New Mission. New Mindset.

When God intervenes, he looks for people to use as instruments or agents.  God's approach is to do His work on earth through human agents.

When God founded the Hebrew nation, He gave Moses not only the Ten Commandments, but more than 600 laws. Those who did not obey all the laws were cursed.

When the Holy Spirit established the church in Jerusalem after Jesus returned to Heaven, all the believers were Jews and all held fast to all the laws of Moses. This was never questioned.

In the New Testament, many non-Jews converted to the God of the Bible, but this was not totally new.  

In the Old Testament, sometimes non Jews converted, but then they had to become practically Jewish. They had to obey all the commandments of Moses. The men and boys had to be circumcised. Ouch!

The new Christian community in Jerusalem was one hundred percent Jewish, but Jesus had said that this was only the beginning of something new.

So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:6–8 NIV84

The Jewish disciples had to have their traditional Jewish way of thinking transformed in order to fulfil this task.

The persecuted Christian movement in China cannot function as it does in Europe or North America. 

Christian meetings must take place in private houses or apartments. Three quarters of the church leaders are women.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18–19 NIV84

When God wants to step in, he looks for people to use as instruments or agents. God's approach is to do His work on earth through human agents.

But God sometimes has problems with us humans. 

We pray that God will do a great work. Then we look so often, at the miracles or revivals of the past, and we expect God to act in exactly the same way.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. John 14:12 NASB
 

God's New Ways in the Crisis

 This crisis is a hard test for many. If you are doing well anyway, it is important to help those who are really suffering.

There are different reactions. Some want to complain because the strict measures seem like a dictatorship. If we were really under a dictatorship, do you think protests from a few thousand  people could liberate us ?

Someone has said of a head of government, ``He is a dictator. We must get rid of him in the next election campaign.'' The answer was clear. ``What do you know about dictatorship?''

For the Christians in the New Testament, democratic freedom was totally unknown, but they spread the good news of Jesus and expanded God's kingdom in a dramatic way.

The first church in Jerusalem had to deal with two non-democratic governments. The Roman rulers were not nice and the Jewish religious rulers wanted to abolish Christian freedom.

But God used the persecution of the church to spread the gospel.

Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. Acts 11:19 NKJV

But this was only the first phase of God's plan. Then it became quite radical.

Among them were some people from Cyprus and Cyrene. They entered Antioch and began to proclaim the good news about the Lord Jesus also to Gentiles. Acts 11:20 CEB

Some now complain because normal worship services are not allowed, but God has also used this situation to spread the gospel.

Many churches have shared sermons and services with online streaming and You Tube. Something amazing has happened.

Before the crisis, 200 to 400 visitors were expected in our church on Sunday. But when we were only allowed to minister online, 2000 were involved.

Not only that, but God has also blessed our finances. The donations have increased dramatically.

And what has happened to the church building? It was used to distribute food for the unemployed.

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? 

I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18–19 NKJV

Some people are upset because normal worship services are not allowed during the crisis, but God has also used this situation to spread the gospel. God is leading us in new directions.

God is Faithful

If you are faithful, you can always expect God's help. God never abandons his faithful children. How can you be more faithful than God?

David was God's faithful servant, but he was persecuted by King Saul. His life was in danger, and he had to find refuge in a cave. In his distress he prayed fervently.

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. 

I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. Ps 57:1-3

When you are in deep distress, whether through your own fault or quite innocent like David, you need to get really serious with God.

He will never fail you.

If you fail but you are still committed to Jesus, can expect God's grace and mercy.

• God saved David again and again.

• God trained David through many hard trials, so that he became the greatest of all kings.

  Do you want to fulfil your calling from God? Then you can expect hard trials. 

  God always has a plan to get you out of any trouble.
  
  Often you do not know how to pray.
  Jesus has given you his Holy Spirit to help you in your weakness.
  
  Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
  
  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26–27 NKJV
  
  Paul too was often in impossible situations, but God saved him again and again and healed him from terrible wounds, otherwise he could not have continued.
  
  Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.
  
  Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 2 Corinthians 11:24–25 NLT
  
  Paul suffered so much. Nevertheless, he wrote:
  
  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 NKJV
  
  God's invincible weapons in your hands.
  

  • Speak God's word.

  • Prayer in the Spirit. The miraculous gift of God to pray in languages you have never learned.