FAI Central

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 affl

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

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

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

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 HIDDENNE