Radical Faith (#5)

Ephesians 4:11-16

A pastor by the name of Tom Nelson has identified at least four distorted images of the church.

First, some people see the church as a gas station. He says, “the church is a place where you fill up your spiritual gas tank when you’re running low. Get a good sermon, and it will keep you going for the week.”

Second, some people see the church as a movie theater. He says that, “for many people, the church is a place that offers entertainment. Go for an hour of escape, hopefully in comfortable seats. Leave your problems at the door and come out smiling and feeling better than when you entered.”

Third, some people see the church as a drug store. He says that, “for other people, church is the place where you can fill the prescription that will deal with your pain. For many the church is therapeutic.”

Fourth, some people see the church as a big box retailer. He says that, “people see the church as the place that offers the best products in a clean and safe environment for you and your family. The church offers great service at a low price—an all in one stop. For many people, the church is a producer of programs for children and young people.”

The one thing that all of these have in common is that none of them are found in scripture. Pastor Nelson says, “all of them are distortions of the way we’re supposed to be doing church and they all have one thing in common—they’re all about ‘me.’”

He goes on...”Fill me up! Entertain me! Take away my pain! Give me the programs my family and I are looking for! It’s pure consumerism. This isn’t surprising. This mindset is pervasive in our culture.”

Contributing to this type of mindset is how many Christians impose a hard distinction between the clergy and laity. Some believers think the church hires clergy to do the work of the ministry and the laity’s role is primarily to “consume” their ministry. Many church members believe this to be the New Testament model established by Christ, but it isn’t. Actually, its an unbiblical model precisely because it creates the extreme distinction between clergy and laity, as well as turns Christians into “consumers.”

If the church is going to make a difference in our world, we must make some radical changes to the way we approach ministry so that we see every member as a minister of Christ. And, God has given us the pattern to follow to make this happen.

In the opening three chapters of Ephesians, Paul outlined the spiritual benefits of being a child of God. Now (chapters 4-6), he takes those doctrinal concepts and shows how they are practically worked out in daily living. It is precisely because of our position in Christ that we have unity with all other believers that must be preserved, even though there is great diversity among us due to our differing giftedness.

In this opening section of practical application (4:1-16), Paul shows us how using our differing gifts for the overall benefit of the body of Christ work together to preserve “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (v. 3). It’s in this first section (4:1-16) that we see how God intends His church to operate so that our “oneness” is displayed and His “body” (church) is edified in the process.

In Ephesians 4:11-16, Paul gives us one long sentence with several prepositions to show us how the church is supposed to work with a diversity of gifts. We’re not going to look exegetically at each phrase or preposition in this pericope, but there are five things to notice that will help us understand the thrust of what Paul is teaching.

1. There is movement...in this text.

From the beginning to the end of 4:11-16, there is the feeling of consistent/constant movement. People are progressing along a path to spiritual maturity and the church is growing in strength, as well. Every church/Christian should be characterized by movement along the path to usefulness to Christ.

Can you see growth in your spiritual life? Do you approach temporal and spiritual matters any differently today than you did at the beginning of your discipleship journey? What have you learned that has made you more effective in your service for Christ? On the continuum to spiritual maturity, where would you rate your life? Or, has your spiritual life become stagnant?

Illustration: The reason a pond is considered stagnant is because it is cut off from any source and the water is not fresh.  The origin of the word “pond” comes from a variant of the English word, “pound,” meaning an “enclosed place.” A pond is typically small, and if there is a lack of movement, it can produce a layer of pond scum where bacteria grow. It’s possible with time that pond scum can completely cover the water, making it barely visible.

In contrast, a flowing stream is constantly fed by a higher water source. This may be a glacier, mountain snowmelt or a lake. Its constant flow ensures the water is fresh, and its movements are dynamic as it navigates through the rapids and times of calm.

God calls us to be like a stream, not a pond, lest we become stagnant and our lives become covered with the bacteria of sin. Spiritual development is about movement, growth and change.

