Tag: revival

church growth, evangelism, revival , ,

Reaching the Core of the Core, by Luis Bush

by Geoff 22 July 2011 No Comments

Reaching the Core of the Core

by Luis Bush

 

 

Dr Luis Bush, International Director of the AD 2000 & Beyond Movement writes on evangelism among unreached people groups.

 

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Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism
https://renewaljournal.com/2011/07/22/evangelism/

 ___________________________________________________

If we are faithful to the Scriptures,

obedient to the mandate of Christ,

and unwavering in our commitment to plant churches

within every people and city,

then we will get to the core of the core

‑ The 10/40 Window.

___________________________________________________

The core of the unreached people of our world live in a rectangular‑shaped window!  Often called “The Resistant Belt,” the window extends from West Africa to East Asia, from ten degrees north to forty degrees north of the equator.  This specific region, which has increasingly become known as The 10/40 Window, encompasses the majority of the world’s Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists ‑ billions of spiritually impoverished souls.

As we approach the end of this millennium, it is imperative that our evangelistic efforts be focused among the people who inhabit The 10/40 Window.  If we are serious in our commitment to provide a valid opportunity for every person to experience the truth and saving power of Jesus Christ, we cannot ignore the compelling realities within this region.

The 10/40 Window confronts us with several important considerations:

first, the historical and biblical significance;

second, the least evangelized countries;

third, the dominance of three religious blocs;

fourth, the preponderance of the poor;

fifth, the unreached ethnolinguistic people groups;

sixth, the least evangelized megacities; and,

seventh, the strongholds of Satan within The 10/40 Window.

1.  The historical and biblical significance

The first and most fundamental reason why committed Christians must focus on The 10/40 Window is because of the biblical and historical significance of this area.  Indeed, the Bible begins with the account of Adam and Eve placed by God in the heart of what is now The 10/40 Window.

God’s plan, expressed in Genesis 1:26, was that mankind should have dominion over the earth, subduing it fully.  However, Adam and Eve sinned against God and forfeited their right to rule.

Mankind’s sinful behaviour increased until God intervened and judged the earth with a cataclysmic flood.  Then came mankind’s futile attempt to establish new dominion in the building of the great Tower of Babel.  That effort, which also occurred in the heart of The 10/40 Window, was an open defiance against God.  Once again, God reached forth his hand in judgment.  The result was the introduction of different languages, the scattering of earth’s people, and the formation of the nations.

In The 10/40 Window we can see clearly the crucial truth expressed in Graham Scroggie’s book The Drama of World Redemption: “A World having turned from God, He left it and chose a man through whom He would ultimately by Christ reach the world.” Certainly we can see how ancient history ran its course in the territory marked by The 10/40 Window, from the cradle of civilization in Mesopotamia across the fertile crescent to Egypt.  Empires rose and fell.  The fate of God’s people Israel varied in relation to their obedience to his covenant.  It was here that Christ was born, lived a perfect life, died sacrificially on the cross, and rose triumphant over death.  The church age was ushered in, and it was not until the second missionary journey of the Apostle Paul that events of biblical history occurred outside The 10/40 Window.  Without question, this is an area of great biblical and historical significance.

2.  The least evangelized countries

The second reason why committed Christians should focus on The 10/40 Window is because it is  home to the majority of the world’s unevangelized people.  The “unevangelized” are people who have a minimal knowledge of the gospel, but have no valid opportunity to respond to it.

While it constitutes only one‑third of earth’s total land area, nearly two‑thirds of the world’s people reside in The 10/40 Window.  With a total population nearing four billion, The 10/40 Window  includes 61 countries, both sovereign states and nonsovereign dependencies.  Those countries with the majority of their land mass lying within the boundaries of The 10/40 Window are included.

Of the world’s 50 least evangelized countries, 37 are within The 10/40 Window.  Yet those 37 countries comprise 95% of the total population of the 50 least evangelized countries! Such a fact leaves no doubt that our challenge in reaching the unreached must centre on the core ‑ The 10/40 Window.

If we take seriously the mandate to preach the gospel to every person, to make disciples of all peoples, and to be Christ’s witnesses to the uttermost part of the earth, we must recognize the priority of concentrating our efforts on The 10/40 Window.  No other area is so blatantly in need of the truth that salvation is only in Jesus Christ.

3.  The dominance of three religious blocs

A third reason we must focus on The 10/40 Window is evident in the fact that it contains three of the world’s dominant religious blocs.  The majority of those enslaved by Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism live within The 10/40 Window.

Viewing the map from left to right the Muslim world can be seen most prominently in a wide band across the north of Africa into the Middle East, a bloc representing over 700 million persons.  In the middle of the map, overshadowing the subcontinent of India is the presence of Hinduism, also constituting a population of more than 700 million.  On the right side of the map is the Buddhist world, encompassing the whole of China.

From its centre in The 10/40 Window, Islam is reaching out energetically to all parts of the globe;  in similar strategy, we must penetrate the heart of Islam with the liberating truth of the gospel.  We must do all in our power to show Muslims that the highest prophet described in the Koran is not Mohammed, but Jesus Christ.  And that He is not only the greatest prophet, but the Son of God Himself who died and resurrected in order that millions of Muslims may be saved.

Overwhelmed with poverty and ravaged by disease, India is victimized even more severely by the spiritual blindness of Hinduism.  To a nation in which fattened cows roam freely among emaciated humans, we must proclaim the truth that Jesus came to give us life, and give it abundantly.

Although officially an atheistic country since the Marxist revolution of the late 1940s, China is nevertheless influenced deeply by its Buddhist roots.  Some scholars, in fact, consider China’s true religion to be a combination of atheism and Buddhism.  In actuality, religion in China is a hodgepodge which includes folklore, mysticism, animism, and occult practices.  Regardless of how one may assess the situation, the fact remains that 1.2 billion Chinese are in desperate need of Jesus Christ.  They represent the largest identifiable block in The 10/40 Window.

4.  The preponderance of the poor

A fourth reason we must focus on The 10/40 Window is because the poor are there.  Of the poorest of the poor, more than eight out of ten live in The 10/40 Window.  On average, they exist on less than $500 per person per year.  Although 2.4 billion of these people live within The 10/40 Window, only 8% of all missionaries work among them.

Bryant L. Myers, in his perceptive article entitled, “Where Are the Poor and Lost?”, states that “the poor are the lost, and the lost are the poor.” He arrived at this conclusion after illustrating that the majority of the unreached live in the poorest countries of the world.

When Christians from 170 countries gathered at Lausanne II in Manila in 1989, great concern was expressed for the materially poor.  In the second section of the Manila Manifesto, that concern was recorded in the following declaration: “We have again been confronted with Luke’s emphasis that the gospel is the good news for the poor (Luke 4:18; 6:20; 7:22) and have asked ourselves what this means to the majority of the world’s population who are destitute, suffering, and oppressed.  We have been reminded that the law, the prophets, the wisdom books, and the teaching and ministry of Jesus all stress God’s concern for the materially poor and our consequent duty to defend and care for them.”

Committed Christians cannot ignore the reality that there is a remarkable overlap between the poorest countries of the world and those which are the least evangelized.

5.  The unreached ethno-linguistic people groups

The fifth reason we must address our concerns on The 10/40 Window is because it contains the largest spiritually bankrupt ethno-linguistic mega-peoples (over one million).  In fact, over 90% of the individuals in these people groups live in The 10/40 Window.

6.  The least evangelized megacities

The sixth major reason we must focus on The 10/40 Window is because it contains the overwhelming majority of the world’s least evangelized megacities ‑ that is, those with a population of more than one million.  Of the top 50 cities on this list, all 50 cities are in The 10/40 Window!  This fact alone underscores the need for prioritizing our efforts to reach each of these great metroplexes with Christ’s love and truth.

7.  The strongholds of Satan

Reason number seven for focusing on The 10/40 Window is that it includes numerous strongholds of Satan.  The billions of people who live in The 10/40 Window have suffered not only the ravages of poverty and disease, they have also been kept from the transforming power of the gospel.  The are poignant examples of the truth expressed in 2 Corinthians 4:4, which states that “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

We must not view this situation with a fatalistic attitude, for we have been granted power to intervene.  In a later passage of the same letter, the Apostle Paul declares: “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world.  On the contrary, the have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3‑4).  Although Satan has established a territorial stronghold in The 10/40 Window, we must not concede one parcel of land nor one person.  The gospel must advance!

Looking back across the pages of history we discover a heartening story about spiritual warfare in the writings of the prophet Daniel.  A fervent man of prayer, Daniel was highly esteemed by God and by the people of his generation.

On one occasion, while waiting on God in prayer, Daniel fasted on bread and water for three weeks.  Finally, a majestic angel whose appearance was as lighting brought an answer to his prayer.  He assured Daniel with the promise that “…your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words” (Daniel 10:12).  However, the angel then went on to explain how, en route to answer Daniel’s prayer, he was detained for 21 days by the demon assigned to the Persian king (Daniel 10:13).  It was only when the archangel Michael arrived to help that he was able to free himself from the battle to go to Daniel.

This fascinating passage unveils the reality and territorial nature of the spiritual battle in the heavenlies.  The angel who visited Daniel announced that he would have to return to the battle over the Persian kingdom.  Apparently, that battle still rages, for ancient Persia is now modern‑day Iran.  Still a stronghold zealously held by Satan, Iran is situated at the centre of the The 10/40 Window.

George Otis, Jr., has concluded that two powerful demonic forces, with great biblical significance, stand at the epicenter of the unreached world ‑ the prince of Persia (Iran) and the spirit of Babylon (Iraq) ‑ and both must be penetrated with the gospel before the Great Commission can be completed.  Otis observes that this will occur in the region of the Garden of Eden, where the command to “subdue the earth” was originally given.

It is evident that the forces of Satan have great power and will resist all attempts to be overcome.  If we are to storm the enemy’s territory, we must put on the full armour of God and fight with the weapons of spiritual warfare described in Ephesians 6.  To depend on anything less is utter foolishness.

The focus of the concerned Christian community 200 years ago was for the coastlands of the world.  A century later, the success of the coastlands effort motivated a new generation to reach the interior regions of the continents.  Within the past decades, the success of the inland thrust has led to a major focus on people groups.  More recently, the world’s burgeoning megacities have also become focal points of concern.  Today, rapidly approaching the third millennium since Christ, we are wise to concentrate our efforts on The 10/40 Window.

Of course, this calls for some of us to reevaluate priorities.  We must find the most innovative ways to reach billions of people within The 10/40 Window with the love and truth of Jesus Christ.  We must mobilize for a massive prayer focus on The 10/40 Window with the body of Christ worldwide.

However, it must be clearly understood that concentration on The 10/40 Window does not mean a curtailing of Christ’s work going on elsewhere around the globe.  Missionary endeavours, in evangelism, training, relief, development, church planting, and mobilization for cross cultural missions should go on unhindered.

If we are faithful to the Scriptures, obedient to the mandate of Christ, and unwavering in our commitment to plant churches within every people and city, then we will get to the core of the core  ‑ The 10/40 Window.  May God grant each of us boldness and wisdom and energy to do our part in taking on this great and eternally significant challenge.

By all means, get involved!

This article was written by Louis Bush, International Director of the AD 2000 & Beyond Movement.

 

© Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism, 1997, 2nd edition 2011.
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright intact with the text.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)

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Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism
https://renewaljournal.com/2011/07/22/evangelism/
Renewal Journals:  https://renewaljournal.com/renewal-journals/

Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism

Power Evangelism, by John Wimber

Supernatural Ministry, by John White

Power Evangelism in Short-Term Missions, by Randy Clark

God’s Awesome Presence, by R Heard

Evangelist Steve Hill, by Sharon Wissemann

Reaching the Core of the Core, by Luis Bush

Evangelism on the Internet, by Rowland Croucher

“My Resume” by Paul Grant

Gospel Essentials, by Charles Taylor

Pentecostal/Charismatic Pioneers, by Daryl Brenton

Characteristics of Revivals, by Richard Riss

Book Reviews: Flashpoints of Revival & Revival Fires, by Geoff Waugh

Contents of all Renewal Journals

Amazon – Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism

Amazon – all journals and books

Link to all Renewal Journals

All Renewal Journal Topics

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

BACK TO MAIN PAGE

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evangelism, revival ,

Evangelist Steve Hill, by Sharon Wissemann

by Geoff 22 July 2011 2 Comments

Evangelist Steve Hill

Steve Hill

Sharon Wissemann wrote this article on Pensacola Evangelist Steve Hill  in her Diploma of Ministry studies at the School of Ministries of Christian Heritage College in Brisbane, Australia.

