By Ryan Shaw

I want to thank you for your patience over the last few months that the Abandoned Times has not come out. We have been in the process of improving on its format and on the types of articles we believe will be most beneficial to the student generation being stirred up to rebuild the student mission movement today. Our hope is to equip you with solid and biblical teaching that will encourage, challenge, mature, and root you with a greater understanding and passion for the global purpose of God that He is relentlessly moving toward and the strategic place that the collegiate community holds in partnering with God in this process. We’d love to hear your feedback with ways to improve upon this e-bulletin and make it more effective in equipping and serving you in your respective campus community. We pray for God’s continuing blessing upon you as you do whatever it takes to align yourself and your peers with His purposes in our generation.

Eyes Full of Faith & Expectation

By Kelly Shaw
Kelly is the general administrator for SVM2 and currently lives in London, Ontario, Canada.

How can we expect God to move if deep in our hearts we don't believe that He can? Most of us would say that we have faith and that we believe God can move. But how many of us read through the gospels and as we hear the stories of healing and deliverance simply dismiss them as works that Jesus did, but not for us today?

I want to challenge the status quo. To do this, I would like to tell you a story of an actual event. A message bearer took the gospel to a people who didn't have the Scriptures in their language. As the message bearer was translating the Scriptures, he consulted with one of the people to get the best words for the translation. One day he was translating a passage where Jesus healed someone. The local person he was consulting with was sick. And as he heard the gospel, he asked the message bearer if these words were true and if Jesus could really heal people. The message bearer didn't believe in healing himself, but didn't want to tell that to this person who had never heard the gospel before. Faith arose in this young message bearer that God would have to do this or risk the person not coming to know Christ. After some discussion, the message bearer prayed for the local person to be healed. While it didn't happen that minute, hour, or day, it did happen a few days later. That local person received Christ into his heart and influenced many in is community to do the same. As a result a church was planted around this man's healing.

The time has come to challenge all of our preconceptions about the Scriptures. Whether they come from post-modernism, ultra-conservatism, or anything in between, we need to read the Scriptures with fresh eyes full of faith and expectation at what the God of the universe wants to do in us and through us.   In John 14:12-14, Jesus explains that if we have faith in Him we will do what He has done and He promises to do even greater things through us. But this takes having faith. In verse 11, Jesus says that we must believe that He is in the Father or at least believe in the miracles that He has done. In other words, Jesus is saying that He really is God because He and the Father are intimately connected and if we don't believe what He is saying then at least believe in the miracles that testify of His incredible power. God's power is still the same today as it was then. Will we believe?

If you want to see your faith increased and signs and wonders that would testify to the lost of the reality of Christ, pray the following prayer with me:

Jesus, I believe that you are not only Lord and Saviour of my life, but also God of the universe who has unimaginable power, love, and grace to reach a dying world. Father, I ask that you would help my unbelief. As Author and Perfector of our faith, I ask that You Holy Spirit would come perfect that faith within me and increase it to a deeper measure. I ask you Jesus to fulfill Your promise that we would see greater miracles than what is  in Scripture, not for our benefit, but so that the nations would see Your power and believe in Your name. Jesus, glorify Yourself through our generation that we might be a generation full of faith and power. In Christ's name we pray, AMEN.

Redeeming the Time

By Ed Nace
Ed is a student leader in a campus ministry fellowship at Texas A&M University.

Most of us are aware, at least in part, of the backslidden condition of the modern evangelical church. We have fallen so far into a state of prayerlessness and assumed self-sufficiency, and have become so immersed in the patterns of this world that we have turned even the gospel message itself into something man-centered and powerless. Somewhere along the line, the precious bride of Jesus has lost her devotion to the very One who emptied Himself for her ^[1], and has turned instead to the fleeting pleasures of worldly ambition and mindless entertainment. Jesus has left His church on the earth for a reason – that we could joyfully labor with Him in extending the Kingdom of God to every dark corner of the earth.

Richard Owen Roberts, in his book Revival!, brings sharp attention to particular sins that have pervaded the backsliding church. He states that “the current focus on games and entertainment has nothing in common with a biblical lifestyle.” This raises some poignant questions. How many hours a day do I spend watching TV? Playing mindless computer games? Checking email? Taking naps? Sitting around with friends? Listening to music (even Christian music)? How much time every day do I set aside to spend alone with the Father? Could it be said that extensive prayer, evangelism, and meditation on the Word are characteristic elements of my life, or are they just a few activities among many? As college students, we find it difficult to find time to pray more, memorize scripture, share the gospel, serve the church, or study and meditate on the Word. But where are our priorities? There is no record in the Bible (or in the histories of any true revival) of the believers devoting themselves to entertainment or eternally insignificant things. Instead, “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” ^[2] They sold their possessions and gave the money to those who needed it. ^[3] They labored for the gospel. ^[4] They were hated, beaten, mocked, falsely accused, tortured, and killed. ^[5] But they knew their Savior. The knowledge of a holy God is far better than any carnal pursuit. Paul said “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” ^[6]

