Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
Daigle's music has topped Christian charts for some time, but her high ranking on a secular chart is a significant indicator of her popularity beyond Christian-music listeners. It's the first song to make such a crossover.
"You Say" stayed at the top of the Christian Airplay chart for 17 weeks since September. And its corresponding album, Look Up Child, still dominates Top Christian Albums.
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A spirit of violence has been loosed. This is not my prophetic utterance, but a snippet from the pivotal prophetic word Cindy Jacobs released just weeks ago.
While massacres are unfortunately nothing new, if you believe Cindy's prophecy—and you should—it's time to fall on your knees and lift up your voice in intercession. The spirit of violence will rage stronger in the days ahead if intercessors do not stand in the gap and make up the hedge.
From schools and malls to nightclubs and churches, the spirit of violence makes no exception for race, culture or nationality. It does not discriminate against the rich, poor or middle class. It takes no prisoners—it instead kills, steals and destroys lives.
In 2007, the Lord warned me of the impending darkness. He said, "Yes, it will grow darker before My light shines brightly from this nation again." The darkness will continue to rise through a spirit of violence and other demonic cohorts as the enemy understands his time is short. Our job is to be the light. Intercession is one way we release light.
Cindy issued a sober "shields up" warning urging prayer just weeks ago. Many responded, but many more need to wake up and rise up so we can shake up the enemy's plots and plans for more murder and mayhem. With the recent forward movement toward righteousness in America—especially on the pro-life front—the enemy is actively seeking people to work his murderous agenda to make up for his losses.
While many in America are grieving the massacres in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas, we weep with those who weep. But let our weeping include groans of intercession. Let our tears be prayers to the Lord of Hosts. Let our shields quench the fiery darts of the enemy. We've been warned, yet violence erupted like a volcano anyway.
These back-to-back massacres represent the first fruits of the spirit of a new wave of violence manifesting what could turn into a tsunami of terror if we don't hit our knees. How will we respond now? How can we pray? (Decrees and prayers modified to the first person.)
Repent on behalf of the violent sins in our nation, past and present.
Plead the blood of Jesus over the nation.
Decree based on Isaiah 60:18 (NKJV), "Violence shall no longer be heard in our land, neither wasting nor destruction within our borders; but we shall call our walls Salvation, and our gates Praise."
Decree based on Psalm 72:14, "God will redeem our life from oppression and violence; and precious shall be our blood in His sight."
Pray according to Ezekiel 7:23 (ESV), "Forge a chain! For the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence."
Pray according to Psalm 18:48 (NKJV): "He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man."
Pray according to Psalm 55:9, "Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I have seen violence and strife in the city."
Pray according to Matthew 16:19, using the keys of the kingdom to forbid the operation of the spirit of violence.
Pray according to 2 Timothy 1:7 to break the power of fear, because God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.
Pray according to Luke 8:17 for the exposure, disbandment and destruction of networks—both human and demonic—of violence in the earth
Of course, pray for those who are grieving the loss of loved ones.
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I've been intrigued recently at the number of times the New Testament epistles speak of people being "ignorant."
The apostles' intent was not malicious nor mean spirited. The Greek word used is agnoeo' and simply means "not knowing." One might say that these people were "uninformed," "unlearned," or "uninitiated." In each reference, they were "biblically illiterate" of the subject or issue.
Biblical illiteracy is a critical problem in our "post-Christian" era. Our modern world has produced a biblically "ignorant" generation, which does not know God nor His prophetic plans for the end of this age.
As such, they are culturally ignorant of His call to repentance and holiness. We must inform, enlighten and seek to save or rescue these ignorant ones, "snatching them from the fire" of hell itself (Jude 1:23, NIV). This is our mission "while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work" (John 9:4, MEV).
Scriptural instruction from the New Testament regarding the biblically "ignorant" can be divided into three areas.
1. Biblical illiteracy has produced a current generation which does not know God.
In Romans 10:3, Paul taught that some were "ignorant of God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God."