 __________________________________________________

Stephen Hill has remained ‘holy, humble and hungry’,

enabling God to entrust him with powerful leadership in revival.

___________________________________________________

Since Sunday 18th June, 1995 hundreds of thousands of lives have been changed as a direct result of the Pensacola Revival in Florida, USA.  The spark that ignited the revival was an evangelist named Steve Hill.

Born Stephen Hill into an upper middle class family in January 1954 in Ankara, Turkey, Hill began to rebel at a very early age.  His life of drinking, smoking and taking other drugs began at nine years of age.  The next twelve years of his life was spent in cults, travel, hard narcotics, parties, music and jail.  Hill was arrested 13 times for car theft, narcotics trafficking and other related crimes.  His life was changed on October 28, 1975 when a Lutheran vicar led him to the Lord by simply saying the name of ‘Jesus’ over and over.  At 11 a.m. that Tuesday morning he had a dramatic conversion when the power of Jesus Christ flooded his soul.

In 1977 Hill entered the Twin Oaks Academy, a leadership training institute in Texas founded by David Wilkerson.  At the Academy he was taught prayer by Leonard Ravenhill and evangelism by Nicky Cruz and through personal experience.  He met his wife, Jeri at the Academy.  After graduating from the school, he entered into church ministry.  God called Hill to the mission field when he took a group of young people to Mexico.

In Argentina that Hill first saw Carlos Annacondia minister to tens of thousands of people.  In his first Annacondia meeting out in the middle of a soccer field he witnessed fifteen to twenty thousand people ‘craving God’.  Although he always had the desire for evangelism, Hill believes that he received the evangelistic anointing from Annacondia, who has lead over two million people to Jesus, when he laid hands on him.

Hill was involved in the Argentine Revival, seeing multitudes saved and healed. For seven years he helped plant seven churches in Buenos Aires and Southern Argentina during this revival.  He also planted churches and conducted church crusades in several other countries such as Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Spain, Russia and Belarus.

As well as from planting churches in various countries, Stephen Hill has been involved ministries such as Teen Challenge, street evangelism, counselling, youth conferences and crusades.  He has helped to establish drug rehabilitation centres in several areas around the world.

In 1995, Hill read an article in Time magazine about the move of God in an Anglican Church in London.  He arranged for a meeting at three o’clock on January 19 with Pastor Sandy Miller of the Holy Brompton Anglican Church to see what was going on.  Over 500 people were shaking and laying on the floor under the power of God when Hill arrived.  Instead of having the appointment, Hill asked Miller to lay hands on him.  He received a new impartation from Miller’s prayer.

On Father’s Day, June 18, 1995 Hill was invited by John Kilpatrick, the Pastor of Brownsville Assembly of God,  to speak at the Sunday morning service.  Kilpatrick had just lost his mother to cancer was emotionally and physically weary, so he requested his longtime friend Hill to speak in his place.  Hill issued an altar call and a thousand people responded.  Kilpatrick says that he felt the sensation of a wind blowing in the church.  Various manifestations occurred such as falling to the ground, weeping and violent shaking.  The morning service was scheduled to finish at noon but continued till 4 p.m.  Likewise the night service was extended and became a five-hour long service.  The Pensacola Revival had begun.

Congregation members asked Hill to stay a several more days.  This he did and began to cancelling appointments, including a trip to Russia.  He decided to stay and moved his family to be near the revival.  It is estimated that over 100,000 people have been saved and over 1 million people from all over the world have visited Pensacola since 1995.  Hill continues to minister in the revival services Wednesday to Saturday nights at Brownsville Assembly of God to this day.  Steve Hill is a leader in current revival.

Why did God choose Hill to start the Brownsville Revival?  There are two answers to this question.  Firstly, God is sovereign and he can choose whoever he pleases to start a revival.  Secondly, Hill possesses certain attributes that enable him to be one of God’s chosen vessels for this revival.

Characteristics

Several features of revivalists outlined in the 1795 classic Accounts of Revivals by John Gillies apply to Steve Hill.

The first feature Gillies listed was that revivalists are earnest about the ‘great work of ministry on which they had entered’.  Steve Hill is an evangelist.  His primary passion and compassion is for the salvation of the lost.  Hill’s preaching echoes the words of John the Baptist and Jesus ‘repent for the kingdom of God is at hand’ (Matt. 3:2; 4:17).

Revivalists are also men of labour.  Gillies explained that they labour for eternity knowing that ‘the time was short and the day of recompense was at hand’.  Hill is convinced of the urgency of this hour.  As an evangelist Hill’s preaching and prayers are geared towards the salvation of the lost, the backsliders and the prodigals.  It is because of his own past of crime and drug addiction that he can relate to the lost in a with insight and compassion.

Revivalists are people of ‘most decided doctrine’.  There is a ‘breadth and a power in their preaching’.  This feature applies to Hill’s preaching.  He knows the Bible and delivers his messages bluntly and directly from the Word of God.  Personally Hill would rather ‘hear the hard truth and live than to fall for a soft lie and die’.  This belief compels Hill to preach the full gospel, including the reality of hell, to people.  He preaches Christ crucified, total atonement and the Blood of Christ.  As the revivalists of old, Hill’s trumpet gives no uncertain sound.

Revivalists are also people of prayer.  Hill sets time aside to pray and sit in God’s presence to learn his instructions and his ways for each day.  Early in his Christian life Hill had been instructed in prayer by Leonard Ravenhill at the Twin Oaks Academy.

Another reason that Hill is involved in this current revival in Brownsville could be that he ‘caught the fire’ from elsewhere and was the spark that ignited the flame.  Throughout his Christian life Hill received impartations from leaders in different fields.  While at Twin Oaks he was taught by David Wilkerson, Leonard Ravenhill and Nicky Cruz.  In Argentina he ‘hung around’ Carlos Annacondia for seven years.  Hill received an impartation from Pastor Sandy Miller of the Holy Trinity Brompton Anglcian Church in London in January 1995.  Several months later, revival broke out in Pensacola.

Hunger is another contributing factor to Hill’s involvement in revival.  At the height of the great revival in Argentina, Hill experienced a personal, spiritual drought even though his devotional time was intact, his marriage was strong and new churches were being planted.  Through this time of testing by God, Hill maintained his time with the Lord during the morning hours.  This drought created a passionate desire within him to have more of God and less of himself in his ministry.  He wanted a fresh touch, a new anointing and craved intimacy with Jesus.  This personal famine produced in him an intense desire for genuine revival amongst sinners.  He wanted a ‘deep holy move of the Spirit amongst sinners’ and to see them ‘drawn to the Lord just by sensing His presence’.  Pensacola is the realization of those desires.

The Brownsville Revival is different from past revivals in history. This revival is not focussed on one particular personality, such as John Wesley or Charles Finney.  Instead it has occurred in one particular location, the Brownsville Assembly of God, Pensacola, Florida, USA, where God has chosen to pour out His Spirit.  Brownsville also illustrates the new team concept that has been prophesied about in recent years.  The team has been nicknamed as Pastor Watchful, Evangelist Street Smart, and Music Director Trendy.  God chose a team without fame or significant national acclaim to lead his revival.

Steve Hill is the evangelist in the current revival at Brownsville.  Saved radically from a life of crime and drug addiction, he has ministered in many places throughout the world.  He was the spark that ignited the Pensacola Outpouring on Father’s Day, June 18 1995, that continues to impact the globe today.  The fruit of the revival proves that Hill has been effective in his gifting and calling as an evangelist.  He is a man of earnest labour, prayer and doctrine dedicated to saving souls and bringing prodigals home.  Hill has caught the fire, ignited it and carried it successfully to this day.

Stephen Hill has remained ‘holy, humble and hungry’, enabling God to entrust him with powerful leadership in revival.

John Kilpatrick & Lindell Cooley, leaders at Brownsville AOG

© Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism, 1997, 2nd edition 2011.
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright intact with the text.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)

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Copy and share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails:
Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism
https://renewaljournal.com/2011/07/22/evangelism/
Renewal Journals:  https://renewaljournal.com/renewal-journals/

Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism

Power Evangelism, by John Wimber

Supernatural Ministry, by John White

Power Evangelism in Short-Term Missions, by Randy Clark

God’s Awesome Presence, by R Heard

Evangelist Steve Hill, by Sharon Wissemann

Reaching the Core of the Core, by Luis Bush

Evangelism on the Internet, by Rowland Croucher

“My Resume” by Paul Grant

Gospel Essentials, by Charles Taylor

Pentecostal/Charismatic Pioneers, by Daryl Brenton

Characteristics of Revivals, by Richard Riss

Book Reviews: Flashpoints of Revival & Revival Fires, by Geoff Waugh

Contents of all Renewal Journals

Amazon – Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism

Amazon – all journals and books

Free shipping worldwide from The Book Depository

Link to all Renewal Journals

All Renewal Journal Topics

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

Return to main page

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

BACK TO MAIN PAGE

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Christian ministry, Christian renewal, miracles, revival ,

Supernatural Ministry, John White Interviewed

by Geoff 22 July 2011 2 Comments

Supernatural Ministry

Dr John White interviewed

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An article in Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism

Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism – PDF

John White

Julia C. Loren, a psychotherapist and writer, interviewed Dr John White, psychiatrist and widely read evangelical author, about a theology of the supernatural.

____________________________________

 Oh I’ve come home. This is what I want.

This is what I’ve been looking for all my life.

________________________________________
 

Q.   How did you begin shifting towards a theology which included signs and wonders?

A.    An obvious case of a shift in theology was when I met John Wimber.  When I arrived at his course at Fuller Seminary (MC510: Signs and Wonders) I realized here was the Christ I was looking for all my life, the Christ who heals, the Christ who does this and it is all happening in front of my nose.  The search had been going on for much longer and I’d been having visions for much longer without knowing that I was a charismatic.  I suppose I was one then but I hadn’t entered into the fullness of being able to do these things.

Yet God had been preparing for that so‑called sudden shift for many years, both by my seeing the supernatural in operation among primitive tribal people and by my encounter with a Pentecostal guy while a medical student.  And I thought there must be something in it.  But I didn’t know what.  I thought especially that I needed to be baptized by the Holy Ghost but the Holy Ghost wasn’t cooperating.

Q.   Were you seeking such an experience?

A.   I don’t think I was. Or it never occurred to me to seek it.  I had read a writer’s work while in the New Tribes boot camp.  He described the Holy Spirit’s activity in the 19th century.  He talked about it, described his own experience and I thought, “Oh dear, I’d love that.”  But it wasn’t clear enough to me to seek it actively.

Toward the end of my time pastoring the Winnipeg church, Ken Blue was at Fuller Seminary finishing his Ph.D., and he called me about this remarkable man John Wimber.  I thought that was interesting and I’d like to sit in on his lectures.  So Lorrie and I went down to Fuller.  Fuller graciously gave us an apartment.

It was the sense of the presence of Jesus during John Wimber’s lectures; I thought, “Oh I’ve come home. This is what I want. This is what I’ve been looking for all my life.”  And Lorrie was the same. The moment I got in I thought, “Christ is here.”  It was remarkable.  My hunger for Jesus has never stopped.  And I felt that the anti‑Charismatics particularly also robbed me of Jesus.

Q.  This is the first time you ever really encountered the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit?

A.   Yes.  What happened in the third lecture he gave ‑ he would have a lecture then a workshop ‑ he finished his lecture and asked people who had sicknesses of some kind to come forward.  There were about ten of them.  The first guy was a football player who was studying theology at Fuller.  He came because his leg had, until that week, been in a cast and the cast had been removed after a month.  It was his Achilles’ tendon that had been torn.  So John propped him against the wall and asked him to demonstrate how much movement he had in both his feet.  It was very limited in range as it would be after a tendon had been sown up.

Then John prayed for him and he started shaking.  He finally went onto the floor.  And I was worried because one leg was kicking wildly and I thought that was his injured leg.  So I said to three guys, “Look stop him.  Get hold of that leg and stop him from doing this.”  When they got hold of the leg they were all shaking too.  I was mad at them and said, “Stop it!  Do what you’re supposed to do and hold that leg.”  I was concerned about his leg but I was mistaken.  It was the other leg that was injured and when he got up he had a full range of movement.  I got used to seeing things like that.

I asked John, “How do we get into this stuff?  Do we get zapped by the Holy Ghost or what?”

