"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to … [Read more...] about Longing’s Disappointment
Archives for July 2008
Lifted Up In Their Hands
"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." Psalm 91:11-12Two years after we arrived in the Congo, my parents purchased a 1957 Mercedes Army truck which we affectionately named, "The Jolly Green Giant." The vehicle weighed seven tons empty. It was a … [Read more...] about Lifted Up In Their Hands
While I Was Still Speaking
"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land." Proverbs 25:25After three and a half years of living in the Congo (called Zaire at the time), we were now just weeks away from leaving to go home to our family in the United States. Our excitement was palpable. Everyday I would mentally mark off another day until the MAF plane landed on our airstrip to take us to the capital … [Read more...] about While I Was Still Speaking
Perseverance’s Reward
"Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised. For still a little while (a very little while), and the Coming One will come and He … [Read more...] about Perseverance’s Reward
Absence of Shame
Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. Psalm 34:5 (NIV)Since I began seriously seeking to make Jesus Christ the Lord of my life ten years ago, I have been filled with delight to discover attributes about His character that I never realized about Him before. One of those incredible findings is that He is the is not the giver of shame. His Spirit, … [Read more...] about Absence of Shame
Freedom Isn’t Free
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13 (NIV)(Todd and Nicol celebrating Fourth of July at Nkara-Ewa, Congo, 1981)Where were you September 11, 2001? I was getting breakfast for my four-year, three-year, and one-year-old children when the phone rang. It was my dad."Shawn, turn on the news … [Read more...] about Freedom Isn’t Free