When he taught the Romans regarding the grafting in of the Gentile church and the future restoration of Israel, Paul said, "For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, lest you be wise in your own estimation, for a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in" (11:25).
In teaching the Corinthians about spiritual gifts, Paul said: "I do not want you to be ignorant ... you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, 'Jesus be cursed!' And no one can say, 'Jesus is the Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:1-3).
Our natural, sinful inclinations find expression no matter how good we may think we are. Paul told young Timothy that he, previously, as a religious zealot, was "a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and an insolent man. But I was shown mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief" (1 Tim. 1:13).
The writer to the Hebrews spoke of Jesus as our Great High Priest, who "is able to have compassion on the ignorant and on those who are wayward, for he himself is also subject to weakness" (Heb. 5:2).
America was built on the biblical principles held by its founders, and the Bible's precepts were inculcated into our children by songs sung and Scriptures taught. Over the decades and generations, these "God and Country" foundations were reinforced in American schoolhouses and practiced in America's homes.
From this historic heritage, the nation, as a whole, had a strong biblical literacy and respect for biblical principles for most of its nearly 250 years. The God of the Bible was referenced in public documents, carved into declarations on our public buildings/monuments, embraced as our national motto and incorporated on our coins and currency.
Now, however, liberal biases, political correctness and liberal-leaning judicial decisions have dulled our Judeo-Christian values and patriotic expressions. We are left with a generation which does not know nor attempt to serve our great God.
2. Biblical illiteracy has produced a generation which does not know God's plan for the last days.
The apostle Paul praised the believers in Thessalonica, who had "turned to God from idols" and now waited for "His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come" (1 Thess. 1:9, 10). It was a glorious promise of eternal life. But, what if some of them died before the Lord's return?
Paul realized they were somewhat ignorant of God's plan for the last days. He gave them clearer revelation in Chapter four: "I would not have you ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are asleep," [a euphemism for having died], "that you may not grieve as others who have no hope" (1 Thess. 4:13).
Death, dying and grief can consume a lot of man's emotions and resources. Being ignorant of the hope of Christ's return for His own (1 Thess. 4:13-18) continues to leave many with profoundly messed-up lives. They find no comfort. They have no "blessed hope" to sustain them.
Having no hope themselves, unbelievers tend to scoff and scorn those who do. Peter explains that they "willingly ignore" (2 Pet. 3:5b) the fact that:
God once destroyed the world that then existed with a flood and all, except righteous Noah and his family, perished (v. 6).
The heaven and earth that now exist are being reserved for destruction by fire in the "Day of Judgment," which will also destroy the ungodly inhabitants (v. 7).
One day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (v. 8). Those who think the Bible's prophecies of mass destruction and eternal damnation are never going to be fulfilled are "ignorant" and watching the wrong timepiece.
The Lord is not slow but patient! He does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance" (v. 9).
3. Biblical illiteracy has produced a current generation that does not know God's critical call to repentance and holy living.
Continuing to consider Peter's instruction for these last days, we note that he not only speaks of our Lord wanting souls to come to repentance but also warns of future judgment, when the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, in the "day of the Lord," and the elements of this earth will be destroyed with intense heat (2 Pet. 3:10-12).
Accordingly, Peter questions "what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness" (v. 11b).
He reminds us that according to God's promise, "we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells" (v. 13).
Finally, Peter urges us to "be diligent that you may be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless" (v. 14b). Holy living now (by the empowerment of the abiding Holy Spirit) prepares us for living before a holy God, "where righteousness dwells" (v. 13b).
Peter even described the end-times teachings of the apostle Paul as being "hard to understand" (v. 16) but warned that "unlearned and unstable" (v. 16) people distort this "wisdom given to him" (v. 15) "to their own destruction" (v. 16).
Biblical illiteracy about these last days' truths needs to be individually owned and observed! We are all vulnerable, in these wicked times, lest we "also fall from your own firm footing, being led away by the deception of the wicked" (v. 17).
