The book of Acts is one of my
favorite books in the Bible. I love seeing the way the first generation church
functioned. They were so dependent on God to come through for them. They lived
in community and worked for the kingdom in community. When I look at the first generation
Christian Church I feel inspired to apply their way of doing church to my own
life. My past month was spent with a first generation Church.
Until 1991, Albania was under one the
strictest forms of communism the world has ever seen. No one allowed in, no one
allowed out. Religion was destroyed and made illegal. There were believed to be thirteen Christians in the entire
nation. Albania
was the most unreached and unreachable country in the entire world. After the fall of Communism, Campus
Crusade for Christ along with many other ministries rushed in to spread the
gospel with this unreached nation. The Jesus film was shown in the overflowing
communist epicenter, the National Stadium, within a year of the fall of communism.
This past month I spent a lot of
time around the area where this all happened. I was in the capitol of Albania,
Tirana, working with Campus Crusade. I sat in their 4-story office building, which hosts nearly a dozen thriving churches throughout the week. This thriving Church movement impacting their nation and nations. This communist, turned Muslim
nation is turning to Jesus. What a blessing it was to be able to spend a month with these brothers and sisters. Getting to spend time with a first
generation church has impacted me, and changed much of the way I desire to “do”
church. Church is not a place to go and fill a seat. It is a movement of God
expressed through people. This is very clear and understood within the first generation church.
One observation that I want to
share with all readers is about our role as Americans in the worldwide movement
of God. The small amount of time that I have spent overseas doing missions I
have noticed one common thread between every ministry we have partnered with.
Every single one is dependent on American financial support. We are the
financial backbone to global ministry. Do not hear
me wrong. I am not saying that you should not “go and make disciples”. I am
simply stating an observation. Do with it as you are led. But I encourage you
to give, and then give some more. Give sacrificially, as the money is from God
in the first place.
The Muslim
world is the next frontier for the gospel! My prayer is that in my lifetime I
will be able to go into another once closed Islamic country, and see a thriving and free
church movement. Albania is a testimony of how great our God is. There is much
more to come, no nation is too far away or too distant from God to be rescued by
the Father’s love and pursuit.
Remember to pray for Albania and for more emergent churches to rise up over the world!
16 year old Mario hearing about Jesus for the first time. I have never seen someone more excited to hear the gospel. Kaon, first generation believer, is sharing the Lord with him.
