Author: Rev. Obadiah Swen
THE FAST GOD HAS CHOSEN – PART 2
Isaiah 58:6-12
“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
(The 12 specific benefits of Prayer and Fasting continue from yesterday)
The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil everywhere. Prayer, in one phase of its operation, is a disinfectant and a preventive. It purifies the air; it destroys the contamination of evil. Prayer is no fitful, short-lived thing. It is no voice crying unheard and unheeded in the silence. It is a voice which goes into God’s ear, and it lives as long as God’s ear is open to holy pleas, as long as God’s heart is alive to holy things. God shapes the world by prayer. Prayers are eternal. The lips that uttered them may be closed in death, the heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God, and God’s heart is set on them and prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them; outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world. Read the Rest…
THE FAST GOD HAS CHOSEN – PART 1
Isaiah 58:6-12
“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
The prayers of God’s people are the resources that Christ uses in heaven to carry out His great work upon the earth. People are saved, healed and delivered, when prayers are more numerous, and effective. It is true that the greatest successes that come to God’s Kingdom are created and carried on by prayer. Mighty things happen in our lives, families, communities, nations and world when God’s Church comes into its inheritance of great faith and fervent prayer. When God’s house on earth is a house of prayer, then God’s house in heaven is busy and all potent in its plans and movements, then His earthly armies are clothed with the triumphs and spoils of victory and His enemies defeated on every hand. Read the Rest…
INTRODUCTION PART 4
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“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28
(Ed’s story continues from yesterday)
Ed challenged the pastors to establish a perimeter of godliness in the city. The original group of pastors responded. They did this by meeting regularly for prayer, intercession and accountability. This was a positive beginning in a city where were 68 of the 70 existing congregations were the result of church splits. As the pastors met, God met with them. The Holy Spirit began to work in their lives and soon a deep bond of love had enveloped them completely. At one of those meetings, one of the pastors said, “I want you to know that I love you, guys. You have become an integral part of my life. I don’t think I can do it alone as I used to. I need you! I wonder if we could have the Lord’s Supper today?” Never before had the Lord’s Supper been celebrated outside of a local church, and it had always been for the benefit of the members of that church. Radical new ground was being broken.
Another pastor responded by saying, “If we are going to have the Lord’s Supper, I need to wash your feet. I have been so aloof and so proud in the past. I must wash your feet.” This act of sincere humility was quickly reciprocated by others in the group. Everyone seemed to be saying, “I want to do it first.”
Lacking the elements—since it was a totally unexpected idea—they used crackers and orange juice, which one of them bought at the small market next door. It didn’t matter. Never before had the cleansing blood of Jesus flowed in a more palpable way, nor was His body ever more tangible than when those sincere pastors passed around the cup with the orange juice and broke the crackers after having washed each others’ feet. Read the Rest…
INTRODUCTION PART 3
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But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ Acts 26:16-18 (NKJV)
(Ed’s story continues from yesterday)
The day they met with the pastors to officially suggest the outline for “Plan Resistencia.” The presence of God was there. Intense and extensive prayer had preceded our gathering.
Ed spoke from 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (NIV). He reached the pinnacle of my message when he described my dream about an entire city hearing the gospel. He spoke about 500 neighborhood prayer cells interceding for each section of the city; about celebrations of unity when different congregations in the city would come together to minister to the needs of the lost; about the day when every home in the city would be visited and every inhabitant would hear God’s voice; about thousands of sinners saved by, and washed in, the blood of Jesus; of angels celebrating nonstop because sinners, lots of them, were coming to Christ day after day.
At that moment, the pastors—all of them—stood up and began to clap enthusiastically. A spontaneous explosion of joy, orchestrated by the Holy Spirit, had occurred. They were clapping for the Chief Shepherd, Jesus. In typical Acts 2:17 fashion, the old pastors saw it through the lens of their dreams, and the young ones through their visions. All of a sudden, God had spoken and everybody knew that He was ready to pour out His Spirit upon Resistencia. It was a sacred time. That was the day “Plan Resistencia” was born.
Actually, “Plan Resistencia” is an acknowledgment of God’s love for the lost in the city and the Church’s commitment to the biblical principles of unity, holiness and prayer. It was appropriate that the pastors responded through such a spontaneous outburst of joy in the Spirit. Like young couples on their wedding day, they knew nothing about the details of the future, but they were committed to God and to each other for the sake of His Church and the lost in the city. (Read more about Ed’s story on tomorrow’s devotion.) Read the Rest…
INTRODUCTION PART 2
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If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. 2 Chronicles 7:14-16 (NKJV)
(Ed’s story continues from yesterday)
They chose Resistencia for a number of reasons. First, they were invited by several pastors who had been meeting regularly. Second, the city had an unusually low percentage of believers (1.5 percent of the total population), which made it an excellent testing ground for their principles. Third, Resistencia is a key city in northern Argentina. Like Ephesus in the book of Acts, Resistencia is a “mother of cities” all over the Argentine Chaco. Fourth, the city was under the spell of a satanic principality called “San La Muerte” (Spanish for “Saint Death”). Its roots go back to the founding of the city.
