unpublished word journal - fall 2005

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THE WHOLETHINGDr. Rick Flanderswrites about how mis-sionary endeavors areusually disconnectedfrom revival in theminds of present-dayfundamentalists. Heshares from the earlychurch until today howthe two are insepara-ble and how modernmissions was proceed-ed by revival andprayer. PAGE 5 5

PART 4, LOOKING AT THE WORLD FROM A B IBL ICAL PERSPECT IVE. . .PEOPLE GROUPSEditor Charles Keen continues the series of people group concepts. Thisfourth section deals with how to get your local church involved in per-sonalizing the concept of unreached people groups. It is jammed packwith practical suggestions and the steps to engage your class or congre-gation. PAGE 16

THE HAYSTACK PRAYER MEETINGDr. Howard Casey tells “the rest of the story” about the famous HaystackPrayer Meeting in Massachusetts in 1806 when five men caught in a rainstorm took refuge in a haystack and prayed…which is considered to bethe origin of today’s modern missionary movement. PAGE 18

STRATEGY OR PRAYER...WHICH COMES FIRST?What might seem at first glance to be an obviousanswer to this question is pondered by Editor CharlesKeen. With massive church planting movementsoccurring around the world today and this currentgeneration realizing the opportunity to finish the taskof the Great Commission…where does prayer fit…or does it? PAGE 22

EDITORIALEditor Charles Keen discusses the cornerstone for all missionefforts…prayer. His premise is that what is true biblically is also true his-torically…and then he reviews how prayer was tied to every major pen-etration of the Gospel in history. He calls fundamentalists to recognizethat Faith Promise giving increases annually where new laborers andcommitments are not matching these increases…and suggests thatprayer is the solution. PAGE 4

EXCERPTS ON PRAYER INHARMONY WITH GODAndrew Murray. Missionary statesman ofthe 19th century and author of over 200books wrote frequently on prayer and itsimportance in world evangelization. His lifeas a missionary in Africa epitomizesprayer. Excerpts from all of his writings areincluded in this article and follow the themeof “Lord, teach us to pray.” PAGE 8

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Unpublished WORDEditor – Charles KeenCirculation/Advertising – Jerry RockwellGraphic Design – the graphic edge

Lake Dallas, TXProduction/Printing – Clark’s Printing Co./Ventura, CA

Unpublished WORD - Next IssueThe Oral Transmission of the

Word of God...getting the Gospel to those who do not read!

The Unpublished WORD Journal is a quarterly publication of FirstBible International. All correspondence should be sent to the editorial offices at:FirstBible International, 3720 West 4th Street, Mansfield, OH 44903. Phone (419) 529-5466, Fax (419) 529-9056, email: [email protected]: www.firstbible.net. FirstBible International is a ministry of Westside Baptist Church in Mansfield, OH, Rev. Ken Fielder, pastor.

C O N T E N T S

“ON S ITE” WITH INSIGHTEditor Charles Keen gives the biblical foundation forpraying “on site.” From Abraham to Nehemiah toJesus, he presents a case for “Mine eye affecteth mineheart.” He shares his personal experiences throughouthis ministry where praying “on site” was his practiceand then gives his rationale for praying in this mannerfor the unreached peoples of our world. PAGE 11

Some of the authors and their material featured in UPW Journal are not necessarily in agreement with the theological position of the UPW Journal.Their writings are included because of their insight into the particular subject matter published in the UPW Journal.

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Someone said, “When man works…man works. When man

prays…God works.” In this issue of the Unpublished WORD Journal,

the primary subject is prayer. At FirstBible International, we believe that

the Great Commission is a divinely given strategy that will only work in

a revived church and that prayer is a prerequisite to a church being in this state of existence.

Both human and biblical history demonstrates that the result of revival is always world evan-

gelism. Although other factors are evident - like homes restored, communities uplifted, wrongs

made right, etc. - the ultimate result is a heart for the nations and the sharing of the Gospel with

them. Fervent, persistent prayer is always accompanied by…and results in…world evangelization.

The history of fundamental missions proves that we have learned to raise funds for missions.

Our monetary giving through Faith Promise giving has escalated many-fold since Oswald Smith

introduced it to the American church in the 1950’s. In many churches, the missions offering con-

tinues to increase annually…but our impact on the world, missionary recruitment numbers, and

retention rates have not matched the increase in dollars raised. I suggest that one of the main

reasons is that we have not placed the spiritual dimension of prayer in the place of prominence.

In Luke 24:47, Jesus after giving the Great Commission said to the church, “I have a job for

you, but you are not yet ready.” So He sent them back to Jerusalem to get ready, which is described

in Acts 1:14-26. The emphasis is on prayer (verse 14). In this upper room they spent ten days in

prayer. It states in Acts 2:1 that they were in “one accord.” This was the state of revival in which

the early church found themselves… and the result was that seventeen nations received the Gospel.

A quick review of the Gospel reaching to the nations of the world will demonstrate this point:

Korea – in 1905 and 1906, an awakening was reported that was encouraged by the Welsh revival

Manchuria – Missionary Jonathan Goforth reported how word of the Korean revival brought him to that

country to witness the gracious outpouring of God’s Spirit

India – Word of the Welsh Revival also led to a prayer movement for revival among national Christian

in IndiaBurma – at the time of the Welsh Revival, missionaries in Burma reported “an ingathering quite sur-

passing anything in the history of the mission”

Indonesia – evangelism encouraged by the news out of Wales brought hundred of thousands to Christ

over the next decade

Europe – great revivals wrought by prayer inspired by the Welsh Revival were experienced in England,

Northern Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Germany

North America – all over the United States local churches and communities were moved to pray for

revival by the word from Wales

Look at Acts 13:1-4, it shows the same pattern:

Prayer – verse 2, “As they ministered to the Lord…”

Revival – verse 2, the Holy Ghost said “…Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work

whereunto I have called them.”

Revival sustained – verse 3, “…they had fasted and prayed…”

Missions – verse 4, “…they sent them away…”

What is true biblically is also true historically. The Modern Missions

Movement, through which the United States has now sent thousands of mis-

sionaries around the world, started when five men took refuge from a thun-

derstorm in a barn and gathered around a haystack for a prayer meeting.

Satan is not afraid of our big buildings…nor is he afraid of our big

budgets…or our strategies and plans…but he is afraid of our praying.

Shouldn’t prayer be the cornerstone and starting point of every missions

effort in our churches? I am hopeful that this issue of the UPW Journal

will be a stark reminder of the importance of prayer in your life…in the

life of your church…and in the light of the mandate given by our Lord.

