset, and you feel like it is your fault. All you did was…
Read MoreTime Out: Do Clocks Keep Ticking in Eternity?
Nope. That’s what I thought growing up in church. When the end of the world comes, all clocks will stop. Revelation 10:6 seemed clear on this point: “There should be time no longer.” Then, at church, we often sang “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder.” The answer to the question leapt from the hymnal:…
Read MoreEternal Security: Five Reasons God’s Gift of Salvation Is Secure
Can you lose your salvation? Some teach that you can. Others feel like they have. But what does the Word of God promise regarding the eternal security of those who have truly trusted Christ as their Savior? 1. Salvation is God’s Work, Not Your Work. If your eternal destiny relied on you, nothing about your…
Read MoreOn Reading Widely: Four Benefits for Pastors
“I just don’t have time to read widely,” says the modern pastor. Between preparing multiple sermons, planning outreaches, discipling believers, and so many other worthy activities that crowd his schedule, the pastor has little free time for outside reading. But if he made time, how would reading widely benefit him and his service in the…
Read MoreOn Reading Widely: Are You Stuck on One Shelf?
How widely do you read? Do you get these references from literature? “In the late 1920s, Gladys Aylward worked as a British parlor maid but had dreams of becoming an actress. At that time, many working class women would serve the wealthy, as depicted in Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot mysteries.” “As a well-off aristocrat, Lilias…
Read MoreLiving with the Unanswered “Why?”
“The question was not ‘why’ but ‘what?’ God, what would You have me to do?” writes Ellen Vaughn in her excellent biography, Becoming Elisabeth Elliot. “For Betty, whether God told her to go confront Pharaoh or go to live among the Waodani, she determined to do it, regardless of the results.”1 Vaughn’s recent biography of…
Read MoreLonging for the World-That-Was
Backing into 2022 2023: Longing for the World-That-Was (Original modified title) Note: Dr. Conrad wrote this article for the year that was, just before 2022 dawned. I ran across it this week and thought it was appropriate for any year, though it does allude to the recent unpleasantness we all experienced. No matter what trouble…
Read MoreMotivation: Why We Serve
The intrepid newspaper reporter, Henry Stanley, and his flamboyant entourage marched into Ujiji, a rustic African village in modern-day Tanzania. Had he finally found his man? In the autumn of 1871, the western world awaited Stanley’s report. Other search parties had failed to locate the long-lost explorer, but now an African man pointed Stanley to…
Read MoreNothing Like a Millionaire: For What Are You Known?
William Borden was famous.1 His parents were millionaires. They were prominent members of the Moody Church in Chicago. The newspapers of the early 1900s reported on young Borden’s activities. Every door of opportunity swung open for this privileged youth. However, those who knew him at Yale and then at Princeton saw a very different picture.…
Read MoreIs Waiting on God Worth the Wait?
Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. During some seasons of life, the path ahead seems to disappear into a mist. The illusion of certainty that often calms our days falls away. Visibility reduces to a step-by-step distance. Longstanding questions remain unanswered. Our prayers seem unheard. Which way do I go? Why has this happened? When will the obstacles…
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