Faith Fighters For Christ

Christian Martial Arts Ministry

You Are Not Alone

We have received e-mail from Christian martial artists literally from around the world who feel very alone. Some are in secular martial arts schools, either with the traditional religions, with secular humanism, or they left their instructors because they felt there were contradictions with their faith. Some have ministries in churches and others have Christian schools with no support systems for their faith and their art. There are many whose churches refuse to accept the call that God has placed upon their lives leaving them feeling under attack by their own brothers and sisters in Christ. We felt impressed to write this devotional for you. May it be pleasing in the sight of the Lord and comforting and encouraging to you.

Elijah was running from Jezebel when she found out that he had all of the prophets of Baal killed. His life was in danger. He knew she meant every word of her threat to kill him like he did her prophets. God sustained him as he went from Mount Carmel to Mount Horeb, a 41-day journey. An angel fed him. He was totally dependent upon God to keep him going and spare his life.

During this time, God invited Elijah to pour his heart out to Him twice. Elijah bemoaned the sins of Israel, their killing of God's prophets, and that he was the only one left with his life on the line. The second time, God commanded him to anoint two kings and a prophet. He also informed Elijah that He kept 7,000 of His prophets who never gave in to the Baal worship.

Elijah felt so alone, but he never was. First, God was with him. Second, there were others like Elijah that he didn't even know about, but God did. Even when it seems that we as Christian martial artists are alone, we can know that God is with us, accomplishing His plan through us and others like ourselves, building His Kingdom.

There are many times loneliness plagues us. It seems that no one understands how in the world we can be Christians and martial artists, too. Not just our brothers and sisters in Christ, but non-Christian martial artists either look at us totally bewildered or respond with hostile remarks that hurt us, causing confusion about our call. Don and I have been very hotly "rebuked" by brothers in Christ who thought that we are practicing a foreign religion by being in martial arts. What terrible backsliders they believed we were, implying that we were anything but Christian. Traditional martial artists have also told us that we have corrupted the arts because they are part and parcel with Zen and Taoism. Both had the same base arguement, but from opposite viewpoints! Some of our friends who also are martial artists have encountered the same problem. We must rely totally on our faith in Christ to take us through these rough times. He even brings people across our path to help point us back toward Him like the sustenance that the angel brought to Elijah. Dark, arid valleys are inevitable. But in these times of loneliness, we can know that God is there with us through His Holy Spirit to comfort, strengthen, and encourage us.

We are missionaries in a relatively new, but fast-growing area of ministry. Have you ever considered yourself in this light? Many missionaries who come back on furlough to share with churches what God is doing in their mission. Listen to them some time. They, too, find themselves feeling totally alone and even in danger, at times. A former pastor of ours and his family were in St. Vincent as missionaries. There were times when they felt lonely, but thankfully they were able to get together every so often to pray, study, and fellowship together. This sustained them during the times alone. During this mission, they built a church and a large number of people there came to know Christ and serve Him in that church. When they came home, their mission for the Lord had been accomplished because the nationals could continue the work. But on the other side of the coin, a missionary couple sent to Zaire had to leave their mission fleeing for their lives. God had brought a mission team from Don's mother's church one summer. They built an airstrip for the airplane that brought medicine and other supplies to be able to land safely. Little did these people know at that time, the Lord would use that airstrip to be the means of sparing their lives and the lives of several other missionaries from rebel and national soldiers. They have not been able to go back permanently, but they did get to go back for short bits. They found that the people to whom they ministered had kept their house, farm, school, and nursing station intact with the people continuing the ministry they had to leave. These people had the hopes the missionaries would be able to come back to stay. But maybe it was time for separation so the national Christians would rely on God instead. We began a new class and closed down the one we had in Findlay, much to our heartache. After we closed down the Findlay class and began another round of advertisements in our new location, we began to get several families into the class. Before that, there was little success in reaching more people. We don't know what plan God has but we are watching to see what He will do. We just had to let go of our former students and the area to be obedient to Him. We continue the ministry our former instructor brought us into and our students who continue in martial arts will branch out the ministry as well. What a beautiful Christian family branch in a very large family tree! Whatever ministry you are involved in with martial arts, you have the Great Commission to fulfill, bringing people to Christ and training them to serve Him, which will branch out through those to whom you minister.

God strategically places His people where He wants them in order to build His Kingdom. I was impressed in Bible school about the network God had set up in Esther's time from around 515 to 423BC. God had placed Esther as Queen to King Xerxes in Persia, then put Nehemiah as cupbearer to Artaxerxes, the stepson of Esther, to have Israel rebuild the wall of Jerusalem with the King's blessing. He also placed Ezra in Persia under King Cyrus to have Israel rebuild the Temple. Malachi prophesied also in Persia to Israel against their corrupt practices that continued even though the exiles were free to go home. On the grand scale, the Roman Republic had begun to build up into a powerful nation. Socrates (469 BC), Plato (428 BC), and Aristotle (384) influenced the minds of the people of the time and still do today. God was working to protect His remnant and lead up to the Messiah yet to come. It seems like such a small group in a small geographical area made such a big difference. But it was by God's design and His working through willing people. Then He fell silent until John the Baptist came along 400 years after Malachi.(New Open Bible Timeline p.1354) Since you are reading this, you have discovered that there are others ministering through martial arts. If you check the Links Page, there are several others as well. Some Christians have schools of their own, some have classes in churches, some are students in secular schools, then some have left and practice their arts alone or with a friend. There are Christian martial arts associations like Koininia Fellowship of Christian Martial Artists (we are their Northeastern U.S. regional representatives). Some of these minister on the Internet, others minister through their advertisements in secular magazines, yet others minister through tournament circuits, but all of them are there to support Christian martial artists in various ways so martial arts ministry flourishes all over the world. Many individuals and associations network together to form a supportive net that helps provide materials, ideas, encouragement, prayer support, and training. You are a very important part of God's plan to go make disciples, while providing support to yet others like yourself. Someday someone will be able to look back at all of us and see how things were worked together during our time and give praise to the Lord.

Stay rooted and grounded in your faith in Christ. You will succeed in all that you do for Him. May the Lord bless you as you minister where He has placed you. May the Lord strengthen you with His mighty hand. Remember, you are not alone.

copyrighted 2000 Charlaine Engelhardt all rights reserved