Episode | 365 Christian Men

October 11. Robert Hamill Nassau. On this date in 1835, Nassau was born in Pennsylvania. But for forty-five years, he worked in various parts of Africa as a missionary, a medical doctor, a scientist, an explorer, a pioneer, and a prolific author.

Nassau sent large collections of cultural artifacts to the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton for study, and he was the first to send a gorilla carcass to the US. As of 1891, he was the only scientist to supply perfect gorilla brains for anatomists to study, and if you’re an anatomist, I guess that’s a big deal.

Nassau also wrote many thick volumes—with illustrations—about life in Africa, and the man translated the Bible into the language of West Equatorial Africa.

Fear can paralyze a man who lacks trust, but a Christ-follower can stifle fear.

Nassau lived among the native people of West Africa with his family and three groups: new native Christians, natives who liked the missionaries, and a group of natives who hated the missionaries and wanted to drive them out.

In his writing, Nassau referred to these unhappy natives as heathens, and he had to find creative ways to negotiate with them since they believed in spirits and curses and witchcraft.

One Friday afternoon, a group of heathens converged on the village and demanded the villagers charge the missionaries higher prices for their produce. Nassau had always been able to settle issues by open discussion, so he politely declined the price increase.

But Nassau’s quiet confidence infuriated the heathens. Immediately, they invoked the power of Ukuku and made a new law with three parts:

No more food should be sold to Nassau.

No native should work for him.

And Nassau would not be permitted to drink from his own spring on the mission premises.

The law of Ukuku was rooted in superstition and witchcraft, was created by a secret society of men, and was designed to cause fear and submission. So for a native to fetch water from the spring and bring it to the missionaries became a crime punishable by death.

The Christian natives who normally worked with Nassau were caught in a dilemma: they would have to defy Ukuku or break their agreement with Nassau. So he removed the conflict—he refused to ring the come-to-work bell.

“ … Staying away from the spring would seem to be bowing to a power which we had always preached against, which was based on a lie, and which stood in the eyes of the African as an idol … ,” Nassau said.

So the next morning, Nassau made a public demonstration against the Ukuku law. He went to the spring and drew up a bucket of water.

The spring was several hundred yards from Nassau’s house, through a winding jungle path. From a hiding place in the vegetation, a spy jumped out at Nassau and tried to knock the bucket away, but Nassau outmaneuvered him.

The spy viciously thrust his spear at Nassau’s back, but somehow, the point couldn’t touch Nassau. Neither the spy nor Nassau could see what had stopped the spear. And Nassau carried the water home in triumph.

“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!” (Psalm 46:1–3 NLT).

The young spy ran off to raise a mob, but his heart wasn’t in it. The demonstration of protective power “made the younger heathen see that they had gone too far. He rallied with the Christians” to protect the mission and even warned Nassau about the mob on its way.

Before Nassau could join his wife, the mob opened fire on the premises. Rapid shots were exchanged. Nassau crossed an open space to get to his wife and locked the door behind him.

“It was a short, angry, bloodless fight of less than twenty minutes, and Ukuku was defeated.”

“Side by side Mrs. Nassau and I knelt, and felt too deeply for words, that ‘God was our refuge, a very present help in trouble.’”

Looking back on the day, Nassau saw that the Christians of this village were becoming noble and courageous. God was rearranging the way the natives thought. Glory to God.

Do you let fear dictate your next move, or is your confidence in Jesus able to silence that fear? Fear can paralyze a man who lacks trust, but a Christ-follower can stifle fear.

Nassau, Robert Hamill. Crowned in Palm-Land. Philadelphia: J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO., 1874.

Nassau, Robert Hamill. Corisco Days. Philadelphia: Allen, Lane & Scott, 1910, pp. 88–91.

Nassau, Robert Hamill. Fetichism in West Africa: Forty Years’ Observation of Native Customs and Superstitions. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1904, p. 275.

Story read by: Blake Mattocks

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter

Audio production: Joel Carpenter

Story written by: John Mandeville, https://www.johnmandeville.com/

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/

Project manager: Blake Mattocks

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October 10. Chris Green. Chris used to work for FedEx. Now—all around the world—he rescues children.

He founded Vision for the Children, International (VFTCI), which provides proactive and preventative care for at-risk children and their families. Because more than 80% of the 150 million UNICEF orphans in the world actually have a living parent, VFTCI finds ways to change the conditions that force parents to abandon their children.

Chris’s group operates Transitional Living Centers for abandoned mothers with children and provides safe, healthy after-school programs. They also reach out by means of Kids’ Club programs, village outreach ministries, and various summer and holiday programs. On this date in 2018, Chris purchased computers for 400 at-risk kids in northern India.

When God calls, get set for a powerful adventure.

In a village in northern India, a computer classroom sat empty. The walls, painted a bright blue, boasted power strips above the hand-built desks. Christ-followers had established the school for the 400 children, and the community was grateful for quality education.

But there were no funds for computers that would prepare their students for success beyond the school walls. Staff, students, and teachers prayed for computers.

