In Acts 14:19-22 there is an interesting story of Paul preaching in Lystra, but men from Antioch and Iconium come in and persuade a multitude of men to stone Paul and leave him for dead outside the city. The disciples pray for him and after Paul is raised back up he goes right back into the city (from where they just stoned him) and continues to preach the Gospel! The Gospel of Christ cannot be detained! Logic would say that if we cannot meet collectively in our churches that the Gospel of Christ would be deterred. Exactly the opposite is happening! Not only is the Gospel of Christ being preached even more than before in spite of the fact that we cannot collectively gather, but it is being preached in the midst of global despair. People are searching, those that are infected or scared of being infected with Coronavirus are searching, those that have lost their jobs, or fear loosing their jobs are searching, those that are valiantly working during this pandemic, exposing themselves sometimes to danger, are searching, they are all searching for Hope. Many churches and Christians are taking the opportunity to share the Hope of the gospel during this difficult time.
Global Focus churches
in Latin America are sharing Hope
Even though we are mentoring hundreds of churches in Latin America, I want to just share 3 examples with you of how the Gospel is not being detained:
A Global Focus church that we have mentored is Camino de Salvacion a small baptist church on the outskirts of Tijuana, Mexico. They have turned their church building into a refugee center for Central American and Haitian immigrants. They are feeding and housing them and helping them with medical attentions during this very difficult time for all, but even more so for immigrants. But most importantly they are sharing the Hope of the Gospel with their new friends. Last week they were able to baptize one of their Haitian immigrants that came to faith in Christ. The Gospel cannot be deterred, even in the midst of this pandemic!
Another Global Focus church is Vida Nueva a baptist church in Arequipa, Peru. They have recently started taking food bags to the Venezuelan immigrant families in their city. These families work daily, mostly selling food on the streets to feed themselves, but with the quarantine, they are not able to sell. Next week they will turn their church building into a place where they will be feeding 50 the immigrant families daily. They are not only sharing food with the Venezuelan immigrants, but they are sharing the Hope of the Gospel with them as well. A Global Focus church in Bogota (a different church than the one I wrote about last week), Centro de Fe y Esperanza, a pentecostal church that is sharing food with their needy neighbors in their own community. These neighbors are able to come to the church and they will give them a bag of food. They are being missional and sharing Hope in the midst of this pandemic.
Latin American missionaries
are sharing Hope in the Mslm world
A and Y are the Venezuelan workers that last week I shared with you that had been invited into one of the local “Daara’s” which is an islmc school for boys. Because the government cannot provide enough food, A and Y are helping to feed the children of the school breakfast and dinner. But now 2 other “Daara’s” have asked them to share food with their boys as well! God is opening some very unique doors of opportunity because of this pandemic, even among this islmc schools in West Africa! Not only are they asking about the bread they are sharing with them, they are asking about the Bread of Life, Jesus! The Gospel cannot be deterred in the midst of this pandemic!
A Peruvian lady we helped to send to work with refugee’s in the Middle East is now discipling online group of young ladies, former mslms that have come to faith in Christ. She is working with them and they are now openly sharing their faith in Christ with others. God is opening up some very interesting doors for her as she and her discipleship group continue to share the Hope of the Gospel in the midst of despair.
Our own daughter and son in law who are serving in a country that Coronavirus has not reached its peak yet in Southeast Asia. They are ministering to their mslm neighbors by sharing their own food and making up food baskets for them. Many of the poorer population of this country live day to day, and under quarantine are not allowed to go out and work. They have been sharing their food with very poor people that are in need, sharing Hope in the midst of despair.
Another Latin American worker from Bolivia is taking on the responsibly to share food and Hope with his neighbors in his city in the Middle East where he is serving. The Gospel cannot be detained!
Teaching and preaching in the midst of quarantine
This past week on Tuesday I was able to teach in a church in Bogota, Colombia. Then on Wednesday preach in another church in Guatemala, then yesterday speak to a youth missions ministry (like Urbana) in Argentina. Tomorrow I will speak to OM (Operation Movilization) in El Salvador, and Sunday am preach in a baptist church in Santiago, Chile. I have been teaching and preaching every day!
Of course all of this virtually. The last couple of weeks, and the next couple of weeks I am making videos of our entire Global Focus process for mentoring churches in missions (which is nearly 40 hours of teaching). Please pray that even in the midst of these times we are in, that we continue to mobilize churches and missionary candidates to the greatest cause on earth, taking the Hope of Christ to those who have none!
You can pray for Hope to come
to Mslms during this Ramadan
