The FAI Inkwell

“At this stage, we are in desperate need of clarity as to what the Kingdom is— and is not— lest we give ourselves to a pursuit and pageantry that will burn when He comes on the clouds in power and glory.”Read and listen to, KINGDOM COME by Stephanie Quick from FRONTIER ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL now.#becausejesus #maranatha

“Increasingly, I find myself deliberately contemplating what kept Jesus on His own cross out of necessity for mine. Scripture says that as He stared down the barrel of His own death—not only a terrible way to die, but bearing the weight of wrath for many—it was “the joy set before Him” that kept Him from cowardice. Anything less than that same obsession will consign us to our own demise at the hands of the “pride of life,” “lust of the flesh,” and “the cares of this world.” So what is it on the other side of the “Maranatha!” cry, when “Maranatha” is a memory that can keep us going? These are the things we should meditate on constantly.Read and listen to, "When 'Maranatha' is a Memory" by Stephanie Quick now. #becauseJesus

FROM THE ARCHIVES // "Peacemaking requires us to break off our apathy and address the things that are most difficult for us head-on. We’re not contributing to anyone’s peace by avoiding conflict. Peacemakers go to the front lines of war and bring a drink to their enemies instead of a gun."Read & listen to the audio recording of "The Paradox of Peacemaking" by Autumn Crew now.#becausejesus #maranatha

"'Where’s the Jews?!' was a hunting call. Frankly, it would’ve been better if they’d simply chanted their support for Hitler. Unable to find the Jews they were looking for, they instead burned tires and an Israeli flag and screamed expletive-laden curses at the victims of the Hamas massacre, high-fiving each other for several hours before going home. This is the world of October 8th."Read & listen to "The World of October 8th" by Stephanie Quick from Frontier Alliance International now.

"The LORD is a very good coach. He knows your story, He knows where He’s leading you, and He’s really good about training you for it. And, 'tomorrow has trouble of its own.' All you have is today to pursue obedience." Read & listen to the audio recording of, "Endurance for the Right Race" by Stephanie Quick now.#becauseJesus

Faced with impending annihilation by its Arab neighbors, the Jewish State strikes first in June of 1967, winning a stunning victory that reclaims all of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Gaza, and the Golan Heights in just six days.Read & listen to the audio recording of "The Six-Day Miracle" by Gabriel Caligiuri now.#becauseJesus#maranatha

"This is what Jesus shed His blood for on the cross. The Everlasting Covenant, gifted to Abraham, inherited by Isaac, and passed onto Jacob, now stewarded by his sons and daughters. But, mind you, it did not go to Ishmael. It did not go to Esau. These disruptions tore the tents of their father Abraham, and set the stage for the fractures running throughout the Middle East and the broader nations of the earth today. The controversy of the covenant split the family then, and it splits the family now. The whole world is reeling for it." Read & listen to "The Torn Tents of Abraham & The Ordained Bridge of Reconciliation" by Stephanie Quick now.#becausejesus

"After a stunning defeat in Israel's War of Independence, a new Egyptian regime attempts to cut off Israel from the rest of the world, provoking Israel's second major conflict with his Arab neighbor."

The Good Shepherd doesn't always protect His sheep from the wolves. He also sends them among the wolves.

"Israel's victory in its first war of survival leads to the expulsion of over 800,000 Jews from across the Middle East and North Africa. The nascent Jewish State struggles to manage the influx of refugees."

"We know that when the gospel of the Kingdom is preached to all nations, then the end will come... Until then, we have a responsibility —given to us by Jesus — to bear witness to His coming Kingdom. We have been commissioned by the Lord to preach the gospel to all nations. And to do so while living lives consistent with the Sermon on the Mount. The timing we leave to Him, but the obedience is still on us."Read & listen to the audio recording of, "A Heavy Stone: Part III" by Daniel Scott now. #becauseJesus#maranatha

“the identity of the Church is bound to the history of the Jewish people.” and because of that, it is vital that we have a right understanding of this fact: “God’s discipline of Israel has always been, and will always be, with the purpose vindicating His name and winning back His wayward son. The coming trouble is no exception.”Read and listen to the audio version of, "A Heavy Stone: Part II" by Daniel Scott from Frontier Alliance International now.#becauseJesus

"What does it mean to stand with or against Israel? This is a weighty and nuanced issue. And the consequences are everlasting. We should be eager then to allow Jesus to define what He means by standing with or against Israel."Listen to the audio recording of "A Heavy Stone: Part I" by Daniel Scott now.#maranatha#becauseJesus

“Sometimes we overthink what this needs to look like, in the same way William Wilberforce very nearly abandoned a strategic and influential political position because he’d elevated the dignity of vocational ministry above any other job. But can you not bear witness while you serve in Congress? Can you not bear witness as a cafe barista? Shouldn’t you though, wherever you are? Surely there are gardens to plant in Babylon.” Listen to the audio recording of "Planting Gardens in Babylon" by Stephanie Quick now.#maranatha#becauseJesus

A modern Jewish state is born and baptized by the fire of all-out war.

