This first appeared in NeoNews in October 2008. I have republished it as it first appeared.

… Awaken the dawn!

On Saturday, August 18, 2007, it was another typical morning in Northeast Ohio. The sky shone bright with light; the air seemed rather thick, perhaps from the early morning dew and the humidity of the “Dog Days of Summer”; a sweet fragrance lingered in the moist air. Creatures were buzzing about with activity. A new day had dawned.

Yet, in Cuyahoga Falls on that particular morning, things were anything but typical. The sun did shine, but the light shining was not the sun. The air was thick, but thick with anticipation and a burden; oh, and the fragrance – oh so sweet – was not morning glories (or even coffee and donuts), but the sweet aroma of Brothers and Sisters busying themselves with God’s mission. Indeed, a new day had dawned for NeoXenos as people gathered together to pray for God’s Will to be done – throughout the world!

From Psalms 108:2-3

Awake, harp and lyre;

I will awaken the dawn!
I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the peoples.

And I will sing praises to You among the nations.

Representatives from all our cell groups were in attendance. After a “killer” spread of breakfast delights (Yes, there were bakery fresh, honey glazed donuts), each attendee collected valuable information on what God says about world missions and about praying for missions, why missions are important to our church, how to build a mission’s ethos, and how NeoXenos intends to financially support missionaries.

Greg started the meeting off with prayer followed by a teaching on God’s perspective of missions and why we should pray for His will to be done no matter what. His teaching focused on why we should care and why even pray.

WHY SHOULD I CARE?

The last thing Christ said to his disciples before he ascended into heaven was:

“… You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

When you are about to leave someone for a long time and never see them on this earth again (Yes, kind of like death-bed last words), your last words are going to be the most important and lasting.

WHY PRAY PERSISTENTLY?

The answer to this question was found in Luke 18:1-8 in the story of the persistent widow. Jesus told this parable “to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.” Basically if an unrighteous judge would grant this lowly widow what she repeatedly asked for because she wore him down “…will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?” Yes, God does want us to petition Him again and again; it matters that we care.

BROTHER (OR SISTER) CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?

In a word, “Yes!” You can spare a dime. That’s why we are implementing the “What’s-That-In-Your-Pocket Fund”. Each Cell Group leader will be collecting spare change to bring to the monthly World Missions Meeting. Please bring your spare change to your cell meeting and it will be added to our World Missions Fund. Or, better yet attend the next meeting yourself! The change will be counted and sent to a missionary family – the Gibson’s of World Team for starters.

WHAT CAN I LEARN AT THESE MEETINGS

For starters, you will learn that Cuyahoga Falls and Stow, Ohio, or even the United States of America, are not the center of God’s Plan.

From Isaiah 45:22-23

“I invite the whole world to turn to me and be saved.

I alone am God! No others are real.

I have made a solemn promise, one that won’t be broken:

Everyone will bow down and worship me.” (CEV)

You will gain a broader perspective of God’s mission – of God’s planned future. You will have the opportunity to learn about other people groups and the actual mission’s work going on among the “unreached”. You will learn how to effectively pray for those lost and those presenting the gospel to the lost. You will learn to care!

PERSPECTIVE, PERSPECTIVE, PERSPECTIVE

In January 2008, The Perspectives Class will be offered at the Green Campus of the Akron Chapel. Provided is a link for that class: http://www.perspectives-neo.org/. This class is an excellent opportunity to build your budding burden and to build relationships with fellow Christians. This course is intensive and a bit pricy, but those who have taken it say it “changed their world” and “opened their eyes to eternity.”

SO WHEN’S THE NEXT MEETING?

That’s easy. It is the third Saturday of each month!

This article was first published in September 2007. It is republished as it first appeared.

It was November 1987, an icy Saturday morning. I remembered promising Amy that I would go to the prayer meeting. Sure — I’d heard of the Great Commission – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nation”, but who am. I lived in Columbus, had no money and a vague concept of the power of corporate prayer, not to mention I was rather self absorbed. As we drove there I wondered: Why am I going to this meeting? The warehouse will be cold. Will there be coffee? How can my prayer possibly further God’s great plan to bring all peoples to Himself? Hey, maybe that cute guy will be there. Maybe this isn’t a total waste.

