PRAYER IS A PRIORITY (early will I seek God)

PRAYER IS A PRIORITY (early will I seek God)

Philosophy behind my lesson; - Adapted from Ray Gonzales

                   Try,(key word) to give you more than you have heard before, to              stir your heart to know Jesus better, by prayer, His Word and                        fellowship - to give a taste of the riches of God's goodness, an                      appetizer -  to move you to say in your heart "I want more".

          Last week;

                   Two of the Bibles most noted "Pray -ers"; 

                             David in 2 Samuel 7                          

                             Jesus instructions to His disciples on how to pray from                                     The Gospel of Matthew 6.

                   What about David's prayer stuck in your thoughts?

                   What about Jesus instructions stuck in your mind?

                  

                   What about Psalm 63 do you remember? 

                                      PRAYER IS A PRIORITY (early will I seek God)

          Prayer, Honors - God the Creator, LORD  and Redeemer

              Reminds -  us that we are His creatures

                                      (NOT Creator, keeps us humble)

              Prompts - thankfulness for all God has provided

              Moves - us to extend forgiveness to others as we have been forgiven

                                      (Testimony of God's mercy)

              Strengthens - our ability to obey and keeps opens the way of                                                      repentance when we sin and fall sort.

              Extends - the borders of God's kingdom by interceding for those                                                 who   the Holy Spirit moves us to pray for.

               Guards - our hearts against unbelief, prayer is the exercise of belief                                            and faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

                                      Hebrews 3:12 (NASB95)

¹²Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.

         

          This week;  Book of James on prayer

                    A. The man, James;

          James who was  he?  The brother of the incarnate Son of God.  A Jew of the 1st century in a culture which was impacted by the Greeks both in language and thinking.  James is the second child of Mary, the first of Joseph.  James life could be divided into two parts;

1st     Pre conversion; brother of Jesus, his relationship to Jesus may have        been the greatest obstacle to his salvation.  From all appearances        James family was normal, 5 boys at least two sisters.  Joseph was a     craftsman, what we would call a tradesman , "blue collar" someone    who worked and taught his sons his trade.  As a working class family         they all worked    together, took meals together and generally lived          and slept in the same  modest home.  They had years of seeing the        lacks, failures and needs of one another, except for Jesus.  He always       could be counted on to obey    and do His share of the work.  James      being the oldest son after Jesus probably heard more than once that      "you should more like Jesus".   It seems James did not believe his           brother was God until after Jesus suffered death and resurrected.   James would have been about 26 to 28 years old at the time Jesus    began His ministry, still not convinced Jesus claims were true.   

2nd    After conversion; a slave of God and the LORD Jesus Christ

          1 Corinthians 15:3–7 (NASB95)

                                ³For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received,                                that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

                                ⁴and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day                               according to the Scriptures,

                                ⁵and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

                                ⁶After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one                                       time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen                                asleep;

                                ⁷then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;

          James was never the same after that visit.  All he did reflected someone who encountered God. 

                   B.  "the bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ"

                                     ^{doulos                            theou                                  kyriou     Iesou      Christou}

                            

          1.       James description of himself in verse 1 ;

                                      "doulos"=one who is a slave in the sense of                                                                  becoming property of an owner  (God)

                                      "theou"=the One supreme supernatural being as                                                 creator and sustainer of the universe

                                      "kyriou"=(a title for God and for Christ) one who                                                        exercises supernatural authority over mankind                                          - Lord, Ruler, One who commands

                                      "Iesou"=Jesus Christ of Nazareth

                                      "Christou"=(the Greek translation of the Hebrew                                                         and Aramaic word 'Messiah')

                                      James does not reference any special relationship to                        his 1/2 brother but, someone of low degree owned, all his                                   desires and intentions subject to his owner.  Later as                                           leader of the church in Jerusalem James was known as                                        "James the just", he was also called "old camel knees" by                                  Eusebius of Caesarea a Roman historian and Christian                                       polemicist who later became the Bishop of Caesarea about                                 AD 319.  

                             James epistle is a unique blend of wisdom in short                                    bursts, some may not appear to be obviously related but,                                   they are.  It has been compared to "Proverbs", a book with                              little logical progression, both Proverbs and the book of                                     James are considered "Wisdom literature".  James uses                                  specific words to link ideas and that is what we are to                                 focus on.  

                                     

          From his epistle we discern 5 notable character traits                                          about James;

                   1st     He was a man of true humility, he used a term to describe                                  himself as one who was subject to another not elevating                                     himself as Jesus 1/2 brother.

