Friday, January 11, 2013

'Poised for Harvest, Braced for Backlash' --Timothy Miller

I’m in the middle of reading this book, and my heart is coming alive!!

Being in the Prayer Movement these past years, my heart has increasingly grown connected to prayers for the 10/40 window, unreached people groups, and the gospel being glorified amongst every tribe and tongue. Something in me melts when I think about His glory covering the earth as the waters cover the seas. I know this is the working of the Spirit in my heart, for me to love and desire such things, because these are not connected to the workings of the flesh- and oh the gratitude I have to the Lord for that.

Over the past years I’ve heard tons of testimonies connected to evangelism and discipleship, both good and negative. I’ve taken times to go to the mall and talk to people about Jesus, and have tried to live a lifestyle of a heart postured to hear and give way to the Lord in my daily life in this area. Yet, I’ve often been perplexed on how to truly give witness to Jesus in evangelism. How do I clearly explain the gospel in one conversation? What IS the ENTIRE gospel? What signs and wonders is God committed to? What happens if they DO accept Jesus, they will need to be discipled and to be in a community of accountability, and I don’t know how to direct someone in that?

These questions vexed me! One thing that I admit to being a huge deterrent to my being tenacious in the place of evangelism and the going out is how many I’ve known IN the church who are in such places of rebellion and sin. I’ve known so many to give their hearts to the Lord, and they are passionate and zealous for days, months, and even years yet they go back to drugs, sex, and enslavement. These things have caused me to ask many many difficult questions.

I’ve wept, I’ve interceded, I’ve tried and have mostly emerged confused and in some level of doubt or unbelief…

Well folks, as I’ve been spending the past months at IHOP-AC in a deeper place of concentrated study of the word and the secret place, I’ve had many of these things addressed. Then I picked up this book, and it further addressed SO many of these concerns that I’ve really wrestled with.
I wanted to blog about this, because if you’ve found yourself in a similar place concerning the mission of the church, I really encourage you to read this book. The PDF is free online, which I have put the link for at the bottom. This book will challenge you in many ways, but it will also bring immense and deep clarity into the how’s and the what behind evangelism.

Any thoughts are welcomed!!

Kirsten


PDF HERE

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