Paul W. Powell Legacy Library

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Of all the words that Luke wrote none have captured the hearts and minds of people quite like verse 7, chapter 2, when he said, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, a...

31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. 32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come...

Some fantastic claims are made for Jesus Christ. How can we be sure that they are true? 1. Because of reliable historical records. The life of Jesus, like the life of any historical person, is established on the testimony of reliable witnesses. To be a reliable witness a person must have first-hand knowledge of the event, be able to remember and report it accurately,...

The supreme argument for prayer is Jesus Christ. He lived the most meaningful life ever lived. The fact that he relied so very much on prayer as a source of strength and guidance is the one unanswerable argument for us to rely on prayer also. The person who would live a happy, meaningful, and victorious life must also learn the secret of prayer. The equipment of pray...

Many people in and out of the church think of the Christian faith as gloomy, sad, and dismal. I do not know where this idea came from, but it certainly didn’t come from Jesus. The Pharisees didn’t think of him that way. They called him a glutton and a wine-bibber. He had a reputation for enjoying life. Tax collectors didn’t see him as dull either. H...

I visited with a young lady to invite her to church. We had talked for only a few moments when tears welled up in her eyes and she became very emotional. It was clear that she was deeply distressed. I shared with her what Christ meant to me and how through faith in him I had found peace and happiness in life. She replied, “I really could use some of that.&rdqu...

Some startling claims have been made for Jesus Christ. He is acclaimed as the Son of God and the universal Savior of all men. But how do we know that these claims are true and not fairytales or nursery rhymes? How can we be sure Jesus is trustworthy? There are at least three reasons: 1. His universal appeal and magnetism. Jesus is the most fascinating person who ever...

The great musician Leonard Bernstein said that when he was young his father strenuously opposed his going into music. Bernstein explained, “If you were to ask my father today if he opposed this, he would deny it. But he would rationalize by saying, ‘How was I to know that he was a Leonard Bernstein?’” That reply, “How was I to know?&rdqu...

Someone has said, “Given a strong hub, a person can take a surprising number of shocks and bumps on the outer rim without sustaining permanent damage.” Jesus Christ is the only hub sufficient for the rough and rocky road of life. For three years Martin Niemöller survived the horrors of Dachau: the smells of burning flesh and the sights of walking dea...