Spiritual Warfare
Last year when I did some blogs on the critical elements of church planting movements, I listed 19. My latest list, which I have from David Watson's blog, lists 21 elements. This list may continue to grow as cpms are further experienced worldwide and as they are further analyzed. At any rate, the best list and explanation that I know is the one on David Watson's blog, Touchpoint, dated April 4, 2008.
One of the elements that I left off my list in my blog was Spiritual Warfare. I basically subsumed that one under persecution, but really it should be separated, because it involves much more than persecution. Here is what David Watson says about this element (number 20 on his list):
20. Spiritual Conflict/Warfare
— In areas where the Gospel has never been preached, or in areas where traditional religions have reigned for a significant amount of time, it is not unusual to find those engaging in CPM activities confronted by Spiritual Conflicts that range from annoying to life-threatening.
— Living in obedience is the best preparation for Spiritual Warfare.
— One does not have to seek out Spiritual Warfare when planting churches. It will find the one doing the church planting
Those 3 simple principles concerning Spiritual Warfare are packed with wisdom.
I bring this up, because I believe that we are seeing this element at this time in the Honduras project, in a variety of ways. In fact, one of our WME board members said to me the other day, that our project may have precipitated the national crisis that Honduras is going through right now. Let me hasten to say, that I am not really saying that is so, but it is true that when these kind of things happen, we do not look to flesh and blood, but realize that the oppositions to the advance of the Gospel are spiritual in nature.
Here are a few of the evidences of spiritual warfare that we have encountered since the launch of the project:
Team leader bitten by a rabid dog and had to undergo treatment at the very beginning in the village areas.
Unexpected expenses because of new government regulations.
Team members injured in motorcycle wrecks.
Team member illnesses.
False rumors against the team in one of the villages.
Natural Evils (Floods, Earthquake etc.)
2 Deaths of people in some of our recent Discovery Bible Studies.
And the Honduran governmental crisis and specific threats against the team by a mob.
Let me make it clear that this is not complaining. In all of these challenges the Lord has protected, delivered, provided, given guidance, and sustained. And in the midst of these things the team had helped launch 73 inductive Bible studies in villages and communities that were 3 generations deep by the end of June. In fact several more studies have begun in the last month as the Honduran team continues to work in the locations that they can. I think we probably have about 80 inductive studies at this time.
I make this report to tell the blog readers that this is a real Spiritual Warfare in which we are engaged, and to give a victory report in the midst of it, AND to ask for prayer like never before for the HCPM project, the missionaries, the Honduran team, and the people in the Discovery studies. Also please continue to pray for a speedy and just resolution to the national crisis that will keep doors for the gospel open.
Thank you for joining together to engage the enemy for the salvation of souls and the discipling of the peoples of Honduras, through prayer and to the glory of God.
One of the elements that I left off my list in my blog was Spiritual Warfare. I basically subsumed that one under persecution, but really it should be separated, because it involves much more than persecution. Here is what David Watson says about this element (number 20 on his list):
20. Spiritual Conflict/Warfare
— In areas where the Gospel has never been preached, or in areas where traditional religions have reigned for a significant amount of time, it is not unusual to find those engaging in CPM activities confronted by Spiritual Conflicts that range from annoying to life-threatening.
— Living in obedience is the best preparation for Spiritual Warfare.
— One does not have to seek out Spiritual Warfare when planting churches. It will find the one doing the church planting
Those 3 simple principles concerning Spiritual Warfare are packed with wisdom.
I bring this up, because I believe that we are seeing this element at this time in the Honduras project, in a variety of ways. In fact, one of our WME board members said to me the other day, that our project may have precipitated the national crisis that Honduras is going through right now. Let me hasten to say, that I am not really saying that is so, but it is true that when these kind of things happen, we do not look to flesh and blood, but realize that the oppositions to the advance of the Gospel are spiritual in nature.
Here are a few of the evidences of spiritual warfare that we have encountered since the launch of the project:
Team leader bitten by a rabid dog and had to undergo treatment at the very beginning in the village areas.
Unexpected expenses because of new government regulations.
Team members injured in motorcycle wrecks.
Team member illnesses.
False rumors against the team in one of the villages.
Natural Evils (Floods, Earthquake etc.)
2 Deaths of people in some of our recent Discovery Bible Studies.
And the Honduran governmental crisis and specific threats against the team by a mob.
Let me make it clear that this is not complaining. In all of these challenges the Lord has protected, delivered, provided, given guidance, and sustained. And in the midst of these things the team had helped launch 73 inductive Bible studies in villages and communities that were 3 generations deep by the end of June. In fact several more studies have begun in the last month as the Honduran team continues to work in the locations that they can. I think we probably have about 80 inductive studies at this time.
I make this report to tell the blog readers that this is a real Spiritual Warfare in which we are engaged, and to give a victory report in the midst of it, AND to ask for prayer like never before for the HCPM project, the missionaries, the Honduran team, and the people in the Discovery studies. Also please continue to pray for a speedy and just resolution to the national crisis that will keep doors for the gospel open.
Thank you for joining together to engage the enemy for the salvation of souls and the discipling of the peoples of Honduras, through prayer and to the glory of God.
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