Deception can keep us from practicing continual confession, true repentance and holy living. The solution is Peter's final verse: "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (v. 18). Saturating ourselves in the Word of God is critical to biblical literacy, spiritual growth and victorious Christian living in these last days!
Ordained to the ministry in 1969, Gary Curtis is a graduate of LIFE Bible College at Los Angeles (soon to become Life Pacific University at San Dimas, California). He has taken graduate courses at Trinity College in Deerfield, Illinois and Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California. Gary served as part of the pastoral staff of The Church on The Way, the First Foursquare Church of Van Nuys, California, for 27 years (1988-2015), the last 13 years as the vice president of Life on The Way Communications Inc., the church's not-for-profit media outreach. Now retired, Gary and his wife have been married for 50 years and live in Southern California. They have two married daughters and five grandchildren.
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It's a new day, a fresh season. The air here in Colorado is sweet after days of rain. The grass is green, and the crab apple tree in my backyard is filled with fluffy pink blossoms.
After a deep season of sorrow upon losing my precious daughter Laura, I am feeling a new sweetness in my spirit. I'm letting go of grudges and pain, and joy is overtaking my fog of grief.
Can the human spirit really find this kind of refreshing? Yes, but only when we refuel by the power of God.
Imagine if I gave you the keys to a beautiful new car loaded with the latest gadgets—back-up cameras, Bluetooth, anti-collision tech and even a sunroof—though minus a tank of gas.
So, you accept my gift but think, I guess this car isn't meant to be driven, at least not anymore, right? Otherwise, it would start. But never mind that, it's a beautiful car, and I should be grateful. To prove it, the kids and I will come out to the garage from time to time, use the Bluetooth, open the sunroof and play our favorite tunes. And that will have to be enough.
And so, once a week, you religiously go and sit in your beautiful car. But you never go anywhere. Sometimes you dream of using the car as it was originally intended. You imagine driving to work, driving down the coast or maybe even taking a trip to see friends. But you know in your heart that if the manufacturer wanted you to actually drive the car, he would also have filled the tank.
Of course, the real you is too wise to fall for such a whopper. When your car needs fuel, you fill it up. It's a simple as that.
There are some Christians and churches who have never filled their tank with the power of God, His Holy Spirit. And some people and churches have never thought to refill their tank when it runs dry. That's exactly how I found the refreshing in my soul after a winter of pain. I called on God through the power of the Holy Spirit to help me to forgive those who so wronged my child and to heal my emotional pain. And if God, through the Holy Spirit, will do this for me, He will also do this for you.
If you need to refuel with the power of God, pray this simple prayer that South African pastor William Murray taught the young students of the Moody Bible Institute to pray in the late 1800s. Through this prayer, the young people were empowered to change their world for Christ. If you're ready to pray this prayer, simply pray, "More, Holy Spirit, more!"
Pray this often and pray it over your church as well. The power of God you've always dreamed about could be realized in your life and the lives of those you love.
Linda Evans Shepherd is a nationally known Christian speaker and a bestselling author of over 30 books. She's the president of Right to the Heart Ministries,founder of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA) and the founder ofGodTest.com. Her latest book is When You Need to Move a Mountain.
Great Resources to help you excel in 2019! #1 John Eckhardt's "Prayers That..." 6-Book Bundle. Prayer helps you overcome anything life throws at you. Get a FREE Bonus with this bundle. #2 Learn to walk in the fullness of your purpose and destiny by living each day with Holy Spirit. Buy a set of Life in the Spirit, get a second set FREE.
11 Surprising Facts About the Bible You Probably Didn't Know
July 26, 2019 CHANSHI CHIBWE CHARISMA NEWS
Many people are familiar with the Bible, whether they subscribe to its beliefs or not. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Bible is the most-sold and widely distributed book in history with total sales exceeding 5 billion copies since 1851. Guinness estimates in the last 3,000 years, there have been around 5 trillion copies sold, although it's impossible to substantiate the exact number. There are approximately 100 million sold each year, allowing it to continue to lead the charge of bestselling nonfiction book in the world.
