The Tide®

The African nation of Zimbabwe is experiencing very hard times, and its people desperately need the hope of Jesus Christ. According to a news story in Business Report , South Africa’s leading business-focused publication, the Republic of Zimbabwe is one of seven countries that could go bankrupt in 2018. Zimbabwe was in disarray last year following the resignation of former President Robert Mugabe. Even though his resignation made Zimbabweans jubilant, an estimated 95 percent of the workforce has been left unemployed, the outlet reports. “The people of Zimbabwe are in the midst of a great deal of strife,” said The Tide Director Don Shenk, who was born in then-Rhodesia. “Prices for food and health care are skyrocketing out of control, infrastructure is crumbling, and there are widespread shortages of cash and medicine. While people were celebrating the resignation of President Mugabe, their lives have not improved much, with uncertainty and unrest still prevalent.” Although small cha...

A Straight Road Makes Travel Easy Luke 3:3-16 Huge super-highways criscross the country. The high places have been brought down. The valleys have been filled. The crooked has been made straight. The way has been prepared for trade and commerce to flow into our cities. So the grace of God flows into any life when the way is prepared. The crooked must be made straight. Zaccheaus did, and the Master came to his house. The mountains of self-sufficiency must be brought down and the valley of neglect must be filled up, where such neglect has caused the corosion of the good soil of the soul. The rough must be made smooth. The stumbling blocks of doubt and unbelief must be tossed aside. Then the Lord comes to us in the full sweetness of His assurance. Lord, I ask of you, through the power of the Holy Spirit, prepare my heart for Your coming, so that my life will be enriched by Your fullness. Amen. The post A Straight Road Makes Travel Easy appeared first on The Tide .

Each year, Open Doors USA publishes its World Watch List to raise awareness of Christian persecution around the world and to encourage prayer and support for believers living in the 50 countries where persecution is most prevalent. Many of our listeners inhabit regions where there are serious repercussions for turning to Christ, as 22 of The Tide heart language radio programs reach people living in four countries on this year’s list. In Nigeria, Christians suffer from violence perpetrated by Islamic militant groups. Nepal was not even ranked in last year’s list, but now nearly all Christians there experience some form of persecution to the point that pastors and believers are hesitant to openly carry a Bible in public. Buddhism is seen as Bhutan’s heritage, and Christians there experience tremendous pressure to conform to local religious practices or lose social benefits such as government-provided education and health care. It is disturbing to see India continue its trend of climbi...

While the economy here in the U.S. is flourishing, inflation in Zimbabwe is spiraling out of control, putting great economic stress and unrest upon its people.  T he Tide ® has been broadcasting the Gospel in Zimbabwe since 1983, and The Tide Director Don Shenk was born in then-Rhodesia. His missionary parents and brother still reside there. “We often hear from our partner pastors in Zimbabwe that the out-of-control inflation and unstable government takes a toll on the people,” Shenk said. “And even though Zimbabweans were celebrating in the streets after former president Robert Mugabe resigned late last year, unrest and uncertainty aren’t yet in the past.” According to a recent news story in the Zimbabwe Independent , inflation continues to rise, posting at 3.46 percent for the month of December—0.49 percentage points higher than November. “Inflationary pressures mainly came from food inflation, which stood at 6.60 percent,” the outlet reported, while health care costs are in...

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair –  Isaiah 63:1-3a In an attempt to maintain good health I occasionally go jogging. It can get very tiring, especially when I focus on how far I need to go to get back home, and so I try to occupy my mind with prayer and meditation as I run. One day I noticed a crumpled brown bag on the road ahead of me. As I got closer I noticed it was from a fast food restaurant and it appeared that someone had finished their meal and then just tossed out the bag. My ini...

