Acts 2:41-43
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
The first church was an apostolic church. It was a sent church. This is what it means to be apostolic. Any church that is a country club whose mission is to keep its members safe, happy and docile is not an apostolic church. It is doubtful it is a church at all. An apostolic church is actively seeking to advance the Kingdom of God. Notice I did not say evangelize. Evangelization is the one step.... not the first.... in being sent. It is not the whole thing.
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 1920 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
We are sent to build the Kingdom of God everywhere. In order to accomplish this magnificent task we must have power from on high.
Acts 1:8
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
The first church was an apostolic church. It was a sent church. This is what it means to be apostolic. Any church that is a country club whose mission is to keep its members safe, happy and docile is not an apostolic church. It is doubtful it is a church at all. An apostolic church is actively seeking to advance the Kingdom of God. Notice I did not say evangelize. Evangelization is the one step.... not the first.... in being sent. It is not the whole thing.
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 1920 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
We are sent to build the Kingdom of God everywhere. In order to accomplish this magnificent task we must have power from on high.
Acts 1:8
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
Our part in procuring this power is the simple act of prayer.
Acts 1:9-14
And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14These all with one mind (were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14These all with one mind (were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
"Continually devoting themselves to prayer." We know the result of that continual prayer.
Acts 2:1- 11
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
History shows that when believers have taken prayer seriously power has always come from on high to advance the kingdom of God.
Prayer is the key to unlock God's resources of provision, protection and presence. When we pray the Kingdom of God advances.
August 13, 1727 A group of refugees from Moravia living on the estate of Count Ludwig Zinzendorf began a 24 hour a day prayer advance they called "The Watch." It lasted continuously for over one hundred years. Virtually every mission of the church since has been birthed or effected by the prayer ministry that began that day.
I can recount many similar experiences where history clearly shows that a devotion to unceasing prayer always results in major advances in the kingdom of God. The point is when the church takes up its apostolic mandate of devotion to prayer God will advance His Kingdom.
Now I am going to say something that may shock some as it did when John Wesley said it. Wesley was led to Jesus by the Moravians. He understood the power of prayer. He saw the result of it directly as he followed the passion of the one who led him to faith. He said,
"Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth. God does nothing but in answer to prayer."
John believed it and saw it happen.
A little known aspect of Charles Finney's work was the prayer ministry behind it. Daniel Nash prayed continuously for him. He took as his final work of life to spend most of the day praying for the work Finney did. It was met with heaven's power. Within three months of Daniel's death in 1822 Finney stopped his crusades as the touch of God had gone from them. He acknowledged that he knew the power behind his work was not himself alone. He knew that God blessed his meeting because of Daniel's prayers.
Dick Eastman took up this apostolic call on Thanksgiving Day 1971 in California. He tells of the vision he had.
“A detailed vision of the promise given seven years earlier followed. I saw a powerful prayer army involving a people who walked with God. Their power was found in answered prayer Holiness was their joy. Hundreds were joining the ranks as they marched. A revival followed in the wake of their marching.”
“Suddenly, the vision became specific—so specific I had to grab a page of scratch paper and write what I saw. Before me stood a large wood frame structure. It was a house, a very large house, and Christian young people were coming and going. Those residing in this house were here to pray and minister to the Lord. I saw a catchy title written on the outside of the center. It read: ‘THE FIRE HOUSE.’ An occupant explained the reason for the name to me, ‘Every town has a fire house to put out fires. We want to see a special ‘Fire House’ in each community to start fires—fires of revival. That’s our ministry, we start fires!”
“Once inside the center, I saw the key to the whole program. Glancing to my right I noted a special room, marked by a sign attached to the door. Large letters across the top declared: ‘THE GAP.’ Below in smaller letters, was printed: ‘I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land (Ezekiel 22:30).
“I opened the door slightly. There a young lady stood near the middle of the room, looking down upon the globe. She was earnestly praying for different countries of the world. Following this individual came another, then another, and still another. It continued day and night without ceasing. Prayer, actual intercessory prayer, never ceased in this most extraordinary room. Intense intercessory prayer took place 24/7 in this room. The Gap was the focal point of the ministry.”
“As the Spirit of God continued in this unusual tour, I watched the participation of the youth more carefully. They were not “spiritual critics”—the kind of people who think the church has failed miserably. They respected and supported the church.”
“The Vision continued and I jotted down my every observation. A definite key to the ministry, I noted, was centered in the spiritually mature couple directing the program. They served as resident directors under the executive leaders of the project—the local pastor.”
“Each participant of this center came with the understanding of giving a year of his/her life to prayer and evangelism. The first 6-months were given to prayer. The second 6-months were given to evangelism. These youth, in return, received a small weekly allowance for personal needs, food, lodging and gas while ministering. They honored and respected the local church and the local church was rejoicing too because it cost them little to maintain this ministry, though it provided an abundance of helpers for all phases of church activity. The main bulk of those participating were the ‘Cream of the Crop’ high school graduates who were talented and committed and carried Holiness [Isaiah 62:12].”