                   2nd    He was righteous man, later known as "James the Just",                                    warning of trappings of sin and encouraging right living.

                   3rd    He was a loving pastor, his mention and concern for the                                    poor is seen in his writings, calling all the members of the                                   church beloved.

                   4th    He was a man of the word, he quotes and refers to the                               writings of Moses many times and the need for prayer.

                   5th    He was a theologian, dealing with sin, law,  faith, wisdom                                  and that God is One.

           James various key ideas are for the practical benefit for those who have that same profession as;

                            " James, a bond-servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ" 

                             and as well, those who are intrigued by having knees like                                   a camel's. 

          C.  Key words;

                   James 1:2 (NASB95)

                                                ²Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter                                                  various trials,

          James approach starts in a unique way linking "joy" with "various trails".  Not just once having a different view of "joy" in Chapter 4:9 he tells us what "joy" we have should be turned to gloom and links it to resisting the devil and humbling ourselves in the "presence of the Lord."

          This is not a natural way of thinking, "joy" and "various trails" do not go together.  James 1:1 was the clue that James is "not a natural thinking man".   James has met God in the flesh and his world is never to be the same.

                   James 1:3 (NASB95)

                                                ³knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

           James is a man of "faith" and uses the word 16x's in his epistle.  For James "faith" is always about action, it is not a theological term, it connects to deeds.  Orthodoxy is not James message; Practice-doxy is.

          James begins by telling us "faith" is always producing or related to some action.  He begins with "endurance" = "hypomone" = "capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances - endurance being able to endure" this word is associated with hope and refers to that quality of character which does not allow one to surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial.  It is also translated "perseverance" "steadfastness" and "patience". 

          James pulls the next two verses back to "faith" in verse 3.  "Endurance" is "faith" in action and it's working has a perfect result, that perfect result is related to wisdom.  Let's read verses 4 & 5;

                   

                   James 1:4–5 (NASB95)

                                                ⁴And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may                                           be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

                                                ⁵But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who                                             gives to all generously and without reproach, and it                                           will be given to him.

          As wisdom is from God as James points out and it is dispensed generously verses 6 - 8 detail the requirement to receive that wisdom;

                   James 1:6–8 (NASB95)

                                                ⁶But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one                                         who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and                                                tossed by the wind.

                                                ⁷For that man ought not to expect that he will receive                                                   anything from the Lord,

                                                ⁸being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

          James focus on faith moves from testing to applying faith and this is where his heart is.  The key is "ASK IN FAITH".  Stability is related to single mindedness.  James uses a root word which also could be translated "believe, trust and faith"="pisteuo" and is clear in making his point that receiving after asking depends on if one doubts.  As the saying goes "doubt and do without, believe and receive".

         

          Two other ideas James draws together is;

                   1.       Humility, the realization that both life and riches are                                 passing.  All of us are poor just some realize it, our                                             position, education and possessions count for nothing.

                             Do not be deceived by_______________?

                   2.       Temptation is from our own lust, not God.  Lust is the                                       beginning of a process which moves us to sin and results                                    in death.

          D.      Key event;

                  

                   Genesis 3:1–7 (NASB95)

                                                ¹Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field                              which the Lord God had made. And he said to the                                             woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat                                              from any tree of the garden’?”

                                                ²The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees                                        of the garden we may eat;

                                                ³but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of                                        the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or                                                touch it, or you will die.’ ”

                                                ⁴The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!

                                                ⁵“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes                                           will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing                                             good and evil.”

                                                ⁶When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and                                         that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was                                          desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and                              ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he                                   ate.

                                                ⁷Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew                                         that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves                                                   together and made themselves loin coverings.

          After reading those verses there two things which come to mind;

                  

                   1.       Knowing what God really said and doing it could have stopped                                            the discussion.

                   2.       Reason, is the greatest obstacle of obedience and faith.

         

          What should the woman have done? RUN

          E.      Faith & Works;

          James could be accused of being single minded.  When reading the Bible a sign something is important is the frequency of its' use.  In Chapter 2 from verse 14 to 26 James relates "faith and works" 10x's.  Could there be a pattern here?  Taking that same idea about the frequency of use holding importance, two other words may hold the key to James Epistle.  "Ask and pray",  if one word described a characteristic of prayer it would be "faith," applying that "faith" results in "works".

          When we want to imply someone is inseparable from another person we say they are like "Siamese twins" joined together.  That is what James is trying to tell us "faith and works" are inseparable just as "pray and ask" are inseparable.  

