Mike’s Sea2sea Blog

Just had a great conversation this week with a couple from one of our Chinese Alliance churches. We talked about our stories; how we met Christ, what’s been happening to form us, and what our dreams are for the future. The reason we met is because it seems that God is calling them into full time ministry among Muslim people.

What I noticed about this couple: that God had really granted to them confirmation of at least these two things:  1)that He could use anyone, if they are just willing, and 2)that he would care for what was most precious to them — their children. This peace didn’t come over night, but over the past few years, and the big Joint Missions Conferences were an important part of that. (This makes me look forward to the JMC for Chinese Alliance churches in Canada happening at Brock University, July 1 to 5!).

One of them shared about how when they were younger, the great need for witness was in the Communist countries, but now it seems clear that the big challenge is in reaching out to Muslims. While they felt it was good that there were many Chinese workers among the diaspora of Chinese people all over the world, with real confidence they said that they felt called to crossing a different boundary.

I also “got educated”! They mentioned that Chinese people have a different relationship with Arab people, compared to typical Western-Arab relationships. I found that quite interesting. Naturally, God can use any historical/cultural realities like this for his glory. 

I think of that great line of William Carey: “Expect great things; attempt great things.”  In the same way that we used to think of the people behind the ”Iron Curtain” -where it was often against the law to preach the gospel or gather as believers- it’s easy to assume that there is no way  a movement of Christ followers can flourish among people for whom Islam is at the center of culture.  But the places which may be very improbable (some would say impossible) are precisely the places where God often is moving to reveal his unfolding plan of reconciling the broken world to himself. Just as the Berlin wall is a museum piece now, so the church will continue to be God’s ” strategy to reach the whole world with redemption” breaching all barriers that might be in the way.

I admire the resolve of this couple. Great things for God:  Why not?

(This brings up the critical place for prayer in our community! Next time….)