| JOEL-NEWS-INTERNATIONAL-480 * 13 JULY 2004 * WWW.JOELNEWS.ORG IN THIS EDITION: JN480-1. TYPICALLY GOD: A vision of the end-time church JN480-2. PRAYER FOCUS: Darfur area in Sudan JN480-3. NEWS: 500 new house churches in Pakistan JN480-4. WEBLOG: E-church in the Habbo Hotel JN480-5. RESOURCE: Bless this house? JN480-6. RESOURCE: The language of planet Zion --- DONATION - Help us serve the Christian community with high-quality news reports about what God is doing worldwide. Check out the options at http://www.joelnews.org/donation.htm. --- JN480-1. TYPICALLY GOD: A vision of the end-time church In 1954 Argentina experienced a powerful revival. God used Tommy Hicks, an American preacher, to reach six million people, of which 200.000 were saved and many healed. It started when Hicks prayed for president Juan Peron that Jesus would heal him of cancer. Peron was healed and as a result he opened all stadiums in Argentina for Hicks' crusades. In 1961 Hicks received a heavenly vision of the end-time church, that is still encouraging and challenging many Christians today. "At that moment there came a great thunder that seemed to roar from the heavens. I turned my eyes toward the heavens and suddenly I saw a figure in white, in glistening white - the most glorious thing that I have ever seen in my entire life. I did not see the face, but somehow I knew it was the Lord Jesus Christ, and he stretched forth his hand upon the nations and the people of the world - men and women. As he pointed toward them, this liquid light seemed to flow from his hands into them, and a mighty anointing of God came upon them, and those people began to go forth in the name of the Lord. "I watched these people as they were going to and fro over the face of the earth. Suddenly there was a man in Africa and in a moment he was transported by the Spirit of God, and perhaps he was in Russia, or China or America or some other place, and vice versa. All over the world these people went, and they came through fire, and through pestilence, and through famine. Neither fire nor persecution, nothing seemed to stop them. I realize that I never saw a church, and I never saw or heard a denomination, but these people were going in the name of the Lord of Hosts. Tens of thousands, even millions seemed to come to the Lord Jesus Christ as these people stood forth and gave the message of the kingdom, of the coming kingdom, in this last hour. "When one would stumble and fall, another would come and pick him up. There were no 'big I' and 'little you', but every mountain was brought low and every valley was exalted, and they seemed to have one thing in common - there was a divine love that seemed to flow forth from these people as they worked together, and as they lived together. It was the most glorious sight that I have ever known. Jesus Christ was the theme of their life. They continued and it seemed the days went by as I stood and beheld this sight. I could only cry, and sometimes I laughed." LINK: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~revival/hicks.html --- JN480-2. PRAYER FOCUS: Darfur area in Sudan Continue to pray for Sudan's Darfur area. Let's pray that the government will take the action it has promised against the Arab militias who are carrying out genocide. Pray for peace and healing and humanitarian relief to come to this troubled area and its suffering people. More than 30,000 have been killed there since February of last year. Merciful God Make yourself known to the people of Sudan Shelter the widow and child Comfort those who are weary and afraid Bring relief to all who hunger and thirst In your saving justice turn your ear to me, make haste. Compassionate God Centre our thoughts on those who suffer unseen and in silence Move us to recall our shared humanity Unite us in our determination to respond May our prayer be heard: our action swift My trust is in you, Yahweh; I say, 'You are my God' (based on Psalm 31) Source: IPC, CAFOD --- JN480-3. NEWS: 500 new house churches in Pakistan The church planting movement which began in Pakistan in 1999 continues to grow rapidly. Last year another 500 house churches were planted, each with at most 50 members; the churches divide when they reach that size. Another 500 new churches are planned for 2004, along with the necessary training centres. A key factor in the growth of the house churches are miracles. An example: A Muslim family's 7-month-old baby had been blind for 3 months. The parents took the child to every witch doctor they could find, but the child's condition progressively worsened. Finally, they took the child to a house church, where they heard the Gospel. During the service, the baby was healed, and the parents accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. LINK: http://www.kingdomministries.ch/aktuell.html --- JN480-4. WEBLOG: E-church in the Habbo Hotel Joel News publisher Marc van der Woude keeps a weblog in which he reflects on God, the Church and daily life. This week he got himself a virtual identity in the Habbo Hotel, an interative environment on the internet where church planters meet for 'pizza' and a good chat. For the more contemplative folks there's a virtual 24-7 prayer room, where you can say a prayer, light a candle and put a post-it prayer memo on the wall. The e-church is among us. LINK: http://marcsmessages.typepad.com/mm/2004/07/chilling_at_the.html --- JN480-5. RESOURCE: Bless this house? Brian McLaren explains in Leadership Journal why efforts to renew the church are often misguided. "We overlook one small detail - whatever we change (style of music, style of preaching, use of art, candles, incense, etc.), we're not changing the thing that needs changing most. "The greatest heresy of monotheism is cherishing Clause A of the Abrahamic call while conveniently suppressing, forgetting, or ignoring Clause B. So, we want to be blessed (big, exciting, vibrant, wealthy, healthy, wise). We want to be great (a great nation, a great denomination, a great congregation). To this end we pray and pay and read and plead and strive and strain and yearn and learn and groan and labor. And we give birth to wind. Meanwhile, might God be otherwise occupied, scanning the earth for people who will also cherish Clause B: to be made into a great blessing, so that all people on earth can be blessed through us." LINK: http://makeashorterlink.com/?O29F12AC8 --- JN480-6. RESOURCE: The language of planet Zion Ron Martoia explains in Leadership Journal why people today wonder what on earth we're talking about when we speak Christianese. "Words carry all sorts of definitional freight, and we can't assume our words conjure up the same images in everyone's minds. We need some dialogue on the Christian lexicon. Many of the words we use are words our people inside the church have only vague understandings of, and worse yet, those outside the church have little, if any, accurate reference point. Their minds will fill the gaps with explanations from People magazine or a rerun of Friends." Therefore Martoia changed the lexicon in his local church. Sermon has been replaced by 'weekend talk', evangelism by 'spiritual conversations', discipleship by 'replication', gospel by 'breaking news flash', church membership by 'partnership' and conversion by 'allegiance to God's kingdom'. LINK: http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2004/002/3.33.html --- COLOPHON Joel News International is a leading special interest bulletin on prayer, church growth and revival. We offer a keen selection of the most encouraging news reports, the most challenging developments and the best resources from over 100 reliable sources in six continents. Joel News International is a great help and time-saver for thousands of Christian leaders and intercessors in over 120 nations. Editor: Marc van der Woude. You can contact the editorial office at joel-news@xs4all.nl. Joel News International is distributed weekly by e-mail on the basis of an annual donation. For more information see http://www.joelnews.org/donation-jni.htm#options. Has this bulletin been forwarded to you? Then subscribe directly by sending an empty e-mail to: subscribe-joel-news-international@xc.org. |
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