by Phil Evans
Kairos is a greek word meaning ‘now time’. A time of opportunity.
12 students from the 24-7 Transit course in England spent the last week on a training residential looking at the challenge of Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Pluralism reigns in the western world at present, with many people
believing that the world is designed and destined to have different
worldviews. Jesus’ words shatter the illusion that his kingdom is for
some and not for all. Sociologists and anthropologists from across the
world would explain the different swell of religious belief to be
geographically located due to political circumstances. They see it to
be the result of a dominant ideology or the inheritance of a cultural
evolution. The reality is that right across the globe people groups are
responding to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in situations
that many have defined as animistic or Muslim, to name but a few.
To illustrate this, I'd like to share a report I recently received from
a friend working in a frontier mission context (names are removed for
the safety of those involved).
"About 3 months ago, the people we were working with became frustrated
not knowing who God is and sent a delegation to us to find out how they
could know God. They met some of our disciples and came to our training
centre. Through interaction with us, the 7 people all believed in Jesus
and went back to their village. One of these guys brought out a second
group and they all believed and went back. We had not heard from them
for over a month but this week they came out and reported that they
have baptized 60 or 70 people recently after teaching them how to
become Christians and leading them to Christ. The government found out
and brought down a big stick and about 10 or more have backed off so
that only 60 or more are meeting each week for fellowship."
The area where that report came from was visited by a 24-7 prayer team just 2 years ago.
All over the world, people who have never heard of Jesus Christ are
responding to the message his people are bringing. The great commission
is being outworked in such varied places as North Africa, China, and
India, but still after 2000 years we’re only just over half way.
The British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, was visiting the U.S.A last
week. During his trip, he spoke at the JKF Presidential library where
he addressed many of the world’s most pressing issues. ‘Global
problems’ he said ‘need global solutions’. Mr. Brown could very well
have been speaking to us, the Church. The universality of Jesus means
his great commission leaves the church with a global challenge. The son
of man has left us with a global remit requiring a global approach.
Prayer is the single most strategic weapon available to the church in
these days. As Jack Hayford said: "Prayer can change anything. The
impossible doesn’t exist. His is the power. Ours is the prayer. Without
Him, we cannot. Without us, He will not."
As we came to the end of the week we digested the implications of what
we had learned. The psalmist wrote ‘Ask of me, and I will make the
nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession’.
All we have to do is ask.
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For more information on Kairos, go to the Kairos website
Scot Bower writes of the Skopke community in Macedonia: