al janssen
August 29, 2023
Perhaps the hardest conflicts for us as Christians come within our own ranks. The devil loves to provoke us and divide us so that we are no longer aware of his tactics. Gideon's biggest problem wasn't Midian. It was within his compatriots.
August 15, 2023
The world is constantly looking for a man or a woman who will step up and provide real leadership. We long for someone who will take charge and solve the world's problems. In country after country, we see politicians make bold promises, offer solutions, and inevitably disappoint the masses.
July 18, 2023
At one time Moses was on top of the world. He had attended the most prestigious university of his day. He was wealthy and wore the best clothing. He had servants and knew all the right people. He wielded genuine power. Everything about his situation and his future was positive.
He threw it all away because he chose to identify with the persecuted rather than the persecutors.
July 5, 2023
The following is an excerpt from our book about how David fought and defeated the Philistine giant Goliath:
Look at him! Goliath is nearly ten feet tall. Wears 125 pounds of armor. Wields a spear that looks like a fence rail. He is a terrifying sight. That is the way it is with giants. They want you to believe your eyes and ears. They want you recognize the impossible odds. Why fight them when you know you cannot win?
But if all you do is rely on your physical senses, you miss the full picture.
June 20, 2023
I heard Brother Andrew preach about Jonah over three nights at an evangelistic campaign in a Muslim country. His approach was fun and challenging. The following is an excerpt from our book:
Try to understand Jonah’s problem. He was ordered to go to the enemy of his people. The Assyrians were making forays into northern Israel where Jonah lived. It is entirely possible that they had attacked his home village of Gath-hepher. Perhaps Assyrians had killed his parents. Maybe he had watched soldiers rape his sisters. If that’s the case, we can certainly understand why Jonah hated this assignment. Being told to go to Nineveh would be like being ordered today to go to Baghdad. Or Mogadishu. Or Pyongyang, North Korea.
Read more in my blog about the mistakes Jonah made...
May 23, 2023
Sometimes I feel so helpless when I look at our culture. What can I do? My friend Brother Andrew asked that question of God many times. And God gave him specific instructions about what to do. As a result, as Andrew often said, “I did what I couldn’t!”
But wasn’t Brother Andrew special? No, he insisted he was an ordinary Dutchman. Anyone could do what he did if they personally knew his amazing God.
Inspiration for this way of life came from various Bible characters. One of his favorite was Elijah (see 1 Kings 17-19). The following introduces Elijah’s cultural context. It sound a lot like the arena of conflict we face today.
May 9, 2023
This coming Summer Chosen Books (A Division of Baker Publishing Group) will publish Fearless by Faith, a 60-day devotional by Brother Andrew and me designed to help us fight today’s spiritual battles. The following devotion was originally intended to be the opening of the book but didn't make the cut. It sets up the confrontation of David against the Philistine giant Goliath and provides insight into some of the reasons why we face so many spiritual battles today. Be sure to view Brother Andrew's definition of Fear at the conclusion of this devotion.
April 25, 2023
Sometimes the best way to overcome fear is to allow God to throw you into a terrifying situation. That’s what happened to me when I came face-to-face with the leader of Islamic Jihad in Gaza.