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REFLECTION
W e have been focusing on the objective
of “spiritual transformation” of our
region ever since the UP Team began. But the
term, “spiritual transformation,” can have
different meanings for different people. Since
I believe that it is important for all members
of the UP Team to have the same vision, this
Reflection is dedicated to a description of
what “spiritual transformation” means. Let’s
begin by focusing on three Scriptures: 1)
Daniel 7: “As I watched: Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne. His
clothing was bright as snow and the hair on his
head as white as wool; his throne was flames of
fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging
stream of fire flowed out from where he sat;
thousands upon thousands were ministering to
him, and myriads upon myriads attended him.
The court was convened and the books were
opened. As the visions
during the night
continued, I saw:
One like a Son of
man coming on the
clouds of heaven; when
he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him, the
one like a Son of man received dominion,
glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and
languages serve him. His dominion is an
everlasting dominion that shall not be taken
away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.” 2) 2
Peter 1: (Recall that Peter was one of the
apostles present at the Transfiguration.)
“Beloved: We did not follow cleverly devised
myths when we made known to you the power
and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we
had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he
received honor and glory from God the Father
when that unique declaration came to him from
the majestic glory, ‘This is my Son, my beloved,
with whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves
heard this voice come
from heaven while we
were with him on the
holy mountain.
Moreover, we possess
the prophetic message
that is altogether
reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as
to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day
dawns and the morning star rises in your
hearts.” 3) Luke 9: “Jesus took Peter, John,
and James and went up a mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in
appearance and his clothing became dazzling
white. And behold, two men were conversing
with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in
glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going
to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his
companions had been overcome by sleep, but
becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and
the two men standing with him. As they were
about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
‘Master, it is good that we are here; let us make
three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one
for Elijah.’ But he did not know what he was
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saying. While he was still speaking, a cloud
came and cast a shadow over them, and they
became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
‘This is my chosen Son; listen to him.’” Daniel
was given the privilege of seeing the heavens
opened and the rule of the Father (the Ancient
One) and role of the Son (one like a Son of
man). Peter wrote to the Christians about his
experience on the Mount of Transfiguration
and told them to be attentive to its meaning
and implications. Then Luke writes about the
Transfiguration itself, a brief manifestation of
Jesus as the Son of God in all His heavenly
glory. So, what does all of this mean for us? I
firmly believe that it is very important for us
as intercessors to have the vision of what we
are praying for. We are not just talking about
the various sectors of our
region becoming more
spiritual, more open in
proclaiming Christ.
No, we are talking
about the grace of God
moving so mightily that
the entire nation will take
notice and stream to the Ozarks. When
spiritual transformation occurs, we will see
such spiritual realities as the following (please
allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your spirits
and you also add to the list): Churches will
stop fighting within themselves and among
themselves and will come together in a love
and unity that appear impossible from a
human perspective.. Businesses who already
base their missions on Christian values will
become very bold in proclaiming their
allegiance to Jesus and proclaiming His
Lordship – yet in a way that will not make
non-
Christians feel out of place but welcomed with
a deep and true love…Businesses that are
totally secular will transform, through
owners, leaders and employees, into
organizations basing their life on Jesus
Christ…Government leaders, public relations
people, Chambers of Commerce and others
will proclaim to the nation that the region is a
place to visit precisely because of its allegiance
to and proclamation of Jesus Christ…There
will be signs and wonders, including healings
and other miracles, to proclaim the presence
of the Risen Lord…Sinners will repent and
churches will be filled with people on their
knees seeking the mercy of God…People from
all parts of our nation will return home
changed people and will themselves become
catalysts for spiritual transformation. A
Great Awakening is far more than what
many, perhaps even most, people imagine…
Souls will be saved – all souls, no one lost who
lives here because of the power of God’s grace
moving freely because of the intercession of
people. Using Branson as an example, what
we have now is merely “nice”: Family values,
patriotism, Gospel songs, friendly and caring
people. What will happen when God’s grace
hits will take that foundation and build
something awesome and incredible upon it.