That said, there are not many people who don't recognize the Bible, but many may not know the surprising facts wrapped around the most famous book of all time. Here are 11 surprising facts about the Bible that will serve you well at your next cocktail party.
1. The Bible is the most shoplifted book in the world.
We suppose it shouldn't come as a shock the most widely book in the world would also be the most stolen, according to True Bible Facts. From its popular stay in hotel rooms and home libraries, the Bible more than any other book gets swiped from shelves.
According to a 2017 study 2017 by the American Bible Society, women are 20% more likely to read the holy book than men.
3. There are 185 songs in the Bible.
According to the Overview Bible Infographic, Nearly 85% of the songs in the Bible are in the book of Psalms. Throughout the rest of the Old and New Testament, you'll also find songs of praise to God or prayer for relief. See Infographic [here].
4. The Old Testament Took 20 times longer to write than the New Testament.
While the Old Testament was written over 1,000 years, the New Testament took approximately 50-75 years to write.
5. The Bible was written by over 40 different authors.
The Bible is known as God breathed by His servants. Forty servants exactly are responsible for penning the words we read and reflect upon today.
6. The last word in the Bible is 'Amen'.
Appropriately so, the final word of the Bible ends with "Amen", such as the end of a prayer: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen" (Rev. 22:21).
7. The 'Sinner's Bible' features a shocking misprint.
In the 17th century, a Bible published by Robert Baker mistakenly recorded the seventh commandment as: "Thou shalt commit adultery." The horrifying error was only caught after almost 1,000 copies were distributed, according to Reader's Digest.Today, only nine copies remain of the now infamously nicknamed "Sinner's Bible."
8. Half the women in the Bible are nameless.
According to figures reported in a study by Rev. Lindsay Hardin Freeman about 1% of the dialogue in the Bible are words spoken by women, 86 total. Of those 86 women, nearly 50% are unnamed.
9. It takes twice the time to read Game of Thrones than the entire Bible.
According to a graphic by Personal Creations, the Bible would take approximately 43.79 hours to read. That is only half the time they calculate it takes to read R. R. Marin's A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones).
10. The Bible mentions dogs but it does not mention house cats.
The Bible mentions 125 animals throughout its chapters. Unfortunately for cat-lovers, the dog has about 42 references; however, no record of mention of the house cat.
11. Bible simply means "book" or "scroll."
Bible is derived from the Latin word biblia or the Greek ta biblia. It means "the scrolls" or "the books." According to Encyclopedia of Britannica, biblia is derived from one of the oldest cities, Byblos, which was responsible for supplying paper products to the ancient world.
LightWorkers' mission is to create engaging, uplifting and inspirational content that breaks through the clutter, building a community of sharing and igniting a movement in the real world that motivates people to celebrate and share the good all around them. Visitlightworkers.com.
Great Resources to help you excel in 2019! #1 John Eckhardt's "Prayers That..." 6-Book Bundle. Prayer helps you overcome anything life throws at you. Get a FREE Bonus with this bundle. #2 Learn to walk in the fullness of your purpose and destiny by living each day with Holy Spirit. Buy a set of Life in the Spirit, get a second set FREE.
We are moving into a time of accelerated breakthrough! I decree over you, today, that there is going to be breakthrough upon breakthrough upon breakthrough, in Jesus' name. It will be a time of acceleration. Things are going to move faster and faster.
Get ready for God to move suddenly! This is going to be a season of many suddenlies. Suddenly, healing will be upon you. Suddenly, your breakthrough will happen. Suddenly, that financial provision and miracle will come through. Suddenly, a new door will open for you. Suddenly, a divine connection will take place (Mal. 3:1; Acts 2:2, 16:26).
A Repositioning and a Resetting
God is repositioning people for the next season. Don't be surprised by the transitions and changes that happen or have happened recently in your life. God is positioning people in the right place at the right time for His divine plan to unfold in your life.
God is hitting the reset button in your life. He is resetting your spirit, soul and body. He is resetting your relationship with Him. He is resetting your emotions, and He is resetting your physical body and health.
