Our God is the God of open doors and making the impossible possible! We have a phrase in Christian circles: “Closed Nations”, or “Hard Ground”. I don’t think God uses those terms. He might use “Unreached”, signifying that none of His children has gone there yet to reach them with the Powerful Gospel, but I don’t think our Lord classifies anywhere as closed or even hard. We make places hard with our unbelief, doubt, fear, impatience etc. but nothing, nowhere and nobody is too hard for the love of God!
There is an area here in the town of Mocimboa Da Praia, which has been completely forbidden for any Christian to take the gospel into, ever. The tribe that lives there has always been 100% of another faith, and although we have tried many times to gain access into that neighbourhood to preach the gospel, we have been banned at every turn. I have lost count of the amount of times over the past 5 years that we have tried to get access into that area to preach the gospel and been denied and even threatened at every turn!
Does that mean that we give up? Do we label the area “Closed”? Do we turn our eyes to “Easier” locations and leave that place alone? Never.
We believe the Scriptures when they say that God opens every door, and we keep knocking until we are let in! We believe that although the enemy has had a stronghold in that area, and it has been his territory for hundreds of years, greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. We believe that the Father is willing that none should perish but that everyone should hear the wonderful news of our Saviour! And we keep knocking!
Last weekend, a big outreach team was organised to come up to us from Pemba to preach the gospel. I had thought to take them to a nearby village to preach, but the Spirit of God spoke to me and said, “Now is the time of salvation for that neighbourhood. Organise to preach in that place and you will be granted access this time.”
We were so excited, and took our documents to the government… again… requesting permission to preach the gospel in there. Again we were met with resistance. We were subtly threatened. They tried to intimidate us. They tried to block us. But, we had the Word of the Lord and faith in His power to open closed doors and we persisted with love, and the walls of resistance came crumbling down in front of us! We were finally, reluctantly, granted access. Our documents were stamped and signed finally after 5 years! Those who don’t give up always see the victory in the end because our God is the Overcomer!
We set up our sound system and preached the gospel. We were met with many obstacles along the way. Our sound system kept breaking down for no reason. Groups in the crowd rose up and began agitating the crowd, chanting their war cry and circling us, throwing dust up at us. We kept showing love, preaching and praying in the Spirit. The enemy did not want to give up his ground, but we took it from him by the force of God’s love and power and slowly, people responded! Many people came secretly to us and took our phone numbers so they could learn more about Jesus at another time. People came up for prayer. Others gave their hearts to Jesus!
The next morning, the Chief of that neighbourhood came to our house and we prayed for him and gave him a solar Bible in his mother tongue. He had formerly been one of our greatest oppressors! This was a huge miracle! Others came as well and people started phoning us.
The following day, being Sunday, a group of people from that neighbourhood came to our church, deciding to make Jesus their Lord! What incredible breakthrough!
Nowhere is “Closed” to the Lord! It is only “Waiting for Liberation” from the enemy! The Spirit of the Lord is upon us to proclaim liberty to the captives! And when we march forward with persistence in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and for His glory, we will beat any resistance! He loves those who are sitting in darkness, and He is asking, “Whom shall we send, and who will go for us?”
My response is, “Here am I Lord, send me!”