John’s reply was, “No, you just stick your neck out and start doing it.”  He says in retrospect that he saw great faith in me.  See a real Christian has the Holy Spirit and has potentially all the gifts of the Spirit.  That was suddenly revealed to me.  I thought, “Well, I don’t like his answer but I’ll start.”  So we started praying for people’s headaches and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t.

Q.   Had it occurred to you to pray for people to be healed before?

A.   No.

Q.   Despite Lorrie being healed just before you were married?

A.  That’s right.  And despite the fact that it was my prayers that apparently did it.  I know that I was before long doing major stuff.  I was so excited about it after completing MC510 I went around the world talking about this.  I prayed for a little two year old girl in Malaysia. The parents brought her ‑ they were Haaka speaking Chinese.  She had been running around the room.  She had kept her parents awake for 36 hours and when they brought her to us, struggling, she was covered with her execma ‑ and as Lorrie and I prayed we saw the wet area shrinking.  This was very exciting to watch the shrinking take place as we prayed.   I thought, “Gosh what power I’ve got.”  And then the suggestion came to me, “Oh but maybe it’s Lorrie’s prayers that are doing it.”  And I was filled with wild jealousy.  I suddenly saw how dangerous it is to have power.  After that I was very careful.  I saw that my own heart was corruptible.

Q.  You were quick to see that and to write about it.  You mention in The Pathway to Holiness the error of considering manifestations as evidence of superior spiritual power.  Is that also a criticism of the Vineyard movement?

A.  It is more a criticism of people who have been affected by miraculous power whether Pentecostal, or so‑called “Second Wave” or Vineyard.  I think the Lord saw to it that I recognized it right away and I’ve seen it ever since.  I’ve seen what it does to people to have that kind of power.

To me Christ is central to everything.  Signs and wonders isn’t everything.  They probably will be helpful because God loves people and loves to heal their diseases but its no credit to us that we can do it.  We should all be able to do it.

Q.   After reading about Jack Deere’s theological shift I have a sense that you’d agree with him that the evangelical, intellectual mindset fights against the spirit but that we need both word and spirit.

A.  Yes it does.  I feel that intellectuals among the evangelicals are not what the Puritans were.  I make a distinction between J.I. Packer and many other Bible scholars and theologians.  Packer was part of Lloyd‑Jones studying of the Puritan movement.  Lloyd‑Jones had an experience of the Holy Spirit, an experience of being picked up in the arms of the Father so to speak.  He studied the Puritans and the Puritans knew about the Holy Spirit.  That is why John Owen, who was a puritan and I think the vice‑chancellor of Oxford University at one point, was able to write about the difference between those who have the Spirit and those who didn’t.

Q.  You have emphasized the healing gifts of the Spirit in recent years.  Do you believe that people can operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit without having an experience such as a “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” in the Charismatic sense?

A.  Yes.  I think the focus on the baptism of the Holy Spirit came with the Pentecostal movement.  It was the Holiness movement at that time.  They decided to wait on God until they had something like that.  I’m not even sure that the disciples needed it.  When Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”, at that point they received the Spirit of God.  He was in them.  But I supposed they needed something extraordinary to initiate the powerful testimony that came.  That’s how it was in my own life anyway.

I don’t think there is any difference between Charismatics and non‑Charismatics. That is to say, I think those Christians who do have the Holy Spirit in them, many don’t, may never have repented and those are not true Christians.  There are many who are powerfully anointed and that is why their speaking is so effective.  They may not realize that they can heal the sick but that seems to come in waves anyway.  It seems to build somehow.

Q.   Your recent though unpublished book tentatively titled Control, reveals the way control and manipulation dominates individuals in evangelical and charismatic ministries.  You cry out against this “witchcraft” or abuse of power and advocate a humility and dependency on God to further the work of His kingdom.  You offer your subjective experience of being a “controller, con-artist, and manipulator” as the log you believes God revealed and removed from your eye so that he may remove the mote in the church’s eye.  Your subjective experience of an encounter with God leads you to call this “witchcraft” in your lectures.  Are you encouraging a more experiential interpretation of scripture?

A.  I would say first of all, it enters the whole realm of the objective versus the subjective.  That was what God said to me when my computer crashed one day.  I was filled with fear for some reason when the computer crashed and I said, “Lord what have I been doing?”  It was then that he said, “You have been practising witchcraft since you were three years old.”  That was a subjective impression.

I deplore an increasing tendency in scholarship to overemphasize the letter of Scripture and minimize subjective experience of Scripture.  The two ‑ objective and subjective ‑ are inseparable.  It is only as the Holy Spirit illuminates our understanding of Scripture that we will truly understand it.  Jack Deere has taught us that when we speak of our convictions we are often speaking of what we were taught in church or in seminary.   Divided seminaries and divided churches are an evidence that we follow human opinions as frequently as we follow divine.  Two and a half centuries ago, John Gifford taught John Bunyan this very lesson.

Q.   How have you learned to hear the subjective voice of God?

A.    That’s a tough one.  You see, nobody explained to me as a child that such communications had ceased, so that from earliest childhood I did hear, or else I thought I did.  I subjected my impressions to “scientific” checks.  I am most certain of God’s voice now as I read Scripture.  Even when I was a psychiatrist I would be listening to the Lord.  I would pray with my patients whether they were Christian or not.  And I would have hunches about them which really were prophetic.

He speaks to me on many channels now.  He speaks to me in the night when I sleep and I remember it exactly when I wake up.   This is something new for me.  He also speaks in night visions which are not the same as dreams ‑ which may emerge out of dreams ‑ but suddenly you know that you’re in a different space.  In a dream you don’t usually recognize you’re in a dream but there becomes something different about it and I can’t explain what it is.

Q.   You went from hearing God’s voice to seeing visions?

A.    Though I resisted it at the time, I was also having visions during my residency and I knew those weren’t hallucinatory experiences.  There is something about a vision that you know that you know that you know.  First of all in a vision I can understand everything.  It’s immediately self‑apparent.  I can’t explain this but it is.  Even though the vision is symbolic I don’t need anyone to tell me what it’s about.

Q. In other words, you know what your vision means but with psychiatric patients suffering hallucinations and delusions, they don’t know?

A.   They don’t know.  Many of them have hallucinations that they are demonized. They hear demonic voices.  I think psychosis reduces your ability to discern, to discern between the demonic and the differences between the two.  Satan mimics God’s voice superbly.  But God has taught me to distinguish by the darkness that comes on me.  I can’t explain it.

Q.   Do you have a sense that those who walk into a growing awareness of the power of the Holy Spirit also come into greater awareness of the demonic?

A.   You can’t have with one without the other.  The moment you are in touch with the Lord you are open to the whole bang shoot.  It’s spiritual sensitivity.  Sensitivity to spirit beings.

Q.  In the wake of your theological shift towards signs and wonders, a fury of criticism followed.  Many evangelical doors have slammed shut against your ministry while charismatic doors swung open.  How do you view this shift?

A.   I wish the two sides would get together.  That’s the only thing that I regret.  One door closes and another door opens wide.  I long for the day when people realize that the “Charismatic curtain,” as I call it, is not necessary.  Real Christians are real Christians.

Q.   Where do you believe the church is going?

A.   I’m concerned about apostasy and the parable of the wheat and the tares.  All the reformers spoke of apostasy.  Certainly Calvin did, Arminius did.  Calvin said it was impossible for them to have seen the light but John Owen explains it the best of all.

The Seventh Volume of Owen’s works is a careful exposition of Hebrews 6, focusing particularly on versus 4 through 6.  His attempt is to understand apostasy.  Owen maintains that one may operate in all the power of the Holy Spirit, without any of the inward graces of God’s character, that is, without being “saved” at all.  You do not have to be a Christian to display spiritual gifts.  Non‑Christians can display them also, since the Spirit falls on whom He will.

What John Owen says is that you can have the Holy Spirit and still apostatize and you do that because you opt for power rather than for the brightness of the glory of Christ himself.  In other words you are not pursuing Christ, you are pursuing power.  So it means that on both sides of the Charismatic curtain, there are wheat and tares.

Q.  Apostasy as you see it, is more than lapsing into chronic sin, renouncing Christ and abandoning the profession of faith.  It is an abuse of power.  Frightening thought.

A.   It is a very frightening thought.  When I first began to understand this I thought, well, what about me?  My fear about this personally was countered when Jesus said to me, “He who comes to me I will never reject.”  And that filled me with great relief.

Q.  Throughout your ministry and particularly in The Pathway of Holiness, you mention a vision of darkness “that falls on men and women when they do not let God be God in their lives,” referencing Romans 1:21‑23.  What do you foresee will happen if the darkness is not lifted off of the church?

A.  The darkness will be lifted off of the church. There are some Christians who develop so far and then they lose their curiosity and become worshippers of mammon or whatever unwittingly.  God doesn’t seem to go on doing things in them.  See, in my life, God has been merciful and constantly dragging me into something new.  Sometimes against my will.

The church free of darkness would look marvellous.  The marvellous church cannot occur unless there is a split ‑ a split between those who have the Holy Spirit and those who haven’t ‑ the wheat and the tares.  At what point that would occur I don’t know except that somehow it’s involved in world war and all that’s going to happen in the next little while.  Individuals will have to give God control and they will find one another.

© Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism, 1997, 2nd edition 2011.
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Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism – PDF

Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism

Power Evangelism, by John Wimber

Supernatural Ministry, by John White

Power Evangelism in Short-Term Missions, by Randy Clark

God’s Awesome Presence, by R Heard

Evangelist Steve Hill, by Sharon Wissemann

Reaching the Core of the Core, by Luis Bush

Evangelism on the Internet, by Rowland Croucher

“My Resume” by Paul Grant

Gospel Essentials, by Charles Taylor

Pentecostal/Charismatic Pioneers, by Daryl Brenton

Characteristics of Revivals, by Richard Riss

Book Reviews: Flashpoints of Revival & Revival Fires, by Geoff Waugh

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Revival in China, by Dennis Balcombe

by Geoff 20 July 2011 4 Comments

Revival in China

by Dennis Balcombe

Dennis Balcombe wrote as senior pastor of Revival Christian Church in Hong Kong and regularly ministers in China.  This article is edited from newsletters sent early in 1996.

 

 

Renewal Journal 9: Mission – PDF

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____________________________________

a supernatural outpouring of the Holy Spirit

____________________________________

We saw the Holy Spirit fall with great joy similar to what some refer to as the ‘Toronto Blessing.’  This has swept many parts of China without any teaching from the West, but in many places has been a supernatural outpouring of the Spirit.

In Asia many Pentecostal denominations are trying to be more acceptable to the denominational church world through more emphasis on theological education and degrees than prayer, fasting and the power that comes from the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The opposite is true in China, for the house churches are more than ever turning to the Pentecostal roots of our faith.

We also arranged for many other well known ministry teams to teach the leaders in several parts of China.  Among them were Lester Sumrall, Ulf Ekmann of Sweden, Reinhard Bonnke of Germany, Marilyn Hickey of the US and many others.  One overseas preacher was excited as he was able to preach to a crowd of 6,000 in Northeast China.  There has been such a revival there that nearly 360,000 were saved in a few years time.

We took on several new full time local Chinese in the China Ministry.  We have encouraged the rest of the Chinese congregation to get involved in ministry in China.  Of the 1,000 plus churches in Hong Kong, ours is possibly one of the few who openly advocate and participate in ministry in mainland China.  Most pastors are fearful to do so for possible repercussions against them in 1997.  We have made our position very clear, and though it has caused a very few to have reservations about our stand, most of the Chinese congregation know where we stand and are prepared for whatever might happen.

Thus towards the end of the year we organized three ministry trips to Yunnan, Sichuan and Guangdong provinces, and nearly 20 local Chinese participated in each trip.  They all came back burning with the fires of revival as they met with house church leaders who have been greatly used of God to perform miracles resulting in mass conversions.  They also realized clearly the intense persecution against Christians in China and thus are better able to prepare for possible persecution in a  year or so.  Their testimonies excited so many others that the next scheduled trips around Chinese New Year are all full of applicants.  Never before have local Chinese responded to the China ministry in such a positive manner.

Persecution of Christians is severe and widespread throughout China and the situation with human rights is worse than any time since China opened in 1978.  The hard‑liners are firmly in control and there don’t seem to be any moderate voices.  In addition to long prison sentences being given to proponents of democracy, daily scores of people are executed through China, many for what we would call ‘white collar crimes’ or corruption.  In elections for the Hong Kong Legislative Council in September, the pro‑democratic parties won by a landslide.  This was a great insult to China who considers these men as ‘counter‑revolutionary’ and ‘subversives’.  China has vowed to dismantle the whole elected government and will not allow any of these legally elected councilors (who are like congressmen in the USA) to remain in office after 1997.  They have also strongly attacked the local ‘Bill of Human Rights’ and say they are not obliged to honour human rights in any way, for they have not signed the Bill of Human Rights in the United Nations, though they are signatories to the UN Charter.

