Middle East mission trip

I just returned from a mission trip to the Middle East where I met with one of our ministry partners.

While I knew about the foundational scope of their ministry, the trip brought to light aspects about the manner in which God is at work that I never suspected or even considered possible. This isn’t new. In times past I have occasionally found that my sense of what God is doing – or more pointedly, isn’t doing – through others to reach people with the gospel bordered on arrogance.

In other words, I have arrogantly thought that others are just coasting along waiting for me to show up on the scene in order to get them engaged in global evangelizing, discipleship, and church planting. For some reason, I thought God could only use me in His plan to bring the gospel to all nations. Unfortunately, it is not only arrogant, but it results in me confirming my ignorance to those who may have only suspected it.

I can honestly say, my trip to visit with this partner was not due to irresponsible impressions of their ministry. In fact, it was an honest and humble effort to find out how God may allow us to further assist them in what He is already doing through them to reach Muslims with the truth of Jesus Christ.

This media company has three major ministry thrusts. Make no mistake; they are a first class audio/visual media company. Their expertise ranges from educational documentaries to 3D animation to cutting edge web sites. In addition to their in house production projects, they do significant projects for third parties. However, no project is undertaken that cannot include biblical precepts and principles in some shape, form, or fashion.

Another aspect of their ministry is to train Muslim background believers to be media teams and start their own companies in other Middle Eastern countries. This enables Christian media people to engage their culture through the eye gate and the ear gate. Media has a tremendous influence in our world and can be used to reach people with the gospel. This ministry understands how the culture can be impacted by having trained Christians in this profession producing projects in their native countries that present a range of biblical truths.

Because of the societal treatment of women and girls within the Muslim culture, there is a need to provide ongoing access to information that presents them with God’s love…the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Muslim women’s issues vary from the unmentionables to those that touch on personal grooming. God has answers to the issues that face Muslim women within the cultural context in which they live. Like other women, especially among the younger generation, they have a working knowledge of and frequent us of the internet. It is only logical that a web site, designed to reach them with God’s love and answers, would be developed. This is the newest project for our partner.

While on the trip I ventured into a local grocery store. As I walked through the aisles I suddenly realized I was hearing Christmas carols. That’s right. “Hark the herald angels sing glory to the new born King,” was clearly heard over the in house sound system. God spoke to me at that moment. Even in the midst of a culture saturated with false religious teachings, people will hear the greatest news ever given to mankind: Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.”

The announcement of that birth brings as much hope today as it did then. From WorldReach we wish you a very Merry Christmas.