On the other side of the world in Colorado, Chris Green returned from launching a computer lab in southern India.

(Eight years before, God had called him and his wife Monique out of their “comfortably numb” American life to adopt two Ukraine siblings, and Chris and Monique had responded. Then God told Chris that was just the beginning. Would Chris say yes when God called again? Chris swallowed hard. “Whatever it is you ask me to do, I’ll say yes,” Chris said, “no matter how uncomfortable it is.” That’s when God prompted Chris to start VFTCI, a non-profit that serves at-risk kids around the world, and Chris said yes.)

Now, after eight years of working full-time as a manager at FedEx^® and simultaneously leading VFTCI, Chris faced burn-out. It felt like he could never do enough.

In April, as he considered shutting down VFTCI, a church friend asked Chris and Monique to host Aarav, an Indian man scheduled to speak. Chris said yes.

And he was immediately drawn to Aarav’s quick smile. Like Chris, Aarav was on a powerful adventure to help at-risk kids. Chris told him that the organization focused on connecting at-risk kids to a loving community through Computer Learning Centers (CLCs).

The men enjoyed the visit and parted. In early summer Aarav learned about the school in northern India, who—for nearly three years—had been praying for computers.

And Aarav called Chris.

Seeing God making connections like this energized Chris. The school needed $6,000 for computers. Aarav was soon going to India on business, so he volunteered to oversee the installation, saving VFTCI the expense of putting someone on the ground in India.

But where would Chris get the funds?

VFTCI didn’t have the money, but Chris had promised that if God led, he would respond, so Chris gave Aarav $1000 seed money. And Chris tried to raise the additional $5,000, but the money didn’t come. He felt confused.

God nudged again. Donating more to the computer lab meant trusting God as bills came due in the months ahead. Chris sent an additional $2,000. VFTCI received a $1,500 grant and a $1,000 donation, so VFTCI’s needs were met!

But Chris still needed $3,000 to fully fund the computer lab. Discouraged, Chris told Aarav to get whatever computers he could—maybe 6 or 8 of the 16 the school needed. He waited to see what God would do.

In India now, Aarav and the school reconfigured how the computers would be used. They could run the lab with only 10 computers. There wasn’t enough money for 10, but Aarav would do what he could. When he went to buy the computers, he negotiated a deal: all 10 computers for $2,800, $200 less than VFTCI had sent!

Five days later the CLC launched. Three-pronged cords filled the once-empty electrical sockets, brought computers to life, and the bright-blue computer lab now teamed with excited children connecting to the wide world.

When Aarav told Chris, he was overjoyed. A weight fell away. His responsibility was to say yes to God’s prompting, not to carry the weight of the needs.

“It’s mind-boggling,” Chris said. “When I was at my lowest, wanting to quit, God did miraculous things for kids through VFTCI. I don’t go out searching for these things. But God brings them.”

Chris posted this scripture where he could see it often. “The smallest family will become a thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation. At the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen” (Isaiah 60:22 NLT).

Have you heard God calling? Are you ready to say yes? When God calls, get set for a powerful adventure.

Based on interviews with Chris and Monique Green.

Story read by: Joel Carpenter

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter

Audio production: Joel Carpenter

Story written by: Abigail Schultz, https://www.instagram.com/abigail_faith65/

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/

Project manager: Blake Mattocks

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October 9. John Peters. John is a successful entrepreneur, who has built and sold multiple businesses. Every business is started with one idea in mind: to sell it. In 2018, he sold a large national-service company and has experienced success.

And not just in the US, but globally. With a handpicked team, he also invests on other continents. The goal: to fund, train, and mentor Christian entrepreneurs.

John has helped fund building projects in The Middle East and Asia that are having a global impact and reaching tens of thousands. It was only John was personally challenged by God’s principles for finances that his vision for God’s purposes became far-reaching, even global.

Having already learned some hard lessons about self-centered success, John was now ready to surrender. Here’s his candid admission.

Amassing wealth can enslave a man, but using it the way God wants, gives a man’s life purpose.

At 28, John had a high-finance job, a Midtown-Manhattan apartment, and a family—complete with a nanny.

But when he and his wife were expecting their third child, John was working a 70-hour week. Each time he left for a business trip, their son began to stutter. John loved his family and wanted more family time.

So they moved out of the city and bought a growing equipment-rental company. John could grow a business and build a family life. He was capable. Smart. Determined. But, while John sometimes prayed, and his family did attend church, he didn’t invite God into his business plan.

A year and a half later, with an expanding company in need of ongoing investment, John cashed out his retirement and home equity—and was in debt more than a million dollars. Three months behind on his mortgage payment, he had little income.

Since John managed the household finances, he didn’t tell his wife. He would shield her. He would protect her. He would carry the stress alone. He was in control. He would figure it out.

One Wednesday night, a visiting missionary told how he had struggled, especially when money was tight, to give tithes and offerings to God. But he gave, and God consistently provided for his needs. Everything belonged to God. And money given for God’s purposes made a difference in the world.