People are now extremely pessimistic about the future here and many are saying that the only ones who got it right are those who immigrated years ago.  It is quite difficult to do so now at this late date, and people don’t even know if the  present travel document (British Nationality Overseas passport) or the passport that will come in next year (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC) will be recognized by foreign governments.  It is not certain Hong Kong  people will then be able to travel overseas without difficulty.  In addition to the above, the economy has started to decline and unemployment is at an all‑time high.

I continually teach the people that whatever happens we should not even consider leaving Hong Kong, for our nation will need us.  But through the cell group system we are attempting to disciple everyone and prepare them for persecution, if it comes to that.  Also many more people are willing to come into the ministry now than in a booming economy.  We may possibly start a full time intensive Bible School in which people work together and study for preparation of ministry in China as well as Hong Kong.

In December Pastor David Kiteley of Shiloh Christian Fellowship in Oakland, visited Hong Kong and with David Wang of Asian Outreach ordained Kathy Balcombe also a ‘pastor’ in RCC.  She has been operating in the capacity for many years as I am away from Hong Kong much, but this will give her more authority to make decisions when I am away and deal with other matters.  The church is growing rapidly and many are finding the Lord almost weekly.  The goal for this new year is ‘Revival’ and we are believing for 50% growth this year.  We usually have close to 500 people actually attend on any given Sunday, but like any church there are many more who don’t always come except a few times a year.  On special meetings we might have over 600.  We are not only believing for more numbers, but for an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and evangelism.  Several sister churches have been planted by our own Chinese or missionaries working with the church.

We now have nearly 130 full time missionaries under the visa sponsorship of RCC, and many more who now have their own visas (which are given after 7 years in Hong Kong).  We have set up special intensive training for all the missionaries, and hope that many more new missionaries will be granted visas to come here, which it may be impossible after the change of sovereignty.  None of them plan on leaving though the laws about overseas foreign church workers after 1997 is still very ambiguous.

Bibles

Lastly I would appreciate your prayers that we have sufficient funds to purchase Bibles.  For nearly 15 years we received Chinese Bibles free of cost or at a discount from other organizations.   However due to different philosophy in ministry, they will not provide us any Bibles at discount, so we have to pay to have them printed in Sri Lanka.  The price last year was about US $1.50 per Bible, but now we can get them at $1.35 per Bible due to offerings from Norwegian Christian.   It is still not safe, economical or logistically possible to print and distribute large amounts of whole Bibles in China, though many (including ourselves) have printed limited amounts of other types of materials including New Testaments.  The sale of Bibles through the official channels is severely restricted as everyone knows, so the only way most of the church leaders in the rural areas can receive Bibles is through ministries like ours.

Due to the lack of funds there were a  few occasions last year when our workers had no Bibles to take to China, and we were only able to provide teaching materials.  However we want to keep the ratio of Bibles to teaching materials of 80% to 20%, for we are primarily providing these to Spirit filled church leaders who are actively involved in church planting all over the nation.  We have direct contact and relationship with about 50 large evangelistic teams which are ministering to about 10 million believers.  These are all people who are baptized in the Spirit, speak in tongues and exercise gifts of the Holy Spirit.  They in turn reach out to the lost in which their ministry is confirmed by mighty gifts of the Spirit, as in the Book of Acts.  They also reach out to the small percentage of non‑Spirit filled believers, for almost every Christian in China greatly desires the power that only the Holy Spirit can give.

Therefore we desperately need a large supply of Bibles to supply these growing Spirit filled congregations.  We were also saddened to hear recently that a large shipment of 85,000 large study Bibles taken in by container through other organizations were confiscated by the PSB police a few weeks ago in Liaoning Province.  These study bibles are very expensive and not really that necessary as most of the rural church leaders are not trained to use such comprehensive materials.  They basically only need the whole Bible and a few good study books such as ‘The Shepherd’s Staff’.  Rather than teach them doctrine or give them study Bibles with all kinds of exposition and sermon outlines, I personally believe it is best to teach the leaders how to study the Bible and allow them to dig out the treasures themselves.  I have been amazed over the past 18 years of ministry in mainland China to see how Spirit filled leaders almost speak the same message and preach pure doctrine.  The Holy Spirit will ‘lead us into all truth’.

Concerning these large operations, we have found over the years that it is very difficult for such big projects  to succeed due to the restrictive situation in China.   It is best to take in the Bibles in smaller amounts by several dozen people daily and maintain a continual flow of distribution throughout the nation.  We have done this and met with little difficulties.  In fact last year only a few bags of literature were confiscated, and this was due to spot checks of the mainland Chinese Christians on the road or train.  To facilitate such a ministry, you need many workers both in Hong Kong and mainland China and a safe reliable tested method of distribution throughout the nation.  We believe we are this position as we have been doing this for the past 18 years and have probably distributed over four million books in this way.  However we thank the Lord for everything others are doing and don’t want to be critical when things go wrong, for we are in ‘warfare’.  Even so, the need is so great and resources are so limited, it is essential such ministry is effectual and economical.

We are expecting an increase of at least 100% in ‘Donkey’s for Jesus’ workers who carry Bibles into China, and desperately need the funds to purchase the Bibles.  Revival Christian Church has invested heavily in this ministry and last year purchased a floor for the China Ministry Offices at nearly US $300,000 and monthly rents a warehouse for US $1,300.  Therefore please pray with us that overseas Christians will help us to purchase the Bibles.  We still have not found anyone who will donate them, though several have talked about this possibility.  Yes, it is possible to print Bibles in China, but it is much more expensive now as it cannot be done in large quantities for safety reasons and they don’t have the equipment or paper to print on thin bible paper, making the transportation more expensive, dangerous and difficult.  Only Amity Press (associated with the Three‑Self‑Church) prints on thin paper, but their total output is severely limited by the government, as it is an official press.  It still it has not been possible for house church leaders to purchase large amounts of Bibles from them.

Please pray with us that 1996 will break all records for safe and responsible distribution of hundreds of thousands of Bibles and teaching materials in conjunction with many training sessions for the house church leaders.  Thank you for your prayers for the work here.  I hope this information has been helpful.  Below are some recent testimonies relating to the ministry we are involved in.

China testimonies

From 3-9 December, 1995, together with Rodney Kingstone and Ian Rowlands from England, we went to two cities in Henan Province to minister to the brothers and sisters there.  They both move in the prophetic and prophesied over 180 people.  They also taught on the gifts of prophecy and  the Church exercised the gift right after the teaching.  Below is their testimony from this trip:

Our expectation as we arrived in China was not that we had come with all the answers but that we have a lot to learn from our brothers and sisters.  We wanted to encourage and release them in the area of the prophetic ministry, with the anticipation that they would do the same for us in other areas.  So at all the places we ministered at, we asked them many questions and made sure that they prayed and laid hands on us!

At one of these times we were really encouraged by one of the prayers that one of the leaders prayed for us.  He prayed that wherever we traveled we would take and impact the place with some of the revival power from China and that we would be partners together in taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.

One of the things that amazed us, during our stay, was the incredible courage and bravery of the believers ‑ risking everything for the sake of the gospel.  Most of the leaders we met were on the run from the police and couldn’t live with their families ‑ some had not been back home for 20 years and had to find other ways of seeing their wives, children and relatives.

We ministered to many leaders on the subjects of prophetic ministry and intimacy with God.  There were many hours of note taking while sitting on benches no wider than 3‑ 4 inches!  We had the privilege of praying over everyone there and we prophesied over all but a handful as well.  We received excellent feedback on the accuracy and confirmatory nature of these prophecies.

There were a lot of memorable times, here are some snippets:

In one meeting after we had prophesied over some of the leaders, Rod had a word of knowledge about some people having severe pain and discomfort in the lower back area and God wanted to heal them.  After praying three sisters testified that they had been healed:

* one had suffered from back pain and not been very mobile but was now totally free.

* another had fallen down some steps while evangelising and the doctors had told her there was nothing they could do for her but God had just completely healed her.

* another had fallen out of a car and could not swing from side to side but was now able to and no longer had any pain.

At one of the 5.30 am prayer meetings one of the leaders prophesied about a river of God’s blessing followed by us both prophesying about God’s river and its effect, this was followed by us inviting God to come and meet us and us all praying.  After a little while one of the sisters started laughing and crying and then most of them ended up on the floor on the top of one another and then many of the brothers also started to laugh.  The prayer time finished with a great celebration of singing and dancing!

Our lasting impressions ‑ and the challenge to us ‑ was that we had portrayed to an environment that seemed close to the Book of Acts in its power, simplicity and naturalness.  It really was a where the people were truly supernaturally natural.

This was evident when we asked the question.  ‘Are you still seeing miracles?’

Their eyes lit up and their response was immediate.  ‘Yes, every day.’  They then told us story after story of what God had done.  Here are some examples:

Testimony 1 ‑ by Brother Yeung

In 1987, Pastor Dennis Balcombe came and led us into the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Since then we started to see miracles happening as we go out to preach the Gospel.  Because of the miracles, many people came to know the Lord.  One time other co‑workers and I went to a meeting.  There was a 40 years old lady who was demon possessed who came into the meeting.  She was scolding and screaming at us while I was preaching.  She was disturbing the whole meeting so that I  could not continue to preach.  I then asked the whole congregation to kneel down and pray.  As we were praying, she came to the front and continued scolding and laughing at us.

I then stood up and said, ‘In the name of Jesus shut up!’

Not only she did not shut up, but she said the same thing to me, ‘In the name of Jesus you shut up!’

I then said, ‘In the name of Jesus kneel down!’ but she said the same thing back to me.

Whatever I said she would repeat the same thing.  I had never experienced that before.  I didn’t know what to do but cry out to God desperately.

I prayed to God, ‘I don’t want to be defeated by the power of the devil.’  I decided that no matter how long it may take or how hard it was, I was going to continue to pray until the demon was cast out.

At that time I knew that I could not pray in the understanding for she would repeat every word I said.  So I laid my hands on her and started to pray in tongues.  As I continued to pray I discovered that she wasn’t saying anything and she was softening down.  As she became weaker, I became stronger in the Spirit.  Then the lady tied her hands together and put her head down to the floor.  She cried out, ‘Please don’t pray anymore!’

I continued to pray in tongues.  After a while, she felt on the floor like a dead person.  Then after a few minutes, she woke up and was back to normal.  Because of this miracle, many people believed in the Lord in that village.

Testimony 2 ‑ by Brother Yeung

One time we had a evangelistic meeting in a village.  Many people came to the meeting to listen to the Gospel.  But as my co‑worker was preaching, some gangsters came in the meeting to cause trouble.  When I saw them coming in, I asked my co‑worker to sit down and I stood up to preach.

I thought to myself the reason that they were causing trouble was because they didn’t know the greatness of God.  So I spoke loudly that our God is a true and a great God and He is able to perform miracles.  Then I prayed to God to perform a miracle.  I then asked the congregation if anyone was deaf.  Then a sister brought a lady up who was deaf.  As soon as I prayed for her, she was immediately healed.  I then asked all who were deaf to come forward and that night they were all healed.

The gangsters were amazed as they saw the miracles happen.  Some people in the meeting including the gangsters went back to their home and brought back their family members who were sick.  There were eight paralyzed people who came and six of them were healed immediately.  Because of the miracles, the whole village including the gangsters all believed in Jesus.

I believe the reason for such a great revival in China first is by preaching the word of God and second is by the miracles of God.

Testimony 3 ‑ by Brother Yeung

One time we had a meeting which had 600 believers and 200 non‑believers.  Because the meeting was in a home Church, the house was so packed that many people had to climb up to the roof of on the trees in order to listen to the message.  That night I shared on the message of healing.  After I preached for about 3 hours I started to pray for the sick.

As I was praying, I saw an old lady who was praying desperately before God.  I asked her what  she wanted from God.  She told me that her daughter who was 19 years old was blind since birth and she was asking God to heal her.  Her daughter then stood up and I prayed for her in front of 800 people.

After I prayed, I asked her if she was able to see again.  Then I moved my fingers to test her sight.  Immediately, she was healed and the whole congregation sang Psalms 150 in praise to the Lord.  That night many blind people and paralyzed people were healed, and because of the miracles, the whole village came to the Lord.

