READ: 2 Samuel 4-5, Psalm 92, Matthew 3 , Colossians 3 MORE UNDIGNIFIED Count Zinzendorf said: “I have one passion, and it is Him and only Him.” When Jesus is our consuming passion, our dignity becomes less important to us, and we even might dance through the streets in our underwear. David’s exuberant rejoicing in Jesus […]
Region: Arab World
Abiding in Jesus: April 1
READ: 2 Samuel 1-3, Psalm 91, Matthew 2 , Colossians 2 PUBLIC SHAME On a day that we remember fools, it is good to note just who the cross shames. Colossians 2 reminds us that the cross was indeed a public spectacle, a public triumph over principalities and powers. What seemed to be the humiliation of […]
Abiding in Jesus: March 31
READ: 1 Samuel 28-31, Psalm 90, Matthew 1, Colossians 1 Duress and Deliverance Living in the Arab World initiates a deconstruction phase. You become the proverbial orange stepped on by an elephant. Whatever is in you is squashed out. No dignity, no mask, no pretense. Duress exposes what is in us, duress exposes what we […]
Take This Cup From Me
For all my efforts to be like Jesus, I don’t know that I ever identified with him as much as I did when I was nearing the end of my life. Following the call to live in one of the unreached corners of the Arab world – single – felt like an end to my […]
Abiding in Jesus: March 30
READ: 1 Samuel 25-27, Psalm 89, John 21, Philippians 4 FOLLOW When we follow Jesus it is easy to follow men. David was chosen and anointed and would be established by God (Psalm 89:18-24), but before his exaltation there was trial. Those in leadership before David were threatened by him (Saul), and those who opposed […]
Abiding in Jesus: March 29
READ: 1 Samuel 22-24, Psalm 88, John 20, Philippians 3 IN DEFENSE OF AUTHORITY The best way to respond to unjust attacks against you by authority figures is to defend others. God will take care of your defense (1 Sam. 24:12). David is moving from forest to desert (running for his life from Saul) and […]
Abiding in Jesus: March 28
READ: 1 Samuel 19-21, Psalm 87, John 19, Philippians 2 GETHSEMANE, GABBATHA, GOLGOTHA Gethsemane: What is your cup? Jesus did team meetings and He often did them at Gethsemane Gardens – Jesus was a fan of the outdoors. The secret police crash the meeting, and Jesus “knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward” […]
Abiding in Jesus: March 27
READ: 1 Samuel 16-18, Psalm 86, John 18, Philippians 1 DEATH GAIN Jesus, knowing all things that would come upon Him (suffering and death), “went forward” (John 18:4) to drink the cup the Father gave Him (v. 11) for He accepted that it was expedient for one man to die for the people (v. 14). If […]
Abiding in Jesus: March 26
READ: 1 Samuel 13-15, Psalm 85, John 17, Ephesians 6 SPIRITUAL INTENSITY Spiritually Pugnacious: Jonathan is my all-time favorite Bible character. I love him for many things, not least of which is his glad desire to abdicate the throne for his buddy from the poor side of town. Jonathan didn’t want to sit on the throne; […]
Abiding in Jesus: March 25
READ: 1 Samuel 10-12, Psalm 84, John 16, Ephesians 5 LEADERSHIP DESERVED Marriages, churches, mission agencies, and nations all ultimately end up with the leadership they deserve. We love to blame our leaders for the plight of our institutions while failing to recognize that we are our own leaders – the elected official is just […]