John had been raised to give a portion of his income to God, but he hadn’t tithed in years. “Money was a mirror for what was going on in my heart,” John said. “In my pride I wanted to be successful because of me.” His finances reflected his need for control.

On Thursday, while John was at work, his pregnant wife phoned, and she was crying. While grocery shopping with their three children, all four of her credit cards were declined.

John reeled. He had told himself everything was okay. They were building equity. He could handle it. But now the person he loved most couldn’t even buy groceries. He was out of options.

On Friday, John prayed, “I’ve been trying to do this myself. I thought I was smart enough. But I give up.” In his wallet was $300 for car insurance. If he had been tithing, it was about the amount John would have given that month. John decided to give it to God. “I’m going to let You figure this out,” he prayed.

On Sunday, John gave God all his cash. It was his way of saying God was in charge.

On Monday morning, a man who had found John’s company on the internet contacted him. When a deal had fallen through, the man was stuck with 1,000 units of used specialty equipment.

Desperate to sell, the man offered them at a low price. John, who had always bought new, usually paid ten times the amount. He had had no idea this small niche existed.

God had brought an opportunity that changed everything. Excited, John borrowed money from his parents and purchased the equipment. In that market, his company became almost the only buyer of used equipment. And he never bought new again.

Though the company’s rental revenue per unit remained the same, costs decreased by 92%. So as John’s business grew, his finances quickly recovered.

Sixteen years later, when the business sold for a significant profit, it had locations in twenty-one US cities. Sales had increased by twenty-seven times.

John hadn’t created wealth on his own. God had given him great opportunities. Luke 12:48 became his heartbeat. His family enjoyed wealth, and wealth allowed them to give much.

“For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:48 NKJV).

After the family spent three weeks with missionaries in the Philippines, they embraced a specific purpose: “to equip and encourage missionaries.”

When John started his first business, he had worked for his own glory. But now, John says, “God gets the glory because without Him we would have failed.”

If you hold a mirror to your finances, what do you see? Amassing wealth can enslave a man, but using it the way God wants, gives a man’s life purpose.

Based on an interview with John Peters,* September 10, 2019.

*pseudonym

Story read by: Chuck Stecker

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter

Audio production: Joel Carpenter

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/

Project manager: Blake Mattocks

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October 8. George Washington Carver. Carver was an American professor, agricultural scientist, and inventor. When he was young, he was known as “the plant doctor.” He told about when he was a young boy and said, “Often … people … would say to me, ‘George, my fern is sick. See what you can do with it.’… At this time I had never heard of botany and could scarcely read.” But he got the plants healthy again.

Carver went on to invent many important things, including 300 peanut-related products, but sought only three patents. He actively promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. He appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee and provided vital information that well served southern farmers. Carver was the most prominent Black scientist of the early 20th century.

He connected with Booker T Washington, Henry Ford, President Franklin Roosevelt, and Mahatma Gandhi. And when Thomas Edison offered Carver a six-figure job, Carver turned it down. And on this date, in 1896, he arrived to teach at Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute—and nobody was talking about six figures.

The true measure of a man’s success is found in his willingness to serve others.

Carver stared at the invitation to join the faculty of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Alabama. It was the first major educational institution in the South to hire Black faculty, and its goal was to develop Black leaders. But Carver had no desire to return to the South.

He re-read Booker T. Washington’s letter. “I cannot offer you money, position, or fame.… These things I now ask you to give up. I offer you in their place: work—hard, hard work, the task of bringing a people from degradation, poverty, and waste to full manhood. Your department exists only on paper, and your laboratory will have to be in your head.”

Carver had fought hard to get where he was: the first Black man to earn a master’s degree from Iowa State College. And he now served on its faculty—the first Black college instructor in the whole state of Iowa. He had overcome isolation, hunger, and discrimination and struggled for years to gain acceptance based on his achievements, not the color of his skin.

But the invitation haunted him. He thought about a Scripture he had loved even before he could read, one his foster-mother Susan Carver had taught him. “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

The students of Tuskegee Institute, just one generation from slavery, were technically free, but society—and the students’ own perceptions—held them back. Who would teach them that, as God’s treasured creations, they were free to dream? Who saw and encouraged their talents? Their curiosity? Carver sensed God’s call to Tuskegee. This decision wasn’t only about logic. It was also about living out his faith in service to God and others. This was the true measure of success.

Carver accepted the new job, where he employed all the knowledge he had gained, not only in his education, but also in his years of struggle.

He turned a swamp into an agricultural-testing site and developed a lab from items he had found in trash heaps. He conducted experiments on top of teaching science and agriculture; he also taught weekly Bible studies. He wanted his students to see themselves as valued children full of potential—potential that, when surrendered to their Creator, could take them beyond their dreams and help them serve others.

Farmers—both Black and white—succeeded using Carver’s methods. He taught crop rotation and explained that planting sweet potatoes and legumes—like peanuts—would return needed nutrients to worn-out cotton fields.

