REVOLUTIONARIES

Men and Women in Every Century Who Advanced

MATT BROWN Revolutionaries: Men and Women in Every Century Who Advanced Christianity. Copyright 2009 by Matt Brown. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permis - sion except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For in - formation address Skyline Book Publishers, P.O. Box 43036, Minneapolis, MN 55443.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New In - ternational Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

F I R S T E D I T I O N

Cover Design by Luke Frederick Interior Photos by Shelley Paulson Photography & Michelle Brown

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

ISBN: 978-0-9842587-0-3

Printed in the United States of America International Praise for REVOLUTIONARIES

“Fascinating … well written … very needed!” Doug Wead , former White House special assistant to President George Bush sr., New York Times bestselling author, Washington DC

“This is the book that is missing in most Christian libraries. Su - perbly written, exhaustively researched, today’s Church makes much more sense after reading this account.” Dwight Denyes , Lead Pastor of Emmanuel Christian Center, Minneapolis, MN.

“Revolutionaries is broad in scope, yet very concise and specific… Matt Brown has given us a work that introduces the reader to a myriad of revolutionaries that have been obscured from most of the church’s memory, but who “wrought exploits” of faith similar to the heroes of Hebrews 11. They also saw many lives trans - formed by ’s forgiving grace. An easy and agile read, it is must reading for those who want to rekindle the fire of evangelism at this time of opportunity and challenge. The book’s tone is very much like the tone of evangelist Matt Brown’s life—full of hard hitting truth, passionate and to the point.” Rocky Grams , author of In Awe in Argentina and President of River Plate Bible College, Buenos Aires, Argentina “It is wonderful to read what God has done, because it gives us hope that He can do it again. This is a great read, and will inspire you.” McNamee , former assassin, turned missionary, Euro - pean President of Convoy of Hope, Brussels, Belgium

“Revolutionaries is a timely book written by Matt Brown. The book is exhaustive in both its contents and scope. It is based on sound Bib - lical principles as well as giving practical details of historical events. It will satisfy both intellectuals and practitioners. It is a down to earth book that challenges the reader to personal and world evan - gelism.” Thimothi Rao , President of Shekinah Bible College and AP Bible College, Assemblies of God District Superintendent, Andhra Pradesh, India

“It is good to be reminded of the people God used to reach their generation for our Savior Jesus Christ. Matt helps us to see the past to ignite us to be part of what God is doing today … Matt has found the heart of God.” Reggie Dabbs , international speaker, Fort Myers, FL

“Matt Brown enables us to stand on the shoulders of the greatest Revolutionaries in history. This book will charge you up and change the way you think and live!” Tim Enloe , national speaker and bestselling author of Want More? and Helping Others Receive the Gift, Wichita, KS This book is dedicated to the love, joy and treasure of my life - my wife Michelle. “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts.”

Psalm 145:4, NLT

“It is not God’s plan that the world be merely evangelized ulti - mately. Instead, that in every generation there would be a constant Gospel witness in every corner of the earth.”

T. A. Hegre Contents

Foreword by Sujo John

Author’s Foreword 15

1st Century: 25 The First Revolutionary: Jesus Christ They Died Preaching: The Twelve Revolutionaries The Thirteenth Revolutionary: The Apostle Paul 2nd Century: 45 Church Father and Revolutionary: St. of Lyons 3rd Century: 51 Theologian and Revolutionary: Origen The Miracle Worker: St. Gregory Thaumaturgus The First Christian Nation: St. 4th Century: 61 The First Christian Empire: Emperor Constantine the Great Evangelizing Africa: St. Frumentius

5th Century: 67 Saving Ireland from Cannibalism: St. Patrick 6th Century: 71 Evangelizing Scotland: St. Columba Evangelizing England: St. 7th Century: 77 The First Revolutionary to China: Alopen England Comes to Christ: St. Aiden 8th Century: 83 Evangelizing Germany: St. Boniface 9th Century: 89 Brothers Evangelizing the Slavs: St. Cyril Brothers Evangelizing the Slavs: St. Methodius : 93 The Conversion of Kings: King Vladimir of Evangelizing Northern : St. Adalbert of Prague 11th Century: 97 Evangelizing : St. Otto of Bamberg 12th Century: 101 Founder of the Waldenses: Peter Waldo The Revolutionary Prophetess: St.

13th Century: 107 Founder of the Franciscans: St. The Revolutionaries are Few: John of Monte Corvino 14th Century: 115 Evangelizing India: St. Jordanus : St.

15th Century: 121 Gospel and Healing Crusades: St. Vincent Ferrer 16th Century: 127 Founder of the Jesuits: St. Ignatius of Loyola Evangelizing Asia: St. Founder of the Lutherans: Martin Luther 17th Century: 139 Founder of the Quakers: George Fox 18th Century: 145 Founder of the Methodists: John Wesley Evangelizing Europe: George Whitefield Methodism in America: Francis Asbury 19th Century: 157 Founder of the Plymouth Brethren: John Nelson Darby Evangelizing China: Hudson Taylor Evangelizing America: D. L. Moody Founders of the Salvation Army: William & Catherine Booth Praying Hyde: John Hyde 20th Century: 173 The Healing Revolutionary: Smith Wigglesworth Founder of the Foursquare Denomination: Aimee Semple McPherson Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ: Bill Bright The World Revolutionary: Billy Graham

21st Century: 193 Revolutionary Lessons Learned What is Happening Today? A Revolutionary Challenge

Notes 199

Sources 204

Acknowledgements 215

Foreword by Sujo John

I am so honored to write the foreword of this incredible book by Matt Brown. I promise you, as you begin to read this you will not want to put it down.

Although I have met many young men in my ministry, I can truly say that I have been deeply touched by the passion of Matt Brown. I thank God for the purity of his heart and the pur - pose in this young man’s life. His ministry is touching many and will impact thousands around the world.

Over the years Christendom has witnessed thousands of men and women who have given their present, their future, their lives, their all for the advancement of the greatest cause on earth. They dropped that which was familiar, and embraced the revolu - tionary lifestyle of being a follower of Jesus Christ, and embarked on a journey that took them places they never dreamt they would go. From the coliseums of Rome, to the deserts of Africa, to the thick jungles of the Amazon, they stood for what they believed in. They responded to the challenges of their time with unwavering faith. This book will challenge you to imitate their lives as they have imitated the life of their Master.

We now live in a dark time, a period of time like never be - fore. The darkness has got as dark as it can get. Will you take a stand? Are you ready to take your world for the Lord?

Sujo John , 9/11 survivor, international evangelist and bestselling author of Do You Know Where You are Going? , Dallas, TX Author’s Foreword

Several years ago while still in Bible College I was perusing the library and stumbled upon a dusty Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church . I was surprised to find it filled with stories of men and women of faith—all but forgotten in the dusty annals of his - tory—who did countless miracles, who led entire nations to belief in Christianity, who revolutionized entire societies. I had been given a life-long Christian education and upbringing, but knew so little of these heroic deeds. As I turned the pages I discovered men and women—revolutionaries—whose extraordinary lives had been summed up in a few short paragraphs for future generations to ferret out. Furthering my research of the past several years I found some of these have one or more biographies written of them, while others have no biography, only sentences to summarize their great lives of faith.

I was especially impressed to discover revolutionary people of faith during the “dark ages” of the Church, from the 5th to the 15th centuries, about which I had heard next to nothing during all my years of Christian education and Church history study. Most Church histories are uneven, with arduous attention given to the

15 REVOLUTIONARIES

first few centuries of the Church plus the Protestant Reformation onward, leaving a thousand years of the church largely unac - counted for. I discovered, hidden within the seemingly dark ages of the Church, some of its most brilliant revolutionaries. This book unveils their stories. May they live on in the lives they impact, and continue to cause revolutionary change in societies around the world, both in our generation and beyond.

Revolutionaries

The term revolutionary is defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary as: a: of, relating to, or constituting a . b: tending to or promoting . c: constituting or bringing about a major or fun - damental change.

Throughout this book, the term “revolutionaries” refers to Christian evangelists and missionaries who caused fundamental change in their societies and generations. Most saw dramatic change in the regions where they preached. Revolutionaries like St. Patrick brought Ireland and England out of cannibalism, and St. Boniface assisted in breaking much of Europe from its once pro - fuse worship of idols. Much of the good in the world today is due to the revolutionaries mentioned throughout this book. They gave their lives to transform societies with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we reap the benefits of their sacrificial lives.

This book is not an exhaustive concordance on Church history; neither is it meant to contain the greatest or most signifi - cant men and women of God in history. This study, although comprehensive, is not intended to be complete. It was not penned

16 AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

to reveal all the mystics, , Church Fathers or others who im - pacted the Church the most. There are countless people who could have biographies dedicated solely to them—and many have.

This book, instead, introduces evangelistic heroes of each century—men and women with unique stories of reaching large numbers of people for the Christian faith and who thus revolution - ized society. Likewise, the biographies as written in this book are not intended to be exhaustive. Rather, it is the goal to list intrigu - ing, relevant points of the revolutionaries’ lives that contribute to the overall theme of the book. Those mentioned are of the type of personality Malcolm Gladwell mentions in his book, The Tipping Point . These revolutionaries grew to a level of influence on a mas - sive scale in their various societies, communities and regions of the world, and whose influence was so great that they led people by the droves to faith in Christianity—a complete reversal of lifestyle for many they influenced. 1

Even with this end in mind, it would be nearly impossible to list all revolutionaries of Church history—partially because we have only what has come down to us in writing to work with. Most Christian revolutionaries have been compelled by a Call to go into obscure, un-reached areas of the world where few would ever hear their story. For most, we shall never hear their stories until heaven. A good part of eternity might well be filled with hearing the ex - ploits of God through his revolutionaries. This work is a feeble at - tempt to honor them.

The Christian Revolution in the World

Christianity is the largest religion in the world, with over two billion adherents to the faith. Spanning Christian history, thou -

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sands upon thousands of men and women have been willing to leave their homelands to face severe trials and persecutions. Many, over the centuries, unwilling to deny their faith in this Jesus Christ and threatened with martyrdom, have given their lives. From its humble beginnings of Jesus Christ and several dozen adherents, the Christian revolution has multiplied exponentially through many generations, transforming entire societies and nations across the earth. Today, an average of one in every three people you might meet on any street in the new global community professes faith in Jesus Christ.

Christianity is far greater than a Western religion or an American ideal. According to Eusebius, the father of Church his - tory, Christianity has been a global religion ever since the first Apostles divided up the known world for evangelism. Thomas went as far as India. Others went into the heart of Africa, and Peter and Paul may have gone as far as Spain and England before returning to Rome to face imprisonment and martyrdom.

In our generation, Christianity is exploding in the global South. A revealing look on this subject is The Next Christendom by Philip Jenkins. According to Jenkins, there are more Pentecostal Christians (Assemblies of God) in Brazil alone than the entire Mormon religion worldwide. 2 We should also consider that while several million stream across the world to Mecca each year, a single evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke—little known in the United States—has, on multiple occasions, watched as many as 1,600,000 Africans come to hear the good news of Christ on a dusty field in a single night!

In China, where the revolution of Christianity is strictly prohibited, Chinese Christians have built an extensive network of

18 AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

underground churches outside the auspices of the government. The US government estimates that there are nearly 100 million Christians in China’s underground churches, making China one of the largest populations of Christianity anywhere in the world. 3 This is an astonishing response in a land where persecution is ag - gressive for an act as simple as possessing a Bible.

Many Westerners are ignorant to what is going on around the world today, as well as what happened in Church history since the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. With only minimal study, you will joyously learn that Christianity is a revolutionary movement to be reckoned with.

Encountering the Miraculous

Some of these true stories may seem implausible and strange, simply because you may never have personally experienced anything like what God performed through these revolutionaries. The world is a lot bigger than one individual’s life experience. His - torians and individual biographers—hundred of years apart in creed and various persuasions—have clearly portrayed revolution - aries participating in the miraculous, across diverse cultures and throughout all generations. Many modern biographers and Church historians have chosen to withhold some or all of the seemingly in - explicable parts of the story. Even for one growing up within the Pentecostal and charismatic traditions of today’s Church, miracu - lous accounts—recorded by ancient biographers seemingly with best intentions—make for an uncomfortable read.

However, the story of the Church is filled with the miracu - lous, and to say otherwise is simply injudicious for any serious stu - dent of the Church. The duty of the true historian is to replay the

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stories without personal or cultural bias, which is possibly the most difficult task of all.

Never a Dark Age in the Church

As I uncovered biographies and journals of these revolu - tionaries, I was surprised to find that there has never been a dark age for the Church of Jesus Christ. The solid and steadfast theme is clear-cut: God has used people throughout the entirety of human history, and not one generation or century has been left out.

For much of our Church history, we are at the mercy of what was written down and by whom. The epoch from the 5 th to the 15 th centuries has largely been forgotten by a majority of Church historians, although this thousand-year-period is brimming with incredible accounts. Because of this fact, the story of global Christianity is little known, especially in the East and Middle East. In his recently published book, The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa and Asia and How it Died, Philip Jenkins presents another masterpiece on eastern Christians.

In his account, Jenkins shares the story of eastern Chris - tians (such as the Assyrian Church of the East), who were labeled around the 5 th century as heretical Nestorians or Jacobites. Nesto - rians believe that the divine and human natures in Jesus are joined, but separate. (Nestorius, for example, objected to Mary being called the mother of God, since, he said, God was without begin - ning or end and therefore could not have a physical mother; she should be called, instead, the mother of Christ.) The First Council of Ephesus of 431 AD declared Nestorius and his followers as heretics, and that the two natures of Jesus—divine and human—

20 AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

were inseparable.

This eastern Christian movement continued even into the early 20 th century. Until about 1920, 48% of the population of Iraq was Christian, with similar numbers in other Middle Eastern countries. It was finally quenched in large part by Islamic extrem - ism. Because of rampant persecution, many eastern Christians fled for their lives, while others faced martyrdom by the thousands. Ex - perts tell us that there have been more martyrs in the past century that the previous nineteen centuries combined 4

At its zenith, around the 13 th century, consisted of two-thirds of the Christians on the earth, with bish - oprics and aggressive mission centers as far as the coast of China. During this time period, one of the greatest paradoxes of Christian history occurred. Two Chinese Nestorian monks made history. The first, Markos, born near Beijing, was elected as , and ‘exercised ecclesiastical sovereignty over more of the earth’s surface than even the pontiff in Rome.’

The other, a man named Bar Sauma, served as a remark - able Church diplomat to the western world, which viewed Nestori - ans as some sort of strange breed. In Philip Jenkins’ own words: Bar Sauma’s mission offers a glimpse of an en - counter between radically different versions of Christianity, each with its ancient traditions…

In 1287, the Mongol overlord of the Middle East—the Ilkhan —sent him on a journey to enlist the help of Christian Europe …European kings and bishops were amazed to find that this strange creature was a Christian bishop who seemed per -

21 REVOLUTIONARIES

fectly orthodox. Interestingly, even in light of the dismissive ‘Nestorian’ name, he stated his creed in terms they found perfectly acceptable, and the king of England himself took Communion from his hands …

Europeans were further shocked to discover that the Christian world stretched much farther than they had ever dreamed, to the shores of the Pa - cific…Bar Sauma told them how ‘many of our Fa - thers have gone into the countries of the Mongols, and Turks, and Chinese and have taught them the Gospel, and at the present time there are many Mongols who are Christians.’

Christianity, it seems, was already a true, global phenomenon … 5

Even within the Western Christian world, countless stories remain untold about this thousand-year period of the faith—many about women of depth, of faith, and of service. Women were treated surprisingly well during various periods of Church history. Numerous women were canonized as saints by the , and three women were given the title of Doctor of the Church: Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux. At times, these women and others served as the closest advisors of and kings.

An invaluable study on this topic is found in Women in Church History by Joanne Turpin. Turpin explains, “They proved something valuable: that at a very low point for the institutional church, Christianity could yet soar in spirituality. In one of those marvelous paradoxes of church history, the fourteenth century wit -

22 AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

nessed an unparalleled flowering of the mystic life among individ - ual Christians.” 6

This theme repeats itself over and over throughout Church history – during some of the darkest hours of the institu - tional church, its greatest revolutionaries rose up to change the world. During the time of the Christian crusades that were being fought to reclaim the Holy Land’s sacred sites from Islamic rule, St. Francis of Assisi traveled fearlessly behind enemy lines, knowing he would probably be martyred, and met with the Muslim sultan. St. Francis attempted to convert him to Christianity and thus help the world avoid a holy war. The sultan was impacted by his words, but refused to listen or to accept a challenge from St. Francis to have a face-off in an -like challenge and call down fire from heaven. 7

During the Great Schism, as two seats claimed papal au - thority, courageous revolutionaries arose to minister reconciliation and peace within the Church and to take the Gospel revolution to the furthest ends of the earth. And, during the Protestant Refor - mation, great Catholic revolutionaries arose to call the Church to be one, all to no avail.

Importance of History

Bede, the eminent historian of the Church in England, ex - pounds in his great work, The History of the English Church and People:

I cannot but commend the sincerity and zeal with which you not only diligently give ear to hear the words of the Holy Scripture, but also industriously take care to become acquainted with the actions and sayings of former men of renown.…

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For if history relates good things of good men, the atten - tive hearer is excited to imitate that which is good … 8

Every Generation, Every Corner of the Earth

T. A. Hegre stated, “It is not God’s plan that the world be merely evangelized ultimately. Instead, that in every generation there would be a constant Gospel witness in every corner of the earth.” 9 Throughout Church history we’ve seen it. The Gospel is not brought once into a land and then no more, but rather—in each nation, in each century—people are given that looked-for Gospel revolutionary. Into every generation come incredible revo - lutionary witnesses.

The pages of our own generation are yet to be written. May this book inspire those of our generation—and beyond.

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The First Revolutionary: Jesus Christ (0–33 AD)

The birth of Jesus Christ is the dividing line of history into what modern day scholars label Before Era (BCE) and Common Era (CE), or what has been traditionally known for hundreds of years as Before Christ (BC) and Anno Domini (AD), or “in the year of our Lord.” There is no doubt about it; our entire five or so thousand years of human history are completely centered on the life and death of one person—Jesus Christ. This is as - tounding, especially when one considers that Jesus only traveled within a small region of the world, never wrote any books, and never built any sort of physical empire.

The secret of Christ’s life lay not in what He had gained materially or by force, but in the lives that He impacted during only three years of ministry on Earth. He did not sway them forcibly, but with a life completely devoted to the will of His Father in Heaven, even suffering through a cruel death by execution on a cross (a common type of torture for criminals in his day), because

25 REVOLUTIONARIES

it is what God the Father had sent Him to Earth to accomplish. Jesus mentioned His path to the cross many times before it actually happened, predicting how He would die, and promising those clos - est to Him that He would be resurrected from the dead.

Jesus’ whole life was revolutionary to His disciples—those students whom Jesus trained to become apostles and go on Christ’s global mission of spreading the good news. The secret of Jesus’ impact on Earth was that He, in obscurity, poured out the truth of His Father into the lives of those few individuals who would multi - ply themselves. Over the centuries, God’s revolution, eventually called Christianity, would become a worldwide phenomenon.

Jesus was the first revolutionary. He was the first among those baptized, resurrected from the dead, and those “seeking and saving the lost” (Luke 19:10). He said that was why He had come, to help people find a way to the Father through Him. The Scrip - tures tell us: God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconcilia - tion. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:19–20).

Christ reached out with great compassion to those hurting souls forgotten by the religious leaders of his day, many times weeping over the people. Born as a man and humbled for thirty- three years as God in human flesh, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to live among us and show us the Way. Jesus came to earth as

26 1ST CENTURY

a human, born into a poor family and literally born in a cattle sta - ble, because there was no room for Him in an inn. From the begin - ning to the end of His life, attempts were made to kill Him, yet he remained untouched until the Father’s timing was fulfilled, willingly going with the soldiers who took Him to be prosecuted. He won individuals to God, and He preached good news of salvation and mercy from God both inside and outside the religious centers of his day.

He gave his life for humanity. The Cross was the ultimate sign of God’s great love for the lost. Christ went through the pain of the cross for the sole purpose of taking our sins—the sum total of past, present and future sins of humanity—upon Himself, that every person who accepts His Truth in faith and commits their life to follow Him will be saved and receive eternal life, given by the Father.

Eusebius, writing his Church History between the 3 rd and 4 th centuries based on a collection of authors in diverse parts of the world, shares of Christ: No language could adequately describe the origin, essence, and nature of Christ … and who but the Father could conceive of the Light that existed before the world, the Wisdom that preceded time, the living Word that was in the beginning with the Father and was God?

Before all creation and fashioning, visible or invis - ible, He was the first and only offspring of God, the commander-in-chief of the spiritual host of heaven, the messenger of mighty counsel, the agent of the ineffable plan of the Father, the cre -

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ator – with the Father – of all things, the second cause of the universe after the Father, the true and only begotten Child of God, the Lord and God and King of everything created, who has received Lordship, power, honor and deity itself from the Father.

According to the mystic ascription of divinity to Him in the Scriptures: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … All things were made by Him, and apart from Him nothing was made (John 1:1,3).

Start a Revolution: What Will You Do With Jesus

C. S. Lewis, famed theologian, has expressed that Jesus cannot be simply a good man. He must be either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. Jesus did many good things, but He also made dramatic claims about Himself being the only way to the One True God. He was either the worst liar in human history for His claims, or He was just who He said He was.

The most revolutionary question you can ever ask yourself is: “What will I do with Jesus Christ?” There is too much evidence to ignore His impact on the world. His claims about Himself were that He is “the way, the truth and the life.” He even said, “No one comes to the Father, but through me.” (John 14:6). Early believers called Him “The Door of Jesus.” As we will see, they believed His claims so utterly that they were willing to die rather than deny them.

So, what will you do with Jesus Christ? Many people avoid

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the question of what they will do with Jesus by saying they respect Christ and His teachings. Others delay the inevitable question by pointing their finger at others, saying it is Christians who are unlike Jesus that cause them to doubt.

What will you do with Jesus Christ? This is the most im - portant question you will ever ask yourself, and the odds are too vital to delay considering your answer even for one day. It will be the most important decision you ever make in your life. All great revolutions start with this question. My prayer is that, as you con - tinue to read the stories of some of the world’s greatest revolution - aries, you will continue to ponder your answer to this vital question.

They Died Preaching: The Twelve Revolutionaries (Various Dates – First Century AD)

All who wish to follow Christ are, like the first disciples, called to share their faith and live a pure life. As the disciples walked with Jesus, they saw a true compassion for the lost and the unrighteous. Because of Jesus’ revolutionary life, the disciples couldn’t help but live a life dedicated to reaching the lost. It is the same with all of us who make it our passion to follow Christ in the entirety of his life and teachings.

The most powerful insights into evangelism can be found in the world-shattering actions of Jesus Christ and His apostles in the Gospels and Acts. It is a handbook for revolutionaries.

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The disciples followed Jesus as He preached—and were with Him when He healed the lepers, cast two thousand demons out of the Gaderene man, and healed the blind, mute, deaf, and dumb. They rejoiced as He healed the cripples, the paralytics, the wounded, and the diseased. They were stunned as He controlled nature, cured the insane, and raised the dead. They were so funda - mentally changed that they, too, went out and preached when Jesus commissioned them to do so. They healed the sick, cast out demons, and were amazed that God could use them, too. (Luke 10:17-20). Then they saw Christ crucified, and wept. They could hardly believe it when He came to them, raised from the dead. They rejoiced and perhaps shed tears of joy. Christ taught the disci - ples for forty more days before He went up to Heaven. Then, an - gels appeared to encourage them. Jesus had told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit. They had been taught—and saved—by the Son of God. They had preached many times and performed great miracles. What more could they need?

God had a greater anointing and boldness that they needed if they were to do all He had called them to do. Jesus had told them that it was good that He left (John 16:7), and that they should wait and pray for the power of the Holy Spirit that would help them evangelize, and so revolutionize the world. They waited and prayed, waited and prayed—for ten days, the Scriptures record.

Then, in a moment, the Spirit came, unlike any time be - fore. According to Acts 2, each of them began to speak in lan - guages they had never learned, languages of men and angels. (1 Corinthians 13:1). They cried out so noisily and raucously that people, hearing, thought they were drunk with wine. (Acts 2:13) In his newly-found anointing from the Spirit, the once-fearful Apostle

30 1ST CENTURY

Peter got up and began to preach with a prophetic and powerful anointing of God. Three thousand people were saved and added to the Church in that single day. (Acts 2:41).

From that instant on, the first disciples continued to preach and do miracles, and many more thousands of people were added to the Church within their lifetimes. Scripture says of the early Church, “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47) Acts reports that Peter led two en - tire cities to Christ. (Acts 9:35)

In Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, published in 1599, martyrologist John Foxe recorded each of their legendary stories: 10 1. The first apostle to suffer after the martyrdom of St. Stephen was James, the brother of John. Clement tells us,

‘When this James was brought to the tri - bunal seat, he that brought him and was the cause of his trouble, seeing him to be condemned and that he should suffer death, was in such sort moved within heart and conscience that as he went off to the execution, he confessed himself also, of his own accord, to be a Christian. And so they were led forth together, where on the way he desired of James to forgive him what he had done. After James had a little paused with himself upon the matter, turning of him he said, ‘Peace be with thee, brother,’ and kissed him. And both were beheaded together,

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A.D. 36.’

