A Place Called EVERYWHERE! (by Jerry Richardson)

The very purpose of the church is, and has always been, the evangelization of the lost.  We cannot even think of missions without being reminded of our call and our obligation.

Matthew 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore and teach all nations... teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:  and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

1 Timothy 2:8 “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”

Let us look at some key words in this verse:

1) Men - Jesus came to save mankind. Jesus is interested in saving men from their sins so much that He went to Calvary to save make salvation to all.

2) Everywhere - Let’s think of everywhere.  Where is everywhere?   Is the Africa part of everywhere?  Is Kenya part of everywhere?  Is Madagascar part of everywhere?  Is the United States part of everywhere?  And on and on can go the questions.  Can you see that your city and neighborhood is a part of everywhere?

When looking at the early church, we acknowledge that they were given a commission to go into the entire world and preach the gospel.   When the Holy Ghost came, they settled into the comfort of the fellowship, going from house to house, breaking bread together.  They rejoiced in their “experience” of the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Ghost fell at Jerusalem, but soon forgot the purpose that was intended in the formation of the church.  Let us never lose sight of the fact that the church is the extension of the mind and heart of Jesus Christ.  His purpose in coming to this earth was, and remains to be, the seeking and saving that which was lost. If we are part of His church, we must retain this same burden was His. Our burden will also resemble that of Paul. We will demonstrate the determination of Peter. We must spread the truth of the gospel to our Jerusalem, to our Judaea and Samaria, and then unto the uttermost parts of our world.

When they did not go by choice to spread the Word, persecution came make them not be so comfortable at home, and to be ready to leave family, friends and fellowship and go.

Acts 8:3-4 “As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.  Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.”

Are we ready to prioritize our lives today and be committed to taking and sending the gospel – OR – do we prefer to wait for an external stirring that may bring discomfort and suffering?  Jesus can stir up our nests and make us uncomfortable.  I think it is time to go to everywhere.  It is time to take the gospel to “everywhere” to “all men”.

Mark 16:19 “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.  20And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.  Amen.”

We need to take notice where these early church saints went and what they did.  And then watch what the Lord did when they did what they did. They first went to their Jerusalem.  Their Jerusalem was to family, friends, people of same language and same culture. People who liked the same food, people with whom they felt at home. 

From there, there were those who stepped into a Judaea.  It was a place outside their church home and immediate family into the culture of the world around them.  From there it was to a Samaria.   This was a place of some strange teachings, but still had some similarity in culture and language that allowed for an understanding. Samaria was a somewhat mixed culture.  They understood Jerusalem and ways of the Jewish beliefs and rituals, but they just did not practice them. They claimed Abraham as their father, and were so similar in so many ways to the Jews.

But Samaria was still not the end of the earth. The church was still somewhat familiar surroundings and people groups.  When we look at missions, our outreach to the lost world, we see that much of our mission has been practiced among people who have already accepted Christianity in a general degree.  They already accept that the Bible is the Word of God.  They pray and read their Bibles, sometimes failing to see the TRUTHS of the Word.  The modern-day church must reach out to all with full truth.  We also must assure that the gospel is the uttermost parts of the earth as well—going to a people who have never heard of a Bible, maybe never been to a church—never had the privilege to hear a simple story from the word of God—and they don’t even know the name Jesus.  There is still the uttermost.  That is a part of the place called everywhere.

When the early church preached into their everywhere, then the Lord worked with them.  Signs followed.  In the church of 2011 many would like to see the signs following without fulfilling the mission.  The Lord blesses what is in his will.  We cannot change his value system.  We cannot change his mission objectives.  To get Him involved with our lives we must adopt His mission and focus on the EVERYWHERE.

I will never forget the time when we drove many hours off the main road, crossed small rivers on two logs that had been laid across it for the tires of the vehicle, dug our way through mud and difficulty to get to a village that had no church at all.  A Bible School graduate had gone back into this interior area and preached the truth.  He had taken the ‘great commandment’ seriously and gone to the uttermost.  It was not long that people began to come regularly to hear the Word being preached.  A church building was constructed.  We were making our way to the isolated area to dedicate the building as a place of worship unto the Lord.  I was the first white man that many of them had ever seen.  The local official of the government stood and said, “Thank you United Pentecostal Church for bringing us the truth.  We now have a church where our people can pray.  We now have a place where people can hear the message of Jesus Christ.”  Someone had taken the message to their everywhere and the Lord confirmed the word with signs.

Luke 9:6 “And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.”

The disciples did go to their everywhere.  So my question is: “Where is your everywhere?”

