Prayer of the Day

Lord of the church, thank you that You gave us other churches to teach and help us.

Bless our family of churches around the world as You work through each of them.

Amen.

Operation World: The Church in Africa

The colonial and apartheid past is fading and a new level of confidence, dynamism, vision and maturity is evident in many parts of Africa. In many countries the Church is the only effective social organization that can bring reconciliation between ethnic groups, cope with the many economic, health and education challenges in collapsing societies. Pray that the Church of the 21st Century might rise to the challenge. Challenges to face in the new millennium:

1 More effective discipling of new believers. Millions have been evangelized and responded, but non-Christian customs and worldviews have invaded the Church. Syncretism is a major problem in many areas. Thorough-going repentance and renunciation of sin and the works of darkness are often lacking and many Christians are not free from the fear of witchcraft and evil spirits. The new generation, or third wave of African Christianity, takes a clear stand against these but many churches are seriously compromised.

2 Unity in great diversity. There are around 15,000 denominations, clusters of churches and networks in Africa. Pray:

a) That the carnality of inter-personal relationship breakdowns, desire for power and ethnic favouritism that lie behind many denominational splits may be crucified with Jesus on the cross.

b)
For pan-African bodies such as the AEA (Association of Evangelicals of Africa). The role of the AEA is strategic in linking national evangelical denominations in fellowship, stimulating vision and in promoting leadership training, culturally relevant biblical theology and social action. Over 188 denominations and agencies are members and these represent a 50 million Christian constituency.

3 Leadership training is the critical bottleneck. There is a lack of funds for training and supporting full-time workers. Leadership is limited at every level: for village congregations, for the urban educated and for theological training. Pray for:

a) Theological institutions. These have multiplied for students with primary, secondary and post-secondary level. There are only two significant interdenominational graduate-level theological schools. ACTEA, Africa's accreditation body, lists in its directory over 100 seminary-level members and many more schools, over half being in 4 countries — Nigeria (130), South Africa (111), Congo-DRC (85) and Kenya (66).

b) A relevant curriculum that is biblical, yet Africa-oriented. Too much is geared to Western theological battles and perceptions.

c) Harmony between staff. Tensions among missionaries and between missionary and national staff have sometimes not been a spiritual example to the students they teach.

d) Selection of students. Discernment is needed to know who are anointed of the Spirit for future leadership and who apply out of baser motives of prestige, desire for education, etc.

e) Funds. The poverty of the Church and lack of understanding among potential donors hampers the development of Bible training institutions. The needs for buildings, libraries, student grants and travel are endless. Western churches need to give as freely for providing spiritual food to the starving Christians as they have done to provide for Africa's famines.

f) TEE programmes, which are vital for training lay leadership. Over 100 programmes are in operation, but some are less successful. Funding, difficulties in travel, low motivation and the failure to involve the real leaders have all been hindrances.

g) African theologians. There is a theological vacuum to be filled. A truly indigenous evangelical African theology has been slow to develop. A clear stand by African theologians to expound the universal and unchangeable truths of Scripture in the African context is needed which will also counteract error, African misconceptions of the gospel and the very real powers of darkness.

4 More effective cross-cultural missions. The missionary force is increasingly African and multi-continental and less Western. Much sensitivity and humility is required for effective ministry that reaches the unevangelized and defers to the maturity and vision of the growing African Church. The need for missionaries continues to be greater than the supply of those with the gifting and vision for:

a) Pioneer areas. These still abound; see below. A high degree of commitment and sacrifice will be required to reach present pioneer areas where conditions are sometimes very hard. In some cases missionaries will need to learn two to four languages before they can reach the least-reached.

b) Church support personnel for teaching, youth work, etc., which are needed as never before. Yet the willingness to work under African leadership and as part of the Church in Africa is essential.

c) Specialists for Bible translation, education, agriculture, health, radio, television, cassette ministries, Internet evangelism, etc., yet who will also make a spiritual impact through their lives.

d) Social projects and aid ministries which are in ever-growing demand. In many countries governments have been unable to provide basic services to their people and Christian churches and agencies have had to take these up. Physical needs must be met, but such is the pressure that this can lead to neglect of spiritual needs that may be the ultimate cause of suffering and deprivation.

5 The development of missions vision in the Church. Praise God for the rapid growth and spread of African missions — in 2000 there were estimated to be nearly 13,000 African missionaries with most serving in a cross-cultural setting. Much of past and present church planting has been through humble, dedicated African missionaries. Pray for:

a) Churches to see missions as fundamental to the gospel itself, and the task of every believer — not just a white Christian!

b) Funds to be made available to train and send out missionaries. Exchange controls and poverty prevent many churches from realizing their mission vision to the full.

c) Effective cross-cultural training for missions — few Bible schools do this, but they should. Innovative training mechanisms have been set up and are growing in different parts of Africa — in West Africa through such as the Nigerian Calvary Ministries and CMF, in East Africa through the Africa Inland Church, in South Africa through various agencies.

6 Christian research has flourished through the enthusiastic efforts of a new generation of talented African researchers. The AD2000 and Beyond Movement was used of God to encourage a national research initiative in many African countries — especially prominent in this are Nigeria, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. Especially needing such initiative are Kenya, Tanzania and Congo-DRC.