2. There are functions...in this text.

Not everyone has the same role to play within the body of Christ and God is the One that determines your specific role. He gives “gift[s]” (4:7) to each of His children that He intends them to invest for the good of the overall body.

If you combine all the listings of spiritual gifts, there are approximately 19 different gifts mentioned. At one time in my understanding of scripture I thought that the only gifts God gave were the ones specifically mentioned in the biblical text. But, I’ve come to believe that there may be other gifts not mentioned that He gives, since no list matches the other lists exactly. It is even possible that He gives a mixture of gifts, dependent on the role He intends a person to play within the church and which are unique to that specific person.

Interestingly, in this passage (nor the others) we are not told how to discover our spiritual gifts. Instead, we are instructed to find our place of service. In doing so, we should ultimately be able to discover our gifting from the Lord.

One of the points of this passage is that the body of Christ needs every gift He has given and there are no unimportant gifts (cf. v. 16).

Illustration: Think of the church like the clubs in a golfer’s bag. Every player is allowed to carry a maximum of fourteen clubs without penalty. Each club is slightly different to the others, but each has an important role to play in a round of golf. The absence of even one of those clubs can create considerable pressure on the rest of a golfer’s game and affect his overall score. So it is in the body of Christ. When even one of the members fails to fulfill his role, in means the rest of the body is crippled to some degree. Pressure is placed on other members of the body to function in roles they weren’t designed to fulfill and the overall body is hurt by the absence of that member.

Gary Hale (our missionary to the Dominican Republic) and I were discussing the importance of every member to the body of Christ in an online discussion we were having several months ago. In our interchange, Gary wrote, “We are dynamically connected in the body of Christ in a way not present with a group of sports fans or members of a country club. When we fail to come to church or serve through Christ’s church when we could, we actually fail in our responsibility to our brothers and sisters in Christ. It's not what I can receive or consume, it's about every church member being a vital part of the whole.”

Never underestimate the importance of the role you play in the ministry of God’s church!

3. There is a process...in this text.

God lays out the process by which Christians are to be prepared for service in His body. In fact, He has given specific gifts (4:11) for the purpose of “equipping” the other members of the body for service.

He speaks about “Apostles” who were called to establish the church at its foundation level. “Prophets” built on the foundation established by the apostles. Their ministry of the Word was essential for the developing church, since they didn’t yet have a completed canon of scripture. “Evangelists” were missionaries to the unconverted after the church was established. And, “Pastors and Teachers” were concerned with shepherding and instructing the church on a day to day basis in order to build up the church.

It’s precisely at this point in the text (4:11-12) that so much of the trouble is found in our understanding of the church. For generations many have drawn a hard line of distinction between the clergy and the laity. It’s not uncommon to hear some Christian imply that his church hires professional clergy to do “the work of the ministry.” But, the reality is that the gifted people mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 are given to the church to prepare the rest of the body to be ministers of the church. There are no "clergy-laity" categories in the New Testament. All Christians are called and gifted to be full-time ministers. Not all are called vocationally, but all are called to serve!

In other words, every member is to be a minister of Christ and the pastors/teachers to be administers of Christ.

There are at least three reasons why this concept is vitally important:

1. It is thoroughly biblical and we should desire to be biblical in the functioning of the church.
2. From a purely practical standpoint, the work of the ministry can be accomplished more effectively when it is being performed by all the members of the body and not by the clergy alone.
3. By making the task of ministry the responsibility of every Christian, each person is able to exercise his/her gifts in service for the Lord. This means the church will be blessed by their involvement and the Christian will grow to his/her fullest potential personally as a disciple of Christ.  

Notice carefully the primary function of those gifted to administer the church...it is to “equip” the saints for “the work of the ministry.”

The term "equip" literally means to cause something to be ready for its assigned purpose. It is used in different ways in Greek literature:

• To set a broken limb so that it can heal and be made useful again.
• To mend torn fishing nets, making them able to catch fish.
• To fit a ship with ropes and sails so it can go out to sea.
• To mature chicks large enough to take to market.

