A Brief Overview of the Five Interessions

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Soon after my new birth, I began to be conditioned for being an intercessor for others. My first painful obedience of faith brought about an adjustment in living from inflow to outflow.

The first intercession took place during my five army years in World War I. This was a discipleship period of bold witnessing in my infantry battalion, both among officers and other ranks. This led to public humiliation and refusal of promotion by my colonel. A startling reversal in my battalion’s failure came when I, with my platoon, was sent in as the last hope of capturing a fortified farm. The successful capture was publicly honored by the battalion and the king. Those years headed up in my true life’s calling as an intercessor, when in hospital after being wounded in the battle of Paschendaele, I heard and responded to that call.

Then came my university period, in which a second intercession was completed in the founding of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, now in many colleges and universities in the world. We were rather like David in his youthful encounter with and conquest of Goliath, as the little band of us stood squarely against absorption by the popular Student Christian Movement, which did not adhere to Christ crucified as its foundation How great has been the outcome of that apparently contemptible boldness of faith.

A vital third intercession in the Congo as translator of the New Testament followed. Little did I know that when I chose to translate the New Testament into Bangala, the more common but rather despised market language of the area, it would one day become the official language of
the country. And then came the last two intercessions for which I see my whole life was planned by the Spirit-Intercessor, each totally unexpected.

The first of these, and my fourth intercession, was my 35 years being cast unexpectedly and unfittedly (giving the Spirit His rightful place in a
helpless earthen vessel!) into the upbuilding of the Worldwide Evangelization Crusade (WEC). The WEC has grown into its present worldwide expansion from 35 workers to 1200, all on the faith basis of supply. Subsequently, there was the birth and development of the living Church of Christ in 40 countries and the birth out of WEC of the Christian Literature Crusade (CLC). CLC now has 150 literature outreach centers in
45 countries and a staff of 600.

The second of these, and presumably final intercession, has resulted in the birth and spread of our Intercessor magazine and literature, and the
outreach with the message of the total reality of Christ in us and we as His re-expression in our liberated selves. Paul declared it as his second ministry of Colossians 1:23-29; and it is the glorious fact about the whole redeemed body of Christ, as each comes to “possess his possessions.”

As you run through these accounts, the Spirit may open your inner eyes (as He did mine, largely through Rees Howells) to who you really fully are, and how you are and function as a royal priest. Formerly we functioned without knowing how, but now we can do so with that fuller understanding and application of God’s ways by you and me.