Thank God for the one that was willing to be a missionary to a land where no one understood his tongue. He could not find food that he was accustomed to. The weather was not the same as at home. He was a stranger.  Everywhere he went they all knew that he was a stranger. But he was willing to take the message to that place called everywhere.

What about your world?  Africa’s population of 1,000,000,000 people, that’s part of your everywhere.  Nations where the only permitted religion is praying to Allah, that is your everywhere.  To the streets where prostitutes and drug dealers operate, that is your everywhere.  The drunkard who hardly knows his way home, yes, that too, is part of your everywhere.  And, to the people who are suffering, without a hope, in their place of despair, that is your everywhere.

Are you reaching your everywhere?  Are you reaching your everywhere with your prayers?  Are you reaching your everywhere with offerings for missions?  Are pastors, leaving their Jerusalem and marching through their Samaria on their way to their everywhere?

Acts 17:30 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”

We stand today on the threshold of the return of our Lord to take away His church. I look at our world and see so many still who have not heard, so many who are still in darkness, so many who still are suffering and waiting. Will we sit idly in our “comfortable Jerusalem”,  or will we go also to our Judaea, our Samaria, and into our everywhere.  You may ask, “How can we go?”  Some will go in person, while some will go in purse.  Some will give by going, and others will go by giving.  The reward comes to both.  The inexcusable is when we do not focus on the everywhere - when we refuse to go.  

Now back to our scripture in I Timothy 2:8:  “Men lifting up HOLY HANDS, without wrath or doubting.

3) Holy Hands - The only way a man can lift Holy hands is if he has been able to know the power of the Almighty God.  He must have obeyed the message of repentance, he must have submitted to the message of Baptism in Jesus Name for the remission of sins, and he must have received the Holy Ghost.  Then he will be able to lift Holy hands.  Holy is not the results of doing good works and being a nice person.  But, Holiness is the result of being made clean by the blood of Jesus Christ.  We must be able to point others to the power of God to forgive them, cleanse them, deliver them, and help them.  If every man is going to be able to do that, it will be a result of taking this gospel to every man everywhere. 

The Whole Gospel to the Whole World by the Whole Church.

We must go everywhere.  The greatest days of the church lies ahead of us.  We will be rejoicing in our days as find fulfillment in them as we go everywhere.  I believe and can already see in a mind of faith, the mighty revival that is going to come to the Muslims of Africa.  I envision thousand of former Muslims crying in one loud voice, the Name of Jesus.  I then want to watch as a Holy Ghost outpouring takes place in each of them.  It will happen.  It will start when we get the burden of prayer for nations that are still unreached.  It will happen when we give, when we go. 

We must go.  We must look for our everywhere.  Everywhere!  Everywhere!

Can you hear the Voice of the Lord as He is pointing out to you your everywhere. 

We must go.  We must go EVERYWHERE!

TIME IS RUNNING OUT (by Jerry Richardson)

Jerry Richardson
Regional Director - Africa

When you pick up a newspaper, listen to a radio commentary, or speak to Africans on the street, the subject that seems to come up is that of time.  Everyone is time conscious. It is recognized that time is truly short.  The church, as well, realizes that time is short because of the soon coming of our KING JESUS.  However, to many, time seems to be even shorter.  Political battles, genocides and the battles with diseases may mean that the end is nearer than one would expect.

In a recent report, I picked up some alarming statistics on the HIV/AIDS virus that is rampant in so many parts of Africa.  In the age group between 15 years and 49 years of age, Kenya reported 14 percent infected.  Further south, the figures worsen.  These include also Malawi with 16%, Mozambique 13%, Zambia 20%, and Zimbabwe with a whopping 25% of the population in this age group infected with this terrible disease.  Even South Africa has climbed to 20% and Botswana is all the way up to a 35.8%.  If these figures are only depicting the ages between 15 and 49, then the overall figures could rise even higher.  So many are destined to die lost without ever hearing of a Savior that can deliver.  We are racing time to see how many can be reached before it is too late.

The more than 700,000,000 people occupying sub-Saharan Africa are participating in many different religions.  Some are Muslims, some Christians, and some just follow the ancient ways of their ancestors.  How can they hear the truth?  Some 24 missionaries families are endeavoring to carry this message, but they are so few among so many.  With their tremendous dedication, they have affected entire nations, but even with that, time is running out for so many.

This is where I have to lift my hands in thanksgiving to God for what He has done.  He has spoken to the hearts of pastors and evangelists along with some church members across our fellowship to join the efforts in Africa.  The efforts of great men and women of God who have joined their efforts with the efforts of the missionaries and many national ministers will help bring us much further along in the task of reaching Africa for Jesus.  The shortness of TIME requires our best.  How could we stand before God if we have not awakened to the fact that time is short and have given our best effort to HIM by working together to reach AFRICA?