When the farmers didn’t know what to do with the peanuts they grew, Carver developed more than 300 uses for them. When he had arrived at Tuskegee in 1896, the peanut was not a recognized US crop, but by 1940, it had become one of the six leading crops in the nation.To better serve farmers, Carver designed a traveling classroom in a wagon, so representatives from Tuskegee could go directly to the farms.

Though Booker had not promised him fame, fame came to Carver anyway. By 1905, most people in America and across the world knew the name George Washington Carver. (He took Booker’s last name for his middle name.)

As Carver’s success grew, people sometimes urged him to update his lifestyle—including his wardrobe and living arrangements—but Carver told them it didn’t matter how much money people had in the bank or what type of automobile they drove. “These mean nothing,” he said. “It is simply service that measures success.”

How do you measure success? The true measure of a man’s success is found in his willingness to serve others.

O’Connor, Allison. “Tuskegee University (1881- ).” Blackpast. Published October 27, 2009. https://blackpast.org/aah/tuskegee-university-1881.

Collins, Ace. Stories Behind Men of Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009. Chapter Seven.

“George Washington Carver.” Science History Institute. Updated December 4, 2017. https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/george-washington-carver.

Would You Like to Learn More About This Man?

Want to share Carver’s story with your children or grandchildren? See George Washington Carver by Andy Carter and Carol Saller (Millbrook Press, 2001).

Story read by: Daniel Carpenter

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter

Audio production: Joel Carpenter

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/

Project manager: Blake Mattocks

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October 7. Daniel James Draper. On this date in 1835, Draper was ordained a minister, and after a few years pastoring at a local church, for the next thirty years, he served in Australia.

At various places in Australia, Draper built churches and schools and worked to make sure the people were cared for. When he was in charge of the South Australian district, he built 30 new chapels and increased church membership by 1,300 and Sunday school attendance by 2,000. The number of people at public worship increased by 7,000.

In 1855, when a lot of the men were gone to goldfields, Draper arranged for them to have pastoral care there. He visited the goldfields and rural communities often and encouraged them to build chapels. Today’s story takes place after Draper and his wife had gone back to England for a short visit.

Desperation can defeat you or drive you to a decision.

On January 5, 1865, after a brief visit to England, Pastor Draper, his wife, and more than 200 other passengers boarded the London steamer on a return trip to Australia. The uncertainty of what lay ahead and the heartache of leaving his father and mother again caused Draper to seriously consider the cost of traveling to a foreign country to share the gospel. But he was convinced this was what God had called him to do.

A day after they set sail, fierce winds howled throughout the night. Two days into the voyage, mountainous waves engulfed the ship, and some of the passengers got severely anxious.

The captain frantically fought against the waves, but the ship thrust forward, and the waves crashed against the deck.

The following night, in deep distress, Draper realized how serious the situation was. Now more than ever, he understood what Jesus had said: “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4 NIV).

Draper might not get the chance to share the gospel again.

As the storm raged on, he led the passengers in prayer and comforted them throughout the night. They read the Scriptures together.

Early the next morning, the captain tried to navigate back to Plymouth, but the storm increased in fury. Sea gales angrily erupted and stripped the lifeboat from the ship. The masts were frozen, and the deck pulled apart.

Three days into the voyage, water flooded the engine room. The passengers and crew worked incessantly to remove the water. But it rapidly rose and put out the engine fires—and the engine died.

All that could have been done had been done. The captain said, “You may now say your prayers, boys.” Then he headed to the saloon, where the women and children had gathered. “Ladies, there is no hope for us.”

It was then Draper resolved, “Happy if with my latest breath I may but gasp His name; Preach Him to all, and cry in death, ‘Behold, behold, the Lamb!’”

Draper stood stern on the deck with his wife by his side and calmly said, “My friends, our captain tells us there is no hope, but the great Captain above tells us that there is hope, and that we may all get safe to heaven.” In response many cried out, “Pray for me, Mr. Draper; pray for me!”

Draper urged them all to flee for refuge and take hold of the hope set before them. On January 11, 1865, Draper lived out his soul’s deepest longing. With his last breath, he spoke of Jesus and pleaded with the passengers and crew to prepare to “Behold, behold, the Lamb of God!” As Draper’s prayers ascended to heaven, a peaceful resignation filled the air, and the vessel sank into the murky sea. A nearby boat rescued nineteen passengers left alive to tell the story.

Are you hesitant to go where God is calling? If you obey, He may use you to provide hope for others who have lost all hope. Desperation can defeat you or drive you to a decision.

Symons, John C. The Life of Daniel James Draper. Melbourne: Wesleyan Book Depot, 1870.

Blacket, Rev. John. “A Thrilling Story.” Trove. Published May 23, 1924. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/214084209?searchTerm=Rev%20John%20Blacket%2C%20Daniel%20Draper.

