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devotional

May 26, 2008

Every Need Supplied In 1906, Dr. Forrest was one of the first elected members of the Board of Managers of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. He served on this board most of his life. In 1919 while this group was discussing the site for the National Council, he popped up and said, “Why not bring it to Toccoa Falls?” The men immediately asked, “Could you take care of us?” This was a reasonable question because most remembered that the college had faced a devastating fire six years earlier and had not fully recovered. Dr. Forrest replied, “Of course. I don’t

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May 19, 2008

Wait Patiently DAVID LISTS IN Psalm 37 four positive attitudes that enable us to wait patiently before the Lord. The first is “Trust in the Lord.” This trust believes that God is in control and that the circumstances of our lives have not caught Him off guard. It is an expression of absolute confidence—without a shade of doubt. The second positive attitude is “Delight yourself in the Lord.” Here is an expression that goes beyond simple trust. It moves into the realm of pleasure. You not only trust God but find joy in His presence. The third is “Commit your

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May 12, 2008

Six Dollars Worth of God THE LAID-BACK LIFE STYLE of the 1950s in a small Alabama town was a great time and place to be a teenager. One of those joys was my first car, a 1949 Ford. Each day I would go to the local service station and put twenty-five cents worth of gasoline in my highly esteemed vehicle, which would purchase enough to get by for that day. In today’s economy that would be about six dollars. I was living by a principle that said only spend and give what you must and keep the rest in reserve,

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May 5, 2008

Doing God’s Work “Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime.” This statement by Reinhold Niebuhr reminds me of Dr. and Mrs. R.A. Forrest. They began their work over a hundred years ago, and it certainly wasn’t completed in their life time. In fact, it continues today in the hearts and minds of the students at Toccoa Falls College. Richard and Evelyn faithfully continued to obey God’s call and trusted in Him. They never gave up—no matter how hard the days were, dreary the circumstances, or impossible the future seemed. They were tested, but their faith remained. They knew their

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April 28, 2008

God’s Wonderful World DO YOU REALIZE WHEN you go out on a starry night and look up at the glorious display of the Milky Way you see only the rim of the galaxy which contains billions of stars? If you traveled at the speed of light—approximately 186,000 miles per second—it would take 100,000 years to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other; and yet, according to our astronomers, there are billions of galaxies even larger than our own. Earth is only a puny orb when compared to Jupiter and Saturn, yet Earth is the only planet fit

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April 14, 2008

Missed Opportunities HE WAS SHORT, did not have much hair on the top of his head, wore black heavy framed glasses, walked with short quick steps, and had male nicknames for his daughters. He taught a number of courses at Toccoa Falls College. Some students loved him while others avoided his classes if at all possible. His philosophy on testing was that if at least twenty-five percent of the class did not get a failing grade the test was far too easy. One of the courses he taught was practical theology. In the early seventies, this class usually had only

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April 7, 2008

Faith, Fire, and Fidelity Dr. R. A. Forrest The New Testament is filled with examples of men and women whose lives and habits of life were completely changed by the same Christ, who we know as our Savior. If our lives are not changed then our foundation needs to be examined. I believe there are three “F’s” that characterize the life of a true believer. The first is Faith. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Before we can receive an answer to our prayers, we must believe He is who He says He is. A friend recently told

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March 31, 2008

An Anchor for the Soul A YOUNG MISSIONARY SPEAKER came dressed to the evening service at our small country church in northeast Georgia in blue jeans and a plaid flannel shirt. After being introduced, he informed us that he wasn’t yet in his comfort zone; so he put on a hardhat and tool belt from which hung tools, a rope, and a hook. He explained that while a student at Toccoa Falls College, he had worked summers in the construction of high-rise buildings in Atlanta. He described the various pieces of equipment, illustrating how he could secure himself to a

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February 25, 2008

The Thing That Really Counts After Mrs. Forrest fell in 1935, her life changed dramatically. She had been accustomed to traveling to cities such as Atlanta, Greenville, Anderson, and Ashville to conduct weekly Bible studies. For years, she had maintained a full class load at Toccoa Falls College teaching the students and helping to oversee the daily operations of the institute. In addition to these duties, she also had a weekly radio program and taught Sunday School in the Toccoa community. But a well-polished floor and a cotton throw rug altered her life in ways that she never expected. In

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March 24, 2008

When Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary The story of Dr. Richard A. and Evelyn Forrest’s lives had an ordinary beginning. They had parents who loved them. They dedicated their lives to Christ, and committed themselves to a life of His service. They fell in love. They had hopes and dreams. There were disappointments, too. Evelyn had asthma-related health problems that would derail her dream of doing God’s work on the mission field. They began their work at Toccoa Falls, but a devastating fire threatened to put an end to it. But these two ordinary people continued to follow God’s leading, no matter

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March 25 & 26, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Tuesday, March 25 Dakar, Senegal Africa 8:15 a.m. Breakfast of coffee with French bread & butter. Walked

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March 23 & 24, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Sunday, March 23, 1930 On the train 7:00 a.m. Before we were fully dressed the train stopped

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March 21 & 22, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Friday, March 21, 1930 Baruako, French Sudan The net on our bed was not large enough so

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March 18, 19 & 20, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Tuesday March 18, 1930 Bobo-dioulassa Haute-Volta, Africa Put Dad’s arm in hot water again and it seems

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March 16 & 17, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Sunday, March 16, 1930 Bouake, Ivory Coast No room in the hotel. The men slept on the

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March 14 & 15, 1930

The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine Friday, March 14, 1930 Abidjan, Ivory Coast Up and dressed by 8:00 a. m. Coffee, bread, and

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