The Substance Of Things Hoped For

  I wanted to try something new, so I created two new blogs. One new blog, called  The Substance Of Things Hoped For (Faith-based Stories and Illustration) , was created for a place for me to be able to quickly repost all the stories and illustrations that Angela Trenholm (my webpartner) had on her family site (Trenholms Of Kelowna).  EarnestlyContending.com  (our domain and the central hub for all our personal sites) got repeatedly hacked a little over two years ago and we lost all the content and had to rebuild from scratch. It is a lot of work trying to repost articles, stories, songs, etc. that were posted from approximately 21 years ago onwards, but I am making a valiant effort. Doing it in a blog format also gives me the opportunity to easily add new content. The second blog is for posting Daily Devotionals once again - devotionals and poems. I had done that for several years back in 2004 onwards, but eventually it became too much work to keep doing that projec...

To Sacrifice a Son - An Allegory by Dennis E. Hensley There was once a bridge which spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass through freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing a train to cross it. A switchman sat in a shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed. One evening as the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train lights. He stepped onto the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance when he was about to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was no...

Make It Better His name was Isaac, and he lived over 300 years ago in London, England. He was a very smart young man. By the time he was five years old, he had learned Latin; by the age of nine years old, he had learned Greek; by twelve years of age, Isaac had mastered French and Hebrew. He was gifted musically and showed great potential. As a teen, he became dissatisfied with the music in his home church. Keep in mind that this was 300 years ago in England. His family attended the very formal Church of England where almost all of the music consisted of high church anthems. Isaac felt like they should sing songs about Christ and the cross. He thought that salvation and redemption should also be emphasized in the music. One day, he complained to his father, a deacon in the church, about the dead, dry, starchy service that they had just sat through. His dad rebuked him by saying, "Son, that's the way we have always sung, and if you think you can do a better job, then do it. Why ...

Unlikely Hero John Harper [a Baptist pastor from Glasgow, Scotland] had... spent three months ministering at Moody Church in Chicago, during which time the church had experienced "one of the most wonderful revivals in its history." He had not been back in Britain long, however, when he was asked to return and continue his ministry. Harper quickly made arrangements for himself and his six-year-old daughter, Nana, to travel back to America on board the Lusitania but decided to delay their departure for one week so that they could sail on a new ship which was about to make its maiden voyage - the Titanic. The Titanic struck an iceberg at 11:40 pm on April 14, 1912. As the call was issued for passengers to vacate their cabins, Harper wrapped his daughter in a blanket, told her that she would see him again one day, and passed her to one of the crewmen. After watching her safely board one of the lifeboats, he removed his life-jacket and gave it to one of the other passengers. One s...

Table Of Contents Here is a list of all illustrations and stories posted on this blog, in Alphabetical Order: A-E A Guy Named Bill All That He Had To Offer A Speeding Ticket At The Window Before They Call, I Will Answer Christmas Love Cling To The Only Lifeline Conversion Of William Paton MacKay (Songwriter) F-J I Found Jesus There Important Recall Notice Impromptu Visit Just One More Knock K-O Learning From Gilbert Make It Better (Isaac Watts, Songwriter) P-T Scarred Hands Taking Aim Thank Him For The Thorns The Scars Of Love The Cleansing Blood The Cost Of A Miracle The Eye Of Faith (George Mueller) The Fifth Sparrow The Matchless Pearl The Room The Shadow Of The Cross The Silversmith's Reflection This Is Jim, Checking In Things To Think About Tools For Sale To Sacrifice A Son - An Allegory U-Z Unfolding The Rose Unlikely Hero

  Impromptu Visit It was a cold winter's day that Sunday. The parking lot to the church was filling up quickly. I noticed as I got out of my car that fellow church members were whispering among themselves as they walked to the church. As I got closer I saw a man leaned up against the wall outside the church. He was almost laying down as if he was asleep. He had on a long trench coat that was almost in shreds and a hat topped his head, pulled down so you could not see his face. He wore shoes that looked 30 years old, too small for his feet with holes all over them, his toes stuck out. I assumed this man was homeless, and asleep, so I walked on by through the doors of the church. We all gathered for fellowship for a few minutes, and someone brought up the man laying outside. People snickered and gossiped but no one bothered to ask him to come in, including me. A few moments later church began. We all waited for the Preacher to take his place and to give us the Word, when the doors to...

  A Guy Named Bill His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kinda esoteric and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students, but are not sure how to go about it. One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now people are looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. (Although perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship, trust me, this had never happened in ...

 Unfolding The Rose A young, new preacher was walking with an older, more seasoned preacher in the garden one day and feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was inquiring of the older preacher. The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals. The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the WILL OF GOD for his life and for his ministry. Because of his high respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to TRY to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact... It wasn't long before he realized how impossible it was to do so. Noticing the younger preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud while keeping it intact, the older preacher began to recite the following poem... It is only a tiny rosebud, A flower of God's design; But I cannot unfold the petals Wit...

TOOLS FOR SALE It was advertised that the devil was going to put his tools up for sale. On the date of the sale, the tools were placed for public inspection; each tool being marked with its sale price. They were a treacherous lot of implements... Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Deceit, Lying, Pride, and so on. Laid apart from the rest was a harmless looking tool, well worn and priced very high. "What is the name of this tool?" asked one of the purchasers, pointing to it. "That is Discouragement", replied the devil. "Why have you priced it so high?" "Because it is more useful to me than the others. I can pry open and get inside a man's heart with that when I cannot get near him with my other tools. Once I get inside, I can make him do what I choose. It is badly worn because I use it on almost everyone, since very few people know that it belongs to me." My friend, don't let Satan discourage you in any way. You are God's child and have the victo...

