GOD'S WORLDWIDE WEB

Date: Sun Aug 2 22:59:30 2009

Almost everybody knows about the world wide web - you have to use the www designation to get on many websites (except this one, of course!). It is a way to connect the dots of so much information and share with the entire world.

There is, however, a better www - it is GOD'S WORLDWIDE WEB. Let me tell you about it. For far too long, far too many Christians have prayed a hundred prayers for their own well-being for every prayer they pray for someone else's needs. The same is true on the church level - so many are totally self-absorbed - THEIR worship, THEIR pastor, THEIR agenda. I have aimed to make the reverse true this year - to pray FAR MORE for others than for myself - even though I still have many needs! It is a privilege to pray for people - to lift up their needs and to seek God for THEIR well-being. I have accumulated quite a list of needs. People are EAGER to have you pray for them. All too often, though, we have said, "Yeah, I'll pray for you!" Then after a time or two (if we get to it at all), we simply forget. I find it is best to write them down. I open my computer each day at prayer time, and I have an easily updatable list of all the people I have agreed to pray for as well as all those I know whom I believe need prayer. This way, I can alter the requests as needed, and give thanks for answered prayer. It also keeps me from forgetting!

The Lord also laid on my heart to pray for the whole world this year. So, I have been lifting up every country in the world to God every day. There are 240 on the list I use - some lists vary based upon how you define "country". I started by preparing a list of needs gleaned from Operation World and my own searches on the Internet (this can also make you much more informed about the world, as many people in other countries know far more about us than we know about them!) I found more recently that it works well to concentrate on a continent or the Pacific each day - that means every country is covered in with one or more requests every six days at least once. However, I at least name the other nations before God every day along with prayers for the ones God especially puts on my heart. As I name them, their needs are also in my mind and on my heart, and the Holy Spirit carries those heart-felt desires and petitions to the Father as well. Of course, detailed prayers for our own country are offered up every day. Paul commanded us in Timothy to pray for Kings and those in authority. Those prayers should include the local, county, state, and national officials, judges, and executives. Pray aggressively in accordance with knowledge. God hears and answers, because per Romans 13, he is their boss. You you think God cannot get through to those working for him? He does one wy or another - he has his ways, trust me.

I am finding that intercontinental prayers particularly can be very powerful. Because of our website and blogs, I hear from people worldwide. I have feedback from abroad that God is answering my prayers to a degree that must be alarming to the devil (praise God!), and I can surely testify that God is answering prayers from across the globe in my life, some in very dramatic fashion.

I was involved in a crusade in Pottstown, PA last week. I send out emails locally and across the globe. The FIRST response I received was about ten minutes later from Liberia. It was their independence day holiday on July 25th, yet they covenant to pray and fast for the outreach that day for us. We must be as serious in our commitments, whether here or abroad. We are in a WORLD WAR against sin, not a skirmish limited to drugs in your neighborhood. Yes, pray for your neighborhood - we will show you how - but go beyond that to the ENTIRE WORLD. God has said that the KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD SHALL BECOME THE KINGDOMS OF THE LORD AND OF HIS CHRIST. We have to see ourselves as part of a global effort, and be just as concerned with the seven Christians killed and dozens of Christian homes burned in the Punjab region of Pakistan and the arrests in China of House Church leaders as much as what happens in our city. Satan is on a worldwide rampage against the church. We need to be a worldwide rampage against Satan!

You see, I have more in common with someone from India or Kenya or Liberia or anywhere else who loves JESUS than I do with an unsaved relative. I recently got to know an Evangelist from India who was in America. We spent a few hours together, prayed together, and though we had NEVER communicated or met before, we had so much in common because there is only ONE Holy Spirit. And guess what? The Holy Spirit is colorless. He has no external form - he is a SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit knows no language or cultural boundaries. I'm glad he spoke good English, because I don't know Hindi. I believe the days are coming where even LANGUAGE will not be a problem. I don't have any chapter or verse, but to be honest, I believe God is going to restore the tongues from the day of Pentecost and we will be able to communicate in the Holy Spirit across language barriers in these last days. A reverse Babel if you please. After all, Babel occurred so that the people could not build the tower in rebellion against God. With the same language, nothing would have been impossible for them. Don't you think that God wants the "Kingdom Tower" built - the peoples of the earth cooperating to bring glory to God by allowing themselves to be built together by the Holy Spirit with Jesus Christ being the Chief Cornerstone? The Bible says the glory of the latter house shall exceed the glory of the former house, and with the number of tongues still not translated and still without the written scriptures, I believe God is going to supernaturally make a way for the church to communicate his truths the same way it did on the day of Pentecost. God is a God of restoration. As the Last Days get thornier, and as communication may be repressed in our country as it is in Venezuela even as I write this. the Lord may indeed force the issue on us so that we an communicate without being intercepted. God can do anything!

You know, there also is a local application for this - I was at a Unity Day service today - three churches - one consisting of people primarily from Ghana, one Hispanic, and one African American. There was worship from all three, but one Spirit of God. If we truly realized that the Holy Spirit is not bound to any cultural expression or people group, but is God himself working in us, we would likewise open ourselves to letting God communicate through us to each other. It starts with a smile, then perhaps a handshake or a hug, then fellowship and sharing, and then spiritual communion. Have you ever been in a meeting where people of different languages all pray in tongues together? It is great! Have you "crossed the aisle" and made a prayer covenant with someone from a different culture or expression of Christianity? I believe if you do, you will find that prayers that have gone unanswered WILL be answered. In fact, I suggest you give your HARDEST unanswered prayer request to someone very different from you and see what God will do.

You see, we are ONE BODY. I Corinthians 14 tell us that all of us are necessary for the building up of the body. One preacher can't do it; one church can't do it; one nation can't do it; one continent can't do it; one hemisphere can't do it! We NEED each other. If I may be so bold, if you are European, an African may hold the key to you being complete in Christ. If you are Korean, a Costa-Rican can hold the key to YOUR spiritual success. If you are an African American, an Italian American who voted differently from you and who lives in the country may have a critical word for you so you may please God that NO ONE ELSE will ever give to you!

You have to start somewhere. Start in YOUR OWN CHURCH. Find someone with whom you have NOTHING IN COMMON except CHRIST. Open up a bit and submit yourselves one to the other. Tell me the result! Then reach out to other churches, other ethnic groups if your church is homogeneous, and then other countries. Share your experiences as a comment at the end of this blog so all can benefit. God bless you!