In our quest for comfort and security, we have exchanged the knowledge of God for the knowledge of the world. Instead of seeking to know Christ intimately, we merely talk about knowing Him, and then pursue the empty pleasures of man-made entertainment. Do you know the characters of Friends better than you know the Everlasting Father who gives you breath? It is commonly heard in the church that “it’s not about religion, it’s about relationship”, but instead of pressing each other on to find out what that really means, we simply use it as an excuse to shirk responsibility. We are told in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 4 that we should “walk in wisdom toward outsiders, redeeming the time,” because “the days are evil.” ^[7] When the skeptics look at the Christians around them, and all they see is a bunch of people seeking the same pleasures as they do – watching the same shows, memorizing the same baseball stats, spending the same amount of time and money on eternally worthless endeavors – it’s a small wonder that they label us hypocrites. The western church has crippled itself through insincerity, tolerance, self-sufficiency, and conformity to the world, rendering it powerless to move forward with the ministry of reconciliation. Once again it is time for us to surrender ourselves to Jesus and allow Him to intensify our convictions and fill us with His power – to make us even more abandoned to His purposes of establishing His reign on the earth.

Jesus didn’t come to die so that you could catch the next basketball game. He died so that you could seek Him and know Him. What a precious King, that despite our sin, He redeemed us, enabling us to hear His voice and enjoy Him forever! Through Christ’s blood, God has given us victory over sin and death so that we could walk in intimacy with our Creator and know what is on His heart. Before doing anything, a good question to ask is, “how is this going to further the Kingdom of God, and how will this draw me closer to Jesus?” If you can’t answer these questions with a clean conscience, it might be better to focus instead on those things that will matter at the Judgment Seat, such as “praying ceaselessly, rejoicing always”, “preaching the gospel in season and out of season”, “exhorting one another as long as it is called ‘Today’”, and devoting ourselves to building up the church. In light of what Jesus did, there really is nothing that we can give that could be called sacrifice. Surrender is always followed by grace, and it is always worth it.

Keith Green said, “This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth.” The message of reconciliation has been entrusted to you. Take hold of the reality that people could go to heaven or hell based on your obedience – based on how you spend your time. Jesus is worthy! Let us walk in His love. ^[8]

^[1] Philippians 2:5-11

^[2] Acts 2:42

^[3] Acts 4:32-37

^[4] Colossians 4:12-13

^[5] Matthew 5:11; Hebrews 11:35-40

^[6] Philippians 3:8

^[7] Colossians 4:5-6; Ephesians 5:15-17

^[8] Ephesians 5:2; Psalm 89:15; Psalm 67

A Blind Beggar's Need: Foundations of Persistent Prayer, Forgiveness, and Unity

By David Smithers
David is the Prayer Track Director for SVM2 and currently lives in Oklahoma.

Some have said that persistence is the best proof of sincerity.  If that is so, than blind Bartimaeus has given us one of the best examples of sincerity in all of the Scriptures.  In Mark 10:46-52 Bartimaeus demonstrates this relentless sincerity by his willingness to apply the Kingdom principles of humble vulnerability, forgiveness and Christian unity. These spiritual qualities are absolutely essential to seeking, receiving and advancing the Kingdom of God on Earth.  

Need puts us in the Path of God

Mark 10:46 says “Now they came to Jericho. As He (Jesus) went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.” The first thing that we notice about Bartimaeus is that he is a blind beggar.  This is a person who has honestly come to grips with his own frailty and neediness and understands apart from some outside intervention he is totally hopeless and helpless.  He is convinced that without an outside gift of mercy and grace he will starve, therefore he purposefully puts himself in the pathway of Christ…he makes himself available to be touched by the grace of God.

The Needy Learn how to Pray  
Verse 47 reminds us that prayer is the language of the poor and needy. “And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Bartimaeus convinced of his own need, hearing that Jesus is passing by, begins to desperately pray and cry out for mercy. Remember our prayers being heard and answered are not earned by our own spiritual efforts or merit but are a gift of God’s mercy!    

Needing God’s Approval more than Man’s
Surely Christ and his disciples would quickly turn aside and respond to such a needy and sincere cry for mercy, and yet it seems Jesus’ own disciples were actually irritated by his loud cries for help.  Mark 10: 48 -“Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Certainly Bartimaeus must have been tempted to be discouraged or even intimidated in his faith, as those who should have helped him into the presence of Christ actually rebuked and hindered him.  Bartimaeus is definitely needy, but in spite of his desperate situation he needs God’s touch more than he needs the approval and acceptance of men. So he boldly persists to cry out even more for the mercy of Jesus, even if it means the rest of the church people don’t quite understand.

Mark 10: 49 says “So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.” This kind of unrelenting faith and boldness always gets God’s merciful attention. Humble and persistent prayer releases God’s life changing power and provision.  

