Revival
The Deception of the Greener Pasture: Why the Ekklesia Must Stay Planted
There is a restless, vagabond spirit operating within the American church, and it is systematically destroying the foundational strength of the local body. We have bought into a catastrophic deception: the myth of the “perfect church.” Believers are endlessly wandering from congregation to congregation, searching for a flawless pastor, a perfect worship team, and a community that will comfortably accommodate their specific preferences without ever challenging their flesh.
Let’s be entirely clear: if you are constantly looking for a reason to leave your church, the enemy will always be happy to provide you with one.
The Danger of the Consumer Church
This nomadic behavior is fueled by a consumer-driven version of Christianity. We treat the house of God like a spiritual buffet. If the preaching is too convicting, we leave. If the leadership asks for too much commitment, we leave. If another believer offends us, we pack up our families and drive across town to find a new, temporary spiritual home.
We must understand that running from friction is running from the very fire that God intends to use to purify us. God does not plant us in spiritual families because they are perfect; He plants us there because iron sharpens iron, and the sparking friction of human relationships is exactly what burns the immaturity, pride, and selfishness out of our souls.
When we casually leave a church because things get difficult, we abort the process of our own sanctification. We leave a trail of broken relationships and scattered destinies in our wake. Furthermore, this behavior creates an impossible environment for true regional revival. You cannot build a massive, city-shaking, prayer-fueled ekklesia with a congregation of uncommitted tourists. Revival requires a holy military, and you cannot win a war with soldiers who go AWOL the moment the battle gets uncomfortable.
Identifying the True Danger
Now, are there times to leave a church? Absolutely. But we must use extreme, biblical discernment. You do not leave a church over a personal offense or a stylistic preference. You leave a church if it becomes a “Dangerous Church.”
A truly dangerous church is not one where the pastor preaches too long or the music is too loud. A dangerous church is one that compromises the Word of God. It is a church that preaches a false grace message, tolerates open sin, denies the power of the Holy Spirit, or suppresses the mandate for night-and-day prayer. If you are in a system that acts as a spiritual Pharaoh, actively keeping you in the bondage of religious routine and preventing you from encountering the burning fire of God, you must flee.
But if you are planted in a house that preaches the uncompromising truth, demands holiness, and pursues the presence of God—even if the leadership is imperfect—you must stay planted. Dig your roots deep. Drop your stones of accusation. Choose to serve radically, honor authority, and fight fiercely for the unity of the house.
Carrying the Fire Together
The mandate to stay planted is not just about your personal growth; it is about generational legacy.
In my book Carry Like Mary, I address the absolute necessity of unified generations. We are called to be carriers of the fire. But the fire of revival cannot be sustained by a single, isolated generation. We need the wisdom, endurance, and resources of the veterans locked tightly with the raw passion, energy, and zeal of the youth.
When you stay planted in a local body for decades, you become a spiritual pillar. You become a father or a mother who can mentor the next generation of firebrands, ensuring that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit does not die when you pass on. You help build an altar that your children and your children's children can worship upon.
Stop looking for a greener pasture. The grass is greener where you water it with your tears of intercession. Plant yourself. Commit to the process. Refuse to be scattered, and watch what God will do with a unified, unbreakable Bride.
Go Deeper & Partner With Us:
Following Jesus is not a casual, consumer-driven commitment. It requires endurance, holiness, and staying power. Equip yourself to endure to the end by downloading my book, Staying Saved, absolutely free right here: www.revivalx.tv/saved
If you are blessed by these messages and want to partner with us to break the consumer-church mentality and equip a unified, powerful remnant, you can support the mission of Revival X here: www.burton.tv/donate
Sources & Citations for this Article:
- Five Reasons Not to Leave a Church (Ebook by John Burton): Sourced for the confrontation of the “vagabond spirit,” the consumer-driven mindset of church hopping, and the necessity of staying planted through relational and spiritual friction to produce spiritual maturity.
- Three Dangerous Churches (Ebook by John Burton): Sourced for the contrast between leaving a church over petty offenses versus the biblical mandate to flee compromised, unbiblical systems that suppress truth and the Holy Spirit.