2. St. Thomas preached to the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Carmanians, Hyrcanians, Batrians, and Magians, but he is best known for his missionary work in southern India. He was martyred in Calmina, India. [Tradition tells us that he was thrown into a hole in the ground, then stabbed to death by a spear hurled by a Brahmin.] 3. St. Simon, brother of Jude and James, the younger, who were all the sons of Mary Cleophas and Alpheus, was bishop of Jerusalem after James. He was crucified in Egypt during the reign of the Roman emperor, Trajan. [Early historians say that Simon asked to be buried in papyrus instead of cloth, be - cause he said he was not worthy to be buried in the same way as his Lord.] 4. Simon the Apostle, called Cananeus and Zelotes, preached in Mauritania, Africa and Britain . [Some traditions say Simon the Apostle asked to be martyred on an X-shaped cross because he did not think he was worthy to be crucified on the same shape cross as his Lord. Others say he was sawed in half, and is often por - trayed in art carrying a saw.]

5. Mark, the first bishop of Alexandria, preached the gospel in Egypt. He was burned alive and buried in a place named Bucolus during Trajan’s reign.

6. Bartholomew is said to have preached in India and translated the Gospel of Matthew into their tongue. He was beaten, crucified, and beheaded in

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Albinopolis, Armenia.

7. Andrew, Peter’s brother, preached to the Scythi - ans, Sogdians, and the Sacae in Sebastopolis, Ethiopia, in the year A. D. 80. He was crucified by Aegeas, the governor of the Edessenes, and was buried in Patrae, in Archaia. Bernard and St. mention the confession and martyrdom of this blessed apostle. Partly from them and partly from other reliable writers, we gather the following material.

When Andrew, through his diligent preaching, had brought many to the faith in Christ, Aegeas, the governor, asked permission of the Roman senate to force all Christians to sacrifice and honor the Roman idols. Andrew thought he should resist Aegeas and went to him, telling him that a judge of men should first know and worship his Judge in heaven. While worshipping the true God, An - drew said, he should banish all false and blind idols from his mind.

Furious at Andrew, Aegeas demanded to know if he was the man who had recently overthrown the temple of the gods and persuaded men to become Christians—a ‘superstitious sect’ that had recently been declared illegal by the Romans.

Andrew replied that the rulers of Rome didn’t un - derstand the truth. The Son of God, who came into the world for man’s sake, taught that the Roman gods were devils and enemies of mankind, teaching men to offend God, and causing Him to

33 REVOLUTIONARIES turn away from them. By serving the devil, men fall into all kinds of wickedness, Andrew said, and after they die, nothing but their evil deeds are re - membered. The proconsul ordered Andrew not to preach these things anymore, or he would face a speedy crucifixion.

Whereupon, Andrew replied, ‘I would not have preached the honor and glory of the cross if I feared the death of the cross.’ He was condemned to be crucified for teaching a new sect and taking away the religion of the Roman gods. Andrew, going toward the place of execution and seeing the cross waiting for him, never changed his ex - pression. Neither did he fail in his speech. His body fainted not, nor did his reason fail him, as often happens to men about to die. He said, ‘Oh cross, most welcome and longed for! With a will - ing mind, joyfully and desirously, I come to you, being the scholar of Him who did hang on you, because I have always been your lover and yearn to embrace you.’

8. Matthew wrote his Gospel to the in the Hebrew tongue. After Matthew converted Ethiopia and all Egypt, Hyrcanus the king sent someone to kill him with a spear.

9. After years of preaching to the barbarous na - tions, St. Philip was stoned and crucified in Hier - apolis, Phrygia, and buried there with his daughter. It is said that he continued to preach from the cross, even as he was dying.

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10. Of James, the brother of the Lord, we read the following.

Because of his holy life, James was called “The Just” and “The safeguard of the people.” Considered a just and perfect man, James governed the church with the apostles. He drank no wine or any strong drink, ate no meat, and never shaved his head. He was the only man allowed to enter into the holy place, for he never wore wool, just linen. He would enter into the temple alone, fall on his knees, and ask remission for the people, doing this so often that his knees lost their sense of feeling and became hardened, like the knees of a camel. [In Lectures on Revival, Charles Finney says that James was…known by the early Church as “Camel Knees.” He prayed so much that when he was martyred, the early Church could feel the effects of his missed prayers.]

When many of their chief men had been converted, the Jews, scribes, and Pharisees began to fear that soon all the people would decide to follow Jesus. They met with James, saying, ‘We beg you to re - strain the people, for they believe Jesus as though He were Christ. Persuade those who come to Passover to think correctly about Christ, because they will all listen to you. Stand on top of the temple so you

35 REVOLUTIONARIES can be heard by everyone.’

During Passover, the scribes and Phar - isees put James on top of the temple, call - ing out to him, “You just man, whom we all ought to obey, this people is going astray after Jesus, who was crucified.”

And James answered, “Why do you ask me of Jesus, the Son of Man? He sits on the right hand of the Most High and shall come in the clouds of heaven.” Hearing this, many in the crowd were persuaded and glorified God, crying, “Hosannah to the Son of !”

Then the scribes and Pharisees realized they had done the wrong thing by allow - ing James to testify of Christ. They cried out, “Oh, this just man is seduced, too!” then went up and threw James off the temple.

But James wasn’t killed by the fall. He turned, fell on his knees, and called, “O Lord God, Father, I beg You to forgive them, for they know not what they do!”

They decided to stone James, but a priest said to them, ‘Wait! What are you doing? The just man is praying for you!’ But one of the men there - a fuller - took the in - strument he used to beat cloth and hit James on the head, killing him, and they

36 1ST CENTURY

buried him where he fell. James was a true witness for Christ to the Jews and the Gentiles.

11. The apostle Peter was condemned to death during this persecution, although some say he es - caped.

It is known that many Christians encour - aged him to leave the city, and the story goes that as he came to the city’s gate, Peter saw Jesus coming to meet him. ‘Lord, where are You going?’ Peter asked.

‘I am come again to be crucified,’ was the answer. Seeing that his suffering was un - derstood, Peter returned to the city, where tells us he was crucified head down at his own request, saying that he was not worthy to be crucified the same way as his Lord was. 12. The emperor Domitian exiled John to the island of Patmos. [Domitian was so upset for fear of more converts to Christianity that he exiled John after trying to kill him, both by poi - soning and by burning alive in hot oil. The second attempt to kill him was held in the Coliseum. Miraculously, neither worked.] On Domitian’s death John was allowed to return to Ephesus in the year A.D. 97. He remained there until the reign of Tra - jan, governing the churches in Asia and writing his Gospel until he died at about the age of one hundred.

Can you imagine being present and seeing the passion of

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these first Apostles for the world around them—to the point that they would not stop preaching even if it meant martyrdom? The foundation for the Christian faith is a revolutionary testimony. The Apostles lived their lives completely for eternity, because Christ had changed their lives.

Start a Revolution: It Only Takes a Few

Margaret Mead shares an inspirational quote asserting, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” The Apostles embody this quote and give it legs. Consider these first believers in Christ, how the odds were stacked against them. The Apostles lived in a time when only several hundred people in the world had even heard the name of Jesus, let alone adhered to faith in him.

Next, consider that the Apostles had little money or re - sources. Nor did they have many people to help start the move - ment. Most church plants start with dozens more members than the Apostles had at their initiation. One of the most dramatic points about Christianity is the fact that such a miniscule number— twelve revolutionaries—spurred the movement that is now the largest religion in the world. Talk about a revolution of divine pro - portions!

The secret of the few is that the Apostles had decided what they would do with Jesus. One by one, each individual gave their life rather than deny the claims of Jesus. They had walked with Christ, they had experienced what it was to be near to Him, and they were forever changed. They refused to give up, let up, or change their minds.

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Their Christ experience so transformed their hearts that they set out to change the world, carrying His message of grace and sacrifice. Far from being inclusive to other religions, a hot but - ton item in our generation in the United States today, they were as exclusive as they come. If it’s hard enough to be exclusive in a gen - eration where one in three people around the world claim adher - ence to the Christian faith, can you imagine what exclusivity meant in their time, where only one person in three million had ever heard the Name of Jesus?

The essential problem lies in the fact that if we believe— truly believe—the revolutionary message of Christ’s love, we will share it with others. Do we believe? In His coming, living as God in flesh, His death on the cross for our sins, His resurrection on the third day, and then rising to sit at the right hand of the Father to await the coming of his believers soon? If we believe, we will share it with others.

This is not the type of extreme exclusivity or fundamental - ism that kills people who don’t convert. No, it continues to this day, this fundamentalism that sacrifices personal reputation to share with others a deep, other-worldly, revolutionary type of love, laying all on the line that other men and women may know Christ and His claims. This sacrificial fundamentalism has been and continues to be found in people who would choose to die rather than deny Christ’s power to start the most important revolution in the history of the world. It doesn’t take many revolutionaries: just a few who really get it.

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The Thirteenth Revolutionary: The Apostle Paul (10–67 AD)

In his own lifetime, the Apostle Paul converted, healed, and delivered hundreds of thousands of people for Christ. He em - bodied Jesus’ words to the Twelve as recorded by the Apostle John: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12).

The depth and breadth of the Apostle Paul’s impact on both world and Church history is astounding. During his life, he transformed entire societies. Historians believe that the church Paul planted in Ephesus alone, where he stayed for three years, grew to over 100,000 converts under his ministry. Later in his min - istry, Paul found himself shipwrecked on the island of Malta, and through his preaching and miracles every person on the island was healed, and many came to faith in Christ. Paul also wrote thirteen books that are included as Scripture in the New Testament canon.

Paul had the most impact—and held the most influence in—on the early church, but he also faced severe hardships and persecutions. Part of this was due to traveling to far lands with foreign food and water. Part was from imprisonment and beatings from those angry about his teaching of Christ. Part was the danger of the road. Paul shares a brief summary of what he went through in his passionate trek to reach the Gentiles: I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.

40 1ST CENTURY

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,

I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea, and in danger from false brothers.

I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? (2 Corinthi - ans 11:23–29).

Paul did all this for non-Christians. He spent his life doing the greatest thing a man or woman can ever do—he shared his faith in Christ. Some historians believe he made it as far as Spain and England and continued to evangelize there in between his first imprisonment in Rome and his second. He not only suffered for his faith, he was eventually murdered. Walking the same path as the Jesus and the Twelve, Paul was martyred around the year 67 AD. John Foxe writes:

41 REVOLUTIONARIES

Paul also suffered under this persecution [the same as Peter] when Nero sent two of his es - quires, Ferega and Parthemias, to bring him to his execution.

They found Paul instructing the people and asked him to pray for them, so they might believe. Re - ceiving Paul’s assurance that they would soon be baptized, the two men led him out of the city to the place of execution, where Paul was beheaded.

This persecution ended Vespasian’s reign, giving the Christians a little peace. 11

Start a Revolution: Success is Simply Sharing

Several years ago I was discouraged in the process of sharing my faith and the revolution Christ had done in my own heart and life. For months I kept to myself and continued on quietly in my faith, unable to step out, para - lyzed by the fear that I would turn off non-Christians if I said the wrong words.

Eventually, something broke. Reading the passage quoted earlier from 2 Corinthians 11, I began to consider, “When was the last time I was beaten for sharing my faith?” It was here that understanding began. Christ, Paul, the Twelve Apostles, and even today’s Revolutionaries con - tinued to see the same outcome. One: The masses re - spond greatly as the Gospel is preached . Two: Many respond negatively when the Gospel is shared .

It was then that I realized: Success in our revolu -

42 1ST CENTURY

tion is not in the response of people, but rather in the obe - dience to God to share His revolution. Success is simply sharing. We are now freed to move forward, make mis - takes, say the wrong words, build on our experience and become more and more the type of people that can make a difference.

Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” (Matthew 5:11).

The Apostles utterly believed this promise of Jesus. Throughout the New Testament, they are noted for being unusually joyful in persecution. It is because they knew this simple truth: they had redefined success from the world’s terms of instant gratification, to be in simple obedience to their Master. Revolutionaries know this: It takes time to prove their message; it takes time for people to respond. Faithfulness over the long haul to the essence of the revolution is the only way to make a true impact on the world.

43 44 2nd Century

Church Father and Revolutionary: St. Irenaeus of Lyons (140–195 AD)

Ireneaus of Lyons was one of the first church leaders after the Apostles with a direct correlation to the purity and devotion of their teaching and lifestyle. He brought nothing new to the move - ment of Christianity that had begun in his day. Like his mentor , he was known for simply re-teaching the purity of the Scriptures and the Gospel.

Irenaeus grew up in Asia Minor under the teaching of and service to the Apostolic Father, Polycarp of Smyrna, who was one of the early Christians known to have been mentored directly by one of the original Apostles, John the Beloved. In fact, the Apos - tle John’s letter to the Church in Smyrna, (Revelation 2:8-11), was most likely written in part to Polycarp, the church leader there, whose life ended in martyrdom. John encouraged him, “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer…Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

45 REVOLUTIONARIES

For several years, Irenaeus had been serving as presbyter to the church at Lugdunum, now known as Lyons, France. Irenaeus was sent on a fortuitous mission to Rome, thereby saving his life. While he was absent, the terrible persecution by Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius martyred Pothinus, the elderly bishop of Lyons in 177 AD, and others. Irenaeus was elected to succeed Pothinus in this difficult and dangerous post as bishop in Lyons. It would have been easy for him to keep his head down and out of the public eye. He did not do that.

Irenaeus labored in Lyons for many years with zeal and success—writing, pastoring, and evangelizing. He taught that Jesus came in the flesh and that his crucifixion and resurrection were real. According to Gregory of Tours, one of his biographers, Ire - naeus converted virtually the entire population of Lyons and sent missionaries to other parts of pagan Europe. The conversion of an entire city should not seem surprising to us, for the original apos - tles had been converting entire cities to Christianity since the ascen - sion of Christ. (Acts 9:35; 28:9).

The New Testament was not put together as a whole until Ireneaus. Although gatherings of Christians across the world had already begun to universally recognize the writings of the Apostles as divinely inspired, Irenaeus was the first to officially state that the four Gospels were to be a part of New Testament canon. To the Gospels he also added the epistles, calling all of it Scripture. Ex - celling at teaching the unity of the Old and New Testaments, Ire - neaus insisted that the Old Testament was also divinely inspired and held as much authority as the New Testament, during a time when many church leaders were disinclined to think so. The Old Testament was proof that all was an unfolding of God’s plan, and

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that He had been preparing the way for Jesus Christ all along.

An early Church Father, Ireneaus was one of the first to hold in his hands the entire New Testament as we know it today, and is credited with laying the foundations of Christian theology and exposing religious errors. Irenaeus wrote his most famous book in Gaul around the year 185. It is now known as Against Here - sies , a defense of the faith against Gnosticism and other errors.

Mentoring in a Direct Line

Mentorship began with Jesus, walking the dusty roads and teaching his disciples. Then, of course, each began teach - ing others. Think of all the people that the Twelve Apostles—and the Apostle Paul—mentored. Those people, in turn, taught Ire - naeus and other Church Fathers. For Irenaeus, this mentorship formed the basis for the authority of the .

Irenaeus believed in the authority of the pope through apostolic succession, a mentored chain starting with the Apostles and touching each pope in turn. Here is a passage from a letter from Irenaeus concerning the Roman succession for pope, and showing a direct line mentorship starting with the Apostles: After founding and building up the church, the blessed apostles delivered the ministry of the epis - copate to Linus; Paul mentions this Linus in the letters to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:21). Anacletus succeeded him, and after him, in the third place from the apostles, Clement (Philippians 4:3) re - ceived the lot of the episcopate; he had seen the apostles and met with them and still had the apos - tolic preaching in his ears and the tradition before

47 REVOLUTIONARIES his eyes. He was not alone, for many were then still alive who had been taught by the apostles.

Under this Clement, when there was no slight dis - sension among the brethren at Corinth, the church at Rome wrote a most powerful letter to the Corinthians to reconcile them in peace and renew their faith and the tradition which their church had recently received from the apostles: one God almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, the fashioner of man, who brought about the del - uge and called and brought the people out of the land of Egypt, who spoke with , who gave the law and sent the prophets, who pre - pared fire for the devil and his angels.

Those who wish can learn that the God pro - claimed by the churches is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and can understand the apostolic tra - dition by this letter, older than those who now teach falsely that there is another god above the Demiurge and Creator of all that exists (Gnostic heresy).

Evaristus succeeded this Clement; Alexander, Evaristus; the Xystus was appointed, sixth from the apostles; from him, Telesphorus, who achieved martyrdom most gloriously (martyrdom was not only respected by the early church, it was greatly desired as an honor!); then Hyginus; then Pius, whose successor was Anicetus. After Soter had succeeded Anicetus, now in the twelfth place from the apostles Eleutherus holds the episcopate.

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With the same sequence and doctrine the tradition from the apostles in the church, and the preaching of truth, has come down to us. This is a complete proof that the life giving faith is one and the same, preserved and transmitted in truth in the church from the apostles up till now. This passage gives insight into Church life during the few decades between the death of the Apostle John and the birth of Ireneaus. This mentoring line helps us to see more clearly who came after the apostles, and it also helps us see the origin of the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican theme of apostolic succession. 12

Much more can be understood by further study of this subject. Clement and other early Church Fathers have letters or epistles that they sent to the churches with similar names as the Biblical books, because they were written to the same audience, such as a letter from Polycarp to the Philippians. These letters quote the New Testament as Scripture and agree with the New Testament Scriptures. They are basically commentaries on many of the New Testament passages.

Start a Revolution: Serve a Purpose Bigger Than Yourself

The greatest revolutionaries in world history have been men and women who connected with a purpose bigger than them - selves. Ireneaus knew this revolutionary movement was not about him—it was something so much bigger. Ireneaus knew he couldn’t add anything brilliant or special to the Gospel. The inherent power lay only in bringing it forth in its purest essence with no additives. The Apostle Paul wrote years earlier, “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to

49 REVOLUTIONARIES

you, let him be eternally condemned” (Galatians 1:8).

God blesses those who preach the simple Gospel as it has been laid out since the creation of the world.

50 3rd Century

Theologian and Revolutionary: Origen (185–254 AD)

When Origen was seventeen years old, his father, Leonides, was martyred during the persecutions of Septimus Severus, in 202 AD. Origen fiercely wanted to go to prison with his father and suffer for his faith, but his mother kept him from doing so by hiding his clothes.

Origen’s father’s property was confiscated after his martyr - dom, and Origen, his mother, and six siblings struggled with poverty. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Origen’s Christian parents had both taught him at home and sent him to school, so he was already prepared to make his way alone. Origen immediately began teach - ing Greek and literature and copying manuscripts to provide for his surviving family.

When he was only eighteen, Origen’s good morals and wis - dom beyond his years led to his appointment as a catechist by Bishop Demetrius. Under this new responsibility, he reopened the

51 REVOLUTIONARIES

Catechetical School of Alexandria. The school had closed when 13 Many students had left a year or two pre - viously during a time of persecution. Origen now took charge of the school, preparing students for baptism, an undertaking that re - quired three years of study. This initially brought Origen no in - come, so he sold his library and recovered enough money to provide meagerly for his food and clothing for several years.

Origen was well-known for living an intense ascetic life of fasting, prayer, solitude, and discipline. Steadfast and devoted, he chose to become a eunuch around about the year 210 AD in order to consecrate his sexuality to God. He regularly visited Christians who had been imprisoned for their faith, walking safely among them during dangerous times. He could be called the father of apologetics, for he defended the faith against unbelievers, continu - ally proving the truth of Christianity. He studied relentlessly and constantly taught and wrote. His commentaries on the Bible are massive, with complementing text for almost every book in the Bible. Pouring out words, Origen dictated to scribes, and would often dictate different books to as many as seven secretaries at once.

After forty years of his life spent in the ministry at Alexan - dria, he was finally ordained by local priests in about 230 AD. The Bishop Demetrius, angered by someone else treading on his territory, stripped away Origen’s credentials. Origen was later expelled from the church over doctrinal disputes. After his expul - sion, he returned to Caesarea and opened another Bible school. Over the next twenty years, this new school surpassed his previous one in Alexandria. In the Decian persecution, he was imprisoned and tortured so badly that he died shortly after his release.

52 3RD CENTURY

Although Origen is known today as a great teacher of the Church, he was also an extraordinary evangelist. Origen was, above all, a leader of leaders. Numerous eminent, influential Christians within the next generation were people that Origen led to Christ and then mentored. He influenced so many lives that historians wrote biographies about him, spoke of him, and were converted under his ministry, including Gregory Thaumaturgus and Diony - sius the Great of Alexandria.

His greatest legacy is that he led others to Christ who were used mightily by God after his death.

Start a Revolution: Teach Others Who Will Be Able to Teach Others

Origen lived his life by the principle taught by the Apostle Paul: “The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2).

During the spring, 2009, commencement services at Lin - coln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, Alfred L. Harris, Sr., humbled all present as he avowed the imperative for each succeed - ing generation to teach the next. “Those who can, do,” he de - clared. “Those who teach, show them how.” It is up to us.

The success of any revolution will inevitably rest on the shoulders of others. One person with a charismatic personality will be able to carry a movement only one short lifetime or generation. Thus, our most important asset as revolutionaries depends prima - rily on our ability to work with and impart the revolution to others.

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Because of this, we need to study, learn, live, and polish ourselves as Christians and become the kind of person others want to be around and to learn from.

The Miracle Worker: St. Gregory Thaumaturgus (213–270 AD)

St. Gregory Thaumaturgus is known as the miracle worker, or wonder worker. Thaumaturgus means wonder worker, and it was added to his name because of the many miracles he did in the name of Jesus Christ. He was a Church Father and Bishop of Neo - caesarea in Asia Minor, the area now known as Niksar, Turkey.

Gregory was born at Neocaesarea into a very wealthy, but non-Christian, family. He and his brother, Athenodorus, studied law at the most famous law school of the time, Berytus Nutris Legum (Beirut Mother of Law).

As a young man, while he and Athenodorus were on a family business trip to Palestine, they heard of Origen’s lectures on the Christian faith at his school in Caesarea, and decided to go see what everyone was raving about. Captivated by Origen’s teaching, the young brothers gave their lives to Christ. They stayed in Cae - sarea from 233 to 238, where they continued to be mentored by Origen. In tribute, Gregory would eventually write Origen’s biog - raphy.

When Gregory and his brother finally returned home, they

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were consecrated as bishops. Gregory decided to plant a church in his hometown and began it with seventeen Christians, the only ones he could find in the city. Gregory may have begun his min - istry with only seventeen Christians , but, it is said, by the time his min - istry ended, there were only seventeen pagans in the entire city. 14

Gregory was known as the miracle worker because God used him to do many, many miracles. He is remembered for a wide range of signs and wonders, some of which seem incredible to modern scholars. Historians say that these were “mostly miracles of healing, but we are also told that he could control the course of a river during times of flooding.” 15 “One of his students, Basil the Great, declared that Gregory should be numbered among the apos - tles,” James Allen said of Gregory Thaumaturgus. “He prophesies, heals the sick, takes dominion over demons, and exorcises them by his command.” 16

Start a Revolution: Make the Revolution Attractive

Seth Godin, a respected marketing author in our genera - tion, wrote The Purple Cow, a book which explains that to get our message out we need to be different than everyone else. Our revo - lution must be spectacular and attractive to non-followers.

A purple cow item of the Christian faith has always been signs and wonders. Jesus moved in these. The Apostles moved in these. Gregory Thaumaturgus moved in these. Now, centuries later, we continue to find Christian leaders who are praying for the sick and seeing them recover and moving in the miraculous solely by praying in the Name of Jesus, and for the glory of God.

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Another piece that makes our revolution attractive is our love. A large component of the miraculous is a deep love and compassion for others in need.

The First Christian Nation: St. Gregory the Illuminator (240–332 AD)

Gregory the Illuminator was known to be literally radiant with the glow of God on his face and life—astonishing, consider - ing the persecution he endured. Gregory grew up in Caesarea in Cappadocia, Asia Minor. He was raised in the Christian faith, and given a good education.

When he was older, Gregory went to Armenia and made it into the inner circle of King Tiradates III. He was a trusted servant of the king—until he refused to worship idols because of his Christian faith. The king became enraged and cast him into a dun - geon. For nearly fourteen years, Gregory was daily supplied with his food by a Christian in the community.

After fourteen years, the king became afflicted with a hor - rible disease, and Gregory was released from imprisonment. Most likely, he had, in the Name of Jesus, healed King Tiradates. Soon, the king, his family, and many of his servants and subjects were converted. About 302, Gregory was sent back to Caesarea, his old home, to be consecrated as a bishop. Later, he returned to Armenia with many other missionaries. Within a very short time, thousands put their faith in Christ and were baptized, and Gregory became

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known as the Apostle of Armenia.

King Tiridates, who had once persecuted Gregory, now made Christianity the national religion. Because the king had a lot of power, many heard the Gospel and were truly converted. Arme - nia was officially the first Christian state, a pattern that was to be repeated many times throughout history. Gregory continued to go about the land, preaching the Gospel and tearing down pagan tem - ples or transforming them into churches. He raised up his first leaders and co-laborers from back home. As quickly as he could, he built a ministry to the locals in Armenia. He was known for preach - ing in the language of the people, and under his ministry Christian schools sprang up everywhere, with the financial support of the king.