The Holy Spirit's Incubator and an Invitation to the Secret Place
Many are in an incubator of the Holy Spirit. God is wanting to birth some new things through you. An incubator is a place where something new can grow and develop properly. God is going to birth new vision, new anointing and new faith inside of you.
There is an invitation going out from God for us to enter the secret place. God is inviting us into His presence in a fresh way. There is a preparation taking place for the new season. Time in His presence will be crucial for the preparation to happen in us. God doesn't want to just bring us into the new. He wants us to be able to sustain and steward what He gives us. As you wait in His presence, He is going to prepare you for what's ahead in your life (Matt. 6:6).
A New Baptism of Fire is Coming
This will also be a time of deep consecration and refinement in the fire of God. God is calling His children to holiness and to be set apart. I see a new baptism of fire coming. It is going to burn away everything that has tried to hinder you. There will be a fire on the altar of prayer. God is going to make you like a walking flame of fire. You are going to exude the fragrance of His presence everywhere you go (Isa. 4:4-5).
God is cutting away every sin and every unnecessary weight from His people that has tried to hold them back and hinder them from running the appointed course set before them. You are not just going to walk in this yea; you are going to run in it, free and unhindered. Unnecessary weights, include anything you are carrying that God has not called you to carry—every burden, worry, fear, anxiety, anger, frustration, offense, pain or sickness—it's all coming off you in Jesus' name (Heb. 12:1-2).
A New Move of Evangelism for a New Level of Harvest
I see a new move of intercession coming for the end-time harvest. God is going to give His people such a love for the lost. We are going to be homesick for them, just as God is. A new move of evangelism will be released. Evangelists will emerge and be activated to a new level of harvest. The prayer movements and evangelism movements will merge (see Luke 15:20 about prodigals coming home).
Walking in New Levels of Divine Love, Forgiveness, Authority and Overflow
It will be so important that you know how to steward your soul in this season so that you escape the snare of offense. You are going to know how to steward your pain properly so that you are not infected by bitterness, resentment or anger. You are going to walk in a new level of divine love and forgiveness. Your heart will be clear from all offense. As a result, you will receive inherited blessings (1 Pet. 3:9).
God is transforming your threshing floor into a place of harvest. Your place of greatest pain will become your place of greatest power and authority (Joel 2:24). It's going to be a season of great overflow. God is going to overflow you with His presence, love and goodness (Joel 2:24).
People are really going to embrace their place in the body of Christ. God is breaking false comparison off people and showing them the true depth of their value, anointing and gifting. It's time to radically invest into others what God has invested into us (1 Pet. 4:10).
Restoration of All That Was Lost or Stolen
God is going to bring great restoration in people's lives. He is going to restore everything that was lost. What the enemy has stolen, he is going to have to return sevenfold (Prov. 6:31, Joel 2:25).
The One Thing: Love
God is going to refine our motives down to one thing: love. How do we love God, and how do we love people? Eternity all comes down to these two things. We are going to live with a new eternal perspective. We will see how deeply our worship and love for God ministers joy to His heart. And we will see how important it is to God how we love people, including how we forgive them (Mark. 12:30-31).
Family, family, family. Love God and love your family. God is really putting an emphasis on healthy family relationships. He desires families to be saturated with His love (Eph. 5:24-25, 6:1-4).
God is transforming barren fields into flourishing ones. He is going to bring streams in the desert and pools in the wilderness. He is also opening up wells of His glory. Our dwelling place will be between the altar and the well. The altar is the place of sacrifice, commitment and surrender. The well is the place of His living waters. It's the place of God's presence, worship and intimacy. We are going to dwell right between these two things (Gen. 26:1-25).