- Carry Like Mary (Book by John Burton): Sourced for the prophetic call to multi-generational unity, the importance of spiritual mothers and fathers staying planted to pass the fire down, and building a legacy of revival.
Content Transparency: The material presented in this article is 100% sourced from the proprietary writings, books, and hundreds of online articles by John Burton. AI technology was employed exclusively to assist in the compilation and drafting of this text based on those original teachings.
The Tragedy of Prophecy Games: Reclaiming the True Prophetic Mandate
The prophetic movement in the American church is in a state of severe crisis. What was once a holy, fearful, and awe-inspiring weapon of spiritual warfare has been tragically reduced, in many circles, to a spiritual parlor trick. We have created a culture where believers line up at conferences to receive a “word” with the same consumer-driven mindset of someone visiting a psychic reading. We want to hear about our promotions, our finances, our expanding influence, and our spectacular personal destinies.
We have become addicted to the static of me-focused prophecy. But let the truth be declared: God is not a celestial vending machine, and the prophetic anointing was never intended to stroke the ego of the flesh. We are playing dangerous prophecy games, and it is actively grieving the Holy Spirit.
Cutting Through the Static
When the prophetic is divorced from the mandate of regional revival and agonizing intercession, it becomes entirely toxic. We must understand that true, biblical prophecy is not primarily about you. It is about the revelation of Jesus Christ and the aggressive advancement of His Kingdom in the earth.
When the heavens open and God speaks, it should immediately drive us to our faces. The voice of the Lord is a terrifying, glorious reality that shatters our personal agendas. If a prophetic word does not ultimately lead you to a deeper level of repentance, a more radical commitment to holiness, and a fierce dedication to the prayer room, you must question the source of that word.
We must cut through the noise of self-centered spirituality. We need a remnant of prophetic voices who refuse to prophesy smooth things to a rebellious generation. We need seers and watchmen who will sound the alarm, expose the hidden darkness in the church, and call the Bride back to a standard of absolute purity.
Revelation-Driven Warfare
The true purpose of receiving a prophetic revelation is so that you can violently enforce it in the place of prayer. This is the core of revelation-driven prayer. We do not just listen to the voice of God so we can write it in our journals and feel a temporary spiritual high. We listen so that we can discover the exact strategy of Heaven, stand our ground in the spirit realm, and refuse to move until that reality is manifested in our cities.
When you hear the voice of the Lord regarding your region, you are no longer just praying—you are prophesying the reality of the throne room into the atmosphere. You are executing judgment against the demonic principalities that have held your city captive.
Their Freedom is Your Mission
Why is this level of prophetic intensity so critical? Because a storm is coming, and the eternal souls of millions are hanging in the balance. We cannot afford to sit in our comfortable sanctuaries, analyzing our personal prophetic words, while our neighbors are marching blindly toward the terror of Hell.
The shock and awe of God's glory is not just meant to give us goosebumps during worship; it is meant to empower us for a rescue mission. Their freedom is your mission. The lost, the broken, and the deceived do not need a church that is playing games with the Holy Spirit. They need an ekklesia that operates in the raw, unfiltered, earth-shaking power of the prophetic—a people who can clearly declare the word of the Lord and lead the captives out of darkness.
It is time to repent of our prophecy games. Lay down the idol of personal promotion. Cry out for a pure, unadulterated prophetic spirit to fall upon the church once again. We have a world to win, and it will only be won by an army that truly knows how to hear the voice of the Commander.
Go Deeper & Partner With Us:
Are you ready to stop playing games with the prophetic and learn how to truly hear and enforce the voice of God? As a free gift to you, download the complete digital version of my book, Revelation Driven Prayer, absolutely free right here: www.revivalx.tv/revelation-driven-prayer
If you are burdened to see the true, uncompromising prophetic mandate restored to the church and want to partner with us on the front lines, you can support the mission of Revival X here: www.burton.tv/donate
Sources & Citations for this Article:
- Prophecy Games (Ebook by John Burton): Sourced for the core prophetic confrontation regarding “me-focused” prophecy, the danger of treating prophetic words as spiritual entertainment, and the need to cut through the static to hear God's true voice.
