Tagged: Audrey Frank

But during the night, the Lord sent an angel who appeared before them. He supernaturally opened their prison doors and brought the apostles outside. “Go,” the angel told them. “Stand in the temple courts and preach the words that bring life! So early that morning they entered the temple courts and taught the people.  Acts 5:19-20 Go. Stand. Preach the words that bring life. So many words in the world. Words that bring death, and words that bring life. (See Proverbs 18:21). What power we have, we followers of the Word (see John 1). We can preach words that bring life. Have you ever seen anything brought to life? Have you witnessed the birth of a child? The delight of a blossom appearing overnight from snow-bound… Read More

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14:1-4 We are called to be a refuge for the persecuted. As I plumped the pillows and smoothed one more thick blanket over the bed, I thought of my persecuted brothers and sisters around the world fleeing from oppression. Racing through the night, seeking shelter, praying for passage. Holding little ones close, hoping they don’t feel the… Read More

He said to her, “Dear woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?" Mary answered, thinking he was only the gardener, “Sir, if you have taken his body somewhere else, tell me and I will go and…” “Mary,” Jesus interrupted her. Turning to face him, she said “Rabboni!” (Aramaic for “my teacher”). John 20:15-16 dear: beloved, loved, much loved, adored, cherished, precious, esteemed, respected Where I live, a common address of another person is loved one.  What if that was the first thought of greeting we had for others, the primary characteristic of their identity to us? Jesus called Mary loved. Loved is not the first thing we usually answer when asked who we are. Especially if we are women. We sing songs… Read More

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. Romans 12:3-6 Such a little member of my body, my toe. Unnoticed, except perhaps during a pedicure, when all is well. Small, but mighty painful, when broken. Who knew your… Read More

for J and A So at last Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Exodus 40:33-35 finish: to complete; to reach the end of a race, typically in a particular position. (Synonyms) bring to a close, bring to fruition, crown, cap, set the seal on, stop, cease, accomplish, discharge, fulfill kālâ: to fulfill, complete, be concluded, settled, intended, overcome What does it really mean to finish? How will we know when the work God has given us to do is complete? As soon as Moses finished the work, it was covered… Read More

You must not say, ‘No, we will not stay. Instead we will go and live in the land of Egypt where we will not face war, or hear the enemy’s trumpet calls, or starve for lack of food.’ Jeremiah 42:14 John Mark Comer reminds us that the Bible does not tell an ideal story of humans. It tells the real story. Humans as they are, broken, sinful, wanting to escape the consequences of their actions. How refreshing. Real people with real problems, real humanity in need of a real Savior. The Israelites were living under siege. The king of Babylon was bearing down and capture was imminent. Day and night, the sounds of war struck terror in their hearts, punctuated by the alarming sound of… Read More

And a leper approached and bowed low before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand and touched him saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:2-4 The entire theology of honor is encapsulated in these three brief verses. Editors constantly urge writers to reduce their words; show, don’t tell. Be succinct, yet powerful. I rarely succeed. But Matthew did. Today his book is still a bestseller. All we need to know about honor and shame is here in this tiny tale: It is Jesus’ desire to make us clean, and He has all power to do so. Clean is another word for honor. My soul snags on this story, for I have… Read More

For C and her Savior, who sent her a duck. …He gave them words of hope. He said, “Be strong. Be brave. Don’t be afraid. Don’t lose hope. The king of Assyria has a huge army with him. But there’s a greater power with us than there is with him. The only thing he has is human strength. But the Lord our God is with us. He will help us. He’ll fight our battles.” 2 Chronicles 32:6-8, NIRV Be brave! Jesus will go with you. He scrunched up his little face and cried harder, shaking his head. But Jesus doesn’t have skin! I can’t see him! My little one was having separation anxiety, and I was desperate for adult conversation. I coaxed and persuaded, encouraged… Read More

Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev. Genesis 12:9 The film Out of Africa is based on the autobiography of Karen Blixen, a tenacious Danish woman who lived at the turn of the twentieth century in Kenya. While her husband commanded troops on the front during the First World War, local British authorities urged Blixen to abandon her coffee farm and flee to safety with all other women and children in the area. When she learned her husband and his unit needed provisions, Blixen decided to deliver them herself, defying all odds and traveling a long distance through desert and danger, leading a caravan of cattle and provisions. Day after grueling day, Karen traveled on by stages. Along the way, she encountered… Read More

For the K family, with love. His second son was named Eliezer, for Moses had said, “The God of my ancestors was my helper.” Exodus 18:3 God is my helper, and yours. He helps us in everything we do. About this time, Abimelech came…to visit Abraham. “God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do,” Abimelech said. Genesis 21:22 We can count on God to help us in the places of oppression and injustice in our lives. We can be certain He will lead us to liberty. …God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. Genesis 50:24 When we don’t know what to do, God helps us by opening our eyes to just the right… Read More