(2 of 3) Shifting a 95% Muslim Nation
The Second of Three Reasons for my Journey to The Gambia...
TLDR: I found out the OIC was coming to The Gambia
On the morning of my third day in The Gambia, the director of the ABWE Mission came by my room to greet me.
Patrick and his wife Michelle came to The Gambia a couple years ago with their three children. They began serving in ABWE’s health clinic on the northern, more remote side of the country before shifting their family to this more comfortable guesthouse seven months into their stay. Michelle runs the guesthouse ministry and Patrick serves the community in more outward facing roles.
Their unique call to serve in The Gambia started with plans to plant churches, but they quickly shifted gears once they arrived. They focused on more of a discipleship role after they realized the local body’s need for Bible-based teaching.
When Patrick told me this, my mind was quickly inundated with many probing questions, but I held my tongue. You see, before getting on a flight to The Gambia, I read about the erroneous beliefs of their Cessationist sending organization (ABWE). It must be hard to share a powerless Gospel. No signs. No wonders. No healing. No tongues. No deliverance. No prophecy. These gifts all supposedly disappeared with the last Apostles?! #Lies
It’s no wonder that—after a day of prayer and fasting—the Lord used the humble security guard to direct me into a Spirit-filled, tongue-speaking, Bible-believing Church instead. From within the colorful walls of TGM, I personally witnessed a woman set free of demonic strongholds during worship. This is normal Christianity.
Anyways, I’m not certain where this missionary family stands on this topic as our conversation did not go here, but I do know they are spiritually submitted to an organization that is proudly Cessationist. ABWE claims clearly in their Statement of Faith that “the sign gifts of prophecy, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, miracles and healing were powerful indicators in New Testament times whereby the authenticity of the gospel was established on Earth, but these gifts are not normative for today.”
That—of course—depends on where you worship. All of the items lists as “not normative for today” are seen daily in the ministries I work with back home (Luke 4:18 Ministries and Simka Foundation) and are regularly on open display at many Spirit-filled congregations. In fact, if you’re going to a Church where these things are not normal, it may be time for you to explore #NormalChristianity.
As Patrick and I spoke in the shade of a screened in porch, he mentioned something that caused all the hair to stand up on my body. The OIC (the largest gathering of Islamic leaders anywhere in the world) was scheduled to arrive in The Gambia soon.
The exact timing of the event was unclear, as it was supposedly happening in 2022 but was delayed until 2023 due to delays in proper infrastructure. Would it take place while I was in this country?
My mind began to race with ideas about what this might mean. While the details were fuzzy at best, the clear understanding was that this meeting of the minds would eventually happen. And, importantly, God sent me here in advance to prepare this nation for the spiritual onslaught of this religious regime.
It became immediately apparent that this was the second of the three reasons (2 of 3) why God called me to The Gambia, The Gambia, The Gambia.
Yesterday, the the first reason (1 of 3) was revealed and today the second purpose of my journey became clear-ish.
As I went to bed with thoughts of the OIC racing through my mind, it suddenly made sense why I had such an intense fever the first night in this tiny nation. I was coming toe-to-toe with a massive principality.
Combating this principality would, undoubtedly, require prayer. And yet, I know the Lord is faithful and, since He is the One who called me here, He would reveal the strategy! How will the Lord take down this cosmic force? How can He use my submission to shift the outcome of this global gathering? Only time will tell.
One thing is certain, no weapon formed by the OIC in this land will prevail.
NOTE: After several weeks of praying about the OIC, a strategy began to emerge. God is going to use this once-in-a-lifetime event for The Gambia to shift an entire nation. Check out this update about OIC Gambia to discover how you can be a part of the transformation!