         

                   Hebrews 11:6 (NASB95)

                                                ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he                                               who comes to God must believe that He is and that He                                       is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

                  

Matt. 7:13   Gate/small                      Way/narrow                   Destination/few

                   Faith                              Believe                           Trust realized

                   Entrance                        Travel                            Eventual

                   Justification                             Sanctification                 Glorification

                                                          pisteou

                   Review;

                   If we outlined James;

                             Testing of your faith produces endurance

                             Pray (ask God for wisdom)

                             Lust ends in death (not enough prayer)

                             Hearers of the word show true religion in word & deed

                             Faith & works are always together

                             Pray with right motives (usually for others)

                             Pray in faith ( remember Hebrews 10:6 )

                             Prayer of righteous affects much

                                      (prayer and righteousness are friends)

                             Prayer saves souls and cover a multitude of sins

                                      (extends the boundaries of God's kingdom)

                            

                   James real message could be, "prayer is the proof of our                           faith",  that proof since Jesus told us in Matthew 6 to pray in secret is     known only by God.  For sure He knows what kind of faith we         have, if our faith is measured by how much pray. 

                   No wonder they called James "camel knees", all he wanted              to talk about was prayer.  I guess that is what happens when                     you are visited by God.

                  

                   Like all good Bible lessons you should leave this morning with       two questions on your mind;

                   1.       Do I pray enough?   If you answer yes you need to repent                                            from that lie to yourself / if no ?

                   2.       What I am going to do about it? 

Tamil Christian Song – Aruvadai kalam nokki - Harvest is Plentiful and the workers are few!

A Periodical letter to our subscribers: Dear beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus,

Greetings in the mighty name of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

Let us live a life of witnessing Christ Jesus in our day to day life.  Let our colleagues come to know the true God through us! People need to see the real Christians! Let the Aroma of Christ Jesus shine through us in our office, our community, our neighborhood, our city, our district, our state, our country, the 10/40 window and to the ends of the earth. We are the witnesses of God through Christ Jesus empowered by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let us remember, God sent His only son Lord Jesus Christ to this world to rescue and deliver us from sin and its bondage. God has sent the Holy Spirit to us to be A BOLD witness for Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus sent one of His disciples Thomas (The disciple who touched Him and said ‘my LORD and my God’) to India. He was martyred in Chennai for his Christian faith. In addition, God has sent many missionaries (Medical, Educational and Spiritual) to us. So, we have a great responsibility to share the love of Christ Jesus to those who don’t know Him.

Whatever changes might happen in the Government sector or  laws may come against the King of Kings and Lord of Lords’ disciples remember our weapons are not of this world (Ephesians 6: 12).We need faith and obedience to carry out the will of God wherever He has kept us! Be a mission minded and Christ centered missionary in the market place. Let us be more conscious of Holiness in our thought life and day to day communications!

Keep watching and Praying so that you will not fall in to temptation (Matthew 26; 41).

Let us pray to God for a supernatural protection of His people, wherever they are! Pray especially for those in the northern parts of our country. Let us sing “Quiet Halleluiahs” and “Secret Victories” every moment of life, like most of the inner organs of our well-functioning body.

Forward ever …. Backward Never!

