Is it impossible ? A window on covid relief, something worth hearing.

The BIG PICTURE

Forthcoming blogs will concentrate on the principles and plans that are driving our training, help, mission and church planting. God has opened our eyes to two priorities; a) reaching the unreached and b) His priority for the poorest. A fuller blog (or two) will outline why we see the priority mission or heart of God in these terms. Throughout the bible the missional heart of God speaks in expressed passion for the marginalised, downtrodden, relegated and those stuck in the toughest (seemingly impossible situations). This culminates in God doing the impossible for our redemption in Jesus Christ. 

    "But he said...

 “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”"

Luke 18:27 

In Luke's gospel especially we see the true identity of Jesus unfold amidst the close friendship he shared with all of the above, as he prioritised the unreached in frontier ministry. As the BIG history of God's heart for this world unfolds, ACTS reveals the continuance of this progression, as the heart of God explodes mission from a small mono-culture to a diverse multicultural people, an Anti-Babel of many tribes, tongues and nations coming to find their one hope, certainty, community, communication, identity and resting place in Jesus Christ. Yesterday I had the privilege of hearing firsthand how God is doing the impossible across all continents of our broken world. Dark spiritual and social recesses of our planet are never forgotten by our God. Many stones are being unturned today as the light of Christ shines brightly. 

OUR FATIGUE:

You and I live in a world of suffering, political mess, cynicism, and materialism. Our global communication, advertising and media, instils in us the idea that we don't yet have what we want.  We spend a lot of time thinking about food, clothes and future provision (money and assets) like the man in Luke 12:13-21. When we don't have it we worry about how to get it, when we do have it we worry about holding onto it. Juliette Schor (Harvard) in her brilliant book the overspent American, (why we want what we don't need) states...

"only one third of American households who earn more than $100,000 a year agree with the statement "I can afford to buy everything I really need"". 

Let that sink in ... it means two thirds of all American Households (earning above $100,000 a year), feel they can't afford what they really need. Put another way... many of the wealthiest people in the most wealthiest of countries on our planet believe they cannot afford what they really need.

Add to this our rolling 24 hour news channels which pump out suffering, war, corrupt power, and intimate knowledge of celebrities or politicians, many far wealthier than us ... is it any surprise that we have become fatigued with the idea of giving to others (emotionally, financially) or investing in the idea that things could get better at all ... let alone on a big scale? Something has to be truly tragic to puncture our hardness. Something has to be massively unbearable to change our hearts of self protection, our habits of self investment, and prompt in us a willingness to listen to the suffering or impossible situations of others. Something like a world pandemic? Maybe we should just opt for looking after ourselves. After all we have suffered over the last few months, no ? Don't we need to earn more, work harder for ourselves and our security considering our personal vulnerability in an insecure world ? Surely it is now time to let our suffering fatigue turn to apathy towards others ? After all how on earth could we do any good in the big scheme of things ?... surely the issues are just too big ?.., it seems an impossible task.

OUR GOD.

Thank God he does not treat us as we deserve, according to our worth or as an investment of return. He shows no favouritism based on ability or wealth. We do not have to puncture his heart to listen to our mess, he knows it better than we know it ourselves...

The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103

 One of the most awesome things we read about in the historical life of Christ, is his willingness not only to engage with suffering, but bare it in full for us. It starts with an ear to listen. As our saviour stood listening to the pleading man explain the impossibility of his situation (the loss of his Son  (Mark 9:14-27)), he reminds us that in Christ...

"All things are possible for one who believes" 

Mark 9:23

Is it possible that God might bring good out of Covid ? 

Across the world amazing things are happening as the light of Christ shines brighter through his people. For example take my ACTION colleague, friend and brother Joshua, and his team in the subcontinent. 

God has provided an amazing team of doctors, medics and loving servants. In areas still reelling from the cyclones, catastrophes and tragedies of the last 12 months, COVID is now ripping a third wave.  Yesterday Joshua and the team provided dry ration and covid relief / compassion to 750 families in the name of Christ. In coming days they continue their tireless work, a camp of 250 here, and a group of 100 there. Please continue to pray for their ministry as they share the certainty of Christ, impacting 1000's with love in these uncertain times.

 

The team would love to visit many other villages, but are doing what they can with the funds provided.

It is a privilege to be part of God's heart for this world.

This is but one of a myriad of stories I am hearing each day of how the church is shining bright across this world, and especially in the areas of least financial wealth, news profile or infrastructure. The network of God's mobilised people continues to grow, as we unite in purpose, and daily new friends come into his family. In the face of impossibility, God is doing the impossible and building his kingdom. If you would like to help specifically with covid relief, and those who share the gospel in this context, you can do so through ACTION's covid relief, and we would be happy to help you do that in an appropriate way. Please IM me for details, or get in touch with the ACTION (UK) office on phone or email. If you are unable to help with this, but your heart has been moved in some good way... maybe we can talk in the future? God is doing the impossible, even moving my heart and your heart to a place where we can be useful to a broken world in his purposes.