What can we learn to apply to our lives, and our communities?
1) Never lose sight of the fact that God loves every community.
Here was a small desert community in the North of Brazil that was not even on any maps at the time. Seemingly forgotten and unknown. But not to our loving and All-knowing God! His love was so great for this "forgotten" town, that He began years earlier to arrange circumstances in lives so that all the pieces would converge at just the right time for His purposes to be accomplished. There are a number of fascinating "back-stories" that I will include in the book I am writing about this amazing tale of transformation. This is an amazing example of the great love that God has for our communities, for YOUR community. No matter what the situation might look like at the moment, God has a destiny for your community in His great heart. He's just waiting...
2) God is looking for obedient hearts
The people of First Baptist Church in Valentina did not even believe in dreams and visions! Yet their hearts were sincere, and as the Lord gently prodded them, they were willing to step "out of the box" in order to obey Him. And when the were confronted with the reality that God was speaking to them, they did whatever was necessary to be obedient to His call. I could not begin to write here the many sacrifices and testings that took place as the leaders and members of First Baptist Church began to make the 3 1/2 hour trip up to Algodao once, many time twice a month. Flat tire, no gasoline, no cash... it didn't matter, as they paid the price, they also found that God was their provider, and their strength. How willing are we to pay any price in order to have God's transforming presence dwell in our communities? Are we willing to give up our preconceived ideas of how He will work, and simply obey?3) Desperate Prayer attracts the attention of God
We sometimes think that we can get God's attention by massing hundreds or thousands together to worship and pray with lots of fanfare and hoopla. But look at this story and adjust your thinking. One couple who had moved there from Rio were praying for God to bring a Baptist church to Algodao. And a lone, blind man, sitting in his simple house cried out to God, "Please send someone to help us!" God was attracted not to numbers or flash and stage-managed programs, He was attracted to three simple, desperate people who knew if He did not come through, there was nothing left. No rain for 23 years, a dying population, dying livestock, no crops and a dried up reservoir were daily reminders to them that the needed to pray with desperation to the Only One who could help them. How desperate are we, really? Are we truly, truly at the place were we believe that God coming is our only hope? Or are we still infatuated with our programs, our schemes, our ideas and our plans to "get Him to come?" Until we get past all of that, He waits...He waits to see our desperation, and to hear our desperate prayers.
In the DVD titled, The Quickening, produced by The Sentinel Group you can learn of the seven core principles and seven obstacles to transformation. These are principles gathered as The Sentinel Group has observed hundreds of transformed communities over the years. You can purchase this DVD by going to the Sentinel Groups website, www.sentinelgroup.org. There will soon (hopefully by December 21st) be a new webstore at www.Revivalworks.com. If you purchase the DVD, you can also purchase the companion prayer guide. When you get these, contact me, and I can send you a group study guide to go along with the DVD.
Let's earnestly give ourselves to pursuing transformation in our communities. It is not a pipe dream. It is happening in over 800 communities around the world this very moment. How about YOUR community?
Addendum: On December 19, 2009, First Baptist Church in Algodao de Jandaira will inaugurate their new church building. We had the privilege of praying in that "shell" in June of 2008, and now they nearly fill the building with worship of our Great God. He is still at work.
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