I’m not naturally a marketplace minister though I’ve had many marketplace experiences in outreach both personally and in groups. The reason I mention it is because I believe it’s what the Lord is asking of his Church, and as soon as possible. I’ve arrived at this conclusion recently, though the learning process has been at work in me for decades. The culmination of my reasoning with God began with the observation that our nation was in rapid moral decline, as observed by every Christian with eyes open for over a decade, likely two.
Somewhat simultaneously our country experienced a sharp and sustained increase of immigrants, legal and otherwise, mostly otherwise. Not all immigrants are undesirable but American citizens have observed a steady and substantial rise in anti-American people and groups within our population. No one knows how many there are or what may be their motivation, but often, those immigrants who have broken the law and been apprehended have frequently been identified as illegal immigrants after receiving due scrutiny. Foreign nationals with grievances against the United States.
I’ve heard people suggest that God has judged America because of our appetite for drugs, pornography, and abortion and therefore determined to bring the country down. I don’t subscribe to this theory. Primarily because the Church, the agent of God’s grace to the world, is present in America and praying, repenting, and seeking the Lord’s face, forgiveness and renewal. Still, if God simply lifted His hand from our country, the error of our ways would be immediately experienced. “Maybe the Lord’s lifting His hand a bit?” so, I reasoned. After all, we see in Scripture that God will often allow foreigners to invade or attack his people if they forsake Him and His Covenant. So, I thought, maybe God is still for America, but allowing our enemies to invade us to turn us back to Him.
Years earlier, the Lord reminded me of a meeting that Nancy and I had attended back in the early 90’s when a Vineyard Ministries leader in Anaheim, California interviewed Leonard Ravenhill, “for posterity.” (Leonard was on in years even at that time.) The one question that caught my spirit was the softball question that everyone receives in a longevity/posterity interview:
Interviewer: “What would be the one thing that you would say to the generation of Christians following you?”
Without so much as taking a breath, Leonard replied:
“Throughout history there has always been at least one person on the earth who carries the Word of God and the Fire of God. (The Fire of God is the ability to do the Word of God.) We all know these men and women. The likes of George Whitfield, Jonathan Edwards, Smith Wigglesworth, William Branum, William Seymore, Amy Simple McPherson, Kathryn Kuhlman, Oral Roberts and many, many more. Sometimes more than one, but there’s always at least one. Today, there are thousands of these men and women on the earth. You must ask yourself why.” (emp. Mine)
It’s been nearly thirty years since I attended that interview and this question and Leonard’s response is the only thing I can recall of the hours-long interview. I’ve been chewing on Leonard’s response for thirty years. I loved Leonard Ravenhill and truly respected his spiritual experience and mental prowess, but I could not understand for the life of me how a thousand Smith Wigglesworths could possibly be running around on the planet you and I live on without us knowing it. I don’t think one Smith Wigglesworth could exist without our knowing it, (think John Wimber, Randy Clark, Bill Johnson… everybody knows them). It was such a fantastic statement and yet so difficult to accept.
It seemed unusually arrogant for me to simply dismiss Leonard’s statement because I didn’t understand it, and equally unusual to simply accept it as fact, without empirical evidence to support it. So, I held it in my heart, watched and waited.
(For those of you who are new to following Jesus: if you want to understand what the God of Heaven is doing in the affairs of men and His Church, watching and waiting is an essential discipline.)
By the early 2000s we began to see new Christian leaders rise to prominence. For the sake of brevity, I will forego naming those I recognized. Before long there were dozens. Amazing, but a far cry from thousands. I was encouraged because the passing of John Wimber and Jack Heyford, among others, caused me concern for trustworthy leadership going forward. Still, it seemed that the fruition of Leonard’s statement/prophecy seemed far in the distance, or even off the mark.
Not to bore you with intimate details, but let me say that I became aware, as did much of Christendom, of supernatural schools of ministry popping up around the country, and the world. The sizes of graduating classes, though humble, were multiplied each year by their collective number. Additionally, 24-hour prayer movements, which were comprised primarily of young adults and young marrieds, were producing a harvest of praying evangelists moving in power ministry. Followers in various movements, or “streams”, mixed with each other. Today there are numerous movements producing similar results and all of them are mixing together.
“I can see it,” I thought to myself. I could see what Leonard “saw,” thousands of Word-Workers, as John Wimber used to phrase it, were coming of age in our world. I was astounded, delighted, and invigorated. Leonard saw our children! Yes!
The Lord reminded me of the last few words of Leonard’s statement: “You must ask yourself why.”
To provide deliverance, salvation, and healing to the world, I reasoned. God must have big plans.
The time that you and I live on the earth is marked by an incredible distinction that few seem to recognize, though some do, of course. Probably the greatest revival in history is underway in China. Only God knows how many people are being saved (the Church in China is underground). Estimates are beyond extraordinary. There may well be more Christians in China right this moment than there are in the United States. Revival is fully underway in India. Not quite the same as China but similar and gaining momentum. Revival is fully underway in Africa. Revival is underway in Latin America. Revival has begun in Persia, Egypt, and Israel, (what we call the middle east). Northern and Continental Europe are seeing a resurgence in Revival that is growing. Revival is underway in the United States. (If you can’t see it, ask the Lord for eyes to see.) Revival is underway on every continent in the world. Nothing like this has ever happened before. The word “unprecedented” could not be more appropriate.
To say we are alive at a significant time in history is a gross understatement. We may be living in the MOST significant time in history! That’s what I’m thinking.
Would the Lord set the world aflame with His revival fire unless He intends to save?
One last observation to report. Immediately following the 911 destruction in New York, missionaries deployed themselves to the middle east. There was no call to action, no public demonstration, missionaries simply headed to where they perceived the need was great. That’s not unusual for Christians in America. The United States is the most generous nation on earth, and so it should be, since we have great prosperity in Christ. And I don’t mean the government. Americans are an incredibly generous people, especially Christians. We provide missionaries, food, clothing, housing, clean water, farm animals, churches, missions, hospitals, healing and recovery clinics. We are generous and touch the lives of hundreds of thousands of people daily.
The Lord says, “Too slow.” That’s what I hear, too slow.
Though we send a lot of money, provision, and people to the world, the Lord thinks it’s still too slow. He’s bringing the mission field to us!
My neighbors to one side are Indian (I think), African across the street, black next door, white across the street, Chinese a couple doors down, African three doors down and Asian around the corner. We actually have an Indian Temple a few blocks away! I’m sure your neighborhood is similar. We don’t have to go anywhere to reach the nations. They’ve come to us!
The fact that there are thousands of powerful men and women of God coming on the scene is not a coincidence; it is the plan of God for redemption of a nation and the world. But even the thousands are not enough. All hands are needed on deck!
For some time, I’ve felt the Lord draw my attention to my neighborhood. I’ve pastored a church, planted churches overseas and participated in missions to several countries when I was a younger man. I am no longer young, but I can still bear fruit. My neighborhood, parks, and shopping centers are easily accessible. I’ve taken several steps in a simple plan that I hope will become an effective routine.
Let me know if you’re seeing what I’m seeing, and especially if you’re already following a plan and seeing success. It’s kind of difficult to partner in neighborhood ministry, but it’s always valuable to share best practices and encourage one another when we can. Let’s encourage one another!
The greatest move of God is underway on the earth. Be encouraged!
Peace on the Path
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