READ: Proverbs 5, Mark 9, 1 Peter 1 TOTAL RUIN, TOTAL JOY The strongest follower of Jesus is just one step away from total moral disaster. The sobering reality is that one poor decision leads to agony, for immorality is nothing less than a bitter death (Prov. 5:3). The encouraging truth is that we do […]
Region: Arab World
Abiding in Jesus: October 30
READ: Proverbs 4, Mark 8, James 5 PROGRESSIVE UNDERSTANDING Wisdom does not rush upon us like a flood, overwhelming our folly and leaving us unalterably discerning. Wisdom is a continual acquisition and we need to be as patient with ourselves as Jesus is with us. Because we are so slow to understand, we can often […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 29
READ: Proverbs 3, Mark 7, James 4 A JEALOUS SPIRIT In ministry and mission, most of the wounds and most of the sins come from within. Jesus reminds us that we can’t blame devils and circumstances for what comes out of our heart. We are soiled from the inside out and foolishness is deep within […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 28
READ: Proverbs 2, Mark 6, James 3 AFTER WISDOM Wisdom Follows Trouble. Proverbs 2:7 tells us that God stores up sound wisdom for the upright. Wisdom is not something necessarily latent within us. We don’t carry around a vast treasury of wisdom that we can draw on without prayer or reflection. Wisdom is available to us […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 27
READ: Proverbs 1, Mark 5, James 2 CHOOSE FEAR We choose to fear the Lord (Prov. 1:29). We often limit reverence to something demanded by God. While it is true that the presence of Jesus can stun us into submission, it is also true that the will of man has a part to play in […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 26
READ: Psalm 150, Mark 4, James 1 WORD UP The Word of God is central to missions. Because mission takes place in contexts that are inherently deceptive, it is critical that there is no deception in our words or lives. All lying has to be removed from us (Psalm 119:29). Christians deceive themselves when they […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 25
READ: Psalm 149, Mark 3, Hebrews 13 HIGH PRAISE The writer of Hebrews provides a foundation for the high praises of God. Praise is sourced in both the actualized and the anticipated presence of Jesus. The actualized presence of Jesus easily produces praise. We experience the presence of Jesus, it overwhelms us with wonder, and our mouth […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 24
READ: Psalm 148, Mark 2, Hebrews 12 HEAVENLY COUNSEL WITHIN God speaks from heaven and from within our hearts as well. The God card has been so overused: “God told me this or God told me that.” It is so overused we are in danger of being reluctant to admit that God tells us anything, […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 23
READ: Psalm 147, Mark 1, Hebrews 11 HEALING PRAISE Healing is an activity participated in by the receiver. We tend to approach healing as something God does in isolation. Yet the scriptures are clear that faith interacts with sovereign power when the human body or emotions are restored. There is another way that we can […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 22
READ: Psalm 146, Matthew 28, Hebrews 10 THE PRECIOUS BLOOD The old song petitions God, “Keep me Savior from day to day, under the precious blood.” In the 1900s it was common to refer to “staying under the blood,” a term fallen out of use and in danger of falling from our understanding and function. Hebrews, […]
