The way you store up treasure in Heaven is by investing in getting people there. – Rick Warren

If you haven’t discovered this, let me share something wonderful – God loves to do the unexpected. Read the Bible for yourself. God chose Moses to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt when Moses had given up on God’s plan and was essentially hiding out on the backside of the desert. 

The Moabites were one of the most hated people of their day by Israel. Probably, the closest for us would be the Iranians. Yet, it was a young Moabite widow who after being discouraged and told to go home to her pagan family, who followed bitter Naomi and became part of the people of God. Ruth was the grandmother of King David and a direct ancestor of the Lord Jesus. You’ll find her in Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew 1. 

A little slave girl captive was instrumental in the coming to God for the great general, Namaan, who become a person of faith (2 Kings 5). 

One of my favorites is the famous chicken of the sea, Jonah, who God commanded to go and preach at Ninevah. Jonah went the opposite direction, running from God (never a good plan). Jonah hated the Ninevites. He wanted God to rain down judgement on them and destroy them. Essentially, he wanted God to send them all to Hell. Instead, God gave Jonah a fishy all-expense paid cruise to Nineveh. He finally obeyed and preached God’s message to those he hated. The greatest revival of all time happened in Nineveh with an entire city repenting and turning to God.

So, many accounts in the Bible are of people finding God in unexpected places, just like we have many stories in our lives of unexpected blessings and God revealing Himself in ways we don’t expect. It wasn’t just then… God is not just the God of yesterday. He’s the God of today and tomorrow. 

Personally, I’ve seen Him reach individuals and seen them repent and turn to Christ that I had little hope for. Some I’ve had the privilege of baptizing, and some are sitting among you in this church. It’s why we must never give up on praying for that lost family member, neighbor, co-worker or even a people group. If we’re not asking, can we truly expect God to answer? 

Could there be any more unlikely place for the gospel to spread than Iran? Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh spent a harrowing eight months in one of Iran’s most notorious prisons because of their Christian faith. Raised as Muslims, both women grew unsatisfied with the teachings of the Koran and converted to Christianity. Though they could have been executed for their faith, they turned their Tehran flat into a “house church” and distributed 20,000 copies of the New Testament in Tehran.

The other Superpower besides the USA today is China. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) wants to exterminate Christianity. In China, Christians face a unique set of challenges. The pressure to conform to state ideals and societal expectations can be overwhelming, yet many believers are finding ways to remain steadfast in their faith. Significant hurdles come from the CCP, which maintains strict control over religious practices. State-approved churches must adhere to government regulations, often limiting their teachings and activities. 

For many Christians, worshiping in house churches—gatherings outside state oversight—is risky. These meetings are frequently raided and participants, including pastors, can face fines or imprisonment. The constant fear of being watched or arrested for simply coming together to worship is a harsh reality for Chinese Christ-followers. 

Adding to this, the government has launched a campaign to “Sinicize” Christianity, aiming to reshape it to align with Communist Party ideals. Bibles are being rewritten to echo government messages. Churches are pressured to display allegiance to the State above all else. In this challenging environment, remaining faithful requires immense courage. Yet, amidst these trials, Chinese Christians find strength in the words of Peter: But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ‘And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled’ (1 Peter 3:14). The threat of persecution is real, but so is God’s promise of blessing for those who persevere.

After the 9/11 attack and seeing the atrocities radical Muslims have committed and are committing around the world, I found myself filled with hate toward them. I’d have made a good Jonah. The Lord convicted me that there are nearly 2 billion Muslims in the world. How dare I, who have been forgiven so much, hate those God loves and for whom Jesus died. 

Today you and I don’t have to go to a foreign field. It’s coming to us. When I’m in Milwaukee, I seek to frequent Islamic businesses and be a gospel witness. One never knows what a gospel seed might do with God’s hand of blessing on it. 

I wonder though if we’re Jonahs in our neighborhoods and workplaces. Are we even praying for our lost neighbors and co-workers? Are we seeking to share with them the hope of the gospel our world desperately needs? What about places we frequent like the grocery store or gas station? Do they know that we’re Christ-followers? It takes so little to let Christ’s light shine through us. And please know that the darker the place, the brighter His light shines!

Do we really believe that God can work in Ukraine in the midst of that horrible war? Whether we believe it or not, YES, He is! 

What a privilege to have my good friend, Paul Thyren with us today. Paul has worked with and will introduce, Ukraine Missionary Tanya Bura.

The bottom line is that God is working…everywhere, even in those places that seem dead to the gospel! He’s working in Ukraine! He’s working around the world in places like Iran and China! He’s working here! 

By His grace let’s partner with Him and do our part by praying, sharing the gospel and supporting those in places where we can’t go!