All of these uses indicate the idea of preparing someone to reach their fullest potential in utilizing their gifts for the Lord. It involves training them in spiritual disciplines so that they can be  effective servants in His church, contributing to the overall benefit of the body of Christ. It also means helping them reach a place of spiritual maturity so they can care for their own spiritual lives and not develop a codependency on the leaders of the church.

F. F. Bruce states that "the gifts enumerated in verse 11 do not monopolize the Church's ministry; their function rather is so to help and direct the Church that all the members may perform their several ministries for the good of the whole." (F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Ephesians [Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1961], p. 86.)

When every member sees himself/herself as ministers of Christ, then all of the members are ministering to each other and building up the body.

Illustration: There was a pastor of a large congregation in the supermarket one day and a lady came down the aisle that he could barely see over the top of her groceries. He got somewhat frightened when she seemed to be heading straight for him. She screeched to a halt within a few feet of him, peered over her load, wagged her finger, and said, "I left your church. I left your church."

He responded, "Well, if it’s my church, I think that was a very wise decision. If it’s my church, I think I’m going to leave, too."

She said to him, "Don’t you want to know why I left?"

He responded, "No, not particularly,” though he knew he was about to find out anyway.

Ignoring his response, She said, "You weren’t meeting my needs."

He answered, "I don’t ever recollect seeing you before, let alone talking to you, let alone knowing your needs. Did you ever tell anyone specifically what your needs were?"

She couldn’t recall that she had, so the pastor raised another question. "Can you tell me, if we have 5,000 people sitting in that church, all with your attitude, how are anyone’s needs going to be met? If you reserve the right to have that attitude, then you must give everybody the freedom to have that attitude. And if everybody has that attitude, who on earth is going to do all the need-meeting?"

Standing her ground, she demanded, "Then you tell me who will."

Relieved that she’d asked, he said, "...This is what will work: when people stop sitting in the pew, saying, ’They’re not meeting my needs’ and start saying, ’Whose needs can I meet?’ Then needs will be met. When a servant spirit flourishes in a congregation, then they minister to each other as unto the Lord."

Pastors/Teachers aren’t called to create a product that is purely for the member’s selfish consumption. Their task is to teach and prepare people spiritually and practically so they can do the work of the ministry, which involves meeting other people’s needs.

4. There are outcomes (results of obeying this instruction)...in this text.

When we follow God’s design for the church the right things result:

• There is maturity. (4:13)

“...to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ...”

• There is stability. (4:14)

“...we should no longer be children. tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine...”

• There is conformity. (4:15)

“...grow up in all things into Him...”

“‘...towards Him’ denoting the end or aim of our growth, namely, to the standard of Christ’s full stature...As such, Christ is both the source (v. 7) and the goal (v. 15). (Harold Hoehner, Ephesians, An Exegetical Commentary, p. 566)

• There is unity. (4:16)

“...what every joint supplies...every part does its share...for the edifying of itself...”

I think everyone would agree that all of these things are needed in today’s church. And, when we work together fulfilling the ministry God has given us, amazing things can happen.

Illustration: Consider the foot. It has 26 bones, 19 muscles, and more than 100 (some say...107) ligaments. Walking up stairs requires the cooperation of (about) 300 different muscles. The sense-receptors in your foot let your brain know exactly what kind of surface you’re walking on: rocks, ice, soft sand, and your foot immediately adapts. In the course of your life, you will walk about 100,000 miles. If you walk or jog for exercise, of course, that number will be higher. Although most people don’t often do this, the toes can be used to pick up things. Some people can even write or draw with their feet. All this is done when our body, brain, bones, muscles, and ligaments cooperate together.

5. There is duration...in this text.

This is a process that does not end until “all” (4:13) are equipped and mature in their faith. This effectively means that until Christ comes for His church, our task doesn’t end and the pattern we must continually follow for equipping and maturing saints is the one outlined in this passage.

Illustration: Maybe you feel like there isn’t much you can do in the service of the Master, but consider the following examples of what God can do with people that are willing to let themselves be used. Consider that...