Matt Sorger is an international speaker and author who travels full time around the United States and the world ministering in over 35 nations. Matt's preaching ministry brings a great combination between solid biblical truth and the tangible anointing of the Holy Spirit. Matt walks with a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit that fills entire rooms with the tangible glory of God with many saved, healed and set free. Matt has also hosted a TV show, Power for Life, reaching 200 nations by media. He teaches believers how to live a life saturated with God's glory and holds a degree in biblical studies. Matt, along with his wife Stephanie, oversee Rescue1, a ministry that rescues children from sex trafficking and abandonment around the world. Rescue1 currently reaches India and the Philippines. Matt resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife, Stephanie.
No, you did not misread that. To repeat, on average across America, more than 50% of those believers who should be in your church are not.
Allow me to clarify. By dropout, we mean one who professes a Christian belief but has willfully disconnected themselves with any meaningful relationship to the church—the body of Christ.
The Barna Group, which tracks church trends across America, conducted a survey a few years ago that presented startling statistics: For every 10 adult Americans, 7 professed a Christian belief. But of those seven, only three were active in a church. Think of what that means: 4 out of 7 professed believers are no longer active in church.
That is almost 55% of professed Christians. These are dropouts.
This statistic should be alarming and disturbing to every active believer and church pastor. This is a wake-up call about the present-day condition of the Western church.
Picture Christ's Whole Church
Can you imagine what it would be like if all dropouts were in church?! Based on these stats, we are saying that your church would essentially double in size on the average.
Dropout believers who are restored to the church are not pew sitters. Far from it. They are filled with gratitude for God's redeeming grace to them and show it. They give generously. They get involved in serving. They actively look for others who were like themselves and reach out to them. Yes! If your church were to double in size due to restored dropouts, your "20% who do (and give the) 80%" would become the 60% who do and give 80%. (Do the math.) Your resources—human and financial—have just tripled!
It's Not Just America
Although this trend is tracked closely in America, the stats are even more alarming for Europe, and Central and South America are also experiencing this trend. We refer to these collectively as the Western church. About the only geographical segment of the church not experiencing this trend are the persecuted church countries in the Middle and Far East.
I can confidently say that almost every active believer and certainly every pastor knows some dropouts. Some are friends, some are family members, some are neighbors, some are work associates. The western church has not yet recognized nor understood how to pursue these wandering sheep back to the fold of the church. Yes, we sometimes do think of these and offer prayers, which is good and vital, but it is not enough.
The traditional means of evangelism, which include things like invitations to church, events, concerts and so on, are generally not well received by dropouts. A host of objections generally revolving around "I've already been there, done that" preempt a positive response. Why is that?
What About 'Evangelism'?
Our traditional understanding of evangelism revolves around preaching the gospel to the lost. This is not effective for the dropout believer. You see, they have already heard the gospel. They believe in Jesus—they just don't care for His people, or they have other excuses. You're not going to get results by invitations to church, events or preaching the gospel. Their false belief systems have set aside the necessity of church community. These beliefs are strongholds that have to be brought down if they are to be reconciled to Christ and his body. A one-day or a casual-type interaction with a dropout will change and accomplish nothing.
The only thing that will work to reconcile a dropout back to the community of believers is a consistent, loving relationship with an active believer over time. The lost respond in their heart to the gospel, the love of God for them. Dropouts respond in their heart to the love of Christ for them demonstrated by believers. If you want more insight into this phenomenon, see Could This Be the Biggest Myth in Evangelism Today?
What Should We Do?
This brings us to Jesus' parable of the 1 and 99 sheep. Let's be honest. In the natural, sheep are dumb—just plain dumb. Any sheepherder can attest to that. Jesus used this analogy to His followers for a reason. Human sheep are often spiritually dumb—some ignorant, some rebellious, some proud, some hurt, some selfish, some distracted, some misguided. Any and all of these are ways that dropout Christians happen.
Now, all you who know one or more of these wandering sheep—what should you do? Well of course, keep praying. And there is a biblical strategy that will give focus to your prayers while developing a relationship of restoration with the dropout regardless of their present relationship or lack of it with you. There is a ministry of restoration of dropout believers that is gaining recognition as a divine strategy for the latter days Western church.
