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Could this be the next movement to change the world?

Byron Paulus
Wed, Dec 28, 2011
4 Comments
Ministry Updates
Byron's Blog

My uncle was at the forefront of the labor movement. My cousin was a leader in the civil rights movement. In 1968, on behalf of my high school, I served as a mock campaign chairman for Senator Bobby Kennedy when he ran for president. His assassination only fueled my longing for change.

I figure "movement" must be in my blood.

Soon after I came to Christ, I began to discover that the message of Jesus has spread on the wings of movements throughout history, beginning with Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. One of my favorite movements in church history was established in Herrnhut, Germany, by Count Zinzendorf after a fresh visitation of the Holy Spirit on the Moravians.

The Moravian movement stood in stark contrast to the spirit of Protestantism in Europe at the end of the seventeenth century that was frozen by passionless orthodoxy. In fact, no significant missionary movement had begun since the Reformation 150 years earlier. But under Zinzendorf, the Moravian community became an intense and highly mobilized missionary movement birthed out of a 24/7 prayer meeting that lasted for 100 years!

Within two decades, the Moravians sent out more missionaries than all Protestants had in the previous two hundred years. And it was an overflow of passionate prayer and real revival.

OneCry Movement

The basic components of both the movement at Pentecost and the Moravian movement-intercessors, voices, and leaders-are identical to the components Life Action is emphasizing in OneCry: A Nationwide Call for Spiritual Awakening. We are gathering believers across North America to cry out to God for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that would spiritually transform our culture.

Recently, I was reading a book entitled Movements That Changed the World. It outlines five basic ingredients of history-making movements that raise important questions for people like you and me who long for a movement of the Holy Spirit in our day:

White-Hot Faith - Movements begin with men and women who encounter the living God and surrender in loving obedience to His call. Have you experienced a fresh, powerful, intimate encounter with Jesus Christ?

Commitment to a Cause - A movement emerges when people commit to a cause. Based on your daily activity, would others say that you are committed to the cause of revival?

Contagious Relationships - Networks of relationships are the means by which a movement expands. Are you being a good steward of the relationships God has given you, in order to promote revival?

Rapid Mobilization - Movements spread through the efforts of ordinary people. Do you tend to "delegate" the mission of igniting a movement of authentic Christianity to others who are "more qualified"?

Adaptive Methods - The most effective movements are prepared to change everything about themselves except their core beliefs. Is there anything you are unwilling to change that is insignificant in light of God's glory?

Will you join the OneCry movement and help us share this call with others?

Learn more about OneCry and join the movement at www.OneCry.com.

Comments

#1
Mark Henninger
December 30, 2011

Stifling the Christian faith is reverence toward the idolatry of KJVese vs. the living word which Jesus always is (John 1:1,14, Hebrews 13:8). Without the former's rejection, none of the goals are possible. Spiritual Awakening: There will be an awakening with words of the dead? White-Hot Faith: We're not even KJVese-lukewarm. Here's what having a hot KJVese faith would look like: http://bibleversiondiscussionboard.yuku.com/topic/917/t/Ken-Osmond-goes-KJVO.html. Commitment to a Cause: How much is anyone going to commit themselves to practicing KJVese? Contagious Relationships/Rapid Mobilization: If anyone is so commited, how contagious will it be? How rapid will it spread? Adaptive Methods: Not even the least wise haven't adapted from this bad habit.

#2
Mark Henninger
December 30, 2011

God does not need stewards that are less timely than the world, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=78598293746

#3
Gunter
December 30, 2011

Yes. I know God will use OneCry in this way! Excited.

#4
David Maddox
January 7, 2012

I reviewed the declaration for One Cry. In my view it is incomplete and thus I cannot join as much as I would like to. I believe the declaration should also include something like the following: 1. To respond immediately in obedience when God speaks. 2. To walk in the power of the Holy Spirit as Christ's witness seeking to make disciples and teach obedience as Christ commanded. The example of the Moravians is correct. They prayed and they went even as they prayed and God blessed and brought both revival and awakening. Would God have blessed if they just prayed and sat? Not likely. He hasn't in America for over 150 years and there is no reason to believe He will in the future. I love your heart for revival, but the feet evidence the true condition of the heart - and there are no feet in the declaration as it currently exists. Please pray if there is more.



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