Story read by: Peter R Warren, https://www.peterwarrenministries.com/

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter

Audio production: Joel Carpenter

Story written by: Paula Moldenhauer, http://paulamoldenhauer.com/

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/

Project manager: Blake Mattocks

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October 6. William Tyndale. Tyndale was an English scholar, who graduated from Oxford and had mastered seven languages. He became convinced that all people needed and deserved to be able to read the Bible in their own languages.

But translating the Bible into English was punishable by death. While Tyndale worked away at his translation into English, in one day the government executed one woman and six men by burning them at the stake. Their crime was teaching their children the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer in English. But Tyndale kept on.

In 1526, when Tyndale was 32, he translated and published the first mechanically printed New Testament in English.

The government was so desperate to wipe out the English New Testament that they spent several thousand dollars buying up all the copies and burning them. And they did it twice. But their efforts failed largely because the funds they had spent got funneled back to Tyndale, so he could continue his work. Finally, on this date in 1536, Tyndale was executed by strangling and then publicly burned.

Use frustration to fuel extraordinary acts of courage.

It was the 1500s in Europe, and thanks to the Reformation, people were no longer content to let the corrupt Church and state control them with fear and lies.

Tensions were high in this gathering storm, and late one evening, the dinner table of Sir John and Lady Ann Walsh in Gloucestershire, England, was heaped with exquisite food and surrounded with distinguished guests.

The dinner had begun hours ago, but the guests’ plates were still full. The clergymen in attendance sat with clenched jaws. Again and again, they argued and tried to defend what the Church was doing. But every argument was soundly defeated by the Walsh children’s tutor, Tyndale.

But whatever anger the guests felt toward him, it did not compare with the frustration Tyndale felt. He was an Oxford graduate with two degrees, trained in logic, an ordained priest, and well-read in the Holy Scriptures. He had returned to his native city to tutor the two children of a prominent family.

The concepts he was arguing were plain to see, laid right out in the Bible.

The clergy were the only ones allowed access to the Bible, yet most of them did not even take advantage of this privilege.

“I suffer because the priests be unlearned … yet many of them can scarcely read,” Tyndale wrote.

Why couldn’t they understand? Why didn’t they even want to understand? After all, they were supposed to God’s priests!

The evening did not end well. The guests left still angry, and Lady Walsh had been embarrassed.

She and Sir John reproved Tyndale for his combativeness. The men at their table had many years of clergy experience and were well respected; Tyndale was merely a recently graduated tutor.

Irritated and now discouraged, Tyndale retreated to his room. Even Sir John and Lady Ann couldn’t see his side. They, too, were blinded by titles and prestige.

He sat at his desk, which was covered with the children’s Latin lessons and writing projects.

If only his employers—whom he counted as friends—could understand the true gospel.

He glanced at his copy of Erasmus’s translation of the Greek New Testament. Lady Ann was a great admirer of Erasmus. Tyndale was not. But right there in the preface, Erasmus said of the Scriptures, “And I wish they were translated into all the languages of all people, that they might be read and known.”

Tyndale walked across the room to the fireplace. Using tongs, he gathered the still-hot coals together and added some kindling. Flames shot up. Excitement replaced his frustration, though he knew Lady Ann would never accept an English translation of a Bible passage.

At that time, reading the Bible in English was illegal, but a work by Erasmus—that was something she would read. He would translate Erasmus’s book into English. It would be: Handbook of the Christian Soldier.

Tyndale soon presented the little book, now translated into English, to Lady Ann. As he hoped, she was not only convinced of his translation skills, but also of the words written in the book. The Walshes became life-long supporters of Tyndale and his great Bible-translation project.

At another evening meal, once again, the dinner table atmosphere was strained. Tyndale had made some remarks and infuriated a high-ranking member of the clergy. Tyndale always pointed back to the Scriptures to prove his point. And they were Scriptures the church leader should know, but didn’t.

“We were better to be without God’s law than [to be without] the Pope’s!” the exasperated leader finally shouted and pounded his fist on the table. The leader’s anger had caused him to reveal his true belief.

And Tyndale would not let this blasphemy go. The outburst had cleared away a lot of the religious smoke the clergy had been spouting.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tyndale saw Lady Ann give him a slight nod.

In a loud, firm voice, Tyndale told the blaspheming leader, “I defy the Pope and all his laws, and if God spare my life ere many years, I will cause a boy that driveth the plow, shall know more of the Scripture than thou dost.”

And in that heightened moment of frustration and anger, Tyndale’s resolve to write an English translation of the Bible put on work boots.

“And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ” (Philemon 1:6 NLT).

What situations or people frustrate you? Ask God how you can turn that frustration into something of value that brings life and love. Use frustration to fuel extraordinary acts of courage.

Teems, David Tyndale, The Man Who Gave God an English Voice. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2012.

Tyndale, William. Doctrinal Treatises and Introductions to Different Portions of the Holy Scriptures. Cambridge: The University Press, 1843.

Foxe, John. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. New Kensington: Whitaker House, 1981.

Story read by: Blake Mattocks

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter

Audio production: Joel Carpenter

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/

Project manager: Blake Mattocks

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October 5. Asahel Nettleton. Nettleton was an American theologian and evangelist from Connecticut and a key figure during the Second Great Awakening. He had studied the writings of his predecessor Jonathon Edwards.

