Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power (Grk. KRATOS, power with impact) of His might. Eph 6:10 NKJV

IMPACT EQUALS MASS TIMES VELOCITY

How much do you need to pray in the spirit?

To move something, you need impact. Impact equals mass times velocity. A wall of water at one mile per hour will have greater impact than a trickle of water at one hundred miles per hour because of greater mass. Enough water can move anything – think Noah and the flood. How much mass, how much water, do you need in your river to move an obstacle? Let’s say you have multiple prayer rivers: the family river, the finances river, the health river and so on. Maybe there is a major problem in your family. How much water do you need to move that obstacle, that problem?

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  John 7:38 NKJV

I’m trying to teach our interns to test how much they need to pray to move obstacles in their lives and bring in the will of God. What kind of sacrifice – prayer is a sacrifice – of time and effort is needed to move the obstacles and bring in the blessing of God?

The river of God is full of water; Ps 65:9 NKJV

We see that increasing prayer releases greater MASS of water in your rivers. But what about the VELOCITY side? Can we increase VELOCITY? Water in a physical river increases velocity two ways, through a drop in elevation and a tightening of the channel the water is passing through. In prayer, LOVE brings a drop in elevation. Nothing is more powerful than a mother’s prayer for their child. It’s been said that that the JESUS MOVEMENT in the 60’s and 70’s was the result of the prayers of a million moms. The tightening of the channel is accomplished by FOCUS. If you are praying for a car, don’t ask God for a car – ask God for a lime-green 2024 4WD leather interior British Range Rover with all the bells and whistles. FOCUS on precisely what you are asking for – this is how you know you have received an answer to your prayer. Evan Roberts said, “Give me Scotland, or I die!” God gave him Scotland. That’s focus! Jesus knows the thoughts of your spirit (Romans 8:27). FOCUS your soul on the will of God, what you want, when you pray in the spirit. Do you see it?

…pray without ceasing…1 Thess 5:17 NKJV

When I increased my prayer time to more hours a day with focus and love we had MAJOR breakthroughs in our family river and ministry river. THAT’S – a measurable sacrifice of time and effort – what was needed!

THE THESSALONICA PROJECT

Can a city be transformed in a month?

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. Acts 17:1-4 NKJV

Three sabbaths, approximately one month, was all Paul had to impact this great city. He couldn’t follow up with zoom calls; they didn’t have zoom! There is no record of Paul going back to Thessalonica, and yet they became what some scholars believe was the MODEL NT church (other churches were referred to as ‘the church at…’ The Thessalonians were called ‘the church of the Thessalonians…’ 1 Th. 1:1. See the difference?). Paul wrote two letters to them – even the Ephesians didn’t warrant two letters – which tell us, along with the record in Acts, how this was accomplished.

We want to see how Paul did this so we can do the same thing now! First let’s finish the record in Acts, then we will break it down briefly.

5 But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. 7 Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king — Jesus.” 8 And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. 9 So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. 10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. Acts 17:5-10 NKJV

POKING THE BEAR

The essence of Christian outreach is confrontation, conflict and surrender. ‘They’ll know we are Christians by our love…by our love…’ doesn’t work. Muslims do charitable works just like Christians. Jesus said, deny yourself! That’s confrontation that causes conflict. Conflict is necessary to bring transformation. Jesus said, if you love father or mother more than Me, you are not worthy of Me. Think about that for a minute. That’s confrontation! Confrontation and conflict are necessary to bring people to the place of loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. It’s necessary because something else has occupied that place of worship, that centrality in the soul, and it must be removed. You can’t have two masters!

4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Cor 2:4-5 NKJV

Paul first goes to the Jews and says, the Messiah has come! That’s confrontation. He was ‘explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again.’ Explaining is one thing but how did he demonstrate? Perhaps he was sharing in the synagogue and the Lord showed him to to pray over someone, or prophesy over them. Jesus in the synagogue called out the man with the withered hand and healed him. That caused conflict but it also caused people to believe. When I do this in a meeting, that’s when the fun begins. Paul was poking the bear!

4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas…

Two things here – the devout Gentile converts were hungry for the truth as were the leading women of the city and of its culture. These ladies were cultural influencers, women who could change the city. Paul sought them out and won them. The old, stale Jews weren’t hungry. Paul reached out to the spiritually, and perhaps physically, young ones and the women leaders. Paul reached out to leaders and won them to the Lord. I believe it was these key relationships with the new believers who were leaders, where Paul became a father to them, that allowed the church of the Thessalonians to grow so mighty.

Today we reach out to the poor but there’s no leadership there. If there was leadership, real leadership, they wouldn’t be poor. They would be industrious, hardworking and growing in prosperity. (Leadership isn’t just the guy in front. Leadership is the person who says, this is the direction I’m going! Why don’t you come with me? That’s leadership.) Paul reached out and won leaders upon whom he could imprint the reality of Christ which they could then impart to others, even the poor.

For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. 3 For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. 4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. 5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness — God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. 1 Th. 2:1-6 NKJV

CONFRONTATION – CONFLICT – SURRENDER

Do you see? First there is confrontation and conflict. Then after the surrender of the believers to the gospel, there is tender love and gracious mercy, the ministry of a father among them and especially to the leaders.

7 But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. 8 So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. 9 For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. 1 Th. 2:7-9 NKJV

This was the preaching instruction to the new believers after they had surrendered to the gospel and gotten born again. After surrender comes mercy and grace. But first there must be surrender!

10 You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; 11 as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, 12 that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. 1 Thess 2:1-12 NKJV

The demand on these new believers was that they walk worthy of God! Sounds like what Jesus said, doesn’t it? In Pakistan, Joe’s teams demand that the new believers be willing to die for the Gospel before they are ever baptized. They must be surrendered to the gospel. Someday soon the Lord will bring these tough disciples, these lean and hungry believers to the USA to preach to us like American preachers used to preach. Confrontation, conflict, and surrender – this is how Paul made new believers in just a months’ time, in a city where that church became a model for all the others.

I’m pursuing discussions with the powers-that-be to do Thessalonica like outreaches where we come into a city for a month to make an impact like Paul did, especially cities we visited in the past to plant house church communities. I’m praying that we can come to your town and by the grace of God see it become a model church like what happened in Thessalonica. Pray with us, will you? Let your rivers be full of living waters because you make the necessary sacrifice of prayer that people may live, because wherever the river goes, people live both now and eternally. Amen? Love you! 

Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…