Showing posts with label Moravians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Moravians. Show all posts

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Apostasy Rising: 4 Denominations In Less Than a Week Defy God's Word - Jennifer LeClaire

Watchman on the Wall, by Jennifer LeClaire

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Apostasy Rising: 4 Denominations In Less Than a Week Defy God's Word

Homosexuality in the American church
Across American Christianity, compromise on sexuality is crumbling at the foundation of holiness. (Flickr/Nathan Bush [edited])
The United Church of Christ (UCC) bills itself as "the church where God is still speaking." Apparently, God's Word is falling on deaf ears of the leadership.
The UCC, which considers itself a mainline Protestant denomination—claiming over 1 million members and about 5,200 congregations in the U.S.—proudly announced it will serve as a major sponsor of the Gay Games. The UCC will now go down in Christian history as the first major denomination to sponsor the homosexual Olympics when the games roll into Cleveland, Ohio, in August.
I guess my jaw shouldn't have dropped when I read the news, considering the UCC in April filed a gay marriage rights lawsuit in North Carolina. But not only did my jaw drop, I'm shaking my head. J. Bennett Guess, one of the UCC's national officers and its first openly gay church executive, calls it a social justice issue and says the denomination prides itself on "being a bold voice for progressive Christianity."
In case you aren't familiar with what the term "progressive Christianity" really means, let's take a moment to define it. Progressive Christianity has a strong focus on social justice and environmentalism. Progressive Christianity focuses on concepts like "collective salvation"—where entire cultures and societies, rather than just individuals with faith in Christ, are redeemed—and bends toward a Marxist economic philosophy. And Progressive Christianity does not subscribe to the biblical doctrine of the inerrancy of Scripture.
That last line explains a lot. For example, it explains why the UCC was the first mainline denomination to affirm equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. It explains why the UCC was the first to ordain an openly gay man. And, overall, it explains why the UCC has fallen into the deception of sponsoring events that celebrate LGBT people instead of trying to love them to Christ.
But even denominations that don't consider themselves part of the Progressive Christianity movement are falling into this deception. The Presbyterian Church (USA) last week voted to allow its ministers to perform gay weddings in states where it's legal. On Tuesday, Methodist Pastor Frank Schaefer, who was defrocked for officiating his son's gay wedding, was fully reinstated and the Moravians voted to ordain gay clergy. My research shows there's a long and growing list of gay-affirming denominations, including the Affirming Pentecostal Church International
Saints, we're seeing 1 Timothy 4:1 playing out right before our very eyes. It's called the Great Apostasy and it's well underway. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote: "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons..."
Back in 2012, I wrote an article titled, "Is the Great Falling Away Already Underway?" In it, I explained that some have indeed departed from the faith because they have engaged with deceiving spirits and embraced doctrines of demons. We've witnessed more than one man of God with a major ministry platform bow a knee to doctrines like universalism, deceiving and being deceived with this deadly heresy. Despite many in the church lifting their voice against heretical teachings, these deceived ministers hold fast to their demonic doctrine.
In the article, I show other examples. I would not have imagined that 18 months later I would have an overflowing list of new ones. That's why I am praying for a third Great Awakening. I am committed to crying out to God to see a cultural transformation—a spiritual revolution.
Although the Great Falling Away is going to happen because it's prophesied in Scripture, I am contending for a revival—a Great Awakening—that will sweep through the nation and cause people to turn back to God. I will not give up. The arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear (Is. 59:1).
Before each of the last Great Awakenings, people of God thought it was hopeless—and they didn't see the half of what we're seeing. But I am convinced God wants to turn this around—and I am convinced God can turn this around. Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). A Great Awakening is our only hope for this nation. Will you join me in praying for another Great Awakening?

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Making of a ProphetYou can email Jennifer at 
or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.
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Sunday, March 23, 2014

History of the Watch of the Lord: Lessons From the Moravians - James W. Goll and Leslie K. Tarr

James W. Goll and Leslie K. Tarr:

James W. GollThe Call to the Watch

May the Holy Spirit restore in our day the ancient tools of the "Watch of the Lord." May He awaken us to be vigilant and on the alert, in order to cut off the enemy's plans and usher in God's ambassadors. We welcome the Holy Spirit to speak to us about the part we are to play in being watchmen on the wall.
Amen.

Dr. James W. Goll
Founder of Encounters Network • Prayer Storm • God Encounters Training e-School

A Prayer Meeting That Lasted 100 Years 
by Leslie K. Tarr

FACT: The Moravian community of Herrnhut, Saxony, in 1727, commenced an around-the-clock "prayer watch" that continued non-stop for over a hundred years.

FACT: By 1792, 65 years after commencement of that prayer vigil, the small Moravian community had sent 300 missionaries to the ends of the earth!