- Revelation Driven Prayer (Book by John Burton): Sourced for the theological principle that the purpose of hearing God's voice is to enforce His will in the earth through violent, strategic intercession.
- Their Freedom is Your Mission (Ebook by John Burton): Sourced for the ultimate goal of the prophetic and intercessory mandate: stepping out of personal comfort to engage in spiritual warfare for the souls of the lost.
Content Transparency: The material presented in this article is 100% sourced from the proprietary writings, books, and hundreds of online articles by John Burton. AI technology was employed exclusively to assist in the compilation and drafting of this text based on those original teachings.
The Crisis of Casual Commitment: Exposing the False Grace Epidemic
There is a terrifying theological virus actively infecting the modern American church, and it is leaving millions of believers entirely unprepared for eternity. We have entered an era where the grace of God has been tragically weaponized to excuse a lifestyle of relentless compromise, spiritual apathy, and casual commitment. We have constructed an unbiblical salvation equation that promises all the benefits of the Kingdom of Heaven while demanding absolutely zero surrender to the King.
We must be violently honest about the state of our sanctuaries: we have traded the cross for a comfortable couch. We have told an entire generation that a quick, emotionally driven prayer at an altar twenty years ago serves as an unconditional guarantee of their eternal security, regardless of how they live the rest of their lives. This is a deadly deception.
The Unbiblical Salvation Equation
The modern church has largely adopted a false grace message that effectively removes the necessity of ongoing repentance, holiness, and the fear of the Lord. We have reduced salvation to a simple transactional event rather than a lifelong, agonizing, and glorious process of dying to ourselves.
Jesus never offered a casual, convenient version of discipleship. He demanded everything. He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Taking up a cross is an instrument of execution. It means your personal agendas, your fleshly desires, and your pursuit of worldly comfort are brought to a violent end so that the life of Christ can be manifested in you.
When we preach a grace that requires no transformation, we are preaching a counterfeit gospel. True grace is not a license to continue in sin; it is the divine empowerment to finally conquer it. It is the shocking, unmerited favor of God that gives us the strength to live a life of extreme, burning holiness.
The Necessity of Enduring to the End
The Apostle Paul did not view his salvation as an excuse to relax. He operated with a holy urgency, declaring, “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” He exhorted the Philippians to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
Where is the fear and trembling in the church today? Where is the sober realization that we are interacting with a holy, consuming fire?
In Matthew 22, Jesus tells the parable of the wedding feast. When the king comes in to look at the guests, he spots a man who has no wedding garment. The king asks him, “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?” The man was speechless, and the king ordered him to be bound and cast into outer darkness. Jesus concludes the parable with a chilling warning: “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
This is a sobering reality that should drive us straight to our knees in the prayer room. It is entirely possible to accept the invitation, walk into the banquet hall, and still be cast out because we refused to put on the required garment of righteousness and holy devotion. We must endure to the end. We cannot afford to fall asleep like the foolish virgins, assuming our oil will last indefinitely.
Awakening the Remnant
Salvation is a daily, relentless pursuit of the Bridegroom. It requires us to fiercely guard our hearts against the toxic slumber of our culture. We are not called to casually date Jesus; we are mandated to be wildly, passionately, and unreservedly consumed by Him.
It is time to abandon the false grace movement. It is time to reject the seeker-sensitive models that coddle the flesh and refuse to confront sin. We must raise a standard of absolute holiness in our cities. The world does not need a church that looks, talks, and acts exactly like they do. They need to see a remnant that has been scorched by the fire of God's presence, a people whose very lives are a terrifying and beautiful testament to the reality of the resurrected Christ.
Go Deeper & Partner With Us:
Are you ready to discover the uncompromised truth about eternity and what it means to truly endure to the end? As a free gift to you, you can download the complete digital versions of my books Staying Saved and The Terror of Hell right here:
If you are burning to see true, uncompromised revival hit our cities and want to stand with us on the front lines to preach the full counsel of God, you can support the ongoing mission of Revival X here: www.burton.tv/donate
Sources & Citations for this Article:
- Staying Saved (Book by John Burton): Sourced for the core theological framework surrounding the necessity of enduring to the end, working out salvation with fear and trembling, and the dangers of failing to develop ongoing intimacy with God (referencing Matthew 22 and Matthew 25).
