Busting Down Hell’s Gates

For the last few days I have been walking around the ship singing an old Sunday school favourite:

I will build my church (echo)
And the gates of hell (echo)
Will not prevail (echo)
Against it.

The Africa Mercy, Mercyship’s flag ship, currently serving in Sierra Leone, has been absolutely buzzing for the last month or so. In preparation for packing and moving to Togo in December, all the various departments, including mine are trying to finish what needs to be done before we leave. 
Part of the international leadership was recently on the ship and during their time here we had a mini conference aimed at planning and developing the programs strategy. It was really exciting for me to get a glimpse of the direction that we will be heading in over the next few years and to identify where I fit in. During the conference we had a time of prayer. We were given a picture of the ship as a giant battering ram (much to the dismay of Captain Tim) being swung into huge steel gates. With it was the verse: ‘I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’ (Mat 16:18)

God has not given us a spirit of fear^{Rom 8:15}
A ‘’baby’ song taught and forgotten in between the excitement and fun, and sometimes excruciatingly boringness of Sunday school. This foundational verse does not talk about us huddled in a fortress as Hell has it’s way outside. NO! WRONG WAY AROUND!!! It talks about the Church forcefully^{Mat 11:12} and courageously moving forward against Hell in Power, Love, and Self Control^{2Ti 1:7} and not being stopped. Our God is greater^{1Jn 4:4} and the battle has already been won.^{1Cor 15:55}


The Tip of a Spear, One of Many
Mercy Ships is like a cohorts of spears being brought against the enemy. The people on the ship are merely the tips of spears being thrust by their various support structures at home. Just like a battering ram is only one part of a good attack, there are many other Christian organisations working in Sierra Leone. All working together, often without even realising it, following the Lords plans to further the Kingdom of God. 
This drives home the fact that I am not here as a stand alone person, but rather as an extension of the Body of Christ back home.