Start a Revolution: Reflect the Radiance of the Revolution

There were moments where Gregory’s physical radiance surprised both his persecutors and those who followed him. This type of miracle has been reported throughout Church history about various revolutionaries. Moses also experienced this kind of a miracle, as written in Scripture. “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.

When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.

But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the

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leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them.

Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.

When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face.

But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out.

And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord” (Exodus 34:29-35).

Here we find one of the strangest passages of Scripture, yet so relevant for the revolutionary today. When you get a hold of a God-sized message and a God-sized dream, you just may be radi - ant yourself, though not in so physical a way. Notice that Moses was not aware his face was radiant. But Aaron—Moses’ brother and closest friend—was afraid to come near him.

You may not be aware that you are radiant to others around you. You may also have friends who are afraid to come near or to ask you spiritual questions when they see the confidence and joy in your life. It’s odd, isn’t it? One would think they would rush to you, asking how you got it.

58 Lastly, Moses needed a veil to cover his radiance. Scripture speaks directly to this, saying: “Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?

If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!

For what was glorious has no glory now in com - parison with the surpassing glory.

And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.

But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.

Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is

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taken away.

Now the Lord is a Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his like - ness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:7-18).

To truly be revolutionary we must become less , so God can become greater in our lives. The only inherent radiance we bring to the revolution is through reflection. It is based on our proximity to Christ. As we learn to follow and obey Him and draw near through spiritual disciplines, we reflect the glory of His revolution more and more to the world around us. We must be sure to re - move any veil that stands in the way of reflecting His radiance. It is a key to the revolution.

60 4th Century

The First Christian Empire: Emperor Constantine the Great (280–337 AD)

Constantine was the first Christian Roman emperor. Prior to Constantine’s reign, Christians had been severely tortured and martyred under the reigns of Nero, Domicius, Marcus Aurelius, and so many others. Constantine’s sovereignty marked a huge turn - ing point in the history of Christ’s church. He wrote, “The eternal, holy and unfathomable goodness of God does not allow us to wander in darkness, but shows us the way of salvation.”

Constantine was born at Naissus in Upper Moesia, in today’s Serbia. He first became distinguished in imperial service in the Egyptian and Persian wars in the reign of Emperor Diocletian. Constantine was sent with his troops to fight in France and Eng - land, where in the year 306 he was proclaimed emperor both by his dying father and by the Roman troops who served him.

There was another leader named Maxentius, however, who

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wanted to take the throne and who brought his armies to fight against Constantine. A famous battle at Milvian Bridge was fought in 312. In the beginning of this battle with Maxentius, Constantine saw a vision of a sign in the heavens: a cross with the inscription: “By this Conquer.” Constantine’s victory at Milvian Bridge was a political and military victory of Christianity over heathenism.

A year before the Battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine, Galerius, and Licinius—who were all co-emperors of Rome at the time—signed the Edict of Toleration. This law basically said it was acceptable to be any religion, including Christianity. Previous em - perors had forced their subjects to worship them as god and lord almighty, or face persecution and death.

A short time after this, Galerius died. In 313, Constantine, as co-emperor in the West, and Licinius, as co-emperor in the East, signed the Edict of Milan, which made Christianity a legal and offi - cial religion, though not yet the state religion. In 324, Constantine became the only emperor of Rome, and Constantine quickly made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.

Such acceptance of Christianity had never been granted on such a large scale. Constantine began using the term catholic (which means universal) in his speeches. Constantine chose Christian men as advisers, exempted the clergy from military and civil duties, ap - pointed Sunday as a day of rest, bestowed money for the building of churches, and gave his sons a Christian education.

In 325, the emperor Constantine called the first Church Council at Nicea to settle disputed doctrines and to unify the Church. In 330, he moved the capital of the Roman Empire from pagan Rome to Byzantium on the Bosporus, calling it New Rome.

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The name was later changed to .

Constantine called himself the bishop of bishops. His in - fluence for Christianity had a great impact on the world. The spread of Roman influence was far reaching, so Constantine’s deci - sion to make Rome a Christian empire impacted the entire world.

Although it may be easier for Christians to remain passion - ate in seasons of hardship and persecution, Constantine’s convic - tion of the truth of Jesus Christ became a whirlwind evangelistic tool that may have led thousands to convert to Christianity. Al - though some—maybe many—may have followed the faith to fit in with society, genuine conversions surely also came. Constantine served Christ, but was not baptized into the Church until the end of his life. In 337, when he sensed death was near, he was admitted into full communion of the Church by baptism at the hands of Eusebius of Nicomedia.

Though the depth of his faith was surely doubtable, Con - stantine’s end to the constant persecutions revitalized the Christian faith and revolutionized the known world. Constantine, as the ruler of the world in his century, used his influence to build churches and to help the cause of the Gospel on earth!

Start a Revolution: Start With Those Within Your Reach

Each of us has influence on other people in our lives. In fact, we all influence others around us in subtle ways. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

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In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14- 16).

The “bowl” of our revolution is the church building. When we are passionate about the revolution only within those walls with like-minded people, we fail to live the revolution to its fullest capacity. An inspirational statement points out that, “Ships are safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships were made for.”

In a similar manner, revolutionaries must move forward into unknown and unfamiliar territory to advance the cause. They can do this first by starting to “give light to everyone in the house.” Who is in your sphere of influence, the people you come into con - tact with on a habitual basis? Those are your “house.” Those are the ones to whom you give the light.

For Constantine, that influence reached far and wide be - cause of his position of world leadership. In fact, for centuries Christianity had faced intense persecution to the farthest ends of the earth. Emperor after emperor had destroyed both church buildings and human lives in a demonic spree to rid the earth of its truest revolution. It is miraculous that Christianity continued to survive, let alone thrive, considering all the seemingly insurmount - able obstacles it faced for its first half a millennium. Thanks to God’s mercy for allowing His revolution to reach the highest posi - tions on earth—in this instance Constantine, who gave the Church her first real years of peace since Christ had come.

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Evangelizing Africa: St. Frumentius (300–380 AD)

Frumentius and his brother, Aedesius, were of Greek her - itage, from the city of Tyre. When they were young teenagers, around the year 316, they accompanied their uncle on a voyage on the Red Sea to Abyssinia. When the ship stopped at one of the harbors, the boys were captured and dragged off to Axum as slaves to the king. But, like in Egypt, they soon won the king’s confidence and favor. He gave the boys an education and awarded them positions in his kingdom. The king even allowed the brothers to preach Christianity.

When they grew up, Frumentius and Aedesius went to Alexandria, a highly-Christianized city in their day. There, they asked Athanasius, a much-beloved Church Father, to send mission - aries to Abyssinia. Brother Aedesius returned to Tyre and was or - dained as a priest.

Around the year 339, when Frumentius was almost forty years old, Bishop Athanasius consecrated Frumentius as bishop and head (apostle) of the Abyssinian church. On his return to Abyssinia, Frumentius better established the Christian Church in Axum. He also won to faith the new king who had just come to the throne, and Frumentius baptized him. During the next forty years, Frumentius built many churches and spread the Christian faith through the entire land of Abyssinia, reaching many pagans for Christ. Abyssinian tradition credits Frumentius with the first Ethiopian translation of the New Testament, which enabled the Abyssian church to grow in Christ and helped raise other Church Fathers in later years.

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Start a Revolution: Trust That God Has a Plan

Frumentius’ life is amazing because he first went to Axum as a slave, yet eventually became the nation’s first apostle and one of its most influential citizens. Romans 8:28 says, “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This thought is so encouraging. No matter what we go through, trial or life transition, we can trust that God has a plan—that He is more concerned about His revolu - tion than we are. What the devil meant as a way to ruin Frumen - tius’ life by taking him from his family as a slave, God turned around for the good of a nation.

66 5th Century

Saving Ireland from Cannibalism: St. Patrick (389–461 AD)

St. Patrick’s Day will never seem the same once you under - stand St. Patrick, for whom the holiday is named, and what the hol - iday represents for the country of Ireland.

A missionary to Ireland, Patrick was one of the many great Celtic evangelists who influenced the world with their passion for the lost. Church historian Walter Bowie writes of Patrick and oth - ers like him, “So to those who are accounted as the church fathers must be added the names of Martin of Tours, Patrick, Columba, Benedict, Gregory, and Augustine of Canterbury.” 17 Patrick’s fa - ther, Calpurnius, was a deacon in the local Celtic church, and Patrick’s grandfather had been a priest for a period of time.

When Patrick was sixteen years old, he was taken captive in an Irish pirate raid and sold as a slave to a herdsman in North Ire - land, where he worked for the next six years. As you have seen

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from the lives of both Frumentius and Patrick, taking children as slaves was a common and horrible occurrence in past centuries.

After six years, Patrick escaped and miraculously found his way to Gaul, France, where he spent some time in a monastic school. After returning home to England, he saw a vision and heard a voice from the Irish coast crying, “We beseech thee, child of God, come and walk again among us.” 18

Answering the call of God to be an evangelist where he had once been held as a slave, Patrick set out for Ireland. Around the year 432 he started to gather people in the open fields and preach Christ to them. His passion for God, his sincere humility and gentleness won both the poor and the rich to Jesus. Patrick planted scores of churches and led to Christ and baptized over 100,000 converts during his many years as an evangelist in Ireland, most of them baptized by Patrick himself. He did great miracles, healed the sick, and even expelled the snakes from Ireland, which according to legend were once a great threat in the country. He also brought the country out of cannibalism, which once so rampantly ruled the nation.

St. Patrick produced a thriving Christian life in Ireland that spread to the rest of Europe. At Armagh he founded a monastery that was to become important in Church history, in sending out many evangelists from Ireland to other non-Christian nations. Sev - eral generations later, when Catholic missionaries first came to Ire - land, they were surprised to find a thriving Christian church there.

St. Patrick’s main writing, and one of the key sources of information about his life, is found in his Confessions. In this text, Patrick shows humility and passion for Christ and non-Christians

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that is very rare. He writes in his introduction, “I am Patrick, a sin - ner, most unlearned, the least of all the faithful, and utterly de - spised by many.” 19 After all he had accomplished for the faith, Patrick remained a man of great humility. And this was a man that God used to reach hundreds of thousands of souls for Christ over fifteen centuries ago.

Start a Revolution: Think of Yourself as Simply a Servant

Patrick single-handedly changed a nation. Ireland has never been the same, even today remaining in the good soil of this faith revolution that Patrick began so powerfully. In Patrick, and some of the greatest revolutionaries in world history, there was an underlying sense that they were not building their own Kingdoms, but rather that they were in it for something bigger than them - selves.

Jesus told his disciples in Luke 17:10, “You also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are un - worthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” Patrick understood this concept and saw himself as simply a servant, living his life under the leadership of God, thus accomplishing more than he ever could had he done it on his own. For any revolution to move forward, individuals must choose an attitude of humble service and willingness to do whatever it takes.

69 70 6th Century

Evangelizing Scotland: St. Columba (521–597 AD)

Because of Patrick’s work in Ireland, in the next centuries great Christians arose from the families Patrick led to Christ. One of those who became a great evangelist was Columba. The earliest known account of Columba’s life was written by Cummene, an ob - scure monk of Iona who was the sixth abbot (the leader of a monastery and its monks) from 657 to 669. 20 Columba was an Irish Celtic missionary, called the Apostle of Caledonia.

Born into a wealthy family in Gartan, Ireland, he was raised with an excellent Christian education, and distinguished him - self at an early age for his morals and passion for God. He dedi - cated himself to prayer and other spiritual disciplines. He was ordained a deacon and priest in 551. In 563, at the age of forty- two, he left Ireland with twelve companions. (There are several throughout Church history who traveled with twelve companions, following the example of Christ.)

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Columba and his companions landed on the small island of Iona, off the coast of Scotland. There he founded his monastery and a church. From Iona, Columba and his companions went out and evangelized the Picts and discipled the Scots who had already professed Christianity. He made Iona his evangelism center and a built a Christian school and missionary training center.

Throughout his life, Columba made frequent visits to Scot - land where he planted churches and maintained a close connection with Ireland, making frequent visits there to raise funds on behalf of his monasteries. Soon, smaller groups of Christians, beyond Iona, were formed, and other monasteries were built up. In total, Columba planted three hundred churches and monasteries throughout Scotland in his lifetime!

He died beside the altar in the church while engaged in his midnight devotions. Columba had won so many souls to Christ and had been used so powerfully by God that the whole island of Iona was regarded as holy ground, since that was where he died and was buried. Christians from all over made pilgrimages to the place where the man of God had once lived. For centuries all the kings of Scotland, , and Ireland were buried on the island of Iona, that sacred ground.

Start a Revolution: Courage Is Directly Proportionate To Our Integrity

Columba was known throughout his life and even after his death for his purity of heart. He had a sensitivity to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and share that with others constantly throughout his life. He lived a life so dedicated to God that the place where he

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was buried has been thought of as holy ground, impacting genera - tion after generation of pilgrims seeking to know the truth and re - ality of God through his life. Proverbs 28:1 explains, “The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” There is a certain holy boldness in our purpose or revolution that will only come as we align ourselves not simply as a leader, but as a person of inner integrity and purity according to what we believe. In fact, our courage is directly proportionate to our strength of integrity.

Evangelizing England: St. Augustine of Canterbury (?–604 AD )

Augustine of Canterbury was the Archbishop of Canter - bury. He is not to be confused with the Church Father Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo. Augustine of Canterbury was a missionary to England, and for a period of his life he was the director of St. Andrews monastery in Rome.

In the year 596, sent him and forty com - panions as evangelists to England. According to the eminent Eng - lish historian , while en route to England, Augustine and his companions became extremely fearful of what would happen to them in war-torn England. They stopped in their tracks and sent Augustine back to Rome to seek permission to stop their mission from the Pope. Pope Gregory I encouraged Augustine and sent an inspirational letter back to the group by Augustine, challenging them to consider the protection and purpose of God.

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When they arrived, instead of violence they received a friendly welcome from King Ethelbert and were allowed to wor - ship in the Church of St. Martin where the Christian queen, Bertha, worshiped. In 597, the king got saved and was baptized. Later, many of his subjects were also baptized.

Augustine then went to Arles, France, to be consecrated as the first Archbishop of Canterbury. Pope Gregory I then made Au - gustine the overseer of the entire Church of England, making Eng - land an independent entity from the French Church. Augustine was successful in winning Kent and Essex (two English cities) to the Christ. James Allen writes: In his biographies of contemporary saints, Pope Gregory the Great attempted to provide docu - mentation through eyewitness accounts of a wide variety of miracles, including healings of various ailments, raising of the dead to life, exorcisms of evil spirits, foretelling of the future and deliver - ance from danger. He directly correlates miracles accompanying the missionary of Au - gustine of Canterbury and his companions to the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons. 21

Start a Revolution: It’s Okay to Be Afraid, but Don’t Let Fear Stop You

It’s easy to understand that the greatest revolution - aries throughout Church history faced incredible amounts of fear. While many of us today are afraid of being teased or spoken against, many of history’s great revolutionaries faced death and persecution that would shock us.

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The Christian revolution in England was initiated because Augustine was willing to face his fear and lead on into new territory. What would have happened had Au - gustine and his forty companions let their fear stop them from moving forward to spread the Gospel throughout England? England has been one of the centers of Christi - anity for centuries since, being a holding for all things Christian: theology, learning, libraries, histories and more. Throughout the past millennium the Gospel has gone around the world from England.

Likewise, each of us must accept fear as a natural part of any great endeavor, and choose to move past fear when necessary. Every great revolutionary must.

75 76 7th Century

The First Revolutionary to China: Alopen (7th Century)

Alopen was the first known evangelist to China. Little is known about his early life and upbringing other than that he was Nestorian.

Nestorianism was Christianity in its roots but was banished as a heresy in the 6 th Century because of its differing belief that Jesus was two distinct personalities, divine and human, rather than Christ being both fully God and fully man as the Council of Eph - esus articulated. At this time, most eastern Christians were deemed Nestorians and cut off from the Catholic Church. However, many eastern Christians who were labeled as Nestorians and heretics were actually pure in doctrine.

The story of eastern Christianity is one of the least told and most fascinating stories in the history of the world. Philip Jenkins, Professor of Religion at Pennsylvania State University,

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writes an exhaustive, authoritative book on the subject entitled The Lost History of Christianity which I highly recommend. The peak of the of eastern Christianity came in the 14 th Century when the Eastern Church claimed over 60% of the world’s Christians, yet was almost completely unknown to the Western Catholic Church.

The Eastern Christian leader of the time, a native Chinese man named Bar Sauma, traveled across the known world to a worldwide Church council being held in England, to share about the Eastern Church’s success. The leaders of the Western Church stated that they had not even heard there was a Christian in China. They tested Bar Sauma on his theology, and found him to be in complete agreement on every point.

According to the Nestorian tablet discovered in 1625 at Hsianfu in Shensi Province, China, Alopen went to China in 635 A.D. when T’ai Tsung was the emperor in the T’ang Dynasty. He established a church with the approval of the emperor that lasted for about a century and a half. Great numbers converted to the Christian faith.

However, in 845 A.D., the nation came against both Chris - tianity and Buddhism. Christian expansion was greatly hindered there, but the faith did not die out completely. In the eleventh cen - tury, a remnant of Christians called to the West for missionaries to be sent. Again in the thirteenth century, Kublai Khan requested one hundred missionaries, a story which is recounted later in this book. The Eastern brand of Christianity died out periodically be - tween 1300 and 1900, as a result of intense persecution by Islamic regimes.

78 7TH CENTURY

Start a Revolution: Stop Making Assumptions

On July 4 th , 1776, the King of England infamously wrote in his diary, “Nothing happened today.” One of the greatest understate - ments in world history. The American Revolution began on that exact day. The King of England had simply not heard of it yet, so he as - sumed it had not occurred.

It is a dangerous thing to assume we have a handle on God, or on the Christian faith. We just may be surprised tomorrow when we hear reports on a new kind of Christian.

Christianity has traditionally and thoroughly been a global religion, transcending cultural, political and economic barriers on every level of society. However, eastern Christians were almost completely unheard of until recent centuries with the globalization of historical facts and knowledge. Now, anyone can search the in - ternet and find information that only a century ago would have been undiscoverable to most of society.

The story of Alopen and the Eastern Church reshapes everything most Christians know about Christianity. We learn from Alopen and the Eastern Church that we must keep an open mind and never judge a revolution based on what we see in our local church, denomination, or region of the world. Christianity in its purest form has always been dramatically diverse. It has attracted, even in its original disciples, people of opposite political position - ing, from to Matthew, the tax collector. Yet, while Christianity has been diverse, it has kept a common ground of faith based on Ephesians 4:3-5, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were

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called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

England Comes to Christ: St. Aiden (? - 651 AD)

Aiden was another Irish monk. In the year 630, he entered the monastery at Iona, the famous missionary center off the coast of Scotland, which had been founded by Columba. In 635 A.D., Corman, a fellow missionary, failed in his attempt to evangelize England and came back to Iona, discouraged. A conference was called, and Corman tried to explain about the barbarian pagans in England that he had failed to evangelize.

Aiden rose and said to Corman, “Brother, it seems to me that you were too severe on your ignorant hearers. You should have followed the practice of the Apostles, and begun by giving them the milk of simpler teaching, and gradually nourished them with the word of God.” 22 It was soon clear to the entire assembly that Aiden was being called by God to go in Corman’s place. So Aiden was ordained and sent as bishop to the island of Lindisfarne, near the northeast coast of England.

Aiden sailed to England with a group of Celtic missionar - ies, and set up a mission base for the evangelization of northern England and Lindisfarne, one of the most effective England has seen in its long history. Oswald, king of Northumbria in northern England, who had earlier studied in Ireland and come to Christ there, profoundly supported his friend, Aiden’s, evangelization ef -

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forts in England. Aiden brought fellow workers to the island and founded a Christian school for English young people, also training them in evangelism. He eventually succeeded in converting the ma - jority of England to Christianity. Bede, the respected historian, writes of Aiden: Whether in town or country, he always traveled on foot unless compelled by necessity to ride; and whatever people he met on his walks, whether high or low, he stopped and spoke to them. If they were heathen, he urged them to be baptized; and if they were Christians, he strengthened their faith, and inspired them by word and deed to live a good life and to be generous to others. 23

Start a Revolution: Introduce People Softly to the Revolution

Aiden’s observations to the monk Corman after he returned unsuccessfully from England were based on the idea in the Scriptures about the milk and meat of the Word. Milk refers to the easy and attractive teachings of the faith, and meat refers to the tougher, more substantial teachings of the revolution. 1 Peter 2:2 speaks of this say - ing, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

In Christianity, it seems that the most avid evan - gelists of the faith sometimes go overboard while present - ing Christ to non-believers, trying to explain all that is

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doctrinally sound from Genesis to Revelation in a single sitting. Sometimes this labels people as hellfire and brim - stone preachers. Mostly, the non-believer’s eyes glaze over, and he stops listening. It is too much, all at one time. These evangelists may be guilty of doing what Corman did in England, presenting the meat of the word first, and for - getting to introduce those to Christianity through the milk, which is the beauty of the grace of God.

The same rings true in any revolution. We must attract people to the message before we scare them off with the meat.

82 8th Century

Evangelizing Germany: St. Boniface (680–755 AD)

A century or so before Boniface’s time, Augustine of Can - terbury and his forty companions had arrived in England, and through Augustine’s influence and that of other Celtic missionaries, such as Aiden, “England had already earned the title, ‘Island of Saints.’” 24 Because of this, England was now beginning to send out missionaries of its own. Boniface was one of those. Boniface be - came an English Benedictine missionary and is known as the Apos - tle to the Germans.

Boniface was an Anglo-Saxon born in Devonshire, Eng - land, and named Winfrid by his parents, but his name was later changed by the Pope. At an early age, he entered the monastic life. Historian Godfrey Kurth writes of Boniface, “When but four or five years old, he begged his father to let him embrace the monastic life.” 25 His father did not want this for his son; but by the time Boniface was seven years old, he ultimately gave in to his son’s de -

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sires.

For many years, Boniface studied and grew spiritually under teachers such as Abbot Winbert, Bishop Daniel, Abbot Hadrian, and St. Aldhelm. Boniface grew in wisdom, and for the rest of his life he maintained a notable passion for the Scriptures.

In 710, at age thirty, Boniface was ordained. He had an as - sured place in his church in England, but he gave up the relatively easy life to be a missionary. He had such a heart for those who did not yet know Christ. Kurth writes, “He [Boniface] felt himself urged to preach the Gospel to the nations that were sitting in the darkness of death; to extend the Kingdom of God to the utmost of his powers.” 26

Frisia was a group of small islands off the Dutch coast, just across the English Channel from Christian England, and yet it was known as a land of paganism. Around 716, with three com - panions, Boniface sailed for Frisia to help Willibrord in his difficult task of reaching those people. Willibrord had devoted his entire life to the conversion of that people, and is now referred to as the Apostle to the Frisians.

When they arrived, Boniface and his three friends met strong opposition from the local Frisian king, the situation becom - ing so dangerous that they returned to England. Soon, however, Boniface was back on the continent of Europe. He went to Rome in 718 and 719 to speak with Pope Gregory II about a commission, and there received a commission to evangelize Germany. It was here, after several months’ of daily discussion with the Pope, that the Pontiff changed his name from Winfrid to Boniface.

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Boniface began a work in Thuringia, Germany, but soon, after hearing of the death of the hostile Frisian king, he went back to Frisia to help Willibrord establish the church in Frisia. From 719–722 he worked with Willibrord, then went back to Germany and entered upon the main work of his life. He first went to Hesse, Germany, then later to Thuringia, Germany. Great numbers of people were converted during his ten years of missionary endeav - ors in these two provinces, and Boniface influenced many Irish and Celtic monks in the country to join the Catholic Church of Rome as well. Up until that point, the Irish and Celtic monks had oper - ated in an isolated environment, many as “holy wanderers,” with lit - tle contact with the rest of Christendom.

In 732, Pope Gregory II made Boniface an archbishop of Germany, with authority to establish new churches and districts in Germany, calling him his co-laborer in the Gospel work. Boniface went everywhere with the pope’s approval. In the year 739, the pope gave Boniface the title “apostle” while he was still alive, an honor rarely accorded during a person’s life throughout Church his - tory. This gave Boniface tremendous authority and influence to continue to make an impact with the Gospel in his region.

An important story from the life of Boniface tells of how he cut down the sacred oak of Thor, a massive tree, to prove to the people of Hessia the powerlessness of their gods. Because the wor - ship of sacred trees and fountains was one of the most important practices of the religion of the ancient Germans, this was a daring, electrifying move. When nothing bad happened to him when he cut it down, many pagans converted to the God of Boniface. On that spot, Boniface built a church, using the wood of the “sacred” tree.

In 742, he assembled the first German council and organ -

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ized churches, schools, and monasteries according to the Roman pattern. He trained and sent missionaries from the German churches and instilled into the hearts of the bishops and clergy of Central Europe the need for submission to the pope and the Catholic Church. In 753, he went back to preach to the Frisians with a company of monks and priests. They spent about two years traveling among them, preaching to them, baptizing thousands of converts, destroying pagan temples, and building churches.

