READ: Psalm 136, Malachi 1, Matthew 18, Philemon GOD’S DISPLEASURE The God whose mercy endures forever (Psalm 136), the God whose faithfulness endures to all generations (119:90), is the same God who gets very annoyed with the ministers and missionaries who despise His name. God absorbs all kinds of blasphemies from the unconverted, but when […]
Region: Arab World
Abiding in Jesus: October 11
READ: Psalm 135, Zechariah 14, Matthew 17, Titus 3 ONLY JESUS Hear only Him. In Matthew 17:5, Jesus has taken His closest disciples up the mount of transfiguration for a sneak preview of His glory. In the process Peter, James, and John get distracted by some of their heroes, Moses and Elijah. The Father thunders from […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 10
READ: Psalm 134, Zechariah 13, Matthew 16, Titus 2 GATEKEEPERS “Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.” (Zechariah 13:7) Many nomadic pastoralists across Africa surround their simple huts with a thorn-bush fence. Cows, goats, and sheep are brought into the enclosure at night for […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 9
READ: Psalm 133, Zechariah 12, Matthew 15, Titus 1 MOURNING Jesus grants us the grace of grief over our sins, our loss, and our shame. Biblically grace and prayer are gifts from God that lead us to realize how much of Him we are missing. Grace and supplication lead us to long for Jesus, to […]
You are Dangerous!
God’s story isn’t forced; if you have a relationship with Jesus, he is living out his story through you. – Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon in The Art of Neighboring A new house was going up across the sand lot from ours. The family of 15 hadn’t moved in yet, but a flurry of […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 8
READ: Psalm 132, Zechariah 11, Matthew 14, 2 Timothy 4 BROKEN BLESSED God’s great shepherd heart longs to care for those who are cut off. It longs to seek the young, heal the broken, and feed those that still stand (Zech. 11:16). God invites us into His passions and into the means of His provision: […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 7r
READ: Psalm 131, Zechariah 10, Matthew 13, 2 Timothy 3 FROM THE LORD When I sit on my balcony watching and listening to Cairo, I am overwhelmed. When I walk though the urban slums, the preppy Nile islands, or the Islamic quarter, I wonder how on earth we can reach this mega-city or others like […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 6
READ: Psalm 130, Zechariah 9, Matthew 12, 2 Timothy 2 UNFORGIVABLE If you are worried about the “unforgivable” sin, you don’t need to be worried about it. That fact that you are worried about it is proof you have not committed it. Jesus teaches in Matthew 12:31 that all sins will be forgiven save the one of […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 5
READ: Psalm 129, Zechariah 8, Matthew 11, 2 Timothy 1 REFORM SCHOOL In our impatient moments the restraint of God offends us. Like John the Baptist we are offended that Jesus does not do more with His great power (Matt. 11:6). We either don’t think God is active enough in the world or we don’t like […]
Abiding in Jesus: October 4
READ: Psalm 128, Zechariah 7, Matthew 10, 1 Timothy 5 LISTENING Christians tend to talk to God too much and listen too little. When an Arabic conversation starts to get away from me, I stop listening (trying to understand) and start talking. When we talk, we tend to dominate the conversation. Sadly, prayer can be […]
