When my mom was visiting my brother in England several years ago, she happened upon a small prayer meeting. It was located down the street from where my brother lived. The story she told from that meeting has always stuck with me.
Someone else at the meeting, an English businessman, told the story of his travels in Asia. I don’t remember which country it was but I don’t think he said.
While riding in the cab from the airport, he made friends with his Cabbie. It became quickly apparent that they were both lovers of Jesus… and so the Cabbie invited him to their prayer meeting that evening.
The Englishman was busy, so he politely declined, expressing his regret. The Cabbie then asked if the Businessman would like to come to their prayer meeting the evening after.
The Englishman being entirely amazed that they were having back to back meetings asked “How often do you meet?!”
“ Oh every night!” He said. The businessman responded. “Well when does the meeting start?”
“When God shows up” Cabbie replied
“When God shows up? When is that?” Englishman asked.
“Well we generally gather around 7 to wait on God… but sometimes he shows up at 8pm, sometimes he shows up at 2am” Cabbie replied.
“2am!!!! When do you sleep?” The Englishman asked.
“Oh! Sometimes when you are in the presence of the Lord you don’t need sleep” Cabbie exclaimed.
“So you guys are in a revival then?” Englishman asked.
“ Oh, no! That’s China. We send planes of people to China so they can experience the revival there” replied the Cabbie.
I share this story… one because I love the Presence of God… and two because it illustrates how God is working around the world.
Alan Hirsch, in his book “The Forgotten Ways”, estimates that from the time Chairman Mao kicked the European missionaries out of China (1950s) to today Christianity in China has grown from roughly 2 million followers to over 120 million in the year 2016.1
The persecution that happened there drove the church underground and transformed them into a community reminiscent of the book of Acts. They are experiencing the presence and power of God in such a way that community is growing and growing fast.
Lest you think this is an isolated instance, the Gospel Coalition claims that it is no longer China, but Iran who has the fastest growing Church. The second fastest is now Afghanistan, largely due to the influence of the Iranian Church.2
This was again driven by persecution when the cultural revolution happened in 1979.
In that same period of time: the USA has thrived and the church here has been free to say whatever it wants….however, both church attendance and belief in God have dropped. In Europe, the statistics are even more drastic.
Now church attendance and national statistics DO NOT tell the whole story. The reality is God has been on the move in the US in other ways. (But that is not the true subject of this post, more to come) But the contrast is still valid to note.
In addition to floods of people coming to Christ, in many parts of the world there are reports of miracles happening… a lot and lot of miracles.
There are reports of Dreams and Visions coming out of Islamic areas of the world, where God speaks to people that don’t know him yet… these reports have been many. 3
Reports of healings and even resurrection from the dead are all too plentiful to count. These are happening all over the world. An example of a ministry that sees these on a regular basis is Iris Global Ministries (Heidi and Rolland Baker) in Mozambique, Africa. I offer them up as an example because I’ve heard the reports from multiples sources including Craig Keener, respected scholar at Asbury University. 4 His books on miracles are considered some of the most well researched, and therefore impactful.
He has a smaller volume and larger volumes. These larger volumes started as a footnote in his four volume work on the book of Acts. I have yet to read them, but they are pointed to by multiple people I respect a great deal.
His volumes discuss not only what is happening all over the world but recount miracles happening here in the US behind the scenes.
God is VERY much on the move in the world today and across history. My prayer for you is that God would open your spiritual eyes and fill you with wonder at what He is doing.
All of these things can be very exciting… can I remind you what all of these are about? Just like in the story about the Cabbie and the Englishman… Miracles are about Him and His presence. Most people that experience them on a regular basis, know this. When God shows up… everything changes. Miracles are signs of His presence, His Kingdom, and His Love. The whole of the Bible and the New Testament points to this.
So let us be like the Cabbie and the shocked Englishman… Let us be entirely and absolutely in Love with Him… and His Presence wherever we see it!
Footnotes
1 Pages 5-6
2 See the article here: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/fastest-growing-church-world/?amp
3 See Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World? By Tom Doyle
4 See: Miracles Today by Craig Keener or his larger volumes: Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts.
JustDad.Blog 
Leave a comment