Things to Think About In Our Relationship with Our Lord   God One-Liners 1. Give God what's right - not what's left. 2. "Pray" is a four-letter word you can say anywhere - except in public schools. 3. Man's way leads to a hopeless end - God's way leads to an endless hope. 4. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing. 5. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone. 6. To be almost saved is to be totally lost. 7. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma - but never let him be the period. 8. Don't put a question mark where God puts a period. 9. God grades on the cross, not the curve. 10. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a facelift. 11. When praying, don't give God instructions - just report for duty. 12. God doesn't want shares of your life - He wants a controlling interest. 13. Don't wait for six strong men to take you to church. 14. We don't change God's message - His message changes us. 15. The c...

Thank Him for The Thorns Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks as she pushed against a November gust and the florist shop door. Her life had been easy, like spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole her ease.  During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come. What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer.  "She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder. Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?  she wondered. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child?  "Good afternoon, can ...

Taking Aim A young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, who we'll call Brother Smith.  She says Brother Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.  One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for another fun day.  On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Brother Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture. Sally's girlfriend (on her right) drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend.  Another friend (on her left) drew a picture of his little brother.  Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face.  Sally was pleased at the overall effect she had achieved. The class lined up and began throwing darts, with much laughter and hilarity....

A Speeding Ticket Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so often?  When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard. Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror. The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand. Bob? Bob from Church? Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than the coming ticket. A cop catching a guy from his own church. A guy who happened to be a little eager to get home after a long day at the office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow. Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he'd never seen in uniform. "Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this." "Hello, Jack." No smile. "Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids." "Yeah, I guess." Bob seemed u...

The Silversmith's Reflection And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Malachi 3:3 While reading Malachi chapter 3, a group of women in a Bible study came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse: "And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." One woman spoke up and said the verse was intended to convey the sanctifying influence of the grace of God. Then she said she would visit a silversmith and report to the other women what he said on the subject. She went accordingly and, without telling the object of her errand, begged to know the process of refining silver, which the smith described to her. "But, sir," she said, "do you sit while the work of refining is going on?" "Oh, yes, ma'am," replied the silversmith. "I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for i...

The Shadow Of The Cross In 1967 while taking a class in photography at the University of Cincinnati, I became acquainted with a young man named Charles Murray who also was a student at the school and training for the summer Olympics of 1968 as a high diver. Charles was very patient with me as I would speak to him for hours about Jesus Christ and how He had saved me. Charles was not raised in a home that attended any kind of church, so all that I had to tell him was a fascination to him. He even began to ask questions about forgiveness of sin. Finally the day came that I put a question to him. I asked if he realized his own need of a Redeemer and if he was ready to trust Christ as his own Saviour. I saw his countenance fall and the guilt in his face. But his reply was a strong "no." In the days that followed he was quiet and often I felt that he was avoiding me, until I got a phone call and it was Charles. He wanted to know where to look in the New Testament for some verses th...

The Scars Of Love Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His mother in the house was looking out the window saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go. A ...

Scarred Hands WILLIAM DIXON couldn't believe there was a God, and he would certainly not forgive Him for taking away his young wife about two years after they were married, and his little boy had also died. Dixon felt very desolate and bitter. Ten years after Mary Dixon's death, a stirring event occurred in the little village of Brackenthwaite. Old Peggy Winslow's cottage caught fire, and was burnt to the ground. The poor old woman was pulled out alive, though nearly suffocated by smoke, when the bystanders were horrified to hear a child's pitiful voice. It was the voice of little Dickey Winslow - Peggy's orphan grandchild. The flames awoke him and drove him shrieking to the attic window. Onlookers were much distressed to see the child's plight, but felt it was too late to save him, as the stair had already fallen in. Suddenly, William Dixon rushed to the burning cottage, climbed up the iron piping, and took the trembling boy in his arms. Down he came again, hol...

The Room   In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order.  But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I have liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly...

IMPORTANT RECALL NOTICE!  The maker of all human beings is recalling all units regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units, code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the  same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed, Subsequential Internal  Non-Morality, or more commonly known as S-I-N, as it is primarily  symptomized by loss of moral judgment. Some other symptoms:  (a) Loss of direction  (b) Foul vocal emissions  (c) Amnesia of origin  (d) Lack of peace and joy  (e) Selfish, or violent, behavior  (f) Depression or confusion in the mental component  (g) Fearfulness (h) Idolatry  The manufacturer, who is neither liable or at fault for this defect, provides factory authorized repair and service, free of charge, to correct this SIN defect.  The number to call f...

Just One More Knock Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at their church, the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel Tracts. This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside as well as pouring down rain.  The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, "OK dad, I'm ready." His Pastor dad asked, "Ready for what? "Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out." Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain." The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, "But dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?" Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather." Despondently the boy asks. "Dad, can I go -- Please?" His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Her...

THIS IS JIM, CHECKING IN A minister passing through his church in the middle of the day, decided to pause by the altar and see who had come to pray. Just then the back door opened, a man came down the aisle, the minister frowned as he saw the man hadn't shaved in a while. His shirt was kinda shabby and his coat was worn and frayed, the man knelt, he bowed his head, then rose and walked away. In the days that followed, each noon time came this chap, each time he knelt just for a moment, a lunch pail in his lap. Well, the minister's suspicions grew, with robbery a main fear, He decided to stop the man and ask him, "What are you doing here?" The old man said, he worked down the road. Lunch was half an hour. Lunch time was his prayer time, for finding strength and power. "I stay only moments, see, because the factory is so far away; as I kneel here talking to the Lord, this is kinda what I say: I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FO...