Resistencia was designed to be a military outpost on the western bank of the Parana River to defend the wealthy city of Corrientes across the river. Most soldiers at the time were recruited from among the prison population of Argentina and many “agreed” to serve in the army because it was the only way out of that miserable life. The military outpost was no match for the large Indian population, and the soldiers’ greatest fear was death by torture at the hands of the Indians. This fear, along with local fetishism and African/Brazilian voodoo, gave birth to the cult of San La Muerte. Those who made a pact with San La Muerte were promised a painless death, which met the deepest felt need of the desperate soldiers. As a city grew around the military outpost, these beliefs and practices were passed on to its inhabitants. Even though the people of Resistencia are well educated and there is a prosperous middle class, in 1988 the entire population was touched in one way or another by this local cult. Read the Rest…
INTRODUCTION PART 1
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“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9
Ed Silvoso shared the story of how they began to implement the plan to reach the city of Resistencia in Argentina for Christ. Chuck Starnes and his wife, Sandy joined their ministry team in 1987, just in time to direct the logistical aspects of Dr. David Yonggi Cho’s visit to Argentina. Dr. Cho asked them to organize his seminar. Seven thousand pastors and leaders from all over Argentina and neighboring countries attended the four-day seminar. They worked very hard to make it a truly interdenominational event. It was a resounding success with all denominations benefiting from it. Everybody was there and went away blessed. Dr. Cho’s visit catapulted Ed and his team to national prominence. They received immediate visibility all over the nation. Their dreams began to materialize on a national scale. Requests for help came from all over the nation.
Following Dr. Cho’s seminar, Chuck felt led to visit Resistencia which had a population of 400,000, in northern Argentina, to assess the potential for a citywide outreach. Chuck also had a passion for seeing an entire city evangelized. His passion for the lost and his love for the Church were contagious. He was determined to follow God at any cost. He was instrumental in discerning that Resistencia was the place where they should try their ideas and spiritual insights on “city taking.” Chuck is the one who laid down the foundation for “Plan Resistencia.” (Read more about Ed’s story on tomorrow’s devotion.) Read the Rest…
CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW
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This fall, our church will be participating in a 40 Days of Reaching Cities and Communities for Christ Campaign, which will run for seven weekends beginning on Sunday, October 1, 2017 and ending on Sunday, November 12, 2017. This spiritual growth campaign which includes 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting is designed to focus on two of God’s most important commission to His people: “Prayer and Evangelism.” The events of the Campaign will give us opportunities to commit to habits of spiritual growth, memorize scripture, fellowship with other believers, serve in ministry, share our faith, and learn to live a lifestyle of worship to the glory of God. We are excited as we envision our entire congregation living in alignment with God’s purposes for their lives, and the impact this could have on our church and our communities! Read the Rest…
INTRODUCTION – PART 2
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“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans–in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.” Daniel 9:1-3
Another example which supports our need for prayer is found in the life of Daniel. In 606 B.C. Israel had been taken captive by another nation because of its sin. Years later in Daniel 9 we are told that while reading the prophet Jeremiah’s writing, Daniel discovered it was time for Israel’s captivity to end. Jeremiah had not only prophesied the captivity of which Daniel was a part, but he also prophesied the duration: 70 years.
At this point Daniel did something very different from what most of us would do. When we receive a promise of revival, deliverance, healing, and restoration, we tend to passively wait for its fulfillment—but not Daniel. He knew better and somehow he must have known that God needed his involvement because he said, “So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes” (Daniel 9:3). Read the Rest…
INTRODUCTION – PART 1
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“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
In 1 Kings 18 we find the story of God needing and using a person to accomplish His will through prayer. It is the account of Elijah praying for rain after three years of drought. James 5:17, 18 also mentioned this occasion, and we know from his account that Elijah’s prayers did not only bring rain, but they also stopped the rain three years earlier.
The Bible tells us that after three years of judgment, God spoke to Elijah and said, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.” Then after several other events have occurred, Elijah prayed seven times and finally the rain came.
According to the statement in 1 Kings 18:1, it was God’s will, idea and timing to send the rain, yet it took a Elijah’s prayers to “birth” the rain. Read the Rest…
40 DAYS OF PRAYER AND FASTING – CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW
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Dear Christian Friend,
This fall, our church will be participating in 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting, which will run from, Sunday, October 02, 2016 and ending on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016. This spiritual growth initiative is designed to answer God’s most important call to His people: “Intercessory Prayer.” All around the world, there is a growing concern about the spiritual health of our churches, communities and nations. Important Biblical principles that have kept us strong and blessed our churches, communities and nations are being neglected. This is a matter for concern, and more importantly it is a matter for prayer.
The purpose of this unique initiative called 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting is to help believers to pray fervently and strategically for Bethel World Outreach Church-City of Glory, Bethel World Outreach Ministries International and the United States of America. Read the Rest…