In 755, a gang of hostile pagans attacked them, and Boni - face was martyred. He died with a copy of the Gospels in his hands. He was so influential in his generation that, after his death, various popes named themselves after him in honor of his work.

Start a Revolution: Allow Passion to Compel You Past Obstacles

Boniface was a man marked by passion, compelled like so many revolutionaries who had gone before him. He could exclaim with the Apostle Paul, “When I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.” (2 Corinthians 9:16)

All revolutionaries are men and women of great passion. The revolution cannot be simply one part of your larger life. It must consume everything that you are. In order to influence and lead others to your revolution, you must be a person of extraordi - nary passion. You must live compelled .

Boniface was so compelled that, in much the same way as revolutionaries before him, he did not fear death or false gods, but only God alone. He famously cut down the tree of Thor at the

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risk of losing his life by the local leaders, but unflinchingly chose to do so anyway. This is the kind of intense passion that turns a pagan altar into a center for Christ’s revolution, as Boniface showed by building a church on the spot that remains to this day.

God will not be denied. Every pagan altar will be turned into a center for revolution. Voltaire, a French skeptic born cen - turies after Boniface, found that out the hard way. With his single pen, the French writer claimed, he would bring down the faith of Christianity started by the twelve apostles. He preached against the faith and claimed that within a decade not a single Bible would exist in the world. A few years after Voltaire’s death, his house was sold and used to print Bibles by the Geneva Bible Society.

Ironic what people of passion can do in just a few years.

87 88 9th Century

Brothers Evangelizing the Slavs: St. Cyril (826–869 AD)

Cyril was a key player in the lineage of a long line of Bible translators. He invented a Slavic alphabet and translated the Bible into Slavic, bringing the revolution to the Slavic people in their own language. This involved study and research of the people, taking time to understand them, and the endurance to complete years of hard work to translate the revolution to them.

Cyril’s original name was Constantinus, but he changed his name to Cyril after his baptism. Born in Thessalonica, Cyril studied at Constantinople. He and his older brother, Methodius, were monks and priests in the Eastern Catholic Church and were mis - sionaries to the Slavs. In 860, they went to the , a Tartar tribe on the northeast shore of the Black Sea, and planted a church. For a while they worked among the Bulgars. About 862, in answer to an invitation from Duke Ratislav of Moravia, the Em - peror Michael the III sent Cyril and his brother to Moravia, where they evangelized with great success. In 868 he and Methodius went

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to Rome and sought approval from Pope Adrian II to conduct mass in the Slavic language. Because of this, their work came under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Church.

In 869, Cyril died while in Rome. His brother returned to Moravia and continued the revolution, having been consecrated Archbishop there.

Start a Revolution: Put it in Print

1 Chronicles 16:4 says, “Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.” (NLT). As with any revolution, ours must not remain in one place for one time, but must spread over the generations to accomplish its purpose. A large part of this is accomplished by hard, often te - dious work, to study, translate, and complete the printed work. Printed materials present the revolution and speak for us when we are no longer available to do so.

Each of the revolutionaries mentioned in this work are cited for one reason: their revolutionary lives were studied, trans - lated and published, and have made it safely through the centuries for you, the reader, to enjoy and learn from.

Get the word out by writing down and publishing the rev - olution.

Brothers Evangelizing the Slavs: St. Methodius (815 - 885 AD)

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Methodius (not to be confused with Methodism, which is a denomination founded by John and Charles Wesley in the eigh - teenth century) was, along with his younger brother, Cyril, an evan - gelist to the Slavs. Methodius was known as the apostle to the Slavs. He was born and educated in the same cities as Cyril, and alongside his brother evangelized the Slavs. Cyril, though younger than Methodius, died at the early age of forty-three, while Method - ius continued the work in Moravia as Archbishop for nearly two decades, establishing the Church in that area of the world. The de - scendants of those people whom Cyril and Methodius won for Christ were the forefathers of three groups of people we know today: the Slovaks, the Slovenes, and the Moravians. The Mora - vians, in future generations, played a major role in the salvation and ministry of John Wesley.

Start a Revolution: Never Underestimate the Power of Kin

Methodius and Cyril had an advantage as they started their revolutionary work among the Slavs so many years ago. They started and maintained the work together. It’s disquieting to see how many ministers and preachers today try to go forth alone, when Jesus clearly sent his first disciples out two by two.

There is power in numbers and power in kindred spirits, which many times come more easily with family. Families know they are stuck with each other, and as a result generally have an eas - ier time being loyal and faithful in working together. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 explains, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”

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Many times throughout Church history the revolution moved steadily forward due to siblings working together.

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The Conversion of Kings: King Vladimir of Russia (956–1015 AD)

Vladimir became the Russian emperor in 980 AD. Through war, he enlarged his empire and made Kiev the capital. Around the year 987, in the invasion of the town of Kherson in the Crimean Peninsula, he captured a woman named Anna, the princess of the Byzantine imperial house. He forthwith added her to his array of wives and concubines.

Most likely because of Anna’s influence, Vladimir decided to accept Christianity, choosing the Eastern or Greek Orthodox Church in 987 or 988. His character notably changed after his own conversion. Notable in Church history, Vladimir influenced his empire primarily and solely because he actually walked the talk. He called his entire empire to repentance and baptism into Christ, and his people were baptized and saved by the thousands.

Greek Orthodox Christianity became Russia’s official reli - gion. By the end of Vladimir’s reign, Russia was widely Christian -

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ized. He was later canonized, or declared a , by the Greek Church and is known as Saint Vladimir the Great.

Evangelists aren’t just those who become famous for win - ning many people to faith in Christ. There are also the unknown evangelists, like Princess Anna, who faithfully proclaim the Good News of Christ to everyone they can. The Apostle Peter was ex - tremely famous in the early Church and still today, but Andrew was the one who brought him to Christ. Likewise, Anna won King Vladimir to Christ, and this one conversion transformed an entire nation.

Start a Revolution: Walk the Talk

Vladimir didn’t simply claim adherence to Christianity, as many have done throughout the centuries and do around the world today. When Vladimir responded to the Gospel, he let it change his whole life. If he hadn’t, Jesus would have been including him when he exclaimed, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (Matthew 15:8). Letting Jesus change your life doesn’t mean you’re perfect, but it does mean you try to be like Jesus more each day. This kind of revolution, one that is in - grained in the very fiber of a person, is one that will truly and ut - terly change the world.

Evangelizing Northern Europe: St. Adalbert of Prague (956–997 AD)

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Adalbert of Prague was a vigorous evangelist and bishop who was martyred for preaching the Gospel. Born the son of a wealthy nobleman near the city of Prague, Adalbert studied at Magdeburg and was ordained a priest in 981, and ordained the sec - ond bishop of Prague in 982. Throughout his life, he went on mis - sionary endeavors to the countries of Bohemia (now a part of Czechoslovakia), Hungary, Poland, and Prussia.

Adalbert was a stern, intense, and energetic Christian min - ister and yet, passionately attempting to convert the pagan Bohemi - ans, he had little success. He took a to Rome and entered the monastery of St. Boniface, where for several years he lived a life of prayer and spiritual disciplines before going back into the ministry. This greatly increased his effectiveness in the King - dom of God, as this time when he went out onto the mission field, he saw results.

After only a short time in Hungary, he was able to lead Prince Stephen (later king, and later still, St. Stephen I) and others to Christ and baptize them. Adalbert may have looked like an early failure, but in leading Stephen to Christ, he had converted a future saint.

In 996, after evangelizing Poland, Adalbert was sent as a missionary to the Prussians. Like Boniface and other missionaries before him, Adalbert tried to cut down the sacred oak groves, but pagan priest took the axes and cut off his head.

Start a Revolution: Preparation Time is Not Lost Time

Some of the greatest revolutions start when a person takes

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time apart from the crowd for serious self-examination and per - sonal growth. Reading a good book on an issue you struggle with in life can make you a better person for the world around you and can prepare you for future success in your endeavors.

Adalbert experienced a season of ministry where the revo - lution he brought seemed an utter failure. No one wanted him or to hear about his Jesus. Adalbert was wise enough to realize that there was not a problem with the revolution; there had to be a problem with him.

So he set aside time in his busy schedule to wait on the Lord, to pray and read the Scriptures and practice ancient spiritual disciplines Jesus taught about. This preparation time was not wasted time. It was vital to his future accomplishment.

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Evangelizing Poland: St. Otto of Bamberg (1060–1139 AD)

Otto of Bamberg, also known as Otho, was the Apostle of Pomerania, or modern day Poland. He was born in Suabia. At a young age Otto had a heart for God and began to dream and plan for full-time ministry. He first worked as a teacher in Poland.

Later, he entered the service of Emperor Henry IV, who in 1101 AD made him chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire. The following year, he became the bishop of Bamberg, Germany. He was employed chiefly in ministering to the priests in Bamberg, in - creasing the Church’s territories, planting churches, building castles, and especially planting monasteries, of which he built or restored twenty. In 1124, he was chosen among his fellow ministers to bring Christianity to Pomerania. By the time he returned to Bamberg the next year, he had led 22,000 people to Christ, baptizing each one in water. He had also established eleven churches in nine cities. Three years later he returned to Pomerania for a short time and converted many influential people in the land. After planting new churches in

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the land and strengthening the people in the faith and in the knowl - edge of the Bible, he returned again to Bamberg, where he trained others to lead the Church there until his death in 1139.

Start a Revolution: What’s Your Succession Plan

Otto of Bamberg spent his life leading leaders and prepar - ing for his revolution to live beyond his own life. Many leaders claim they want this for their cause, but never get around to build - ing and training others in preparation for the time the leader will exit the revolution. In the half kidding words of one of my close friends, “Delegation is next to godliness.”

Even as the patriarch of many major faiths, Moses needed to learn this lesson. His father-in-law, Jethro, came for a visit and watched, dumbfounded, as people just crowded around all day, waiting for Moses to get to them. Jethro asked, “What’s going on?” It was then that they had their vital conversation about dele - gating responsibilities to others.

Moses told him, “…the people come to me to seek God’s will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I de - cide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws.”

Moses’ father-in-law just shook his head and replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the peo - ple’s representative before God and bring their disputes to Him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live

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and the duties they are to perform.

“But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.

“If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied” (Exo - dus 18:15-23).

Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. It was most likely this lesson from Jethro that convinced Moses to prepare for his succession. He laid the groundwork by preparing Joshua, his personal assistant, to take the historic role of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. Had this not hap - pened, the ramifications would have been catastrophic, when Moses was not allowed to enter the new land.

Delegation assists with three essential pieces of success to any revolution: it raises others up to carry the work, and it prepares for the time when certain leaders move on, retire or die. There is another more immediate necessity for delegation: revolutionaries can work and work and work until they burn themselves out, be - coming no earthly (or heavenly) good to anyone.

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Founder of the Waldenses: Peter Waldo (? – 1217 AD)

Little is known of Peter Waldo’s early life, other than that he became a wealthy merchant in Lyons, France, before his conver - sion. After getting saved, he decided to dispose of his properties and become a poor man in order to preach to the common people. He provided modestly for his wife and daughters and freely gave the rest of his wealth away to the poor. He took a formal vow of poverty and gathered around him a group of likeminded men, who became known as the poor men of Lyons, and later as Waldenses, after their leader. The Waldenses traveled and preached repentance.

In 1179, at the Third Lateran Council in Rome, the Waldenses endeavored to get permission from the pope to preach to the common people and to work for reformation in the Church. Pope Alexander III confirmed their vow of poverty but denied them the privilege of preaching unless they were expressly invited by the local priests. For a while they obeyed the mandate of the pope, but finally, becoming convinced that they were disobeying

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the voice of God to obey the word of man, they began to tour the country preaching repentance.

The Waldenses Movement spread rapidly. In 1184 they were excommunicated by Pope Lucius III. The Council of Toulouse in 1229 decreed the forceful suppression of the Waldenses’ heresy, and they were almost exterminated. Peter Waldo died around 1217, but his movement continues to this day, reaching literally thousands upon thousands of people for Christ. Today, Waldenses still proclaim the Gospel and serve the poor. And, in respect for Waldo’s insistence on following the voice of God rather than abiding by the word of man, the new Waldenses continue to advocate freedom of conscience.

Start a Revolution: Bring It to the People on Their Level

Peter Waldo followed the concept of the Apostle Paul: “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

Waldo sensed a call to reach the common people, and re - moved any sign of wealth that would keep him from getting the

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Gospel to those people. Whatever revolution we bring, we must bend ourselves to those we are trying to reach. Sometimes this will force a dramatic change to our lifestyles, at other times subtle, yet we must make the change and bring the revolution to the people where they are.

The Revolutionary Prophetess: St. Hildegard of Bingen (1089 – 1179 AD)

Hildegard of Bingen faced countless obstacles in her life. She was a woman in a man’s world, yet she allowed God to use her and overcame bias. From an early age she was weighed down with a heavy sense of spiritual matters. Instead of throwing off this great mantle, she embraced God’s plan for her life and moved for - ward.

Hildegard of Bingen was born in a time of increasing papal influence. Shortly before her birth, in 1075, celibacy became the rule for all priests. Also, the final split between the Church in the East and the West occurred in 1054, and for the first time the papacy held the power to call together and plan the location of all Church councils.

Hildegard was born in Bockelheim, in Germany’s Rhineland region. Her father was a member of nobility as a knight in service of a local duke. As a child she was deemed solitary and unusual.

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At the age of eight, her parents dedicated her, their tenth child, as a “tithe to the Lord,” and she was put under the care of a local convent to train for a life of service to the Lord. Giving a tenth child in this way was a common practice at the time. Around the age of fourteen, Hildegard took vows as a nun, and at the age of thirty-eight she took over the convent she had grown up in, which at the time consisted of around a dozen Benedictine nuns.

Since the age of five, Hildegard had experienced powerful visions. So powerfully was her entire self claimed by com - munion with God, at times Hildegard thought she would break … As she once explained…‘I have from earliest childhood seen great marvels which my tongue has no power to express but which the Spirit of God has taught me that I may believe….’ The seemingly uneventful years that preceded her entrance onto the world stage were marked by mystical experience.” 27

Around the age of forty-two she began to encounter the twenty-six mystical encounters she would have. These were set down and later published in a work entitled Scivias or Know the Ways of the Lord .

She founded the convents of Rupertsberg and Eibingen, and from there turned to go out on apostolic journeys to deliver her prophetic messages. During the time, to preach in public re - quired approval from the Church and was typically restricted to or - dained men. Hildegard, however, was approved to travel and preach.

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From her fifties to her seventies, Hildegard hit the road, traveling by horseback throughout Germany and France. She preached in some of the largest cathedrals across Europe, yet also found herself preaching in marketplaces and public squares. The theme of her preaching was often prophetically crying out against evil and corruption, even within the Church. Many came to Christ because of her extensive ministry, and her words continue to touch the hearts of seekers today.

Start a Revolution: Turn Your Weakness to Strength

Every revolutionary faces people who tell them it cannot be done. Hildegard spent decades in spiritual preparation and serv - ice, with no ambition towards a great ministry. Rather, she dedi - cated herself to whatever God wished with her life. Because Hildegard spent so much time in preparation and gave away per - sonal ambitions, she grew strong in her resolve to fulfill God’s pur - pose for her life.

The Apostle Paul shared what Christ had spoken to him about his own weaknesses, “He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

This is a unique approach to handicaps. Rather than com - plaining, a revolutionary can gear up and overcome all the odds, making their life much more notable.

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St. Francis of Assisi (1182–1226 AD)

Francis of Assisi was the founder of the Franciscan order. His full name was Francesco Bernardone, and he was born in As - sisi in Umbria, Italy. He was the son of a rich clothing merchant. Even though he received little education, he was a troubadour and poet, and dressed in expensive, colorful clothing. As a frivolous youth, he joined the army, but was taken prisoner in a battle with the city state of Perugia and spent a year in captivity. After his re - lease, he experienced a deep religious awakening, going into seclu - sion and then making a pilgrimage to Rome. He became more and more spiritually intense, and was separated from his father and many other people because of his spiritual zeal. He devoted him - self to the religious life, and resolved to live in extreme poverty throughout his life. He dressed in the clothes of the poor, ate very little, lived with lepers, and rebuilt churches.

In 1210, at the age of twenty-eight, he drafted a set of rules for his life. Humility, simplicity, poverty, and prayer were the

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four rules of the Franciscan way. With his set of rules and eleven friends, he went to Rome to apply for papal approval for starting an order. Innocent III gave the party his blessing, granted them ap - proval, and commanded them to go out and preach. They were known as the Friars Minor.

Two by two they went about preaching repentance, singing, helping the poor, healing the sick, and caring for the out - casts of society. Walter Bowie writes, “Their religious life was to be among the people, not apart from them as was the life of the monastic orders behind their convent walls.” 28 Monasteries and monastic life were initially meant to be somewhat similar to mod - ern-day Bible colleges or seminary training, where monks would pray, fast, and grow spiritually in preparation for a life of ministry, not a place to stay for one’s entire life, and Francis held that view.

The brotherhood of Franciscans, or Friars Minor, spread rapidly. Missionary plans were made, including missions to the Muslims. Francis went to Morocco as a missionary from 1213 to 1214, and to Syria and Egypt in 1219. While ministering and evan - gelizing in Egypt during the time of the Crusades, he went to the Muslim sultan and proposed a trial by fire. If Francis were to come out of the fire unharmed, the sultan was to acknowledge Christ as the true God. The sultan refused the trial and was not converted, but was so impressed that he allowed Francis to preach to his people. After the fall of the Crusades, it was Franciscans alone who were allowed to remain in the Holy Land.

Around 1220 the Franciscan order was placed in other hands and given new rules by the pope. Francis yielded in humble submission but was broken-hearted.

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In 1224, while on a 40-day fast, Francis had a vision of an angel, and was given the five Stigmata of Christ, bleeding wounds in his hands, feet, and side. Suffering from the Stigmata and an eye disease, Francis returned to the Portiuncula , the first ruined church he had restored with his own hands. He died on the evening of October 3, 1226, singing Psalm 141. “My eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge.”

Francis was a man of purity and humility. He helped the common people understand the Gospel, serving and loving them like no one else in history. One story of Francis from his disciple and biographer : Once, in Spoleto, a man with a cancerous face met Francis. Hideously malformed, the man tried to throw himself at Francis’s feet. Francis, however, stopped him. He took the man’s diseased face in his hands and kissed him on both cheeks. Immedi - ately, the man was healed of all disfigurement. “I don’t know which I ought to wonder at most,” said St. Bonaventure, a later follower of St. Fran - cis, “such a kiss or such a cure.” 29 Francis was canonized (as a saint) by Pope Gregory IX in 1228, and remains the world’s most beloved saint. Walter Bowie writes: If Francis could choose the sort of stained glass window which he would like to be erected in his memory, he would certainly choose one which de - picted him surrounded not by birds and butter - flies, but by the sick and the leprous, by cripples and tramps, by all the dregs of society whose life he so bravely shared and whose souls he so dearly

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loved. 30

Start a Revolution: Share but Beware

Jude 23 tells us, “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” St. Francis of Assisi deeply understood this struggle between evan - gelism and its effect on personal holiness.

The great question of his early Christian life was whether to hide away as a hermit in perpetual prayer and study, or to fulfill what God was laying heavily on his heart—evangelism and preach - ing the Gospel. He felt that if he went out among sinners he would have to be aware continually lest the sin rub off on him. Of course, after prayer and fasting within his community, St. Francis chose to go out and preach, along with his friar brothers. The rest is history.

St. Francis teaches us so many lessons, but this early strug - gle of his life encourages us, as Jude explains, to share but beware. With any revolution, there is a fine line between influencing others towards your revolution, and being influenced by others. That is what this idea is all about – share the revolution, while being aware of your own personal integrity and commitment to the cause.

The Revolutionaries are Few: John of Monte Corvino (1247–1330 AD)

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The life of John of Monte Corvino is inspiring, yet his is also a sad story of the lack of revolutionaries to reach the world.

John of Monte Corvino was a Franciscan missionary born in southern Italy. He went to Peking, China, in 1291 at a time when China was open to the West. The Mongol Kublai Khan was on the throne. Marco Polo and his father, Maffeo Polo, and a fellow mer - chant Nicolo had opened the country to trade to such an extent that in 1270 Kublai Khan asked for one hundred missionaries from the West.

By this century, a feud had arisen concerning the office of the pope—leading to the unprecedented situation of having two popes. One pope led the Church from Rome, and another in France. These two popes were too busy quarrelling over the papacy to answer the call from China.

Finally, in 1291, John of Monte Corvino started for Peking carrying a letter from Pope Nicholas IV to Kublai Khan. John trav - eled by way of India, preaching more than a year there. He arrived in China in 1294, only to learn that the Kublai Khan had just died and his grandson, Temur, had ascended to the throne. Though not disposed to Christianity, Temur allowed John to preach and, ac - cording to a letter by John, “bestows many kindnesses upon the Christians, and these two years past I am abiding with him.”

John’s years in China were not without fear and contro - versy. The Nestorian church there, deeply entrenched, saw John of Monte Corvino and his preaching as a threat. The Nestorians ac - cused John of being a spy, a fraud, and a murderer who had killed

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the real envoy from the pope and stolen all the expensive presents that were supposed to come to the emperor. Many times John was close to being condemned to death. Finally, one of his accusers re - canted and told the truth, and the emperor freed John of Monte Corvino and banished his accusers—along with all their wives and children.

During his early years in Peking, John may have been a lonely man, for in 1305, he wrote that for twelve years he had re - ceived no letters from the pope or from his order. By 1300 he had established a successful church in China. John learned to preach in the Chinese language and translated the New Testament and the Psalms into Chinese. Christianity flourished in China for some time with many converts. In 1307, Pope Clement V sent out several bishops to assist him and appointed John as archbishop over the whole area. Some of these bishops, however, perished on the way, and only three arrived in China.

John of Monte Corvino died about 1328, and even the Chinese who had not accepted Christ wanted to him to be named a saint. His firsthand work prospered for 40 years even after his death. Christians were expelled from China by the Ming Dynasty in 1368, however the legacy left by John of Monte Corvino lives on and is still evident today.

Start a Revolution: Opportunities Must be Seized

It is notable that in a seemingly troubled time for the Church, there were still people like John of Monte Corvino who would risk their lives and all they knew to cross the known world out of a beautiful love for lost souls.

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On the other hand, his story represents one of the great missed opportunities of Church history, in sync with Jesus’ prophetic words to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37–38, NIV).

The spiritual harvest field is full of lost souls, and even our Lord did not reach them all himself. Jesus ministered to as many people as He could in his short time on earth, prayed with His dis - ciples for more preachers (harvesters), and mentored others to go out and preach—as He did with his disciples in the very next verse (Matthew 10:1). He told them to pray, and had them answer their own prayer.

There are critical times in every revolution, moments of great opportunity that must be seized. As someone once said, the opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of the op - portunity.

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Evangelizing India: St. Jordanus

Jordanus, also known as Jordan Catalani, was a French Do - minican missionary. About 1319, Jordanus, along with several other Dominican and Franciscan monks, left Avignon, France (then the official country of the pope), for the Far East. Jordanus and a few others succeeded in reaching the Thana District in Bombay, India, where they came into conflict with Muslims who had recently made conquests in that part of India. His friends and traveling partners, (now known as the four martyrs of Tana), were murdered by these Muslims, and Jordanus narrowly escaped with his life.

Jordanus remained for the next two years in India. During this time, he led 300 people to Christ and baptized them in water. Some of his converts were pagans, and some were probably Nesto - rian Christians. After leaving India, he returned to Europe, and in 1328 he was consecrated by Pope John XXII as the Bishop of Quilon (also known as Kulam), on the southwestern edge of India. It was the first Roman Catholic diocese in India.

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Around 1330, Jordanus returned to India and worked on the Malabar Coast in South India. This time he and his companions won more than ten thousand unbelievers to the faith. It is un - known when or how Jordanus died, but history mysteriously records that after April 8, 1330, no more was heard of him.

Start a Revolution: Make Your Current Customers More Dedicated

Jordanus lived a sacrificial life. His closest companions were put to death for their faith in Christ, and he barely escaped with his life, yet he continued to live among and have a deep, posi - tive influence with the people of India. A large part of his min - istry was helping Nestorian Christians to become more fully aware of teachings of Christ.

An important business principle states that there are two ways to make more money. Finding new customers is the most ob - vious. Secondly, help your current customers become more dedi - cated.

In the same way, a revolution or movement progresses by attracting new followers, and also by getting its current followers to be more dedicated. Just because someone claims adherence to Christianity does not make them a Christian, any more than being at McDonald’s makes them a hamburger. James 2:20 states, “You believe there is one God, good. Even the demons believe that and shudder.”

In the revolution of the Christian faith, it is not enough simply to have a mental cognition that Christ lived and died for your sins and is your Savior, for even the demons believe this.

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Rather, you must make him the Lord of your life. This does not mean you need to be, or could ever be, perfect. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross settled the question of whether we could ever become close to the Father on our own. We could not. We needed His help, so He sent what was most dear, His only Son. He gave His all for us, and asks for our submission to His Son, Jesus Christ.

Increase your dedication, and watch the revolution ex - plode.

