Till The Whole Earth Looks Like Heavenنموونە

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” - Deuteronomy 31:8

We had finally arrived to the pastor’s house outside Kampala, Uganda just after midnight from a day and a half bus ride from Burundi. Just as we closed the door, the barrel of an AK 47 poked through the crack of the door and four large men rushed in with guns and knives shouting at the top of their lungs. They hurled myself and three pastors on the ground and starting beating, kicking and stripping us of any money or electronics.

A few minutes later they found my Bible in my backpack and pulled me up with a gun pointing to my head asking “Are you a follower of the Way?” Without even considering the consequences of my response, the answer rose up deep within me: “YES!” Immediately, the pastors laying next to me began to explode with songs and prayers to Jesus. It was like a rushing avalanche of worship that could not be stopped! Just moments later, the men disappeared out of the door they entered and even left their bag they had stuffed with our passports and electronics!

To this day I have no idea what happened in that moment except that the presence of God - and maybe a few angels - stood with us in our darkest hour and brought divine deliverance.

Where would you go, what would you do, and what would you say if you lived without fear? Paul says in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation.” Giving into the fear of consequences and the fear man can cause us to slip into shame. The gospel is not just made up of words, but it is wrapped up in the person of Jesus, and the power of God Himself. The power of the gospel heals the sick, raises the dead, and draws people to salvation by revealing the nature of God. 

Prayer:

Father, I know that you will never leave me or forsake me, and you surround me with your presence every day. Holy Spirit, fill me with your love that extinguishes all fear, and open up new opportunities this week for me to share the gospel. Jesus, thank you for the power of the gospel established by your work on the cross and your resurrection. I know that you will accompany me with your power when I take steps of boldness for the sake of your name.