I never cease to be amazed at what God has done through the simplicity of EHC’s strategy all over the world.
This year, we celebrate eighty years of taking the gospel message home by home in a format that can stay with people to be read or listened to again and again. By God’s grace through faithful service, more than 300 million people have responded positively in nearly 200 nations.
This fruitful strategy rests on three deeply held convictions. First, that the commission of our Lord to go into all the world proclaiming the gospel and making disciples must be taken literally. Second, that prayer is essential to the process of evangelism and discipleship because it is a profoundly spiritual work.
The third conviction is that the unity of the Body of Christ is essential to reach and impact whole communities, regions, and nations with the gospel.
We have seen the fruitfulness of this strategy in nation after nation, including right here at home.
When God’s people come together for prayer with a common vision and heart to reach their community with the gospel, the Lord blesses with astounding outcomes.
A harvest is gathered when we pray together and work together. A refreshing and renewal also come to the church as Christians share in the mission, compelled by the love of God and loving one another in Christ.
Jesus spoke of the importance of unity and told us that an effective witness depends on it: "...May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me", and "...Love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples." (John 17:23 and John 13:34-35)
The Early Church had its challenges and even sharp differences of opinions. But when the focus was on the cross of Christ and the mission was to take the message of salvation to people everywhere, great things were accomplished.
They were united in prayer and gospel messaging, compelled by the love of God in Christ. They relied on him to meet their needs; they trusted in him to lead them to and through what they were facing; they followed him into a very difficult harvest field.
They worshiped together and engaged in mission together. They were known as his disciples — those who were with him, in him, for him, because of him. Oh, that the church today would be known in this way.
I don't need to tell you that more can be accomplished by a united group of Christ-centered, gospel preaching churches than by one congregation on its own. Such functional unity gets a lot done and spreads the load around. But most importantly, it's a powerful witness to unbelievers, and we can't forget that.
Not only has the one-body-in-Christ-together approach been hugely effective in terms of work done, but it has also brought spiritual healing to the Body. And what a blessing and testimony this is to the surrounding community.
These are some of the reasons why EHC has always sought to work with the church corporate in cities, regions and nations.
There is also the impact of prayer done in unity: one Body, one voice, one cry. Yes, it moves mountains!
The history of revivals abounds with stories of massive prayer meetings where at first a few, then hundreds and even thousands came together and cried out to God to pour out his Spirit and bring salvation to the lost. God did great and mighty things in response. I have personally witnessed this in churches in Canada.
Across our world today we are witnessing calamity, divisions, and wars that demonstrate the absence of anything resembling God’s love and what he intends for people. Sadly, the church has not consistently been the best demonstration of what God’s love looks and feels like when it is abundantly present.
My prayer is that a growing number of Christians will capture the importance of these foundational convictions and seek to make them a reality in their own communities. Imagine the transformation in people’s lives if the Body of Christ sustained unity in praying together, working together, and gathering the harvest together.
I invite you to pray often for the unity of the Body of Christ, beginning with your own church and other churches in your area, then extending to Canada and the world.
Together, we are God’s people in the world. May we be united in his mission.
