READ: Psalm 89, Amos 1, Luke 17, 2 Corinthians 8 UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS Why do we think God should thank us? Jesus puts it almost sarcastically: “Does He thank that servant? . . . I think not” (Luke 17:9)! God says neither “please” nor “thank you.” Thanks is the response of the inferior to his Sovereign or the […]
Region: Arab World
Abiding in Jesus: August 26
READ: Psalm 88, Joel 3, Luke 16, 2 Corinthians 7 GODLY SORROW “Loved one and friend You have put far from me, and my acquaintances into darkness.” (Psalm 88:18) There is a benefit to being separated from friends and loved ones. Jesus sometimes rotates our attention away from what is good in order to deepen […]
Abiding in Jesus: August 25
READ: Psalm 87, Joel 2, Luke 15, 2 Corinthians 6 LATTER RAIN “Afterward…I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.” (Joel 2:28) We all long for another great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The church age was inaugurated at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was unleashed in the world in a new and powerful dimension that was […]
Abiding in Jesus: August 24
READ: Psalm 86, Joel 1, Luke 14, 2 Corinthians 5 JOYLESS No one is as miserable as the half-hearted disciple. Missionaries, ministers, and Christians can be the most miserable of the joyless. Joy is linked to a united heart, and when the heart is divided, joy withers away (Joel 1:12). When God is worshiped poorly, “joy and gladness […]
Abiding in Jesus: August 23
READ: Psalm 85, Hosea 14, Luke 13, 2 Corinthians 4 PEACE’S KISS There is an intimacy of peace that results from being right with God and man. When our relationships are harmonious, all hell can be breaking out against us and yet we have the internal fortitude to stand strong. In order however for righteousness […]
Abiding in Jesus: August 22
READ: Psalm 84, Hosea 13, Luke 12, 2 Corinthians 3 DEATH’S GLORY Pilgrimage is a good thing. Our ultimate destination (the unbroken and unrestrained presence of Jesus) requires us to pass through the valley of death, not just its shadow. Heaven is real and most of us are going to have to die to get there. Referring […]
An Open Letter to the Concerned Father of a Cairo Missionary
Dear Sir, Thanks for writing. I am thankful you are prayerfully and lovingly looking out for your daughter and son-in-law, and by extension all of us. There are certainly momentous changes going on in Egypt right now. We are watching very carefully. One eye takes in the physical dangers, risks, and developments, while the other […]
Abiding in Jesus: August 21
READ: Psalm 83, Hosea 12, Luke 11, Corinthians 2 SHAME’S REDEMPTION “Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O Lord!” (Psalm 83:16) God’s goal for shame is redemption. There is a prominent Coptic priest in the Middle East who is very evangelical in his doctrine and practice. He has a television program […]
Abiding in Jesus: August 20
READ: Psalm 82, Hosea 11, Luke 10, 2 Corinthians 1 HEART CHURNS God invites, actually He insists, that we join Him in His agony over those who are lost. Hosea 11 reveals the heart of a tender Heavenly Father who “draws with gentle chords” and “stoops to feed” (v. 4). This Father, knowing that His errant […]
Abiding in Jesus: August 19
READ: Psalm 81, Hosea 10, Luke 9, 1 Corinthians 16 STEADFASTLY SET YOUR FACE Our Arab city has been troubled this week: demonstrations turning ugly, rival factions of Muslims attacking each other, and violence between security forces and civilians. The Christian minority has been targeted and many churches and Christian institutions have been attacked. To […]