Twenty years later I realize that meeting was one of the best days of my life and it certainly wasn’t a waste. God works with you through His Spirit right where you are. He totally awakened me from my slumber. I had been asleep and had not cared. My eyes finally were opening to who God really is. He is a God of love – a God of missions – a God to all peoples! The greatest commandment and the Great Commission seem to sum it up in this dynamic.

“A Healthy World Christian is someone who obediently integrates the Great Commission with the Greatest Commandment – loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and loving others as yourself.”

Chip Weiant, CEO of a Columbus Corp.

SO WHAT DOES ALL THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ME?

The key to that lays in Acts 1:8. Often we read it this way:

… and you will be my witnesses first in Jerusalem, and in then all Judea and Samaria, and finally to the ends of the earth.”

This misunderstanding leads us to believe that first I have to reach my neighbors and build the “Jerusalem Church” so to speak. But the passage actually says to be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. We are commanded to do both at the same time reach our local communities and the extra local and yes the “ends of the earth” too!

Recall what happened to the church in Jerusalem when they were only focused upon themselves. They did not intend tofulfill that commandment. They were not only scattered through persecution and internal strife, but they also did not grow as the Gentile churches did who raised up and sent missionaries early on in their churches.

So what this means for NeoXenos is growth! Growth both in personal maturity and in love, but dare I say even in numbers. A church that is focused outside of itself often experiences amazing growth and inspires its members to “GO.”

Remember that prayer group I attended . Well it grew in numbers and in vision. A majority of the attendees were either senders to the missions field or were sent into the mission field. The body as a whole developed a burden for the lost – not only those from their “Jerusalem,” but also “to the ends of the earth,” as stated in Acts 1:8. A home church in Columbus sent 14 people to work on the mission field and the rest worked as senders through both prayer and financial support. God uses prayer meetings to accomplish His work!

WHY SHOULD I CARE FOR THOSE PEOPLE?

As Jesus has commanded, NeoXenos has a vision to actively partake in this global ministry. Now is the time to kindle the fire that missionaries like Seann and Amy Gibson sparked. There are 23 million Taiwanese and 16 million are considered the working class. It is estimated that 70% of the Taiwanese populous are of Chinese religions, 26% are Traditional Christian, and only 2% are Evangelical Christians with most of the Christians coming from the upper class.

Many Christians have misconceptions about reaching the lost. Some believe that God will somehow mysteriously bring “the elect” to Him while others, perhaps influenced by the universalism of our modern culture, have bought into the belief that God will somehow save the lost through general revelation as he is loving. But scripture stands against this:

Romans 10:14-15

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

John 14:6

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

OKAY BUT NOW WHAT?

We are having a monthly missions prayer meeting. People who do not come into a relationship with Christ are condemned to eternal separation. There is no gentle way to state this. It is our responsibility to take this message to all who have never heard about Him!

The meeting will start with a light breakfast for those who wish to fellowship. Then, comes the joyous work of sharing the burden of reaching the lost both through strategic prayer and through sharing personal burdens for lost. Also, we will pray for and encourage those who desire to go into the mission field. What a privilege to build this vision with them!

Also, we hope to have a few missionary couples visit with the group to share their experiences of missions work. Books about missionaries will be available to borrow as well. Other helpful resources such as prayer lists and handouts on effective missions prayer will be on hand.

The meeting will be held the 3^rd Saturday of each month:

Steve and Lisa Beeches’  House

1107 Chestnut Blvd., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

The breakfast (doughnuts, muffin, fruit, and coffee) will be served at 8:30am.

Prayer commences around 9:00am.

The next meeting is scheduled for August 18^th!

Someday we shall all rejoice together with all the peoples from every nation and tongue. What an honor to partake in God’s plan!

Revelation 7:9-10

…a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;  and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

SO WHERE DO I START?

First plan on coming to the prayer meeting just as you are. God honors a heart willing to step out in faith, even those hearts looking for a hot cup of java. (Remember my first experience?) Then work on building a burden whether it is for a friend who desires to go to the field or for missionaries who you have heard. Also, learn about people groups and the needs of the missionaries working in that field. Missionaries work on the front lines but they need people behind the scenes supplying them with the physical and spiritual tools necessary to make headway into enemy territories. This is a job we can do now in our prayer group!

Below is a list of links to resources that can help build your personal vision.

www.omf.org

www.antiochnetwork.org