It Takes Guts to Stand!

This is a true story of something that happened years ago at a university. There was a professor of Philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God could not exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic. For twenty years, he had taught this class, and no one had ever 'really gone against him' (you'll see what I mean later). After a while, nobody would go against him because he had a reputation.

At the end of every semester, on the last day, he would say to his class of approximately 300 students, "If there's anyone here, who still believes in God, stand up!" In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, "Because anyone who does believe in God is a fool. If God existed, He could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that He is God, and yet He can't do it." And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom, and it would shatter into pieces. All of the students would do nothing but only stop and stare. Most of the students were convinced that God could not exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for twenty years, they had been too afraid to stand up.

Well, as time progressed there was a freshman who enrolled in the class. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about this professor. He had to take the class because it was one of the required classes for his major. And he was afraid. But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said or what the class thought. Nothing they said or did would ever shatter his faith, he hoped.

Finally the day came. The professor said, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class looked shocked, as this freshman stood up at the back of the classroom. The professor shouted, "You FOOL! If God existed, he could keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!" He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleats of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away, unbroken.

The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man and then ran out of the lecture hall. The young man, who had stood up, proceeded to walk to the front of the room and share his faith in Jesus for the next half-hour. All of the students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for them, and of His power through Jesus.

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1: 12-13).

“But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
 
Submitted by a student who was enrolled in a Masters’ program
Setting the Standard by the
Spirit of Prayer in Leadership
 
In this scriptural account Miriam just dies. (Numbers 20:1-12) This had to be tough on Moses, (verse 1) Israel lacked resources. (verse 2) The people were not happy with their leaders. (verses 3-5) Moses and Aaron enter into a prayer shift after this and show up and speak to them. (verse 6) However, Moses misrepresents God's voice, God's mind, and God's image for leadership in verse 10.
 
As we proceed with the story, now God rebukes and corrects Moses for it in verse 12. All because he did ministry with a contempt for the people. Moses was God's standard for the people to judge their walk by: handling problem relationships; how to approach God while you are hurting; how to cope with unappreciative people; setting the standard for fearing; etc. It is so serious that his actions caused him not to see the Promise Land.
 
A leader’s actions must always reflect three important leadership principles: reflecting God's Spirit and ways in a situation; reflecting God's Word in a situation; reflecting your pastor (Godly authority) and fellowship guidelines and standards in dealing with the saints. Otherwise, you are smiting the rock of Moses with the wrong attitude in leadership.
 
So how do we avoid smiting the rock with contempt? How do we reflect leadership properly? “Now I know you fear me.” (Genesis 22:12) Our consecration of worship, prayer, and fasting must be mixed with the fear of God in it. This requires transparency with your attitude towards God and men. It requires affection displayed towards God and men. This requires putting nothing before your love and integrity with God, including your Isaacs…like money, things, children, a relationship, etc.
 
Like Moses, we face some hardships: spiritual Miriams dying, lack of resources, and some saints being unhappy with our decision-making. But, let us go to Jehovah Jireh right now…that when we hit our faces and rise up after worship, we will show God's standard for leadership. II Timothy 2:24-26 says, “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
 
Pray:
 
  • that our personal agendas do not hurt or interfere with God's Kingdom business.
  • that we do not cause the saints to stumble with our selfishness.
  • that our wounds do not cause people to see Jesus in an unhealthy way.
  • that we show the Saints God's standard and Pastor's standards for church sacrificial living and giving.
  • that we do not misrepresent our leadership with our own philosophical agendas.
 
Pastor Don Rogers
The Pentecostals of Wisconsin
Wisconsin District Prayer Coordinator
WNOP North Central Regional Prayer Coordinator
The World Network of Prayer Presents
24/7 WATCH: A Year-Round Initiative for 24/7 Prayer

As of January 1, 2022, WNOP launched an annual 24/7 prayer and fasting chain worldwide in coordination with our existing “Year of Prayer.” Each week WNOP is posting a prayer focus as daily prayer for the entire week. Also weekly, a video is posted on the WNOP Facebook Page of a prayer leader and/or minister leading in periodic prayer. We encourage your participation by joining in prayer.