• Moses stuttered.
• David’s armor didn’t fit.
• John Mark was rejected by Paul.
• Timothy had ulcers.
• Hosea’s wife was a prostitute.
• Amos’ only training was in pruning fig trees.
• Jacob was a liar.
• Solomon was too rich.
• Abraham was too old.
• David was too young.
• Peter was afraid of death.
• Lazarus was dead.
• Naomi was a widow.
• Paul was a murderer--So was Moses.
• Jonah ran from God.
• Gideon and Thomas both doubted.
• Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal.
• Elijah was burned out.
• Martha was a worry-wart.

Application:

1. Grow up into being a low maintenance member of His church.
2. Develop a teachable spirit that can be instructed in how to do the work of the ministry.
3. Remember, Christ’s work can be done outside the gathering of believers, as well as inside.
   
   

Radical Faith (#4)

Acts 2:41-45

Dr. Helen Roseveare was a medical missionary from England who served for nearly 20 years in the former Belgian Congo (1953 to 1973). In 1964 she was taken prisoner for five months by rebel forces that cruelly abused her for a time. After her release, she went back to England, but later returned to the Congo in 1966. During those later years of her ministry, she assisted in the rebuilding of the nation by helping to establish a new medical school and hospital (the previous hospitals she built were destroyed) where she served until 1973.

Dr. Roseveare writes in her book, Living Faith, about the power of a little girl's prayer that is so moving that I wanted to share it with you.

She writes, “One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do she died, leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator) and no special feeding facilities.

“Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst. Rubber perishes easily in tropical climates. ‘And it is our last hot water bottle!’ she exclaimed.

“As in the West it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

"’All right,’ I said, ‘Put the baby as near the fire as you safely can; sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.’”

She continues, “The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle. The baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

“During the prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. ‘Please, God,’ she prayed, ‘send us a water bottle. It’ll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby’ll be dead, so please send it this afternoon.’

While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added by way of corollary, ‘And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she’ll know You really love her?’

“As often with children’s prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, ‘Amen’? I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything. The Bible says so. But there are limits, aren’t there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home; anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

“Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses’ training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.

“From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys; eyes sparkled as I pulled them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas --- that would make a nice batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the ..... could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out --- yes, a brand-new, rubber hot water bottle! I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.

“Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, ‘If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!’ Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted.

“Looking up at me, she asked: ‘Can I go over with you, Mummy, and give this dolly to that little girl, so she’ll know that Jesus really loves her?’

“That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God’s prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child --- five months before --- in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year old to bring it ‘that afternoon.’" (Living Faith, CBD Ebook)

Can God still answer prayer as dramatically as the prayer of that little ten-year-old girl? Absolutely, if we only prayed!

The problem in American Christianity is that the concept of prayer clashes with our independence and individualism. Prayer is too often the last resort rather than the first response. We think we can handle life on our own without anyone’s help...until we hit a real crisis. Consequently, too many of us never cry out to God until we have no other options left.

The truth is, If we’re going to change our world, we have to develop a radical dependence on God, characterized by a committed communion with Him in prayer. Prayerlessness is really the ultimate declaration of our independent and individualistic attitudes... “I can do this on my own.”

I was watching my grandson learn how to jump rope the other day. He had the right motion down, but the rope was too long for his little arms. Consequently, he couldn’t pull all of the excess rope beneath his feet before his feet hit the ground again. Every time he tried to jump the rope he kept getting tangled up in the excess until he became totally frustrated. When his mother suggested that he allow her to shorten the rope, he responded, “I can do it.” For several minutes he fumbled with the rope, trying to figure a way to shorten its length until finally, with a tone of total abandon, he said, “Here mommy...you do it.”

It’s that type of independent spirit that cripples our Christian lives so that we have little or no eternal impact on our families and communities.

Stop and think of what the early New testament church did not have and what they did have. They did not have their own copy of the Old Testament scriptures. Neither were the New Testament documents yet complete. What they had was the testimony of the death and resurrection of Christ as the heart of their theology and the privilege of communing with God in prayer. And yet, these early Christians turned the world upside down (cf. Acts 17:6).

