While reading the Psalms this morning, the Holy Spirit led me Paul’s charge to Timothy in his second book. I thought I was led there for the perfect scripture to read to the men and women at the closing of our last training session. But as I read further I discovered a verse that each of us on the trip can relate to.
“I have been poured out like a drink offering and it is time for my departure.” II Timothy 4:6
I do not want to be melodramatic because I am not announcing our imminent deaths as was Paul. But I and the entire team have poured out all that we have at this location. Each of us has had an out of body experience where it seemed that God was speaking through us at will. Last night we all testified that the trainings were going better than we hoped or imagined and that God was touching and transforming lives, but every one of us were drained, wiped out. It was like we were depleted and full at the same time.
I wish and pray for each of you such an experience. That the Holy Spirit move through you to use you on some occasion to the extent that you are both empty and full, exhausted and energized.
The work you are doing here is mighty and important. The Muslim movement is becoming more aggressive and abusive. We have heard stories of verbal threats, actual stoning and the taking over of people’s property because they have spoken outwardly about their faith in Jesus. Land bought and designated for churches have been marked by Muslims with a star and a crescent moon serving as a threat to Christians to not gather or build on that sight. While the Evangelical Church was sound asleep, aggressive Muslims moved in paying the poor to attend church, infiltrating the government in justice positions and gaining enormous influence in what used to be known as a Christian Nation. Ethiopia is surrounded my Muslim Nations, and this last Christian Strong hold for African nations is under siege.
The work in Gunchri, ministering to all citizens, even the Muslims has given us entry into a battle zone that is critical for the cause of Christ. I praise God for your generosity and commitment to this cause. It is important, necessary and impacting.
So though we have been poured out like a drink offering and it is time for our departure, it is not for the purpose of fear or death that we move on, but to be poured out again to another group of pastors and wives that they also may continue the good fight on the front lines for Christ.
