READ: 2 Chronicles 7-9, Psalm 128, Mark 11, Hebrews 13 FASTING AND FEASTING There is a deep bass note of humility that resounds steadily through all biblical prayers. When men and women approach God (whether in triumph or tragedy), it should be from a position of respect, of reverent awe. Both modern feasting and fasting […]
Region: Arab World
Abiding in Jesus: May 7
READ: 2 Chronicles 4-6, Psalm 127, Mark 10, Hebrews 12 DESPISING SHAME Looking to Jesus helps us to be ashamed of shame. When our eyes are fixed on ourselves, we notice our nakedness, we blush, and we construct awkward fig leaf clothing. When we are oblivious to ourselves, it is hard to be ashamed. Shame […]
Abiding in Jesus: May 6
READ: 2 Chronicles 1-3, Psalm 126, Mark 9, Hebrews 11 CRYING BY FAITH What we don’t ask for defines us. Solomon did not ask for riches or honor or fame, and consequently was granted them all. In Mark, Jesus repeatedly asks those He healed and helped to NOT share news about Him. This seems strange […]
Abiding in Jesus: May 5
READ: 1 Chronicles 28-29, Psalm 125, Mark 8, Hebrews 10 I AM HIS FOOTSTOOL David called the temple “the footstool of our God” (1 Chron. 28:2) and Solomon asked rhetorically, “Will God really dwell with man?” The temple was not intended to be a cage where God the Hamster was contained for human observation and […]
Abiding in Jesus: May 4
READ: 1 Chronicles 25-27, Psalm 124, Mark 7, Hebrews 9 JESUS IS WORTHY OF DESIRE I feel the pull of addiction. When I awake my iPhone’s song seduces me as email sweetly calls. My computer embraces me and will not let me go. There is a compulsion in my being, a lust to answer email, […]
In Spite of the Little Foxes
by Annie*, a Live Dead Arab World missionary I was talking with a friend recently about abiding. She remarked, “For me, afternoon works best. I set aside an hour at the ministry center where I spend most of my evenings. But it’s uncanny: no matter how much I clear my calendar and remove all potential […]
Abiding in Jesus: May 3
READ: 1 Chronicles 22-24, Psalm 123, Mark 6, Hebrews 8 DEATH PREPARATION The man after God’s own heart was not allowed to build the temple for he had too much blood on his hands. Nonplussed, David in effect said, “If I can’t see it, I will make sure my sons can!” And David went about […]
Abiding in Jesus: May 2
READ: 1 Chronicles 19-21, Psalm 122, Mark 5, Hebrews 7 “I GIVE IT ALL” David has sinned. He slothfully does not go out to war, he vainly crowns himself, and he numbers his armies in pride. All this is done around the time he sleeps with another man’s wife, then murders him–a man who just […]
Abiding in Jesus: May 1
READ: 1 Chronicles 16-18, Psalm 121, Mark 4, Hebrews 6 SOUL IMMUNITY Obedience gets harder. As we progress in faith our obedience becomes more costly, not less. As we hear (and obey) we are given more to surrender (Mark 4:24). In God’s holism there is a priority on the preservation of the soul. F.W. Boreham […]
Abiding in Jesus: April 30
READ: 1 Chronicles 13-15, Psalm 120, Mark 3, Hebrews 5 INADEQUATE CONSENSUS It does not matter how much effort you put into good things. It does not matter how many people are involved. It does not matter how much professional advice you solicit. It does not matter how much consensus you build. If you do […]
