The Friday Fax

As announced in June, the Friday Fax is being replaced by two other publications: Joel News and the Friday Fax 2. Both require an annual subscription or donation. Joel News is the most similar to the current Friday Fax, so everyone subscribed to the Friday Fax will automatically receive a free trial subscription to Joel News starting in January 2006. The Friday Fax 2 is more prophetically-oriented, and is available from the Friday Fax 2 web site.
I, Steven Bufton, am not involved in either publication; if you have any questions or comments about the new publications, please consult the web sites for further information. The e-mail address fridayfax@bufton.net will be closed at the end of January.

I would like to thank everyone who has written to me with encouragement, questions, corrections and thanks during the almost eleven years I have been translating and distributing the Friday Fax. Thanks particularly to the (very) few who donated money, most of which was passed on to support church planters.

Regards, and many blessings,

Steven Bufton

Two main themes are currently determining the future of Christianity: firstly, the rediscovery of the original nature and organic structure of Church, and secondly, the rediscovery of New Testament financial principles. When much of Christianity follows money instead of the Lord, what is the effect on the original aim and mission of the Church? Could it be that its operating system - its financial principles - is damaged?

"Everything you've heard about work and money in the church is wrong!" That was the background of a 2005 book by Dr. Thomas Giudici and Wolfgang Simson, examining materialistic 'Mammon-addiction' in both individuals' lives and the Church (in German, "Der Preis des Geldes", www.preisdesgeldes.net). Constructive criticism isn't enough, though, so the book also suggests alternative financial models. One of those models is "apostolic finances", principles for work and finances which support the mission of the Church, not its self-centred or even pleasure-seeking status quo.

Around the world in the course of the past decade, well over 100,000 churches have been planted according to an entirely new model, as described in the two most recent issues of the Friday Fax 2: house churches and regional apostolic networks. Baptist researcher Dr. Jim Slack has shown that all current and past effective long-term missionary models are house church movements - or at least were in their initial phases.

In 2001, following two years of research in India funded by American Christian foundations, Dr. David Barrett discovered that investing in multiplicative organic house church movements has the highest RoI (Return on Investment). Traditional churches, with their astronomical running costs, can never win so many people to Christ and disciple them at such low cost.

What did it cost to start these 100,000 churches? Churches with no building or parking lot, no paid pastor or youth leader, no overhead projector? Totalling the costs for all the travel required, seminars, training, research projects, equipping of the few key people and multipliers, plus emergency welfare assistance, we arrive at no more than US$ 30 million per year, or around US$ 300 million over the past decade.
In comparison: traditional Christianity, with its countless programmes, mountains of paper, training, permanent evangelistic events, church buildings and maintenance costs, salaries of church employees and budgets for welfare and mission, cost an incredible US$ 286 billion per year, according to Dr. David Barrett, or US$ 2,860 billion over the decade. US$ 300 million is one ten thousandth of that sum! What would happen if Christians changed their giving habits over the next ten years, so that instead of 0.01%, 10% of Christian finances were invested in strategic multiplicative church planting movements? It would lead to a missionary explosion of incredible proportions.

In order for that to happen, we believe that a 'financial salvation' or 'financial repentance' is necessary. We call it 'crucified giving'. The cross is not logical, uncrucified giving is: it demands hard facts, reasons to expect a return on investment, a business plan and visible, rapid results. The cross is hidden, uncrucified giving finances the shiningly obvious. The cross is weak, uncrucified giving finances the strong. Crucified giving knows that we are strong when we are weak, and recognises that desert experiences are often the most important times for God's plans. Crucified giving is glad when a grain of wheat falls in the ground and dies because it knows God's promises; uncrucified giving wants a depot full of combine harvesters. Crucified giving recognises that Jesus knows what the money is for better than we do, and submits to his principles.

Messianic Financial Principles Think Tank
Dr. Thomas Giudici and Wolfgang Simson are organizing a 1-day think tank in the Basel region, Switzerland, on Monday, 20th March 2006. If you were already thinking about this subject, and are involved in working out New Testament, Messianic and practicable principles of giving as a donor, recipient or missions-oriented thinker, you are invited to take part. Places are limited; please detail why you should take part in a short e-mail to wolfsimson@compuserve.com. The results will be included in a new publication entitled "Messianic Financial Principles" and become part of a strategy to dramatically change Christians' giving habits. What part will you play?

"If you kill me, I'll be with Jesus," Fakar told his torturers. In Spring of 2004, Fakar had been given a green booklet explaining the Gospel using statements in the Koran about Jesus (Isa). Convinced, he was baptised, along with his wife and three daughters, and could not stop speaking of his new faith. After a few months, the local Islamic leaders warned and threatened him. One day, a dozen men attacked and beat him. He died of his injuries. Our partners have started almost 50 house churches among Muslims in Kashmir, India, and the new believers helped others following the recent earthquake in the region. They provide people with a roof over their heads and warm clothing, and make sure they also feel the warmth of God's love.

