COUNT NIKOLAUS LUDWIG VON ZINZENDORF (Part 6)

A Knighthood for Christ

To young Lutz, it was like taking an oath of knighthood for Christ’s sake. These young men would have wealth and influence, and they pledged to use both to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ludwig had gold rings designed for each of them, with the Greek words translated, “No man liveth unto himself” (Romans 14:7) inscribed inside. The society also had a banner embellished with the crest of a mustard tree and a Latin inscription that read “quod fuit ante nihil” – “out of nothing something.”

Seeds of Faith Across the World

The words were prophetic; over the next forty years, the tiny seed of faith grew from their small dormitory room to the world’s political and religious stage. Zinzendorf met Christian world leaders who accepted membership in The Order of the Mustard Seed and pledged to influence the world for Christ; these included such diverse men as James Oglethorpe, governor of colonial Georgia; Tomochichi, chief of the Yamacraw tribe in America; Christian VI, king of Denmark; John Potter, the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury; and, even Louis de Noailles, the Roman Catholic cardinal of Paris.

Unity in the Spirit

There is an anointed unity in the Spirit among groups of Christians who bond together in Christ; Jesus and His disciples are the perfect examples. John and Charles Wesley formed The Holy Club, a group of believers who met at Christ Church, Oxford, and covenanted to pray and fast together, study the Bible, and take care of the needy in the Oxford area. They later became the foundation of the Methodist Church.

A Legacy of Christian Societies

Young men and women who were saved during the Welsh Revival of the early 1900s were committed to one another for prayer and ministry under the direction of healing evangelist George Jeffreys, and they later formed the Elim denomination. Billy Graham established his worldwide ministry with a group of young men who worked with him as a team for life, becoming old men together in Christ’s service. Young Zinzendorf’s Secret Society was one of the most influential societies among world leaders that I have ever discovered.

To be continued…

Tale Tuesday 099

Date:   8th October, 2024
Title: :  COUNT NIKOLAUS LUDWIG VON ZINZENDORF  (Part 6)
Source:  God’s generals- The Missionaries
Author: Roberts Liardon