EDITORIAL COMMENT

Charles F. Keen, editor

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nd, being assembled together with them, [Jesus] com-manded them [His disciples] that they should not departfrom Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father,which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly bap-tized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the HolyGhost not many days hence. When they therefore werecome together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thouat this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And hesaid unto them, It is not for you to know the times or theseasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. Butye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is comeupon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both inJerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and untothe uttermost part of the earth.”(Acts 1:4-8)

Anyone really interested in Christian missions isfamiliar with Acts 1:8 and our Lord’s commission that wespread the Gospel to “the uttermost part of the earth.”However we should not miss the fact that the first chap-ter of Acts is part of a story that relates to more than mis-sions. It is the story of that great day of Pentecost whenthe Holy Spirit filled the church. There is the promise ofthe Lord in the first part of Acts 1, and then the prayermeeting that followed in the last part of that chapter.Chapter 2 records the coming of the Spirit, the gift ofmany tongues, the first sermon about the Lord’s resur-rection, and finally the conversion of three thousand (thefirst great harvest of the church age). These two chapterspresent a pattern that is often repeated in the Acts of theApostles: prayer leading to the filling of the Spirit, result-ing in effective witness for Christ. We must also not missthat this witness was to be worldwide. In other words,New Testament Christianity in its fullness included “mis-sions.”

Being filled with the Spirit is the book of Acts’ defi-nition of what we call “revival.” In the Bible, revival isGod bringing His people back to the place of blessing.It is His lifting them up from disobedience, idolatry, andunfaithfulness to the level of obedience, consecration,and faith where He can send them the blessings Hepromised. In the Old Testament, those blessings were forIsrael in a state of submission to Jehovah. Among thethings He promised were victory in battle, prosperity inagriculture, health for the body, and the multiplication oftheir people. In the New Testament, Jesus promised His

The WholeThing

Unpublished WORD 5 .

by Dr. Rick Flanders

“A

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followers that when they were in a proper state of obe-dience and faith, the Holy Spirit within them would makepossible many miraculous blessings: direct answers toprayer, the manifestation of God’s presence, insight con-cerning truth, unexplainable peace, and much spiritualfruit. Also there would be persecution. (Read His wordsin John 14, 15, and 16). When the blessing does notcome because the people of God are not right, theyshould repent and call on Him to revive them. God’s peo-ple in both testaments were encouraged to pray forrevival when they needed one (Psalm 85:6, Luke11:13). When revival came in the book of Acts, theblessings promised in John 14-16 came too, along withthe predicted persecution. Christians in the revived statewent about obeying the Great Commission. The revivalresulted in aggressive local evangelism, extensive churchplanting at a distance, and missions to the uttermost part!It was one package: revival, evangelism, and missions.There is a vital connection between prayer and revival,and between revival and missions. Believers of our timemust see and restore these connections if we are to seeGod’s plan for world evangelism carried out.

Sadly, missionary endeavor is usually disconnectedfrom revival in the minds of present-day fundamentalists.Prayer and revival are handled separately from evan-gelism and missions. Sometimes evangelism is treatedapart from missions, and revival is disconnected fromevangelism. This fragmented thinking is an importantreason for our failure at all levels. Prayer is the basis ofrevival, evangelism, and missions in the whole schemeof God’s program. It is not just prayer for missions orprayer for souls, either. It is prayer for a revival thatresults in souls saved and missionaries sent! Often goodmen think of ministerial education as the fountain of mis-sions, but never think of revival as the source. If we areto see the world evangelized in our day, we must againtreat prayer, revival, evangelism, and missions as con-nected, as one thing, the living out of God’s plan.

History tells us loudly and clearly that revival andprayer for revival are inseparable from missions. The firstmissionary thrust after the Reformation came directlyfrom a local revival in Herrnhut, Germany. It happenedin August of 1727, and the congregation was called theMoravian Brethren. That whole summer these bravebelievers who had moved to Herrnhut to escape perse-

cution, gave themselves to praying for a general cleans-ing from pride, contention, and sin. They saw Godanswer those prayers in several meetings where the HolySpirit seemed to fill them. Out of the revived Moravianchurch many missionaries were sent to far-away places,preaching the Gospel of Christ. One of their evangelists,Peter Bohler, went to England and was used of God toteach the Wesley brothers justification by faith and assur-ance of salvation. Of course, these men were instrumen-tal in bringing about the Evangelical Revival in Englandwhich was closely connected with the Great Awakeningin America, both of which encouraged missions. All ofthis was about one thing - a revival of New TestamentChristianity brought by prayer and resulting in missions!

Campus revivals at several American colleges wereimportant factors in the Second Great Awakening, andit is widely asserted that they also gave birth to the nine-teenth-century missionary movement! The “HaystackPrayer Meeting” at Williams College gave us America’sfirst foreign missionaries in a movement that touches theworld yet today. Revival swept the mission churches ofHawaii through the preaching of Titus Coan in the late1830s. Coan himself could be called the “product” ofrevival, having come to spiritual usefulness through thepower of America’s Second Awakening in its lastdecade. Many great missionaries were raised upthrough Heaven-sent revivals! We are told that the pio-neer evangelical missionaries to Brazil were converts ofthe Prayer Revival (1857-1859). The father of C.T. Studdwas a zealous convert of the Moody/Sankey cam-paigns. The Welsh Revival of 1904-1905, along withthe writings of earlier revivalists, inspired JonathanGoforth in his historic evangelistic efforts in Manchuria.Actually the great revivals of the early twentieth centurysparked amazing evangelistic advances in many partsof the world: among them being Scandinavia, India,Korea, Indonesia, and Burma. Literally millions werewon to Christ between 1904 and 1920!

Revival is vitally related to missions. Actually it canbe said that effective missionary endeavor has alwaysbeen the “product” of revival! We will not see much ofthe one without more of the other. And widespreadrevival is the product of earnest, beseeching prayer. Ifwe want to further the cause of Christian missions, weshould give ourselves to serious revival praying.

But where is the needed call for revival among fun-damentalists? Some seem to have given up on revivalfor one reason or another. As a result, many funda-mental churches are withering in powerless retreat.Some congregations are growing worldly and carnal,and their missionary program is being affected.Missionaries return on furlough to dead or compromis-ing churches. Zeal for evangelizing the world has allbut disappeared among the fundamentalists. Financial

6 . Unpublished WORD

Prayer is the basis ofrevival, evangelism, andmissions in the wholescheme of God’s program.”

“

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support for missions is more difficult to generate, andyouth are less interested in a life of self-sacrifice. Theatmosphere is poisonous for missions. But the answer isnot in pushing missions more. It will be in re-establish-ing in the minds of God’s people the whole picture ofGod’s plan. A revival of New Testament Christianityamong Bible-believing churches is what is needed. Andthe Acts of the Apostles shows us the way to what weneed: earnest revival praying. ❖

Dr. Rick Flanders has served as pastor of Juniata BaptistChurch in Tuscola County, Michigan since 1973. Underhis ministry the church operates a Christian school, spon-sors a weekly radio broadcast, engages extensive evan-gelistic programs including some to correctional facilities.He is keenly interested in the history of religious revivalsin America. He is the author of a book on revival, sever-al booklets on holiness and articles for periodicals inFundamentalism. Flanders and his wife have three adultchildren and four grandchildren.