He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance! ACTS 28: 31

ACTS 29 Adventure Continues through You

By

Vision Inscribed Team contact us: visioninscribed@gmail.com

Our blog: http://kingofkingsvisioninscribed.blogspot.com/

Can Conversions be Stopped?
R. Stanley
The ordinance the Government of Tamilnadu brought out in 2002 to ban forcible religious conversions triggered controversy all over Tamilnadu and the Country, both within Christian circles and other communities. The reactions of the leaders of the various sections of the Church were varied. There were protest fasts, marches and closure of Christian institutions. The simple-minded and sincere Christians were thrown in a wilderness of confusion as to how they must respond to this Ordinance of Prohibition of Forcible Conversions. As a Bible teacher and a Mission mobilizer for over four decades, and as a Tamil Christian, I present here my viewpoint. “I think I also have the Spirit of God” (1 Cor 7:40).
Ordinances against conversions should not surprise Christians, especially those in India. Anticonversion bills have been in force in the States of Orissa and Madhya Pradesh for many many years. Pioneer missionaries working in these States are used to all these bills. In fact, Church growth is only vigorous in such places. Immediately after mentioning the word “church” for the first time, Jesus declared, “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it!” (Mt 16:18). The building of the Church and battling against Satan will always go together (Neh 4:17). We must not forget what Pharaoh and his task-masters did to the people of God in Egypt. “The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew” (Ex 1:12). Mr. C. Rajaji that great Indian statesman had the wisdom to understand this. He admonished antichristian leaders, “Don’t crush Christians; they are bed-bugs!” There was not a single period in the entire Church history when evangelism was not opposed.
The Anti-conversion bill says that no one should be converted from one religion to the other “by force, allurements or fraudulent means.” In a country like India where superstitions and sentimentality overrule rational thinking, how will anyone give up his religion if he is forced? It would have been sensible if an ordinance to ban defections from one political party to another had been promulgated! Only politicians are telling outright lies and giving false promises to the illiterate masses of the country and “allure” them to their parties for self-interest.
Jesus promised peace, joy, forgiveness and eternal life to the people. If this is called “allurement,” sorry, we can’t help it! All Christians are commissioned by Christ to proclaim the Gospel of these blessings to everyone on earth. The authority for this proclamation is given to them by Jesus the King of kings (Mt 28:18-20). No government can take away this authority from them. Preaching the Gospel to the non-christians is statutory and obligatory for Christians. Missionary work and evangelism are not optional for the Church. A Christian who does not make others Christians has failed in his calling. Any follower of Jesus has to be a “fisher of men” (Mt 4:19).
We are not doing acts of charity to convert people but to comfort them in their suffering because they are helpless. Why did Mother Teresa (1910-1997) pick up babies from garbage, and the dying from the streets, and treat them in her home? Why did the Australian Missionary Doctor, Graham Staines (1941-1999) leave his country and work among lepers in Orissa? We are imitating our Heavenly Father who “makes His sun shine on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Mt 5:45). If folks are attracted to Christianity because of its selfless and sacrificial service, and love for the poorest of the poor and the downtrodden and the untouchables, is it “allurement?” Undoubtedly such laws will become a hindrance to the yeomen services rendered by several Christian relief agencies for the poor and the marginalised. In fact the Gospel of Christ enlightens the illiterates and protects them from being exploited by cunning businessmen who fund corrupt politicians.
God who sits in the heavens laughs at the antichristian rulers because they are fighting a losing battle. I sincerely urge all of them to read the second chapter of the Book of Psalms in the Bible and be instructed.
I predict that such laws will usher in an unprecedented revival in the Indian Church. In order that God’s ultimate purpose in letting the rulers promulgate such laws may not be defeated, I present here some practical counsel for all Christians to follow.
1. Let prayer for missions and evangelism be our top priority. When the first century preachers of the Gospel were threatened, the first thing they did was bending of their knees before the God of heaven and earth (Acts 4:23-30). This prayer is worth memorizing. God honoured this prayer by filling the believers with sublime boldness through the Holy Spirit (v 31). Preachers and people have spent too much time in praying for head aches and stomach pains. It’s time we bring the proclamation of the Gospel and salvation of men and women to the top of our prayer list (1 Tim 2:1-7).
2. Let the entire Church be mobilized for soulwinning and evangelism. Teach every Christian how to win souls for Christ. The results of personal evangelism will outwit that of public meetings. Conduct more missionary conventions and soulwinning classes than healing campaigns. This may be the final hour of the endtime harvest in India. Give the Sunday morning pulpit to a frontline missionary or a mission leader atleast once a month. Let each member of the congregation catch the missionary vision.
3. Don’t keep on addressing Christians in public meetings, broadcasts and telecasts. The Church has been guilty of evangelising the evangelised, comforting the comforted, blessing the blessed, but neglecting the neg-lected. The Hindu convert preachers must specialise on speaking to and writing for the Hindu majority. The percentage of Christians in India is just about three. Do you know that over 90% of offerings received from people is spent on this small group only? Gross injustice and subtle imbalance!
