Category: Bible Page 1 of 2

Timely Encouragement for Anxious Times

On March 28, 2020

Our Bible reading plan has taken us through Job, Ecclesiastes, Philippians, and James in the last couple of weeks. I’ve been blessed by God’s timing, knowing that in His sovereignty He knew we would be reading these words of truth during a time of much uncertainty and change. I wanted to share a few passages that seem especially relevant as we navigate these days of COVID-19 under the sovereign hand of God. I am thankful we have His Word and promises to steady our hearts and calm our anxieties.

In the comments below, or in a personal message, we would love to hear what are you reading these days that is encouraging your hearts in these uncertain times? How can we pray for you?

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him…” (Philippians 3:7-9)

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to GOD. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7)

“…I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13)

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1: 2-4)

“Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:9-12)

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’ – yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ “(James 4: 13-15)

“Be patient, therefore brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” (James 5: 7-8)

Great message for potential missionaries and those who would send and support them.

By josh

On April 30, 2019

In Bible, church, Ministry

Meditation on Jeremiah 19:4

By josh

On July 9, 2018

In Bible, Islam, Ministry

Because the people have forsaken me and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known…

In contrast to their idols, the God of Israel is known. He is a person. He walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. He called Abraham and sent him to an unknown land, later promising to give the land to his descendants. He heard the cries of Abraham’s descendants in Egypt. He dwelt with Israel in the desert, through the cloud and fire. He battled the inhabitants of the Promised Land on behalf of Israel. And Judah (as well as Israel) turned away from this God to serve the Baals. What foolishness! Yet how foolish are we, even more so than the people of Judah, when we forsake Jesus, the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15), the one in whom all the fullness of God dwells bodily (Col2:9) to serve empty idols! We have the New Covenant fulfilled in Jesus, righteousness in exchange for our wickedness, salvation in exchange for condemnation, life in exchange for death. That God can be known, in Jesus, seems to many an unthinkable proposition. Muslims are not allowed to even entertain this possibility. God is the greatest? For sure. They say this 5 times per day every day. God is powerful? Of course, he wouldn’t be God if he wasn’t. God is sovereign? “God willed it” they agree in fatalistic acquiescence to sorrow and pain. But God is knowable? How can this be? God as loving Father? Impossible to believe. But some have. And many more are hearing.

Would you pray that God would grant belief and repentance to those who are hearing about his great love for them in Christ Jesus our Lord?

josh

Piper on “Risking Your Kids for the Kingdom”

By josh

On October 23, 2017

In Bible, Family, Ministry, Suffering

Oh how strange this sounds to our American ears…

Or when you think about “providing for your household,” what about providing practice in self-denial and risk? After all, doesn’t Proverbs say, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6)? Perhaps we lose too many of our children because they weren’t trained as soldiers. Maybe we trained them in comfort and security, and now they won’t leave it.

Or what about providing for the young ones the way Deuteronomy 11:19 says? Teach them the wartime manual of life when you are walking among the hostile hearers, and when you lie down under the mosquito nets, and when you rise in the 95-degree heat. Come, my precious children, learn from mommy and daddy what it means to live with joy in the service of the King.
No matter how many Western, comfort-assuming, security-demanding, risk-avoiding Christians think otherwise, the truth is that there are worse risks for our children than death. This is simple Bible-reality. Not easy. Just simple. It is not complex or hard to grasp. There are things vastly worse than death. Wasting your life is worse than losing it.

Read the full blog post here…

Desiring God – Risking Your Kids for the Kingdom?

Meditation on Titus 2:13-14

By josh

On May 25, 2017

In Bible

How glorious is our Lord Jesus! He absorbed, even exhausted, the wrath of God, drinking the cup to the last drop. He was crushed by it, though not finally. His sacrifice was accepted, and God’s justice vindicated. He was raised from the dead, to intercede, to advocate, on behalf of the elect.It is finished! God’s plan is immutable. The accuser of the brethren is himself condemned, our victory assured by the character of God himself. My heart hesitates to believe such unbelievable news, but the Spirit reassures me it is so. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Let my mouth not be silent in giving Him praise all my days. Is this not worth my whole heart, my whole life? Yes, and in fact demands them.

“I Believe Jesus is Truth”

By kimberly

On September 7, 2016

In Bible, Chad, Islam, language, Ministry

Thank you for praying for M., my language helper. In recent weeks, we have had some wonderful conversations and I see God answering our prayers for her!

We are still going through the Jesus Storybook Bible, and we are nearing the end. Last week, M was confronted with the deity of Jesus as we translated and discussed the story of Him calming the storm. It provided an opportunity for her to open up to me and share that she loves what she is learning about Jesus. She said she wants to believe in who the Bible says He is and “join” us but recognizes it means leaving her family’s teaching behind. I shared some more Scripture with her over the days following that conversation, prayed with her, and encouraged her.

Again today, I had another opportunity to talk to her, and she says that she believes what she is learning about Jesus is true and that His claim that He can forgive sins is true. Again, she expressed that she is scared to tell her family and I reassured her that her work for now is to search the Scriptures and believe what is true. We talked about how this belief will change her heart and her life and what that might look like.

