In Times Like These by Vance Havner

Here is a key to Christian conduct and belief in times like these—times when we are seeing the disintegration of the church and of moral standards, the destruction of America, the dynamics of “trendism,” and the dangers of departed power. Vance Havner issues a call to Christians, clear and loud, for real repentance, for confession and forsaking of sin, for separation from the world, for submission to the Lordship of Christ, and the filling of the Holy Spirit. His challenging summons is for daring, fearless prophets who will call the nation to repentance and for church members who will stand up and be counted with Jesus Christ. Then and only then will there be any use for missions, stewardship programs, or social involvement. This fiery admonition concludes with a concise statement of what one can believe in times like these and of the author’s own unequivocable belief in the Bible as the Word of God. “It is the strategy of the devil to keep good people silent in an evil time,” Havner writes, adding this caution: “There is no neutrality here. The church member who fails to take his place in the battle, by his very absence has taken sides with the enemy as surely as if he were openly with the army of Antichrist.”

Vance Havner (1901-1986) was a unique servant of God whose spoken ministry spanned over seventy years and whose written ministry extended to almost forty books. Michael Catt, Pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, says of him: "There was no one like Vance Havner. His preaching style was unique, powerful, and pointed. He was a master at turning a phrase, using humor to set up a point, and then driving the point home like a sharp, two-edged sword. Every Christian should read Vance Havner… If you love A. W. Tozer, you'll love Vance Havner. He was one of God's gifts to the church in the 20th century. His ministry and his preaching needs to be heard in the 21st century."