Paul W. Powell Legacy Library

Former Prime Minister Nehru of India shocked many people when he said that Russia and the United States possess essentially the same kind of culture. He said the first concern of both is the acquisition of things and that spiritual values are secondary. No greater evil can befall any nation than that. Jesus reminded us that things are temporal. They are at the mercy...

One of the secrets of the great life of the apostle Paul was that he learned how to forget. He did not spend his time looking at his successes or his failures. Rather, he kept focusing on the future and pressing toward the mark of Christian maturity (Philippians 3:13). This is one of the secrets of any great life. It was the brilliant mind of Aldous Huxley that came...

It has always been true that our greatest saints and our greatest sinners are made of the same material. The difference in the best and worst of people is not in their instincts and impulses but rather in the goals and ends to which these are directed. The desire to get ahead, to excel, to have more and be more than others is a driving force. We call this desire ambi...

Living together in peace and unity is never easy. At work, in the church, in marriage, in the home, or in the neighborhood, we all face difficulties in getting along with other people. The apostle Paul said to people who were not getting along, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). The answer to most strife and disco...

In spite of the rising divorce rate there can be no mistake about God’s ideal for marriage. He intends that it be a permanent relationship. The Lord regards the wedding vows as a solemn compact intended for life. In Mark 10:2-12 Jesus asserted that from the beginning divorce was not a part of God’s ideal for marriage. There are times when marriage problems...

The question of right or wrong is a never-ending one for people of all ages. Young people especially are forced to struggle with it today. The pressures of friends, advertising, and the confusion and uncertainty of many adults about what is right or wrong add to the problem. Everyone has questions. Where can people turn for the answer? The Bible is the best source o...

Our Western society has become so obsessed with sex that it seeps from all the pores of our national life. The evidences of this are ample. Sex is front-page copy everywhere. Concerning sexual sins the Bible says: “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his...

What is prayer? First, it is asking God for what we need. Jesus taught us to ask for things (Luke 11:2). If God is really our father and we are really his children, it cannot be wrong to ask him for things. Second, it is praising God for who he is. Jesus often turned to God for gifts, but at times he turned to him just for the sake of fellowship. Prayer is not...

Many years ago four men accompanied me on a mission trip to the West Indies. While visiting with people about Christ one day, a heckler said, “Practice what you preach!” I later learned what was behind the taunt. A few years earlier a young man had professed Christianity and had become very active in the church. He had even done some preaching. Then he fe...