- The Salvation Equation (Ebook by John Burton): Sourced for the prophetic confrontation of the unbiblical grace message and how treating salvation as a casual, transactional event radically impacts our eternity.
- RevivalX.tv Teachings: Integrated foundational ministry principles regarding the mandate for a holy, uncompromised remnant and the necessity of dying to the flesh.
Content Transparency: The material presented in this article is 100% sourced from the proprietary writings, books, and hundreds of online articles by John Burton. AI technology was employed exclusively to assist in the compilation and drafting of this text based on those original teachings.
Stop Playing Games with Revival: Contending in a Culture of Positivity
We love the idea of revival. We love singing about the fire falling, we love the romanticized stories of past outpourings, and we love attending weekend conferences focused on the manifestation of God’s glory. But the sobering truth is this: we love the idea of revival, but we absolutely despise the agonizing, flesh-crucifying process required to actually birth it.
We have treated the outpouring of the Holy Spirit like a game. We have built an American church culture centered around relentless positivity, motivation, and encouragement, and in doing so, we have entirely lost our ability to mourn, weep, and contend for the desperate spiritual condition of our nation.
The Illusion of Positivity
A culture of relentless positivity is a deadly narcotic to the prophetic spirit. When our only goal is to leave a Sunday service feeling uplifted and happy, we become completely numb to the reality that our cities are racing toward eternal destruction. We ignore the undeniable fact that out of the over 19,000 cities in America, not one is experiencing a biblically normal revival.
True revival is not birthed in an atmosphere of casual, upbeat optimism. It is birthed in the trenches of agonizing intercession. It requires a remnant of believers who are willing to look at the darkness, feel the grief of the Holy Spirit over a compromised generation, and refuse to be comforted until the fire of God falls. We cannot contend for a massive move of God while simultaneously demanding that our religious experience remain comfortable, predictable, and positive.
The Elements of an Outpouring
If we want to see our cities shaken, we have to return to the biblical formula for fire. An enduring outpouring of the Holy Spirit is marked by specific, non-negotiable elements.
It requires a radical return to extreme holiness. It requires the fear of the Lord to re-enter our sanctuaries. It demands that the city church be identified, ordered, and gathered together, completely abandoning the territorialism and competition that divides us. Most importantly, it requires night-and-day, governmental intercession.
Revival is a violent clash between two kingdoms. It is the hostile takeover of a region by the Spirit of the Living God. You cannot engage in this level of spiritual warfare with half-hearted enthusiasm. It requires a shaking. It requires a reformation of our entire church structure.
Abandoning Revival Games
It is time to stop playing games. We must move past the superficial and enter into deep, passionate, relentless warfare. The prayer rooms must become the engine rooms of our churches once again, filled not with casual devotionals, but with fire-breathing intercessors who refuse to let the altar go cold.
Are you ready to pay the price? Are you ready to trade the illusion of positivity for the heavy, glorious, burden of the Lord? The harvest is waiting, but they will not be won by a compromised, casual church. Let the remnant arise, let the tears fall, and let the fire of true intercession consume us once again.
Go Deeper & Partner With Us:
Revival requires an army that knows how to hear the voice of God and enforce His will. Discover the shock and awe of true intercession by downloading the digital version of my book, Revelation Driven Prayer, absolutely free right here: www.revivalx.tv/revelation-driven-prayer
If your heart is burning to see a true, region-shaking outpouring of the Holy Spirit and you want to stand with us on the front lines, you can support the Revival X ministry here: www.burton.tv/donate
Sources & Citations for this Article:
- Contending for Revival in a Culture of Positivity (Ebook by John Burton): Sourced for the prophetic confrontation of the church's addiction to positivity and how it numbs believers to the necessity of agonizing intercession.
- Revival Games (Ebook by John Burton): Sourced for the core theme that the church treats revival too casually, and the mandate to stop playing games and pay the agonizing price for an outpouring.
- 20 Elements of Revival (Book by John Burton): Sourced for the framework of the “biblical formula for fire,” including the necessity of night and day prayer, extreme holiness, and the unification of the city church.
