Responding to a World in Crisis

           Here is a sample of recent international news events from the past couple months:

December 2019 – January 2020 – IRAQ AND IRAN: Tensions escalated between Iran and the United States as the US embassy in Iraq was attacked by radical militants (itself initiated by a series of skirmishes between the two nations). A couple of days later, the US killed one of Iran’s top military leaders- Qasem Soleimani (the goal was to eliminate Iranian terrorism threats) in an airstrike. Iran responded swiftly to this and launched strikes on US military bases in Iraq as international news agencies covered the volley of events. Reactions to this were mixed, and the world watched as to what would take place in the Middle East…

January – February 2020- CHINA: A new coronavirus, COVID-19, emerged from a series of viral animal-to-human transfers in Wuhan, China. The virus has infected over 80,000 people since its inception and led to major disruptions and deaths in China’s Hubei province. Even though the epidemic is stabilizing in China, the virus is spreading in other countries such as Japan, Italy, South Korea, and Iran. As of this writing, the outbreak is not considered a pandemic. However, if the virus gets out of hand in multiple countries, there will be additional major disruptions to international travel. It is very contagious, and scientists are racing to contain it.

January – February 2020- AFRICA: A large swarm of desert locusts is impacting east African nations including Somalia, Uganda, and Kenya. The locusts can come from the Arabian Peninsula & be carried over into middle Africa. They cause extensive crop damage which can disrupt food supplies for much of the continent of Africa and lead to food insecurity. The locusts have also been reported to have entered the Congo and other central African nations that have not seen infestations in decades. The United Nations and other agencies are seeking funding to battle the locust swarms in a coordinated effort before they reproduce and cause potential further losses over the summer.

            Many news headlines today present a world “on edge” as it seeks to grapple with these events. It can paint a very uncertain picture for the near future. Questions are being asked. “What is going to happen?” “Will we be ok?” “How bad could this get?” And many times, there are far more questions that want to be answered than there are answers to answer them. Yet this is a defining moment for the Christian community. How are we going to respond to these situations? How will we be a light when the world is facing a crisis?

            In the Bible, there are many situations that the prophets and Jesus himself faced that shaped the outcome of entire nations for generations to come. Joshua faced a seemingly insurmountable army of Canaanites as he was commanded by the Lord to capture their land and establish the Israelite nation. Yet he conquered much of this land and helped found the nation of Israel. Meanwhile, Queen Esther knew of a plot to eradicate the Jewish people and needed to speak up about it. She confronted the king at great risk, and tragedy was averted. And, Jesus faced crucifixion as He knew what must take place in order for mankind to be redeemed. Not even the grave could hold Him though, and he rose from the dead- victorious! Yet one common trait that occurred in these events was that they acted decisively and without fear- while having faith and courage. When I look back and see Esther approaching the king, I see a deep and reverberating faith in the LORD permeating throughout and helping this decisive act to be carried out. This faith trusts in God wholeheartedly and seeks Him as a wide a range of future outcomes is on the table. It is the powerful clinging faith that sustains as people face impossible odds (but not impossible for an Almighty God). These people did not back down from these situations. They confronted them with the LORD; resulting in outcomes that changed the course of human history.

            Ultimately, we are called to live a life that is not in fear and to not back down. A runaway virus or threats of imminent war can spark a lot of fear. Yet will we have a “faith that can move mountains” and take decisive action to help make the world a better place during this time? There is clear risk (and we must take this risk into account), but responding in the wake of a disaster is a terrific opportunity to showcase the love of Jesus to the world. Oftentimes, His light shines the brightest when there is darkness all around. I wanted to encourage you all with some modern-day heroes that are on the front lines seeking to make disciples while impacting many lives…

– Iranian Christians are sharing the Gospel at a rapid rate and have a sustained underground church movement. Even though there are very real threats of persecution from the Iranian government, these courageous believers are reaching Muslims with the love of Jesus.

– Chinese Doctors (some of them are Christians) are laying down their lives to combat the coronavirus in Wuhan. Some are choosing to care for patients in virus-stricken hospitals even though they are fatigued and very susceptible to COVID-19 infection (and death) themselves.

– Some African disciples are reaching out to Muslim people groups in North Africa with the Gospel; despite threats of terrorism and an increased amount of religiously motivated violence in Africa’s “Middle Belt” region (particularly in northern Nigeria and Burkina Faso).

///// This is not to mention those who are working tirelessly in the World Health Organization, the United Nations response to the locust infestation, and those seeking to keep the peace today.

            For a personal trip update regarding the coronavirus outbreak… I have been lifting this up in sustained prayer as I seek the Lord’s will in this over the past couple months. It is important for me to discern and press into Him as He makes a path during uncertain times. And, the answer that I am processing now is to not worry or have fear over this outbreak. God wants me to continue to trust in Him for the trip; and He is in control as to where our Expedition Squad winds up. I am continuing to press forward, and fundraising / mobilization prep is going good so far. People are now stepping out in multiple ways to help, and I clearly see God’s hand in that. Even though there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered (particularly with the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak), I must continue to rely on God and His will for this trip. There is a chance that portions of the WR Expedition Route may get rerouted or re-worked (possibly even to different parts of the world) over the course of this year and next. Yet it is critical to continue to remain faithful as the Lord accomplishes His plan for us in the Middle East and Asia. We do not know what this is yet, but I am praying for a fruitful harvest and ministry work to take place. Meanwhile, I would like to invite you all to pray and lift up these events. One of the biggest keys to standing strong in times of stress is maintaining a strong prayer life (both vertically with God and horizontally for others / the world). Please pray for the virus outbreak and for those infected with the virus in China and other countries. Pray for those who are fighting the disease and those who have lost loved ones to it. Also, please lift up the recent vaccination development efforts and the World Health Organization as they deal with the virus. God is all-powerful, and pray for Him to intervene supernaturally to stop this virus as well. Thank you all very much, and I hope that you have a great weekend…

Isaiah 41: 8-10: “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from the farthest corners I called you. I said ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”