Nettleton preached three times every Sunday and two or three times during the week, plus he preached to small groups who were interested in revival. At this time, thousands of people turned to the Lord.

A prideful man can be seduced by lies, but a man of humility can see the truth.

On Thanksgiving night in the year 1800, seventeen-year-old Nettleton had gone to a ball with his friends. And the next morning, he had a good time thinking about the dance and his plans for later that day, when he would see his friends again.

Out of nowhere, the thought overtook him: “We must all die, and go to the judgment; and with what feelings shall we then reflect upon these scenes?”—all the dancing and hanging out with his friends. All his looking forward to fun vanished. And he hid these feelings from his friends, but he couldn’t escape from them.

His friends were planning to open a dancing school, and they expected his help, but he refused to have anything to do with it. “The world had lost its charms. All those amusements in which he had taken delight were overcast with gloom.” He often thought about death, judgment, and eternity. “He had a general vague idea that he was a sinner; but he [didn’t see] the fountain of iniquity within him.”

So he decided he would get himself saved. “I read, I prayed, and strove in every possible way to prepare myself to go to God, that I might be saved from His wrath.” But the more he tried, the worse he felt. “He sometimes spent a large part of the night in prayer. In this way he expected to obtain the forgiveness of his sins and the peace and consolation which God has promised to His people.” But it seemed like God just refused to hear his prayers.

Nettleton really wished that some of his friends would set out with him in pursuit of religion, but he was too proud to talk with them openly. When he did talk about wanting to avoid open sin, they treated him with contempt.

Next, seeing that God didn’t respond to all Nettleton’s effort, he complained about God. In fact, he grew to hate the idea of a God who would choose not to answer his prayers. God probably didn’t even exist. Nettleton “searched the Scriptures on purpose to find contradictions in them”—but the Scriptures continued to convict him.

He wished the Bible were false. But he thought, “What if the Bible should prove to be true? Then I am lost forever.”

Finally, Nettleton saw “the plague of his own heart.” He realized that he had never asked and sought as God requires. That God looked at a man’s heart. That He required His creatures to serve Him. Nettleton saw all his own praying and studying had been prompted by selfish motives. He had not loved God, nor had he cared for His glory. Nettleton had only promoted his own interest and happiness.

Nettleton “had not hated sin because it was committed against God, but had merely dreaded its consequences.”

About ten months after that turning-point Thanksgiving-Day ball, Nettleton noticed that his attitude had changed. The Scriptures he had feared now seemed full of life and hope. He gladly prayed often. He saw that Jesus Christ was an intelligent, courageous man bent on loving people, and Nettleton wanted to spend time with him. And Nettleton knew Jesus was eternal God. Somehow by God’s doing, Nettleton had become a Christian. He knew peace and great joy.

“It is because of [God] that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV).

Are you struggling to trust Jesus with your life? Prideful, a man believes lies, but humbled, he can see the truth.

Tyler, Bennet, and Andrew Bonar. The Life and Labours of Asahel Nettleton. Carlisle PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1975, p. 20.

Ehrhard, Jim. “Asahel Nettleton: The Forgotten Evangelist.” oChristian.com. Accessed July 18, 2020. http://articles.ochristian.com/article3096.shtml.

Story read by: Daniel Carpenter

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter

Audio production: Joel Carpenter

Story written by: Toni M Babcock, https://www.facebook.com/toni.babcock.1

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/

Project manager: Blake Mattocks

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October 4. Miles Coverdale. Coverdale realized the common people needed a Bible they could read and understand in their own language. So he made it his life’s ambition to produce an entire Bible in English.

He started as an Augustinian friar at Cambridge, then he became a priest and was influenced by his supervisor in the monastery—an active Lutheran—who was later executed by Henry VIII for heresy. This caused Coverdale to give up being a monk and then to leave England for safer parts.

By 1529, he lived in Germany and helped William Tyndale with his English translation of the Scriptures. Next, a merchant commissioned Coverdale to translate the Bible, and on this date in 1535, he completed the first Bible translated into English and printed. However, it did not pass standards that would make it the official translation.

So Thomas Cromwell hired Coverdale to work in England on a new version based on Tyndale’s Matthew’s Bible. In 1539, Coverdale finished the Great Bible, which was approved by Henry VIII.

But when Queen Mary took the throne, she took away all Coverdale’s religious authority. Most people believe he would be executed but that the King of Denmark persuaded Mary to send Coverdale to Denmark instead of killing him.

God’s rule over us is demonstrated by how well we rule ourselves.

Although he was a priest, around 1527, Coverdale broke with Roman Catholic beliefs and became an earnest Reformer of the Church. When he heard about some people hungry for Christ, he jumped at the opportunity to preach the gospel in a church at Bumpstead.

When Coverdale stepped into the pulpit, a rapt audience listened to him preach the gospel of Christ, some for the first time. And God worked mightily.