Prayers in the New Testamentfor the Spread of the Gospel

Matthew 6:10 – For God’s Kingdom to come

II Thessalonians 3:1 – For the Gospel to spread

Acts 4:29 – For the Gospel to be spoken with boldness

Mark 9:29 – For demons to be cast out

Acts 12:5-12 – For miraculous deliverance from prison

Acts 9:40 – For the dead to be raised

Matthew 6:11 – For provision for those in service to Jesus

Matthew 9:38 – For laborers for the harvest

Romans 16:20 – For Satan to be defeated

Ephesians 6:18-20 – For boldness to speak the Gospel

II Timothy 4:17 – For the message to be proclaimed so the Gentiles will hear

Acts 4:29-31 – For signs and wonders and the spread of the Good News

II Thessalonians 1:12 – That Jesus would be glorified through the church to the lost

II Thessalonians 3:1 – That the Word of God would spread

Acts 4:24-31 – That signs and wonders would be done among the Gentiles

Revelation 6:10 – For the blood of martyrs to be avenged

Revelation 5:9-10 – For Jesus to be worshiped by every tribe and tongue and people

John 17:21 – For unity so the world may know that Jesus is sent from the Father

Prayers in the New Testamentfor the LostI Timothy 2:1-4 – For all men, for kings, those in

authority

II Timothy 2:24-26 – For those who oppose the Gospel to repent

II Timothy 4:14 – That the Lord would repay Alexander the coppersmith

Matthew 6:10 – God to rule on the earth – everywhere!

Acts 28:8 – For Publius to be healed

John 17:20 – For unbelievers to come to faith through the disciples

Matthew 6:12 – For those who trespass against us

Matthew 8:2 – The prayer of the leper to be healed

Matthew 8:5 – The supplication of the Roman centurion

Matthew 8:28 – For deliverance of the demonic

Matthew 9:27 – Plea for mercy of the two blind men

Matthew 15:22 – The Canaanite woman pleading for mercy

Matthew 17:15 – The demonized boys’ father

Matthew 20:30 – Two blind men crying out for mercy


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8 . Unpublished WORD

Author of over 250 books, he was theminister at the Dutch Reformed Church ofWellington (South Africa) from 1871 to 1906,and lived there until his death in 1917.

His vision for winning Africa for Christled him beyond the borders of Wellington.Missionaries from Wellington penetrated intothe heart of Africa.

He was a proponent and at the forefront infounding schools both of education for girlsand of higher education for women.

‘I know that Thou hearest me always;’ Or

Prayer in harmony with the being of God.

‘Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me...AndI knew that Thou hearest me always.’ - John 11:41-42

‘Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten Thee. Askof me, and I shall give Thee.’ - Psalm 2:7,8

...that we should grow up into an insight intothe Divine wisdom and beauty of all His waysand words and works.

In the New Testament we find a distinction madebetween faith and knowledge. ‘To one is given, throughthe Spirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word ofknowledge, according to the same Spirit; to anotherfaith, in the same Spirit.’ In a child or a simple-mindedChristian there may be much faith with little knowledge.

Childlike simplicity accepts the truth without difficulty,and often cares little to give itself or others any reasonfor its faith but this: God has said. But it is the will ofGod that we should love and serve Him, not only withall the heart but also with all the mind; that we shouldgrow up into an insight into the Divine wisdom andbeauty of all His ways and words and works.

How can the action of prayer be harmonized withthe will and the decrees of God?

It is only thus that the believer will be able fully toapproach and rightly to adore the glory of God’s grace;and only thus that our heart can intelligently apprehendthe treasures of wisdom and knowledge there are inredemption, and be prepared to enter fully into the high-est note of the song that rises before the throne: ‘O thedepth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledgeof God!’

In our prayer life this truth has its full application.While prayer and faith are so simple that the new-bornconvert can pray with power, true Christian science findsin the doctrine of prayer some of its deepest problems.In how far is the power of prayer a reality? If so, howGod can grant to prayer such mighty power? How canthe action of prayer be harmonized with the will and thedecrees of God?

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The more earnestly and reverently we approachsuch mysteries, the more shall we in adoring wonder falldown to praise Him who hath in prayer given suchpower to man.

How can God’s sovereignty and our will, God’s lib-erty and ours, be reconciled?—these and other likequestions are fit subjects for Christian meditation andinquiry. The more earnestly and reverently we approachsuch mysteries, the more shall we in adoring wonder falldown to praise Him who hath in prayer given suchpower to man.

One of the secret difficulties with regard to prayer,—one which, though not expressed, does often really hin-der prayer,—is derived from the perfection of God, inHis absolute independence of all that is outside ofHimself. Is He not the Infinite Being, who owes what Heis to Himself alone, who determines Himself, and whosewise and holy will has determined all that is to be? Howcan prayer influence Him, or He be moved by prayer todo what otherwise would not be done?

In seeking an answer to such questions, we find thekey in the very being of God, in the mystery of the HolyTrinity.

Is not the promise of an answer to prayer simply acondescension to our weakness? Is what is said of thepower—the much-availing power—of prayer anythingmore than an accommodation to our mode of thought,because the Deity never can be dependent on anyaction from without for its doings? And is not the bless-ing of prayer simply the influence it exercises upon our-selves?

In seeking an answer to such questions, we find thekey in the very being of God, in the mystery of the HolyTrinity. If God was only one Person, shut up withinHimself, there could be no thought of nearness to Him orinfluence on Him. But in God there are three Persons.In God we have Father and Son, who have in the HolySpirit their living bond of unity and fellowship.

The asking of the Son was no mere show or shadow,but one of those life-movements in which the love of theFather and the Son met and completed each other.

When eternal Love begat the Son, and the Fathergave the Son as the Second Person a place next toHimself as His Equal and His Counselor, there was away opened for prayer and its influence in the veryinmost life of Deity itself. Just as on earth, so in heaventhe whole relation between Father and Son is that of giv-ing and taking. And if that taking is to be as voluntaryand self-determined as the giving, there must be on thepart of the Son an asking and receiving.

In the holy fellowship of the Divine Persons, this ask-ing of the Son was one of the great operations of theThrice Blessed Life of God. Hence we have it in Psalm2: ‘This day I have begotten Thee. Ask of me and I shall

give Thee...’ The Father gave the Son the place and thepower to act upon Him. The asking of the Son was nomere show or shadow, but one of those life-movementsin which the love of the Father and the Son met and com-pleted each other.

The prayer of the man Christ Jesus is the linkbetween the eternal asking of the only-begotten Son inthe bosom of the Father and the prayer of men uponearth.

The Father had determined that He should not bealone in His counsels: there was a Son on whose askingand accepting their fulfillment should depend. And sothere was in the very Being and Life of God an askingof which prayer on earth was to be the reflection and theoutflow. It was not without including this that Jesus said,“...I knew that Thou always hearest me...”

Just as the Sonship of Jesus on earth may not be sep-arated from His Sonship in heaven, even so with Hisprayer on earth, it is the continuation and the counter-part of His asking in heaven. The prayer of the manChrist Jesus is the link between the eternal asking of theonly-begotten Son in the bosom of the Father and theprayer of men upon earth. Prayer has its rise and itsdeepest source in the very Being of God. In the bosomof Deity nothing is ever done without prayer—the askingof the Son and the giving of the Father.

...the Son as Mediator and Intercessor, and sofor the petitions of all who draw nigh to theFather in the Son.

This may help us somewhat to understand how theprayer of man, coming through the Son, can have effectupon God. The decrees of God are not decisions madeby Him without reference to the Son, or His petition, orthe petition to be sent up through Him. By no means.The Lord Jesus is the first-begotten, the Head and Heir ofall things: all things were created through Him and untoHim, and all things consist in Him.

