Count Zinzendorf

"I have but one passion - it is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ." - Count Zinzendorf

The Moravian Brethren were responsible for some of the most inspiring and sacrificial stories of missions history. Lead by Count Zinzendorf, one of every sixty Moravians went as cross-cultural missionaries, planting mission stations in the Virgin Islands, Greenland, North America, South America, South Africa, and Labrador. Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf was born in 1700 into wealth and a noble family. Raised by grandmother and Aunt, in an atmosphere of evangelical Pietism, and during his study at Halle as a young man, Nicolaus developed a dedication to Jesus Christ and a passion for spreading the gospel. Zinzendorf attended Wittenberg University with the aim of earning a law degree and following in his family's expectations of him as a nobleman. There was a constant dissonance in his heart between the pressure of his family and the responsibility that he felt toward serving the Lord in ministry, and giving his life to the one who gave His life for all. Even though his future as a nobleman and in state service would be full of success and approval, he found no joy in the idea of spending his life as a follower of Jesus in comfort and ease. Then in 1719 Zinzendorf was powerfully impacted by a painting of Christ enduring the crown of thorns. An inscription below the painting read, "All this I did for you, what are you doing for me?" This was a decisive moment in his life, moving him to finally choose against the life as a nobleman and enter Christian ministry.

Several years later, in 1727,during a communion service, the Holy Spirit moved powerfully on all that were there and Zinzendorf lead the others in beginning a prayer meeting. Beginning with a deep conviction for the evangelization of the world, the prayer meeting continued and deepened in passion for the lost both near and far. This prayer movement that began that night of Aug 13th continued through the Moravians around the clock, without interruption, for more than one hundred years. This was undeniably the force behind the great Moravian missions movements that would follow during the 18th century.

The Moravian Brotherhood was a result of the missions mobilization and passion of Zinzendorf. They had a seal that represented and reminded them of their devotion to the Lord. It contained a lamb on a crimson ground, with the cross and a banner representing the triumph of the resurrection with the motto; "Our Lamb has conquered, let us follow Him."

The Moravians beautifully explain their motivation for missions in the following 1791 evangelical report. "The simple motive of the brethren for sending missionaries to distant nations was and is an ardent desire to promote the salvation of their fellow men, by making known to them the gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ. It grieved them to hear of so many thousands and millions of the human race sitting in darkness and groaning beneath the yoke of sin and the tyranny of Satan; and remembering the glorious promises given in the Word of God, that the heathen also should be the reward of the sufferings and death of Jesus; and considering His commandment to His followers, to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, they were filled with confident hopes that if they went forth in obedience unto, and believing in His word, their labor would not be in vain in the Lord. They were not dismayed in reflecting on the smallness of their means and abilities, and that they hardly knew their way to the heathen whose salvation they so ardently longed for, nor by the prospect of enduring hardships of every kind and even perhaps the loss of their lives in the attempt. Yet their love to their Savior and their fellow sinners for whom He shed His blood, far outweighed all these considerations. They went forth in the strength of their God and He has wrought wonders in their behalf."

The two first Moravian missionaries, on October 8,1732, set sail from Copenhagen for the West Indies. On board were John Leonard Dober, a potter, and David Nitschman, a carpenter. Their purpose was to follow Jesus' command, "As the father has sent me so send I you." Jesus, in incarnating His life into humanity, had left all. Paul said, "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some (1 Cor. 9:19-22)." The only way to reach the slaves of the West Indies was to become incarnated into their lives. These two men set sail with the objective of selling themselves into slavery to reach the slaves if they must.

What they called out to the shore from the boat would become the rally of all future Moravian missionaries. Taken from Revelation 5:9 they pointed their mission to the worthiness of the glory of God saying, "May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering." Upon arriving at the shores of their destinations, the Moravians would unload their few belongings and then burn the ships. It was a refusal to look back to that country from which they went out. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one (Heb 11:15-16). The Moravian's passion for missions was great, because their passion for God was great.

Taken from article by David Smithers

For I am NOT ASHAMED of the gospel...

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile" Romans 1:16

The paradox of our time/ Парадокс нашего времени

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; We've added years to life, not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; We've done larger things, but not better things;
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; We've split the atom, but not our prejudice; We write more, but learn less; We plan more, but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait; We have higher incomes, but lower morals; We have more food, but less appeasement; We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; We've become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes.
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom; a time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to make a difference, or to just hit delete...
George Carlin
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Когда жена Джорджа Карлина умерла, Карлин, известный острослов и сатирик 70-80-ых годов, написал эту невероятно выразительную статью, уместную и сегодня.

«Парадоксом нашего времени является то, что мы имеем высокие строения, но низкую терпимость, широкие магистрали, но узкие взгляды.

Тратим больше, но имеем меньше, покупаем больше, но радуемся меньше.
Имеем большие дома, но меньшие семьи, лучшие удобства, но меньше времени.
Имеем лучшее образование, но меньше разума, лучшие знания, но хуже оцениваем ситуацию, имеем больше экспертов, но и больше проблем, лучшую медицину, но хуже здоровье.