From The Purple Pig and Other Miracles, Dick Eastman, Copyright in 1974 pages 63-67
The house was purchased, the young people came and the Kingdom of God was advanced mightily. He later founded the World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs. Virtually every prayer ministry that has be birthed in the years since can find it's roots in the Fire House Dick began.
Inspired by these examples in my own city a small group of young people started a similar prayer advance on a smaller scale. One group prayed as a group all night every Friday night Another group had an extended meeting very early in the morning on another day. They did this for almost four years.The church they attended experienced God's power in an astounding way. When the prayer focus ended so did the renewal.
These are examples of the way the world can be changed as we are on our knees.
A life giving apostolic church will be one that understands her first act of being sent is to go to the Father in continual devoted prayer.
I can recount many similar experiences where history clearly shows that a devotion to unceasing prayer always results in major advances in the kingdom of God. The point is when the church takes up its apostolic mandate of devotion to prayer God will advance His Kingdom.
Now I am going to say something that may shock some as it did when John Wesley said it. Wesley was led to Jesus by the Moravians. He understood the power of prayer. He saw the result of it directly as he followed the passion of the one who led him to faith. He said,
"Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth. God does nothing but in answer to prayer."
John believed it and saw it happen.
A little known aspect of Charles Finney's work was the prayer ministry behind it. Daniel Nash prayed continuously for him. He took as his final work of life to spend most of the day praying for the work Finney did. It was met with heaven's power. Within three months of Daniel's death in 1822 Finney stopped his crusades as the touch of God had gone from them. He acknowledged that he knew the power behind his work was not himself alone. He knew that God blessed his meeting because of Daniel's prayers.
Dick Eastman took up this apostolic call on Thanksgiving Day 1971 in California. He tells of the vision he had.
“A detailed vision of the promise given seven years earlier followed. I saw a powerful prayer army involving a people who walked with God. Their power was found in answered prayer Holiness was their joy. Hundreds were joining the ranks as they marched. A revival followed in the wake of their marching.”
“Suddenly, the vision became specific—so specific I had to grab a page of scratch paper and write what I saw. Before me stood a large wood frame structure. It was a house, a very large house, and Christian young people were coming and going. Those residing in this house were here to pray and minister to the Lord. I saw a catchy title written on the outside of the center. It read: ‘THE FIRE HOUSE.’ An occupant explained the reason for the name to me, ‘Every town has a fire house to put out fires. We want to see a special ‘Fire House’ in each community to start fires—fires of revival. That’s our ministry, we start fires!”
“Once inside the center, I saw the key to the whole program. Glancing to my right I noted a special room, marked by a sign attached to the door. Large letters across the top declared: ‘THE GAP.’ Below in smaller letters, was printed: ‘I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land (Ezekiel 22:30).
“I opened the door slightly. There a young lady stood near the middle of the room, looking down upon the globe. She was earnestly praying for different countries of the world. Following this individual came another, then another, and still another. It continued day and night without ceasing. Prayer, actual intercessory prayer, never ceased in this most extraordinary room. Intense intercessory prayer took place 24/7 in this room. The Gap was the focal point of the ministry.”
“As the Spirit of God continued in this unusual tour, I watched the participation of the youth more carefully. They were not “spiritual critics”—the kind of people who think the church has failed miserably. They respected and supported the church.”
“The Vision continued and I jotted down my every observation. A definite key to the ministry, I noted, was centered in the spiritually mature couple directing the program. They served as resident directors under the executive leaders of the project—the local pastor.”
“Each participant of this center came with the understanding of giving a year of his/her life to prayer and evangelism. The first 6-months were given to prayer. The second 6-months were given to evangelism. These youth, in return, received a small weekly allowance for personal needs, food, lodging and gas while ministering. They honored and respected the local church and the local church was rejoicing too because it cost them little to maintain this ministry, though it provided an abundance of helpers for all phases of church activity. The main bulk of those participating were the ‘Cream of the Crop’ high school graduates who were talented and committed and carried Holiness [Isaiah 62:12].”
From The Purple Pig and Other Miracles, Dick Eastman, Copyright in 1974 pages 63-67
The house was purchased, the young people came and the Kingdom of God was advanced mightily. He later founded the World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs. Virtually every prayer ministry that has be birthed in the years since can find it's roots in the Fire House Dick began.
Inspired by these examples in my own city a small group of young people started a similar prayer advance on a smaller scale. One group prayed as a group all night every Friday night Another group had an extended meeting very early in the morning on another day. They did this for almost four years.The church they attended experienced God's power in an astounding way. When the prayer focus ended so did the renewal.
These are examples of the way the world can be changed as we are on our knees.
A life giving apostolic church will be one that understands her first act of being sent is to go to the Father in continual devoted prayer.
2 comments:
Great series so far Leonard, I had forgotten how much I miss your teaching.
Thanks Abe! I miss you as well. God bless.
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