Egypt #2: Solid Rock
Solid Rock
For the team, by Steve Burgess
West Hills Church, Omaha, NE
We visited 4 churches today, reconnecting with 3 churches I had visited before. Worshipping with them is like getting a glimpse into the Kingdom of Heaven. Even though I did not know all of the songs, somehow it did not seem necessary. Watching the faces of the congregation told me all I needed to know about the words. By the expressions on their faces, and the raised hands, I could tell they were deep in praise and worship. And that was all I needed to find myself in the same place with them – our God is an awesome God! I found myself humming along and praising God.
After the worship service at the 6 October Church, we were taken to the sites of two of their new church plants. The growth of churches, both in the number of people and in new buildings is nothing short of astonishing. This is an amazing time in the modern history of the church in Egypt. As the population grows, so too does the number of believers. And the government is in full support of this growth, to the point where the church is given land for free.
The first new church site we visited actually had some of the concrete floors poured. And the second site we visited had nothing but the deep foundations poured. As we looked into the holes in the sand, we could see that the concrete footings to support the columns and the walls had been poured. We picked up handfuls of sand and prayed for the building and the advancement of God’s Kingdom that these foundations promised.
Standing there in the sand and looking at the new foundations was such an incredibly visceral experience, that I found the words of the old hymn “On Christ, the Solid Rock I Stand” running through my mind.
On Christ, the Solid Rock I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.
It always amazes me that sometimes the best way of being reminded of God’s redemption and love is to travel outside of what is familiar to me. To visit brothers and sisters in a different land and realize that we share the most important truth that exists in this world, regardless of the country, the culture, or the period in time, is the ultimate encouragement. Indeed, to hope in anything less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness is folly.