What made this possible was that they “continued steadfastly” (Acts 2:42) in prayer. This phrase translates one Greek word that normally means “to occupy oneself diligently with something,” “to pay persistent attention to,” “to hold fast to something,” or “continually to be in” (it is used in the last sense in 2:46). Luke uses the same verb to describe the devotion of the 120 to prayer (1:14) and the resolve of the apostles to occupy themselves with prayer and the ministry of the word (6:4). The periphrastic construction in 2:42...stresses the ongoing nature of this activity. One scholar translates it as “constant in their attention.”

Maybe if the church today (individual Christians are the church) were less concerned with pragmatism, programming, publicity, and posturing and spent more time praying...we’d  experience the kind of spiritual power the early church experienced.

Yesterday my son called me to tell me he was going on a “silent retreat” to Colorado with two other pastors and seven additional men from his church. He explained that during the retreat the only time the men were allowed to speak is in the evening when they share what God has been showing them during their day-long times of prayer and scripture reading. It’s a five day experience where these men will attempt to shut out all the noise of the world around them to hear the voice of God.

While the early church didn’t necessarily have days of silence for communing with the Lord, they were committed to hearing God’s voice and knowing His will.

What you find when you read the book of Acts and the Epistles is that they are filled with examples and encouragement about communing with God in prayer. But, there has to be intentionality to our praying, if we are going to find enough silence to hear His voice. We have to get moments away from the rush of our busy lives to get alone with God.

I think it’s interesting that churches in South Korea (where revival is happening) are filled with Christians praying together on weekday mornings or all night before Sunday worship. Just try calling people together in American churches for an extended time of prayer and see how many show up. We WANT God...but only when WE want God!

Let’s stop looking at prayer as our means of reciting a “grocery list” of things we want Him to do for us. Obviously, we are encouraged to bring our requests/needs to Him, but prayer should be first and foremost about connecting with God. It’s about feeling His presence, being assured of His love, and knowing His heart. It’s not just about getting something from God. It’s about getting to know God! It’s not intended to be a one-way conversation where we do all the talking and He does all the listening. It’s about opening up our hearts to Him so that He can speak to us.

The kind of prayer that’s found in the early church really begins in the heart of the Father. They sought out what was being done in heaven and prayed for that on earth (i.e., The Lord’s Prayer). In other words, they got in agreement with Him. If that were more often people’s attitude in prayer today, then we’d have fewer of them disillusioned by their presumptions and false expectations in prayer. If we ask “according to His will” (1 John 5:14-15), we WILL have what we ask.

Let me say it again, if we’re going to change our world, we have to develop a radical dependence on God, characterized by a committed communion with Him in prayer. Just look at the priority the early church placed on prayer (a radical dependence on Him):

• Acts 1:14 – After Jesus’ ascension, the apostles’ first activity was gathering to pray until Pentecost.
• Acts 2:42 – Prayer continued to be one of the primary activities at church gatherings after Pentecost.
• Acts 3:1 – The Jewish believers continued to go to the temple to pray together. (cf. Acts 22:17)
• Acts 4:23-31 – The church gathers to pray in response to persecution.
• Acts 6:4 – The apostles found themselves distracted by feeding the poor; delegated responsibility and committed to return to praying together as one of their primary responsibilities.
• Acts 9:9-11 – While Paul was waiting for further direction from the Lord, he was praying.
• Acts 9:40 – Peter prayed and God miraculously raised up Dorcas/Tabitha from the dead.
• Acts 10:9 – Peter was praying when God showed him his desire for the Gentiles.
• Acts 12:5, 12 – The church united in a home to offer collective “constant prayer” for Peter, even through the night.
• Acts 13:1-3 – The church at Antioch gathered to worship, pray and fast in sending out missionaries.
• Acts 14:23 – Leaders were not appointed without prayer and fasting. (cf. Acts 1:24)
• Acts 16:13, 16 – There was a common gathering place for prayer at a river near Philippi.
• Acts 16:25-34 – Paul and Silas pray in agreement even into the night after being severely beaten.
• Acts 20:36, 21:5 – Paul gathers with the church leaders from Ephesus/Tyre to pray.
• Acts 22:17 – Paul was praying in the Temple when God gave him specific directions for his life.
• Acts 27:35 – Paul gave thanks on the food before 276 people on the ship with him.