In the counsels of the Father, the Son, asRepresentative of all creation, had always a voice; in thedecrees of the eternal purpose there was always roomleft for the liberty of the Son as Mediator and Intercessor,and so for the petitions of all who draw nigh to theFather in the Son.

...the Father-heart holds itself open and free tolisten to every prayer that rises through theSon, and that God does indeed allow Himselfto be decided by prayer to do what He other-wise would not have done.

And if the thought come that this liberty and powerof the Son to act upon the Father is at variance with theimmutability of the Divine decrees, let us not forget thatthere is not with God as with man, a past by which He

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1 0 . Unpublished WORD

is irrevocably bound. God does not live in time with itspast and future; the distinctions of time have no refer-ence to Him who inhabits Eternity. And Eternity is anever-present Now, in which the past is never past, andthe future always present.

To meet our human weakness, Scripture must speakof past decrees, and a coming future. In reality, theimmutability of God’s counsel is ever still in perfect har-mony with His liberty to do whatsoever He will. Not sowere the prayers of the Son and His people taken upinto the eternal decrees that their effect should only bean apparent one; but so, that the Father-heart holds itselfopen and free to listen to every prayer that rises throughthe Son, and that God does indeed allow Himself to bedecided by prayer to do what He otherwise would nothave done.

...through our union with the Son, our prayeris taken up and can have its influence in theinner life of the Blessed Trinity.

This perfect harmony and union of DivineSovereignty and human liberty is to us an unfathomablemystery, because God as THE ETERNAL ONE tran-scends all our thoughts. But let it be our comfort andstrength to be assured that in the eternal fellowship of theFather and the Son, the power of prayer has its originand certainty, and that through our union with the Son,our prayer is taken up and can have its influence in theinner life of the Blessed Trinity.

God’s decrees are no iron framework against whichman’s liberty would vainly seek to struggle. No. GodHimself is the Living Love, who in His Son as man hasentered into the tenderest relation with all that is human,who through the Holy Spirit takes up all that is humaninto the Divine life of love, and keeps Himself free to giveevery human prayer its place in His government of theworld.

...the way in which it were possible for man tobe taken up into the fellowship of God, andhis prayer to become a real factor in God’srule of this earth.

It is in the daybreak light of such thoughts that thedoctrine of the Blessed Trinity no longer is an abstractspeculation, but the living manifestation of the way inwhich it were possible for man to be taken up into thefellowship of God, and his prayer to become a real fac-tor in God’s rule of this earth.

And we can, as in the distance, catch glimpses ofthe light that from the eternal world shines out on wordssuch as these: ‘THROUGH HIM we have access BYONE SPIRIT unto THE FATHER.’

“LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY.”

I thank Thee that as Father Thou cansthear our prayer, because Thou hast frometernity given a place in Thy counsels to theasking of Thy Son.

Everlasting God! The Three-One andThrice Holy! In deep reverence would I withveiled face worship before the holy mysteryof Thy Divine Being. And if it please Thee, Omost glorious God, to unveil aught of thatmystery, I would bow with fear and trem-bling, lest I sin against Thee, as I meditate onThy glory.

Father! I thank Thee that Thou bearest thisname not only as the Father of Thy childrenhere on earth, but as having from eternitysubsisted as the Father with Thine only-begot-ten Son. I thank Thee that as Father Thoucanst hear our prayer, because Thou hastfrom eternity given a place in Thy counsels tothe asking of Thy Son.

O let this each day be the sign of our son-ship, that, like Thee, we know that the Fatherheareth us always.

I thank Thee that we have seen in Him onearth, what the blessed intercourse was Hehad with Thee in heaven; and how from eter-nity in all Thy counsels and decrees there hadbeen room left for His prayer and theiranswers.

And I thank Thee above all that throughHis true human nature on Thy throne above,and through Thy Holy Spirit in our humannature here below, a way has been openedup by which every human cry of need can betaken up into and touch the Life and the Loveof God, and receive in answer whatsoever itshall ask.

Blessed Jesus! In whom as the Son thepath of prayer has been opened up, andwho givest us assurance of the answer, webeseech Thee, teach Thy people to pray. Olet this each day be the sign of our sonship,that, like Thee, we know that the Fatherheareth us always. Amen. ❖

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all would agree to the presence offailure in our Great Commissionministry, and we would all agreethat to a large degree that failure

can be laid at the feet of faulty praying. John R. Ricesaid, “All failure is a prayer failure.” We usuallyassociate failure in prayer with a lack of amount ofpraying. So we dedicate ourselves to add moretime to our intercession. Now lack of time spent canbe a cause of failure in prayer, but it is not alwaysthe only or right solution.

I believe the underlying flaw in our praying isour unbelief (James 1:6). I believe there are threeways to attack the unbelief that weakens our pray-ing: 1) fasting, 2) staying in the Word, 3) “on site”praying. It is the third one I wish to address in thisarticle.

I want to write on a facet of prayer that I believeis overlooked. It should not be overlooked becauseof the biblical basis for it and because it goes alongwith being victorious in missions. I will call this formof praying “on site” praying. (The Charismatic andneo-evangelicals call it prayer walking. Though Ireject most of their ministry approach, I am notgoing to abandon this Bible truth because they werethe first to address it.)

First, let me lay a biblical foundation for “onsite” praying. In Genesis 13:14-18 we find Godtelling Abraham to “walk through the land in thelength of it and in the breadth of it: for I will give itunto thee.” In Joshua we hear Israel being told in6:12-16 to compass (walk around) the city ofJericho one time a day until the seventh day. Thenthey were to walk around it seven times and shoutfor the LORD had given them the city. Who couldforget Nehemiah’s assignment in preparation forwall building in Nehemiah 2:12-16? Burdened byGod to rebuild and released by King Artaxerxes in

the month Nisan to follow his burden, Nehemiahwent by night and viewed the wall, verse 15. Ibelieve we could see a basis for “on site” prayingin these Old Testament examples, though they arenot confined just to the Old Testament. What isJesus doing in Matthew 23:37 as He weeps overJerusalem? He is doing “on site” praying - prayingwhere He intends to have a ministry. Can we atleast see through a glass darkly in Matthew 9:36-38 as “on site” praying?

It seems to me if we are going to conquer or re-conquer territory for God (which is not a bad defi-nition of missions), we need to as least consider thevalue of “on site” praying. I think if we are seriousin our adopting of unreached people groups, weshould err on the side of safety. I would rather failafter praying “on site” than wondering if the out-come would have been different if I had prayed “onsite” – “mine eye affecteth mine heart...”

What pastor has not used “on site” praying,though perhaps not calling it by that name? Iremember in my years of pastoring walking aroundacreage we wanted released to us for ministry. Iremember walking up and down the aisles prayingat every pew for victory on the morrow as Ipreached. I even remember driving late into thenight to the homes of members who were fussing,asking God to heal their fellowship for the good ofHis fellowship. I did not call any of these prayers“on site,” but it is what I was doing.