Doctor of the Church: St. Catherine of Siena (1347 – 1380 AD)

Catherine of Siena was born in Siena, Italy. She was born the twenty-fourth of twenty-five children to Jacopo and Monna Lapa Benincasa. From her childhood she had persistent poor health. At the age of seven, she took a vow of virginity to the Lord, and showed great spiritual strength and optimism as a child. Her parents were also devout and encouraged her in her spiritual practices. When she reached the marriageable age of thirteen, she refused to wed, due to her vow of virginity in dedication to God. Her father was displeased with this, but by age sixteen, her parents allowed her to enter a local Dominican order to study and become a nun.

She became a Dominican nun around the year 1365, and spent three years living in solitude and prayer. After three years, she came out of solitude, sensing her apostolic call to devote her -

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self to caring for prisoners and the sick and dying, as well as the conversion of sinners. She immediately attracted both female and male followers who came to her often for spiritual advice and to whom she was known as “Mamma.” She was often called upon to be a peacemaker between families, a common problem during her time. After she had begun her ministry, the bubonic plague—the Black Death—ravaged Europe, including killing one-third of the population of Siena. Catherine cared for the afflicted during this time, despite the risk to her own life.

Catherine was well known for her prophecies and visions, part of which she wrote down in The Dialogue , which contains a conversation she had with God during a trance. She claimed that Christ appeared to her at Pisa, and during this revelation she was given an espousal ring, which Christ placed on her finger. She also experienced the stigmata, those painful wounds of Christ, and often appears in paintings wearing a crown of thorns.

During her life, the Great Schism took place, an unfortu - nate time motivated by politics instead of theological differences, wherein two—and eventually three—leaders claimed legitimate succession to the seat of papacy. One pope remained in Rome, and the other sat in Avignon, France. This proved to be a serious injustice for the church and a great trial of faith for the Christians of this era—as well as causing diplomatic crises across Europe.

Catherine of Siena was a reconciler during this time. The schism broke her heart, and she single-handedly convinced the Pope to move from Avignon to Rome for a period of three years. However, he then returned to France, and the papacy was not fully reconciled until years later. Catherine was frequently called upon toward the end of her life to advise government and Church lead -

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ers, including the papal court and kings. She carried on a volumi - nous correspondence, hundreds of letters to everyone from popes to princes. She died of a stroke at the age of 33.

Many women have been given the great honor of being canonized as saints. Catherine of Siena is, however, one of only three women in Church history to be given an even more presti - gious title: “Doctor of the Church.” “Raymond of Capua says of her: ‘Catherine car - ried the whole church in her heart.’ Near the end, she tells her disciples, ‘Love one another, my chil - dren, love one another! For by this shall you show that you have had me and own me for mother.” 31

Start a Revolution: Keep the Peace

Catherine of Siena had a great thesis for her life: Bring people together. She understood from the words of the Apostle Paul that her calling to ministry was to be reconciliation.

“Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience…

“Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we re - gard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once re - garded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the

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old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who recon - ciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of rec - onciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has commit - ted to us the message of reconciliation.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s be - half: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).

In order for us to maintain the revolution, we must be peacemakers and reconcilers between people of various ideologies, understandings and upbringings, while holding fast to the core doc - trines of the revolution.

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Gospel and Healing Crusades: St. Vincent Ferrer (1350–1419 AD)

Vincent Ferrer was a Spirit-filled Dominican missionary. He was born in Valencia, Aragon, and recognized at an early age for his good life and intellect. In 1357, his parents dedicated their son to the service of the Church. Eleven years later, Vincent be - came a member of the Friar Preachers, the religious order founded by Dominic. He was ordained a priest in 1378.

A few years earlier, the start of his public ministry took off. Back in his hometown, the harvests had failed, and survival looked bleak for many. One Sunday in the spring of 1375, at Vin - cent’s request, twenty thousand people marched to the city square, where Vincent called them to repentance. He prophesied relief from the famine that same day. Although few people believed his prophecy, two supply ships arrived later that night, and Vincent be - came an instant hero.

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In the fall of 1396 Vincent grew grievously ill. While in prayer during this sickness, he had a vision in which Christ, along with Francis and Dominic, appeared to him, accompanied by a multitude of angels. It was here that Christ commissioned him to preach the Gospel and convert the lost. He sensed on his heart a call to “traverse the world, preaching as an Apostle, as St. Dominic and St. Francis had done,” 32 as well as a promise from God of di - vine authority as he preached the Scriptures and a promise of signs and wonders following the preaching of the Gospel. Pradel1} records this saying, “This marvelous apparition, recorded by the oldest biographers of the Saint, is all the more worthy of belief inasmuch as St. Vincent himself confirmed it in a letter which he wrote to Benedict XIII fifteen years later.” 33 The cell in which St. Vincent experienced this encounter with Christ was converted into a chapel for Christians to visit and became a popular pilgrimage spot, but was later destroyed during the French Revolution.

Throughout his life, he drew huge crowds whenever he preached. In Barcelona, from 1372 to 1375, “our Saint com - menced to preach publicly to the people. So great was the con - course of people that the largest churches were insufficient to hold them … Vincent was obliged to preach to them in the public squares.” 34 From then on, “St. Vincent always preached in the open air.” 35

Great numbers of people were converted under his min - istry: It is said that St. Vincent would call the people forward near the pulpit to pray for salvation and healing: “An eager multitude thronged around his pulpit.” 36 His message was that he might “preach the near approach of the terrible judgment; that, filling souls with a wholesome fear, they might open their eyes to see their danger, abandon their evil habits, embrace the yoke of penance,

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and thus avert the just chastisements of Heaven which their crimes merited.” 37 Although he preached a serious message, he did this with great compassion, “Before entering into any city he cast him - self on his knees, then, raising his eyes towards heaven and shed - ding abundant tears, he prayed for the people to whom he was about to preach judgment.” 38

The preaching points of his ministry seem identical to those of the first Apostles and more readily compare to today’s preachers.

“A numerous crowd of people came out to meet him. They conducted him under a canopy…they chanted hymns, psalms and spiritual canticles.

In the place where they met him a cross was planted to perpetuate the memory of that happy event. So great was the concourse of people at times that it was necessary to erect a wooden barrier to protect him from the multitude who eagerly pressed around him to see him, and even to touch him

… after the sermon he remained some time at the foot of the pulpit to bless the sick who were brought to him in large numbers, and whom he often miraculously cured.

A bell summoned the people at that moment, and was called the Bell of Miracles. When he had finished this work of charity, he retired … to hear the confessions of those whom he had converted …” 39

St. Vincent not only preached to large crowds of people

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across Europe, but he also had a large team of disciples who trav - eled with him on his journeys, “whose numbers sometimes swelled to the enormous figures of ten thousand,” biographer Pradel wrote. “This numerous staff accelerated the religious movement.” 40

Dr. James Allen writes, “One of his biographers estimates the number of Jews converted during his ministry to be 25,000 people. In the Kingdom of Granada alone, it is reported that 8,000 Muslims were converted and baptized in water because of his pow - erful evangelism.” 41

Pradel writes:

In the space of thirteen months he converted twenty thou - sand in Castile alone; in the year 1415, within six months, more than fifteen thousand were led to embrace the true faith in Aragon and Catalonia …

On another occasion in the same country over thirty thou - sand were baptized at the close of his preaching. The his - torians of the sect do not hesitate to confirm these facts by their own testimony.

In a work … it is related that … Brother Vincent having preached to the Jews, the latter renounced their law to the number of more than two hundred thousand. In other parts of Europe, specifically to the Muslims in Spain, it is said, ‘Such was the effect of his preaching that, after three sermons, eighteen thousand Moors were converted to the Christian faith.’ 42

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He was soon kicked out of this region, however, because of his success in conversion.

The celebrated Lewis of Grenada boldly affirms of him: “After the first Apostles, Vincent is, of all apostolical men, he who has gathered most fruit in God’s vineyard.” His contemporaries as - sert that he frequently had eighty thousand auditors.” 43

Everywhere he went, his ministry was accompanied by re - markable miracles, including healings and raising the dead. Truly, a key to his success was his emphasis on the miraculous power of Jesus. Bert Ghezzi speaks about Vincent’s miracles: “Once asked how many miracles he had worked, Vincent modestly estimated 3,000. The Catholic church carefully documented 873 of these when it declared him a saint.” 44 Pradel explains, “Another cause of success was the gift of miracles which he possessed in a rare de - gree. They were of daily occurrence.” 45

Start a Revolution: In Non-Essentials, Charity

Part of what makes Vincent Ferrer one of the most in - triguing figures in Church history is the fact that he is so little known. He was a powerful figure of faith across Western Europe, doing miracles and leading multiple thousands to Christ in the venue of outdoor evangelistic events. While doing this, he chal - lenged the masses to avoid the Protestant Reformation of his time, and to live and walk in unity with the Catholic Church. What a blessing to remember that there was such a competent spiritual fig - ure within the Catholic Church at the time of the Church’s most significant split.

While it seems that many Christians and churches today

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are committed to unity across all denominations, at the time of the Reformation and for many centuries after a great struggle for unity pervaded the Church worldwide.

One of the great lessons the Christian revolution has taught humanity is that as even the greatest revolutions grow, there are bound to be differences of opinion and strategy to fulfill the revolution. Yet out of all schisms she has endured, the Church continues to arise around the world and to remain charitable in all those denominational differences non-essential to the core doc - trines of the Christian faith.

Ephesians 4:4-6 commands us, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Fa - ther of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Keep the core of the revolution consistent, while being flexible and continuing in unity in non-essentials.

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Founder of the Jesuits: St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556 AD)

Ignatius of Loyola was the founder of the Society of Jesus, also called Jesuits. He was born to an influential family at the castle of Loyola in the province of Guipuzcoa, Spain. He spent his youth in the court of King Ferdinand. In 1521, during the Battle of Pamplona, he was maimed for life when his leg was hit by a cannon ball.

Through reading the lives of incredible Christians, such as St. Dominic and St. Francis, in a devotional book by a fourteenth- century Carthusian monk named Ludolph of Saxony, Ignatius was led to dedicate his life to the service of Jesus Christ. At age thirty, Ignatius went to a Dominican monastery at Manresa, Spain.

Like Martin Luther (whose life is detailed later in this book), Ignatius of Loyola found that intense spiritual disciplines

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could not bring peace to his troubled soul. He finally found peace and satisfaction in surrendering his life to God and His work. The practice of severe self-discipline and the incredible visions that he claimed to have received after his dedication to God’s work are the content of his book Spiritual Exercises , which he wrote in 1522. God gave him a vision of companies of men as soldiers of Christ.

He made a pilgrimage journey to Palestine and decided to turn from self-imposed poverty and intense spiritual disciplines to study. In 1524, at age thirty-three, Ignatius began to prepare for the priesthood. In pursuit of his advanced education, he studied con - tinuously, first going to Barcelona where he studied Latin, then to the universities of Alcala and Salamanca in Spain, and from there to the University of Paris. During these years of study, Loyola con - stantly visited the hospitals and ministered to the sick and the poor. In 1529 he finished his Latin course, and in 1534 he received his master’s degree in philosophy.

In Paris, Loyola’s dynamic personality, spiritual devotion and deep religious life molded the lives of a group of younger stu - dents. Among them was the future missionary, Francis Xavier.

After two more years in theology—and after fifteen years of preparation—at age forty-five he was more than ready for a life of ministry. In 1534, Ignatius and six of his disciples formed the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuit Order, and took the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. To these three vows, they added that their purpose was to do mission work for the Church. With these four vows, plus the Spiritual Exercises by Ignatius, which was used as a main training course for novitiates, the Jesuits were ready to seek the pope’s blessing. They received that blessing from Pope Paul III in 1540.

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Soon after, Loyola was made the first leader of the new order. The Jesuits became active preachers and evangelists and were also heavily involved with social justice. They made a great impact for the pope, the Catholic Church, and for the Christian revolution by winning many people to Christ across the world. They were also leaders in the Counter-Reformation, in a similar manner as Vincent Ferrer had done before them.

In 1551, only a few years before his death, Ignatius founded the Roman College, the first Jesuit university. Loyola was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 1622 by Pope Gre - gory XV. The results of Ignatius’s revolutionary endeavors can be immediately seen in Francis Xavier’s biography of his life.

Start a Revolution: Stir Up Passion from Within

Volumes could be written simply listing great men and women who have caused the greatest revolutions on earth, and who were inspired to greatness by some book written about yet an - other revolutionary.

Ignatius of Loyola found this in reading the lives of St. Dominic and St. Francis of Assisi and others. Scripture tells us to “Fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you.” (2 Tim. 1:6). The greatest revolutionaries knew how to stir themselves up. We can fan our flames today by reading about heroic lives. Other ways include conversing with fellow revolutionaries about things of the Spirit, and reading the Word of God.

The Scriptures share in Luke 24 about two men who had a conversation with a stranger, who they later realized was Jesus.

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After he left, and they realized it was he, they exclaimed, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32).

Stirring up the revolution happens most frequently from spending time in the Word of God. There are two ways to read the Word of God during our prayer time, and both are relevant:

Quality —It is not about getting through the Bible, but rather letting the Bible get through us. Reading slowly helps us with retention and putting the Scriptures to memory.

Quantity —Reading through the Scriptures en masse is also vital. As you read large portions of Scriptures, you start to see correlation between books and passages. Biblical interpretation hap - pens best when we compare specific passages to the rest of the Bible.

Here’s an equation: Quality + Quantity (in the Word of God) = Burning Hearts for the revolution.

Evangelizing Asia: St. Francis Xavier (1506–1552 AD)

Francis Xavier was a Jesuit missionary, born to an influen - tial family in Navarre, Spain. As a student at the University of Paris, he distinguished himself in philosophical studies. He came under

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the influence of Ignatius Loyola, who persuaded him in 1534 to become a charter member of what would later become the Society of Jesus, popularly known as the Jesuit order. He was ordained a priest in 1537. In 1540, at the request of King John III of Portugal, Loyola appointed Xavier to go to India as an apostle and founder of the church there.

Sailing from Lisbon, Portugal, Xavier landed in the Por - tuguese colony of Goa in west India in 1542. Before long, dissatis - fied with the results he was achieving, in 1545 he left India to minister in the East Indies. He worked there for three years, return - ing to India in 1548. During the seven years he was in India and the Indies, he baptized people by the thousands, both adults and youth, and founded a missionary school at Goa.

Having been made a missionary bishop of the entire East, he felt he must evangelize other lands as well. Leaving other mis - sionaries to do his work in southern Asia, Xavier traveled to Japan in 1549. He spent two years there, preaching through interpreters and baptizing new converts.

Then, leaving other missionaries in Japan as well, he in - tended to travel to China to build a church, stopping in 1552 to visit Goa along the way. However, he died of fever off the coast of the mainland China, near Canton. His work in China had never re - ally begun. He was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 1622.

Start a Revolution: Spread the News

This thought need not even be mentioned, as every revolu - tionary honored in this book was exemplary for spreading the news

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of the revolution. You may have noticed that hundreds upon hun - dreds of years have come and gone, and revolutionaries of the Christian faith maintain one insatiable theme: spreading the news. They simply cannot seem to hold inside the good news that they have discovered in the revolution Christ brought to the earth and within their own hearts.

Francis Xavier embodied this insatiable desire as he trav - eled to uttermost parts of the earth to reach lands and people for - eign to the revolution. He gave up a comfortable life to live a solitary, sickly life because of this compelling longing in his heart to spread the news.

Within the Christian revolution, the great commandment taught by Jesus is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31) “There is no commandment greater than these.”

The Great Commission taught by Jesus, and his last known words on the earth before ascending to heaven, were all about spreading the news. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all na - tions, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Spreading the news must be central to your revolution if you are to leave a legacy.

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Founder of the Lutherans: Martin Luther (1483–1546 AD)

Martin Luther was a German reformer. Saying that he was just a reformer is like saying that Jesus was just a carpenter.

Martin Luther is quite possibly the most well known Chris - tian after the Apostle Paul. He was a theologian, scholar, and a highly influential leader. Martin Luther has also been called a prophet. Who else but a prophet of God could have faced the power of the organized Church of his day?

Born at Eisleben, Germany, to poor parents, he was the oldest of seven siblings. He received an early religious education. In 1497, he was sent to Magdeburg, where he studied the mystical teachings of the Brethren of the Common Life. For the next three years, he resided in the home of Frau Ursula Cotta, and studied at Eisenach. In 1501 at age eighteen, he went to the University of Er - furt.

A close encounter with a lightning bolt led Luther to enter a monastery of the Augustinian Order in Erfurt in 1505. Here he possessed a Bible for the first time, which he studied diligently under the supervision of Johann Von Staupitz, who was the Vicar- General of the in Germany. Luther acknowledged the importance of Von Staupitz’ mentorship, saying, “If it had not been for Dr. Staupitz, I should have sunk in hell.”

Luther had the reputation of being a man of good works, and was spiritually strong. After finishing this time in the

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monastery, he was consecrated as a monk in 1506 and as a priest the following year. Soon, Martin Luther became known as one of the most learned Augustinians. In his studies, he was especially touched by the New Testament books of Romans and Galatians. Other books that had an impact on him were the works of William of Occam and of the Church father, .

In 1508, he was asked to teach at the newly-founded Uni - versity of Wittenberg, and then, in 1512, became a professor of theology there, a position he held for the rest of his life. Between 1512 and 1517, his prominence grew as he lectured on the Psalms, Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews. Lecturing in any language other than Latin was not widely practiced by the Church in his day, but Martin Luther taught in German so that less-educated people could understand.

As Martin Luther studied the Scriptures, he saw the truth of justification by faith as being very different from what was actu - ally being taught by the Church at the time. Luther was now having deep and vital spiritual experiences and was rapidly receiving new light and new convictions, but he had not yet consciously worked out a system of theology.

By 1517, he fully accepted what have come to be known as the three great Reformation principles, which include the following: Man is justified by faith alone; every believer has direct access to God; the Bible is the sole source of authority for faith and life. These principles were obviously the same as those of the original apostles and Church Fathers. However, in Luther’s generation and in the centuries previous, he felt a large part of the Christian revo - lution had begun to turn from grace to works, and from Biblical authority and the individual believer’s authority in Christ to over-

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dependence on Church leadership.

In 1510, the Augustinian Order had sent him on a special mission to Rome. While there, he was horrified by the corruption that existed at the papal court—mostly because of the abuses of indulgences. Indulgences had originally been introduced to re - place severe penances of the early church. In order to receive an indulgence, a Christian must already have confessed and received absolution—then the indulgence was meant to reduce earthly pun - ishment for that sin. It was granted for the person’s prayers and good works.

Unfortunately, abuses crept in, and people could pay for their indulgences. Professional “pardoners” began promising that the damned would be released from hell in exchange for money. One German Dominican, Johann Tetzel, began to raise money with the sale of indulgences to build St. Peter’s Basilica. He was even accused of selling full forgiveness for sins not yet committed. Tetzel wrote, “As soon as a coin in the coffer rings/the soul from purgatory springs.” Martin Luther was enraged by the whole thing. On October 31, 1517, Luther nailed the Ninety-Five Theses to the main church door at Wittenberg to debate the abuses of indul - gences.

Luther’s action incited the Church, reaching even the Papal court. In 1518, Pope Leo X summoned Luther to appear at Rome. In 1519, he debated theologian John Eck for twenty-three days, jus - tifying his insights. The following year, he issued his three tracts, attacking the sacraments and hierarchy, asserting the Bible as only authority for faith, and upholding justification by faith alone and the priesthood of believers. In 1520, the pope issued a warning that unless Luther recanted, he would be excommunicated. Luther

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burned the letter. In 1521, he was excommunicated and at the Diet of Worms he made his actual break with Rome. It became a crime to give Luther food or water, and anyone was permitted to kill him without consequence.

Martin Luther lived incognito at Wartburg Castle while he translated the New Testament into German in 1522, and by 1534 the Old Testament also. After this, he began to provide a systematic theology from the Scriptures for the crowds of people who were constantly looking to him for guidance. A system gradually un - folded. In 1529, he wrote two statements of doctrine and belief. The next year, Luther approved the Augsburg Confession and the Augsburg Apology as written by Philip Melanchthon. In 1537, he re-stated his doctrines in the Schmalkald Articles.

Luther’s remaining years were spent in active and produc - tive ministry. He even married, laying the groundwork for married Protestant ministers. He composed the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress,” as well as numerous tracts, letters, treatises. His biblical commentaries, especially on Galatians, and his book, On the Bondage of the Will, are widely read to this day. Luther’s life, true to the Gospel, impacted the world. To this day, his three Reformation principles are widely held by the Protestant Church. Millions found the Christian revolution because Luther had the resolute courage to live and preach according to the Scriptures.

Start a Revolution: Stick to the Purity of the Revolution

Like Luther, some of the greatest revolutionaries in the Christian faith have done one simple task – bringing the Church back to the teachings and authority of the Scriptures. The Church

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in Luther’s day had slowly drifted from clear teachings in Scrip - ture—including a clear view of salvation by faith in Christ and the grace of God.

Over time, the majority of Christendom had begun to de - pend on works for their salvation, and to pay money in the form of indulgences. Luther preached salvation by faith alone; good deeds—done only to draw God’s goodwill—would do nothing to get you to Heaven. His message of salvation by faith and the Bible as the sole authority for the Church shook the earth and won many people for Christ.

Listen to Paul’s passionate plea with the church in Galatia, “’Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be cir - cumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. You who are try - ing to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace” (Galatians 5:2–4).

Every organization, every denomination, every church, and every revolution must continually bring themselves back to the pu - rity of their revolution—for that is where the power of their move - ment lies—or face extinction.

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Founder of the Quakers: George Fox (1624–1691 AD)

George Fox was a mystic, an itinerant preacher, and the founder of the Society of Friends, or the Quakers. He was born in Drayton, Leicestershire, England. At home he had a Puritan train - ing and associated with the Anabaptists (a root of the Baptist de - nomination), who had a profound influence on his life. At twenty-two years old, unable to find spiritual fulfillment from vari - ous church leaders and teachers, he decided to turn to God alone. With no formal theological education, he discovered—through prayer and Bible study—that the Spirit of God dwells in the heart of man and that man can have direct communion with God. To him, direct communication with God was the real secret of perfect spiritual guidance.

This was a rigorous departure for his day; the Christians at the time went through a priest for their guidance. Intimate, direct fellowship with God led him to call religious ordinances unneces - sary, believing they only produced hypocrisy and an excessive em -

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phasis on form instead of true meaning. During this time of reve - lation Fox felt an incredible commission from God. He filled four pages of his journal with what he sensed God was speaking to his heart. The Quaker historian, W. C. Braithwaite, spoke of Fox’s charge from God: “This sense of commission led Fox to consider himself not the founder of a new sect but the prophet of a new age.” 46

In 1647, after receiving this light, Fox started out as a wan - dering preacher. For the next forty years, by writing and itinerant preaching, he shared his teachings and convictions all over the world. He traveled extensively in England, Scotland, Holland, and even America. Fox and many of his followers suffered persecu - tion, stoning, beatings, and imprisonment, taken with a spirit of meekness and non-retaliation.

Even so, his following grew rapidly to London, Bristol, and Norwich. One of Fox’s early converts was Margaret Fell, who later became his wife. William Penn, one of the most eminent preachers in his society, was a defender of the Quaker’s faith. In 1660, a constitution was prepared, and local congregations were formed. Early on, the people were known as “Children of Light,” or “Friends of the Truth.” Eventually, they came to be known as Quakers, after George Fox told a judge to “tremble at the Word of God,” 47 rather than at the religion of mankind. Though they are most commonly called Quakers, they accepted the official name, “Society of Friends.”

Fox’s great emphasis was placed on the easy-to-access Holy Spirit, or the “inner light.” He believed that every Christian was a priest of God and that a professional ministry was to be re - jected. He taught that the sacraments, including baptism and Com -

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munion, were heart issues, and that performing the ordinance was an outward sign of an inward heart response. Fox also believed that oaths were needless and wrong, that war was unlawful for the Christian, and that slavery was abhorrent.

Fox traveled from town to town, interrupting preachers during their sermons, or perhaps preaching on a stump close to the town square. His visits to towns were notorious. He never stayed for long, but he would share his message on the heresies of the Church, challenging his crowd to search the Scriptures for them - selves.

George Fox’s life expresses a vivid truth from the history of the Church, taken first from the history of God’s people, the Is - raelites. People will always need to be saved from paganism and other religions, but there are times when people within the church need to re-evaluate their faith as well. While it seems confusing to make such a statement, we must remember that these reformers lived in a day of great troubles in churches everywhere. It was in this day that God brought up his prophet and evangelist George Fox to save people from an erring church. Fox proclaimed what we know as common teaching today: the Bible can and should be read by all, and it is the final rule and authority for faith and life.

George Fox was responsible for thousands of Europeans finding true faith in Jesus Christ, rather than formalized religion, not to mention his impact on millions since the time of his death. John Driver writes, “Before 1652, there were about 500 Quakers; in 1654, there were 5,000; and in 1657, there were at least 20,000. If the movement had continued to grow at this rate, the world would have become Quaker within a generation.” 48

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Start a Revolution: Look to the Inner Light

George Fox rightly understood what the Apostle John first taught:

“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and be - cause no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him” (1 John 2:20-27).

Now, this is not some new age idea, but a scripturally founded truth that rests fully on faith in Christ. As we come to the Christian revolution by coming to the Lord, with repentant hearts and faith in his work on the cross and in his resurrection power, we have access to God in a new way. Each of us, not only Church leadership, can hear and know the will of God.