The Tide ® has been broadcasting the Gospel over radio airwaves for much of its 70-plus-year existence. And each year, it seems that more and more Christians are experiencing persecution where The Tide  shares the hope of Christ. Four countries where The Tide  works to broadcast Gospel radio programming are ranked on the most recent World Watch List  from Open Doors USA. The annual list highlights the top 50 nations where Christians are persecuted for their beliefs. The 2018 list includes India (No. 11), Nigeria (No. 14), Nepal (No. 25) and Bhutan (No. 33)—all locations where The Tide ministry partners with organizations and pastors to share the Gospel. “It’s especially discouraging—and sometimes frightening—to hear of the persecution believers face in the countries where The Tide ministry operates,” said The Tide Director Don Shenk. “Some of these countries seem to be climbing higher and higher on the list each year, or suddenly appear on the list when they had prev...

The Tide is a Christian ministry that was founded in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania in 1946. Over the past seven decades this ministry has grown from a single domestic radio program into an international mission organization reaching people in 8 countries through radio programs and related discipleship activities in 25 languages.  The Tide is currently seeking a Director of Development to help drive further expansion and ministry growth by helping to build and broaden the base of financial support for The Tide ministry activities. The attached Job Description provides additional details. Interested individuals who are suitably qualified may submit a letter of interest and resume to The Tide Director at the address listed on the job description. Applications will be accepted until March 16, 2018. Director_of_Development_Job_Description The post Now Hiring: Director of Development appeared first on The Tide .

Reading: Hebrews 4:9-16 The Teacher Presents the Examination Can a man examine himself? Even the medical doctor goes to another for diagnosis and treatment. We are examined by the living word of God and by the Holy Spirit. Our own methods and standards may not be very accurate. We might accuse or excuse where we should not. The boys of a certain village were all elated because they thought they were tall enough to be in the Queen’s Guard. They were as tall as the tallest man in the vallge. Their joy disappeared fast when they learned that he was too short. It is not wise to measure ourselves by ourselves. The Word is the standard. The Spirit presents the examination. Whenever we compare ourselves to others and judge our abilities against theirs, almost always it ends horribly. The only measure of who we are is who we are in Christ and his model on living. Search me O God! Reveal the thoughts and intents of my heart. Remove all hinderances. Amen.   The post The Teacher Presen...

The annual World Watch List from Open Doors USA highlights Christian persecution around the world and encourages prayer and support for the believers living in the 50 countries where persecution is most prevalent. T he Tide ®  broadcasts Gospel programming in four of the nations on this list: India (No. 11), Nigeria (No. 14), Nepal (No. 25) and Bhutan (No. 33). Director Don Shenk said the ministry has been honored—for more than seven decades—to share the love, hope and peace of Christ with new and potential believers who are at risk every day for following Jesus. “The rankings on the 2018 World Watch List do not bode well for our partners on the ground in those countries,” Shenk said. “It is very disturbing to see India continue its trend of climbing higher on the list, and to see Nepal ranked at 25 this year after not even being on the list of 50 last year. And although not on the list, there are some indications that the situation in Albania is moving away from total religious...

Provision when there’s Nothing Reading: Matthew 6:26-34 Christmas Eve, my husband and I went to go look at Christmas lights. They were half and hour from our apartment, so we decided to get dinner out. We came out from dinner, got in our car and….nothing. No clicking as if the battery was dead, just nothing. We called AAA, got our car towed back home and crawled in bed around 11:30 that night. They told us it was the starter, so we were prepared for that. When the mechanic came on the 26th, that’s when we new we were in trouble. He told us our engine had bit the dust. With no car, and everyone home for Christmas, we weren’t sure how we were going to get to work even. The full time handyman at church lended us his wife’s car for that day and the next, but after that, we had no way of getting around. That’s when my parent’s showed up. They had been wanting to get a new car for my mom anyways, so they sold us their minivan! What was even cooler, the money we made from our last pay...

