The world has changed so much since January when we were boldly making plans for 2020. The coronavirus,
and its accompanying repercussions around the world, has forced us all to pause. I know you might be experiencing anxiety and fear. At some moments I feel the same way. But I continue to remind myself that even if I didn’t know about this virus in January, God certainly did and I know that He still has a plan!
The first thing I want to do is share a message of hope. As followers of Christ, we have a surety and confidence for today and eternity. You can surrender all that anxiety and fear to a God who is still sovereign over the world in which we live. I want to encourage every one of you to not lose hope in the face of such uncertain circumstances. 2nd Timothy 1:7 tells us that “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” That truth does not depend on conditions in the world because it is an eternal truth.
I also want to encourage you and remind you that we are stewards of the Gospel. This is a moment in ti
me for us, as the people of God, to step up and shine a light into the darkeness that is all around us. We have the incredible privilege of being a source of hope for people who a
re searching for answers. You can share that hope today with your neighbour, your co-worker, or someone else in your life who is struggling.
My heart goes out to all Canadians who are feeling overwhelmed by the state of our society today. Our team at MPI has, like most other businesses, churches and ministries, is working from home and practicing social distancing. However, despite the fact that the world around us is changing hour by hour, our determination to forge ahead remains strong. We are choosing to be a beacon of faith and a light of hope both here in North America and in the countries of Ukraine and Belarus.
I have great concern for people in these countries. I know that their health care system is ill-equipped to handle a health care crisis of this magnitude. The lack of cases reported there is not a good representation of people infected. It means they do not have the ability to carry out proper testing. There are thousands sick with “pneumonia.” I also know that many people are living in extreme poverty and will struggle greatly to get the supplies like food and cleaning products that they need to stay home and stay healthy.
WE WILL be doing something. I am allocating as many resources as we can spare to help in this crisis. We want to make supplies available like emergency food, soap and other hygeine items as well as encouraging scripture based messages. I feel that this is the least we can do, even in a time when we personally and as a ministry are facing an uncertain financial future.
I know that many of you may have personal economic concerns at this time. I want you to know that we care about you. I want you to first take care of your own family. However, I want to also encourage you to continue charitable giving where you are able as these will be challenging times for your local church and the other charities you support. If you have the ability to continue giving, you will be helping the church of God to continue being a source of hope in this troubled world.
God bless you all. We are praying for you and your families. Most of all, stay healthy and be encouraged!
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