Content Transparency: The material presented in this article is 100% sourced from the proprietary writings, books, and hundreds of online articles by John Burton. AI technology was employed exclusively to assist in the compilation and drafting of this text based on those original teachings.
The End of the Living Room Church: Mobilizing the Remnant for Regional Revival
Right now, across the thousands of cities in our nation, revival is virtually non-existent. It is a sobering, terrifying reality that we can no longer afford to ignore or gloss over with enthusiastic Sunday morning worship sets. We have over 19,000 cities in America, and not one of them is experiencing a biblically normal outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Not one.
We have to admit that something is terribly wrong. We have settled for a localized, comfortable version of Christianity that prioritizes the ninety-nine over the radical call to equip a holy military. The undeniable truth is that the solitary local church, as it operates today, simply cannot support the weight of a true, regional revival. It’s time to stop pretending that our standard, scheduled weekend gatherings are shifting the spiritual atmosphere of our regions. They aren't. We are losing the battle for our cities because we haven't even shown up to the front lines.
Confusing Community with Commission
A massive part of the problem is that we have confused community with commission. While the desire for relational connection and organic fellowship is understandable, community in and of itself cannot be the ultimate goal of the ekklesia. God is not calling us to perpetually gather around the campfire to sing songs, drink coffee, and soothe our anxieties. We are being summoned to the theater of war.
We have built an entire religious system around coddling the immature, entertaining the passive, and protecting people from the very refining fire that is required to purify them. We don't need more entertainment, more fog machines, or more palatable, seeker-sensitive presentations masquerading as sermons. We need the burning word of the Lord, delivered by seasoned fivefold leaders, calling the remnant into radical consecration.
In my book, Fire Will Fall, I made this reality as clear as possible:
“With absolutely no city in this nation experiencing revival, we have to admit something is terribly wrong. We are zero for 19,000. Of the over 19,000 cities in America, not one is biblically normal. There is no revival on a city level. Until the city church is identified, ordered, gathered, and contending in prophetic, biblical, and governmental intercession night and day, there’s no way we can expect an enduring outpouring to overtake our cities.”
This is the mandate. We cannot rely on isolated islands of ministry to do what only a unified, governmental city church can accomplish.
The Necessity of Revelation-Driven Prayer
The shift required is monumental, and it begins in the place of prayer. True, region-shaking revival will never come because we asked nicely. It will only break out when a holy remnant refuses to move until they hear the voice of the Lord, and then ruthlessly enforces that word in the earth. We must transition from a pastoral, nurturing model to an apostolic model that equips warriors for the prayer room.
The prayer rooms in our cities must reopen. We need fire-breathing intercessors who will take the night watches, who will battle through the static of our culture, and who will contend for the shock and awe of God's glory to invade their region. When prayer is never-ending, when we refuse to allow the fire to go out, when repentance and holiness rage through the camp—that is when the atmosphere finally shifts. We must stop praying our own good ideas and start fiercely enforcing God’s burning mandates.
The Prison of Offense and the Spirit of Division
The enemy knows that a unified, praying city church is an unstoppable force. This is exactly why the spirit of Absalom sits at the gates of our local congregations, actively attempting to draw the hearts of the people away from anointed leadership. We are living in an era of casual church-hopping and rapid-fire offense. At the slightest hint of correction, a misunderstood comment, or a shift in leadership direction, people are quick to pack up their families and find a new building with a more palatable atmosphere.
We have traded the biblical mandate for gritty, enduring unity for the fragile comfort of our own egos. Let's get right to the point: easily offended Christians will never carry the weight of true, regional revival. When you allow an offense to take root, you aren't just holding a grudge—you are stepping into a spiritual prison. If the enemy can get you to leave your assigned post because your feelings were hurt or you didn't agree with how a situation was handled, he wins the battle for your city without even drawing his sword.
Fulfilling your calling requires staying power. It requires dying to yourself, choosing to honor authority even when it's imperfect, and contending fiercely for the house God has planted you in.
The Urgency of Eternity
Why is this so urgent? Because the stakes are eternal. We have bought into an unbiblical grace message that puts our very eternity at risk. In a culture of relentless positivity, we have forgotten the terrifying reality of eternity without Christ. Many Christians will be shocked to find themselves in Hell one day because they embraced a cozy, self-centered experience while ignoring the absolute terror of separation from God.
