Our lives are not our own but belong to the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. There is no maturity without obedience, even unto death, if need be. We cannot waffle between two masters. We must consecrate ourselves entirely to the Lord not just in word, but in deed and truth.
Read MoreOne of the many paradoxes of following Jesus is that we gain access to eternal life, yet we are also subject to trials and tribulations as He conforms us into His image. Why does Jesus do this to His people? How do we walk this road, yet keep our hearts tender and unoffended? “Blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.”
Read MoreAmos says, “Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets.” God is looking to partner with people to bring to fruition the fullness of His kingdom and His purposes. That is why there is almost always a prophetic witness somewhere somehow. The torch of the testimony of the glory of God and His saving plan for His people passes through history and is never lost.
Read MoreIn any hour, God only has a limited number of people that will respond to Him in obedience. That fact may startle you! We would like to think that we would all do what God asks of us, but on the ground, in real time, that is not actually the case. Utter obedience to God has always been a relatively rare commodity. Thank God that will not always be the case, but in this era it is.
Read MoreThere is a biblical principle that we must “go down to come up,” that we must be planted in the earth to grow into the light, that night comes before day, that resurrection only comes after death. The devil can try to destroy us, but God means to bless not only us, but others, in our trials. Through our trials, pain, and deepest despair comes a path of salvation for us, for our family, and, as we shall see, for God’s nation.
Read MoreIn this personal reflection, Nicole Hope shares the story of entering the field as a single woman, meeting her husband, and building a family—while continuing to serve on the field. She and Nathan give operational leadership to FAI RELIEF in northern Iraq, serving the Kurdish people as their neighbors have become friends and family through the glories and grief of life on the field.
Read MoreThere is no merit in just plain suffering. In the Kingdom to come it is said that "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Thankfully, the coming fullness of the kingdom of God has no suffering in it. We have, however, much that can be gained by our willingness to suffer as we minister to the pains of mankind, in general, and specifically Israel, in this age.
Read MoreJesus had to set His face like flint to accomplish the destiny God had for Him. Refusing to suffer would have cost Him the victory of His earthly race and His ability to inherit His people—not only to purchase our salvation but the right to lead us as the righteously Suffering Servant. If Jesus had to be determinedly all-in, should I expect an easier path?
Read MoreGod determines where we will be dispatched and what we must speak, and this brings us to the point I wish to highlight most: we can suffer because we may believe, whether it is true or not, that we have labored in vain. Our best efforts may seem to fail. All may seem lost. Yet there is no anguish that we need to stifle in this process. We do not need to be heroic while being obedient. We are not the final judge of whether we have succeeded or failed. We stand or fall on our obedience, not on our success.
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