Tagged: Audrey Frank

“Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”John 12:21 The Greeks who asked Philip to see Jesus were devout worshippers of the one true God and had come to Jerusalem to worship at the feast. They joined in the meetings in the temple as far as they were allowed, being Gentiles.  Now they wanted more; they wanted to see Jesus. They had made their choice to worship God, but something about the man who healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and raised the dead stirred a deeper desire to see clearly. They wanted to get right up close to Him, to speak to Him, to look in His eyes and have Him look in theirs, to communicate and discern who He really was. His… Read More

I will wait for the Lord… I will put my trust in Him.Isaiah 8:17 As a new follower of Jesus, I understand that if I confess my sins and ask God’s forgiveness, I will be forgiven. New life will be mine. New spiritual birth is promised, and I will leave the old nature behind, the new work of the Holy Spirit beginning in me His work of regeneration and sanctification. The Lord Jesus will dwell in me, giving me the power to live a new life of hope and strength. With this new life comes a new expectation. If I obey His commands, if I serve Him, if I seek to honor Him in all I do, I will be blessed. And thus we begin… Read More

Lord, how magnificent is your reputation throughout the earth! You reveal your majesty in the heavens above.Psalm 8:1 (Jesus), being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.Philippians 2:6-8 In the quiet night sounds of the little town of Bethlehem, among softly rustling sheep and the gentle munching of hay, the God of all Creation laid aside His magnificent reputation.  In the prickly straw of a manger, He yielded His praise.  Within rough-hewn homespun… Read More

And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.1 Kings 19:7 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.Matthew 2:13 Sometimes the journey is just too great for us. We would never be able to make it without supernatural intervention.  Both the… Read More

It was Christmastime in a land far from home, I was expecting our third child, and my sense of smell was working overtime. Nauseated and homesick, my attitude was anything but joyful. I was pretty sure I was inadequate for the tasks in front of me at that time in my life, and a sick pregnancy was not helping me feel courageous or motivated.  Bundling up one afternoon, I sought solace and fresh air outdoors where I could ruminate alone with my thoughts. The small dirt path behind our bungalow wound up and over a hill, inviting me to explore. I climbed the hill slowly, avoiding the mud. Rounding a bend I came upon a rudimentary stable where a despondent donkey and two wooly sheep huddled… Read More

I have watched as a loved one recovers from the devastation of third-degree burns. Beneath the anguish, behind the suffering, lies a lesson in gratitude for what I cannot see. Sometimes the most profound truths are revealed through the severest sorrows. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 1 Corinthians 15:57 Is it possible to have gratitude for what I cannot see?  There are times when healing begins so deep it cannot be seen for a time. Such times in life can be agonizing. Such times require much patience and trust. According to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, “Third-degree burns damage or completely destroy both layers of skin including hair follicles and sweat glands and… Read More

I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. (Isaiah 41:9).Isaiah 41:9 …For I have chosen you and have not thrown you away.Isaiah 41:9b, NLT About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.Acts 16:25 The verse they inscribed in my book was Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. They certainly lived this verse. In fact, they demonstrated its primacy in their hearts by risking their… Read More

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.Psalm 34:4 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.Psalm 56:3 The incessant rise and fall of drum rhythms pounded through the inky blackness, creating a sense of desperation, terror and pending doom in our East African village. Men, women, and children danced around the large fire in the middle of the compound, their undulating forms casting eery shadows along the rough surface of our whitewashed mud house. Local witch doctors called out to the spirits, shaking rectangular percussions made out of thin bamboo and filled with the bright red and black seeds of the tassel tree. The air was thick with the heaviness unique to dark ceremonies, interaction… Read More

I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.Psalm 81:10 The desert sand mounded along the shoulder of the road, if it could even be called a road. Two tracks, created by others who had gone before us, wove across the dehydrated landscape. The way was barely visible as I craned my neck to peer over the steering wheel of our 4 x 4. Provisions rattled in the back as my colleagues and I held on to anything we could grab, trying to stay seated with every lurch and sway. Everyone was alert; no one dozed, ever. Bandits were known to stop travelers brave enough to make the journey. We had packed… Read More

All day long I feel humiliated and am overwhelmed by shame.Psalm 44:15 Like a flood that creeps in overnight, flowing under doors and rising over baseboards, shame has come into our hearts and homes, invading the privacy of our most personal dwelling places. The introduction of smartphones and social media has brought convenience and benefit to our lives. We can now take passport photos on our phones and get them the same day at the local print shop. We can pass 'n play Scrabble with our kids while we wait in line at restaurants and track our Fantasy Football team minute by minute. But smartphones and social media have also made us extremely vulnerable. All this social networking and information at our fingertips has allowed… Read More