FAIR SUNSHINE

T oday, there is a danger that knowledge remains while power is forgotten. Theology itself is not the problem; it is a precious gift from God. Yet separated from the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit, it becomes a sword lying idle upon a table—finely crafted, perfectly formed, and yet accomplishing nothing apart from the hand that wields it. Truth was never intended merely to inform the mind, but to transform it, and bring men unto Christ, who alone giveth life, and convicts then into action. Knowledge, by itself, profits little unless it be translated into obedience. For this cause the Scriptures continually call men not only to hear, but to do; not merely to learn, but to walk worthy of that which they have learned. And in my experience I have seen that God is pleased to grant power chiefly in those doing. The strength to obey is often discovered upon the path of obedience itself. I have both seen and heard many desire power before action, certainty before obedience, and confid...

T he greater portion of Western Christianity hath, in many places, so complicated the simplicity of the Gospel and obscured the true nature of Christ's church that outward measures of success have openly replaced the weightier matters of spiritual life. Theology, though integral and necessary in its proper place , hath at times been elevated above a living and experiential love for Christ. Promotional programs, conferences, and the influence of putting celebrated ministers on pedestals have too often drawn centered attention than the quiet pursuit of individual holiness and the cultivation of purity among the saints. Thus it is possible for a church to increase in visibility while declining in spiritual vitality; to abound in activity while lacking devotion; to possess much knowledge while exhibiting little conformity unto Christ. For the true strength of a church is not measured merely by the multitude gathered within its walls, but by the degree to which its members love Christ,...

L et us consider for a moment several figures from Holy Scripture who, by many modern standards, would likely fail to acquire—or retain—a single sponsor, much less a membership roll. ~Noah would hardly be regarded as a candidate for a successful missionary model. For one hundred and twenty years he proclaimed righteousness to a generation rushing headlong toward judgment, yet the only ones who entered the ark with him were members of his own household. By contemporary metrics, the report would appear dismal: no movement, no growth, no measurable success.  ~Jeremiah likewise would fare little better. His ministry was marked by rejection, opposition, loneliness, and sorrow. His message ran contrary to the spirit of his age, and his faithfulness earned him few admirers and many enemies. One can scarcely imagine his field reports satisfying those who measure fruit solely by visible results. ~And then there is our Lord Himself. Judged by the standards of numerical growth and publi...

F or many years I have observed and assumed that the necessary trajectory of every established church was continual growth through the addition of members, because that is what every church is striving for. It has been implanted in me that to measure the validity of a church was to measure largely by how it increased, and everyone scurries about advertise its success by a display of its numbers. Yet with time I have come to see that such thinking owes more to corrupted assumptions than to the plain testimony of Scripture. We have sought to modernize the ark, adorning it with many colors, surrounding it with ornaments, spotlights, and glimmering displays, all in the hope of making it more attractive unto men. Yet in so doing, we have often mistaken embellishment for power. For the power never resided in the decorations surrounding it, but in the presence of God to which it pointed. And so it remains today. The more we trust in human enhancements to accomplish spiritual ends, the mor...

This volume of two hundred and thirty pages, I must confess, is but the third such work I have been compelled to finish in a single sitting. The details contained within are simply too incomprehensible and exhausting for the soul to rightly process in slow measure. It describes a different, more severe brand of Christianity than that which we commonly know and tolerate today. It is not the type that reaches for Christ safely from a comfortable distance, but rather that which charges head-on into the fray of spiritual warfare. At times, it seems that the faithful Adoniram and his devoted wife, Ann, were utterly alone in their terrible labor. The difficulties, the severe sickness, and the relentless hand of death all continued to pile up one after the other in an unending and worsening fashion. Their mission wears on for long, agonizing years, and with every turn of the page, there is a fresh account of life-threatening danger or profound tragedy. Such a narrative serves as a stern and...

Journal Entry. Evening. 6th of October. 2025 My thoughts are continually exercised and greatly afflicted by the remembrance of the street meeting we were constrained to forego by reason of my current ailment. My spirit finds itself in a sincere and arduous wrestling with the conviction that but a single public assembly per week may fail to bear the abundant fruit that the Lord desires. The soil is hard-packed, and the seeds must be scattered often and with great persistence! A particular thought hath now come clearly into view, one that aligns with a burden the Lord hath been impressing upon my heart for many weeks. Yet I am careful not to run ahead in my own strength, lest I make a rash commitment apart from His leading and enablement. For now, I wait upon the Lord, seeking clearer direction and the assurance of His blessing upon the matter. Whitefield's activities in Scotland supply further evidence of the carefulness with which he planned his work of preaching. His first three w...

It was by the unmistakable leading of Divine Providence that I chanced upon this most precious recommended read, offered by a dear missionary brother laboring faithfully in the distant fields of Peru. Upon searching out the title and reading a small measure of its testimony, I was immediately moved to commit the last of my earthly savings to secure the digital volume. So deeply convicting was the very narration of that faithful servant, Bruce Olson, that my spirit could not lay the book aside; I was compelled forward, finishing the content in the brief span of three hours. In that reading, I found a profound and glorious realization that God had, in His tender mercy, already wonderfully steered my uncertain steps in the right direction from the very genesis of this work. I had long poured out my soul, seeking the mercies of God for a clearer and more definite vision, and with this timely message, the long-sought assurance was settled upon my heart as a blessed certainty. I commend this...