At the end of the service, the interim pastor of the church, a monk named Topley, cried out, “Oh my sins, my sins!” Topley was coming to Coverdale for absolution!

But Coverdale advised the man to confess his sins to God and not to a priest.

Topley believed Coverdale and accepted God’s forgiveness. Afterward, he dedicated himself to the work of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Topley was beginning to understand the true nature of Christ’s rule over the believer. And he realized that a believer is one who shares the gospel of Jesus and works under His authority to bless others.

Coverdale wasn’t putting down the priesthood as it is described in the New Testament. He was only steering the monk away from putting his trust in the religious institution of the priest instead of putting his trust in the living Christ.

One historian put it this way: “The clergy had made religion their business, and the Reformation was restoring [religion] to the people. Nothing offended the priests so much as that laymen should claim the right to believe without [the priests’] intervention, and even to propagate their faith.”

But the Reformers believed in the priesthood of all believers, as did the Apostle Peter when he wrote to the church: “And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:45 NASB).

And Cloverdale hoped Topley would now believe in the priesthood of all believers.

Are you working under the authority of Jesus? Do you recognize God working in your life? God’s rule over us is demonstrated by how well we rule ourselves.

D’Aubigne, J.H. Merle. The Reformation in England, Vol. I. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1853, reprinted 1977, page 352.

Ford, David Nash. “Miles Coverdale (1488-1569).” Royal Berkshire History. Published 2003. http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/mcoverdale.html.

The Reformation. “Miles Coverdale (1486-1568).” Accessed July 11, 2020. https://www.thereformation.info/miles_coverdale/.

Bible Manuscript Society. “1535 Coverdale Bible.” Accessed July 11, 2020. https://biblemanuscriptsociety.com/Bible-resources/English-Bible-History/Coverdale-Bible.

“Miles Coverdale.” English Bible History. Accessed July 11, 2020. https://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/myles-coverdale.html.

Simkin, John. “Miles Coverdale.” Spartacus Educational. September 1997. https://spartacus-educational.com/Miles_Coverdale.htm.

Story read by: Peter R Warren, https://www.peterwarrenministries.com/

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter

Audio production: Joel Carpenter

Story written by: Toni M Babcock, https://www.facebook.com/toni.babcock.1

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/

Project manager: Blake Mattocks

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October 3. Drew Brees. Drew appears in the top five of many all-time greatest pro quarterback lists. He led the NFL in passing yards seven times and has 541 career-touchdown passes.

He once threw a sixty-two-yard touchdown pass to a rookie receiver.

Drew has made the Pro Bowl thirteen times, and in 2004, he was the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year. In 2008 and 2011, Drew was named the Offensive Player of the Year, and he was the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLIV. On this date in 2019, Drew spoke up on behalf of children and National Bring Your Bible to School Day. Listen to what happened.

Don’t let a dirty tackle knock you out of the game. Get back up.

All-pro quarterback Drew Brees recorded a 22-second-long video in which he quoted his favorite Bible verse. And Drew encouraged Christian kids to take their Bibles to school on Bring Your Bible to School Day. He urged kids to share the love of God with friends. He told them, “You’re not alone.” 1

He might as well have painted a target on his face. Bring Your Bible to School Day is a positive event in America, and in 2018, 650,000 kids participated. Turns out it was also promoted by Focus on the Family.

Misleading headlines abounded, such as: “Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints Quarterback Records Video Produced by Anti-Gay Group Focus on the Family,” “Drew Brees is the Biggest Hypocrite in Sports,” and “Drew Brees Needs to Apologize.” The faux news incited a nation-wide Twitter mob.

Another headline claimed Drew had disavowed his ties to Focus on the Family, which he never said he did. It was a fake-news free-for-all.

The negative headlines seemed orchestrated to enflame division and group hate. Drew’s “guilt by association” was displayed as an ugly example of a sports hero corrupted by “conservative homophobes” lost to the evils of their own bigotry.

Drew’s actual message of “share God’s love with friends. You’re not alone” seemed to have evaporated.

The fact is, Drew recognizes and respects everyone’s right to choose their own path in life. He recognizes the freedoms we celebrate in America, and he doesn’t demonize or “hate” anybody.

Drew pushed back against accusations and said he lives by two rules: To love the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, and mind, and to love his neighbor as himself (Matthew 22:37, 39). But some people still demanded an official apology for his association with a conservative “anti-gay” group.

Focus on the Family spokesperson Jim Daly said that the problem was that in the current culture, if you respect someone, but you disagree with them, they label you as hating them. But disagreeing is not hating. They’re not even the same kind of thing.

Jim said they don’t hate anyone. “Our goal is to say, ‘Jesus loves you, cares about you, no matter who you are—your race, your creed, your sexual orientation. Jesus died for every one of us.’ That’s the message we want to get out.”3

He noted that he understands the LGBTQ’s stand, and he respects their right to hold that stand. He wishes they would respect people’s rights to hold a different stand too.