The number would grow into the thousands of how many people have been snatched from Satan’s grip this year because of these efforts.  Let us rejoice together!  The lost one has been found!  We must not allow one to be lost when it is within our power to make the difference.  I pray that others will step forward and say, “Let me also be a part of this great effort to evangelize AFRICA.”

The Desparate Cry (by Jerry Richardson)

Jerry Richardson
Regional Director - Africa

Just as the Apostle Paul heard the Macedonian cry and was willing to leave the comfort zone of where he was in order to go to a place where need abounded, the church of today must hear the urgent cry of AFRICA’s MILLIONS and be willing to answer by going.

Today’s situations place countless people outside the provision which most of the world would consider the necessities of life.  I recently drove down a street in Africa and wondered have these people even had a decent meal this week.  It was not so much a question about today but for the week.  I see orphans and street urchins struggling to exist and help siblings that are weaker or less able to content in a difficult world.  Where is their hope?  I know that the masses are endeavoring to exist while political systems continue to place the politicians ahead of the needs of the majority of their population.  If the economic system and the political system offer no promise to these masses then who will?  AIDS continues to devour the lives of so many.  Again I say, where is their hope?  Do we care?  Is there something that we can do?

Words cannot amply express my appreciation for the missionaries, pastors and churches that comprise the Africa Region.  Daily sacrifices are made that one more can be reached.  It is not unusual to see them meeting in school classrooms, outdoors or in many differing circumstances because they don’t have the means to obtain a piece of land or construct a building. Their desire is not dampened.  They are determined to reach one more for the master.  The abundance of the harvest field far outstretches the grasp of the harvesters.  Today doors are open in places where we have no one and where it seems that there is not even one witness to send.  Missionaries are covering multiple tasks in order to try to meet the urgent needs of the bulging works.  We hear the cry but we also cry, “WHO WILL GO?”

It seems that the cry for laborers is more intense today than it has ever been before.  No longer can we say the door is closed.  We also cannot say that there are not hungry hearts waiting.  We can only join our prayers together that God will speak to one more pastor or minister to leave their comfort zone and become a missionary to Africa.  CAN YOU HEAR THE CRY OF EIGHT HUNDRED MILLION SOULS?

Today the harvest needs commitments of people who will make this their life long profession as well as those who will join in for the immediate task.  Together, with all of us involved, we can make a difference.  By joining forces in prayer, finances and by going the cries of many will be answered.

Listen!  Hear...

                                THE DESPERATE CRY!

AFRICA'S MOMENT (by Jerry Richardson)

Jerry Richardson
Regional Director - Africa

The flames of revival fires are moving throughout the whole region.  From the North, South, East and West there are men and women who are saying yes to the truth.  New fields continue to open at a faster pace than we can possibly fill.  However, my vision is still that there are men and women who are willing to take up the struggle and make the needed sacrifices to see the mission accomplished.

The region of Africa with its 750,000,000 inhabitants remains a rich harvest field for today.  The investments of the United Pentecostal Church International in this area of the world continue to bring unprecedented returns.

Recently, we have seen renewed fervor in the Southern End of the continent as pastors and leaders gathered for a time of refreshing at the Because of the Times, Southern Africa.  That fresh empowering has already paid off with greater prayer, deeper dedications and soul consciousness.  Pastors declare revival fires burning like never before.

The first week of September 2005, we witnessed 975 people receiving the infilling of the Holy Ghost in a National Conference.  Many who had not yet been baptized in Jesus Name were baptized also during that meeting.

Let us enroll more missionaries, more AIMers and more A-Team participants from the home land to join in the efforts of this Great Harvest.  At the same time, men from Africa must be encouraged to leave their home lands and go to new countries and open churches in places where this message has never before been preached.  I see someone answering the call to go to the COMOROS.  Another must go to ANGOLA.  Someone must be sent to CONGO.   SUDAN’s doors are open and someone must go.  I could continue on with ERITREA, DJIBOUTI, ETHIOPIA and many more.  FRENCH AFRICA is wide open to receive the messenger of the Lord.  Can we hear the words from ISAIAH 6:8?

1. “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”  - KJV

Please, join with us in the harvest.  Men and women to pray remains the greatest need of the hour.  Let’s add to that those who will go.  Others can commit to give and supply the resources needed to spread the truth through the region.  Each of us must feel the urgency of this open door moment for Africa’s Millions.