Testimony 4 ‑ by Brother Yeung

One of my co‑workers went up to Saan Xi Province to preach the Gospel.  The people in that area are very superstitious and they worship many idols.  He went and preached to the people saying,  ‘Our God is a great God.  He is the one who created the universe.  He is able to cause the blind to see, the deaf to hear even the dead to raise again, but what can your God do for you?’

After he preached, a man ran to the hospital where a boy has just passed away.  He told the boys parents, ‘There is a Jesus from Henan came who said he can raise people from the dead.’

So the mother took her dead child to my co‑worker saying, ‘Jesus from Henan please raise my son from the dead.’

My co‑worker was shocked when he saw the dead child for he had never raised anyone from the dead before.  There was nothing he could do but just cry out to God.  At first he was very worried in his heart that if nothing happened, all the people would say he’s a liar and they would not believe in Jesus.  So he started to pray, but after a while, nothing happened so he prayed again and still nothing happened.  Then he prayed to God, ‘Lord, I don’t mind to loose face, but I really don’t want this to cause the people mock your name and not believe in you.  Please show forth your glory in this place.’

As he was praying that prayer, the mother of the child said, ‘Look, my child is alive again!’

He saw the child stand up and he ran throughout the house.  Due to this miracle, many people in that area burnt all their idols and believed in Jesus.

Testimony 5 ‑ by Brother Lui (who is a Public Service Bureau officer)

I have been a Christian for two years.  The reason I became a Christian is really a miracle.  Two years ago, I had a strange disease in which I had a bad headache all the time and my heart was beating very quick.  Not only that, I suddenly had a great fear in my heart that I was going to die.  I went to see many doctors and even stayed in the hospital, but there was nothing the doctors could do.

One time after I went to see the doctor, I meet a Christian lady who was preaching the Gospel.  Because I had nothing to do, I listened to what she had to say.  My Aunt is a Christian, so I knew a little about Jesus.  As she preached the Gospel to me, I decided to believe in Jesus.  But because I was wearing my police uniform, she didn’t believe that I would really become a Christian.

That night, I felt a great peace in my heart, and I prayed to Jesus, ‘Jesus, I know that you are here and I am willing to truly believe in you.’

The next morning when I woke up, the strange diseases all left me, I knew that Jesus had healed my disease.  Then I went back to the place where the sister preached the Gospel to me, tried to find her, but I did not succeed.  I did not give up but went everyday to wait for her.  She finally came on the fifth day and led me to her Church and baptized me.  I have ever since served God with all my heart.

Testimony of one distribution of The ‘Shepherd’s Staff’

This is the testimony of how God saved us from evil while we were distributing the ‘Shepherd’s Staff’ books of Bible readings.

On 31 July, 1995, the four of us took around 300 copies of the ‘Shepherd’s Staff’ from Guangzhou to bring back to Henan.  We took a train to go back..  The train that we went on was very crowed, we had no place to sit but just stood by the doorway.  After riding for four hours, the train stopped in a city and some police went up the train to have an inspection.  A policeman came to us and asked us why we carried so many bags.  We told him that we were porters, and we were hired by a man to carry the bags to Henan.  But he did not believe us and asked us to open up the bags.  We told him we had no keys for the locks but he still insisted we open the bags.

When he opened up the first bag, he checked and didn’t say a word.  Then he opened up other bags and found out that they were all books named the ‘Shepherd’s Staff’.  He asked us what were the books for, we told him that it’s to teach people how to shepherd.  He then checked the books and found out they were a Christian teaching book.  He was very mad at us and told us to follow him to the restaurant on the train.  At that time we knew that the situation was not good and that he was going to arrest us.

Because the train was very crowed, with all the bags that we had, we were not able to pass through all the people.  So the policeman had to go in front of us to open a way for us.  At that time the train started to move.  As we passed through the first car, the policeman was at the other car, and we knew that that was the only chance to escape.  I then told the other three brothers to leave the bags and run.  Two of them ran immediately and jumped off the train from the window.  Myself and the other brother also started to run, but because the train was going faster and faster, we could not jump at that time.  So we just ran through one car and the other until the train approached a small station and started to slow down.  We then jumped off the train from the window.

After we jumped off the train, we ran up the mountain until we reached the top.  When we reached the mountain top, we knelt down and prayed to God.  On one hand, we were thankful that God has protected us, but on the other hand, we were very worried about the other two brothers and were sad that we were not able to bring the ‘Shepherd’s Staff’ back to our brothers and sisters in Henan.  But thank God, as we returned to our home town, we met the other two brothers.  We rejoice in tears that God was with us and saved us.

© Renewal Journal 9: Mission, 1997, 2nd edition 2011

China reports in Mission Index

Asia’s Maturing Church (David Wang)
The Spirit told us what to do (Carl Lawrence)
Revival in China (Dennis Balcombe)
China’s House Churches (Barbara Nield)
China – New Wave of Revival
Chinese turning to Christianity
Revival breaks out in China’s government approved churches
China: how a mother started a house church movement
China – Life-changing Miracle
China’s next generation: New China, New Church, New World
China: The cross on our shoulders and in our hearts
George Chen – In the Garden: 18 years in prison

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)
Renewal Journal 9: Mission

Contents of all Renewal Journals

Amazon – Renewal Journal 9: Mission

Amazon – all journals and books

Contents: 9 Mission

Renewal Journal 9: MissionThe River of God, by David Hogan

The New Song, by C. Peter Wagner

God’s Visitation, by Dick Eastman

Revival in China, by Dennis Balcombe

Mission in India, by Paul Pilai

Harvest Now, by Robert McQuillan

Pensacola Revival, by Michael Brown

Reviews: Building a Better World  by Dave Andrews,  Surprised by the Power of the Spirit & Surprised by the Voice of God both by Jack Deere, Secrets of the Argentine Revival, by R Edward Miller

Renewal Journal 9: Mission – PDF

Amazon – all journals and books

Link to all Renewal Journals

All Renewal Journal Topics

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

Revival Blogs Links:

See also Revivals Index

See also Revival Blogs

See also Blogs Index 1: Revivals

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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Mission

by Geoff 20 July 2011 No Comments

Renewal Journal 9: Mission

Renewal Journal 9: Mission

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Renewal Journals Index – 20 issues

Renewal Journal 9: Mission – PDF

All Renewal Journal Topics:

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,
3 Community,   4 Healing,   
5 Signs & Wonders,   6  Worship,   
7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,  
9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   
13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   
15  Wineskins,   16  Vision,   
17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,  
19  Church,   20 Life

Contents: 9 Mission

Renewal Journal 9: MissionThe River of God, by David Hogan

The New Song, by C. Peter Wagner

God’s Visitation, by Dick Eastman

Revival in China, by Dennis Balcombe

Mission in India, by Paul Pilai

Harvest Now, by Robert McQuillan

Pensacola Revival, by Michael Brown

Reviews: Building a Better World  by Dave Andrews,  Surprised by the Power of the Spirit & Surprised by the Voice of God both by Jack Deere, Secrets of the Argentine Revival, by R Edward Miller

Renewal Journal 9: Mission – PDF

 

Editorial

Unprecedented evangelism and mission

Unprecedented evangelism and mission continue to accelerate around the world.   No one can keep up with the amazing accounts of this global harvest.  Similarly, the accounts of outpourings of the Holy Spirit with miracles, signs and wonders increase.  Often these cause huge numbers to respond in conversions to Christ.

Jesus said this would be so.  All the gospels and the book of Acts tell of the risen Lord’s commission for our mission.  Each command concerning our mission in the world includes the promise of God’s presence and power essential to fulfilling our mission.

Matthew 28:18-20.  All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus, so we are to go and make disciples of all peoples (ethna – ethnic groups, people groups).  This includes baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded.  He is with us to the end of the age.

Mark 16:15-18.  This controversial command includes going into all the world and preaching the gospel to everyone.  Signs accompanying that involve casting out demons in Jesus’ name, speaking in new tongues, protection from evil, and placing hands on the sick so they recover.

Luke 24:46-49.  Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in Jesus’ name to all people, and Jesus said he himself would send the Holy Spirit promised by the Father, so the disciples had to wait for that.  And Luke tells how it happened in his second book – The Acts.

John 20:21-23.  As the Father sent Jesus, so Jesus sends us.  He breathed on his disciples and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’  They did.  So must we.

Acts 1:8.  Jesus last promise and command was that his followers would receive power when the Holy Spirit came on them, and they would be his witnesses to the ends of the earth.  This issue of the Renewal Journal tells a little of that continuing story.

David Hogan describes the outpouring of the Holy Spirit among Mexican mountain tribes.

John Piper grounds the goal and task of missions in worship.  God is great, and greatly to be praised.  The supreme purpose in all mission is God’s glory in everything.  Ultimately all the earth shall worship him.

Peter Wagner gives a brief global sweep of the massive prayer movement in the earth today and describes some of its impact.  Dick Eastman provides further examples of the current astounding harvest in mission.

Dennis Balcombe reports on the growth of the church in China with the miracles accompanying ministry there.  Paul Pilai, a converted Hindu, tells of signs and wonders accompanying mission among Hindu people in India.

Robert McQuillan surveys revival developments in Argentina as well as at Sunderland in England and Pensacola in America, and Michael Brown summarises developments at Pensacola where over 60,000 have now indicated commitments to Christ since June 1995.

The backdrop and context for much of these revivals include increasing violence, families torn apart, death and moral decay worldwide.  Sin abounds.  However, grace abounds even more.  The light still shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot put it out.

Historically, great revivals and moves of God’s Spirit have often broken through into dark times.  That still happens.

We can pray and believe for powerful moves of God’s Spirit in our land, that thousands may yet come to faith with lives and families transformed.

The nineties into the 21st century proved to be fascinating decades in the history of the church, and we expect that the years ahead will see even more profound changes as the kingdom of God breaks in upon us ever more fully.

© Renewal Journal 9: Mission, 1997, 2nd edition 2011

 Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included.

Contents of all Renewal Journals

Link to all Renewal Journals

All Renewal Journal Topics

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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Reviews (8) Awakening

by Geoff 19 July 2011 No Comments

Harvey Cox, Fire from Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the reshaping of Religion in the Twenty-first Century.  Addison-Wesley, 1995.

Famous for his book, The Secular City (SCM 1965), in which he wrote about the ‘postreligious’ age, theologian Harvey Cox has concluded that ‘Today it is secularity, not spirituality, that may be headed for extinction.’   He invites a generation of Christian leaders schooled in ‘postreligious’ thinking to rethink in the light of Pentecostalism.

A new era has dawned.  Cox is global in his scope, insightful in his diagnosis, generous in his evaluation.  He writes about Pentcostalism as a sympathetic onlooker, noting its enormous and increasing impact on Christianity, and on the reshaping of religion including the church.

The book will be read widely by non-Pentecostal leaders and theologians.  Here is a leading contemporary theologian, whose writing has impacted theological education for three decades, now exploring the significance of this global phenomena.

Part I gives an overview of Pentecostalism.  Part II has chapters on primal speech, signs and wonders, ‘the future present’, women, and music.  Part III surveys the enormous impact of Pentecostalism around the world and concludes with an evaluation called ‘the Liberating Spirit’.

Old stereotypes crumble in Cox’s investigation.  Pentecostal congregations include ‘medical secretaries, computer programmers, insurance salesmen, graduate students in microbiology, and actors and police officers, as well as people who were out of work and down on their luck.’  Here dynamic faith, missionary zeal, and sacrificial involvement in social issues cross boundaries of class, race, gender, age and theological systems.

Cox describes the decline of scientific modernity and traditional religion in the context of emerging fundamentalism and experientialism with the dangers and promise these entail.  He hopes Pentecostalism will challenge the deepening ruptures that divide us and ‘open people to new outpourings of the divine spirit and a fresh recognition of the motley oneness of the human family’.

Written in descriptive narrative theology, Fire from Heaven may become a theological classic supplementing the pioneering work of ‘the recognised dean of Pentecostal studies’ Walter Hollenweger who published The Pentecostals in 1972.  (GW)

© Renewal Journal 8: Awakening, 1997, 2nd edition 2011
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)

Contents: 8 Awakening

8 Awakening

Speaking God’s Word, by David Yonggi Cho

The Power to Heal the Past, by C Peter Wagner

Worldwide Awakening, by Richard Riss

The “No Name” Revival, by Brian Medway

Review: Fire from Heaven, by Harvey Cox

Renewal Journal 8: Awakening – PDF

Contents of all Renewal Journals

Amazon – Renewal Journal 8: Awakening – $8

Amazon – all journals and books

Link to all Renewal Journals

All Renewal Journal Topics

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

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The "No Name" Revival, by Brian Medway

by Geoff 19 July 2011 No Comments

The “No Name” Revival, by Brian Medway

An article in Renewal Journal 8: Awakening

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Rev Brian Medway wrote as the senior pastor of Grace Christian Fellowship in Canberra and co-organiser of national and regional renewal conferences.

