February 16, 2000

Lotz asks: Will Texas Baptists join
worldwide movement of Spirit?
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___FORT WORTH--There is a worldwide movement of God's Holy Spirit, and it is up to Texas Baptists whether they will learn the necessary lessons to be part of it, according to Denton Lotz, general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance.
___Lotz challenged Texas Baptists at their statewide Evangelism Conference Feb. 1 to

DENTON LOTZ

learn from Baptists in other parts of the world that love, Christian unity and concern for human rights are imperative to genuine evangelism.
___"Where there is love, there is effective evangelism. It is the compassionate love of Jesus Christ that is winning the world," Lotz said.
___On the other hand, division within the church is a hindrance to missions and evangelism, he noted. "Lack of unity is a cause for disbelief."
___The love of Christ should lead naturally to a commitment to human rights, Lotz said. "The prophetic message of human rights is essential to evangelism."
___Texas Baptists also can learn valuable faith lessons about prayer, Scripture, suffering and conversion from other Baptists, particularly in the Third World, Lotz maintained.
___For example, Korean Baptists are experiencing great growth because believers are committed to rising early for extended times of prayer together.
___Yet in many American churches, "there is so much word pollution that we don't have time for prayer," Lotz observed. "There is power in prayer. That's what the Third World is seeing."
___Third World countries--particularly areas where Bibles have not been readily accessible--are seeing God's power where Christians are committed to living out the lessons of Scripture, he said. "There is a tremendous movement of the Spirit because believers are people of the book."
___Because of that commitment, many of these believers are willing to suffer for their faith. The genuine "conversion theology" of the persecuted church bears little resemblance to the "cheap grace" that too many American Christians embrace, Lotz said.
___"To see costly grace, look to the Third World," he said. "Repentance is at the heart of the gospel. We need a conversion theology."

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