Challenges and Signs of Hope in the World Christian Movement

What do you think are the greatest challenges to the world Christian movement today? What do you think are the greatest signs of hope?

From the perspective of one who has a global overview of Christian missions today, it is evident God is moving in unprecedented ways to fulfill his mission. He is using warfare, ethnic violence, political disruption, social chaos, economic uncertainty and natural disasters to turn the hearts of people to a search for hope and security that can be found only in Jesus Christ. There is an apparent acceleration in engagement of unreached people groups and a global harvest.

The greatest challenge is not adversarial religious worldviews, hostility to a Christian witness, government restrictions and persecution of believers but indifference to God’s mission on the part of the Church. God’s people have become ingrown and self-centered. The spiritual vitality needed to extend an effective witness to the ends of the earth has been eroded by carnality and humanism among Christians.

Comments by Jerry Rankin (see http://www.desiringGod.org/)

C.H. Spurgeon - Prayer Makes History

The memory of Charles Haddon Spurgeon has been cherished among evangelical Christians for over the past 100 years. Many Christian leaders consider him to be the greatest preacher England ever produced. He is commonly hailed as the "Prince of Preachers". Over 63 volumes of published sermons still bear witness to the richness and success of C. H. Spurgeon's ministry. Though known as a great preacher, it was not preaching that made Spurgeon great. Mr. Spurgeon repeatedly acknowledged his success as the direct result of his congregation's faithful prayers. "It has often been remarked that the whole church helped produce Spurgeon." When visitors would come to Spurgeon's church he would take them to the basement prayer-room where people were always on their knees interceding. Then Spurgeon would declare, "Here is the powerhouse of this church."

Spurgeon in his autobiography described his gratefulness for being blessed with such a praying church. "I always give all the glory to God, but I do not forget that He gave me the privilege of ministering from the first to a praying people. We had prayer meetings that moved our very souls, each one appeared determined to storm the Celestial City by the might of intercession." Spurgeon regarded the prayer-meeting as the spiritual thermometer of a church. His church's Monday night prayer meeting had a worldwide testimony for many years. Every Monday night a large portion of Spurgeon's sanctuary was filled with earnest and fervent intercessors.

"In Spurgeon's eyes the prayer-meeting was the most important meeting of the week." It is here many of us find ourselves in conflict with dear Mr. Spurgeon. We love our meetings for preaching and praising and yet sadly neglect those set aside for praying. One of Spurgeon's greatest concerns was that his people learn to truly pray. "He taught his people to pray, doing so far more by his example than by any preaching. People heard him pray with such reality that they became ashamed of their own mere repetition of words." Throughout his entire ministry many hearers remarked that they were moved by his preaching, but yet still more affected by his praying. D. L. Moody after his first visit to England, being asked upon his return to America, "Did you hear Spurgeon preach?" He replied, "Yes, but better still I heard him pray." A close friend of Spurgeon's, commented on his prayer life, "His public prayers were an inspiration, but his prayers with the family were to me more wonderful still. Mr. Spurgeon, when bowed before God in family prayer, appeared a grander man even than when holding thousands spellbound by his oratory."

Spurgeon fully recognized that the Church's greatest need was not to have another, "Prince of Preachers", but to have more princes of prayer. One of his many published sermons expressed his feelings on this. He wrote, "Shall I give you yet another reason why you should pray? I have preached my very heart out. I could not say any more than I have said. Will not your prayers accomplish that which my preaching fails to do? Is it not likely that the Church has been putting forth its preaching hand but not its praying hand? Oh dear friends! Let us agonize in prayer . . . "

There has been much talk lately about pockets of revival springing up in our nation. Many are saying they desire such revivals in our own local churches, and cities. Yet, is it not the prayer-meeting which is still most neglected? If Christ Jesus were to visit us today with real revival power, how could such a blessing be sustained where there is no ground work laid in prayer? To merely exercise our words about revival and not our knees is hypocrisy! It is time to make the prayer-meeting as crowded as our favorite preaching and praise meetings. It is then and ONLY then, that a true revival will come with lasting power! Like Mr. Spurgeon, let us regard the prayer-meeting as our most important meeting!


References Used:

C H. Spurgeon's Autobiography compiled by Susannah Spurgeon and Joseph Harrald

Spurgeon by Arnold Dallimore
From: A Revival Source Center

"Conquered" by A.W. Tozer

Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. --Genesis 32:24-25

The enemy never quite knows how to deal with a humble man; he is so used to dealing with proud, stubborn people that a meek man upsets his timetable. And furthermore, the man of true humility has God fighting on his side--who can win against God?

Strange as it may seem we often win over our enemies only after we have first been soundly defeated by the Lord Himself. God often conquers our enemies by conquering us.... When God foresees that we must meet a deadly opponent, he assures our victory by bringing us down in humbleness at His own feet. After that, everything is easy. We have put ourselves in a position where God can fight for us, and in a situation like that, the outcome is decided from eternity. We Travel an Appointed Way, 14.

