Apostles and Prophets for the Balkans

I was praying Saturday (Feb, 8th 2020) for God to raise up an apostolic/prophetic group in the Balkans that will make covenant with each other to identify and encourage anointed evangelist, teachers and pastors. These would be men and women that have been tested by fire and walk in their office with power. These would be men and women that do not fight against flesh and blood but know how to walk in dominion over the enemy. They would be the ones that know how to fight along with the armies of heaven to bring forth God's glory. They can be trusted with the finances of heaven and actually desire to suffer so the Kingdom can be established on earth.

Let me give some definitions. These are my definitions, so I don’t expect others to adhere to them.

Prophet:
a.    The Office – Speaks for God to open doors for moves of God. Confirms the vision of the Apostle. Can announce a major shift in earthly ministry, clarifying direction or correcting direction. Seasoned man or woman of God.
b.    The Gift – forthtelling, encouraging words and direction to individuals and churches. All believers can exercise this gift. b.    1 Corinthians 14:31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.

Apostle:
a.    The Office – Person of Vision. They can see how heaven can be established on earth. Usually have a broad view of how the Gospel can impact a country or region. They can recognize giftings in people and they know how to raise up and align these people into their calling. They have been tried in the fire and there is a God-given respect they walk in.
b.    The Gift – Love to encourage others to fulfill their calling. Knowing how to love people into their calling. I feel most local pastors move in this gift.

In my sphere of ministry, how does this apply?

God has made me an intercessor to the Balkan countries. That is not for me to boast in but to be faithful to. For over forty years I have been praying for the countries and people in the Balkans.

I can’t explain this now, but the Apostle and Prophet work together to move the Church forward. An apostle and a prophet that can work together smoothly is a lethal threat to the devil. God will put them together to steward a move of God. Usually their combination offices will come forth when God is about to pour out mercy on a region.

So, in my prayers for the Balkan region, I am praying for these apostles and prophet to come forth. Two big questions; is God’s mercy ready to be poured out on the Balkans and how can these offices come forth.

I feel there are two things that hinder these two offices from coming forth and being effective. First is the reluctance of local Christians to accept the Apostle and Prophet. There is a lack of honor for these offices. Second, those that have been called to be apostles and prophets are timid and don’t want to step into their authority.Of course we know these offices have been abused.

How can those hindrances be overcome in the Balkans? These apostles and prophets must walk in humility. From what I see, both offices are birthed out of humility. Especially when signs and wonders are following them, and divine appointments are leading them. These signs and wonders should verify their calling and create a healthy respect from fellow Christians. Usually these are men and women that have been through much trials and tribulations.

What I envision from my prayers is apostles and prophets across the Balkans that have a genuine respect for one another, coming together often to pray and learn from one another. They are united for the Kingdom. From what I read in the New Testament and letters from early church fathers, there was a healthy flow of ministry between them. You see them carrying letters back and forth, the counsel in Jerusalem and sending disciples to each other’s cities to help in the work. Even in our modern day there are some international ministries that are already doing this.

My prayer is that God would raise up from the Balkan churches these biblical offices to usher in a mighty move of righteousness on the Balkan peninsula. I am believing for apostles and prophets that will help the evangelist, teachers and pastors find their place in the Balkan Church. Holy Spirit, I ask for Your divine help to accomplish a mighty transformation across the Balkans.

Missions: Pray, Send and Go


Matthew 9: ³⁶ But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. ³⁸ Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”


Having been involved in missions for most of my life, I have found that praying, sending and going are the main pieces of missions.


Mark 16: 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”


2 Timothy 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,


“For all men” means all; from your family, your community, your city and your country to the furthermost parts of the earth. God desires that all men come to trust in Jesus. Also, God desires that we partner with Him in leading people to Jesus. We can partner with God by praying, sending and going. God has chosen to work through us.


Pray

We are asked to pray that the Lord will send laborers to the fields. His fields. The Lord is looking for intercessors to start the process. He puts the need in our heart and then waits to see if we respond. He reveals the mission field to us and then ask us to petition Him on their behalf. (He wants us to be moved with compassion for them like He is.)