Raju, a devout Muslim, had a dream in which two corpses were lying in the street. According to Islamic tradition, the dead must be buried immediately. Raju buried the first, but the second one spoke to him, saying "I am not dead. I have eternal life, and you can have it too. Go to your friend. He has a black book. Page x tells you how to find eternal life."
The following day, Raju visited his friend, who was a secret follower of Isa. His friend opened his "black book" (the Bible), and Raju found eternal life, just as he had seen in his dream. He has now started 30 house churches!

Marina was married to a Wahabi warrior who aimed to exterminate all Christians. Every day, Marina prayed that Allah would exterminate them. Marina's husband was killed in battle, and her life worsened. Her parents-in-law took her son away from her and chased her away. Then she heard the Gospel, and Isa appeared to her several times. She was baptised about one year ago, and attended the first church planting school in Sochi in May of 2005. Encouraged, she returned to Chechnya to get her son. During our visit a few weeks ago, she told us that he also likes to worship Isa Masiach, the saviour of the world. Marina's mother suffered from Tuberculosis, and would not listen to the Gospel, so Marina prayed and fasted for her. Isa appeared to her mother, saying "You are healed." She was completely healed, opened her heart to Jesus, and was baptised a few weeks ago.

Some years ago, H.P. Nüesch, leader of Campus für Christus (Campus Crusade for Christ) in Switzerland, gave an evangelistic sermon in northern Russia. Victor, an oil worker, was touched. He visited his sister Sina, who was married to an Muslim businessman in Dagestan; she was saved, and told her husband Arthur about the Gospel. Arthur was also saved, and planted the first national church in an Islamic people group in the Caucasus. That church grew to around 300 members, and has since planted churches in ten other places in Dagestan. Arthur told the Gospel to Juri, another businessman who was going to commit suicide. Juri's family was heavily involved in the Occult. When Juri opened his heart to Jesus, demons attacked and killed him, but after prayer in Isa's name, "he returned to life." He was sent out to North Ossetia-Alania, and has so far planted churches in two villages. I'm amazed by this 'genealogy': Hanspeter Nüesch - Victor - Sina - Arthur - Juri - churches in North Ossetia-Alania. That's almost a biblical list!

On a hot day in 1983, Tom, a missionary on his way home in a rickshaw, saw a young man on the side of the road, and asked him if he wanted a ride. The young man, Abdul, had been through a tough time, including being locked in his room, solitary confinement, beatings, death threats and suicide attempts, because he had questioned the Koran. He went home with Tom, who gave him a Bible. When he returned home, Abdul read the entire New Testament in one night. John 3:17 astonished him, because it told him that God does not damn people but save them. That very night, he opened his heart to this God! One week later, he had read the entire Bible. His salvation was the start of the most dynamic present-day evangelistic movement in an Islamic nation, currently numbering hundreds of thousands of Muslims now following Isa, and around 10,000 who are baptised each month. That's a millennium event!
Source: Kingdom Ministries, Switzerland. KM is a team which aims to help start church-planting movements.

"The Berlin Conference from 17-19th November, 2005 was the climax of a six year process of relationship building between European and African Christian leaders," reports intercessor Brian Mills. In 1884, twelve European nations, the USA and Russia met to "cut up Africa like a cake". The process of reconciliation involved "uncovering the sins that contributed to and resulted from that 1884 Conference."
The November conference culminated in a statement drawn up by Roger Mitchell, Chris Seaton and Brian Mills: "It is our prayer that this will lead to many continuing acts of love and restitution from our nation towards those nations sinned against. We recognise that this is not the whole story. The Africans were gracious to remind us of the legacy of the Gospel that was brought by European missionaries, and of the contribution made to their well-being through education, medicine and certain infra-structures. In reference to the 1884 Conference which did not include any representative of any African nation, we confess:
"We as the nations of Great Britain & Ireland confess and repent of the sins we have committed against Africa and Africans from many nations, and against the Living God – Father, Son & Holy Spirit. We repent with a deep sense of guilt and shame of the following: Competition with our fellow European nations for imperial domination in the world; The imposition of the Empire Spirit upon Africa; Taking rather than giving; Dehumanising and degrading Africans, treating them as goods, calling them "black ivory", perpetrating the evil of the Transatlantic Slave Trade; Covenant breaking as we lied and deceived African leaders into signing away their rights to their lands for trivial returns; Imposing concentration camps in South Africa which created the ground for apartheid; Creating unjust trade patterns; Cultural domination through the imposition of the English language; Presenting the gospel to the African peoples without separating adequately the unholy alliance of the Church from the Empire and the Empire Spirit, which included imposing denominations, and failing to recognise that God had opened Africa to Britain for the expansion of the Kingdom of God."
Source: Brian Mills, (full report available)