Brothers and sisters, God did not inspire the
launching of the Uninterrupted Prayer Team
for something superficial, as a way to simply
be pleasing to Him. He has mighty plans
through the power of our prayer – and not
just the UP Team, but a joining of all
individual intercessors and prayer groups in
our region. This is why it is so frustrating to
me when my appeals to churches to help
identify intercessors in their congregations go
unheard. They are the gatekeepers, and the
uniting of intercessors is absolutely critical.
However, I am so thrilled about the faithful
remnant that is the UP Team; many of you
have been members since its beginning more
than five years ago; many of you faithfully
pray for the UP Team even if you do not take
an hour. I believe that the UP Team is an
integral part of God’s plan for spiritual
transformation – the coming presence of the
glorified Jesus Christ through His Body, the
Church, to bring a depth of
spiritual reality not experienced
and perhaps not even fully
imagined till now. Please,
members, recommit to your
hour or hours; that
commitment is so important;
please, people who are not
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members, consider joining by taking an hour
or more (and current members consider
adding an hour). There is planned and desired
by God a mighty move of His Spirit in our
nation through our area – and others. But
that requires yielding to His will and
becoming ever more fervent and committed
people of prayer.
PAUL HARVEY
I just received this; it has been around for
quite awhile, but it certainly seems timely
to follow up a Reflection on spiritual
transformation in our nation with this: “Paul
Harvey says: I don’t believe in Santa Claus,
but I’m not going to sue somebody for singing
a Ho-Ho-Ho- song in December. I don’t agree
with Darwin, but I didn’t go out and hire a
lawyer when my high school teacher taught
his Theory of Evolution. Life, liberty or your
pursuit of happiness will not be endangered
because someone says a 30-second prayer
before a football game. So, what’s the big
deal? It’s not like somebody is up there
reading the entire Book of Acts. They’re just
talking to a God they believe in and asking
Him to grant safety to the players on the field
and the fans going home from the game. But
it’s a Christian prayer, some will argue. Yes,
and this is the United States of America, a
country founded on Christian principles.
According to our very own phone book,
Christian churches outnumber all others
better than 200-to-1. So what would you
expect – somebody chanting Hare Krishna?
If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I
would expect to hear a Jewish prayer. If I
went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would
expect to hear a Muslim prayer. If I went to a
ping-pong match in China, I would expect to
hear someone pray to Buddha. And I
wouldn’t be offended. It wouldn’t bother me
one bit. When in Rome… But what about the
atheists? This is another argument. What
about them? Nobody is asking them to be
baptized. We’re not going to pass the
collection plate. Just humor us for 30
seconds. If that’s asking too much, bring a
Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the
bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call
your lawyer! Unfortunately, one or two will
make that call. One or two will tell thousands
what they can and cannot do. I don’t think a
short prayer at a football game is going to
shake the world’s foundations. Christians are
just sick and tired of turning the other cheek
while our courts strip us of all our rights.
Our parents and grandparents taught us to
pray before eating, to pray before we go to
sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without
ceasing. Now a handful of people and their
lawyers are telling us to cease praying. God,
help us. And if that last sentence offends you,
well … just sue me. The silent majority has
been silent too long. It’s time we let that one
or two who scream loud enough to be heard
that the vast majority don’t care what they
want. It is time the majority rules! It’s time
to tell them, you don’t have to pray; you don’t
have to say the pledge of allegiance; you don’t
have to believe in God or attend services that
honor Him. That
is your right, and
we will honor your
right. But, by
golly, you are no
longer going to
take our rights
away. We are fighting back … and we WILL
WIN! God bless us one and all … especially
those who denounce Him. God bless America,
despite all her faults. She is still the greatest
nation of all. God bless our service men and
women who are fighting to protect our right
to pray and worship God…Keep looking up…
And that’s ‘the rest of the story.’” What we
can do is pray for the return to the values that
made our nation what it is, and, more, to
publicly acknowledge Jesus Christ as King.