First we pray for the field. We pray that the Holy Spirit would go forth and cause the peoples hearts to be turned from stone to flesh so they may be acceptable to the Gospel. Then we pray for the laborers to go. We ask the Lord to choose, equip and ordain people to go. Also we ask the Lord if we are to go.


Send

Here is where we also partner with the Lord. He wants to send through us. God wants to provide us with finances to give to those that go. This is part of God’s economy. God wants to bless us by letting us be a part in His work through our generous giving.


Also a big part of sending is the roll played out by church leadership. They are charged with hearing from God as to who is to go and commission them by the laying on of hands. (This laying on of hands is to release the anointing of the Holy Spirit to guide and impower.)


Acts 13: 1-3 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.


Go

If the Holy Spirit speaks through the leadership for you to go, then you have the green light to go. Never go without the oversight of church leadership and the anointing of the Spirit. (As Christians we are to be under authority no matter what your place of service is.)


Going is to be moved by compassion for others and recognize you have the ability to reach out to them. In most cases that does not mean we have to relocate to another city or another land. We are all to be missionaries to those we have compassion for. Going is taking the Gospel anywhere and everywhere. Jesus said to take the Gospel into All the world. All is your family, neighborhood, job, school, etc.; wherever you find that you have been placed.


My belief is that as Christians we are to do all three. Pray for the mission field, give so others can go and go yourself.

Pray for Croatia and Church Planting

This past weekend The Lausanne Movement conducted a three-day Church Planting Workshop here in Croatia. For more information on what they are about, check them out: https://www.lausanne.org This was the third such meeting in the past year. The purpose of the Lausanne Movement is to help national evangelicals to see the need to promote the Gospel through planting new churches. The first meeting was for the purpose of finding out who were interested in church planting. The second was to explore what works and what does not work. This third meeting was for the purpose of putting a plan together for going forward. At the IST Group, we are participating in this endeavor for several reasons, one being our Lika Project.

The encouraging thing is, that pastors and ministry leaders from four to five denominations have been joined together for this endeavor. I remember George Otis, Jr.’s research of modern day revivals or moves of God. He concluded, that there were two things common to all revivals: 1) desperate prayer, and 2) unity between pastors and churches.

When we first came to Croatia and the Balkans, division in the body of Christ was so very evident. Division remains a challenge, however we can see measurable progress not only resulting in these meetings but as well, through IST Group. This workshop is a crowning example of the Holy Spirit softening hearts.

In the UR Zagreb, we pray often for unity, and it is so encouraging for us to see things happening in Croatia, like the Lausanne Movement coming here to work with us and the pastors responding so willingly.

God is responding not only to our intercession, but I assure you, your prayers are being heard! God is on the move here in Croatia and throughout the Balkans.

Prayer Points:
1)    We rejoice in the small beginnings. Pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to stir the Christians to join forces. May they get a revelation of the synergy that such unity creates.
2)    Pray for this Lausanne group as they move forward. May God give them wisdom to communicate to the national leadership that programs and methods are only good if we allow for God to be in charge.
3)    Pray that serious church planting will go forward in Croatia. Many world Christian leaders are understanding that the prayer/worship movement, global missions and the church planting movements all need to work together in order to accomplish the Great Commission.
4)    Our goal at the IST Group, is to utilize all three in the task assigned to us here in the Balkans. Pray that we have wisdom above all, in order to move forward in His strategies and not ours.
5)    IST Group has a clear mandate form the Lord to establish a work in an unreached area of Croatia, Lika. There is much excitement on the team, and we are preparing for our second monthly team-building meeting for the Lika Project. Pray that God would continue to unite our hearts into His plan for the region. Pray for wisdom as we move forward with the many plans.
6)    Let’s also take a minute and pray for the world. It is projected that the New Testament will be translated into all the languages of the world by 2020. Let us fervently pray for this accomplishment.

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