If you are an active believer, you can adopt this restoration strategy as a lifestyle that will enable God to break down strongholds and draw dropouts you know near to Him again. The power of the Holy Spirit is essential in this strategy.
If you are a church that is directed by the Spirit to go after the "1 of 99" (although the truth is actually the "54 of 99" now!) this strategy can be imparted to the congregants via small groups. Most people aren't evangelists, but they do know dropouts. This is a nonthreatening approach for these to reach out to those they know already. And it works!
What is The Hunters Strategy?
Hunters of the Harvest is specifically focused on dropout believers and is based on a scriptural strategy for identifying, engaging, restoring and reconnecting dropout believers in the latter days.
The foundation Scripture for this latter days' harvest is found in Jeremiah 16:16 (NASB):
"Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen," declares the Lord, "and they will fish for them; and afterwards I shall send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and from every hill, and from the clefts of the rocks."
This latter days' harvest is twofold: the gathering of the lost in the nations (John 21:11), by the "fishermen" and the "net"; and the return and restoration of the dropout believer, by the "hunter" who tracks down each, one by one (Matt. 18:12).
Hunters of the Harvest is a biblically sound and effective approach for restoring dropout believers. The Hunters strategy is based on 1 Samuel 30, when David successfully recovered and restored his wives and family from the Amalekites. It is a highly practical and spiritual approach to regain what the Enemy has stolen—our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Just as God desires the unsaved to turn to the kingdom, he desires the dropout believer to return to the kingdom.
Fishers fish for the lost. Hunters hunt for the dropout believer.
A Divine Strategy
In 1 Samuel 30, a divine strategy is revealed to David to enable him to restore his wives and children from the Amalekites who had kidnapped them from his camp.
The five steps David took:
Strengthen yourself in the Lord.
Inquire.
Pursue.
Locate the stronghold.
Recover all by warfare.
These steps were not only effective for David—he recovered every last person unharmed—but they are effective today for the church family, the body of Christ. Satan has come into our camp, the body of Christ, and through deceit, has taken our brothers and sisters in Christ back to the world. Now they are being held captive in a stronghold of the enemy.
Where are they?
How can we find them?
What can we do when we find them?
Are we strong enough to recover and restore them?
These are the questions we must answer to understand the strategy for restoration of the dropout believer to the church. The Hunters of the Harvest strategy book goes into detail on each of the five steps and describes how they apply to restoring the dropout believer today.
And that's only part of the problem—getting them back in church.
Connection to the Local Church
The other critical part of the problem is connecting every believer, including dropouts, to the church. Unless a believer is connected to the church, he or she is likely to become a dropout when the storms of life come.
Connection to the church is the key to closing the back door. Connection involves a "threefold cord" that is "not quickly broken" (Eccl. 4:12, MEV). These cords of connection are:
Heart for the pastor and vision of the local church.
Personal relationships in the local church.
Area of ministry in the local church.
Without each of these three "cords" of connectivity, any believer is likely to become disconnected—a dropout believer—when the storms and issues of life come.
What Are We Waiting for?
So, when are we going to take seriously the imperative to search out our wandering fellow believers and put in a real effort to restore him/her via a real genuine relationship of love/restoration? Here is the crux of the issue: dying to self. Unless we relinquish our overcommitted, self-oriented life and activities, we will never see God's power to restore the dropout by Him using us. We have lost our first love if this modern-day spiritual tragedy does not move the church to action. We must repent and return. This is the way back to the heart of Jesus.
Believers. arise and shine. Your light has come to the darkness that the dropout lives in! Shine in there!
Churches, be the shepherd who goes after the wanderers—the dropouts—who will radically revitalize your community for God.
Remember: Love never fails.
Louis Posthaueris the founder of Hunters of the Harvest, a ministry focused on equipping the local church to reach and restore dropout believers. Louis consults with pastors and church leaders wishing to tap his expertise to mobilize their congregation with a biblical strategy to reach the dropout believer. He has been actively involved in the local church for 40 years and currently serves as a lay leader at Calvary Community Church in Houston. For more information,visit huntersoftheharvest.org.
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