Here is my simple offering of loaves and fishes—just plain diet, lacking the ice and spice of the wedding cake. Like a sailor I once saw pounding a soldier ‘‘because,’’ said the sailor, ‘‘he insulted my mother,’’ so my Lord is insulted and His Church slighted. And, believe me, under this double injury, I smart. The Church has many adversaries. Can my sword sleep, then, in my hand? Never!
I estimate that in the English edition alone, a million people read each issue of the ‘‘Herald of His Coming.’’ Some of the chapters in this book are articles in old Heralds and have been read by millions. (I am neither ashamed nor proud of this.) There are a dozen other ‘‘Heralds’’ in Spanish, German, French, etc. Enough to say that through this paper, along with the ‘‘Alliance Witness’’ and other periodicals, God has seen fit to make non-academic essays a means of blessing to many. I pray that you gentle readers may be helped by them.
My sincere thanks to my esteemed friend and spiritual counselor, Dr. A. W. Tozer, for his kindness in writing the foreword. My unstinted praise to Mrs. Hines and her daughter, Ruth, for their fine work in typing and correcting the manuscripts. (All profits from this book go to overseas missions. May we live with eternity’s values in view.)
Leonard Ravenhill