And we are called to pray for those
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organizations and individuals that are in the
front lines of the battle for those values; a few
that come to mind are Concerned Women for
America, Asleep kNOw More, the local
pregnancy option clinics and other pro-life
groups, Christian teachers and professors
seeking to share the truth, and all other
groups seeking to reclaim the Christian
heritage and foundation that is ours as a
nation.
GATHERING OF PEOPLE
WHO PRAY
NOTE: This month’s and next
month’s Newsletter will be the
only announcements. We will
gather at the Reunion Hall at
Silver Dollar City on Tuesday,
October 30, from 7 p.m. to 9
p.m. (fellowship from 6:30 to 7).
The Park is closed on that day,
so there will be easy access.
Please mark your calendars
now, and please invite others. If
you want more info or if you
need a ride, call me at 331-1028.
There is no need to register.
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
F or this Newsletter, let’s go to the
September issue of Reader’s Digest,
which is entitled “Laugh Riot” and is full of
humor. Here is a sample:
“Three days after one of our regulars
reserved a book, my fellow librarian phoned
to tell him it had arrived. ‘I’m calling from
the public library,’ she said, ‘to tell you we
will have “Cruel Intentions” for you until
tomorrow at 8 p.m. Have a great day.”…”My
wife was attending an all-day job fair, so was
surprised when the phone rang and I heard
her weary voice. ‘Everything all right?’ I
asked. ‘Yeah,’ she said, ‘I just wanted to talk
to someone I didn’t have to be nice to.’”…
School test questions: “Q: Name a major
disease associated with cigarettes. A:
Premature Death…Q: Give an example of a
stereotype. A: Sony…Q: What type of
scientist digs through dirt until he finds
treasure? A: A psychologist.”…”Two female
army privates are ordered to paint the
general’s office. They are warned not to get
paint on their uniforms. So they lock the
door, strip off their clothes and get to work.
An hour later, there’s a knock at the door
‘Who is it?’ they ask. ‘Blind man.’ Thinking
nothing of it, the privates open the door. ‘Hi,’
says the man. ‘Where do you want the
blinds?’”…”I went into a McDonald’s
yesterday and said, ‘I’d like some fries.’ The
girl at the counter said, ‘Would you like some
fries with that?’”…”I went to a bookstore and
asked the saleswoman, ‘Where’s the self-help
section?’ She said if she told me it would
defeat the purpose.”…”If you can’t be on
time, be early.”…”I’d give my right arm to be
ambidextrous.”…”Heck is where people go
who don’t believe in gosh.”…”What’s the
difference between a man and a dog running?
One wears trousers and the other
pants.”…”Man who eats family photo is soon
spitting image of his father.”…”Headline
news: Energizer Bunny in jail; charged with
battery.”…”A woman walked up to a little old
man rocking in a chair on his porch. ‘I
couldn’t help notice how you look,’ she said.
‘What’s your secret for a long and happy
life?’ ‘I smoke three packs of cigarettes a
day,’ he said. ‘I also drink a case of whiskey a
week, eat fatty foods and never exercise.’
‘That’s amazing,’ the woman said. ‘How old
are you?’ ‘Twenty-six.’”…Headlines: “Police
chase snakes through city”…”Man seeks $1.6
million in dead dog suit”…”Gator attacks
puzzle experts.”…
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HOPEFUL SIGN
The Sentinel Group documents examples of
spiritual transformation
around the world. Following
are excerpts from an e-mail I
received from them,
based on an article in
Charisma Magazine: “A
new spirituality is stirring
America’s college
students…As nightfall descends on the
University of Florida campus, a quiet
rumbling of voices morphs into thunderous
applause. Hundreds of students – a melting
pot of denominations and cultures – have
converged to worship and pray at an event
that signifies a dynamic shift taking place on
college campuses across the nation. Dubbed
Unite Now, the event linked students and
spiritual leaders from more than 20 campus
ministries and area churches in Gainseville…
Spiritual leaders are witnessing a campus
saturated by students hungry for more than
the typical Wednesday night Bible study…
George Dumaine, a pastor, says that what he
is witnessing is an intense hunger for having
pure God encounters. The University of
Florida is not alone. Now more than ever,
campuses are reporting a dramatic increase in
the number of students seeking spirituality.
