Breakthrough Under Fire: Paying the Price to Bring Liberty to the Nations
As the world celebrates the 80th anniversary of D-Day and honors the veterans who fought and died to protect our freedom, I believe the Church can learn some lessons that will help us fulfill our ultimate mission of bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations! Most of us have experienced moments when it seemed all the powers of the enemy had been unleashed against us. In those moments when we feel “pinned down”, we have choices to make and these choices matter for us and for those we’re called to reach! The courageous soldiers of D-Day teach us the only way to victory is forward! If this natural army could breakthrough under fire and help bring liberty to the Western world, how much more can we who are empowered by the Spirit and authorized to preach the Gospel in His name be assured of success as we go forth to liberate the captives?
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14
On June 6, 1944 allied forces unleashed their combined military power onto the shores of Normandy with a resolve to expel Hitler’s hostile forces and restore liberty to the people of France and Western Europe. As the landing craft doors swung open, and men scrambled ashore under horrific enemy fire, they knew the freedom of the world and their very lives depended upon the success of their mission.
As I ponder the task of world evangelism and the many challenges facing today’s missionaries, I can’t help but see the parallel with the events of the historic D-Day invasion. Like these heroic solders, missionaries have left their native soil in obedience to God’s call to bring the liberating Gospel to distant lands. Their mission is equally important, and though the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, the enemy fire is just as real.
“...though the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, the enemy fire is just as real!”
Relatively speaking, it didn’t take long for U.S., British, Canadian, and French troops to land and establish toe-holds on Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches. Landing was one thing, but staying alive, driving back the enemy, and seizing ultimate victory was another! Though surprised by the attack, Hitler’s troops weren’t about to easily concede defeat! They were determined to do everything in their power to crush the Allies on the beach. If they could hold them to the beaches and keep them from breaking through, Operation Overlord could be turned into a fiasco!
The same is true for the missionary or any other believer endeavoring to fulfill his/her God-given assignment. If the enemy fails in his attempts to keep workers from reaching the field, you can be assured that his next course of action is to make sure those who make it ashore remain pinned down on the beaches. He’ll throw everything he can at them to keep them from a breakthrough!
“Too many good workers leave the field pre-maturely because they lack the necessary resources or the necessary resolve to continue the fight.”
Landing on the mission field or beginning to follow God’s plan is one thing. Staying fresh and alive spiritually, pushing through the enemy lines, and truly accomplishing our mission of making disciples of all nations is another! The list of missionary casualties is staggering. Too many good workers leave the field pre-maturely because they lack the necessary resources or the necessary resolve to continue the fight.
The brave men who made it to shore in the early hours of D-Day knew the price they’d have to pay for victory and were well award of the gargantuan task of breaching Hitler’s ominous Atlantic Wall which lay before them. The air above them was filled with screaming bullets and searing shrapnel, each a messenger of imminent destruction. The ground beneath them reverberated with each blast of enemy artillery and mortar fire, reminding them that the war was no longer the distant struggle that they’d been training for. There were there! They were the ones making history now and the hopes of the civilized world rested upon their shoulders! They had to choose: hunker down and likely die on the beach; evacuate with the job undone, leaving their fallen comrades to have made the ultimate sacrifice in vain; or…the only real option…breakthrough under fire!
We all know what they chose! These brave men to whom we owe our liberty mustered their courage; rallied their brothers in arms and with skill, precision, and united effort broke through enemy lines! Victory was won…though at no small price! As the sun was setting on June 6, 1944, the hopes of the world were simultaneously rising as to the outcome of the war. The great army had made it off the beaches and would begin heading inland. Though a long struggle still lay ahead, it was the beginning of the end for Hitler’s Third Reich.
We know that the outcome for the case of world evangelism will meet with no lesser victory. Jesus said the gates of hell will not prevail against His church! The victory, however, will not be won without a price. It cannot be won without the tenacious resolve of individual missionaries and the adequate supply of resources provided by every joint of Christ’s Body.
Ken & Tonja Taylor - nations180 Founders/Directors
Nations180 is a 501 (c) (3) charitable organisation with a vision to:
Facilitate church planting movements
Establish ministry training centers
Provide faith-building publications and media
For the 34 nations and 11 territories of the French-speaking world.