Mighty is our God… Mighty is our King… Camouflage-clad soldiers playing guitar, keyboard, and drums belted out songs of praise and worship from the front of the modest chapel that we built in the desert of Iraq. As the music drifted out of the building and over the sand, U.S. soldiers and contractors continued to file in, along with people of the Muslim faith who were either curious or just enjoyed the music. Either way, they heard the gospel.
Plenty of people had said it couldn’t be done. “You can’t build a church,” they had said. “You don’t have the wood and the supplies. It’s impossible.”
But God made a way; we built that church, and he met us there. We had multiple people come to Christ in Iraq. As one can imagine, there were people coming to church who never would have under any other circumstances. Many of these people were dealing with family issues separate from (but perhaps complicated by) the stress of their deployments. When they decided to seek answers from God, the church was there for them, and so were the chaplain along with many other believing soldiers.
The same thing happened in Afghanistan, too. Some Afghanis that had been checked out and cleared were allowed on the base, and at least one of them, after coming to church, became a born again Christian. It was so incredible to be a part of God’s work on the other side of the world. At these services, people would come to the Lord and want to be baptized. So we would have baptisms right there in Afghanistan and Iraq. We’re not going to let a combat zone stop that.
I would never say God makes a war happen so he can draw people to himself. But I can say that even during war, amidst the casualties and death, he still brings new life to those who call on his name. The enemy may take the body, but the Lord saves the soul. I count it a privilege to have been a witness to that.
Lord, open my eyes to where you are working, and show me how to be a part of it.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)