Here is an important rule that we see from the Scripture about individually hearing God: God never lies or contradicts his

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Word. If he is speaking to us, it will always be in line with his writ - ten Word, which we should study diligently to help us discern his voice in our lives. For those within the Christian revolution, like George Fox, we have an inner light from the Holy Spirit that guides and directs us in every day life and helps us live the revolution in power and in joy.

143 144 18th Century

Founder of the Methodists: John Wesley (1703–1791 AD)

John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist denomina - tion. Author Herbert Lockyer wrote, “John Wesley was born in some of the darkest days of English history. John Wesley, more than any other man since the sixteenth century, stands out as the most outstanding religious leader who influenced the masses for God and righteousness.” 49

Born in Epworth, England, Wesley was the 15 th of 19 chil - dren born to and Susanna Wesley. His father Samuel was a Church of England rector and his mother the daughter of a Puri - tan pastor. When John Wesley was five years old, the rectory burned and he had to be rescued from the flames. From then on, he thought himself set apart by God, a “brand plucked from the burning.” 50

At age twenty-one, in the year 1724, Wesley received his

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college degree from Oxford. After receiving his master’s degree, he spent two and a half years ministering alongside his father at Ep - worth, the only pastoral experience he ever had.

In 1728, he was ordained a priest in the Anglican Church. In 1729, he joined the “Holy Club,” which his brother Charles and others had formed a year earlier, and he was soon made the leader of the group. Because of their structured formula in meeting, study, prayer, and weekly celebration of Communion, they were dubbed “Methodists.”

In 1735, he and his brother Charles went on a missionary assignment to the frontier American colony of Georgia, but within a few years they both returned to England, discouraged and frus - trated.

On May 24, 1738, at a Moravian church meeting on Alder - sgate Street in London, John Wesley experienced a defining mo - ment. He wrote in his journal that his “heart was strangely warmed,” as he accepted what Christ had done for him on the Cross for his salvation. He had previously put his faith in the works of fasting, prayer, and church ordinances for his salvation before God. Doors began to open for Wesley to preach all over England. However, the first time he preached was often the last, as he fre - quently offended both pastor and congregation with the truth of Scripture. Wesley recorded in his journal what one man said of his preaching, “Sir, your preaching frightens people out of their wits!” 51

Through his friend George Whitefield, Wesley began what was known as field preaching, outdoors in a central spot inside or outside of a town. Crowds notably consisted of more unbelievers

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than believers. He journaled about these experiences, saying, “Pre - viously I would have thought the work of saving souls to have been a sin if it was not done from within the church walls.” 52

From field preaching, Wesley’s ministry soared. He already had been a great evangelist, witnessing nearly everywhere he went and to nearly every person he came in contact with. But the fact that he could preach to large groups of non-Christians right where they were took his ministry to a higher plane of effectiveness. Through open-air preaching, great crowds heard the Gospel and thousands were converted. Revival flowed over into Scotland, Ire - land, and America. These outdoor crowds soon began to grow to consistent throngs of tens of thousands. Wesley also preached in churches with thousands of people outside who could not even fit in the building. More than once, church floors broke under the weight of the crowds who packed in to hear him preach.

As an itinerant preacher, Wesley traveled chiefly on horse - back, reading and writing as he went. He covered more than 250,000 miles and preached more than 40,000 sermons (nearly 754 sermons a year for the 53 years he preached, or an average of 2 ser - mons a day for over 50 years). He wrote, translated or edited over 200 books.

In 1775, he began a series of preaching tours in Ireland and Scotland, but he never returned to America. He appointed Dr. Thomas Coke as the first superintendent of the American work and soon sent Francis Asbury to assist him. Asbury eventually took over and established the work, after Coke returned to England be - cause of persecution.

After a short illness in London in 1791, John Wesley died

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at the age of eighty-seven.

Wesley preached a new kind of Christianity, which was not like the religion of his day, but a return to the principles of Christi - anity found in the book of Acts. He told his hearers that this new type of Christianity, which returned to the old pattern, was called Methodism. The organization of the Methodist Church around the pattern laid out by Wesley gradually developed. He often explained that it was never his intention to break with the Church of Eng - land, yet he could no longer put up with the complacency of the Church in his generation and had to find some way to reach the common people who were so far from God. Although he was ex - tremely successful in winning non-Christians to the revolution of faith in Christ, Wesley faced persecution, physical attacks, and at - tempted assassinations. After his death, his converts were forced out of the pulpits in the established Church of England, and a sep - arate denomination was inevitable.

He left hundreds of thousands of converts in the Methodist denomination at his death—and it has continued to grow. Theodore Engstrom writes, “The millions of members of the Methodist church today are living evidence of the fruit of his labors. Historians agree that the labors of John Wesley saved Eng - land from the horrors of the French Revolution.” 53

Start a Revolution: Administrate for Growth

Church historians agree that while John Wesley had incredible influence, many other revolutionaries had a greater ability to com - municate and lead. Wesley’s greatest strength was in his ability to organize and administrate. He methodically formed groups of ad - herents. Many revolutionaries preach and teach all day long, and

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while Wesley followed in these tracks, he also had an invincible ability to make the revolution stick by training leaders and forming societies across England.

In this sense, administration is undervalued. Passion and even evangelism fall short when we consider the depth of the work that Wesley brought to his nation in his day. Where is your revolu - tion falling short when it comes to the ability of the movement to organize and administrate for growth?

Evangelizing Europe: George Whitefield (1714–1770 AD)

George Whitefield is arguably the greatest preacher in world history. He had an uncanny ability to speak to the heart of his listeners and an indelible anointing and gift of the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel. It did not even seem to matter to his listen - ers that he was cross-eyed.

George Whitefield was an English evangelist, whose name is pronounced “Whitfield.” Born in Gloucester, England, he was the son of a poor widow who kept the family’s inn. In 1773, he entered Pembroke College in Oxford, where he became associated with Charles Wesley and later with Charles’s brother, John Wesley. He was so poor that in order to pay his tuition, he became a ser - vant to wealthier students. While in school, he found a passion for the theater and acting; this carried through to his fiery sermons where he acted out the Bible stories.

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He was ordained a deacon in the Church of England in 1736. He was known at a young age to be a great preacher, spend - ing much time among the prisoners in Oxford, and traveling and preaching around London and elsewhere.

After John Wesley returned from his troubled assignment in the American colony of Georgia, Whitefield spent a few months there, the first trip of many. He came home to England in 1738 and was ordained as a priest. On his homecoming, he was forbid - den to preach in many churches due to his association with the Methodists. Because of this and the increasing sizes of the crowds who came to hear him speak, he began to preach outdoors. White - field inspired and helped Wesley preach outdoors as well. Without Whitefield, there likely would not have been such success with the Methodists.

Whitefield, unlike Wesley, was Calvinist in doctrine, a belief that later caused him to split from the Methodist movement and start his own Calvinistic Methodist Society. Despite their early argu - ments over this doctrine, Whitefield respected Wesley greatly, and later in their ministries they showed common respect for each other.

Following his break from the Wesley’s, he spent most of his time traveling and preaching between Europe and America, heading to America seven times throughout his life. Whitefield es - tablished the Bethesda Orphanage in Savannah, Georgia, and a school in Kingswood, England, which was used later for training Methodist ministers. Whitefield kept up with the pace of John Wesley, preaching 18,000 sermons during his lifetime, at an average of 500 sermons a year. Whitefield spent nine years in America and twenty-four years throughout the British Isles, speaking to approxi -

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mately ten million people throughout his lifetime with great elo - quence and power, and seeing many thousands converted.

Despite his slim figure, it was said that his voice could be heard over a mile away, and his open-air preaching reached as many as 100,000 people in a single meeting! Benjamin Franklin pooh- poohed that claim. However, when Franklin went to one of Whitefield’s meetings, he tested it scientifically by moving away until he could no longer hear Whitefield’s words. Estimating the space, Benjamin Franklin was dumbfounded to find that the claim was true.

George Whitefield continued to travel and preach continu - ally, even after experiencing asthmatic “colds” that caused him great difficulty in breathing. The doctor told him he must stop, but of course, Whitefield did no such thing. He died at the fairly early age of 56, after giving one last public sermon, and another on the steps to his room, where he spoke to eager seekers until his candle burned out. The next morning, he died.

John Wesley spoke of Whitefield after his death, saying, “Oh what has the Church suffered in the setting of that bright star which shone so gloriously in our hemisphere. We have none left to succeed him; none of his gifts; none anything like him in useful - ness.” 54

Starting a Revolution: Revolutions Don’t Start Overnight

It was Whitefield who first began field preaching in his era, and Whitefield’s success launched Wesley onto the national scene. Whitefield was man of humility, discipline, purity of heart, dedi -

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cated endurance to reach lost souls, and a man of impassioned prayer. He understood what Paul wrote to Timothy, “God…wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4), and what Peter taught to the early Church, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slow - ness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Why are all people not saved? Part of the answer is in our lack of intercession for the lost. Whitefield constantly wrote in his journal that he spent time interceding in prayer for the salvation of absent friends and all mankind. Be encouraged by the thought that God wants people saved more than we do. We should dedicate ourselves to pray like Whitefield in daily intercession for the salva - tion of absent friends.

Whitefield didn’t stop there. Many people stop with per - sonal prayers and never move beyond self. God’s heart is clearly for all of humanity, across the world. Like Whitefield, we should dedicate ourselves to pray in daily intercession for the salvation of all mankind. It is no wonder Whitefield was used so greatly for God in his later life, when his early life was spent saturated in bro - ken cries for a lost humanity, distant from Christ. When you inter - cede for the world, God just might use you, like Whitefield, for his glory.

As with any revolution, the revolution begins in our hearts and grows in our lives long before it moves the masses. Don’t ever be fooled—revolutionary successes don’t come about overnight.

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Founder of Methodism in America: Francis Asbury (1745–1816 AD)

Francis Asbury was the founder of the Methodists in America. Though others were appointed over him, Asbury was the only superintendent to remain in America to oversee the Methodist movement. He was also the first Methodist bishop ordained in America.

Asbury was born at Handsworth, Staffordshire, England, to pious Methodists, and was converted at the age of thirteen. Ap - pointed by John Wesley, he became a Methodist evangelist from 1766 to 1771. In 1771, at his own request, he was sent as a mission - ary to America. The following year, he was made Wesley’s “general assistant in America.” Thomas Rankin had taken the position the year before Asbury, but left when the American Revolutionary War started. Asbury chose to stay, believing that America would become free and independent.

After the war, the Methodists organized into an independ - ent church: the Methodist Episcopal Church. Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury were chosen as the joint superintendents at the 1784 Christmas Conference in Baltimore where the denomination was formed.

Asbury’s whole life was devoted to preaching the Gospel and to overseeing the churches in America. In the beginning of its denominational formation, it was common for Methodist ministers in America to remain celibate, and Asbury never married, giving all of his time and energy to reaching non-Christians with the Gospel.

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He received a yearly salary of sixty-four dollars and was known for being generous almost to a fault. As a preacher and administrator, he traveled more than 300,000 miles on horseback. Unlike the roads in England, however, Asbury faced untracked wilderness and difficult travel.

Asbury ordained more than 4,000 preachers in America and held more than 200 conferences. In 1785, he began the first Methodist college in America, called Cokesbury College, after the two founders. Unlike Asbury, Coke traveled to England a part of each year, and, after Wesley’s death in 1791, Coke remained in Eng - land to direct the work there. Thus Asbury was the primary founder of Methodism in America. The American Methodists numbered over 200,000 at the time of his death.

Charles Ludwig sums up his life best, when he said: When Francis Asbury landed in Philadelphia in 1771, there were only 600 American Methodists. But when he died 45 years later, there were 214,235 Methodists. The number had soared from 1 of 5,000 to 1 in 40 of the total population. Even more spectacular, the Methodist Episcopal Church became the fastest growing denomination in America … 28 years after Bishop Asbury’s pass - ing, there were 1,139,587 American followers. 55

Start a Revolution: Someone Has to Sacrifice

The bottom line of any great revolution or movement is that someone has to sacrifice. Typically, it is the founder and founding team of any revolution that sacrifice the most, although

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for Christianity this has proven to be only the beginning.

Francis Asbury embodies the concept of sacrifice for the revolution. While every revolutionary understands this concept, Asbury literally spent his life to reach non-Christians with the faith revolution. Any time the Christian revolution spreads to a new area or region of the world, and periodically after it has already been rooted into a society, it faces new persecution and sacrifice at various times for various reasons.

My wife and my home church understand this concept of sacrifice for the revolution. We faithfully attend and serve at the church founded by my wife’s grandfather where, at the age of sev - enteen, I sensed a call into the ministry as an evangelist.

My wife’s grandfather, G. Mark Denyes, came up from Chillicothe, Missouri, to be nominated as the first pastor of a group of believers meeting in the basement of a home in Fridley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. In the beginning of this great work, Pastor Denyes and many of the original families of the church took second mortgages on their homes to assist in building their first building and growing as a local church body. They could have lost their homes, but God honored their sacrifices and turned them into glory.

Fridley Assembly of God, now known as Emmanuel Christian Center, has grown into a thriving congregation of thou - sands, and my wife’s grandfather has remained on staff as the founding pastor after serving as the lead pastor for over forty years. Thanks to their sacrifices, today we enjoy an incredible place to worship and grow together after Christ.

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Whether a business, organization or movement, often time at the beginning the idea of sacrifice must be readily embraced and lived for the sake of a future generation still to grasp the revolu - tion.

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Founder of the Plymouth Brethren: John Nelson Darby (1800–1882 AD)

John Nelson Darby was the founder of the Plymouth Brethren. He was born in London to Irish parents. At age fifteen, he entered Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where he studied as a lawyer, graduating at eighteen and entering the legal profession. He wrestled with accepting briefs as he feared he might “sell his talents to defeat justice.” He gave up the law and served for a short time as a deacon in the Church of Ireland. Doubts about whether there was scriptural support for the organized church led him to resign his position and to leave the church in 1827.

Darby joined a small group of like-minded people in Dublin, who were opposed to denominationalism, formal church membership, scriptural church names, and a one-man ministry. He believed that the very notion of an ordained minister or priest was a sin, because it restricted the understanding that the Holy Spirit could speak through any member of the Church. In 1830, he vis -

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ited Paris, Cambridge, and Oxford to promote his views. Then he went to Plymouth, where an assembly of the Brethren had recently formed. This group of worshippers became known as the Ply - mouth Brethren.

Between 1838 and 1845, Darby preached in France and Switzerland, forming many congregations of the Brethren there. The Plymouth Brethren were persecuted by the Catholic Church during their beginning years as a movement in Switzerland, and Darby’s life was in constant danger. During this time, he decided to go to England to help with the Brethren, but he longed to return to Switzerland and France and continue his work there.

While he was England, a schism happened within the Ply - mouth Brethren from a member by the name of B. W. Newton, who held differing views of prophecy and church order than Darby. Because of this split, there remain two separate groups of Brethren that exist today.

Darby translated the New Testament into German, French, and English. He also assisted in translating the Old Testa - ment into German and French. Between 1853 and his death in 1882, he made three or more trips to Germany, spent much time in France, made six trips to Canada and America, and visited Italy, New Zealand, and the West Indies, aside from his ministry in Eng - land. He was a hymn writer and edited the hymnbook used by the Plymouth Brethren. He lived a rigorous life spreading the Gospel to non-Christians. Several different historians write concerning his single-hearted pursuit of the lost: In an age of rampant materialism, the simplicity and frugality of his life rivaled that of the early saints. In middle life he trudged on foot through

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France and Switzerland. He subsisted at times on acorns, or welcomed a glass of milk and an egg for dinner as if it were a banquet. Newman says of him, “His bodily presence was indeed weak—a fallen cheek, a blood-shot eye, a crippled limb resting on a crutch, a seldom shaved beard, a suit of shabby clothes, and a generally neglected per - son.” William Kelly adds, “Thoughtful for others, he was indifferent to comforts for himself. His clothes were plain, and he wore them to shabbi - ness.” He was an Apostle to the Irish. According to Neatby, he won ... [them] to Christ at the rate of six hundred to eight hundred per week! 56

Start a Revolution: De-centralize the Revolution

A current popular business book explains that for any movement or business to be successful, it must de-centralize its leadership and authority. So many potential revolutionaries be - come a bottleneck to their own process, making sure that every de - cision and idea for growth go through them first. If there is a way to grow and spread without constant committees and meetings, permission should be granted to do so. Oftentimes, meetings are counterproductive to organizational growth.

Even during the time Jesus walked the earth, the Gospel revolution was de-centralized. The Gospel of Luke shares a story of a man not connected with Christ or the disciples: “Master,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.” “Do not stop him,”

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Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you” (Luke 9:49-50).

This man wasn’t connected with Jesus or the Apostles but was allowed by Christ to con - tinue his ministry, although not connected with them or under their authority and leadership. Jesus understood who their enemy was, stating that we are all on the same team in Christ.

My wife’s Youth Pastor growing up was Nate Ruch, who oversaw JC’s Place at Emmanuel Christian Center. He had an incredible ministry that for years drew 800-1200 students in the 1990’s. Other pastors would ask him what it felt like to lead such a large ministry. He would often say, “The devil’s got the biggest youth ministry in town, and we’ve got work to do.” He understood that other churches or denominations were not his competition, and that if we are to move forward as the Church – we must work together to impact the un-churched in our communities.

John Nelson Darby stood as a prodigy of this de-central - ization concept in his time, enabling the revolution to grow as he taught his followers to stand in Christ on their own and recognized the spiritual authority each believer has in Christ.

Evangelizing China: Hudson Taylor (1832–1905 AD)

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James Hudson Taylor, commonly known as Hudson Tay - lor, was the founder of the China Inland Mission and was responsi - ble for evangelizing much of China in his generation. Taylor was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, England. After spending time in the study of medicine and theology, he went to China under the newly- formed China Evangelization Society, arriving in Shanghai in 1854. Unlike many missionaries in his day, he began to adapt to the Chi - nese culture, wearing similar clothes and a queue. He understood that when he wore the black coat of an Englishman, the local peo - ple called him “black devil.”

For six months after his arrival, Taylor lived in the home of Dr. Walter Henry Medhurst of the London Missionary Society, whose book, China, had stirred him to go to China while in Eng - land studying. From 1854 to 1860 he worked in Shanghai, Swatow, and Ningpo. In 1858 he married Maria Dyer, the daughter of a missionary in China. Soon after his marriage, he was asked to leave the China Evangelization Society, and continued working in China as an independent missionary. His zeal was unabated.

In a letter written to his sister, Hudson Taylor said: “If I had a thousand pounds China should have it. If I had a thousand lives, China should have them. No! Not China, but Christ. Can we do too much for Him? Can we do enough for such a precious Saviour?” Hudson Taylor would give it his all.

In 1860, he returned home and spent the next five years translating the New Testament into the Ningpo dialect, writing a book on China, and praying for missionaries to reach China for Christ. In 1865, he established a society at Brighton for the evan -

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gelization of inland China, and returned to China in 1866 with his wife, children, and sixteen new missionaries. This was the begin - ning of the China Inland Mission. He traveled widely throughout China, preaching and reaching the poor and common people, and he traveled widely throughout Europe, raising awareness of the need for ever more missionaries to reach China. He returned to China in 1872. J. Hudson Taylor died in Changsha, China, in 1905, leaving behind 205 mission stations in China, 849 missionaries, and over 125,000 Chinese Christians in the China Inland Mission.

Start a Revolution: Recruit People to Join

Leadership guru John Maxwell has stated often in his books, “Those who think they are a leader, but have no one follow - ing, are only taking a walk.” The strength of any revolution is in the number of followers it recruits to join them. J. Hudson Taylor spent his life to bring the Gospel revolution to China, but he also spent his life praying for and recruiting others to assist him in this process. While many in his day would have thought that the East would not be open to or fit for Christianity, Taylor believed what Jesus taught in John 4:35-38,

“Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

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There is no time like the present. If you ever find yourself thinking a region of the world is too far from God to accept Chris - tianity, you can immediately remember these words of Christ and the example of J. Hudson Taylor. The moment we decide people are not ready, is the precise moment people are ready.

Secondly, we must recruit others to join us in the revolu - tion work, as some of us will sow and some will reap. True revolu - tions are a process—movement that cannot be started or stopped within a single generation or lifetime, or by a single revolutionary. True revolutions take many recruits who sow and reap together.

Evangelizing America: D. L. Moody: (1837–1899 AD)

Dwight Lyman Moody was a world-renown evangelist, known especially for his preaching tours in Europe and America. He was born in Northfield, Massachusetts. He had only a few years of schooling, and his lack of education was quite noticeable to his hearers. His uncle reported that “when Dwight read his Bible out loud he couldn’t make anything more out of it than he could out of the chattering of a lot of blackbirds. Many of the words were so far beyond the boy that he left them out entirely when he read and the majority of the others he mangled fearfully.” 57 Moody spent the rest of his life educating himself, but his reading remained rough.

As a young man he left home and went to Boston to live with his uncle and work in his shoe store. One condition of his

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employment was that Moody should attend church faithfully. The following year he was led to Christ by his Sunday school teacher, Edward Kimball, who went into the shoe store, put his foot on a shoebox, and told Moody how much God loved him.

In 1856, at the age of nineteen, Moody left Boston for Chicago, where he again became a successful shoe salesman. He became interested in church work and soon joined the Plymouth Congregational Church. When Moody asked if he could lead a Sunday school class, his church told them he could if he could find un-churched students to join it. Moody brought in enough children for several classes. He soon organized a Sunday school of his own in North Market Hall that grew in attendance to about fifteen hun - dred youngsters.

When he was twenty-three, Moody answered the call of God to leave secular employment. This was the beginning of a life of great influence and fame. Moody was involved in many different areas of ministry. In Sunday school conventions, he was in de - mand. During the Civil War, he met with and counseled Union sol - diers. He also helped revive the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and in 1865 was made the president of the YMCA. He had a part in erecting the first and second YMCA buildings in Chicago. Although D. L. Moody was not an ordained minister, he was an effective preacher, pastor, and evangelist. In 1863, at the age of twenty-six, he built a church in downtown Chicago for twenty thousand dollars. After the great Chicago fire destroyed it, years later he erected a second one that stands in its place on the corner of Chicago Avenue and LaSalle Street.

Though he had a limited education, he became a noted ed - ucator and builder of schools. In 1879 he built Northfield Semi -

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nary for girls, and in 1881, Mount Hermon School for boys. In 1886 he started the first Bible school in this country, now known as the Moody Bible Institute. Between 1880 and 1886, he inaugurated summer conferences and student conferences at Northfield, and from this came the Student Volunteer Movement in 1886, which shook the world for God.

What stood apart from all these accomplishments, how - ever, were Moody’s evangelistic campaigns, which he had con - ducted since 1871. He felt that music could be a tremendous aid to worship, and convinced singer Ira Sankey to partner with him as his worship leader. They traveled together on Moody-Sankey cam - paigns in England, Ireland, Scotland, and especially America. Many of these large evangelistic services were in urban areas. These evan - gelistic crusades lasted from 1871 to 1899.

It is said that while conducting a seminar for church lead - ers on how to reach the masses, Moody and Sankey went out dur - ing a lunch break and began to sing and preach on a street corner. Soon hundreds of people gathered, and Moody brought them into the convention center. At the end of lunch break, the pastors slowly piled into the convention center, and Moody spoke to the crowd, saying, “If you’ll excuse us now, we have to direct this semi - nar, teaching these church leaders on how to reach the masses!” 58 l

Such was the practical heart of Moody to act upon the Gospel. Hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of people be - came Christians through the ministry of Moody’s preaching and Sankey’s singing. In the midst of his last evangelistic campaign, he became ill, dying a few days later in the year 1900.

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Start a Revolution: Consecrate then Concentrate

D. L. Moody, at the time of his salvation, was a shoe sales - man and all but illiterate. Scripture shares with us the same humble beginnings of first Apostles. “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

This unschooled, ordinary man, D. L. Moody, experienced Christ’s power to change his heart, caught an ardor for the King - dom of God, and went on to preach to millions of people across the United States and Europe. With a genuine heart and walk with God, he had an astonishing ability to reach the lost. Some of the keys of Moody’s effective life are his great love for people ex - pressed in practical ways, his obvious fervor for the lost, his humil - ity and commitment to holiness, and his dependence on God and His power for ministry.

Moody felt that God doesn’t look mainly for talent, intelli - gence or resources. He looks for people whose hearts are fully His. Moody felt that to be a revolutionary for the Gospel we must first dedicate all of our hearts to the Lord in true repentance. He en - couraged people everywhere to dedicate their entire lives to God. It was Moody who coined the phrase, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man who is completely yielded to Him.” 59

D. L. Moody had a common phrase that he taught around the world, “Consecrate then concentrate.” After people conse - crate, Moody felt they should concentrate on the gifts, strengths and calling that the Lord puts into their hearts. Moody often

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taught that whether you are a full time minister or a layperson who is fully dedicated to God, God has plans and purposes for you in each stage of your life.

Continue to discover the key gifts and purposes of God on your life and begin to concentrate all your efforts towards that goal. Don’t get sidetracked by good ideas, but concentrate your whole life on the great purpose God has put in your heart.

