"You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier." -2 Timothy 2:3-4
"For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries." -The Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 16:9
During the Korean War, Marine General Chesty Puller was seemingly hopelessly surrounded by the Communist Chinese Army at the Chosin Reservoir. Where many others would despair in the face of overwhelming adversaries, Chesty famously stood before his Marines and said, "All right. They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time!"
That's the blessing of Gospel ministry in Portland, Oregon, and many other dark places in the earth where Christ's Gospel soldiers are literally surrounded by God-hating, atheistic, radical LGBTQ, BLM, ANTIFA Communists...and plenty of cults and false religions too. Some soldiers lose heart when they're surrounded and surrender. Some say, "A great and effective door has been opened...there are many adversaries," and "they can't get away this time!" Some get out while the gettin's good...but can't stand to be out of the war long.
Four months ago the BLM/ANTIFA insanity in Portland understandably compelled one of my co-laborers in the Gospel to move him and his wife a thousand miles away. Portland was on fire. The police were told to stand down. He and his wife lost their jobs. They felt like they had to get out. He contacted me last week to let me know they're moving back. He said he feels "worthless and purposeless" so far from where the battle is raging in his new life in rural, safe, conservative America. That's not at all to say Christians who live in and faithfully minister the Gospel in rural, safe, conservative America are worthless and without purpose. There's no place on the planet where Christ's soldiers aren't greatly needed. That is to say, in God's perfect providence, some soldiers are designed, called, and equipped for duty behind enemy lines where there are "many adversaries" pressing in from every side—and they won't be at peace anywhere else. They were given hearts that say, "We're surrounded...that simplifies the problem." we can "go therefore and make disciples" in every direction!
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