Ministry Under Fire

By Charlie Costa, BMA Global Middle East/North Africa Coordinator

I have encouraged you to put the shoe on the other foot for the last three months. Today, I am advocating for a helmet, a Kevlar vest and the shoe. How do you do ministry in the midst of war? In the last couple of weeks, many of the churches of the BMA reached out directly or indirectly, checking on us here in Lebanon. To all of you, thank you for asking and praying. Many have called and written, encouraging us to evacuate. It is definitely tempting to lose sight of God’s calling on our lives. We will definitely evacuate when we can no longer serve God effectively in this place, when we are restricted to our house, with no access to food, medicine or healthcare. Frankly, that is a tall order, but nonetheless, it is what will make us leave.

Our firm belief in God’s sovereignty, faithfulness and promises controls this conviction. When Christ came on His mission, He fulfilled it to the last drop of His blood. Wow, I am in awe. I have a long way to go before I reach that level of sacrifice. But the question still remains: How do you serve under fire?

• Focus on the task at hand. There are many distractions in war — personal safety, provisions, etc. Yet, as a good soldier for Jesus, I am tasked with only one thing— share the gospel when war creates that opportunity and people are more prone to listen. In other words, everything — including circumstances — has to serve to fulfill that task. Remember, war is a function of sin and death. My role is to counter that with what brings life and life eternal.

• You should have a strategy. The sound of sonic booms, the explosion of precision bombs and the sight of raging fires and poisonous smoke can surely shake you to the core. It can easily make you feel helpless and distracted. You lose any sense of direction. Then, you are ready to abandon ship. That’s where strategy will come in handy. It will give you purpose and direction. It will maximize the use of your time and resources. It will help you major in the majors and put the goal in your gunsight.

• You must remember it’s not about you (and yours). When you were called to be a missionary (some might even say as a Christian), you gave up that right. You are there to “serve, not to be served.” You are there to, if need be, lay down your life for the gospel’s sake. I know that is easier said than done, but it remains true, nonetheless. When serving under fire, you are suddenly confronted with your mortality — not a fun reality. But then, how do you experience the protection of God for real? Unless you are in the middle of the storm, how can you see the One who calms the waves? The disciples thought it was all about them. They cried out, “Don’t you care we are perishing?” Jesus had a different opinion (the right opinion) “You of little faith.” It was all about faith in Him — His love, His cross and His glory. In other words, His gospel.

• You need to remember you’re not alone. I will address the compendium of feelings we experience in such situations in future articles, but now, I am looking at it from the perspective of God. It is in these situations that you see the Lord at His best. What a sight! In these situations, you see the Lord walking on the waves, which scares you witless. He tramples on them, commands them and controls them. How are you to act!? “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today… The Lord will fight for you, and you shall holdyour peace” (Exod. 14:13-14 NKJV). Amazing — what a mighty God we serve! His power is put on full display while our only role is to sit and watch Him in action while we keep quiet. There is no need to play Monday morning quarterback because the battle has already been won, and everything is under control. Our prayer should be, “Open my eyes, Lord, I want to see you in action and to see your glory.” If we don’t see it, it is only because our eyes are closed or our vision is hindered.

So, put the shoe on the other foot: if you were on this side of the equation, how would you want our people to respond?

• Pray — Pray that God opens the doors for the gospel to go forth. Pray for perseverance so we can push forward without despair. Pray for safety.

• Give — You can help us help others struggling in this situation by giving the average price of a “McMeal” ($10) through your church and BMA Global. Relief is our door to reaching families and touching them where they hurt. Please share the need with others and make our willingness to brave the current situation matter.

Again, thank you for asking about our family. Thanks to the generosity of God’s people, we are safe and provided for. Please keep us in your prayers.