Пьем слишком много, курим слишком много, тратим слишком безответственно,смеемся слишком мало, ездим слишком быстро, гневаемся слишком легко, спать ложимся слишком поздно, просыпаемся слишком усталыми, читаем слишком мало,слишком много смотрим телевидение и молимся слишком редко.
Увеличили свои притязания, но сократили ценности.

Говорим слишком много, любим слишком редко и ненавидим слишком часто. Знаем, как выжить, но не знаем, как жить. Добавляем года к человеческой жизни, но не добавляем жизни к годам.

Достигли Луны и вернулись, но с трудом переходим улицу и знакомимся с новым соседом.
Покоряем космические пространства, но не душевные.
Делаем большие, но не лучшие дела.

Очищаем воздух, но загрязняем душу.
Подчинили себе атом, но не свои предрассудки.
Пишем больше, но узнаем меньше.
Планируем больше, но добиваемся меньшего.
Научились спешить, но не ждать.
Создаем новые компьютеры, которые хранят больше информации и извергают потоки копий, чем раньше, но общаемся все меньше.

Это время быстрого питания и плохого пищеварения, больших людей и мелких душ,быстрой прибыли и трудных взаимоотношений.
Время роста семейных доходов и роста числа разводов, красивых домов и разрушенных домашних очагов.

Время коротких расстояний, одноразовых подгузников, разовой морали, связей на одну ночь; лишнего веса и таблеток, которые делают все: возбуждают нас,успокаивают нас, убивают наc.
Время заполненных витрин и пустых складов.
Время, когда технологии позволяют этому письму попасть к вам, в то же время позволяют вам поделиться им или просто нажать "Delete".

Запомните, уделяйте больше времени тем, кого любите, потому что они с вами не навсегда.

Запомните и горячо прижмите близкого человека к себе, потому что это единственное сокровище, которое можете отдать от сердца, и оно не стоит ни копейки.

Запомните и говорите "люблю тебя" своим любимым, но сначала действительно это почувствуйте.
Поцелуй и объятия могут поправить любую неприятность, когда идут от сердца.

Запомните и держитесь за руки и цените моменты, когда вы вместе, потому что однажды этого человека не будет рядом с вами.

Найдите время для любви, найдите время для общения и найдите время для возможности поделиться всем, что имеете сказать.
Потому что жизнь измеряется не числом вдохов-выдохов, а моментами, когда захватывает дух!»

Джордж Карлин

Who am I?

Here’s a dose of truth from scripture and what it says about you in Christ. Declare these truths over yourself until your soul (mind, will, and emotions) gets a clue and comes into alignment with your spirit man, where the Holy Spirit dwells.

I am a child of God; God is spiritually my Father (Romans 8:14-15, Galatians 3:26, John 1:12)

I am a new creation in Christ; old things have passed away and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am in Christ (Ephesians 1:1-4, Galatians 3:26,28)

I am an heir with the Father and a joint heir with Christ (Galatians 4:6-7, Romans 8:17)

I am reconciled to God and am an ambassador of reconciliation for Him (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

I am a saint (Ephesians 1:1, 1 Corinthians 1:2, Philippians 1:1, Colossians 1:2)

I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ for good works (Ephesians 2:10)

I am a citizen of heaven (Ephesians 2:19, Philippians 3:20)

I am a member of Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12:27)

I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17)

I am the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19)

I am a friend of Christ (John 15:15)

I am a slave to righteousness (Romans 6:18)

I am the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21)

I am enslaved to God (Romans 6:22)

I am chosen and ordained by Christ to bear fruit (John 15:16)

I am a prisoner of Christ (Ephesians 3:1, 4:1)

I am righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:24)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)

I am the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13)

I am the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)

I am part of the true vine (John 15:1-2)

I am filled with the divine nature of Christ and escape the corruption that is in the world through lust (2 Peter 1:4)

I am an expression of the life of Christ (Colossians 3:4)

I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12, 1 Thessalonians 1:4)

I am a child of light (1 Thessalonians 5:5)

I am a partaker of a heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1)

I am more than a conqueror through Christ (Romans 8:37)

I am a partaker with Christ and share in His life (Hebrews 3:14)

I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5)

I am a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9)

I am the devil’s enemy (1 Peter 5:8)

I am born again by the Spirit of God (John 3:3-6)

I am a alien and stranger to this world (1 Peter 2:11)

I am a child of God who always triumphs in Christ and releases His fragrance in every place (2 Corinthians 2:14)

I am seated in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 2:6)

I am saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8)

I am a recipient of every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)

I am redeemed by the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 5:9)

I am part of the bride of Christ and am making myself ready for Him (Revelation 19:7)

I am a true worshipper who worships the Father in spirit and truth (John 4:24)

I heal the sick (Matthew 10:8, Luke 10:9, Mark 16:18, John 14:12)

I raise the dead (Matthew 10:8, John 14:12)

I cast out demons (Matthew 10:8, Mark 16:17, John 14:12)