TIME TO BREAK OUT AND BREAK THROUGH

A true New Testament church is a breeding ground for ministers like Stephen, the miracle working preacher who challenged the unbelieving religious authorities and became the first martyr.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer challenged the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler and the church leaders who sold their souls by working with the Nazis. Bonhoeffer was hanged but his ministry lives on.

In a true New Testament church, you may find  people like Philip, the miracle working preacher who was sent by an angel to a country road to explain the message of Jesus to a foreign government official.

Acts 8:26 (ESV)  Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.

There was a senior leader in the Government of Ethiopia, a nation never before reached with the message of Jesus.

Acts 8:29-31 (ESV)   And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”

True New Testament believers follow God’s instructions with boldness. It takes faith and courage to run to meet a foreign government leader when you are a nobody in the world.

Acts 8:30-31 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”  And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.”

God had prepared the foreign leader because he was reading Isaiah Chapter 53 which prophesies the death of Jesus on the cross.

• When the Holy Spirit calls to act with outrageous boldness, be assured HE is God and HE has prepared the hearts of your hearers.

A New Testament church believes for big things, to win cities and nations, and not only individuals.

• The Ethiopian eunuch was a senior government official who could turn his country to Jesus. Ethiopia even today stands as a Christian nation surrounded by Islam.

A pastor in Asia only had a small congregation but he believed he was called to make disciples of NATIONS, not only of some people in nations.

Mt 28:18 (ESV)  And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

• Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...

A poor woman in his congregation embraced the vision and prayed that she would disciple her nation. She sold ice cream in the street.. 

• One day a well dressed man bought her ice cream. He asked her why her ice cream was so delicious. She told him she believed Jesus and prayed for God to bless her ice cream. 

The man was the governor of the city and he became a Christian. He immediately changed the way he ruled and started teaching Christianity to city government staff.

Asia has worshipped idols and dark spirits for thousands of years but there are spiritual revolutions happening in many places because followers of Jesus have embraced the big vision of Jesus. 

Australians, Americans, British, Germans, Europeans: it is time to join the revolution of the Kingdom of God.

• What happened in the Acts of the Apostles is happening again all around the world.

Well known English Atheist Journalist Adriaan Wooldridge has written a book, GOD IS BACK... 

"The sort of religion that is on the rise is the emotive, assertive charismatic religion," he said. "It's compelling Catholicism in Latin America to change. 

There's a physical surprise when you go to Guatemala and see how vibrant the charismatic and Pentecostal movements are. It is the same thing in Lagos and Nairobi. I went into my research underestimating the power and vitality of religion. 

"What also struck him were the 443,000 full-time Christian missionaries worldwide plus 1.6 million Christians a year who go on short-term missions. Wooldridge sees Christianity remaining the world's largest religion. 

Review quoted from:
The Australian Prayer Network Newsletter.
http://ausprayernet.org.au/