VISION

More Than The

Can See

PART THREE

I think it would be fair to say that any and every significant ministry endeavour is birthed out of a vision. As seen in the two previous blog posts on this theme, this vision may be a "supernatural" vision or dream in the literal sense of seeing in picture or "video" form a glimpse of  that which the Lord God is leading an individual or church to pursue with tangible outcomes - or it may be a "vision" that the Holy Spirit births in the heart and mind of a trailblazing forerunner ministry that, although not given in "technicolor", is no less real and compelling from the heart of God!

In this blog post, I would like to look briefly at three different significant ministries, and share something of the vision that each had from the Lord that set them on the path that would define their purpose in God henceforth.

These three ministries are:

1.    LOREN CUNNINGHAM - Founder of YWAM (Youth With A Mission)

2.    REINHARD BONNKE - Founder of Christ For All Nations - German Healing

                                       Evangelist, through whom Africa experienced Mass 

                                       Revival Campaigns resulting in 79 million salvations

3.    RICHARD BERRY     - Founder of Radio Rhema, New Zealand

LOREN CUNNINGHAM

Quoting from the CBN website (Christian Broadcasting Network): Loren Cunningham's life has been devoted  to sharing the Gospel to every nation. He travels continually to 30-40 countries each year, and he has visited every country on earth. His life is the world and reaching young people where their world is with the Good News.

It all started when Loren was a 20 year old Bible college student. He was in the Bahamas on a singing tour. As Loren spent time in prayer, he was leaning back in  his bed when he got a "mental movie." He "saw" waves on a map. These waves then turned into young people going into every continent and sharing the Gospel. Four years later, in 1960, he started Youth With A Mission (YWAM). In the past 60 years, YWAM has become one of the largest Christian mission organizations in the world. Loren believes that every Christian is a missionary.

Young people are trained in Discipleship Training Schools (DTS), a live-in combination of lectures and outreach, while also learning to live and work together in community. Tens of thousands of young, and older people have been involved and still are involved in the ministry of YWAM. They also have a university in Hawaii, as well as a mercy ships ministry, providing medical and other practical aid where needed. 

A PERSONAL NOTE: Although I have not ever done a DTS program, I did have the opportunity to stay at one of the YWAM centres, in Randwick, Sydney for several days back in the early 70's. It was a great joy to experience the warmth of the love and hospitality shown me by the leaders and YWAM students present there at that time. During that time, Loren Cunningham visited Sydney as part of a speaking tour in Australia with Brother Andrew, Founder of Open Doors Ministry. 

 I remember attending one of the meetings in Sydney, and being stirred by the passion for Jesus and for evangelism as Loren Cunningham spoke. I remember him asking the question: "Do you know where the 1980 Olympic Games are going to be held?" The answer: "In Moscow, Russia." He then gave a challenge to those present to consider praying about being a part of a missions thrust to use that opportunity to go behind the Iron Curtain, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ as part of an Olympic Games YWAM outreach team. I recall him saying: "You can leave your cameras home," which I thought was not meant to be a prohibition, but rather a call to see the seriousness of the mission - that it would not be a holiday!

Another quote from him I clearly remember impacting me was: "You don't become a missionary by crossing the sea, but by first seeing the Cross!" Powerful stuff!

Truly, Loren Cunningham, as a trailblazer in ministry, igniting a passion for Jesus in the hearts of thousands of young, as well as older disciples of Jesus, has sought to honour the Great Commission of Jesus, where He told His first disciples:

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Mark 16:15-18

If you would like to know how you can become a Christian, and discover your purpose for being, one resource I can direct you is: www.vision.org.au This is the online home of Vision Christian Media in Australia. Click on the "Grow your faith" tab at the top of the page, then click on the "Looking for God?" tab from the dropdown menu.

NEXT TIME: Looking at the Vision for ministry to Africa, given by the Holy Spirit to Reinhard Bonnke - One of God's most effective Evangelists of the 20th and early 21st Centuries.