Salvation for the coming harvest cannot equate to a casual, convenient commitment. It must equate to passionate surrender to a zealous Bridegroom. We have a mandate to awaken a sleeping church before it's too late. The world is desperate for the remnant to arise, to lay down their personal agendas, to crush the spirit of offense, and to fight for the freedom of the captives.
The Joshua Mandate
It is time to abandon the pursuit of personal spiritual comfort. The Joshua Mandate is upon us, and the time for action is now. How will you handle the revelation you have received? What is God saying to you about the coming revolution?
The coming church is a city-taking church. It’s a unified ekklesia that refuses to back down, refuses to compromise, and refuses to let the fire go out. It is time to cross the Jordan, leave the wilderness of “church as usual” behind, and take our cities for the Kingdom.
Are you ready to embrace the burning?
Go Deeper & Partner With Us:
Are you tired of powerless prayers? It’s time to discover the shock and awe of God's voice and partner with the Holy Spirit for regional revival. As a free gift to you, you can download the complete digital version of my book, Revelation Driven Prayer, absolutely free right here: www.revivalx.tv/revelation-driven-prayer
If you are burning to see true revival hit our cities and want to stand with us on the front lines, you can support the ongoing mission of Revival X here: www.burton.tv/donate
Content Transparency: The material presented in this article is 100% sourced from the proprietary writings, books, and hundreds of online articles by John Burton. AI technology was employed exclusively to assist in the compilation and drafting of this text based on those original teachings.
Molech, Charlie Kirk and the Colossal Failure of the Church
If Charlie Kirk's assassination doesn't change the church, what will?
The most shocking moment of the past two days wasn't the tragic, horrific and demonic murder of Charlie Kirk. Reported to be the kindest of people and a true prophetic voice for this generation, Charlie's words weren't contested with opposing arguments this fateful day. Respectful dialog didn't win the day.
A coward's bullet stopped him. It didn't stop his message, mind you. It exponentially multiplied it.
The shock hit when the dark underbelly of our nation was exposed not only to be much darker than many presumed, but also that it's no longer an underbelly. It's in your face. It's gone mainstream.
The celebrations of murder seemed to take over social media, and the rejoicing over Charlie's blood have not slowed down.
I can't believe I just wrote that.
Enraged Over Mere Words
Dutch Sheets shared a brief video message on the parallel between what happened with Charlie Kirk and the martyrdom of Stephen. It was spot on and it gives a powerful revelation into the redemption plan of God in this hour.
“But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.” (Acts 6:10, ESV)
As with Stephen, the debate enraged those who had no answer. The wisdom was too great to overcome. Accusation and ultimately violence of one twisted individual was the result. Agreeing to disagree wouldn't suffice.
Stephen preached on fire and revealed truth that was fiercely rejected.
“You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’” (Acts 7:43, ESV)
I find it interesting that Moloch was mentioned in Stephen's message. This demonic god has spilled the blood of untold millions of Americans through the evils of abortion. When a spirit of murder and bloodshed is so aggressively worshiped in our nation we can't be surprised when it manifests in other sectors. Killing babies was only the beginning of the enemy's plan. In fact, I've said for years that, if the intercessors and prophets don't rise up, it will become legal to kill children aged two years and younger. That method of extermination has precedence. A spirit of Herod is ready to destroy God's people.
“Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.” (Acts 7:54, ESV)
All it took was hearing Stephen speak.
All it took was hearing Charlie speak.
They were enraged.
“And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.” (Acts 7:56–58, ESV)
They stopped their ears. The truth alone was enough for them to attack and kill. But did you notice how the passage ended? Saul was there. Paul. He witnessed it all.
I wonder just who may have been in attendance on the Utah Valley University campus. In fact, I believe more than one modern-day Paul has been awakened. Prophets, bold and anointed voices of God, were born.
The Failure of the Church
It's troubling the boldness, anointing and fearlessness that we saw in Charlie Kirk is rare in the pulpits today. Many pastors are drunk on church growth dreams, avoiding anything that would create a divide in the body.
Where are the Upper Room prayer meetings?