An Account of the Third Public Pleading, and the Mercies Granted Our third street meeting took place on the promenade of the town proper's municipal hall. By a sad necessity, owing to violent unrest and protests that transpired in the region of Metro Manila, the local administration saw fit to shut the park down, intending to shield the area from the grievous vandalism. The preceding Sabbath saw a similar disappointment, as the site was closed for a night market, forcing us to retire to a nearby diner, where we might share a frugal meal and yet continue our fellowship with the message of the chronological events in the life of our Blessed Christ. Despite the rain throughout the first two of our public pleadings, we persisted in the work. And this past Sabbath, we were favored with a beautiful and serene weather, a gift sent directly from the hand of providence.  It is with humble gratitude that I record the favor shown by the civil authorities, who informally permitted us to cond...

A year went by. Hudson read his Bible through for the fortieth time. He wrote hundreds of letters and prayed constantly for China and the missionaries who served there. The news that Jennie had cancer hardly changed their lives at all. Both of them were already living in the light of eternity. Although she was thin and weak, she told a friend, "I couldn't be better cared for or happier. I'm nearly home. What will it be to be there! The Lord is taking me slowly and gently." And so He was. On July 29, 1904, Jennie died with Hudson at her bedside. Hudson was now seventy-two years old and badly wanted to go back to China. There were so many people to encourage there and so many people to thank. So, in the spring of 1905, he and his son Howard, now also a medical doctor, and Howard's wife, Geraldine, set off on Hudson's eleventh journey to China. And what a trip it was. Hudson was able to visit many areas by train now. Trains were much more comfortable than the whe...

Triumphs come at a cost. Such is the story of the cross. There are no victories where none dares to count the cost. All die, not all die for something of eternal worth. Even our view of death is marred by sin as unfortunate. But for a child of God it is merely the end of sorrows and the beginning of endless joy. *** By Christmas 1869, Hudson and Maria had made the most difficult decision of their married lives. Their four oldest children, Herbert, Howard, Samuel, and Maria were to be sent back to England to stay with their grandparents. It would be safer for them there, and they could go to a regular school. At that time it was quite normal for children to be sent home like this, but it still upset Hudson and Maria to think they wouldn’t be seeing their children for a long time. They decided to keep one-year-old Charles with them because he was too young to be separated from his parents. Also, Maria was pregnant again and due to give birth in the middle of the year, so Charles would ha...

It was May 25, 1866. The following day, the first official group of missionaries from the China Inland Mission would set sail aboard the Lammermuir , bound for Shanghai. Hudson put his pen down and smiled. He had just completed writing a passenger list to give to Captain Bell the next day. He looked at the list. His name was at the top, along with Maria’s and their four children, six-year-old Grace, five-year-old Herbert, three-year-old Howard, and little Samuel, nearly two years old. Listed below the children were the names of the only other married couple in the group, Lewis and Eliza Nicol. Lewis was a blacksmith from Scotland. Below them were the names of five single men: James Williamson, George Duncan, Josiah Jackson, John Sell, and William Rudland. Following them were the names of the single women: Jane McLean, Emily Blatchley, Jennie Faulding, Mary Bausum, Mary Bell, Louise Desgraz, Elizabeth Rose, Mary Bowyer, and Susan Barnes. Hudson prayed for each name on the list and asked...

Very early in the course of His ministry, the Lord Jesus taught His people that they were to be the light— not of Jerusalem, not of Judea, nor yet of the Jewish nation, but— of the world . And He taught them to pray—not as the heathen, who use vain and unmeaning repetitions; nor yet as the worldly-minded, who ask first and principally (if not solely) for their own private benefit and need: "For," said He, " your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him. After this manner therefore pray ye:— " Our Father which art in heaven, " Hallowed be Thy name; " Thy kingdom come; " Thy will be done; as in heaven, so in earth." And it was only after these petitions, and quite secondary to them, that any personal petitions were to be offered. Even the very moderate one, "Give us this day our daily bread," followed them. Is not this order too often reversed in the present day? Do not Christians often really feel, and also act, as t...

Bruce Olson and the Motilones are not preaching a “social gospel.” By faith they are born into the family of God. But this spiritual “new birth” naturally engenders the dedication to live and share Jesus’ example. The Motilones make sure that this is fully understood.  When one of the former presidents of Colombia saw the dynamic advancement of the Motilones as they employed scientific solutions to their problems, he said, “This is true development in response to the needs of the community.” He assumed it was these factors that had brought peace.  But Kaymiyokba, who was talking with the president, became disturbed. He knew it wasn’t preventive medicine or tropical agriculture that had brought understanding and coexistence between tribes. “It is because our tribe now walks in the footsteps of a new leader,” Kaymiyokba explained. To walk in a tribal member’s footsteps is to recognize him as chieftain.  Smiling, the president acknowledged that this was “Bruce, the missio...