 

_____________________________

 God is looking to touch Australia

through saints, not just superstars

_____________________________

 Just about every Christian who has looked hard at the Bible, and looked fleetingly at the community in which we live, has ended up looking for revival.

Our social disequilibrium makes revival mandatory as a Christian solution.  The hope of political, economic and social solutions grow harder to believe with each month.  The post war belief in prosperity has produced grandchildren who are ardent agnostics.  Even the icons of education have become tarnished and don’t command the adoration they once enjoyed.  Outbreaks of violence and unrestrained substance abuse cause ideological tremors to be felt among the most committed humanists.

A new breeze is blowing

At the same time there is undoubtedly a new breeze blowing in the church.  The feeling is that we are about to see the kingdom of God coming with new power and impact.

Jesus warns of presumption when it comes to claiming to know the origin or the ultimate destiny of such a wind, but that doesn’t stop us from hoisting our spiritual sails.  The particular breeze referred to does not have so much to do with whether one’s theology is evangelical, charismatic or pentecostal.  It is similarly undiscriminating when it comes to one’s particular preference in spiritual ethos.

This breeze carries the savour of a new level of humility and with it the opportunity for a new experience of unity.  This unity has been birthed much more in prayer than it has in dialogue and its fruit can be clearly seen when compared to what we have known in previous years.  It is allowing us to embrace what we may not prefer and accept what is different without thinking that it is less worthy.  It is a unique new fragrance.

There is yet another fragrance upon this breeze.  That fragrance has to do with a narrowing agenda.  Many hoped that adherence to a particular theological stance would do the job.  Others have clung to a particular tradition, thinking that it would eventually be recognized by unchurched Australians.  Both cases produced growing disappointment.  Hardly anyone is doing great things in reaching unreached Aussies.

Worse still, the Great Commission rarely visits the agenda of the average leaders meeting simply because we are too embarrassed to  put it there.

More and more believers long to simply leave the petty squabbles and get out there where the real people are.  And there is a new hope that it is starting to happen.

The first “no‑name” revival

Jesus is described once as expressing a level of joy greater than any other occasion during his ministry.  In Luke 10:21 it says that Jesus burst into a prayer of praise to the Father because of the joy of the Spirit within him.

He was rejoicing because the seventy two disciples who had been sent out to do the work of the kingdom had done a good job.  They could be labelled the “no name” disciples.  Jesus rejoiced that even though the “experts” had missed it, the ordinary people were doing it.  He concludes that this was the Father’s good pleasure; his intention.

In the western world we have not felt all that comfortable with “no name” phenomena.  We have a penchant for creating heroes.  We create hero status for them and then look to them to do it for us.  We want to know their names.

It is different in the kingdom of God.  In that kingdom there are literally millions of heroes and only God will ever know their names.  Not that it is wrong to honour great men and women of God.  It’s just that we tend to live through them instead of allowing their faith to encourage us to visit the one and only Fountainhead more urgently.

Regional Networking is happening

Today’s church in Australia needs a “no name” revival.  We have tended to grab at the latest and greatest in imported methods and practices.  But it is time for us to seek the Lord without leaving our shores.  It is time to gather together and find the strategy of God for our own cities and regions.

Australia is a collection of regions.  That’s how we live.  It will be no surprise to suggest that the strategy for reaching the nation will be neither national nor denominational.  The key lies in the congregations that meet within twenty minutes of where you are and what they can do together.  The networking that has blossomed in the past few years at this level is the result of this new breeze of the Spirit.

The great thing about regional networking is that it brings together the best of what we have and equally values “names” and “no‑names”.  When prayer is the initial foundation stone, who is the expert?   When a heart for unity is the ground floor of the new building, who knows it all?

We have some fine examples of how to build large congregations, but little experience when it comes to building the church.  If we are looking to reach the whole of our region with the gospel, we need everyone to be involved.  We need a “no‑name” revival.

Which name is responsible for the revival in Africa, Korea or South America?  There may be a few names we know, but they are not the key to the revival.  The men and women who have seen these revivals increase with the years are too many to number.  The reason why the enemy can’t stop it is because there isn’t just one name to knock out of the game.

Gainable and Sustainable

The bottom line is that God wants to pour out his Spirit, and plans to use us.  And this nation needs it.  Reading about it doesn’t seem to make it happen.  Going to lectures on revival and even getting all the tapes will probably not open the floodgates either.

The Calvinist personality in me delights to see that revival almost always comes as a surprise.  It comes through people that no one suspected and it comes at times when people thought it might never happen.  It’s nice to know that none of us have found the button, nor invented the formula.

The Armenian part of me looks at the churches in revival and the churches not in revival.  Seeing the complacency and decay in the latter makes me want to put a bomb under most of the prayer meetings, and turn up the faith and excitement knob way past the red line just to see God’s people getting to a decent and respectable stage of desperation.

I have developed my own little (only slightly cynical) set of criteria for judging how we are doing with respect to revival.  It runs something like this:

a.  church services:

in revival people show up early and leave late

not‑in‑revival people show up late and leave at a set time

b.  where people sit:

in revival people fill up from the front

not‑in‑revival people fill up from the back

c.  prayer meetings:

in revival the prayer meetings are full and overflowing

not‑in‑revival the same faithful 6 show up whatever your theology

d.  church agendas:

in revival they are forced to deal with the ‘problems’ created by God

not‑in‑revival they choose to deal with problems created by people

e.  focus of attention:

in revival churches unite to fight the devil

not‑in‑revival churches divide and fight each other

f.  flow of influence:

in revival the church influences what happens in the  community

not‑in‑revival the community influences what happens in the church

g.  personal priority:

in revival a sense of awe leads people to a willing repentance

not‑in‑revival, pride leads to rationalisation and defensiveness

h.  emphasis:

in revival the emphasis is on what God is doing

not‑in‑revival the emphasis is on what people are doing

i.  ministry priority:

in revival the priority is toward reaching people for Christ

not‑in‑revival, the priority is toward reaching the church for itself

j.  ministry methods:

in revival the message overshadows the method

not‑in‑revival, the methods modify the message

k.  trends:

in revival the first things are re‑established as the greatest

not‑in‑revival, the latest thing is the greatest

l.  music:

in revival the songs are simple and belong to the people

not‑in‑revival, the songs are complex and belong to the specialists

By these descriptions we can take both encouragement and warning.  The God who’s heart is expressed in and through revival has given us enough examples this century to know what will and won’t do the job.  We have been encouraged as God has shown us both the majesty and mystery of a sovereign outpouring.  We must not allow these down payments to remain as novelties.

We must submit to the majesty and embrace the mystery, lest we become nothing more than a congregation of dreamers.

Elements to gain and sustain revival

There is  a doorway of hope.  More and more are convinced that this hope lies in prayer, unity and a lifestyle approach to evangelism.  We can do it if we pray, if we stick together, and if we start with where we live and work.

In essence, the latest teaching, method or strategy will probably neither gain nor sustain revival.  What will get us to the place of God’s outpouring will be those things that express God’s heart.  Here are three examples.  How they fit together and what particular form they take is of less importance.

The first is worship/intercession,

the second is unity/oneness,

and the third is proclamation/lifestyle.

What is needed is a revival model that will be available to everyone.  I believe it lies in a commitment to worship and fervent intercession, to local unity, and to lifestyle influence.  Everyone can worship and pray.  Everyone can work toward the unity Jesus prayed for.  Everyone does have contact with people outside of Christ where they live, work and play.  We just need to bring those three things together.

Each of them can only be adequately described as a journey, and we will only find out how far we can go, and what form it will take, by travelling there.  The only way to get there is by doing it, and then doing more of it.

Worship and Intercession.   I don’t know anyone who has metered the dimensions of worship and intercession and we are just beginning to understand their strategic value.  All we know is that there is more.  We have tended to lock up our relationship with God in all kinds of cultural and traditional moulds.  The Biblical essence has much more to do with an urgency that comes from true humility.  This side of heaven we may only ever be on “L” plates.

Unity and Oneness.   The same is true of the unity Jesus prayed for.  What we have is an abomination encouraged by the powers of darkness, rather than a manifestation of what belonged to Jesus and his Father.  To some, the image of unity is distorted with all kinds of fears of compromise and confusion.  What they foreshadow is human, institutional and makes assumptions about tradition and doctrinal systems that are unbiblical.  What Jesus prayed for has to do with the heart.  It will only be gained by doing it, rather than speculating about it.  I for one want to find out how far this thing goes, and what its like when we get there.  Nothing less than a deposit of heaven, I hope.

Proclamation and Lifestyle.   The same is true in terms of proclaiming the gospel.  If you multiplied the grace that was extended to you by every person in the world, you’d be getting some idea.  We haven’t mounted an effort worthy of God’s heart.  The best we seem to produce in this nation are a few churches that speak of annual conversion growth in the region of a few hundred at most.  Can you think for just a moment where that leaves us in comparison to the task?

In each of these areas of Christian privilege we can only find out what it’s like by going there.  We can’t go there without a radical reformation of our relationship with the Father.  We can’t get there on our own, nor can we do it as a single denomination.  We won’t do it without a major shift in our ecclesiastical preoccupations and not until we become seriously committed to reaching every person in our generation.

It is a journey we must take together.  It is a phenomenon that we will only be able to define as we become different; and then only as our journey displays more of Jesus.

What this means is that our emphasis must become regional, it must be lifestyle and it must become our abiding passion.  It must be the overflow of our worship and the subject of our constant cry before the throne.

God is doing this.  It is a sovereign work that is happening all over the world.  We won’t have the chance to control it, or fashion it to suit our previous traditions.  It is truly a new thing.  It is a case of change becoming a permanent resident.

What is most surprising is that it is not the same in every place.  It is not a pentecostal revival nor a charismatic renewal.  It is the building of the ministry of the kingdom of God and the rising up of the church of Jesus Christ in a particular locality.  This is the work of God that will get us to the revival, and it is the same work that will enable the revival to be sustained.  It is new wine skins for new wine.

As always we must decide to be a part of what God is doing, or miss the bus.

Praise the Lord!

This article is compiled and edited from material first published in New Day and On Being magazines in 1996.

© Renewal Journal 8: Awakening, 1997, 2nd edition 2011
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)

Contents: 8 Awakening

8 Awakening

Speaking God’s Word, by David Yonggi Cho

The Power to Heal the Past, by C Peter Wagner

Worldwide Awakening, by Richard Riss

The “No Name” Revival, by Brian Medway

Review: Fire from Heaven, by Harvey Cox

Renewal Journal 8: Awakening – PDF

Contents of all Renewal Journals

Amazon – Renewal Journal 8: Awakening

Amazon – all journals and books

Link to all Renewal Journals

All Renewal Journal Topics

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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Speaking God’s Word by David Yonggi Cho

by Geoff 18 July 2011 4 Comments

Speaking God’s Word, by David Yonggi Cho

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Dr David Yonggi Cho wrote as the senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, Korea.  This article is reproduced from his message “Speaking God’s Word for Church Growth” published in the Church Growth Manual, No. 7.

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 __________________________

Even though you may have

no ability in yourself, say

“I can do all things in Jesus.”

__________________________

 One day the Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart, “God sent his word, and he healed the people.  Why don’t you give the word boldly to the people?”

This must have been the idea of the Holy Spirit.  “Speak the healing.  God sends his word through your mouth.  God asked Ezekiel to speak to the air:  You life, go into that body.  So, why don’t you speak?”

At first I was scared, but then I was determined to speak.  After I saw those impressions, then I began to boldly speak that such and such a person was healed, and such and such a disease is disappearing.

Miracle after miracle began to occur.  The person who was healed came to me saying, “When you spoke that word, it shook me hard.  Suddenly I felt the healing power flow, and I was healed.”

Through my own experience, I found the wonderful secret that through our mouth confession God’s creative power is working.  In the book of Genesis, God spoke and the light appeared; God spoke and the firmament appeared; God spoke and the earth appeared.  Jesus spoke and the people were forgiven.  Jesus spoke and the sick people were healed.  Jesus spoke and the devil left them.  Jesus spoke and the turbulent sea became calm.

When you read the Bible, sick people were not healed just through prayer in the New Testament.  They were healed by ‘speaking’.  Peter said to Aeneas, “Rise up” (Acts 9:34).  To Paul Jesus said, “Stand on your feet.”