Christian Serbs who wanted to take a trip for Orthodox Christmas earlier this month to a church in Kosovo cancelled their plans after local Kosovo Albanians said they would stage a protest. According to a news outlet that reports on justice issues, the potential threats ahead of the church visit will not deter the Christians from their beliefs, “dignity, human and religious rights.” T he Tide ® has been broadcasting Gospel radio programming in Kosovo for the past three years, and this latest headline is evidence that Christian opposition still exists in these regions, even though the doors of religious freedom have been opened somewhat. Director Don Shenk said that even though their lives can be difficult, many new believers glean hope from The Tide programs. “We are blessed to hear from listeners in Kosovo whose lives are being changed by the hope of Christ through radio programming,” Shenk said. “Our hearts break when we hear from listeners in Kosovo who are experiencing difficu...

Reading: Philippians 1:12-20 Have you ever felt like you were putting all your effort into something, only to see you weren’t actually getting anywhere with it? Paul could have easily seen his situation like that in this passage. He was in prison. But Paul looked past his circumstances to see what God was doing. Everyone that worked in the prison new why Paul was there: he loved Jesus and was telling people how to be saved. Just by sitting in that prison he was showing them an example of Christ like living. On top of that, people who knew he was in prison stepped up to tell others about the gospel! Paul could have easily seen his imprisonment as a roadblock, or a setback. But he saw God’s hand moving despite what was going on. Even some people were preaching to spite Paul. But he didn’t care, because God’s word was getting taught. What can we learn from this? Sometimes life will throw a prison situation your way. You’ll feel like everything is going fine, like you’re doing...

The Tide® Annual Golf Benefit provides a great way to make a global impact for Christ while also participating in a pleasurable hobby. This year our golf outing will take place on June 21 . This will be the 39th consecutive year for The Tide international radio ministry to host this event at the Penn National Golf Club in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania. Over the years, The Tide Annual Golf Benefit has earned the reputation as a great event that is popular among golfers of all ages and skill levels. A few hours of golf for you can help provide eternal hope for others! This benefit will be a scramble and will kickoff with a shotgun start at 8:00 AM on the Founder’s course. The cost per golfer is $85 if registered before May 30 or $90 if registered after. The cost covers the green fess for 18 holes of gold and a golf cart. Complimentary refreshments will be available at various locations around the course and a free picnic lunch will also be provided. Please note: this opportunity is only ...

Three years ago this month, we began sharing the Good News of Christ with listeners in Albania and neighboring Kosovo. “Imagine living in an environment where steps had been taken to attempt to remove any sense of spirituality from the culture,” said Director Don Shenk. “A place where church buildings, temples, mosques or any other type of religious structure was either destroyed or renovated for other use. For almost 30 years, Albania was such a place. Under the communist regime, the authorities in Albania went so far as to remove the word ‘God’ from their dictionaries. But this all changed during the 1990s, and today Albania is open to missionaries and allows total religious freedom.” However, Shenk added, less than 1 percent of the entire population of Albania embraces evangelical Christianity. The Tide broadcasts through the ministry partner Radio 7 are making inroads with potential and new believers in this predominantly Muslim nation. In January 2015, we  began producing ...

I have often had people ask me, “is it wrong to ask God for ___?” I sometimes ask myself the same question. These verses tell us the answer. God came to Earth to be a man in the form of Jesus. Jesus had temptations everyday, for everything that we have been tempted in. He was tempted to lust, or to envy, or to lie. He was tempted to let His circumstances defeat Him. He was tempted by Satan himself in the desert (Matt. 4). There is not a single temptation that we face that Jesus hasn’t also been tempted in. The difference is that He chose to not sin and not give in to that temptation. What most people gloss over is that Jesus also had free will, being fully God and fully man. He always had a choice. But He relied on the strength of His father, just as God calls us to do. Now, to clarify, this doesn’t meant that we can only ask God for help when we are tempted. It simply means that Jesus understands the things we go through better than anyone else. Jesus literally walked through them b...