7 The expatriate mission force. Honour must be given to the huge impact of dedicated missionaries who achieved so much despite the frequent neglect or even opposition of colonial rulers in the past. These missionaries educated, healed, uplifted and modernized much of Africa in what became a massive social transformation. Generations of African leaders were educated in Christian schools. Inevitably there were weaknesses — importation of Western individualism, dualism (division between spiritual and physical), structures and theological presuppositions, but the Church became rooted in Africa as a result. Praise God for both the lives of these heroes of the faith and for the emergence of the Church. The 21st Century brings new challenges:

a) Partnership. The mission force is increasingly African and multicultural. The growth and expansion of the Church means that relationships, partnering, unity in vision and sharing of resources are fundamental for progress. Pray for unity and fellowship that transcends all social and cultural barriers within mission agencies, among agencies themselves, and between the indigenous churches and agencies.

b) Health and restorative ministries. The increase of wars, disasters and economic failures has provided an enormous need for a new type of medical missions and for restorative ministries — AIDS ravaged societies, war-traumatized populations, children in crisis (abuse, child-soldiers, child prostitution, etc.).

Pasted from <http://www.operationworld.org/region/af/owtext.html#Pray4>

Church: Don’t Go to Church, Be the Church (Huh?)

By Jeff Purswell



The other day I saw a sign that captured my attention—and deeply concerned me. It said—

"Don't go to church. Be the church."

Now, despite the element of truth (God's people are the church), there are all kinds of things wrong with this statement. But behind the words is obviously someone's disappointment (and possibly disillusionment) with organized Christianity. And although I'd guess that many Christians would reject this false choice, their attitude to Sunday gatherings of the church may reveal a similar apathy.



To fight such apathy, we all need a biblical perspective on what is taking place on Sunday—a perspective that can transform our attitude toward "going to church." And it's this perspective that the writer of Hebrews gives us when he describes the ongoing worship service we join when we gather to worship each Sunday.

Mount Sinai and Mount Zion

In Hebrews the writer presents a striking contrast between Mount Sinai and Mount Zion, between the experience of the people of God under the old covenant and their experience under the new covenant.



In verses 18–21 the writer recounts the gathering at Mount Sinai (as recorded in Exodus 19). After their deliverance from Egypt, God gathered his people and made a covenant with them. He constituted them as a nation, his very own people.

For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned." Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear."

Now look at the gathering at Mount Zion described in verses 22–24:

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

What a contrast.



At Mount Sinai everything served to emphasize the chasm between God and these people. At Mount Zion everything encourages us to come boldly into God's presence. There, at Mount Sinai, the scene itself is frightening—fire, darkness, gloom. Here, at Mount Zion, is a gleaming city, the New Jerusalem, the place where God dwells with his covenant people.

At Mount Sinai the sounds are frightening—whirlwind, trumpet blast, unutterable words. At Mount Zion is the sound of exuberant and celebratory praise.

At Mount Sinai was a solemn gathering filled with fear. Here at Mount Zion is a joyful assembly of those whose names are forever written in the Lamb's book of life.

There at Mount Sinai was a picture of the unapproachability of God's holy presence. But here at Mount Zion is a picture of full access into the presence of God through the mediator Jesus Christ.



Now think about your church. Think about the people with whom you serve, live, and worship. Have you fully grasped just what your local church is and what it's doing on a Sunday morning? Your local church is one authentic, visible manifestation of the entire people of God for all time. It is a part of the heavenly throng that even now is worshiping before the throne of God. And we get to be part of that!



Think about this gathering, which includes—



Angels. We are worshiping with creatures before whom we would be tempted to fall down in terror and worship, if we could see them.



The spirits of the righteous-made-perfect. Here are the heroes from Hebrews 11—Abraham, Moses, Samuel, and David—mighty men of God, mighty prophets who trusted God, so endued with power that they stopped lion's mouths and put foreign armies to flight. We are worshiping with them.



Faithful saints. These men and women endured torture and refused deliverance if it meant compromise. They chose a stoning pit or a chopping block before they would deny Jesus. And if they survived, they joyfully embraced poverty, deprivation, and persecution. They feared God and they feared sinning more than they feared man—all so that they might receive something better. And when we worship, we join them before the throne of God, who remains "a consuming fire" (v. 29).



We come to Jesus. He is there, our mediator, whose sprinkled blood cleanses us from sin. His blood "speaks a better word than the blood of Abel" (v. 24). Abel's blood cried out for judgment, but Jesus's blood cries out for mercy.

Sunday Morning



So back to your home church this upcoming Sunday. When you enter and the music begins, what are you more aware of? Is it the song set? the musicians? the mix? Does the worship band wow you? Does the routine bore you?



Or do you perceive something beyond all this?



Your church is one authentic manifestation of the entire people of God that right now is worshiping before the throne of God. That is the reality of new covenant worship. And when we begin to wrap our minds around that, there springs to mind a thousand reasons to rejoice, to praise, and to sing; and to renounce flippancy, self-display, selfishness, superficiality, sloppiness, and thoughtlessness.



Before the God who is a consuming fire, we don't shuffle in casually. We don't demand our artistic preferences. We don't merely gather with our friends. We don't merely sing together. As the people of God, we enter into the very presence of God. Encountering God in this way is the very nature of the church. By definition, to be the church is to gather in God's presence and to worship God together. And when we begin singing, we join the glorious worship that takes place unceasingly before the throne of God.



This is true regardless of how we feel, who leads worship, what songs we sing, or how we think worship went. There is something incredible happening on Sunday morning!



Be the church and go to church. Something eternal is going on in there. Don't miss it.

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Jeff Purswell serves as the Dean of the Sovereign Grace Pastors College and a pastor at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD.

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