4. Increase work among youth. College students and other youngsters are enslaved by sex, drugs and movies. They are tired of the hypocrisy and humbug of the politicians. The Church has failed to address the issues of young people specifically. When nearly 50% of the population is below the age of 20, why not one of the 4 or 5 Sundays every month be observed as a Youth Sunday in our Churches? As long as the youth meeting is conducted only as an extra- curricular activity “after” the Sunday Service, we will continue to lose our young men and young women to Lucifer. See how many times the aged John refers to young men in his short Epistle (e.g. 1 Jn 2:12-14). Who should be the main actors in God’s last day outpouring?—“sons... daughters... young men” (Acts 2:17).
5. Avoid using militant language in Gospel preaching. Don’t shout, “India for Christ!” but say “Christ for India!” Christ has not called us to christianize the world but evangelize it. Don’t attack other religions. Don’t preach in front of temples and mosques, and distribute gospel pamphlets in religious festivals of non-christians. Respect the sentimentality of others. Because of the blasphemous remarks made by the leading Baptist preacher Jerry Falwell of USA in October 2002 against Prophet Mohammed, riots were ignited in Maharashtra, India, in which nine people were killed. He later apologised in public and assured that he would always show respect for other religions, faiths and denominations. Preachers, beware of lighting fires that could grow into a terrible conflagration! Jesus grew not only in “favour with God” but also in “favour with men” (Lk 2:52). That was the secret of the daily phenomenal growth of the early Church too (Acts 2:47). Tolerance is a Christian virtue and it is not com-promise. One of the 2 greatest lessons of wisdom in Solomon was that he ruled for 40 years without war. He had the same enemies that Saul and David had, but was at peace with them. They favoured and respected him, which helped to make him great. That’s why God chose him, and not David, to build the Temple (1 Chr 28:2,3,6).
6.  As far as possible, don’t use non-Indian preachers in public meetings. Christianity is already considered as the white man’s religion in India. Don’t we have enough evangelists in India who can preach with cultural under-standing and sensitivity? It is only practical wisdom that we don’t use foreigners in direct evangelism in India. They can help as trainers and equippers in seminaries and seminars. Christianity in India, especially in Tamilnadu, is highly westernised. Apostle Paul released the Gospel from the Jewish clothing. Martin Luther released it from the Latin clothing. Let’s do so from the Western clothing. I often wonder why Christians celebrate English New Year so enthusiastically, but they care the less for the Tamil New Year or Telugu New Year and the like! We Christians speak vernaculars that sound like Greek and Latin to the non-christians. We are yet to realize why God got the New Testament written in Greek the market language and not in Hebrew the religious language of the Jews. Use updated and simplified versions of the Tamil Bible, atleast while addressing non-christians. “Unless we speak words easy to understand, we will be speaking into the air!” (1 Cor 14:9).
7.  The Church is divided and fractured. Jesus said that a kingdom which is divided against itself shall not stand. Satan is not divided. All his workers and agents work in perfect harmony. Shame on us! Stop stealing sheep from other folds. Put an end to fighting over matters which matter not. Don’t attack other churches or preachers in pulpit or print. We quote Paul and argue, “Did he not openly warn people against men like Alexander?” (2 Tim 4:14). This was a personal letter written to an individual. Even the Epistles to Churches were letters for private circulation only. But our magazines are registered with the Registrar of Newspapers in India, and the copies fall in the hands of so many antichristian folks. What foolishness that we attack our own preachers and ministries in our magazines and periodicals! It is betrayal.
8.  God is looking for Josephs and Daniels to be placed in high positions in civil administration. Years ago there were so many Christian IAS officers in the Tamilnadu Secretariat and District administration. Nowadays we hardly come across Christian names in IAS cadre. Christian youngsters are interested in computer science and overseas jobs only. I call upon Christian youngsters to work hard and aspire for administrative posts. We are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world. The society will decay and die without salt and light. Parents, pastors and preachers must motivate their youngsters to face this challenge. Strong Christian presence in the government will influence the decision-makers. For example, the impact left in Collectorates, Directorates and the Secretariat by Tamil Christian IAS officers like Mr. S. P. Ambrose, Mr. Daniel Gunanithi, Mr. Wilfred Davidar and Mr. Jagadeesh Pandian is still sharp.
9.  Let’s multiply our evangelistic activities but do so with wisdom. Preaching of the Gospel is not banned. If such a law would come up, we will have to obey God rather than men (Acts 4:19,20). As per the anti-conversion bills, there are certain legal formalities to be fulfilled before baptising non-christian converts. Let’s go through them. Who knows, this may be God’s way of stopping fake conversions! We already have in the Church more nominals than those really born again. I urge evangelists not to do anything hastily and get everyone into trouble. Zeal without knowledge is dangerous.
 10. The Tamil Christians have perhaps sent more missionaries to North India and spent more money for missions than the Christians of other States during the last five decades and more. “God is not unjust to forget your work and labour of love which you have shown toward His Name” (Heb 6:10). However, in the recent years the Tamil Christians have started to substitute praying and giving for going. When the early Christians lingered on in Jerusalem without moving out to Samaria and other regions beyond, God sent severe persecution among them. The result was, “They were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria... Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the Word” (Acts 8:1,4). Chennai is the Jerusalem of India. If it is to scatter Tamil Christians and Tamil preachers all over North India that God has stirred the rulers to come up with this anti-conversion ordinance, it is welcome!

