Over the last year as we have been laboring to share the Gospel and plant a church two separate bodies had began to form. The good news, in the midst of that division, was that both were growing and God was saving people. The bad news was that between the two Christian bodies there had been strife, pain, and division. At first we thought we could do what God had called us to do and they could do what they felt God calling them to do. However, the more we looked at the Gospel the more we realized our thinking was false. Jesus’ work reconciles us both to the Father, and to each other, and both require a miraculous act of God. It’s okay to have twenty plus meetings in one city, but for there to be division and sin among the body of Christ (with hurt and unforgiveness in the midst), this goes against what Christ died to set us free from. He was broken so that we don’t have to be. It was with this understanding that the other church leader and myself began to pray and seek for God’s will to be done in and through His Church.
I am thankful to say that the result was to break down the “walls” that divided us and for us to live as one redeemed body in the city. The Apostle Paul writes (1 Cor 11:18-19) to the Corinthians that divisions must come in order to show who is genuine. I understand and expect these divisions, but I am so thankful that among the few believers in this dark city God is bringing a corporate unified witness that Jesus saves. Please pray for us as we seek to be unified not simply in a room, but to have, as Paul writes, “the same mind and judgement.” (1 Cor. 1:10). With the unifying of these two bodies we are doubling in many ways: people, gifts sets, opinions, and traditions. Please pray for us that through it all the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth and that we may become more like Jesus. Also, we know we have requested prayer for over a year now that the Lord would bring unity of heart in this city along with forgiveness between these two groups… Praise the Lord for your prayers! They have been answered in amazing ways.
We as a family recently posted a video update on what God has been doing over this last year. Please copy & paste (or click) the link to view https://vimeo.com/133475272 . The password is the same one we use for our newsletter. If you do not currently receive our monthly newsletters click on the contact page and send us and email requesting to be added and we will also send you the password. Thank you to all of you who keep us in your prayers and for all the sacrifices you make that allow us to labor here in the Middle East. May God be gloried in and through all of our lives.