Will you commit and join with others throughout the world in united prayer and fasting? Sign up by committing in your heart unto God that you will consistently set aside a day each week to do some prayer and fasting. WNOP also has partnered with those in local churches who are already a part of a current 24-hour prayer chain. All of these hours of consecration are culminating to help provide a complete mass prayer covering over the entire Church body and to help bring greater success in all that we do in Christ! Together, let’s “watch and pray” and behold great and mighty things in the kingdom of God! Let’s prevail over the enemy with victory and declare, “Not on My Watch!”

Flo Shaw
WNOP Director
FEBRUARY 24/7 WATCH (WEEK 4)
Healing: Physical Healing

Following is the “24/7 Watch” daily prayer focus for this week. Join with us in consistent prayer & fasting.
World Needs:

  • Pray for God to support firefighters and rescuers in Greece as two men were trapped in a burning ferry and eleven people are missing.
  • Pray for the Lord to have His way and support the Freedom Convoy by causing restrictions to roll back and freedom and liberty to be restored.
  • Pray for all family members in the Brazilian mountain city of Petropolis who have lost loved ones after 94 people died as a result of heavy rains which triggered landslides and washed out streets, swept away cars, and buried homes.
  • Pray for current economic challenges, that God would bless the church economy and help the world economy by providing necessary supplies and decrease in prices, including gas.
  • Continue to pray for God to protect His Bride, the Harvest field, and the healing of our world, as Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations decrease through out the U.S., and over 2,000 people are still dying daily. Currently, the new case average is 151,056 cases daily. However, a subvariant of Omicron known as BA.2 is spreading quickly and could cause severe disease. It has been found in 74 countries and 47 U.S. States and CDC data indicates that 4% of Americans with Covid-19 have infections caused by BA.2.
We have extended the early registration deadline to Sunday night.
Starting Monday next week it will be $35!
Small Group Video Series: Rev. John Hanson, Bishop of Acts II Ministries, has produced some in-house video series for prayer groups and made these available online as free resources for churches with limited budgets. Please visit www.ActsII.org to access these remarkable resources, as applicable.
Dr. David K. Bernard
UPCI General Superintendent
General Presbyters (L-W)
Access Challenged Nations

Join the World Network of Prayer and Global Missions in praying for the nations that currently do not have an apostolic work. We will focus on one nation each week.
2022 WNOP Events

  • 24/7 WATCH: WNOP Facebook Worldwide Prayer Initiative (January 1 - December 31)
  • South Carolina District Summons - Regional (February 24-26). World Harvest Church, SC
  • *Arkansas District Summons (March 11-12). First Pentecostals of Benton, Benton, AR
  • UPCI Fivefold Ministry Discovery Conference (March 30-April 2). South Bay Pentecostal, Chula Vista, CA
  • WNOP Leadership Retreat (April 6-8). UPCI World Headquarters, Weldon Spring, MO
  • Washington District Summons (April 21-23). Location: TBA
  • National Day of Prayer (May 5)
  • National Apostolic Day of Prayer (Date TBA). Apostolic Fellowship Summit
  • WNOP International Summons (June 2-4). New Life St. Louis, Bridgeton, MO
  • World Day of Prayer/Pentecost Sunday (June 5).
  • New England Territory Summons (NETS) - Regional (August 18-20). Christ Temple, Tiverton, RI
  • UPCI Day of Prayer (September 28)
  • International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (November 6)
  • *South Texas District Summons (Dates TBD) Houston, Texas
  • *Ontario District Blitz (November 4-13). Location: Various Sections in Ontario, Canada.
  • YM + WNOP Summons (Rescheduled Dates TBD). Location: TBA
  • WNOP “Operation Prayer Evangelism: “Switzerland” (Rescheduled Dates TBD)
  • WNOP “Operation Prayer Evangelism: “Operation Turkey” (Rescheduled Dates TBD)
  • WNOP “Operation Prayer Evangelism: “Operation Jamaica” (Rescheduled Dates TBD)
 
*Pending Board approval. Note: Events and schedule subject to the restrictions and impact of the ongoing pandemic.
Also, more 2022 event dates to be added to the WNOP Calendar later as approved by the Board throughout the year.

(For more info on these specific listings, please contact WNOP at 636-229-7986)
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PRAYER! 

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