NFL tight end Benjamin Watson said the media’s reaction was “misleading and a mischaracterization of Focus on the Family and of Drew.” He said, “They were slanderous. And so, my response was … stop lying with those sorts of labels.”

Former quarterback Donovan McNabb explained Drew was actually “sending a good message” 2 that deserved to be heard. And Chris Valletta, a former offensive lineman said: “I think Drew Brees is the model American athlete. … He represents the best. … He’s the type of athlete, especially in today’s professional game, that our kids need to be modeling themselves after. … ”

“They pushed me hard to make me fall, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (Psalm 118:13–14 CSB).

What will you do the next time you get blindsided? When your opponent hits you with a dirty tackle, don’t let it knock you out of the game.

1 Busbee, Jay. “Drew Brees appears in ad for evangelical lobbying group.” Yahoo!sports. September 5, 2019. https://sports.yahoo.com/drew-brees-appears-in-ad-for-evangelical-lobbying-group-151951797.html

2 Millward, Craig. “Former NFL Stars Defend Saints QB Drew Brees: ‘Model American Athlete;’ ‘Sending a Good Message.’” CNS News. September 9, 2019. https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/craig-millward/former-nfl-stars-defend-saints-qb-drew-brees-model-american-athlete-sending-good.

3 Gaydos, Ryan. “Drew Brees’ former teammate comes to his defense over backlash from Bible video.” Fox News. Published September 9, 2019. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/drew-brees-saints-nfl-ben-watson-bible-video.

Story read by: Nathan Walker

Introduction read by: Daniel Carpenter

Audio production: Joel Carpenter

Story written by: Toni M Babcock, https://www.facebook.com/toni.babcock.1

Editor: Teresa Crumpton, https://authorspark.org/

Project manager: Blake Mattocks

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October 2. Carl Smythe. Carl is not his real name, but Carl is a real man who had to deal with real sin. There was nothing easy about it. Today’s story is a hard one. In 1989, Carl was released from prison.

Do the hard work. God will do his part.

Carl stared at the barren cell. How had he gone from a happily married, church-going man to a prisoner? What had he done to himself?

Depression grew. His pastor had suggested he talk with John, a mental-health professional—and a man of faith.

The day of John’s first visit to the prison, Carl restlessly went through the protocol required to meet with someone from the outside. Finally, John sat across from him.

Carl said, “I’ve ruined my life.”

They talked a while, and then John said that in the Bible, Paul wrote, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15).

But there in that visiting room, John said he too was the “chief of sinners.”

Carl scoffed. John wasn’t the one in prison. But as Carl studied John’s steady gaze, he realized John meant it.

“Carl,” John spoke softly. “If I’m first chief of sinners, you’re second.”

Carl stood abruptly. He didn’t need another person telling him how bad he was. He shouldn’t have molested his foster child. He had just wanted to help her—but they had become so close!

“Sit down.” John cleared his throat. “You told me you ruined your life. But what about the life of the girl?”

Carl felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“What about your wife?” John said. “Your church? God?”

Carl looked away.

“None of us think we’re as bad as we are, Carl.”

Carl said he wanted to go back to his cell. But he couldn’t escape John’s words. For the first time, instead of thinking about the damage he had done to himself, he faced the damage he had done to the girl—and everyone else. He was a piece of filth. He didn’t deserve to live.

Days turned into weeks, and Carl dreamed up ways to kill himself. The prison put him on suicide watch.

But John kept coming. He explained that until Carl faced the reality of his actions, he couldn’t heal. But now that he had, there was hope. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, Carl was forgiven.

At first Carl rejected the idea. He didn’t deserve forgiveness. John pointed out that Carl was questioning God’s capacity to forgive, heal, and change him. Carl was questioning the ability of the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.

Eventually Carl understood. What he had done to his foster daughter would never be okay. But no sin was bigger than God’s ability to deal with it.

Carl focused on receiving God’s forgiveness, and John asked him to answer three questions: How do I grow? How can I help others? How can I help rebuild what I destroyed?

Carl decided that he could grow by learning more about God, so he took a correspondence course through Moody Bible Institute. Before his imprisonment, he had been a skilled worked. So he helped others by teaching the skill to his fellow inmates. One thing he had destroyed was his marriage. Carl asked John for marriage counseling.

Then came the big challenge. If Carl took the state’s reprogramming classes, he could be released sooner. But the approach fought pedophilia by hooking offenders on adult pornography. John said you couldn’t fight sin with sin. Carl agreed. Most sexual offenders repeated the behavior. As much as Carl wanted an earlier release from prison, there was something he wanted more: forever change.

Carl refused the classes and paid the full extent of his time.

During those long days, Carl continued learning, serving, and rebuilding. When Carl was released, his wife was there, and his marriage was solid.

When you sin, do you gloss it over or do what it takes to for true change? Do the hard work. God will do his part.

Based on an interview, 2019.

Note: Names, dates, and minor details in this story have been changed.

Story read by: Blake Mattocks

Story written by: Paula Moldenhauer, http://paulamoldenhauer.com/

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