A field partner whose ministry is in a closed Asian country sent a message yesterday that he is waiting to see if his usual printshop will run the risk of printing another book for him. Last week, we got word that a family that has served for some time in a closed African country has been told to leave. A field partner in South Central Europe has long supplied materials into a neighboring closed country. A worker in another closed African country writes books using a pseudonym.

 

From our side of things, this is exciting, a small bit of international intrigue. For workers who face risk frequently or even daily because law and culture prohibits their Christian endeavor, it is probably less exciting and more of a matter of prayer and practice. Not getting caught is important, because in spite of (or because of) the hostility, the good news about Jesus is exactly what people need to hear.

 

Reflecting on the events of the Passover week we just celebrated, it is good to remember that the gospel was born in hostility, and in a sense, a result of the hostility. The young church’s rapid expansion from Jerusalem was also born of hostility. The church worldwide is experiencing startling growth in places that are openly, violently hostile to her today.

 

Is it possible that what we lack in the American church is hostility, and that it is building against us right now? Do we fight in order to preserve our status in this culture? Or should we recognize why there is hostility, and face it with the same message of hope that early Christians did, and brave Christians today do? Paul’s observation in Ephesians 6 is that our conflict is spiritual at its root, and so it requires spiritual armament to protect us and defeat the foe.

 

I am not so arrogant to say that I absolutely would choose, as so many have done through history, and do today, to only live for the prize of God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. But, why would I not?

Doug Reed | Literature And Teaching Ministries | www.latm.info