If maybe you could pray over choosing a peo-ple group as a church then send one or more of thecongregation to that location to pray “on site” tomake it a possession of God. It might be one of thequalifications for choosing a people group wouldbe to obtain a tourist visa. It could be that theremainder of the congregation would use a map

Unpublished WORD 1 1 .

by Charles Keen

continued on page 21

We

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See Center

spread.qx for pages 12-13

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This is the fourth article on the subject of People Groups. The others havedefined the terms, established the biblical foundation, and described someoptions for being involved. The fourth article provides direction for a churchto focus on an unreached people group.

n recent years, local churches have become involvedstrategically with unreached people groups through-out the world. This is a growing phenomenon that

independent Baptist churches need to examine and con-sider. Once church leaders comprehend that there isone fundamental congregation in the U.S. for each ofthe 12,000 unreached people groups, the task of com-pleting the Great Commission becomes believable. It iscommon today to hear the terms, “Finishing the Task” or“Closure” when referring to world evangelization.

For years I have quoted the statistic that there are12,000 unreached people groups. When you study allof the statistics out there on people groups, it can be con-fusing. FirstBible International has decided to accept thestatistics recorded at www.peoplegroups.org. They lista little over 6,000 people groups as being unreached.

Of these unreached people groups in our worldtoday, 639 (with a population of over 100,000) are“unengaged.” The term unengaged means there is noknown evangelical church planting strategy underway.Here is my point: there are enough churches worldwideand certainly enough churches in the U.S….even sound,fundamental churches, to get the job done. The questionis do we want to be involved.

Part of the vision for finishing the task is the strategythat the local church is the “missionary.” In other words,how involved does the church want to be. By this Imean, a local church can take on the responsibility ofbeing the “missionary” to an unreached people group.

They orchestrate all the resources, prayer, and whateverit takes to get the Gospel to an unreached group. Theycarry the burden, develop the plan, garnish extraordi-nary prayer, network with other local churches, andaccept the responsibility for the long term job of reach-ing a particular unreached people group.

Most churches like to send out a missionary and feelthat this is enough. There is not enough time, personnel,or resources to get the job done this way. There are,however, enough churches in the entire world (600 to1), if the church will accept their responsibility of beingthe missionary. Sure, some of these churches are not fun-damental or doctrinally sound. The point is still valid.Local churches far out number people groups. Let’s getfocused.

It is conceivable and believable that the GreatCommission is doable if every unreached and unen-gaged people group in the world could have a churchor even a group of churches focused on and committedto reaching them. This concept is “Adopting anUnreached People Group” or “Being An Advocate forAn Unreached People Group.”

Many leaders feel that the future of missions is goingto be “personalization.” For too long, missions to theaverage church has been giving an offering and pray-ing for a missionary. Less than 3% of the average con-gregation becomes engaged specifically in reaching theworld. Personalizing missions will be the way Godinvolves churches in the 21st Century. What better wayto involve your church in missions than by adopting oneof the unreached people groups and making a commit-ment to provide for them the opportunity to hear theGospel.

One pastor stated, “We don’t know how long it isgoing to take. We don’t know what it is going to cost.We don’t even fully understand what we are doing…butwe are making a long-range commitment to reach thepeople group God has led our congregation to adopt.By His grace we are going to give them a valid oppor-tunity to accept or reject Jesus Christ.”

I

By Charles Keen


PA R T F O U R

“MANY LEADERS FEEL THAT THE

FUTURE OF MISSIONS IS GOING

TO BE ‘PERSONALIZATION.’”

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Here are some practical suggestions for consideringthis concept:

Assumptions:1. A church has come to the realization that

the world is best defined in biblical terms and not political terms.

• Instead of supporting mission endeavors in coun-tries (with boundaries and political systems) theydefine the world as groupings of people withcommon languages, religious affiliations, occu-pation, heritage, socio-economic levels, etc.

• These groupings of people (people groups) fallinto three general categories: reached,unreached, and unengaged.

2. A church has a core belief that the Great Commission is achievable in this generation:

• If the Great Commission is defined in termsof a self-sustaining church movementamong every people group.

• If a strategy is defined as reaching allremaining unreached people groups

• If the established church focuses onunreached people groups as their part ofan all encompassing task.

3. The church is personally involved in accomplishing the Great Commission.

• Missions is not something that can be delegatedto an individual (usually called a “missionary”).

• Missions cannot be reduced to funding a lineitem on a church budget.

• Acts 1:8 is the goal of a comprehensive churchstrategy. Just as each person should be person-ally involved in reaching out to people withintheir own context, they should also be reachingout to people in their “Judea,” “Samaria” and“ends of the earth.”

• The “ends of the earth” is best defined asunreached people groups. Therefore, focusingon an unreached people group allows thechurch to be personally involved in a balanced(Acts 1:8) strategy.

Three Options for Missions:

1. Support several missionaries and Strategic Mission Partners all around the world.

2. Focus on one unreached people group.

3. Have a combination of the first two options with an emphasis on an unreached people group. Your future will diminish support for random missionaries and mission projects while developing a deeper commitment and focus on the unreached.

Personalization:Option #1 mentioned above makes it increasingly

difficult to personalize missions. Over time congrega-tions lose touch with the individual missionaries as wellas the people to whom they minister (it’s the “out ofsight, out of mind” principle). Additionally, missionaries

who have been supported the longest tend to be over-shadowed (even forgotten) by the most recent

“take ons” and/or visiting furloughed missionar-ies.

There are basically three primary respons-es to the challenge of the unfinished task —praying, giving and going. However, per-sonalizing missions cannot be reduced tothe level of supporting and praying forindividual missionaries, or even going onshort-term projects. Personalization

means responsibility. Personalization hap-pens when a church takes the responsibility

of accomplishing the great commission per-sonally. Personalization happens when a church

decides that, in eternity, when all God’s worshippers aregathered together before His throne, there is going to beat least one unreached people group representedbecause of their efforts. Once a church makes that deci-sion, prayer becomes more focused, giving becomesmore strategic and going becomes more intentional.

1. Praying

• Without an unreached people group (UPG)focus, prayer for missions, at best, becomes alaundry list of personal missionary needs. Atworst, prayer for missions becomes a one-linetoken. “Bless all the missionaries” is, for theaverage church member, as good as it gets.Focused prayer for a people group rarely, if atall, makes it to the top of the list.

• When a church focuses on a UPG, prayer alsobecomes focused. Current events that affect theUPG are prayed for in light of reaching them


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with the Gospel. Obstacles that hinder the spreadof the Gospel can be prayed against… as well aspraying for the power of God. Governmentalleadership and the decisions made by them thataffect the UPG can be bathed in prayer. And,yes, missionaries who are working among theUPG can be prayed for and their specific needs.But the prayer is not focused on the missionary...itis focused on the UPG.

• Prayer for an UPG is intentional, focused, spe-cific, and strategic. Results can be more easilydocumented. God’s people are motivated topray more when they see results. It also increas-es participation.

2. Giving

• Without a UPG focus, missions giving isreduced to the level of a line item on thebudget. Giving, even if it is for individualmissionaries through a Faith Promise com-mitment, over time becomes more andmore impersonal. Faith Promise is reducedto a fund-raising apparatus and the MissionsConference a fund-raising event.

