1894 Rainisoalambo, a diviner on Madagascar, throws away all his amulets and apparatus of divination. The night before, wretched with ulcers, he had called out to the God of Norwegian missionaries and sensed he must get rid of his sorcerous props. Doing so today, he immediately feels a weight lift off him. He knows that…
1605 HT: Dan Graves IN 1548, Theodore Beza became seriously ill. Not yet thirty years old, he stared death in the face. Looking upon his recent conduct, he was ashamed. First was the matter of his faith. At heart he was Protestant but, because he got his income from two benefices of the Catholic…
1876 HT: Dan Graves Harry Ironside was laid aside for dead when he was born on this day, October 14, 1876 in Toronto, Canada. His mother was in a bad state and needed of all the attention she could get if she were to pull through. But God had big plans for the “dead” baby. A nurse…
1851 HT: Dan Graves On this day, August 9, 1851, Karl Gutzlaff died in disgrace. In large measure, he had himself to blame, which was a pity, because he had applied genuinely original methods to the problem of evangelizing China. He was one of the first Protestant missionaries to dress like a Chinese. Wherever he…
1737 Twenty-year-old Benjamin Beddome hears a visiting preacher speak on the text “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent,” and is deeply moved. Within two years he will be studying for…
1708 HT: Dan Graves WE KNOW that Francis Makemie came to the American colonies in 1682 or after—the year Laggan Presbytery in Ireland ordained him to evangelize in America. Where or when he landed, we do not know. Yet he would become a notable Presbyterian founder, preaching in Barbadoes, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York.…
1872 HT: Dan Graves Although the son of an earl, Ashley Cooper was neglected and abused. His father bullied him. Bringing him to one of the boarding schools which he would attend, his father knocked down the sensitive boy at the door and advised the tutor to do the same. Ashley carried scars of depression…
1555 HT: Dan Graves James Abbes stripped off his clothes and shoes. Where he was going in a few minutes, he would not need them–new and glorious garments would be his. But here on earth, some poor folk might find his old garments helpful. The crowd had come to see one of the burnings that…
1834 Death of missionary Robert Morrison at age 52. The first English Protestant missionary to China, he had translated the Bible into Chinese, constructed a Chinese grammar, founded an Anglo-Chinese college, and edited a six-volume Chinese dictionary. 1883 HT: Dan Graves Harold Schofield was desperately ill. The young doctor, just 31 years old, had contracted…
1820 HT: Christian History Institute The Moravians were among the earliest Protestants to engage in foreign mission work. Their outreach included efforts among the Eskimos of Newfoundland and Labrador. In an outpost at Nain, they saw many conversions with great improvement of character. The mission at Hebron, Labrador, around 1860. Original drawing by Moravian Bishop Levin Theodor…