In the darkest times, God’s light shines brightest
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33
These are Jesus’ words to his disciples, including us. Our trouble is what we have just spent the last two years navigating through with God’s help. This type of trouble is no stranger to those of us who serve in New England. There have been many extremely dark times when God showed up and Great Awakenings happened here and spread throughout this nation. It seems about every 50 years this nation falls into a spiritual rut and raises its voice to God for rescue. The last time this happened was in the 1960s when we saw a president executed, a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ executed, war, riots, utter turmoil - darkness was all around us. God’s people prayed fervently and out of this came “The Jesus Movement” that swept across the nation. Out of this came contemporary Christian music when Larry Norman (a rock musician) put Christian lyrics to Rock music, recorded an album called “Upon This Rock”, and a new genre of music was born. God always shows up.
Here we are some 50+ years later and we have just encountered two years of global shutdown, being told to shut down in person gatherings, the very heart and soul of Christian ministry. State and federal governments passed laws and policies that through the world’s eyes would negatively impact and even minimize the Christian Church. Churches were forced to use technology to live stream services, hold virtual Bible studies, Zoom prayer meetings, and have more online presence than ever before. Small rural churches found themselves ill-equipped to navigate through much of this. It sure felt like the adversary was in the process of shutting down God’s people to keep us from gathering and building relationships. Remember, “ministry travels at the speed of relationships”. We need each other to impact the world with the Gospel.
Once again, God’s people prayed, churches began helping each other navigate through the technological jungle, the BCNE continued giving outreach grants for churches to keep impacting their community. The result is that most churches focused on taking heart because Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33). Many churches are now better set up to meet the needs of the next generation of believers, which is extremely tech savvy. As COVID restrictions dissipate, we find people hungering for community (after two years of cabin fever), and they are looking for honest answers as they navigate their families out of shutdown mode. And God has prepared His Church to meet needs. What an opportunity God has given us. Out of the darkness this world has imposed, once again, God’s light is shining as bright as ever through His Church.
The kingdom of God is at hand. God’s children are gathering. We have an opportunity to become disciple-makers like never before. In order to do this we must stay focused on God’s plan to grow His Church. The blueprint God has given us to build His Kingdom community is clearly seen in Acts 2:42. We must follow the example of the early believers as “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
We must be devoted – all in, at all costs. This is the calling God has placed on our lives.
To the apostles’ teaching – The true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not social, political, cultural, emotional or prosperity gospel. We must teach and preach the life, ministry, abuse, sacrifice, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. He alone defeated death. He is our Savior, Lord, and King.
To fellowship – Living life together, taking care of one another. Like a tapestry, we are woven together in a powerful community to serve others with love, grace, and mercy.
To the breaking of bread – Not just to the Lord’s Supper, but to enjoy meals together and get to know each other deeper around the table.
To prayer – in the words of E. M. Bounds in “Reality of Prayer”:
“Prayer is no petty invention of man, a fancied relief for fancied ills. Prayer is no dreary performance, dead and death-dealing, but is God’s enabling act for man, living and life-giving, joy and joy-giving. Prayer is the contact of a living soul with God. In prayer, God stoops to kiss man, to bless man, and to aid man in everything that God can devise or man can need. Prayer fills man’s emptiness with God’s fullness. It fills man’s poverty with God’s riches. It puts away man’s weakness with God’s strength. It banishes man’s littleness with God’s greatness. Prayer is God’s plan to supply man’s great and continuous need with God’s great and continuous abundance.”
Once again, God’s light is shining brightly and pushing back the darkness. What a kingdom opportunity God has given us. People are looking for truth. They are seeking answers that stand firm when scrutinized. People desire relationships. They long for community. Look around. God is shining His light bright and exposing so much evil all around us. We are part of the ecclesia and God is calling us to step into that role and He gives us the mission plan. Be devoted, live the Gospel, gather daily for fellowship, break bread together, and pray to seek God’s face continuously. This is the hour we were created and prepared for. Now is the time of harvesting. Let’s keep our eyes focused on the things of God and not on the things of this world. Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us with the light of God so that we can “let [our] light so shine before men, that they may see [our] good works, and glorify [our] Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Russ Rathier serves as the Vermont regional coordinator for the Baptist Convention of New England.