They always spoke healing to the people.  From that time until now, I would always just speak the word, and God created tremendous miracles.

Eastern Russia

In 1992 I went to the eastern part of Russia.  It was very dangerous there.  Russia was in a great turbulence, especially in eastern Russia.  It is so far away from Moscow that the discipline was very loose.  It was very difficult there.  I went to a stadium filled with about 35,000 people.  The Russian Orthodox Church was out there to attack me.  The Communists were scaring me.  On the second day I was ready to leave my hotel and was being carefully watched by the KGB.  However, I could not leave my hotel because they were trying to assassinate me.  They constantly intimidated me so I was incarcerated in the hotel.  I was sitting in the hotel the whole day, and in the evening I would go out.

That evening when I took up my Bible and was ready to leave the hotel; I heard a voice.  It was a very clear voice.  It was almost audible.  It was ringing in my soul: “You are leaving as a living man, but you will return as a dead man tonight.  You will be assassinated.  You came as a living person to our city, but you will return home in a casket.  So don’t go to the meeting or you will return home in a casket.”

Every day people in Russia were being killed by shooting.  So, I was preaching behind bullet‑proof glass that the Russian government had given to me.  If I would be killed, it would become a diplomatic problem, so the Russian government commanded me to stand behind bullet‑proof glass.  They could shoot me from the back.  So while I was preaching, I was very conscious of the people behind me.  It was a terrible feeling.

When I heard that voice in my hotel room, I had to decide if that was from the Holy Spirit or from the Devil.  If you don’t clearly discern this right away, then you will be in trouble.  At that time I began to see the predicament of Paul.  When Paul was returning to Jerusalem, the government and prophets said that Paul would be arrested and bound and put in jail.  These things would be waiting for him, so he was admonished not to go up there.  But Paul was determined to go to Jerusalem, knowing that he would be arrested.

Before my experience in Russia, I always thought that Paul made a great mistake.  He should have listened to the voice of those people.  Still Paul went because he discerned the right voice of the Holy Spirit.

Almost instantly, I said to myself.  “I should not go to the service tonight.  I do not want to die.  I want to see my wife and children.”

I prayed, “God, what shall I do?”

I began to hear another voice, a still, small voice in my heart with great assurance.  Then I heard two distinctive voices.  That was some experience.  The first voice was coming strong and loud in my soul, “You are a dead person.  Tonight you will be shot at.  They will carry your dead body to the hotel.  Don’t go.”

Then the Spirit said to my heart when I prayed, “Go to the meeting tonight.  You will have great miracles in the service tonight.”

So I said, “You Devil, in the name of Jesus Christ, get out of me.  To live is Christ.  To die is gain.  So if tonight I go to heaven, it is okay.  I am ready to accept that.”

I went out of the hotel trembling.  I was really afraid.  The people were packed in the stadium and as I sat on the platform, I was constantly looking behind me.

Just before I stood up to preach, an ambulance was coming to the stadium.  Usually an ambulance would not be permitted to get close to the stadium.  As the ambulance came closer, I could hear the siren and thought, “Oh, they must have heard that I was going to be shot at and they have come to take me away.”  I froze in my chair.

The back door of the ambulance was opened, and they carried a man out.  He looked like a rich man and one who was in high authority.  They put him into a wheelchair and pushed him out among the crowd.  The Communist young people came and began to argue.  They said, “Why do you come to this kind of meeting?  He is preaching false doctrine.  There is no living God.  You cannot be healed.  You are bringing shame on us.  We are Communists.  We do not believe in God.  He is telling a lie.  Go back into the ambulance.”

At that moment, many Christian people came and said, “No, Christ is living.”

These two groups of people were surrounding this man in the wheelchair and arguing back and forth.  I got inspired and said, “Oh God, if you don’t heal this man in the wheelchair now, I will be in great trouble.  I will be shot at for sure then.”

35,000 saved

I stood up and preached under the unction of the Holy Spirit.  When I asked for those who wanted to be saved, all 35,000 people stood to their feet.

I said, “Everyone sit down.  You misunderstood me.”  So I said, “All those who want to be saved for the first time, please stand up.”

The 35,000 people stood up again.  I asked my interpreter, “Did you say my words correctly?”

He said, “Yes.”

I asked, “Then why do they all stand up?”

He looked at me and said, “Pastor, these people have never heard the Gospel before in their lives.  For 70 years we have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  They are all newcomers.  You are from the Western country.  You don’t know our situation.  They all heard the Gospel for the first time this evening, and they all want to be saved.  So, just accept them.  Don’t question them.”

So I had them stand up and led them to Jesus Christ.  Then I began to pray the healing prayer.  Usually, I have great success in divine healing in Russia because the people are so humble and so easily believe.  However, that night I was concerned about the Communists’ gang.  Though I preached strongly, and prayed the healing prayer strongly, I was afraid to announce the healings that took place.

Healing Miracles

God had clearly put in my mind that a miracle was going to take place, but I was afraid.  So I just said, “This man with a deaf ear was healed.  This man with arthritis was healed.  This man who has stomach trouble is healed.”

Actually, I could not say that the man in the wheelchair was healed, but my interpreter said, “Yes, everyone knows this person.  He is a great man.  He was in an accident and has a broken backbone.  He has been in a wheelchair for seven years.  They tried every way, but he could not be healed.”

I have been trained medically, so when I heard that I thought, “That is impossible.”  It is impossible for that man with a broken backbone and broken nerve chord to be healed.

The people began to stand up and testify of their healings.  This strengthened my faith, so I said, “My brother, who is sitting in that wheelchair, you are healed.”  That was not an easy job at all. That man started to rise up.  He sat down again but struggled to rise up a second time.  He sat down and a third time struggled to get up.  Very wobbly he started to walk a few steps, then he began to run, then rushed onto the platform.

He hugged me with a typical Russian bear hug.  I was being choked.  He hugged and cried saying, “I am healed.  I was sitting in that wheelchair for seven years and now I am healed.”

Then I began to hear a roaring sound as the Christian young people chased the Communist young people.  The Communists were running from the stadium, and the Christians were running following after them.

This man who was healed was so excited that he jumped off the high platform.  I was scared then.  Then he went to where his wheelchair was and hoisted it into the air and began to walk.  The entire stadium was in an uproar at this time.

The Communists had completely failed that night.  What a success for the Christians!  Before I left my hotel, the Devil scared me.  And, if I had not heard the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart, I would not have come to the stadium.  Since I prayed and heard the Holy Spirit.  I could come.

A positive announcement is very, very important.  If you speak negatively, you will stop the current of the Holy Spirit.  But when you speak positively, you release the power of the Holy Spirit.

So, when people begin to talk negatively among your cell leaders – “”I have no power.  I have no strength.  I have no confidence.” – they can do nothing.  They are already defeated.  So I tell them not to say negative words.  Always say, “In Jesus Christ I can teach.  I can win.  I can preach.  I can do all things in Jesus.”

Even though you may have no ability in yourself, say “I can do all things in Jesus.”

Your attitude is very important.  If you don’t teach your cell leaders to have the right kind of attitude, after two or three tries in their cell meetings they will give up.  The number of casualties is too heavy.

Give your cell leaders strong teaching on having visions, and living in the vision.  Then make their attitude to be positive, let them see Jesus.  Don’t let them look at the wilderness.  Don’t let them look at themselves.  Make them look to Jesus.  Then make them confess an affirmative confession.  This is very important for church growth.

(c) Church Growth Manual No. 7 published by Church Growth International, Yoido P.O. Box 7, Seoul 150‑600, Korea. Used by permission.

Some books by David Yonggi Cho

    Successful Living (1977)

    The Fourth Dimension (1979)

    Prayer, Key to Revival (1987)

    Praying with Jesus (1988)

    Successful Home Cell Groups (1988)

    The Holy Spirit, my Senior Partner (1996)

    More than Numbers (1997)

    How to Pray (1997)

    Prayer that Brings Revival (1998)

    Unleashing the Power of Faith (2006)

© Renewal Journal 8: Awakening, 1997, 2nd edition 2011
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included.

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Contents: 8 Awakening

8 Awakening

Speaking God’s Word, by David Yonggi Cho

The Power to Heal the Past, by C Peter Wagner

Worldwide Awakening, by Richard Riss

The “No Name” Revival, by Brian Medway

Review: Fire from Heaven, by Harvey Cox

Renewal Journal 8: Awakening – PDF

Amazon – Renewal Journal 8: Awakening

Amazon – all journals and books

See Renewal Journal 8: Awakening as on Amazon and Kindle and The Book Depository
Also in Renewal Journals bound volume 2 (Issues 6-10)

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All Renewal Journal Topics

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

Revival Blogs Links:

See also Revivals Index

See also Revival Blogs

See also Blogs Index 1: Revivals

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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Christian renewal, church growth, mission ,

Awakening

by Geoff 18 July 2011 1 Comment

8 Awakening

RENEWAL JOURNAL 8: Awakening

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Renewal Journal Vol 2 (6-10) – PDF

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Renewal Journals Index – 20 issues

All Renewal Journal Topics:

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,3 Community,   4 Healing,   
5 Signs & Wonders,   6  Worship,   
7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,  
9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   
13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   
15  Wineskins,   16  Vision,   
17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,  
19  Church,   20 Life

Contents: 8 Awakening

8 Awakening

Speaking God’s Word, by David Yonggi Cho

The Power to Heal the Past, by C Peter Wagner

Worldwide Awakening, by Richard Riss

The “No Name” Revival, by Brian Medway

Review: Fire from Heaven, by Harvey Cox

Renewal Journal 8: Awakening – PDF

Editorial

God’s Visitation

We live in a day of God’s visitation.  It has become a worldwide awakening.  Amid much persecution and difficulty, the church grows in astounding ways especially in China, Korea, Africa, Latin America and North India.  Now western countries report renewal and revival in many places.

Jesus wept because so many in his time missed the day of their visitation (Luke 19:41-44).  May we not miss our day of visitation.  As with all previous awakenings (including the early church and major revivals) it is disturbing, controversial and unpredictable.

This issue of the Renewal Journal touches on a few issues and examples of the current awakening.  David Yonggi Cho of Korea tells about moving in spiritual authority by speaking the word God gives.  Peter Wagner describes powerful spiritual weapons now being used by the church, especially in corporate repentance.  Richard Riss provides a comprehensive survey of the present awakening in its varied expressions.  Brian Medway of Canberra discusses the “no-name” revival now spreading through the earth, which also fits the Australian zeal for equality. 

Outpouring of God’s glory

The outpourings of God’s Spirit continue, not only with increasing and astounding signs and wonders in the >third world= but increasingly in the West.  Even the news media have taken notice.  Unprecedented unity among leaders in renewal and revival has emerged in many places, including Australia.  Ministers pray together.  Prayer groups seeking revival multiply.  Churches co-operate to win, nurture and equip people.  Repentance, humility and forgiveness increase.  Renewal and refreshing seem to be spilling over into touches of revival.

“Renewal has changed us forever,” notes Philip Le Dune, associate pastor of Sunderland Christian Centre in the north east of England.  “When God pinned a local gangster to the floor of the church one evening, only God knew that he and his wife were soon to be employed by the church as youth workers.  Jim & Marie now hold daily meetings with the people from the local community who are increasingly coming to see SCC as “theirs” (SCC Email Bulletin, 20 August 1996).

All the centres of renewal heading into revival include persistent and widespread prayer, co-operation between churches, humility, repentance, and the overwhelming impact of the Spirit of God including controversial signs and wonders.  Mixed in with it all is human frailty and strong opposition, as in the early church. 

Toronto in Canada, Melbourne in Florida, Pasadena in California, Holy Trinity Brompton in London, Sunderland in north-east England, and now Pensacola in Florida became household names in renewal and revival.

26,000 conversions in the first year

Reports of revival at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, north-west Florida, drew increasing crowds from around the world.  They recorded 26,000 conversions in its first year.  Many people are ignited there and take fires of revival home.  So revival spreads.

Some of the leaders at Pensacola, including Lindel Cooley the worship leader, had received a deep impact of the Spirit in their lives.  Before the current outpouring of God=s Spirit burst on them, the church had been continually praying for revival, and their worship services had extended in depth and length.

