Family and Friends,
Note: This blog post is part 5 of a 6-part series. Just scroll down to read earlier installments. Also, be sure to sign up to be a member of this blog. The benefits are enormous. Okay, it really isn't a big deal, but our family and especially the amazing people of Haiti can use your prayers, and being a member of this blog will allow you to stay connected with the adventure!
God can redeem and ordain almost anything for His purposes. He used Joseph's brothers' attempted murder, selling of their sibling into slavery, and an unfortunate (and lengthy!) jail term to pave the way for an entire nation of His people to be able to relocate to a more fertile land during a period of extended drought. Then there was the time when the worst persecutor of the early church was transformed overnight into the greatest missionary. If you want the most vivid example possible, look no further than your own life. If you are like me, you understand Paul's words perfectly when he calls himself the "worst of sinners." If God can use me to do anything good in the world, who or what can't He use?
Throughout the history of the church there have been debates about the validity of utilizing technology in church and/or to further God's kingdom. Part of the reason for the Reformation was the established Church's reluctance to allow all believers access to Scripture via the proliferation of Bibles made available by the recently invented printing press. Technology was seen as evil, because it opened the door for people to interpret God's Word for themselves. Seems strange, doesn't it? But the trend to fear technology continues until this day.
However, God can use even technology for His purposes, and in these final days He is doing just that in order to reach millions with the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, Facebook and other platforms have become readily available to people all over the world, and incredible connections are being made cross-culturally. We have experienced this phenomenon first-hand. Every day we engage with friends in Haiti, and we discuss everything from daily trials to jokes to the deep things of God and Scripture. In other words, we interact as true equals and in so doing fulfill some of the most astounding prophecies in Scripture.
This morning during family devotions we read Genesis 11, which includes the story of the tower of Babel. In that episode the people were rebuked for their desire to create a great city (with a great tower), because they had been commanded by God (twice...to Adam and Eve and later to Noah) to spread out and fill the Earth, not remain in one central hub. Why? God had an amazing plan to reveal his glory in unique ways to each culture around the Earth and later bring us all together to praise His name around the throne as one. This is a huge theme in the book of Revelation and other NT passages.
This plan of God, this sub-plot of Scripture, is so beautiful and so profound, and it explains a lot about why our world is the way it is. There are so many evil forces fighting racial and cultural reconciliation on Earth, and many of those forces have a strong foothold in the Church and in the lives of American Christians. However, God is in the business of breaking down those walls between us, and one important tool is technology. With the use of Facebook, Skype, Google-translate, and other tools we can truly get to know people form around the globe and encourage one another in our walk with the Lord.
One of the key aspects of our vision and our values at H.I.M. (Haitian International Missions) is to develop and nurture strong personal connections between our supporters and the native missionaries we serve. In other words, we want Americans and Haitians to connect deeply online, sharing prayer requests, getting to know one another's families, and laughing/crying together as life happens. Then, when these parties have a chance to meet one another it will be so much more meaningful. And even if that never happens on this side of Heaven, people who cannot travel internationally for whatever reason can still participate on a personal level in the ministry we all are doing. With technology we can "Go into all the Earth" without leaving home.
God can use all things for His glory! We do not need to fear technology. We do not need to fear people from other cultures. We do not need to fear our own lack of talent, passion, spirituality, or ability. As our pastor mentioned recently, "Fear is really faith in the evil one." Strong words, but the truth is that God is doing great things in our world today, and the question for all of us is...
Will we join the adventure, or remain on the sidelines?
Log-on to the adventure today, friends!
-the grimm family adventurers
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