Viewed with natural eyes, 2021 looks like it will be another year of decay, desperation and degradation. The USA, once the symbol of democracy, stability and integrity, seems to be crumbling before our eyes and we don’t know what the fallout will be. The coronavirus continues to spread and mutate. Travel plans fall apart. People are isolated from those they love.
Things look dark, but that’s exactly how things looked when Jesus came on the scene in Israel. The Romans ruled the Jews with an iron hand. More and more Jews were becoming secular. Spiritual enthusiasm was growing cold. People were struggling.
Yet the Bible says that situation was “the fullness of time”. That is, things were just right for Jesus to come into our world and shine his light into our darkness.
As we head into 2021 I encourage you to close your natural eyes and open your spiritual eyes. See the coming year with a perspective of hope and expectation. Yes, things may be tough in many ways, but people are ready to encounter Christ. They are looking for the hope and grace he brings. They are ready for meaningful spiritual conversations with the Christians in their lives.
That’s why I love the shift God brought into AFCI–Australia several years ago when we made it our focus to activate Christians as effective witnesses for Jesus in their everyday encounters with people. The greatest need in our world today is witnessing Christians, partnering with God as he reveals himself to the non-Christians in their lives.
Help us take EvangelismSHIFT to more and more churches in Australia and around the world, transforming them into witnessing communities. Help us develop Life2Life into a growing movement of witnesses who are also equipping others to be witnesses. Help us expose more and more people to LifeWorks as a resource to lead the people in their lives to faith in Christ.
Just this week my daughter shared with me that her youth leader has used LifeWorks to walk with two of her friends into a new life with Jesus. My face lit up with a huge smile as I thought of how you and I have partnered with that youth leader and with God to change those two girls lives.
If you are a regular donor, please pray about increasing your monthly gift to help us increase our ministry output. If you are not a regular donor, please consider joining our financial support team. Regular donations are our biggest need right now to cover our operating costs.
If you have significant funds and feel that God may want you to make a larger contribution to this ministry, please contact our office. I would love to meet with you and share some of our current projects.
You can simply go to www.afci.com.au/donate.
May God bless you as you join us in accelerating the spread of the gospel in our world!
John, for the AFCI–Australia team
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