“When church would be over,” reported Cathy Wood, “you know how they play music as you exit – well that didn’t work now…  We would try to walk out but we’d get a few pews away and stop again.  The worship wouldn’t stop so we could go home.  Many times Lindel would have to wave his hands at us and say go home!  It would be 10:00 or 11:00 and church started at 6:OO.  Wow … I love remembering!  Then on Father’s Day [18 June 1995], Steve Hill a missionary to Argentina with the Assemblies of God came to give testimony of how God refreshed his life in London at a meeting and after that service … all heaven came down and has remained….  As thousands continue to come we know the Lord is not finished….  Over 1/2 million in combined attendance.  Wherever the Lord is, we know the devil is looking in, so we pray for discernment whenever the flesh arrives; but at the same time … many of the things we have done in the Spirit now such as shaking, falling, jerking, were things we didn’t really believe in either.  Now that God has touched us … we don’t know what’s next and we don’t want to be God police and stop someone who is manifesting a true touch of God. …  Many thousands have been saved – over 30 thousand counting the backsliders” (Email from Cathy Wood, 31 July 1996).

2 Chronicles 7:14 still applies!  We can humble ourselves and pray and seek God’s face and repent.  God promises to hear, forgive, and heal the land.

© Renewal Journal 8: Awakening, 1997, 2nd edition 2011

Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)

Link to all Renewal Journals

All Renewal Journal Topics

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

Back to Renewal Journals

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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Renewal Ministry  by Geoff Waugh

by Geoff 23 May 2011 1 Comment

Renewal Ministry

by Geoff Waugh

 

 

Geoff Waugh is the founding editor of the Renewal Journal.

 

 

Renewal Journal 7: Blessing – PDF

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An Article in Renewal Journal 7: Blessing

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_________________________________

Blessings abound where e’er he reigns;

The prisoners leap to lose their chains

_________________________________

I’ve been praying for people in meetings for over twenty years, but recently it’s been different. Many now slump to the floor, or shake, or laugh, or sob, or feel heat in their hands or on their head, or have other surprises.

We were worshipping at the Renewal Fellowship recently when I prayed (with my eyes shut) for the Holy Spirit to come upon us. A person in the front row fell over and crashed into me. I quickly opened my eyes, guiding that person to the floor.

Those manifestations are not new. They have been there over the years at various times. Now, however, they happen more often and with greater intensity. I believe this is a time of refreshing and blessing in the mid-nineties.

I remember the early seventies when a wave of renewal swept the earth. Thousands were baptised in the Spirit, spoke in tongues, discovered spiritual gifts, and began to see more answers to prayer for healing or deliverance. That wave gave birth in Brisbane to movements such as Christian Life Centre, Christian Outreach Centre, Bardon Catholic Charismatic meetings, Emmanuel Covenant Community, and some denominational charismatic congregations.

These strong manifestations now in the nineties are more varied and sometimes more surprising than I ve known before. I believe it is part of a worldwide move of God s Spirit, and as always, it is mixed with our human reactions.

A fresh wave

This fresh wave started for us at the Renewal Fellowship during 1994. It seems to be part of our on-going journey.

We have been learning to respond to the Spirit, as best we know. Our ‘order of service had long given way to the immediate leadings of the Spirit. We still followed our usual pattern, however, of worship for over and hour (with great variety such as in prophetic music, free singing, Scriptures read and prophetic words or visions shared), Bible teaching, and ministry with prayer for one another in clusters, with further prayer for those who could remain later.

Sometimes in praying for people some were overwhelmed and rested on the floor, or slumped in their seats. No problem! We had seen that before from time to time. It just seemed to be more frequent from 1994.

The Christian Outreach Centres had experienced a strong move of the Spirit in 1993, beginning in Brisbane and spreading through their churches. We were blessed in Brisbane through a range of ministries including visits from John Wimber, Rodney Howard-Browne, leaders involved in the ‘Toronto Blessing’ now touching thousands of people and churches all over Canada, America, England, and across the world. We read reports of similar happenings in Australia among some churches touched by this blessing.

As in the seventies, the expressions of this blessing varied from group to group, from ministry to ministry. The essence, however, seemed to be similar everywhere – strong impacts from the Spirit, people being overwhelmed, new and deep love for Jesus, personal refreshing and blessing, catching the fire of a fresh zeal for the Lord, ministering more effectively to others.

As we kept praying for people the manifestations increased, especially with people being overwhelmed and resting in the Spirit.

To pray or not to pray

Problem! Do we actively encourage this? Do we avoid it – such as not praying so much? Do we stop praying for individuals? Do we wait till the end of the meeting, even though some people were being touched strongly as we worshipped? Do we copy methods from the Vineyard conferences, such as praying for people all over the place at the end of the meeting? Do we follow the Toronto example and make plenty of carpet space available? Do we ask people to stand and then ask the Holy Spirit to come, or do we just expect he will move upon us anyway?

In our prayer times before every meeting we declared the Lordship of Jesus, asked him to take over, and claimed his authority. The more we prayed, the more it kept happening!

We don t have all the answers yet – and maybe never will! Who can direct the wind? The whirlwind is even more unpredictable.

Where do we draw the line? Whose line? God’s? Ours? Our traditions?

We all draw a line somewhere. Responsible leadership and pastoral care require some guidelines., even though these maybe quite flexible.

What is regarded as ‘decent’ and ‘in order’ varies widely from church to church, group to group, culture to culture, revival to revival. We need to be spiritually sensitive, theologically insightful and culturally appropriate (as Jesus and Paul were) without quenching the Spirit.

The root and the fruit

Where the root of various experiences is Jesus himself in the power of his Spirit, and the fruit is clearly the fruit of his Spirit, we’re glad.

Remember that Jesus’ presence and ministry produced amazing effects in Scripture. Demons were expelled. People were set free and made whole. Lives were changed.

What are the results of these current blessings for us in the Renewal Fellowship?

Worship is richer, fuller and longer than ever. People comment on the blessing of a stronger, closer relationship with God, both in the meetings and beyond them in daily life. Many people tell about blessings in their service to others, in prayer for the sick and in home groups.

People report a deeper awareness of the reality of the Lord, closer fellowship with Jesus, stronger leadings by the Holy Spirit, increased anointing in their various giftings, and greater love for God. For many people it is already flowing over into sacrificial ministry to others with greater assurance, compassion, and willingness to be involved as they obey the promptings of the Spirit.

One person lay on the floor, overwhelmed, and began praying in tongues with a new love for the Lord and release of his gifts. Some report physical healings received while overwhelmed. Someone with Multiple Personality Disorder caused by childhood trauma had a vision of Jesus while resting on the floor; Jesus brought deep healing and integration, resulting in profound improvement. Many people have found a new zeal in serving the Lord and praying with and for others.

We need pastoral wisdom to avoid the extremes of foolish excesses on one hand or resisting and quenching the Spirit on the other. We need discernment between the true and the false, and that s not easy. We need grace to welcome the refreshing of the Lord even though it comes in different ways to different people. As with conversion, or being filled with the Spirit, or discovering spiritual gifts, some people have dramatic encounters with God while others experience deep and quiet peace.

Let everything be grounded in Scripture, illumined by the Spirit who inspired it. It is more radical than any of us really understand. A few biblical happenings would certainly enliven any church!

Jesus offended many people, such as in worship and teaching meetings. He welcomed outcasts, sinners, the poor and despised. He healed lepers. He banished demons. He sent the disciples off to preach, heal the sick and cast out demons. He told them to teach the rest of us to do the same (Matthew 28:20; Mark 16:17-18; Luke 24:49; John 14:12; 20:21-22; Acts 1:8 and so on).

People in the early church saw the power of God at work. They appeared drunk on the day of Pentecost. They clashed with traditions, as Jesus did. They prayed and witnessed amid the turbulence of light overcoming darkness, truth confronting error, and the kingdom of God invading the kingdoms of this world.

Expect the Spirit to move upon us all even more fully. Welcome his blessings, and pray that revival will yet sweep our nation. Perhaps a spark is being lit for revival in our land.

Praying for People

We found the following guidelines helpful in praying for people. They are adapted from material provided in Toronto. We prefer to pray in pairs if possible so that if someone is overwhelmed they can be gently helped to rest in the Spirit.

1. When praying for individuals, watch closely what the Spirit is doing (John 5:19). Never make a person feel that they are unable to receive or are resisting the Holy Spirit just because they are not openly manifesting something. We are called to encourage and love, not speak words that will bring rejection or discouragement.

2. Do not force ministry! Trust the Lord, knowing that he is doing something personal within an individual, so don’t interrupt that special ‘conversation’.

3. When you are praying for someone a strong anointing may rest on you also. Keep praying for the person without distracting them.

4. You may be able to help some people receive more in the following ways:

(a) Help them deal with a tendency to rationalise; or calm their fears of loss of control.

(b) Let them know what to expect; that even when the Holy Spirit is blessing them they will have a clear mind and can usually stop the process at any point if they want to.

(c) The Holy Spirit often moves in ‘waves’ similar to the blowing wind.

(d) Encourage them to be still and know that God is God (Ps. 46:10), and to stay focused on he Lord. He loves them intensely and longs for them to know him intimately.

5. Generally, it is helpful to have people stand to receive ministry. The Holy Spirit often rests upon people as they wait in his presence. Some people may fear falling, especially if they have back problems or are pregnant or elderly. If they are overwhelmed help them to sit down, kneel, or fall carefully.

6. When people fall or rest in the Spirit, encourage them to soak in the presence of the Lord. It seems that everyone wants to get up far too quickly.

7. It can help to pray and bless the person resting in the Spirit. Many feel very vulnerable while in that position and appreciate the loving care given. They also need to guarded from others bumping into them and/or making comments around them.

8. Never push people over. Watch over-enthusiasm and a tendency to want to ‘help God out’ especially when you are sensing a strong anointing within you.

9. If you get ‘words of knowledge’, pray biblical prayers related to those words. Let prophetic encouragement flow from prayer ministry, and always for edification, exhortation or comfort. Remember, no ‘direction, correction, dates or mates’.

10. You will seldom err if you pray biblical prayers such as:

(a) ‘Come Holy Spirit.’

(b) ‘Your kingdom come, Lord, Your will be done.’

(c) For a deeper revelation of the Father’s love in Christ.

(d) For anointing for service.

(e) For release of gifts and callings.

(f) To bring light and expel darkness.

(g) To open their understanding so they will know the magnitude of their salvation.

(h) For peace, ruling and reigning in their hearts.

(i) ‘More Lord’ – How much more will the Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.

11. Don’t project what God has been doing with you onto the person you are praying with. Bless what God is doing for them.

12. If your hand or body is shaking pray with your hand slightly away from the person so as not to distract them. If a stronger manifestation begins to happen within you then withdraw from ministry for a while and let the Lord bless you.

13. Laying on of hands may be appropriate, not ‘leaning on of hands’. Give a light touch only, generally on forehead, top of head, shoulder, or hands. No inappropriate touching.

14. Some people pray aloud while they are being ministered to. Encourage them to be quiet and just receive. It is difficult to drink in and pour out at the same time.

15. The person you are praying for needs to be assured that he or she is the most important one for that moment. Avoid the tendency to let your mind and eyes wander to other things or other people or other situations in the room. Don’t become distracted with other issues.

16. Your own personal hygiene is important – clean hands, hair and clothes, deodorant, breath mints may help.

17. Don’t step over anyone, or hold discussions near people resting in the Spirit.

18. Be led by common sense and by the Spirit. It helps to have men pray with men, women with women, married couples with married couples.

19. People who pray for others also need to be prayed for themselves, to receive ministry, to be refreshed and anointed anew.

20. Encourage people being prayed for to:

(a) Come humble and hungry. Forget preconceived ideas and what has happened to others.

(b) Experience ministry before trying to analyse it. The Holy Spirit will speak, teach, comfort and reveal Jesus personally. We need to know the Lord experientially as well as theologically.

(c) Face fears such as fear of deception, of being hurt again, of not receiving, of losing control.

(d) Focus on the Lord, not on falling. Give the Holy Spirit permission to do with you what he wants to do.

Above all, we need to seek the Lord. ‘Your kingdom come.’
_______________________________________

© Renewal Journal 7: Blessing, 1996, 2nd edition 2011
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)

Renewal Journal 7: Blessing
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Renewal  Journal 7: Blessing – Editorial

What on earth is God doing? by Owen Salter

Times of Refreshing, by Greg Beech

Renewal Blessing, by Ron French

Catch the Fire, by Dennis Plant

Reflections, by Alan Small

A Fresh Wave, by Andrew Evans

Waves of Glory, by David Cartledge

Balance, by Charles Taylor

Discernment, by John Court

Renewal Ministry, by Geoff Waugh

Also in Renewal Journals bound volume 2 (Issues 6-10)

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6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
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