"Sister Ling is a simple, plain-looking farmer's daughter, but Christ's beauty and grace shines in her eyes," in the words of a report from Revival Chinese Ministries International (RCMI). "In 1991, the house churches in the central Chinese province Henan suffered heavy persecution. Sister Ling's family was torn apart. She and her husband had to leave their 7-year-old daughter in the care of another Christian. In the midst of this terrible time, Sister Ling's church decided to send her and another believer to far north-eastern China as spiritual pioneers. At 2 a.m. the night before she left, she and her husband sneaked into the village where their daughter now lived. The little girl woke, and cried when she saw her parents. After the traumatic goodbye, Sister Ling set off on her 2,500 km (1,600 mile) journey. It looked like it was going to be a difficult job; two years previously, several young believers had been sent to the region, but they had not been strong in their faith. Their work had resulted in eight new groups. The two women's job was now to choose a few key people from each group and train them in Biblical truths. Four months later, the Christians were filled with God's love for the lost, so they went out to evangelise. Many came to faith, because the Holy Spirit was with them. Sister Ling's home church decided that the two women should stay longer, so they discipled ten Christians who subsequently each went to different places to pass that which they had learned on to others. More and more people came to faith in Jesus. Ling declared January 1994 to be "Gospel Month". The churches fasted and prayed, and covered the streets with tracts, going from house to house evangelising. Over 4,000 new churches were planted in the surrounding towns and villages. Countless signs and wonders happened, and the believers were filled with joy; their experiences reminded them of the book of Acts. Sister Ling and her team prayed for more leaders and workers for the growing flock; God answered by speaking to thirty people who then worked full time for the Gospel. They travelled in pairs, training new leaders and giving the rapidly-growing church a Biblical foundation. Sister Ling's leadership team has no pastors or elders, and nobody has any theological training. Everything they teach they have heard from God themselves. The team now consists of 120 full-time staff, working in three provinces in north-eastern China, Inner Mongolia, Hebei and Shandong. 300,000 people have come to faith in Christ, and gather in 5,000 churches."
Source: RCMI, Dennis Balcombe

Anne van der Bijl, better known to most as Brother Andrew and founder of Open Doors, the international organisation supporting persecuted Christians, is convinced that the number of Muslims involved in suicide bombings will increase in the coming years. Andrew has visited Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian areas regularly since the early 1980's, encouraging the Christians and speaking with radical Muslims about the Gospel. He describes the militant Muslims as deeply depressed. "They are facing insurmountable problems: they will never be able to defeat Israel and the United States militarily, and their faith makes it very difficult for them to enter Paradise," he says. "Muslims know that they can only be saved by good works, but they also know that they do more evil deeds than good. Many Muslims are convinced that they will end in Hell when they die." They also have to admit that Allah does not answer their prayers. The Koran also shows them no way to be saved. Together, that leads many radical Muslims to choose death in Jihad, the holy war, because that is the only direct way to Paradise. "They see no reason to live, so choose the only reason to die," he said, addressing the 900 attendees of the Open Doors Day in Niedernhausen, Germany, on November 26th, the 50th anniversary of Open Doors Germany.

Hamas, Hizbollah, PLO: immense interest in the Gospel
"Unless we Christians go to the Muslims and tell them that they do not have to die because Jesus died for their sins too, the dramatic situation in the Near East, Iraq and Afghanistan will not change," he said, reminding Christians of their responsibility. In many encounters with leaders of Hamas, Hizbollah and the PLO, he regularly senses a great interest in the message of Christianity. "I have given thousands of Bibles to radical Muslims, and no-one has ever refused. I have also often spoken with them about Jesus who died for the sins of the world, and nobody has killed me for it."

Be an example, don't discuss
Andrew called on Christians to show more courage and mercy towards Muslims, who are desperately seeking meaning in life. Many Christians have resigned in the face of the Muslim challenge. "Muslims do not believe, as we do, that Jesus is the son of God, and that he poured out his blood on the cross for the sins of the world. But that is exactly the answer we must give them in their situation." Christians should seek contact with Muslims, and tell them the Good News in love. "We will never win the encounter with Islam through discussions or sermons. We have to go and show them how Jesus can change people."
Source: Brother Andrew, www.opendoors-de.org, and Manuel Liesenfeld, e-mail manuell [at] opendoors-de.org, tel. +(49) 06732/93 24 64.

"Gerges is one of the most fearless village missionaries we know. Wherever he goes, a spiritual fire starts," writes Swiss missions agency SMG in its newsletter "Ziel 19" (Target 19). Gerges visits remote villages in Egypt, often without even basic infrastructure such as roads or electricity. He rides his old motorcycle, once even without air in his tires because a knife wanted it that way...