• Focusing on a UPG makes giving more strategicand allows for more accountability. Results canbe traced and the church can maintain betterstewardship of the resources God allows to flowthrough their midst.

• UPG focused giving can be targeted to specificprojects, needs and personnel that facilitateevangelism and the planting of self-replicatingchurches among the UPG.

3. Going

• Focusing on a UPG gives vitality to going andsending. Short-term trips become intentionalwhen they are part of a planned strategy forreaching a UPG. Prayer-on-site to bind strong-holds and open doors of opportunity for witness.Medical teams and humanitarian aid helps pavethe way for others to share the Gospel. Teachingcomputer and management skills give credibleaccess to a UPG. These are just a sampling ofcreative ways to involve your congregation inreaching a UPG.

• Short term and long-term personnel go (and aresent) with clear direction, biblical accountabilityand feedback, and consistent encouragement.

Other advantages of a people group focus:

• Partnering with personnel and organizationswho are focused on the same UPG.

• Training nationals within a UPG who will ulti-mately shoulder the load of responsibility ofreaching their own people.

• Ministry to people who are from the UPG, butlive in the local community.

• Becoming strategic by developing a comprehen-sive plan to eliminate a specific people groupfrom the “unreached” category.

• Specific goals, identifiable results, measured suc-cess and a completed task.

Here are the practical steps a churchcan use to become involved strate-gically with adopting an unreachedpeople group.

I. Select one to five unengaged, unreachedpeople groups for potential ministry.

A. Who are they?

1. “Unreached” (UPG) — Less than 2% evangelical believers.

2. “Unengaged” (UUPG)— No one is trying to reach them.

3. Some have no congregations or no known believers.

4. Some have no Scriptures and no tools for evangelism.

5. One-half of all groups are in India.

B. Why select more than one group?

1. Because you can influence other churches to participate.

2. Because some groups are inaccessible due to war.

C. What help is available?

1. Various ministries have representatives that can help you develop contacts in the region of your group.

2. Ministry Partners you will recruit living among or near your unreached group.


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II. Appoint an Unreached People Group “Titus” for thechurch.

A. The senior pastor should appoint a person (a “Titus”) to lead all aspects of this new outreach.

B. The “Titus” should recruit a team of people who will do the following:

1. Mobilize prayer support.

2. Research the people group.

3. Raise finances and resources.

4. Recruit team members to help with communications, logistics, training, finances, reporting, supervision, travel, and coordination.

5. Help meet the physical/felt needs of the UPG.

6. Recruit short-term teams.

7. Connect with mission organizations to find workers in the targeted region.

8. Develop a plan with the senior pastor to convey vision and burden for the UPG to the whole congregation.

III. Take a Survey Trip

A. The senior pastor and “Titus” shouldtake a survey trip together with keychurch members (3 to 6 people).

B. Purpose of the trip:

1. To confirm in the heart of the pastor that this is the group to commit to reaching.

2. To identify potential partners in local churches in the targeted region, indigenous mission groups, etc., who can be the hands-on, day-to-day workers.

3. To cast the vision of “Church Planting Movements” and the multiplication process to the indigenous leadership.

4. To assess which of the six elements of a CPM exist (or do not exist) and to what extent.

5. To pray for the group and verify the research.

6. To potentially identify a “person of peace” (Matthew 10:11).

7. To determine the physical/felt needs of the people group.

8. To gather information, take photographs, etc. of the region and people group for the purpose of challenging your church (and others).

9. To assess the language situation, find interpreters, etc.

10. To begin the process of spiritually “mapping” the region and assessing the availability of tools, resources, workers, Scriptures, etc.

IV. Recruit and Train the Workers

A. Find a “near-culture” indigenous church, mission, etc. who can be your partner.

B. Ask your partner to plan a strategy with you.

C. Find out if there is a coalition of “emergingworld” churches or mission organizations whoare attempting to reach UPG’s in the region.

D. Determine how your workers will besupported (expatriates and/or nationals).

E. Determine the roles your churchmembers will play in your overall strate-gy to reach the group.

V. Determine the Evangelism and ChurchPlanting Strategy you will use and the Tools

and Training Needed.

A. Is there a reliable translation of the Scriptures?

B. Are there other audio and visual tools available in the language or a “near-culture” language?

C. Who will recruit, train, and supervise the workers?

1. Determine if you can send long-term workers from your church.

2. What training resources are available?a. Are they culturally appropriate?b. Do they need to be translated?

3. Are there partnering organizations that can provide local supervision?

These are the first five steps in getting started in a newinitiative toward reaching an unreached people group.Once your survey trip (or trips) has been completed, youwill be able to more intelligently develop a long-rangeplan toward helping this group hear the Gospel and elim-inate them from the category of the “unreached.” ❖


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We believe theScriptures and historyboth teach that a genuine move of Godwill always results in anew global impact. So it was in Acts 2 wherethe first revival in thechurch is recorded andseventeen nations werevisited with God’s goodnews. Look at Acts 11where the church atAntioch is experiencingrevival and missionariesare deployed from theirchurch in Acts 13. So itis in modern daychurch history.

The year is 1806, America is in revival from NewEngland to Georgia, both on college campuses and inlocal churches. This revival became known as theSecond Great Awakening out of which was born the firstmissionary societies in America: United ForeignMissions Society, American Baptist Society, and theAmerican Bible Society.

Let me tell you “the rest of the story.” It is referred toas the Haystack Prayer Meeting. The prayer meetingtook place on a Sunday in August 1806. It happened ata haystack because the bi-weekly meeting held inSloan’s meadow met with a storm forcing the five youngmen to seek refuge in a nearby haystack. The five menin the stack on this a memorial day were praying for thechurches of America to get the gospel to Asia. Theywere Byram Green, Harry Loomis, Samuel Mills, JamesRichardson, and Francis Robbins, all students atWilliams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

According to Cromwell and Ross, professors atSouthwestern Baptist Seminary, Fort Worth, only one ofthe five actually became a career overseas missionary,James Richardson. He went to modern day Sri Lanka,(Ceylon) in 1815 and served there until his death in1822. Bryam Green did not enter full-time ministry, butas a layman became a U.S. senator from New York.Harry Loomis’ heart was in home missions for America,a still young and mostly uncivilized western frontier.Francis Robbins pastored faithfully in Connecticut for thir-ty-four years. Samuel Mills was burdened for the slaves,who when freed had no place in which to return. Hewent to Africa in 1818 and helped found the modernday country of Liberia so the slaves would have a placeto go upon their becoming free men. He died on hisreturn trip and was buried at sea, but not before hehelped found, directly or by influence:*the AmericaBible Society, the United Foreign Missionary Society,and the Baptist Missionary Union. All of this worldimpacting ministry came out of a revived church and ahaystack prayer meeting. *The Society of Brethren,founded by Mills, was the first overseas missions boardin America. It was by this first missions society that thefirst missionary to Burma (Myanmar), Adoniram Judson,was commissioned. Shortly after Mills founded theSociety of Brethren, the Congregational Churches ofMassachusetts formed the American Board ofCommissioners for foreign missions. All of these agen-cies for world evangelism came out of a revived churchwith praying men in a haystack. ❖


by Dr. Howard Casey, Shelby Bible ChurchShelby Township, Michigan

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Master Clubs Ad Here

Carlos Demarest was a dedicated and faithful servant to the spread of the Gospel andespecially the spread of God’s Word. He, along with Charles Keen and Sam Caudill, underthe authority of First Baptist Church of Milford, Ohio founded Bearing Precious Seed. Godused Carlos to instill in hearts of pastors and laymen a vision for local church Biblepublication that has now resulted in thousands of missionaries getting the Word of Godfor free distribution. Many consider him as the catalyst for local churches owning their

responsibility in Bible publication. Carlos and all of his family love the Scriptures and have always madethe distribution of the Bible a priority in their ministry. He went to be with the Lord in 1999…yet hislegacy lives on. This foundation is to honor his life and ministry.