"Lord, help me to submit willingly to You, in complete humility, without struggle or wrestling. Then You fight for me against my strong enemy. I'll rest-and revel-today in Your victory. Amen."

When God Shows Off

Tonight on my prayer walk I was amazed to see the most beautiful harvest moon. I had immediate thoughts of Red Moon Rising (a book well worth reading) and the global 24-7 prayer movement that is exploding across the earth.

But the most glorious thoughts that flooded my mind were...God is showing off...showing off His glory! That's what nature exists for.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. Romans 1:20

Two things jump out of these passages. First, the creation exists simply to show God's glory and share it with us. Second, what has been made reveals attributes of God. God is personal. He loves showing off. He loves us. He loves for us to stand in amazement of His Holy, unique attributes...displayed in what has been made (for His glory).

All this is wonderful in theory-but gets ever so practical when we think about the moon itself. The Bible tells why God made the moon:


And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:16-18

The moon was made to "rule the night"...in other words to display in the natural that God is the true light that rules both day and night! How do we practically join in the displaying this glory that God desires to display through His creation--especially us?

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Cor. 3:18

Like the moon reflects the glory of the sun, we shine forth the glory of the Son simply by beholding Him. Through the Word and through prayer we see Jesus and automatically reflect Him. It's the reason you were made...to behold...to reflect.

We're walking harvest moons...all His children.

SO THAT

As I read the gospels, one thing is clear—the disciples did not get the fact that Jesus was to be crucified and resurrected. Jesus kept telling them over and over, but they had no place for this in their thinking. Even Peter, thank God for old Pete, tried to rebuke Jesus for this kind of talk! Peter’s move was not a childish mistake, but was Satan himself overtaking Peter’s mouth and motives and fears. That’s an amazing thought. How many times does Satan take over our thinking and speech when Jesus is telling us something we don’t want to hear?

How you ever had this thought—I wonder what Jesus is saying to us today that we are just unwilling or unable to hear? I imagine it’s just as simple and straight forward as Jesus’ message of His impending crucifixion. Should the Messiah, the Savior of the world, die such a wretched death? Satan says no and God the Father says yes. I believe it’s in this same vein of thought that Satan is deceiving the church (and even speaking through us) today. Satan reasons that “God’s children” shouldn’t have to suffer such pain, disappointment and daily death. We deserve better. This is exactly how he deceived the first couple on earth.

Satan’s tricks are the same. But let’s move our focus off him and onto HIM! Jesus is speaking a clear, concise message that the church refuses to hear. The message of Phil. 1:29—“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” is all but absent from the thinking of preachers and church members alike. We think the opposite. "If God loves you, you will not hurt" is the popular message of today. Those words ruin disciples because they are from the pit of hell. God, on the other hand, has such a gracious purpose for our sufferings—“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Cor. 1:3-4

Our answer is found in the SO THAT of 2 Cor. 1:4! Can you hear Jesus? He has a message for you. (Oh, so does the defeated one)

Destiny Reinforcers

I was half awake and half asleep when I got this revelation..."the closer I move toward God's destiny for me the more the enemy will throw deeply painful roadblocks my way--especially from people I love." As I more fully awoke I began to test this premise by analyzing it as compared to the experience of a few close friends. One, who shall remain unnamed, has made great strides in focusing his ministry toward God's destiny (and many have noticed). Yet the enemy has done his favorite trick...to take those that we love and use them to painfully hurt us...satan's purpose is simply to get us to move away from our destiny. This principle has been true in my own life too. As we have moved more and more to become the house of prayer and to lead others that direction satan has worked overtime to get us to quit. To be a normal church. To quit all this praying. Yet, his attacks only reinforce our determination to pursue God's destiny.

Do you think it's biblical? Remember when Peter tried to rebuke Jesus from going to the cross...and Jesus said those painfully powerful words--"Get behind me satan. You have in mind the things of man not the things of God!" Or when Paul was being sent by the Spirit to Jerusalem and then to Rome--and several key believers (and even a prophet) sought to dissuade him from going this direction. Even though God's destiny was that direction.

What about you? As you pursue God's clear destiny for you do you see the enemy at work? Simply ask God to use satan's attacks to reinforce your pursuit of God's destiny for you!

Tozer on A BIG GOD

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. --Psalm 34:3

I am positively sure after many years of observation and prayer that the basis of all of our trouble today, in religious circles, is that our God is too small.

When he says magnify the Lord, he doesn't mean that you are to make God big, but you are to see Him big. When we take a telescope and look at a star, we don't make the star bigger, we only see it big. Likewise you cannot make God bigger, but you are only to see Him bigger....

My brethren, God calls us to magnify Him, to see Him big. A meeting is not big because a lot of people are present. A meeting is big because a number of people see a big God in the meeting. And the bigger God is seen, the greater the meeting. A friend of mine has a little saying, 'I would rather have a big, little meeting than a little, big meeting.' There are a lot of big meetings that are little because the God in them is a small God. And there are a lot of little meetings that are big because God is big in the midst of them....

That is the first thing--magnify God. Your ministry will be little, and you will live and die little unless you have a bigger God. Success and the Christian, 36-37,40