According to a recent New York Times
article, officials from a slew of prominent
secular colleges including Harvard, Colgate,
the University of Wisconsin and the
University of California-Berkeley are
reporting that students today are drawn to
religion and spirituality with more fervor
than at any time they can remember…A 2004
study launched by the Higher Education
Research Institute at UCLA reports that of
the estimated 112,000 freshmen surveyed,
almost half were seeking opportunities to
grow spiritually in college…InterVarsity
Christian Fellowship, an interdenominational
student-led campus ministry, has experienced
an explosion of student conversions within the
last two years. In 65 years of ministry, the
organization has grown to include more than
570 campus chapters and an estimated 35,000
student members. To understand these
trends, one must first understand an entire
generation dubbed “Millenials.” This is the
over-indulged generation of 18-to-25-year-
olds with the world at their fingertips, where
information, sex, drugs and relationships are
just a mouse click away. And though
inundated with sex and materialism, they are
also bombarded by news of a world in
turmoil. They are the post-September 11
generation. They have become a hungry
generation desperate to change their world…
In a climate where non-Christian students
know less about the Bible than students did a
generation ago, many Christian students are
viewing their campuses as a mission field…
Jaeson Ma, president of Campus Church
Networks, a student-led church-planting
movement, helped launch the Campus
Transformation Network with a simple web
site, campustransformation.com, where
students and ministry leaders can sign up to
pray for their campuses…Across the nation,
students and leaders have set up prayer
rooms, even prayer tents, where students pray
for their campuses and for their world…At
Arizona State University, prayer-room
coordinator Chris Ngai has seen prayer
change lives. He recalls a student who walked
into the prayer room late one night, on the
verge of committing suicide. A handful of
students talked to him and then they prayed
for him. One minute he was crying and the
next he was thanking them. Student response
to around-the-clock prayer is no surprise,
according to leaders involved on campuses.
Prayer has been so attractive because it’s not
about theology or theory; it’s about
encountering a living God that a person can
feel
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and know and hear. They are not falling in
love with religion; they are falling in love with
Jesus…With more than 16 million college Bob Burton
students piling onto U.S. campuses every year,
the ministry opportunity is enormous. One
leader says, “I think God is up to something.
And I think the campuses and the young
people are going to be right at the center of
it.” Pray for College of the Ozarks, and for
all of the colleges and universities in SW
Missouri, all of Missouri and NW Arkansas.
This is all answer to the prayers of many
people around the nation.

PRAYER MOBILIZATION

P lease pray for Doyle Yoder, UP member

on a mission trip…Debbie Stein, UP
member with continuing health problems…
Jackie Hartman, UP Medical Sector Leader,
with lung cancer…for CofO, restored health
for Jerry Davis, and for Pastor Dan Chinn,
head of the Education Sector…for the ROC
ministry to homosexuals and the people being
ministered to…for the health of the father of
Larry Wilhite, Entertainment Sector
Leader…for Sam Dickey’s grandson, injured
in an accident…Diane D., finances, and her
daughter…Marilyn C., finances…the two
daughters of Dennis Fuqua of IRM, both
pregnant… and for the Prayer Summits
nationally and internationally…Jan James,
cancer…Judy, health…Jene, health…Joanne
(Caring People), health…my wife, Barbara,
health…Travis Hankins, UP member in
Indiana who is planning to run for the U.S.
Congress…all UP team members and their
families…growth of the UP Team to 24/7
quickly and then several deep in each hour.

CONCLUSION

D on’t forget to make plans to participate

in the Gathering of People Who Pray, on
Tuesday evening, October 30, from 7 to 9 p.m.
at the Reunion Hall at Silver Dollar City. I
welcome your input and I cherish your
prayers. Call anytime, day or night, at (417)
331-1028. Peace.