The Carlos Demarest Foundation is an effort to establish a fundamental ministry that will underwrite thetranslating of the Bible. The foundation has been initially endowed with a grant of $70,000 for thepurpose of assisting ministries, colleges and students in Bible translation efforts. To receive informationabout the foundation visit the website: www.firstbible.net. Other information in regards to how tocontribute to the Carlos Demarest Foundation may be obtained by emailing: [email protected]

Announces the Establishment of the

Carlos Demarest Foundation


Carlos Demarest

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Someone once stated that you will be the same person youare today ten years from now except for the books that youread and the people that you meet. There is some truth in thisstatement. The Pastors Book Club is designed to do threethings: Give book reviews from the staff of the UPW Journal,recommend good books on the subject of missions, and pro-vide a convenient way for pastors to purchase these booksat reasonable prices. FirstBible International and the UPWJournal do not necessarily endorse any author, ministry, ororganization associated with books recommended for sale.The books are offered as a source of information andencouragement.

The books below can be purchased by calling the toll free number for Keen Publications at 1-888-747-1611. Please note that shipping and handling is not included in the prices listed below.

Title Author Price PublisherA Concise History of the Christian World Mission .....Herbert J. Kane ................$20.00 ........Baker BooksHudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret ..............................Dr. Howard Taylor ................6.99 ........Moody PressLords of the Earth ..................................................Don Richardson ..................11.99 ........YWAMPeace Child ..........................................................Don Richardson ..................11.99 ........YWAMMissions in the Old Testament.................................Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. ............11.99 ........Baker BooksMissions on the Way .............................................Charles Van Engen .............22.40 ........Baker BooksThe Attributes of God, 2 volumes ............................A. W. Tozer .......................13.99 ........Christian PublicationsThe Pursuit of God.................................................A. W. Tozer .......................13.99 ........Christian PublicationsTo the Golden Shore..............................................Courtney Anderson .............17.00 ........Judson PressYour Church Can Excel in Global Giving .................Donald A. Jensen..................9.99 ........Send the LightLet Us Give...........................................................Arthur E. Ball........................8.99 ........Kregel PublicationsA Biblical Theology of Missions ..............................Peters, George W. ..............19.99 ........Moody Publishers Biblical Bible Translators ........................................Turner, Charles ...................19.99 ........Sovereign Grace PublishersC. T. Studd, Cricketer & Pioneer..............................Norman Grubb...................17.98 ........Christian Literature CrusadeGlobal Missiology for the 21st Century....................William Taylor ....................40.00 ........World Evangelism Press (YWAM)Key to Missionary Problems....................................Andrew Murray ....................8.99 ........Christian Literature CrusadeMissionary Methods, St Paul’s and Ours ..................Roland Allen ......................14.00 ........EerdmansMissions in the Third Millennium .............................Stan Guthrie.......................17.99 ........Send the LightOperation World...................................................Johnstone ...........................17.99 ........Send The LightPeople Raising ......................................................William Dillon ....................16.99 ........Moody PressRun With The Vision ..............................................Stearns ..............................14.99 ........Bethany House Publishers (Baker)Spiritual Secrets ....................................................Hudson Taylor ......................6.99 ........Moody PublishersTraining of the Twelve ............................................A. B. Bruce ........................19.99 ........Kregel PublicationsVanishing Ministry, The ..........................................Woodrow Kroll ...................11.99 ........Kregel PublicationsPower Through Prayer............................................E. M. Bounds .......................4.00 ........Missionary CrusaderThe Prayer-Shaped Disciple ....................................Dan Crawford ....................17.95 ........Hendrickson PublishersHe Is Worthy ........................................................Charles Keen......................11.00 ........Keen PublicationsThinking Outside the Box .......................................Charles Keen......................11.00 ........Keen Publications

The following are a list we recommend but not available for order, these may be found through used book dealers or on the internet.

The Hope at Hand: National and World Revivalfor the 21st Century...............................................David Bryant................out of print ........Baker BooksTerritorial Spirits and World Evangelization ..............Chuck Lowe .................out of print ........Mentor/OMFPraying Hyde: Apostle of Prayer .............................E. G. Carr, Ed..............out of print ........Bridge-LogosPraying Hyde........................................................Basil Miller ..................out of print ........Ambassador-EmeraldPrayer ..................................................................O. Hallsby...................out of print ........Augsburg

Recommended Books For Sale


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All the Prayers of the BibleBy Herbert LockyerPublisher: Zondervan

All the Prayers of the Bible is no mere recital ofwell-worn phrases - it is an outpouring of the heart toGod. The passion and beauty of prayer, to say nothingof its necessity and efficacy, are powerfully reflected inthis remarkable devotional.

Covering the vast sweep of biblical prayers, Dr.Herbert W. Lockyer not only summarizes them all, butalso shows you what each book of the Bible revealsabout prayer and its role in human life and history.

Letter to Malcolm: Chiefly on PrayerBy C.S. LewisPublisher: Harvest Books

In the form of warm, relaxed letters to a closefriend, Lewis meditates on many puzzling questionsconcerning the intimate dialogue between man andGod. Lewis also considers practical and metaphysicalaspects of private prayer, petitionary prayer, the Lord’sPrayer, and other forms of prayer.

Operation World – A global missions prayer guideBy Patrick JohnstonePublisher: Zondervan

Operation World is the best Christian prayer guideto the world. It is a book on prayer, divided by dayand by country, so you can pray for the world yearround. There is no better way to develop a heart for anation from a distance, than on your knees, praying forthem.

I have used Operation World for years, and I can’tbegin to estimate how much I have learned from it, norhow often it has moved my prayers beyond my littleworld, and given me a glimpse of God’s passion forthe world.

PrayerBy Ole HallesbyPublisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers

"Is your personal prayer life giving you problems?Read this book. It will clear your mind about your needfor prayer and strengthen your will to do it. Beyond allthat, it will simply flood your soul with goodness andlove of God. I've been going back to Ole Hallesby'sPrayer for years and find it like listening to a sympho-ny. I don't know any book in any language that canmatch his masterwork on this greatest of all subjects."

- Sherwood Elliot Wright; editor, Spiritual Witness:Classic Christian Writings of the 20th Century

Ole Hallesby was one of Norway’s leadingChristian teachers and devotional writers. He played aleading role in the church’s opposition to the Nazisand was confined to a concentration camp for twoyears. His writings, coming from a mind and heartattuned to God, continue to speak to Christians today.