Guerilla for Jesus
"Wherever the simple Gospel goes, it angers the mighty. It's always been that way. It's really the invisible powers behind the visibly powerful that do not want the Gospel," he says, referring to Ephesians 6:12-18. But that doesn't stop him. He teaches the people songs, distributes tracts, cassettes and Bibles, and then disappears quickly. 'Hit and run,' he calls it, and sees himself as a sort of guerilla for Jesus. "A knife in my tires isn't that bad. Once, someone tried to knife me in the back, but the knife got caught in my jacket, and I was unharmed. I just managed to escape the fanatics who attacked me," he recalls. A few weeks later, he returned to the same village because there were people there hungry for the Gospel. "I was chased away, but not attacked with a knife. It gets better with every visit," he laughs. Gerges has started Bible and prayer groups in six of the 50 villages he has visited so far this year.
Source: Ziel 19, SMG, Josefstr. 206, 8005 Zurich, Switzerland

(Continued from part 1)

At last, a huge angel stepped forward and said in a voice loud enough to be heard in the farthest corners of the valley, "That is enough! You have done as you please for long enough. End the war you declared yourselves. Submit to your God. Lay down the banners and flags you made yourselves. Take off the uniforms and boots you were given, as well as the insignia you created. Repent, because you have been disobedient. Lay everything on the ground beside you and kneel to ask your Father to forgive you. In His mercy, he will grant you a fresh start."

The people froze. Astonished disbelief spread through the crowd. Some started to talk, some even started shouting "Pay no attention to them! Listen to me!" But some began to understand. A few sobbed. One or two started to remove their insignia, lay down their banners and flags, take off their uniform and kneel in the dust, asking God for forgiveness for their disobedience. Whenever another person knelt - or even an entire group - an angel left the phalanx, took what the person had laid down, and carried it out to the plain, slowly creating a huge mound of banners, flags and uniforms. The angel then returned to the kneeling person, both as a sign and a guard, because some of the people who had not yet understood what was happening were angry, shouting "Traitors! Deserters!" at those who knelt, ordering them to return to their militia.
The number of stubborn rebels and militia leaders shrank continuously as more people recognised that they had been incredibly misguided and laid down their uniforms and weapons. Finally, after a long time, everyone was kneeling. The angels set the huge mound of uniforms, banners and flags alight, and everyone watched transfixed as the once so precious possessions vanished in the flames. When the fire had burned down, the angel spoke again in a very gentle voice, saying "Now stand up and follow us. Let's start over again."

A new start
The people stood up, naked, without a uniform, but their shame covered by the angel at their side who led them back to the point at which they had entered the Kingdom of God. This time, each person went slowly and deliberately to the first booth to write their name in the army register before receiving a new uniform and boots with no insignia. The angel then took them to the second booth, where they received a sword, symbolising the Word of God. They then went on to the third and final booth, where they were given harvesting tools and a clearly-defined task and position. The angel then took them to a clearly defined position on the plain, where he instructed "his" person to assume his personal position and obey God's battle orders. The angel then left. With time, an incredibly powerful army formed. Everyone was in the right place and knew exactly what his job was. Nobody did what seemed right in their own eyes, but paid great attention to their own task and function. I saw joy, but also wild determination, written on the people's faces.
That was the end of the 'film' for me. I had tears in my eyes, and was both horrified and thankful. At the end of my talk that evening, I decided to recount my vision just as I have written it here.

Clint Toews
Clint Toews is a Canadian prophet and author from Winnipeg. He stood up at just that moment, explaining that he had planned to speak at another church in Toronto, but that God had redirected him, telling him to be where I would speak, and that he had a prophetic word for the moment. I do not allow just any 'prophet' to take the microphone, so checked with my friend Dr. Ken Stade, also from Winnipeg, who led the meeting. He agreed that Clint should speak.

"No!"
Clint said that God has a very simply message to us all. It is written in Joshua 5:13-14. Shortly before conquering Jericho, Joshua encounters an unknown man armed with a sword. He approaches the man and asks "Are you for us or for our enemies?" The man answered "No!". Clint exclaimed "This 'NO!' is God's answer to our unspoken question about when he will join our project, our plan, fellowship, church, outreach, even our war. God will not join our human plans, and particularly not our church. It is He who builds His church. So, 'No!' But if we repent, confess our pride, our pitiful denominationalism and favouritism, and kneel down and remove our shoes because we recognise that Jesus is standing before us, the Commander of the Lord's army, then he will again assume the command which we have usurped. If we then take the place he assigns us and follow His commands, victory will come quickly; Jericho is a historic example. The honour for God's victories will then no longer go to some banner, flag, denomination, missions agency or terrific plan to save the world, but to the Lamb of God alone, Jesus Christ."
Source: Wolfgang Simson