In his book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, Jim Cymbala says there are more than thirty references to prayer in the book of Acts alone. (Jim Cymbala, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire: What Happens When God's Spirit Invades the Heart of His People [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997], 71-72.)

But, prayer doesn’t stop in the book of Acts. It’s throughout the New Testament...and the entire Bible.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer... (Romans 12:9-12)

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving... (Colossians 4:2)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Here are some ideas I’ve learned from others to help spark our prayer lives.

• Establish some prayer “triggers.” Associate prayer with specific events and then pray when those events occur.
• Develop a “Focus on the Family” prayer strategy. Each week, focus on a different family in your Lifegroup. Find out what prayer needs they have, and pray for them.
• Follow the ACTS paradigm. Build a prayer list based on Adoration (praising God for who He is), Confession (admitting sin), Thanksgiving (expressing gratitude) and Supplication (praying for others). The intentionality of this strategy will help you stay focused during prayer.
• Do “drive by” praying. Use your time in the car to pray. Watch for church buildings, and pray for the pastors of those congregations. Intercede for children and teachers as you drive past a school. If you pass a “For Sale” sign in your neighborhood, pray for that family. Pray for your coworkers as you park each morning.
• Set some “prayer power points.” This is a set time each day when you stop to pray. Set reminders on your electronic devices and pray when they alert you.
• Pray as you read the news. Intercede for countries in war. Pray for families affected by crime or natural disasters. Ask God to guide government leaders. Pray for missionaries in each country in the news.
• Send an email prayer to someone each day/week. Take ten minutes, pray for someone else, and send a written prayer to that person.

Dr. Helen Roseveare writes poignantly about another answered prayer in her book, Living Faith. “Generally in (the) Congo we did not know who was praying for us nor where. We just experienced sudden peace of heart in the midst of fear, deliverance in the midst of danger, healing in the midst of sickness, and we knew that God was answering someone’s prayer. On a few occasions we learned more details, perhaps to encourage our faith in prayer and to remind us that this is the way that God chooses to act.

“The night of October 28-29, in the Congo uprising of 1964...At the height of the awful horror of that night...I was taken, beaten, and brutally humiliated by the guerrilla soldiers, I was briefly tempted to cry out, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ Weeks later we were rescued. Months later, after I had spoken at a meeting near Manchester in northwest England, a lady came up to me.

“‘I don’t want to distress you, doctor,’ she started hesitantly, ‘but do you remember the night of October 28-29?’ I certainly did. ‘Were you in special need that night?’ Most undoubtedly I was.

“She continued, ‘I went to bed early that night with a headache. I woke about eleven thirty’ --one thirty where I was, as the rebels set about to beat me up--‘and your name was in my mind.’ She did not know me. So far as I know we had never met before, but I was a name on her prayer list. ‘I got out of bed and down on my knees to pray for you, I went to get back in bed but had no peace, so I woke my husband, and we both got on our knees and prayed for you. Again we went to get into bed but...we had no peace. We stayed on our knees praying for you till one thirty’ --three thirty where I was. ‘We felt the burden lift, and were enabled to return to sleep.’

Dr. Roseveare continues, “God had met with me in the early hours of that morning. There had been no special vision or blinding light, just a sudden overwhelming consciousness of His presence and power, a great certainty of belonging to Him and of His concern for me and of His ability to undertake for me, no matter what the circumstances. God stirred in me a remembrance of how His Son went to the cross for me with no resistance, and a strange calm pervaded my heart. I began to sense that I was being privileged to share in some little way in the edge of the fellowship of His sufferings. I am not saying that if those two had not prayed for me, God would not have met with me, but I am saying that that is how He chooses to act.”