Founders of the Salvation Army: William & Catherine Booth (1829–1912 AD)

William & Catherine Booth were the founders of the Sal - vation Army. William was born near Nottingham, England, to par - ents who were members of the Church of England. He was converted in a small Methodist chapel at a young age and became interested in mission work and evangelistic preaching. For several years he worked long days to make a living, and spent his evenings visiting the sick, preaching on the street, and attending house meet - ings. He became a serious student of the Bible.

Always in poor health as a child, Catherine Mumford was born in 1829 and received a basic education from her mother at home. In 1844, Catherine moved with her parents to London, where she attended a Wesleyan church. After four years, she was banished with a group of other “reformers,” of whom William Booth was the pastor. William married Catherine, and they later became faithful coworkers in the great work of the Salvation Army.

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William Booth was pastor of the New Connection Methodist Church from 1850 to 1861, ordained in 1858. In 1861 he and Mrs. Booth became weary of controversy in the Methodist Church, and thus withdrew, launching into their own evangelistic work.

Early on in their ministry, Catherine published a pamphlet defending the right of women to preach, and delivered her first ser - mon in 1860 in her husband’s pulpit, with hundreds to follow. She continued to spend her life serving the poor, especially women and children, and wrote many books. In 1886-1887, Catherine con - ducted a series of her own preaching tours across England.

William and Catherine were led into a deeper Christian ex - perience, following John Wesley’s views on sanctification, heart pu - rity, and holiness. In 1865, William began preaching and doing missionary work among the poor lower classes in the Whitechapel neighborhood in East London. It was here that the Salvation Army had its beginning. By 1878, the Booth’s had formed their society— first known as the East London Christian Revival Society, or the Christian Mission—into an organization with military form, name, and discipline, calling it the Salvation Army.

The Booth’s lived to see their movement spread into more than fifty-five different countries, where the Salvation Army con - tinued to promote social justice as well as street preaching and per - sonal evangelism. William traveled about five million miles and preached nearly 60,000 sermons. In 1890, he published his great book, In Darkest England and the Way Out . After William’s death, the Booth’s oldest son, Bramwell Booth, succeeded them in the leader - ship of the Salvation Army. Twentieth-century healing evangelist,

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Smith Wigglesworth (whose wife was converted under the Salva - tion Army’s ministry), said of William Booth and his Salvation Army that, “This was the greatest revival ever known to human history!”

Start a Revolution: A Revolutionary Marriage

William and Catherine Booth stand as a revolutionary mar - riage for all time. It seems that more and more God is using wife- and-husband teams to transform the world with the Gospel revolution. William and Catherine supported each other in the ministry, humbly served the dreams that God had put in each other’s heart, and together served the poor and needy around them in practical ways.

Scripture gives us a blueprint for a successful marriage:

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and

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cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body.

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:22-32)

Marriage can be your greatest asset or your deepest failure. We must decide that our marriages are set in the sight of God and are to be guarded and nurtured more than anything else in our lives. Part of this means that both husband and wife must nurture their own relationship with the Lord. A mentor once told me, “Learn to fall in love with Jesus, then you will be able to love your future spouse.” I believe with all my heart that this is true.

One of the key reasons marriages fail across the United States today is because people are living pseudo lives and failing in their own relationship with the Lord, thus they become selfish and hard-hearted towards their spouse. They fail to commit to the Lord, and it trails over into their marriage, friendships, and overall lifestyle.

Conversely, if we commit to our marriage, it will be the greatest asset to our life and to the revolution we serve.

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Give Me Souls or I Die: John Hyde (1865–1912 AD)

John Hyde, otherwise known as “Praying Hyde,” was born in Carrollton, Illinois. He was educated at Carthage College and McCormick Seminary in Chicago. He went to India as a village missionary in 1892. In 1904, he helped found the Punjab Prayer Union for native ministers and missionaries in India, a movement that greatly impacted the country. While a missionary in India, he prayed for and personally won several people— every day —to faith in Christ. God moved on him to start winning one person a day; the following year he felt a burden to pray and witness each day until two people came to Christ, and then it was four a day, and so on! He prayed so often and with such intensity that his heart liter - ally moved inside his chest from the burden and the constant weep - ing in a fetal position. Hyde was so burdened for non-Christians that he was known to often pray, “Oh, God, give me souls or I die!” 60

Hyde was not only burdened for lost souls, he was also a man of great joy from breakthroughs in prayer for them. He was one of the most giving and loving Christians to walk the earth since Christ. After reaching untold thousands for Christ in India, he returned to America in 1911 and died shortly after.

Start a Revolution: Set a New Standard of Normal

John Hyde literally gave his life for what he believed. He set a new standard for how much one lone Christian could accom - plish in his life for God. He not only traveled to the opposite end of the earth to proclaim the good news of Christ, but he was filled

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with deeply-rooted compassion for those outside the faith revolu - tion. Hyde would regularly weep in prayer for those outside the faith.

His authenticity for the movement could not be underesti - mated. He did not hide behind a pulpit, but spoke with and influ - enced people on a personal basis. Jesus was the first to model this deep compassion and resolve: “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it” (Luke 19:41). When is the last time you have wept for the revolution?

Speaking for the Christian revolution, I believe with all my heart that God is raising up a generation like Hyde, as surely as the sun comes over the horizon each morning—a generation that will weep and wait on him until he gives them souls.

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The Healing Revolutionary: Smith Wigglesworth (1859–1947 AD)

Smith Wigglesworth was an English evangelist known around the world for his healings and extraordinary faith in God. “An indication of Wigglesworth’s continued popularity is the fact that no fewer than six books by or about him are in print—three of which were first published in the 1980’s.” 61

Wigglesworth was born into a very poor family and had no education because he had to help support his family from the age of six. This, however, caused him to develop a good work ethic. Wigglesworth did not learn to read until he was in his forties, when his wife taught him. Because of his late start, he dedicated himself to reading only the Bible, and became known, in a term coined in reference to the late John Wesley, as a “man of one Book.” (John Wesley, after studying many books, had dedicated the later years of his life to the supreme of all books, the Bible, and had become known as a “man of one Book.”)

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When Wigglesworth was only a teen, the bishop laid hands on him and prayed. The young man felt the presence of God for the first time. He couldn’t understand how other boys could still be sinful after such an intense moment with God. Wigglesworth was a soul winner from an early age, sometimes spending entire nights in prayer. As a young man leading Sunday school, he prayed for a hundred children to come to Christ each week, and hundreds did.

Wigglesworth did not go into full-time ministry until he was forty-eight years old. He did, however, minister at a local faith healing mission with his wife, Polly, whom he married when he was in his twenties. However, Wigglesworth could not preach because of a terrible stuttering problem. This was healed in 1907 when he was visiting the Sunderland Revival (he had heard of God’s move there). Touched by the Holy Spirit, he spoke in other languages he didn’t even know, similar to the experience of the Apostles in Acts 2 of the Bible. When he came home, his wife was skeptical, but, after hearing him preach for the first time without stuttering and seeing him lead people to Christ with great anointing and elo - quence, she became a believer of his supernatural experience, and experienced it later for herself.

Just like the apostles in the four Gospels, Wigglesworth was being used in healings and miracles, but God still had another touch of the Holy Spirit for him to lead people to Christ, which came by the baptism of power through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4,8). From the time of the disciples through the entirety of Church his - tory, the experience of the Holy Spirit—similar to that mentioned in various passages of Acts and speaking in other “tongues”—has been a consistent phenomenon. After this experience, Wig -

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glesworth quit his full-time plumbing business at the age of forty- eight to travel, preach, and pray for the sick. He always concluded services by praying for the sick, no matter what he had preached on. Incredible miracles and testimonies followed; God used Wig - glesworth to heal many kinds of sickness and disease, and as a re - sult many non-Christians believed in Christ.

Wigglesworth’s wife died as their ministry began to grow, and he raised her from the dead, only to have her confirm what God had spoken to him: it was her time to go. A disciple of Wig - glesworth’s named George Stormont declared, “For many people it takes a word from God to get them started, but for Wigglesworth it took a word from God to get him to stop.” 62

Wigglesworth was used by God to raise seventeen people from the dead and to heal mentally ill people as well. He was ac - cused of being rough with people when they came for prayer be - cause he often punched the spot where they were feeling ill, rebuking sickness in the name of Jesus. He believed he was step - ping out in faith and that he was not hitting the person, but the devil causing the sickness. Because of the miracles and healings that followed the preaching of the Gospel, Wigglesworth won un - told thousands to Christ in many areas of the world.

His first priority in ministry was leading non-Christians to Christ. He stated, “Healing of the body is not the main thing. I would sooner have one soul saved than ten thousand healed. I preach and practice healing to attract people just as our Lord did. My main aim is to win men for Christ.” 63 He had an incredible faith in God and loved the Bible dearly. He died in 1947, at the age of eighty-eight, just as he was going to officiate at a funeral service.

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Start a Revolution: Give God an Opportunity to Do a Miracle

Smith Wigglesworth lived an extraordinary life of faith in an age of reason. While the revolutionaries chosen for this book were not selected solely as being those who were used in signs, wonders and miracles, many of them were used in such a manner. The chain of revolutionaries with a miraculous anointing from God has been a consistent theme of Church history, yet has sadly gone unmentioned in many modern Church histories. Jesus taught, “Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:12-14).

A younger post-modern generation is rising that seems to have no issue with the idea that God can still work miraculously through his revolutionaries. A mentor of mine explained a won - derful thought towards this end: “Give God an opportunity to do a miracle.” It is not up to us to proclaim healing or miracles, but simply to pray and ask God to do such things, leaving the results up to Him. In this way, we steer clear of presumptuously claiming that God always does what we want, yet we won’t throw away this opportunity to bring God’s glory to the wayside. The only translat - able lesson after a life like Smith Wigglesworth’s for those outside the Christian revolution is this: Believe for the impossible in your life. This will go much easier through faith in Christ, but needless I’ve encouraged you several times already to do so.

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Founder of the Foursquare Denomination: Aimee Semple McPherson (1890–1944 AD)

Aimee Semple McPherson was one of America’s most flamboyant revivalists in the early 1900s. As a traveling evangelist, she founded Angelus Temple in Los Angeles, California, and the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. She was born in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada. Her father, who was a Methodist wor - ship leader and organist and who was significantly older than her mother, taught Aimee music from an early age. This instruction would be significant later in McPherson’s life when she founded the Foursquare Church. Her mother had been won to Christ under the ministry of the Salvation Army and she felt frustrated that she had left her denomination after marrying Aimee’s father.

In fact, Aimee’s birth was a complete miracle. Her mother had prayed for a girl who would do great things for God—great things that she wished she had done. It so happened that on the very day of Catherine Booth’s (the cofounder of the Salvation Army) death, Aimee Semple McPherson was born.

McPherson married the Irish evangelist who led her to Christ in her late teens. Together, they headed to China as mission - aries; however, her husband, Robert Semple, died from malaria just months after arriving in China. Alone and pregnant in a foreign land, she made the grief-ridden trip back home to America.

Back in the States, she soon married Harold McPherson, who for a time helped her evangelistic ministry by setting up and advertising her crusades. However, their marriage fell apart and

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ended in divorce after Harold moved from Canada to his home - town in Maine and began seeing another woman.

After recouping, McPherson began a series of very suc - cessful evangelistic preaching tours throughout the United States. “Sister Aimee,” as she was known to her followers, was well liked and miraculously used by God from an early age. In 1922, she and her family (including her mother, who helped her in ministry her entire life) moved to Los Angeles, California, and by the leading of God began an evangelistic work known as the Echo Park Evangel - ism Association. It was here that she pioneered radio evangelism; she was the first woman to own a radio station, and the first Chris - tian to use the radio for preaching and evangelizing. Various Chris - tians had been praying for another move of God since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in 1906 at the famous Azusa Street revival, and they found Semple to be the answer they had been waiting for.

Aimee was soon preaching to thousands each week, and she founded Angelus Temple, a 3,500-seat sanctuary that filled every week for church with “Sister Aimee.” She did services with great showmanship; she was, after all, in the land of actors and ac - tresses. Sunday mornings consisted of a huge choir and orchestra, stadium seating, dramatized sermons, and anointed preaching.

At one of her crusades in another city, Semple received a heavenly vision of God, which was her basis for founding the Foursquare Gospel. The four main beliefs of the Foursquare movement are as follows: Christ as Savior, Baptizer in the Spirit, Healer, and the soon and coming King. Semple’s ministry in Los Angeles expanded to include a Bible college, which still exists today, a missionary training center, and more. Semple not only

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preached sometimes more than twenty times weekly, but taught classes at her Bible college, wrote hundreds of hymns and several books, co-wrote seven major Christian musicals that played at her Angelus Temple, engaged in several public debates with widely- known atheists and other Christians who didn’t believe in the bap - tism in the Holy Spirit, and traveled and ministered as an evangelist around the world. She was greatly used in healing the sick, which had a huge impact on the success of her ministry. She also cared for the poor, ministered to returning soldiers during World War II, and aided earthquake relief efforts.

At the time of her death in 1944, she left behind more than 400 churches in North America, 200 mission stations, 22,000 church members, and over 3,000 ordained ministers in the Foursquare denomination, a majority of whom were women. If anyone ever wanted proof that God supports women as preachers and ministers, let them look to women such as Aimee Semple McPherson, who was used so blessedly by God to reach non-Chris - tians and heal the sick. Similar evidence of the move of the Spirit on the Gentiles was enough for Peter and the early disciples, so it should be the same for women ministers. With God using them in such a powerful way, we have no other choice but to accept what God has anointed.

An estimated 65,000 people showed up for Aimee Semple McPherson’s funeral in 1944. She died just before a crusade in Oakland, California. Her son, Rolf McPherson, led the denomina - tion after her death, and it has continued to expand, still reaching many non-Christians for Christ around the world.

Start a Revolution: Leave a Legacy

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It is difficult to get over the fact that 65,000 people at - tended Aimee Semple McPherson’s funeral. Her life was celebrated in many ways, more than nearly every celebrity in California since that day. Sister Aimee served the Lord with all her heart, and al - though her life contained the usual controversy of any Hollywood starlet, she consistently strove to walk wholeheartedly with the Lord and to preach the good news of Christ and proclaim his re - turn to her generation. Because of this she left a legacy. She un - derstood what the Psalmist David sang:

Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.” (Psalm 39:4-6).

Just before my first summer preaching full time, between my sophomore and junior years at North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, my best friend, Luke, and I had our own extended times of fasting, prayer, solitude and God’s Word in spiri - tual preparation to travel and preach.

Luke spent several days in solitude and fasting at a cabin in the woods. After several hours the first day, he quickly ran out of things to pray about and realized he needed some sort of schedule. He would take allotted times to pray, read his Bible, clean and or - ganize his cabin, and go on walks. He felt this extended retreat truly revealed where he was in his relationship with God.

During his time, on the second to last day of his retreat,

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God spoke to his heart in a strong way. As he was on his daily walk, the Holy Spirit quickened his heart saying, “When we strip away everything that is man-made…for instance, humans created the clock, so we busy our schedules and run around hurriedly with - out enough time each day. And we have created education and de - grees, giving people a silly looking cap and gown and a piece of paper that says you have done something with your life. But when you strip away all that man-made stuff away, all that’s left is all of creation waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ.”

Sister Aimee understood that she had only a short time here on earth before she faced eternity, and she left a legacy of people whose lives were changed because of it.

Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ: Bill Bright (1921-2003 AD)

William “Bill” Rohl Bright was born on October 19, 1921, to Dale and Mary Lee Bright in the town of Cowetta, Oklahoma. During the pregnancy, doctors warned of risks, and Bill’s mother promised God that she would dedicate her child to His service if He would allow the baby to live. She did not relate this fact to Bill until after he had given his life to the Lord, nearly twenty-five years later. While Bill’s mother was deeply religious, Bill’s father was far from faith in Christ.

Bill grew up taking his dad’s approach to faith, even though his mother had him baptized when he turned twelve at a

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local Methodist church.

Like many in his generation, Bill’s work ethic was shaped largely by the period of the Great Depression. At the beginning of World War II, he rushed to enlist while still in college, but failed his physical due to a perforated eardrum caused by a football accident years earlier. In frustration, he tried every avenue to appeal the de - cision, but to no avail. Eventually, he moved to Los Angeles, Cali - fornia, thinking he might have a better chance of success there.

On his first evening in Los Angeles, at the stoplight at Sun - set Boulevard and Figueroa Street he saw a young man looking for a ride and decided to help him out. The young man invited Bill to spend the night with his friend of the Navigators, an evangelistic ministry. Bill accepted, and they headed to the home of Dawson Trotman, founder and director of the Navigators. After dinner, he was invited to a birthday party for Dan Fuller, held at his parent’s home nearby. Fuller’s father was Charles Fuller, featured speaker of The Old Fashioned Revival Hour , and later the founder of Fuller The - ological Seminary. Neither the Trotman’s nor the Fuller’s pressed Bill about his faith. They were simply accepting and hospitable, yet Bill was impacted by their lives.

Despite being turned down for the Army again in Los An - geles, Bill remained in the area. He soon started a successful fancy food store, and began to live the high life with money, clothes, cars and parties. During this time, the landlords of his Hollywood apartment repeatedly invited him to go to church with them. One day after riding horses, Bill decided to drop in on the service. His landlords put him on the church visitation list, and he was invited to a young adult ministry party held at the home of church mem - ber who happened to be a movie star. He was impressed by the

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Christians he met there: In one evening, my notion that Christianity is ap - propriate only for women and children was really shaken. I had never met people like these be - fore…now I suddenly found myself face to face with some of the most prominent business and professional leaders in Los Angles who were Christians… I wasn’t aware of sin particularly … I thought I lived a pretty good life. My mother had instilled those qualities into me. But now, I be - came aware that I needed Jesus Christ.” 64

In the spring of 1945, Bill eventually gave his life to Christ, alone in his apartment after a church service under the teaching and mentorship of Dr. Henrietta Mears, also called “Teacher.” Dr. Mears was a Baptist from Minnesota who had been recruited to di - rect education and training at Hollywood Presbyterian, where Bill had been attending. She continued to remain a massive influence on Bill throughout the rest of his life, as well as impacting many other influential Christian leaders.

Throughout his life, Bill was consumed with being in the center of God’s will for his life. This included the time when Bill found himself attracted to one Vonette Zachary back home in Oklahoma. He corresponded with letters and telephone calls from Los Angeles, and soon drove across the country to see her. Here, on their first date, Bill asked her to marry him. She asked for the weekend to think it over, agreeing two days later to his proposal.

This consuming passion for the will of God also directed Bill into both Princeton and Fuller seminaries for Biblical studies.

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While at a conference in the Bernardino Mountains, Bill had his first encounter with the Presence of God, which he described:

We knew the living God had come to take control… We were like intoxicated people … my first real encounter with the Holy Spirit … our minds were racing with cre - ative ideas … they saw before them in their minds the na - tion’s teeming college campuses, where an army could be recruited for God.” 65

Bill Bright sensed a growing calling on his life to fulfill the Great Commission, starting with students on campus at UCLA. This was the birth of Campus Crusade for Christ. Bill and Vonette continued to direct Campus Crusade for Christ throughout their lives, which now has more than “20,514 full-time staff and over 663,612 trained volunteer staff in 181 countries.” 66

Along with over a hundred other books and booklets, Dr. Bill Bright wrote The Four Spiritual Laws tract in 1965 which has in - fluenced millions around the world for Christ. Under his direction, The Jesus Film was produced in 1979, an original film on the life of Christ that has been screened in many nations on earth, and that has influenced millions to accept Christ. He was a signer of the document Evangelicals and Catholics Together , promoting unity among the Body of Christ. Dr. Bright was named the 1996 recipient of the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, receiving 1.1 million dollars, all of which he donated to charitable causes promoting the spiritual benefits of prayer and fasting for world evangelization, a cause to which he dedicated his later life, eventually doing seven forty-day fasts, seeking God for worldwide revival.

Billy Graham released a statement after his death, saying of

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him, “He has carried a burden on his heart as few men that I’ve ever known - a burden for the evangelization of the world. He is a man whose sincerity and integrity and devotion to our Lord have been an inspiration and a blessing to me ever since the early days of my ministry.”

Opinion research specialist George Gallup Jr. wrote, “He has reached people in depth and in numbers matched by few others in history.” 67

Start a Revolution: Never Give Up

The common denominator of people who have succeeded is that they vehemently refused to give up. The revolution race doesn’t go to the quick or the strong, but to those who with stead - fast perseverance keep on keeping on. Whether it is in the arena of sports, business, finance or ministry – those who stick have a much better chance of reaching their dreams. It may not be within the timeline they expected when they started, but perseverance is the key to any revolution.

Bill Bright wouldn’t slow down for anything. Eternity weighed heavily on his heart, he understood how little time he had in one lifetime, and chose to give everything. He used every medium he had to spread the revolution. There were times in his ministry when even his closest associates turned their backs on him, but he pressed onward. He believed the promise found in Galatians 6:9 – “Do not grow weary in doing good, for you will reap a harvest at the proper time if you do not give up.”

In some ways building the revolution may compare to ren - ovating a house. When you watch home improvement reality

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shows you find the renovations nearly always cost much more and take much longer than what were originally planned for. However, as we dedicate ourselves to the revolution, we can trust that we will most assuredly reach the harvest at God’s appointed time if we do not give up in the process.

The World Revolutionary: Billy Graham (1918 – - - AD)

William “Billy” Franklin Graham, Jr., was born November 7, 1918, to Frank and Morrow Graham near Charlotte, North Car - olina. His family was an ordinary family and attended a local Pres - byterian church. He came to faith in Christ at the age of sixteen during a series of evangelistic meetings held by Mordechai Ham. At the same outreach, two of his long-time ministry partners also accepted Christ, the brothers Grady and T. W. Wilson.

After Billy graduated High School, he attended Bob Jones College in Cleveland, Tennessee, but soon left to enroll in Florida Bible Institute in Tampa, Florida. Dr. Bob Jones, the president of the first college, was perturbed with him for leaving, saying, “Billy, if you leave and throw your life away at a little Bible school, chances are you will never be heard of. At best all you could amount to would be a poor country preacher somewhere out in the sticks.” 68 Billy ignored the comment and finished his studies at the Florida Bible Institute, then moved from there to Wheaton College, near Chicago, Illinois, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology.

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It was at Wheaton that Billy met his future wife, Ruth Ann Bell, the daughter of a medical missionary to China. Billy and Ruth were married and took a pastorate for several years at a small Bap - tist church in Western Springs, Illinois. During this time, Billy met and worked with George Beverly Shea, who would eventually be - come another of his long-time ministry partners. They produced a radio show for the greater Chicago area called Songs in the Night . While pastoring, Billy had begun to travel and preach for a new ministry called Youth for Christ . Eventually, the opportunity arose to travel full time as the first evangelist with Youth for Christ , and he sensed a call to leave the pastorate to take this offer.

Several years later, Billy was offered the presidency of Northwestern Schools in Minneapolis, MN. Billy agreed, although continuing his traveling evangelistic ministry. Around this same time, at a conference in North Carolina, Billy met Cliff Barrows, and they quickly became friends. He and Cliff would also spend a lifetime as ministry partners together in their evangelistic work, along with the friends already mentioned.

Months later, while speaking at a conference center in the San Bernardino Mountains (the same conference center where Bill Bright first encountered the Holy Spirit), Billy was struggling with personal questions about the validity of the Scriptures. He found himself trudging fifty yards off the main trail, where he sat on a large rock, placing his Bible on a tree stump in front of him. He cried out from a heart of surrender to God: “Oh, God, I cannot prove certain things. I cannot answer some of the questions [my friend] is rais - ing and some of the other people are raising, but I accept this Book by faith as the word of God.”

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This was a decisive moment in his life and a transforma - tional moment in his ministry. Only a few short days later he drove down to Los Angeles, California for what was one of his first and most successful outreach events, a moment which single-handedly launched his ministry into international fame. The campaign was held in the Canvas Cathedral, and scheduled to last for three weeks. Previous to his arrival, Grady Wilson had arrived in town to organ - ize prayer groups with great success—some churches were setting aside entire days and nights for prayer. The outreach started ordi - narily, but began to gain momentum. Thousands began to pour in night by night, with hundreds being turned away for lack of room.

Hardly any story is better known than the remainder of Billy Graham’s ministry. He continued on to preach the Gospel around the world, adding the new mediums of radio and television, as well as writing several dozen books, some of which have been bestsellers around the world. He was influential in starting several Christian radio stations, popular Christian magazines such as Chris - tianity Today and Decision Magazine , evangelistic movies, Bible Col - lege training centers, international conferences on evangelism such as Lausanne and more. Dr. Graham, from his youth as a humble farm boy has gone on to preach in more than 185 countries of the world to more than 210 million people, with millions making a de - cision to serve Jesus Christ because of his ministry. Today his eld - est son, Franklin, continues the ministry Billy Graham started, with great success.

During 2009, I was privileged with the blessed opportunity to work for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association towards an outreach in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, held by his son, Franklin Graham, the organization’s new CEO. I have been deeply affected by the ministry’s focus on prayer, and also the dedication

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of the employees. Many have worked for decades, serving in this evangelistic work. I would be surprised to see any organization hold employees for such an extended length. I have been told the ministry maintains a heartfelt loyalty towards its employees.