(My next article, How to Multiply Conversions, is a sequel to this.)
How to Multiply Conversions - R. Stanley
This message is a sequel to my article of the previous chapter, Can Conversions be Stopped? When that was published in the November 2002 issue of the Blessing magazine, I was humbled by the overwhelming response to it from Christians and Church leaders from all over the world. Many acclaimed that it’s a prophetic voice in the wilderness of confusion the Indian Church is passing through.
God never had any surprise in all history and He will never have one in future either. Because He has known the end from the beginning, and as the Alpha and Omega of eternity past to eternity future, He has already taught us in His Scriptures how to defeat the enemy in any situation. It’s now our responsibility to search the Scriptures with the Holy Spirit’s help to work out a sound and successful strategy against the sinister schemes of the serpent.
The Church is the only society on earth that exists solely for the benefit of its non-members! As John Wesley (1703-1791) rightly put it, “The Church has only one business, and that is to win souls!” Christ has not just “commanded” us but “commissioned” us to preach the Gospel. We have no choice. Evangelisation of the world leading to the multiplication of converts is our highest priority. Adverse winds against evangelism may blow more and more vehemently in India in the years to come. The Church of Jesus Christ must be sufficiently equipped for the difficult days ahead. Here’s a list of 7 changes to be effected in our conventional methods so conversions of non-christians to Christ may be multiplied as never before.
1. Public Programmes vs. Personal Work
The impact that mass meetings leave in cities and towns is unmistakable. The Gospel becomes the talk of the town. It serves as an occasion for Christians to come out of their minority complex. But it stirs up the hornet’s nest. The antichristian forces get revived. This of course must be anticipated and can be faced. But what’s discouraging is that the gains in terms of genuine conversions are generally minimal. The amount of time, money and energy spent to conduct big programmes doesn’t seem to be worth it. To worsen the situation, mass meetings in India are usually sponsored and addressed by Western preachers. Non-christians, especially caste Hindus, don’t relish it. Their wrong notions about the origin of Christianity are strengthened.
Christ preached to crowds, but He spent more time with individuals and small groups. Peter and Paul did not always have or look for huge audiences. Conversational evangelism in houses and marketplaces was the most effective method employed by the Lord and the disciples. In spite of the widespread hostility that prevailed in the first century, no one could stop personal soulwinning efforts or conversions. Communism in India grew through tea shops! Let’s spend more time in contacting individuals one by one than for conducting huge meetings. This way we will attract very little public attention but gather a plentiful harvest. I salute Evangelist D. L. Moody (1837-1899) who observed, “Handplucked fruits are the best!”
2. Clergy vs. Laity
God does call certain individuals to give all their time for the work of His Kingdom. They are to be supported by those who are benefitted by the message they proclaim. Churches must 2 have pastors who would spend all their time to tend the flock. Ministries must have leaders and workers who can give all their time to realise the objectives of the organisations. Ordaining anointed Christians exclusively for the ministry of the Church has Scriptural sanction. But in course of time the Body of Christ gets divided into two groups—ministers and non-ministers. This is utterly unscriptural. The ministry of every minister in the Church is to make every member a minister (Eph 4:11,12). There is no non-clergy in the Church. All members are “priests” to worship God (1 Pet 2:5), and to witness for Him (v9).
Unless the doctrine of the priesthood and the prophethood of all believers is restored fully in practice, too few will be attempting to do too big a job accomplishing too little. I am in fulltime Christian service from 1975 and I have been instrumental in leading hundreds of youngsters into fulltime ministry. But I have come to the conclusion that evangelism is too big a task to be left to the professionals. Wars are not fought by Generals but by soldiers! In olden days the Spirit of God came on select individuals only. But the endtime outpouring is promised for “all flesh”— “sons... daughters... young men... old men... men servants... women servants” (Acts 2:17,18). This sort of outpouring is to get every Christian involved in reaching every non- christian (v 21).
I plead with pastors to encourage and give ample freedom to their members to develop creative methods of Gospel communication. In the name of Church order and discipline, don’t try to structuralise every soulwinning effort and kill enthusiasm. Every pastor must remember that it is the sheep which litter and not the shepherd! (Jn 15:16).
3. Mega Structures vs. Smaller Units
The numerical strength of Church congregations has now become the status symbol of many pastors. There’s a rat race among ministers to have the largest Church in the City or the State. Visits to South Korea might have triggered this passion. When temples and mosques have overflowing crowds, it is definitely not wrong to work for an exponential growth in local congregations. Worshipping God and celebrating His praises in huge gatherings is undoubtedly exciting. More the merrier!