The Needy must Learn how to Forgive & Yield

“Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you." Who are these new joyful encouragers of blind Bartimaeus? Ironically, these are none other than his old critics and opposers. Yes, the very ones who once rebuked him and told him to sit down and be quiet are now ready to encourage and help him into the presence of Jesus. No doubt Bartimaeus was tested again, but this time he is tempted to harden his heart against the very disciples of Christ. How dare they try to help him now after all they had done!  Bartimaeus is faced with a choice, to either humbly forgive and receive assistance from these fickle and offensive disciples or refuse their help and possibly miss his only chance at connecting with Jesus.

The same persistent and humble faith that initially helped Bartimaeus receive Christ’s tender mercy and notice, are again needed in order for him to forgive and receive help from the disciples. Bartimaeus accepts this fact by esteeming his body’s need for Christ’s healing touch to be greater than his ego’s need to be vindicated in the eyes of others. He values his need for Jesus as greater than his need to be esteemed by others! This path we are on in our pursuit of Jesus Christ is crowded with a variety of other disciples. Many of us on this path are unique and very different in our gifts and Kingdom purposes. Therefore, if we are easily offended, unforgiving and quick to distance ourselves from others that are different from us, we will consequently find ourselves frustrating the cause of Jesus Christ.  We can not casually distance ourselves from other believers without also distancing ourselves from the person of Jesus Himself!   

The Needy Exercise Humility toward God & Man

James 4:6 says that, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." The heart attitude of humility and tender vulnerability releases God’s mercy and miracle working grace. Humility sustains our prayer life and relationship with God, but it is also builds trust and open, healthy relationships with others. Genuine humility affirms the fact that we need God in our lives but also affirms that we need the gifts and contributions of other parts of the body of Christ. Humility makes all our relationships easier and more grace-filled, whereas stubborn pride makes God and men withdraw the hand of blessing and mercy from us. Humility invites grace and stubborn pride builds walls! 

4 Lessons from a Beggars Cup

We are all blind and filthy beggars apart from God’s mercy and grace. We must humbly embrace our own spiritual poverty and insufficiency if we are to move forward in the all-sufficient power of Christ.  

We must allow this revelation of our own spiritual poverty to drive us out of our hiding places and comfortable corners into the vulnerable pathway of humility and unrelenting prayer. We must also affirm our need for God to be grater than our need for the approval and acceptance of men…even the acceptance that comes from good and godly people in the church. And finally we must learn how to forgive and affirm that our need for God’s grace demands that we exercise humility toward God and our fellow believers. We must learn how to cooperate and partner with a broader expression of the Body of Christ in establishing the Kingdom of God.

The generation that learns and applies these simple but elusive spiritual lessons will usher in the Kingdom of Christ throughout the World. They will humbly and affectionately embrace God, the diversity of the Body of Christ and ultimately a lost and dying world, all for the pleasure and glory of Jesus Christ.

Abandoned Devotion Gatherings
Abandoned Devotion Gatherings are 5-8 hour gatherings, on campuses and in local churches, for the express purpose of seeking God through extended worship, uncompromising challenges, and radical prayer to see the message of Jesus spread globally in our lifetime. These gatherings have been catalytic on many campuses to stir a new hunger for more of Jesus and a new passion for reaching the forgotten globally.
Host an Abandoned Devotion Gathering on Your Campus


Haystack Nights
In 1806, God used a Haystack to change the world!  It began with a group of five college students that gathered for prayer and had read the great commission and believed that the words were for them. SVM2 is celebrating the 200 year anniversary of this great event by sponsoring a united initiative to tell the Haystack story on campuses, at conferences and in churches in 2006 - igniting prayer for our generation to bring the gospel to the forgotten.
Host a Haystack Night on Your Campus

Ignite Training
A training weekend designed to bring together like-minded student leaders from schools across North America for spiritual formation, leadership development, receiving practical, effective ideas and strategies to take mission vision in their community to the next level, and the opportunity to broadly connect with one another and form relationships. Host an Ignite Training

ABANDONED DEVOTION BOOK

Keys to the Deeper Life 
by A.W. Tozer

Tozer is a prophetic voice from the past who also speaks into current situations with accurate spiritual poignancy. In Keys to the Deeper Life, Tozer highlights an area of great neglect in the Church today - balanced teaching on the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If heeded, this small book will revolutionize your life and your usefulness in the hands of Almighty God.


GLOBAL PROCLAMATION BOOK

Taking Our Cities for God
by John Dawson

Our cities are strategic centers for seeing the world come to Christ. But in order to see cities transformed, we must be willing to do the hard work necessary through building our faith and persevering in intercessory prayer. Only through spiritual warfare in the prayer closet will we see spiritual victory and the Kingdom of God advanced in our generation.

Are you committed to serving Jesus cross-culturally in the nations when you graduate? If so, join with hundreds of others in today's united student mission movement by clicking here.