Behold!
Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
Isaiah 43:19
When Nicky and I (Jon Beardon) felt the Lord begin to speak to us from Isaiah 43 last year - and through that about a move West - one thing that came to us was a responsibility to bring this question before people in Relational Mission. The Lord is asking us to behold – to look, gaze and contemplate. He is asking us to perceive – this takes a bit of focus and determination. You have to stop. Look. And listen. He is asking us to answer Him as to whether we can see it or not.
Of course, the ‘new thing’ that the Lord is doing is ultimately and most gloriously found in the gospel of the Lord Jesus. His coming, His ministry, His death and resurrection and His ascension are the glorious heart of the new thing the Lord wants all flesh to see and perceive. Yet it takes the miraculous power of the Saviour to enable blind and deaf ones to have their senses restored to life that they might see and hear and correctly recognise their only Saviour.
The gospel teaches us from the start to allow the Spirit to enable us to be sensitive and alert, and thereby to perceive and to behold the new things that the Lord is always bringing into being for His people. This is the Spirit-filled life. This is walking by faith.
Do you see it? Can you perceive it?
God is doing new things. He is doing them everywhere. He is doing them with Relational Mission, with your church, with your household and with you. Make sure you hear His command – ‘behold!’ - and then answer His question – ‘do you not perceive it?’.
I have had the privilege recently of sharing about RM’s The Call Campaign as well as the Go West Initiative in several UK churches over recent weeks and I have noticed a few things:
February 2024: Men and women gather for a weekend of prayer in Bath for the Go West initiative
There are a surprising number of people in UK churches who are living with a whispered sense of calling to play a part in mission into all the nations that make up the United Kingdom.
By speaking publicly about initiatives beyond the East of England, such as the Go West Initiative and London Calling, we are giving people in the UK permission to voice their call, and ask questions about how to recognise a call. That in turn creates the opportunity to see what the Lord is doing among us and where He might particularly be drawing our attention to, and then how we should pray.
There are a surprising number of people in our churches who are living with a whispered sense of calling to play a part in mission into many nations
By drawing attention to the global scope of the work that the Lord is leading us into - for example, The Pacific Rim conference - people have begun to get in contact to let us know about how He is leading them. There are more and more doors opening at this time, so don’t assume nothing is happening in a certain place, just because you have not heard about it.
What have you beheld?
If you are one of these people wondering if you might be called to pioneering mission in a new place, here’s some suggestions for next steps:
Raise it with your local elders.
Visit www.thecall.world, where you can find out what is happening currently, how you can explore a call, grow so you can go, and also give to support what we are doing through praying and giving.
Finally, you can also send us a message at thecall@relationalmission.com and one of the team will get back to you and try and help you find someone to assist you.