However, there are certain inherent evils in mega-Churches. When the number increases too much, interaction between believers and mutual ministry to one another becomes almost impossible. Pastors suffer burn-out when their ministries outgrow their capacity. Too much of time, energy and money will have to be spent for construction and maintenance of buildings. (For a broader treatment, read What about mega-churches? from my book, Bible Answers).
Gathering in the Temple and the synagogues was not a continued practice of the early disciples. The house churches became the beehive of activities including breadbreaking (Acts 2:46; Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19). The Church went underground in China during communistic oppression. A group of small congregations known as Little Flock under the spiritual leadership of Watchman Nee (1903-1972) is an example. The Church not only survived but also thrived!
This is not a call to demolish or dismantle huge structures, but to establish and strengthen smaller units all over cities and towns. Felling a huge tree is compara-tively much easier than weeding a field (Mt 13:29,30). A “little leaven” will leaven the whole lump! (Mt 13:33). It is not by calling people come to our places of worship but by going to their workspots and dwellings, the Church will grow faster. The Church-compound mentality has only hindered Church growth.
3. Para-church organisations also should not go on increasing their size. In times like this, it is safer to have five agencies with 200 staff each than one organisation with 1000 workers.
4. Headquarters vs. Decentralisation
This aspect has specific relevance to missionary organisations, evangelistic associations, relief agencies, and the like. The concept of headquarters became popular a couple of decades ago in pursuit of effective coordination. An undisputed strong leader with the help of associates and assistants would direct the work across the nation from a central office. I believe that this era has come to an end with the changing of times. The old system has to be set aside if the full benefit of the new wine has to be enjoyed. There are several reasons why we must think of decentralisation—
 God raises a man, gives him a message, and a movement is born. This founding leader is usually a dynamic charismatic figure. After him, rarely does a single man come up with equal gifting to succeed him. After Paul it is usually a team of men like Timothy and Titus. There is only one Mother Teresa, and only one Billy Graham. Because the second leaders will be more or less equals, in order to give ample space for originality and creativity, decentralisation is a must.
The central offices of most of the Christian organisations in India are situated in the Southern States. Which means, the keyleaders are stationed in the South. But the most unevangelised parts of the country are in the North. Even though preachers and leaders from South are “visiting” the Northern States for ministry, it is nothing like “staying” in needy areas and creating a sphere of Christian influence. Reaching the North Indian non-Christians will not be effective without reviving the North Indian Christians. Even though the Church was born in Jerusalem, it was Antioch which gave birth to missions. Mobility is the antidote for stagnation.
Enemies of the Gospel will usually target central offices of Christian missions. God is our Protector but we must plan wisely. Otherwise what was the need for Joseph to run away to Egypt with Mary and Baby Jesus at night? God forbid, but even if one office is bombed (!), the activities must not come to a grinding halt. The branch offices should be able to run the show. In this computer age, centralisation is not at all necessary for effective coordination. Do you know that top military officials don’t travel together in a single vehicle? Mission executives and administrators should overcome the carnal desire to keep all files and powers with themselves, and expect coworkers report even breathing and sneezing.
5. Independence vs. Interdependence
To function independently is a basic instinct of the fallen man. Desire for independence in Christian work is usually born out of reluctance for accountability and lust for applause. It’s the devil’s half-truth that we can move faster and accomplish more if we do it all by ourselves.
The last four or five decades (1950-2000) have wit-nessed the mushrooming of scores of indigenous missions in India. Many of them had a legitimate birth, whereas others were reactionary in origin or started by a fresh missiological graduate desirous of doing something for God but was not willing to work with one of the existing structures. Following apostle Paul in spirit, we can of course rejoice that Christ is preached anyway (Phil 1:18). But in the absence of networking and partnership, the wastage of manpower and money because of duplication and unhealthy competition is unimaginable. Even though genuine organisations under God may go on from strength to strength, the Body of Christ as a whole will get weaker and weaker.
It is in crises we seek others. We are jolted to realize that we can’t needle each other any longer because we badly need each other! Each Church denomination and Christian organisation has its strengths and weaknesses. It’s time that 1 Corinthians 12 is expounded afresh from every pulpit. Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones is a favourite of revival preachers (Ezek 37). How can the Church rise up as an army unless “the bones come together, bone to bone” (v7)? Nothing can be accomplished as long as feet are fighting with hands, and eyes with ears (1 Cor 12:15,16).