This year, The Tide annual spring promotional events in Canada will consist of Gospel music concerts featuring The Stiff Family from Wellesley, Ontario. The Stiff Family is a family of six who seek to glorify God in their music and in all their endeavors. They’ve been singing and playing together as a family since the fall of 2013. In the Bluegrass tradition they play acoustic stringed instruments that include banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and upright bass. There is no admission charge for the concerts, but a free will offering will be received to benefit the Gospel Tide radio ministry. The program for the evening will include a brief presentation by The Tide Director, Don Shenk, who will bring updates from around the globe to illustrate how God is using your support to touch lives and build His Kingdom in the hearts of people who are finding new life in Christ through The Tide radio programs in 25 languages. You are cordially invited to join us, and encouraged to bring al...

About three years ago, we began broadcasting gospel programming in Kosovo, reaching people who have experienced turmoil and desperately need the hope of Christ. Thus far, says Director Don Shenk, the fruits of those labors are being realized. “The Tide ministry’s presence is Kosovo is relatively new,” Shenk said, “and we are so thankful for God’s provision in finding and securing radio partnerships there so the people of Kosovo and neighboring Albania can hear the message of Christ and His saving grace.” Alma, a listener in Kosovo, reported that she lives in a remote village and the closest church is in the city: “It is difficult for me to go to church for a Sunday service or meet with other believers,” Alma said. “I’m so happy that I can listen to Pastor G preach on the radio. That’s my only church service, through the radio. I listen to the radio with my mother and my friend—most of the time in secret from other people around us. Thank you for helping us walk in the light. Ou...

It’s early in the year, so New Year Resolutions may still be fresh in your mind. Did you make any New Year resolutions? What were they? A high percentage of New Year resolutions are centered on self-improvement, with some of the most common being things associated with living a healthier lifestyle, such as eating wholesome food, getting more exercise, or losing weight.  All of these reflect the principle that we are primarily a product of what we take in and what we do.  This principle is not only true in respect to our physical bodies, but can also be applied to all aspects of our identity including our spirituality, and our mental and emotional being. When writing to the believers at Corinth Paul taught that God treats us as a temple where His Holy Spirit lives. With that being the case it is important for us to be very aware of, and selective in, what we use to build and maintain that temple. This goes beyond diet and exercise, to include what we take in through reading, ...

It’s commonplace for modern-day Americans to see people walking down busy city streets, earbuds plugged in, perhaps taking them to another place through music, a podcast or a news broadcast. This is the case in big cities around the world, too. In fact, some of the content through those earbuds may be from The Tide ®. For example, Enea who lives in Tirana, the capital and most populous city of Albania, reported that she has been listening to Radio 7, The Tide ministry’s partner broadcast in Albania, since she was a child. “I grew up spiritually because of the radio, and it is like a close friend to me,” Enea said. “I want to   thank you specifically for the program ‘Sipas Fjales.’ I listen carefully to Pastor H, and my understanding of the Word of God has increased. I learned a lot on his program on humility. Sometimes as Christians we have the wrong understanding of humility. I’m thankful to Pastor H who helped me to know the real humbleness of the heart as the Scripture teache...

Psalm 88:1-2 Lord, you are the God who saves me;  day and night I cry out to you.  May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry. In the fall of 2011 I reached what felt like rock bottom.  I was having difficulty completing work for my clients and I wasn’t doing well physically or emotionally.  It was a very dark time in my life.  The way of life that I understood to be “Christian” was exhausting and I wasn’t sure it wasn’t worth it.  By that point, my relationship with God had become more of a show or mask.  I remember telling my parents, “If this is what God is like, I don’t think I want Him any more.” A close friend pointed me to Psalm 88 and read through it with me.  You know how most Psalms have at least some joy in them?  This one doesn’t have much.  But as my friend pointed out, that’s ok.  Life isn’t always sugarplums and roses.  The author of this Psalm is pouring their heart out to God even though they d...