“To put it simply, the mounting #ChristIsKing trend betrays our biblical illiteracy and unwillingness to actually obey King Jesus—especially when we’re violating the third commandment to continue the church’s unholy legacy of anti-judaic theological tradition and antisemitic civil practices and culture.”Listen to the audio recording of, "Culture Wars & the Way of the Cruciform" by Stephanie Quick now.#maranatha#becauseJesus

In 1947, tensions between Jews and Arabs reach a boiling point in the Land while the newly-formed United Nations determines the political fate of the British Mandate for Palestine.

"For all of the swirling circumstances of your life, for all the quagmire of global politics, for all tumult of 'hopes deferred' and the daily wrestle against the 'cares of this life,' the most important thing about your life and mine is that we—right now, today—remember we have a good Father in a good heaven whose good pleasure is to give us a good Kingdom. And: He will give you glimpses of that goodness here and now, in this age." Listen to the audio recording of, "The More Important Part of Your Life" by Stephanie Quick now.

Winston Churchill forms a unit of Jews in Mandate Palestine to fight the Nazis in Italy. When the Jewish Brigade encounters the magnitude of Jewish suffering in Europe, they form a secret network dedicated to evacuating survivors to Eretz Yisrael and taking revenge on their German persecutors.

"According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word vulnerable is derived from the Latin word vulnerare, meaning 'to wound.' The definition includes 'capable of being wounded' and 'open to attack or damage.' The interesting thing is that Adam and Eve were in a state of vulnerability since they took their first breath and they were fine with it, no anxiety or fear or desire to protect themselves. What changed?" Listen to the audio recording of "Confessions of a Maranatha Pastor: Part IV" by Matthew Cullen now.

"We are not our own; we are, in the words of Jihadi John, the 'people of the Cross.' And it is the crosses we carry that become bridges to the Just One in the lives we lay down for our friends—and our enemies."Listen to the audio recording of, "In the Words of Jihadi John" by Stephanie Quick now.

European Jews flee from the Third Reich towards their ancestral homeland, only to encounter the complexity of wartime politics in the Middle East. Leaders of the Yishuv propose another all-Jewish regiment in the British Army.

"Deductively, a social justice-centric hermeneutic leads us to conclude God will always fight for and side with the underdog. He is, to be sure, the 'Father to the fatherless' and tireless advocate for the poor and needy, and the One who will defend the defenseless and vindicate all victims. This is just who He is. This is what He does and will do in fullness in the Day of the LORD and reign of King Jesus. The story of David & Goliath confirms this—but not in validation of a social justice liberation theology."Listen to the audio recording of GAZA, GOLIATH, GOSPEL: LIVING IN A WORLD TOO GOOD AT WAR by Stephanie Quick now.

Tensions continue to escalate in the Promised Land between the sons of Abraham while a new Beast arises on the European continent.

“Deception. Counterfeits. Wars. Near-wars. Geopolitical competitions, military collisions. Clashing crowns. Starving bellies. Failed crops. Pandemics. Raging sicknesses. Unpredictable tectonic shifts. Those are just the ‘beginning of sorrows.’ Then there’s the family betrayal, bloody violations of brotherhood. Offenses will mount, calloused hearts will abound. Disillusionment will ensnare weary hearts with fatigued faith too tired to be saved.” So how, then, are we to survive this present evil age? Listen to the audio recording of, "Surviving this Present Evil Age" by Stephanie Quick now.#becausejesus #maranatha

FROM THE ARCHIVES // We tend to either accuse God like Job, or oversimplify God like his friends. We tend to either reduce Him to what fits in our boxes of black and white, or deduce that He can’t be good if He doesn’t fit there. In the end, God assured Job that his friends got it wrong in their haste to explain suffering. We want this story to explain the “why” behind affliction, but that’s not what it does. It invites us into a gray area of trust in God, while we don’t comprehend His ways, while we don’t see the whole picture or plan. It invites us to steward the mysteries of God’s justice and kindness in a chaotic and broken world. Listen to the audio recording of "Mysteries of Mercy" by Autumn Crew now.

Upheaval in the nations in the wake of World War I combined with the Balfour Declaration fuels a Third Aliyah to the Eretz Yisrael. But as Jews begin to reclaim their ancestral land and build the institutions of a modern society, an ancient antagonism begins to resurface with some of their new neighbors, leading to violent pogroms in 1920-21.

When we trust God with our preservation, we are free to persevere. Listen to the audio recording of, "Confessions of a Maranatha Pastor: Part III" by Matt Whiteford now.

While the British army rolled back the Ottoman Empire across the Middle East, the British Foreign Secretary was drafting a letter that held the promise of making the Zionist dream a reality.

FROM THE ARCHIVES // Wilderness is uncharted territory, lack of direction—and lack in general. Whatever it is, you have the amazing opportunity to meet with Him there, and this mysterious opportunity only exists for a short window of time. The desert season is not just a time to endure scorching, it’s a time to look to the skies and watch manna fall. If you don’t see anything, go again in the morning and check the ground. And again, and again, every day until you’ve found what He wants to give you. Listen to the audio recording of, "Don't Waste Your Wilderness: Part II" by Autumn Crew now.