Our enemy is common. That’s a sufficient reason why we must be united. Unity does not mean agreeing with others in everything. In fact we have more similarities than differences among various Christian groups. The non-Christians and the antichristians look at Christians as a whole. They don’t even know how Roman Catholics and Protestants are poles apart in faith. What an advantage!
Dr. Sam Kamaleson of World Vision was the main speaker in a Pastors Conference in Maharashtra years ago, which I was attending with some of my colleagues. I have forgotten most of what he preached but this: “One horse can pull 2 tons whereas two can pull 27 tons!” (Dt 32:30; Lev 26:8). Evangelism is a proven unifier in Christendom.
I have a long-cherished dream though it may appear presumptuous. Why not Churches hold common worship services localitywise atleast once in three months? Just meeting together, though it may look superficial, will weed out suspicions between leaders and help mutual encouragement. Psalm 133 will no more be just a song. It will become our story!
6. Adults vs. Youth
Youth-oriented programmes are not in proportion to the percentage of youth in our Churches. Youth ministry is not attractive to many preachers because in terms of revenue it is all investment with very little returns. Many youngsters from Christian homes go to Church because they have no other choice. An average Sunday morning sermon hardly has any message for them. Talks of Zion and heavenly Jerusalem are totally irrelevant to them. The theatrical performance and hidden agenda of preachers are nauseating. On the whole, to young people religion is boring. They are just too polite to say that!
I am appalled that even some of the “youth” organisations switch gears to concentrate on adults and general congregations. Youth work is no more their primary objective. Walk into Christian bookstores and find out how many youth books come out each year. Collect all Christian magazines published in India and count how many of them are for youth, or atleast allot pages regularly to address youth issues. Secular press publishes so much to cater to youth. How many Christian TV programmes do target youth? I am not despising old people, but I wonder whether there’s no difference in the Holy Spirit giving “visions” to young people and “dreams” to the old! (Acts 2:17b).
Youth are good in making friends. Their contacts in schools and colleges and workspots are numerous. Friendship evangelism is one of the most effective methods of spreading the Gospel message. Until we have mobilized our youth for evangelism, our manpower will remain low. Youth are arrows in the hands of the Almighty (Psa 127:3-5). They rarely miss the target!
Ministering to youth is an art. Very few are naturally talented for this ministry. I would suggest that every Church sends its pastor for a short-term training in youth ministry — Or, atleast appoint a youth pastor exclusively for work among youth. Elders and committee members must avoid over-interference in youth matters. Tendency for elders to despise youth has always been there (1 Tim 4:12a; 1 Cor 16:10). Sarcastic remarks and unkind comments will quench the enthusiasm of youth. Youth grow when they are trusted and encouraged. They must be given freedom to mix with the youth of other congregations. They will serve as a link between Churches and foster unity.
7. Preaching vs. Publishing
There could be two reasons why God allowed apostle Paul to be imprisoned so often. One, to give him rest amidst his tireless itinerant ministry; second, to give him time so he would sit and write Epistles for the Church of his day and future generations. India over the centuries, especially in the 20th century, has produced some of the finest Bible preachers in the world. The depth of their devotions and richness of their sermons have been unparallelled. But unfortunately, not even 25% of their spoken messages has been published.
I have a great regard for the preachers and Bible scholars of the West. I am highly indebted to them for their commentaries and study aids which I regularly use. But having listened to the preachers of both the hemispheres for nearly four decades, my unbiased comment would be that the Biblical understanding and interpretation of the Easterners are better and deeper than their Western counterparts. But the Western Bible teachers are much more disciplined in writing than the Indians. Lesser publishing facilities in India compared to the West cannot be always quoted as the excuse.
I believe that the winds of opposition to the Gospel which blow all over India carry from God a message to the Indian preachers. Let us not be discouraged by the doors which are getting closed for public preaching. Learn to say no to not-so-important speaking engagements. Spend more time for rigorous study and writing. Away with casual writings for which our periodicals are known. Let’s take advantage of the fast-increasing literacy rate in India. Internet is another God-given tool to get the message across.
When the Jews opposed what Paul and Barnabas spoke, they turned to the Gentiles (Acts 15:46). When the Holy Spirit forbade Paul and his team to preach the Gospel in Asia, they tried to go to Bithinia. When the Spirit would not permit them go there either, they came down to Troas and finally ended up in Macedonia where they got their first European convert (Acts 16:6- 15). When God closes one door, He opens another! Blessed are those who can find it!
http://www.blessingyouthmission.org/