Start a Revolution: God So Loved the World

Sometimes the greatest revolutions are also the simplest and easiest to miss. Anyone wanting to impact the world with their revolution will most positively and powerfully reach success in doing so if they commit the revolution to God.

Billy Graham didn’t preach his own message. He traversed the earth as one of the first generations to have the capability of passenger airplane flight, preaching a message that was two thou - sand years old: The message of Christ giving his life on the cross as explained in one of his favorite portions of Scripture: “For God so love the world that he gave his only begotten Son. That who - ever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

And this message has continued to change the world over the past century, ever relevant over thousands of cultures that have come and gone. This revolution is not about religion. It is about a personal relationship with God that is made possible through ac - cepting the grace and sacrifice only found in Jesus Christ. Funda - mentally, it is a revolution of love. God actually likes you. He created you. He wants you. However, He is holy, and each of us fails to live up to His standard. Yet He has made a way for every person on earth to experience His forgiveness. We must make a free will choice to put our trust in and lean our lives upon Christ.

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I love how the Amplified Bible defines this faith or belief we must have in Christ to receive his salvation: “The leaning of your entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confi - dence in His power, wisdom and goodness.” (Colossians 1:4)

So what are you waiting for? If you would like to receive Christ right now, pray this prayer from your heart – it is the most revolutionary thing any human being can ever do: Father God, I confess I am a sinner. I’ve failed to live Your way as outlined in Your Word. But I be - lieve in Jesus Christ, the greatest revolutionary, and what He did on the cross for me – taking the penalty for my sins upon Himself. So today I choose to turn from my sins and follow Your way, God. Lord Jesus, be the leader and Savior of my life. Forgive me of all my wrongdoings. In Your precious Name I pray, amen.

If you’ve prayed this prayer, please know that making a de - cision to serve Christ is just the beginning of a life of true revolu - tionary faith. Please begin to do several things:

1. Get a Bible and begin to set aside time daily to read it. Read it with faith, and a heart to live out what you are learning from it.

2. Take time as you read the Bible daily, to pray to God in the Name of Jesus, asking for his wisdom and direction in your life and his strength to live according to His Word. Ask him for any needs that you might have in your life. Also, take time to thank and praise Him for what He means in your life.

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3. Find a local Christian church of any denomination that preaches the Bible and attend there on a weekly basis. Build Chris - tian friendships, and find a place to serve within your new church.

4. As you are able, share about the revolutionary changes that Christ has made in your life with others that may not know Him. Allow God to work in people’s hearts, and do not expect that people will always respond positively. Instead, simply be faith - ful to share about God’s great love in Christ and the difference it has made in your life.

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Revolutionary Lessons Learned

A common characteristic of these revolutionaries of the past is their deep love and compassion for people without Christ. Their purity and holy way of life is also notable in every revolution - ary examined. Every one of them seemed to have, not only leader - ship ability, but great passion and anointing from the Holy Spirit. Many knew Christ from an early age, though not all. It is encourag - ing to see that each was different from the others. Some were ut - terly unschooled; some received a superb education. A few were brothers or spouses, while others renounced their families. Most were ascetic and disciplined.

All struggled deeply with self and sinfulness and strove to live wholly for the Lord. They were not satisfied to be spiritually complacent, and they longed to be closer to their God. They also all seemed to possess a profound determination and perseverance as they faced countless obstacles. With laser-like focus, they ful - filled their call to reach those without Christ. What a legacy they have left. None was perfect. Some struggled with insecurity, pride,

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or a desire for wealth, while others “married” poverty. As we look at so many great lives, we can see clearly that God uses normal people. He uses imperfect people. He can use us in greater ways than we have ever dreamed! What can God do with a person com - pletely yielded to him, now, today?

What is Happening Today?

God is moving around the world in our generation. These past few decades have been a time of progress for the Gospel rev - olution. In one altar call in Nigeria, Africa, in 2001, over a million people gave their lives to Christ under the preaching of Reinhard Bonnke. Through Bonkke’s ministry across Africa, estimated tens of millions have come to Christ and filled out decision cards. Churches across the continent of Africa are exploding with growth. Philip Jenkins, in his book, The Next Christendom , reports that in countries like Uganda, “Where Christianity was newly planted in the mid-nineteenth century…today, about 40 percent of the population is Protestant, 35 percent Catholic. …Uganda could by that point have more active church members than the four or five largest European nations combined.” 69

Philip Jenkins also mentions the Philippines, “Christianity has deep roots in the Philippines…about 85 percent of the nation presently has some degree of identification with the Roman Catholic Church. …If we assume that these proportions will re - main constant, then by 2050, we will be speaking of roughly 143 million Filipino Christians.” 70

In the country of Argentina there has been a sustained revolution of the Christian faith. For the past twenty years, the majority of the churches in Argentina have looked quite similar to

194 21ST CENTURY

the early Church, straight from the book of Acts. One evangelist alone, named Carlos Annacondia, accepted Christ as a middle-aged businessman and began preaching evangelistic crusades after he had been saved only two years. An estimated several million have come to Christ under his ministry since his conversion in 1980. Many other pastors and evangelists from many denominations are being used by God in unusual ways as well, and churches are grow - ing to “average” sizes of 15,000, 25,000, and 50,000 people who regularly attend church each week. Some churches even have lines of people outside the church before each service, waiting for hours to get a seat. My wife and I had the opportunity to visit Argentina in July of 2003, and the manifestation of God’s power and the mir - acles that we saw there were astonishing. At one church, we waited in line to get into the service, one of their fourteen regular services that week. At another church the service went for over six hours in prayer, worship and preaching.

Pastor David Yonggi Cho, pastor of Yoiddo Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea, leads a church of nearly a million people who attend on a weekly basis. This is the largest church in the world, and in Church history.

My older brother Jon, who is a youth pastor in Kenosha, Wisconsin, had the opportunity several years ago to take a trip to Bogotá, Columbia, where he participated in a conference at a church of over 250,000 people. His greatest joy was sitting in their weekly youth service, with over 70,000 youth that meet weekly in a soccer stadium.

A Revolutionary Challenge

What about your city? What about the United States?

195 REVOLUTIONARIES

Who will dare to step out for God as a revolutionary in this coun - try? We live in a time in America when many Christians are afraid to share their faith. God is calling people with a servant’s heart for humanity who cannot stop speaking about what they have seen and heard. (Acts 4:20) God’s faithfulness to America is our foundation as a nation and the sole reason for our success. Our success as a nation remains dependent on our dependency on God. The first Congress prayed, and the last Congress will be so only because they stopped praying.

What can one person really do? Leading others to Jesus can revolutionize lives and families and over time change history. This was the method of Christ – it will work for you. Our nation needs an uprising of young and old alike who will not be silent when it comes to sharing their faith and who have deep compas - sion for those without Christ.

In early 2009, my wife and I had the opportunity to lead a team of twelve people halfway across the world to Calcutta, India. While there, we served the ministry of Calcutta Mercy Hospital, a facility that through the support of caring Christians, offers free treatment to over forty thousand Indians a year who would have been otherwise unable to pay. This ministry started by missionaries Mark and Huldah Buntain has been carried on by the selfless servi - tude of Huldah Buntain for the past two decades after her late hus - band Mark went to be with the Lord. Huldah shares a dynamic secret to becoming a revolutionary for the Lord: “I am often asked how we were able to accom - plish so much for the Kingdom of God: We took it one day at a time. We worked hard and we did our best to listen to the voice of the Lord, know - ing that He was the One who sent us. He was the

196 21ST CENTURY

One who performed the miracles and He was the One who sustained us.”

Huldah Buntain was a close friend of the late , and while there, we had the opportunity to visit Mother Teresa’s Order and see her tomb. Flower petals spelled out words on her tomb: Love Until it Hurts. Mother Teresa spent her life caring for the least of all people in their dying days, giving them dignity in death. She shares similar sentiments of Mrs. Buntain; Mother Teresa often stated: “We can do no great things. Only small things with great love.”

Likely the greatest disconnect between people with great ideas and those who revolutionize the world is the ability to get ruthlessly practical. The only way to the revolution is one day at a time, one step at a time. Therefore, we must learn to see each step to the revolution as a part of the whole. Andy Stanley affirms in his book, Visioneering, “Vision is the difference between filling bags with dirt and building a dike in order to save a city.”

As great as it feels to dream big and plan for the future, true revolutionaries must move forward to humbly serve and pa - tiently endure one day at a time if they are to get anywhere at all. Throughout this book, we’ve focused on highlights of these revo - lutionaries. However, we can doubtless assume that each revolu - tionary faced insurmountable obstacles, continual discouragement, self-doubt and, for some, torture and even death. While we re - member their lives and legacy, we can also be encouraged to endure whatever we might face today.

Additionally, each of these revolutionaries had large teams of revolutionary partners who helped them accomplish such great

197 REVOLUTIONARIES

feats in their generations – none of them could have done it alone. Consider St. Vincent Ferrer who at times had as many as 10,000 revolutionary partners who traveled, prayed and labored alongside of him. If we are to attempt anything large, we need a team that will come alongside of the vision to work with us. Not everyone may be able to go to the ends of the earth, but each of us can share Christ with our friends and neighbors, and each of us can pray, serve and give as revolutionary partners. As revolutionary partners we share in the joy of the harvest.

Now that we’ve seen a theme of Church history and have been trained by some of the greatest revolutionaries in world his - tory, let us let it change our lives! “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and run with persever - ance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

Go ahead—Start a Revolution.

198

Notes

1Gladwell, Malcolm, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Little, Brown & Company, 2002. 2Jenkins, Philip. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christi - anity. Oxford University Press, 2007. p. 64-66. 3Jenkins, p. 90. 4Voice of Martyrs, Jesus Freaks 2 , pp. 312-353. There have been 45,080,800 martyrs from 1914-2000 out of a total 69,421,230 known martyrs throughout Church history. 5Jenkins, pp. 93-95. 6Turpin, Joanne, Women in Church History: 21 Stories for 21 Centuries. Saint Anthony Messenger Press & Franciscan Communications, 2007, p. 129. 7Bonaventure, St., The Life of St. Francis of Assisi , Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1988, pp. 79-82. 8Bede, The History of the English Church and People , Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading Series, 2005, p. 1 9Ravenhill, Leonard, Revival Praying , Bethany Fellowship, Inc., 1962, p. 13. 10 Foxe, John, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs , Barbour Publishing, Uhrichsville, Ohio, 2001, pp. 11-16. 11 Foxe, pp. 16-17.

199 NOTES

12 The doctrine of Petrine, or papal, succession did not appear until the 6th century, well after Irenaeus. “Apostolic succession in Christian theology, the doctrine asserting that the chosen successors of the apostles enjoyed through God's grace the same authority, power, and responsibility as was con - ferred upon the apostles by Jesus. Therefore present-day bishops, as the successors of previous bishops, going back to the apostles, have this power by virtue of this unbroken chain. For the Ortho - dox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican churches, this link with the apostles is what guarantees for them their authority in matters of faith, morals, and the valid administration of sacraments. Essential to maintaining the apostolic succession is the right consecration of bishops. Apostolic succession is to be distinguished from the Petrine supremacy. Protestants (other than Anglican) see the au - thority given to the apostles as unique, proper to them alone, and hence reject any doctrine of a succession of their power. The Protestant view of ecclesiastical authority differs accordingly.” The Columbia Encyclopedia , Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. http://www.encyclopedia.com. 13 Not Clement of Rome, the episcopate mentioned earlier in Ire - naeus’ letter. 14 http://www.catholicity.com/encyclopedia/g/gregory_of_neo - caesarea,saint.html 15 Allen, James, Pentecostal Distinctives . North Central University, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2004, p. 42. 16 Allen, p. 16. 17 Bowie, Walter Russell. Men of Fire: Torchbearers of the Gospel. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1961, p. 96. 18 http://www.truthinhistory.org/spiritual-revival.hml. Charles Jen - nings, PO BOX 808, Owasso, OK 74055 19 Patrick, Confessions , p. 24. 20 The obscure Cummene is known only because of a short pas -

200 NOTES

sage that Adomnan, the ninth abbot in Iona, included in his own biography on Columba. 21 Allen, p. 46 22 Mitton, Michael. The Soul of Celtic Spirituality: In the Lives of Its Saints. Thirty Third Publications, Mystic, Connecticut, 1996, p. 11. 23 Mitton, p. 12. 24 Kurth, Godfrey. . Translated by Victor Day and Francis S. Betten. The Bruce Publishing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1935, p. 1. 25 Kurth, p. 4. 26 Kurth, p. 11. 27 Turpin, p. 108. 28 Bowie, p. 103. 29 Ghezzi,Bert. Mystics & Miracles. Loyola Press, Chicago, Illinois, 2002, p. 121. 30 Bowie, p. 107. 31 Turpin, p. 136 32 Pradel, , Andrew. Translated by Dixon, T.A. St. Vincent Ferrer: His Life, Spiritual Teaching and Practical Devotion . R. Washbourne, London, England, 1875. p. 33. 33 Pradel, p. 33. 34 Pradel, p. 23-24. 35 Pradel, p. 79. 36 Pradel, p. 25. 37 Pradel, p. 37-38. 38 Pradel, p. 40. 39 Pradel, p. 40, 42. 40 Pradel, p. 48, 50. 41 Allen, p. 56. 42 Pradel, p. 63. 43 Lewis, p. 39. 44 Ghezzi, p. 108.

201 NOTES

45 Pradel, p. 56. 46 Gwyn, Douglas. Apocalypse of the Word: The Life and Message of George Fox. Friends United Press, Richmond, Indiana, 1984, p. 24. 47 Gwyn, p. 26. 48 Driver, John. Radical Faith: An Alternative History of the Christian Church , Pandora Press, Ontario, Canada, 1999, p. 222. 49 Lockyer, Herbert. Ancient Portraits in Modern Frames. Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1975, p. 105. 50 Wallace, Charles Jr (1997) Susanna Wesley : the complete writings, New York : Oxford University Press, p. 67. 51 Wesley, John. The Journal of John Wesley , p. 72. 52 Wesley, p. 68. 53 Engstrom, Theodore W. Great Sermons from Master Preachers of All Ages. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1951, p. 70. 54 www.christianword.org/revival/whitefield.html 55 Ludwig, Charles. Francis Asbury: God’s Circuit Rider. Mott Media, Milford, Michigan, 1984, introduction. 56 Ravenhill, Leonard. America is Too Young to Die. Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1979, p. 39. Brackets mine. 57 Chapman, Rev. J. Wilbur, D.D. The Life and Work of D.L. Moody. www.biblebelievers.com/moody 58 http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/e/evangelism.html 59 Engstrom, p. 158. 60 Carre, Captain E.G. Praying Hyde: Apostle of Prayer. Bridge-Logos Publishers, Gainesville, Florida, 1982, p. 6. 61 Warner, p. 1195. 62 From a taped sermon by George Stormont. 63 Stormont, George. Wigglesworth: A man who walked with God. Harrison House, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1989, p. 95 64 Richardson, Michael. Amazing Faith: The Authorized Biography of Bill Bright. Waterbrook Press, Springs, CO, 2000. p.

202 20-21. 65 Richardson, p. 36-37. 66 Richardson, p. 220. 67 Richardson, p. 238. 68 Drummond, Lewis A. The Evangelist: The Worldwide Impact of Billy Graham. Word Publishing, Nashville, TN, 2001. p. 3. 69 Jenkins, p. 91. 70 Jenkins, p. 91-92.

203 SOURCES

Sources

Translations of the Bible Used: NLT: New Living Translation NIV: New International Version

Books & Resources: Full publication information has been given on a book’s first reference. Subsequent entries list only the author name and book title.

Author’s Foreword: Bede, The History of the English Church and People , Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading Series, 2005. Bonaventure, St., The Life of St. Francis of Assisi , Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1988. Gladwell, Malcolm, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Little, Brown & Company, 2002. Jenkins, Philip. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. Oxford University Press, 2007. Jenkins, Philip. The Lost History of Christianity: The Thou - sand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa and Asia - and How It Died. HarperOne, New York, NY,

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2008. Ravenhill, Leonard. Revival Praying . Bethany House Pub - lishers, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1961. Voice of Martyrs, Jesus Freaks . Albury Publishing, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1999. Turpin, Joanne, Women in Church History: 21 Stories for 21 Centuries. Saint Anthony Messenger Press & Franciscan Communications, 2007.

1st Century: Jesus Christ and the Apostles Bowie, Walter Russell. Men of Fire: Torchbearers of the Gospel. Harper & Brothers, New York, 1961. Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois, 1992. Foxe, John. Foxes Book of Martyrs. Barbour Publishing, Uhrichsville, Ohio, 2001. Jesus Freaks . DC Talk and Voice of the Martyrs Ministries. Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church . Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois, 1982. The Columbia Encyclopedia , Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclope - dia.com. http://www.encyclopedia.com.

2nd Century : Irenaeus of Lyons Allen, James. Pentecostal Distinctives . North Central Univer - sity Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2004. Bowie, Walter Russell. Men of Fire: Torchbearers of the Gospel. Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History . Fleming H. Revell, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1991. Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Grant, Robert M. Irenaeus of Lyons . Routledge, New Fetter

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Lane, London, 1997. Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church .

3rd Century: Origen, Gregory Thaumaturgus, and Gregory the Illuminator Allen, James. Pentecostal Distinctives . Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History . Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church . http://www.catholicity.com/encyclopedia/g/gregory_of_ neocaesarea,saint.html

4th Century: Constantine and Frumentius Allen, James. Pentecostal Distinctives . Bowie, Walter Russell. Men of Fire: Torchbearers of the Gospel. Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History . Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church .

5th Century: Patrick Bowie, Walter Russell. Men of Fire : Torchbearers of the Gospel. Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History . Ghezzi, Bert. Mystics & Miracles . Loyola Press, Chicago, Illi - nois, 2002. MacDonald, Iain. . Floris Books, Edinburgh, England, 1992.

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Mitton, Michael. The Soul of Celtic Spirituality: In the Lives of Its Saints. Twenty Third Publications, Mystic, Con - necticut, 1996. Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church . O’Donoghue, Noel Dermot. Patrick of Ireland : Aristocracy of the Soul. Michael Glazier, Wilmington, Delaware, 1987. http://www.truthinhistory.org/spiritual-revival.hml. Charles Jennings, PO BOX 808, Owasso, OK 74055

6th Century: Columba and Augustine of Canterbury Adomnan of Iona. Life of St. Columba . Translated by Richard Sharpe. Penguin Books, London, England, 1995. Bowie, Walter Russell. Men of Fire: Torchbearers of the Gospel. Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History . Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Mitton, Michael. The Soul of Celtic Spirituality : In the Lives of Its Saints. Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church .

7th Century: Alopen and Aiden Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Mitton, Michael. The Soul of Celtic Spirituality : In the Lives of Its Saints. Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church .

8th Century: Boniface or Winfred Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History .

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Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Kurth, Godfrey. Saint Boniface . Translated by Victor Day and Francis S. Betten. The Bruce Publishing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1935. Mitton, Michael. The Soul of Celtic Spirituality: In the Lives of Its Saints. Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church .

9th Century: Cyril and Methodius Bowie, Walter Russell. Men of Fire: Torchbearers of the Gospel. Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History . Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Lacko, Michael. Saints Cyril and Methodius . Slovak Editions, Rome, Italy, 1963. Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church .

10th Century: King Vladimir and Aldabert of Prague Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History . Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church .

11th Century: Otto of Bamberg Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church .

12th Century: Peter Waldo Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson.

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The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History . Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Driver, John. Radical Faith: An Alternative History of the Christian Church. Pandora Press, Ontario, Canada, 1999. Foxe, John. Foxes Book of Martyrs. Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church .

13th Century: Francis of Assisi and John of Monte Corvino Allen, James. Pentecostal Distinctives . Bowie, Walter Russell. Men of Fire: Torchbearers of the Gospel. Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History . Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Driver, John. Radical Faith : An Alternative History of the Christian Church. Ghezzi, Bert. Mystics & Miracles . Loyola Press, Chicago, Illi - nois, 2002. Jorgensen, Johannes. St. Francis of Assisi : A Biography. Image Books, Garden City, New York, 1955. Mitton, Michael. The Soul of Celtic Spirituality : In the Lives of Its Saints. Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church .

14th Century: Jordanus Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church .

15th Century: Vincent Ferrer Allen, James. Pentecostal Distinctives .

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Ghezzi, Bert. Mystics & Miracles . Pradel, Andrew. Translated by Dixon, T.A. St. Vincent Fer - rer: His Life, Spiritual Teaching and Practical Devotion . R. Washbourne, London, England, 1875.

16th Century: Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, and Martin Luther Aland, Kurt. Martin Luther’s 95 Theses . Concordia Publish - ing House, Saint Louis, Missouri, 1967. Allen, James. Pentecostal Distinctives . Bowie, Walter Russell. Men of Fire: Torchbearers of the Gospel. Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History . Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Drewery, Benjamin and E. G. Rupp. Martin Luther . Edward Arnold, London, England, 1970. Driver, John. Radical Faith : An Alternative History of the Christian Church. Egan, Harvey D. Ignatius Loyola the Mystic . Michael Glazier, Wilmington, Delaware, 1987. Foxe, John. Foxes Book of Martyrs. Kepler, Thomas S. Table Talk of Martin Luther . Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1952. Liardon, Roberts. God’s Generals 2: The Roaring Reformers. Whitaker House, New Kensington, Pennsylvania, 2003. Lockyer, Herbert. Ancient Portraits in Modern Frames . Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1975. Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church . Van Dyke, Paul. Ignatius Loyola : The Founder of the Jesuits. Kennikat Press, Port Washington, New York, 1926.

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17th Century: George Fox Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History . Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Driver, John. Radical Faith : An Alternative History of the Christian Church. Fox, George. The Journal of George Fox . Cambridge Univer - sity Press, Cambridge, England, 1952. Gwyn, Douglas. Apocalypse of the Word : The Life and Message of George Fox. Friends United Press, Richmond, Indiana, 1984. Liardon, Roberts. God’s Generals 2 : The Roaring Reformers. Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church .

18th Century: John Wesley, George Whitefield, and Francis Asbury Ablelove, Henry. The Evangelist of Desire : John Wesley and the Methodists. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, 1990. Allen, James. Pentecostal Distinctives . Bowie, Walter Russell. Men of Fire: Torchbearers of the Gospel. Bready, J. Wesley. England Before and After Wesley . Hodder and Stoughton Limited, London, England, 1951. Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History . Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Driver, John. Radical Faith : An Alternative History of the Christian Church. Engstrom, Theodore W. Great Sermons from Master Preachers of All Ages . Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1951.

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Lockyer, Herbert. Ancient Portraits in Modern Frames . Loud, Grover C. Evangelized America . Dial Press, Toronto, Canada, 1928. Ludwig, Charles. Francis Asbury : God’s Circuit Rider. Mott Media, Milford, Michigan, 1984. Mitton, Michael. The Soul of Celtic Spirituality: In the Lives of Its Saints. Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church . Pollock, John. John Wesley . Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1989. Wesley, John. The Journal of John Wesley . A Lion Book, Ox - ford, England, 2003.

19th Century: John Nelson Darby, Hudson Taylor, D. L. Moody, William Booth, and John Hyde Carre, Captain E. G. Praying Hyde : Apostle of Prayer. Bridge- Logos Publishers, Gainesville, Florida, 1982. Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History . Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Driver, John. Radical Faith : An Alternative History of the Christian Church. Engstrom, Theodore W. Great Sermons from Master Preachers of All Ages . Lockyer, Herbert. Ancient Portraits in Modern Frames . Loud, Grover C. Evangelized America . Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church . Ravenhill, Leonard. America is Too Young to Die . Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1979. Blair, Brett C. www.sermonillustrations.com . Online. Internet.

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Sponsored by esermons.com.

20th Century: Smith Wigglesworth, Aimee Semple McPher - son, Bill Bright and Billy Graham Allen, James. Pentecostal Distinctives . Annacondia, Carlos. Listen to me, satan! Creation House, Lake Mary, Florida, 1998. Blumhofer, Edith L. Aimee Semple McPherson: Everybody’s Sister. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, 1993. Burgess, Stanley M. and Eduard M. Van Der Maas. The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal & Charismatic Movements . Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 2002. Curtis, A. Kenneth, Stephen J. Lang, and Randy Peterson. The 100 Most Important Events in Christian History . Douglas, J. D. Who’s Who in Christian History . Epstein, Daniel Mark. Sister Aimee: The Life of Aimee Semple McPherson. Harcourt Brace & Co., Orlando, Florida, 1993. Liardon, Roberts. God’s Generals . Whitaker House, NewKensington, Pennsylvania, 1998. McPherson, Aimee Semple. Aimee: Life Story of Aimee Sem - ple McPherson. Foursquare Publications, Los Angeles, 1979. McPherson, Aimee Semple. The Foursquare Gospel. Com - piled by R. L. Cox. Heritage Committee, California, 1969. Moyer, Elgin and Earle E. Cairns. The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church . Stormont, George. Wigglesworth : A man who walked with God. Harrison House, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1989. Shell, Tim. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Bright . Last updated April 24,2009. Online. Internet. Sponsored by Wikimedia Foundation.

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21st Century: A Challenge to the Reader Bonnke, Reinhard. Evangelism by Fire . Produc - tions, United Kingdom, 1990. Jenkins, Philip. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. Pradel, Andrew and Dixon, T.A. St. Vincent Ferrer: His Life, Spiritual Teaching and Practical Devotion .

214