Prayer Storm by James W. GollCould it be that there is some relationship between those two facts? Is fervent intercession a basic component in world evangelization? The answer to both questions is surely an unqualified "yes."

The heroic eighteenth century evangelization thrust of the Moravians has not received the attention it deserves. But even less heralded than their missionary exploits is that one-hundred year prayer meeting that sustained the fires of evangelism!

During its first five years of existence, the Herrnhut settlement showed few signs of spiritual power. By the beginning of 1727, the community of about three hundred people was wracked by dissension and bickering, an unlikely site for revival!

Zinzendorf and others, however, covenanted to pray and labor for revival. On May 12, revival came. Christians were aglow with new life and power, dissension vanished and unbelievers were converted.

Looking back to that day and the four glorious months that followed, Count Zinzendorf later recalled: "The whole place represented truly a visible habitation of God among men." A spirit of prayer was immediately evident in the fellowship and continued throughout that "golden summer of 1727," as the Moravians came to designate that period. 

On August 27 of that year, twenty-four men and twenty-four women covenanted to spend one hour each day in scheduled prayer. Some others also enlisted in the "hourly intercession."

"For over 100 years, the members of the Moravian Church all shared in the 'hourly intercession.' At home and abroad, on land and sea, this prayer watch ascended unceasingly to the Lord," stated historian A. J. Lewis.

ElijahList Prophetic Resources
 
The Memorial Days of the Renewed Church of the Brethren, published in 1822, ninety-five years after the decision to initiate the prayer watch, quaintly describes the move in one sentence: "The thought struck some brethren and sisters that it might be well to set apart certain hours for the purpose of prayer, at which seasons all might be reminded of its excellency and be induced by the promises annexed to fervent, persevering prayer to pour out their hearts before the Lord."

Holy Incense by Lillis BoyerThe journal further cites Old Testament typology as warrant for the prayer watch: "The sacred fire was never permitted to go out on the altar (Leviticus 6:13); so in a congregation is a temple of the loving God, wherein He has His altar and fire, the intercession of His saints should incessantly rise up to Him."

That prayer watch was instituted by a community of Believers whose average age was probably thirty. Zinzendorf himself was twenty-seven.
The prayer vigil by Zinzendorf and the Moravian Community sensitized them to attempt the unheard-of-mission to reach others for Christ. 

Six months after the beginning of the prayer watch, the count suggested to his fellow Moravians the challenge of a bold evangelism aimed at the West Indies, Greenland, Turkey, and Lapland. Some were skeptical, but Zinzendorf persisted. Twenty-six Moravians stepped forward for world missions wherever the Lord led.

The exploits that followed are surely to be numbered among the high moments of Christian history. Nothing daunted Zinzendorf or his fellow heralds of Jesus Christ – prison, shipwreck, persecution, ridicule, plague, abject poverty, and threats of death. His hymn reflected his conviction:
Ambassador of Christ,
Know ye the way we go?
It leads into the jaws of death,
Is strewn with thorns and woe.
Watchman by Robert BartowChurch historians look to the eighteenth century and marvel at the Great Awakening in England and America, which swept hundreds of thousands into God's Kingdom. John Wesley figured largely in that mighty movement and much attention has centered on him. 

Is it not possible that we have overlooked the place, which that round-the-clock prayer watch had in reaching Wesley and, through him and his associates, in altering the course of history?

One wonders what would flow from a commitment on the part of twentieth century Christians to institute a "prayer watch" for world evangelization, specifically to reach those, in Zinzendorf's words, "For whom no one cared."

Blessings to you in Christ Jesus!

Dr. James W. Goll
Founder of Encounters Network • Prayer Storm • God Encounters Training e-School

Dr. James W. Goll is the president of Encounters Network, director of Prayer Storm, and coordinates Encounters Alliance, a coalition of leaders. He is director of God Encounters Training – an e-school of the heart, and is a member of the Harvest International Ministries apostolic team. 

He has shared Jesus in more than 50 nations worldwide, teaching and imparting the power of intercession, prophetic ministry, and life in the Spirit. James is the prolific author of numerous books and has also produced multiple study guides and hundreds of audio and video messages. James was married to Michal Ann for 32 years before her graduation to Heaven in the fall of 2008. James has four adult children who all love Jesus, and continues to make his home in Franklin, Tennessee.

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March 22, 2014

James W. Goll and Leslie K. Tarr:


Steve ShultzFrom the desk of Steve Shultz:

There are great lessons we can learn from history and those who've gone before us. This is an excellent article that my friend James Goll posted about the history of the Moravians and the "Watch of the Lord" which is an excerpt from his book, The Lost Art of Intercession that you can order just below.

As James shares: May the Holy Spirit restore in our day the ancient tools of the "Watch of the Lord." May He awaken us to be vigilant and on the alert, in order to cut off the enemy's plans and usher in God's ambassadors.

Enjoy!

Steve

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Order the Download
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