Ministry

Our Daily Prayer for 1,706 more days

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Asking the Lord of the Harvest for this

I asked, “You want us to pray what every day until the end of the year 2020?  …And you want us to set a daily alarm to remind us to pray?”   It sounded a little crazy.   Some days it still seems crazy.   Crazy or not, it is a faith goal.   If we have an infinite God who loves to answer prayer and who is able to do far beyond what we ask or imagine, it’s really not that crazy.   But it is really big.

Last year, leaders around the world with Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru in the US) sensed the Lord moving them to trust Him for a huge goal.   The goal has two parts:

 1)   Believe Him for 5 Million new churches planted by the end of 2020.  (That’s about 4.5 years or about 1,700 days away)  As we assist other church planters, the goal is to help launch a seedling church of at least 10 believers for every 1,000 people in the world.  This would roughly double the number of churches that existed as of 2010.
2)   Trust Him to see 10 Million disciples actively multiplying their faith in Christ by 2020.   This is part of our calling to win, build and send people as we help fulfill the Great Commission.

Will you join us daily in asking the Lord of the Harvest to do this?  We believe these goals are from the Lord and He is the only one who can accomplish it.   All of our staff around the world and all of student volunteers – even all of the amazing church planters that we partner with – are not able to do it.   Only God can.   He wants the glory.   He deserves the credit.

So every day at 8:20pm (20:20 in military time – to remind us of the year 2020), our alarm goes off to remind us:   Lord, please…

  • Mold our hearts to Yours
  • Multiply our lives into others who will follow You
  • Mobilize laborers to seek and build disciples

You can sign up to pray at Pray2020.org.   To learn more, you can visit Pray2020 or read their latest Prayer Journal (April-May 2016).  It even mentions a short story of what the Lord is doing in Thomasville, Georgia!  (Familiar stomping grounds for me and several of you.)  Read it here.

You can also see more updates on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter by searching the hashtag #PRAY2020

 

Cru Digital Ministry

Imagine You Are This Guy

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Put yourself in his shoes.   He lives in eastern Africa.  After watching the Jesus Film, he began a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.  Then he wanted others in his village to know Jesus’ love too.   He tried hard to share with them.   But there were several big problems.

Although this man has a unique story (and he does have a name), millions of other believers are like him.   Over 200 million people today have come to know Christ through the Jesus Film.

Cru just one of hundreds of organizations and churches who use the Jesus Film to share the message of Christ.  Kolo Group is one such Great Commission organization operating in Africa.  Also, many churches in Africa are using the Jesus Film as a visual Bible to help disciple new Christians and to teach the Bible.

Please watch this video to see this man’s story.   You’ll also learn how Kolo Group built a smartphone app specifically to help teach the Bible in Africa.

General

How Have These Truths Shaped You?

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We are grateful for you.   Just wanted to share a few quick Scriptures to refresh you today.

Probably these verses are familiar to you.  Sometimes we are tempted to rush past these thinking, “Oh, I’m beyond all that; I have known that for so long.”   However, these promises are absolutely stunning.   They are stunning in light of what Jesus has done for us – in light of what we deserved.

How have you been shaped by these truths?   We’d love to hear.

For anyone who is in Christ…

Not Condemned

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

Clean New Slate

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Raised from the Dead

“I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.” John 11:25

Ministry

Mrs. Bright’s Phone Call

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This morning we’ll be attending Vonette Bright’s memorial service.  You can watch it too – in real time or later by recorded video – see details below.

photo credit: Cru
Bill & Vonette Bright – circa 1999 photo credit: Cru and vonettebright.com

What were Mrs. Bright’s parting words?  Barely three weeks before she passed away on Dec 23, she made a phone call to Dr. Steve Douglass (President of Cru) at a unique gathering of Campus Crusade’s top global staff leaders in Rome, Italy.  At the time, her health was relatively stable and her spirits were high.  What she had to say to those leaders was powerful and encouraging:

Listen to Mrs. Bright's phone call
Mrs. Bright’s parting words to Cru leadership.

Listening to her reminded us of two super critical foundational principles that Mrs. Bright fully exemplified and we strive to follow – living the fullest life possible in Christ:

 1) Prayer is the single most powerful activity we can engage in.   Vonette truly believed this.  It is an amazing privilege which unlocks our hearts before the King of the Universe, allowing us full access to “approach the throne of grace with confidence to find grace to help…”

2) Walking daily in the power of the Holy Spirit is a lesson we all must learn and relearn constantly.  Absolute dependence on the Holy Spirit is the only means by which believers can experience the soul satisfaction and fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness and self control.

Here is the recording of Vonette’s phone call.   Actually, it is a video with photos from the ministry and her talking in the background.  You’ll see and hear Dr. Douglass asking her a few questions.  Take special note of her final remarks starting approximately at 20minutes into her 22minute call:  http://www.cru.org/mrsbrightrome.html

Praise God for Vonette’s life!  What a moving testimony challenging us to joyfully surrender and fully obey Jesus’ command for the Great Commission.

Her memorial service begins at 10AM Eastern today.  You can view it live on your phone or computer here.  Or, view the service later.  It will be recorded for you to watch here.