The Power of PrayerBy Charles SpurgeonPublisher: YWAM Publishing

This book certainly doesn’t need a recommenda-tion since it is one of the classics on prayer.


and place their hands on it to pray vigorously “onsight.” How about adding it in the weekly bulletinfor that purpose? Why not do research projects soyou could know specifically for what to pray?Abraham was told to get thee out and “unto a landthat I will show thee.”

For a detailed brochure concerning “on site withinsight” praying for the purpose of adopting a peo-ple group, contact the FBI office or go on line atwww.firstbible.net. ❖

“On Site”...continued from page 11

Suggested Reading…Books About PrayerUse the following resources to learn about and organize prayer gatherings in your church or small group.FirstBible International does not endorse these authors or their doctrinal positions, but their books on prayer canserve as a resource for any pastor dedicated to implementing the biblical command to pray.

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Some would say that this is a ridiculous question.The answer is obvious. But I am not sure most of us liveup to our theological ideals. We probably struggle morewith this dilemma than we realize.

This struggle for the proper balance has continuedfor me throughout my 40 years of ministry. For example,I believe God gave FirstBible International a strategy forgiving the Scriptures to the unreached people groups ofour world. Many churches are involved now and thou-sands are now having access to God’s Word. So, wheredoes prayer fit in?

A leading missiologist frequently states, “We live inthe first generation in all human history that has the real-istic potential of completing the Great Commission.”He’s right…which means we are required to be goodstewards in this state of responsiveness. What the timescall for is dynamic church growth of exponential pro-portions. For this we truly need the balance betweensolid biblical strategy AND great power in prayer.

Neither of these has come close to reaching a levelof full implementation. It would be my premise that theyneed a full and complete integration. By that I meanthere needs to be a massive prayer movement emergingon every hand – prayer that would break down strong-holds, that would anoint strategies and movements, thatwould unite and empower the Body of Christ in a great,final push to at last see the discipling of all nationsbecome a reality.

This kind of integrated prayer has been mobilizedon an international level beyond anything previouslyseen in history. These massive prayer movements arepractical, realistic and biblical. Let me recommend threethings we need to consider when praying in concert withthese prayer movements:

1. Pray relentlessly. The widow woman in theLuke 18 parable would not go away. She would not be“put off.”

2. Pray motivated. Jesus used the words “sentforth.” The Greek word for this is a term to be forceful,almost violent. This speaks of motivation. They were notto ask for potential laborers in the harvest that had to bepersuaded or convinced. They were already ready…the praying just needed to be done.

3. Pray focused on geographical areas orpeople. Be specific when begging God to gather wor-shippers to Himself.

Prayer? Strategy? To me it’s all the same. There is amovement of God visible on the horizon about the sizeof a man’s hand, but with the potential to integrateprayer and strategy into a new tsunami of evangelismand church planting. Let’s get to it! ❖


by Charles Keen

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FirstBible International has several valuableresources that will aid the pastor and church tomobilize their people for missions. Some of thesecome at no cost and will be shipped free ofcharge. If any of the items below are needed, youmay order them by calling 1-888-747-1611.

He Is Worthy - Dr. Keen haspublished his second book on hismost passionate subject…mis-sions. Entitled, He is Worthy, thebook is a compilation of notes,readings, and messages and iswritten for both pastors and lay-men. Published in paper-backform, He is Worthy addresses theultimate reason for doing mis-sions…the glory of God.Everything from the GreatCommission to personal respon-

sibility is discussed in the eleven chapters of this much-awaited book.Rev. 5:9 comes to life as Keen addresses God gathering worshippersfrom “every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” Theforward by Dr. Raymond Barber highly recommends the publication forevery leader in the local church. $11.00 (plus shipping).

KIDS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!Involve the children in your church ina missions project that will send theWord of God around the world.Many times children are overlookedwhen churches plan their programsfor world evangelism. Here a handycoin holder for kids is provided toyou free. Each coin folder holds$5.00 in quarters and serves as aneasy way for children to sendScriptures. These are great for usein Sunday School, Vacation BibleSchool, and your Church BusMinistry. They provide the oppor-tunity to Spread the Word Kidsand to be a part of all that Godis doing in our world today.

1-2-3-PRAY. Few realizethat two minutes a day canchange the world. Use thishandy monthly prayer programto pray each day for threeunreached people groups resid-ing in the 10/40 Window. It’sas easy as 1,2,3…that’s oneminute, two times a day, for threegroups. A brief profile of eachpeople group is included eachmonth with the guide. Jesus said,“Pray ye the Lord of the harvest,that he will send forth labour-ers…(Matthew 9:38). The guidescan be received via email or by“snail mail.” Sign up online atwww.firstbible.net. Free.

Thinking Outside the Box.This book will challenge you tothink biblically about missionsinstead of according to tradi-tional missionary concepts.Over 5,000 copies were soldin its first year of publication.Any church that wants tobegin to think “globally” aboutmissions needs to read thisbook. This nine chapter publi-cation has a foreword writtenby Dr. Tom Malone. Price$11.00 (plus shipping).

Prayer Calendar. FirstBible International offers a prayercalendar that has several unreached people groups to pray foreach day of the year. The calendar can be downloaded fromwww.firstbible.net or received by mail by calling 1-888-747-1611. This is available at no cost to you. You can see a samplein the centerfold of this issue of the UPW Journal.

Unpublished WORDThis quarterly publicationis receiving unprecedent-ed acceptance and is con-sidered a valuable toolfor fundamentalists whenshaping their missionsprogram for local church-es. It not only informs,challenges and moti-vates readers, but it isalso on the “cuttingedge” of world evange-lization in the 21stcentury. One readerremarked, “the currentstatistics published ineach issue make it amust-have reading forme.” UnpublishedWORD Journal isoffered free to pas-tors, missionaries andfull-time Christianworkers as available

to US residents. Others mayobtain the publication at the modest cost

of $20.00 per year. Call 1-888-747-1611 to place yourorder. It can be downloaded from the website: www.firstbible.net

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3720 West 4th StreetMansfield, OH 44903

“I believe there are two major areas in missions today that are overlooked when youmeasure our finishing the task of the Great Commission,” remarks Charles Keen, founder ofFirstBible International. They are (1) the unreached people groups and (2) children and what theycan do to complete the task.” You Can Do It! Let’s Spread The Word is a new and exciting toolthat provides a way for the children in churches and schools to be personally involved inproviding the Word of God around the world.

This colorful coin folder is part of a comprehensive school program to be released in Spring of2006 by FirstBible International. We are releasing this individual component to you earlybecause so many have asked about it.

Each folder holds $5.00 in quarters and when filled can provide a Bible (or Scripture portionsin some cases) to someone who has never had a copy of God’s Word. Children get excitedabout getting involved in missions when given a folder and what better way for them to start

than by “giving.” Order your folders today by calling 1-586-566-3825 or order online atwww.firstbible.net. They are free.

A Fundamental Approachto the 10/40 Window

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unpublished word journal - fall 2005

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insighteditor charles

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