Pray for God to give M faith to believe beyond a doubt. Pray for her to feel convicted of her sinfulness and to fall more in love with this Savior! Pray also that she will desire to read/hear/study the Word of God more fully and desire to meet with others who follow Jesus. Pray that her heart will be like the good soil of Matthew 13, producing much fruit.

Learning Language, Sharing Jesus

By kimberly

On August 18, 2016

In Bible, Books, Chad, Islam, language, Ministry, Prayer

I have been using the French version of the Jesus Storybook Bible for two months now in my Arabic studies. My language partner translates the stories into Arabic; then we listen together, stopping for clarification on new words and phrases. This has helped me immensely in increasing my vocabulary. It also provides many opportunities to share Bible stories with my language helper and discuss the significance of the stories in our own lives.

Now halfway through the book, we just began the stories from the New Testament this week. We have translated and discussed the story of the angel Gabriel announcing God’s plan for her to give birth to the Savior; the story of the birth of Jesus; and the story of the shepherds coming to see the new baby. There is always discussion and clarification of things she has heard that are incorrect or halfway true. Many times I get to see “lightbulbs” going off in her head (and hopefully her heart).

Pray with me that M. (my language helper) will fall in love with Jesus as we continue to talk about the Truth she is presented with.

Pray that she will desire to read the stories in their entirety in the Arabic New Testament and search out Truth for herself.

Pray that God will convict her of her sinfulness, her need for a Savior, and her desperate need to believe in this Jesus who is God’s plan for salvation from the beginning of time.

Praying for “Amy”

By kimberly

On July 11, 2016

In Bible, Chad, Islam, Ministry, Prayer

Remember last week I asked you to pray for my friend Amy, since we were going to start reading the Bible together? The day that post was published, I found out she had to move. It was a very sudden thing. Amy has six children and has not seen her husband in about 2 years. He never sent money and had another wife in the capital. He appeared unexpectedly on a Wednesday evening and by Friday morning told her she had less than 24 hours to pack up her house and move all six children to N’Djamena.

It felt like a death to me. She was my favorite lady in the neighborhood, and, as I shared, not only did my children love her children, but she had connected me to many other women in the neighborhood. I asked God why she had to leave now, just as we were going to start formally reading the Bible together. He is sovereign over all things, even Amy’s salvation. So, I trust that what He began He is capable of continuing if He desires!

I see God’s hand in her leaving, at least a little bit: now I have several connections to other women. Instead of investing in one woman, her absence “forces” me to spend time with these other women.

We did send a micro sd card with the New Testament on it so she can listen on her cell phone if she desires.

Please continue to pray for Amy’s understanding of Scripture and for her salvation. We hope to visit her when we are in N’Djamena to continue conversations with her. I am thankful that her salvation does not hinge on my presence in her life! I am thankful that God knows the full picture and that He allows me to be a small part of His great plan.

Sharing Scripture

By kimberly

On July 1, 2016

In Bible, Chad, Islam, language, Ministry

“Amy” with Calla Grace

I have two language partners:

The first one is currently in my living room translating the Jesus Storybook Bible into Arabic for me to learn new words.

The second language helper, “Amy” practices a strict form of Islam. She has been my friend and language helper since January, and I was uncertain of how our relationship would go. Honestly, I was a little fearful. However, she has turned out to be a good friend; has been the key to many other relationships in my neighborhood; and has frequently conversed about spiritual things with me.

Recently, she shared with me that she has an “injil“- a New Testament – in Arabic. She told me she received it from a man at the hospital four years ago. The man is no longer in town, but she kept the injiil and says that she has read some about Jesus. I was interested in seeing the injiil but didn’t want to rush into anything with her, so I waited. Yesterday she brought it up again in the context of much spiritual and religious conversation and expressed interest in reading it with me.

So, after Ramadan ends next week, we will plan to start reading God’s Word together. I am excited and humbled. Pray for me to have wisdom to know how to answer questions and explain clearly, and pray that God will use His Word to change “Amy’s” heart.

(I also have one more neighbor who is interested in seeing what books I have in Arabic. I am praying that she will come look at them, and desire to read some with me from Genesis or Matthew. You can pray for her too! Thanks!)

God’s Law Written on Our Hearts

By kimberly

On June 16, 2016

In Bible, Culture

“I will put my laws into their minds,

and write them on their hearts,

and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.”

Hebrews 8:10

You and I both live in places where a works-based religion is prevalent. Islam teaches that the good works people do (praying, giving to the poor, fasting, etc.) may or may not benefit them after they die. In America, Islam is not the main religion, but the trap of trying to work for our own righteousness is still one that many of us fall into whether we realize it or not:

“He’s a good person and he goes to church every week.”

“I gave over ten percent of my tithe to the Lord’s work last year.”

The examples could go on. I was encouraged in reading Hebrews 8:10 that God promises a new and better covenant through Jesus Christ. No longer is it necessary for “sacrifices offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various washings…” (9:9). God, through Jesus, offers His law to be written on our hearts, changing us from the inside out.

My prayer is that our Muslim friends here in Chad and our “Christian” or secular friends in America will come to understand that nothing – not participating in obligatory fasting, not being super-involved in church ministry, not giving to the poor, not being a missionary overseas – will save us from our sin other than the grace of God though our Lord, Jesus Christ. What freedom we can live in and what freedom we have to proclaim!