FROM THE ARCHIVES // "Being in a desert (whether figuratively or literally) is far from easy or comforting, but it is rich with spiritual treasure. We have many examples in scripture of the intense trial that can occur in deserts, followed by intense outpouring and provision. What do you get when olives, coconuts, seeds, or nuts are hard pressed on every side until what’s inside of them flows out? In other words, what do you get when good things are crushed? Oil." Listen to the audio recording of "Don't Waste Your Wilderness: Part I" by Autumn Crew now.

As the world goes to war for the first time, Zionist Jews from the Russian Empire and Ottoman Palestine see an opportunity to throw off the shackles of the last Caliphate.

FROM THE ARCHIVES // The Lord invites us in and washes us clean. All too quickly our pride tells us we know better and we set out on our own. But He is relentless in His love, pursuit, and commitment to us, even when we have forgotten our commitment to Him. “Grace Abounding” is a beautiful exploration through these truths. Listen to the audio recording of this stunning poem by Andrew Cowart, first published in our PILGRIM VOL. III 2020 Field Journal.

Another devastating wave of pogroms in the Russian Empire leads to the Second Aliyah in the early twentieth century. Larger and better organized, Jewish olim begin building cities and forming defensive militias against their hostile neighbors.

“We knew something had happened. And when we left that cottage at three o’clock in the morning we learned what it was. Everywhere men and women were seeking God. As I walked along the country road, I found three men on their faces, crying to God for mercy. There was a light in every home; no one seemed to be thinking of sleep.”Listen to the audio recording of HOPE IN HIDDENNESS by Stephanie Quick from the FAI Publishing archives.

One man singlehandedly transforms an ancient vocabulary into a living language.

Listen to the audio recording of, "Gaza & the Gospel of the Kingdom," an appeal from the producer of the ‘Covenant and Controversy’ film library during the online furore regarding the Great Return March in 2018. From the FAI Publishing archives.

An insidious affair in France inspires a Jewish publisher to write the pamphlet that would spark a movement for a Jewish state in the Jewish homeland.Listen to the audio recording of "Birth of the Zionist Movement" by Gabriel Caligiuri now.

This is the second episode of the new FAI Publishing Series Center of Nations, which examines the history of the modern State of Israel in the midst of an increasingly hostile world.Listen to the audio recording of "The First Aliyah" by Gabriel Caligiuri now.

This is the first episode of the new FAI Publishing Series Center of Nations, which examines the history of the modern State of Israel in the midst of an increasingly hostile world.Listen to the audio recording of "Early Voices for Return" by Gabriel Caligiuri now.

The nineteenth century French philosopher Auguste Comte once wrote, “Demography is destiny.” If that's true, then a global demographic trend is hurtling the world toward the appointed destiny of this age.Listen to the audio recording of "A Social Jihad" by Gabriel Caligiuri now.

"God’s love for us is quite literally unfathomable. And sometimes it can even seem unbelievable. When we take a long look at humanity, or even better, a long, honest look at ourselves, it seems comical that God could and does love humans. But He does. Of course we believe God loves us, on paper. But what about on our pillows? What anxieties keep us awake at night that come from a lack of believing, on a gut-level, that God loves us?" Listen to the audio recording of "Because He Cares" by Jordan Scott now.

“Exalting the worth of Jesus Christ among the unreached and unengaged at the end of the age” preaches good. It lives hard. This vision statement has been and will remain the thing that put and keeps us on the field. The worth of Jesus compels us to lay foundations for the Gospel where there are none (as Paul put it in Romans 15:20).But we’re just really beginning to feel the brutality of a world without the Gospel. The reality of a world without the One who will crush the head of the serpent and save us all from going the way of Cain forever is visceral. We feel it. Our friends in our adopted lands live in it every day. They don’t know anything else.”This time of year not only marks the end of one and the approach of the next, but it also holds our anniversary as an organization and spiritual family (23 Dec 2011). Every year at this time, like many of you, we look back to look forward.This year feels a little different. But the core remains the same: the beauty and supremacy of Jesus. He is worth being made known. And everyone everywhere deserves the dignity of an incarnate witness—especially the grieving.Listen to the audio recording of “Good News Among the Grieving,” our year-end letter now. 

Humans have always had a propensity to put men on pedestals. God warned us that all our heroes would fail us sooner or later, and He gave us a whole book about how He is redemptive amidst the gravest of sins. We all long for a leader we can trust will never fall, but there is only One. Listen to the audio recording of, "All Our Heroes Fall" by Autumn Crew now.

"Unquestionably, there is no heart on earth that is more pierced than God’s. There is no entity in existence whose anger is more enraged, or whose passion for justice is more enflamed than Jesus Himself. So how could He not act immediately and bring swift judgment on His adversaries?"Listen to the audio recording of "God's Patience Waited in the Days of Hamas" by Jordan Scott now.