What happened to unapologetic calls to radical holiness (which really isn't radical at all)?
Why are the prophets muzzled?
Where are those who have actually signed up for possible martyrdom, surrendering their lives for the cause of Christ that goes well beyond forgiveness of sins and hopes of Heaven?
The church gathering, the Ekklesia, must promote strategic, fiery, heart-rending intercession to first place. The primary purpose, the foundational reason, the main thing has always been fervent prayer. Well, in Scripture at least.
The church gathering must be marked by a sharp prophetic atmosphere that results in urgent and timely messages of God piercing the darkness. The days of “family-style church” are drawing to an end, at least for the true remnant followers of Jesus.
Today's church is mostly impotent, natural and devoid of supernatural power.
Where are the dreams and visions?
Why are prophets and intercessors relegated to Facebook groups instead of the Sunday morning platform?
When will the church arise and assume its rightful place as the governmental authority in our nation?
A political spirit has consumed not only America, but also the church. Instead of governing from an apostolic and prophetic position, we have either deafening silence or bombastic, carnal, religious rants. Anointed, prophetic revelation is rare. People are consumed with “facts” instead of truth, opinions instead of the heart of God.
It's time to tremble in tears in a place of repentance, prayer and where the fear of the Lord consumes us.
I'm not pretending that the arousal of the church would have prevented Charlie's death. Martyrdom will only increase as the end draws nearer. However, it would have created an atmosphere in this nation that's burning with revival and moving in great wisdom and authority. Love would abound and millions of people would have a direct encounter with the Lover of their souls. We need another Jesus revolution.
I implore you, in an age when Molech is spilling blood all throughout our nation, when voices like Stephen and Charlie are rare and when the underbelly of darkness has become brash and overt, everything about our church gatherings must change.
When people are actually dancing on TikTok and laughing and celebrating someone's death, we know the darkness has nearly won, strangling and suffocating our nation.
Pastors, cancel everything and pray.
Many people will leave. Those who don't wish to carry the burden of the hour and who are repelled by the intensity and emotion of prophetic intercession will abandon their assignment.
This is why church growth cannot be a goal. It's laughable to think it could be.
Where we are going requires a Gideon exodus. Only one percent of Gideon's army was ready. I believe we are at the same juncture today.
Are you part of the one percent? Are you ready to tear down the altars of Molech? Will you be a Saul that is transformed into a Paul? Will you be driven by love, truth and a supernatural resolve to see freedom come to millions of people in the United States of America?
If so, don't wait. Don't look around for others to join you. Just do it.
Oh, by the way, our mission is love, not revenge. We want those who are lost to be found. We must contend for Charlie's assassin to meet Jesus. Heaven wouldn't be the same without him.
I'm sure Charlie is awaiting the day when he just might run with open arms to joyfully embrace him as he enters Heaven. This is what love looks like, and this is the core of our mission.
Prayer-Driven vs. Worship-Driven Churches: The Great Debate
What's on people's church shopping lists?
Listen to the podcast:
The validity of “church-shopping” is a discussion for another day. Suffice it to say, people do it, and they have their lists.
Powerful worship, excellent teaching, a powerful youth ministry and dynamic children's ministry are in the top ten, if not the top five of all-time desires in a church experience. After all, what else is needed? You have deep, overwhelming, supernaturally charged worship and excellence in teaching and family ministries. Based covered.
Oops. We forgot something. Don't fret, though. It's been forgotten for quite some time, especially in today's church.
Intercession. Tongues of fire. Contending in unified decrees, declarations, warfare and passionate eruptions of oracles from heaven. You know, prayer.
DO PASTOR'S EVEN CARE?
In my early years of ministry, I was never asked about my prayer life or intercession strategies when interviewing for open church staff positions.
Many pastors (thankfully, not all) are uncomfortable in the prayer room and will either eliminate it from the culture of the church or minimize it to something less threatening. At best you'll find a group of faithful warriors praying in a glorified janitor's closet down a dark hallway in the church prior to the service. The pastor doesn't typically lead the meeting, much less attend it or even promote it.
If worship is strong and teaching is effective and other ministries are growing, all is well. Sure, they may say prayers at times, but a firehouse of burning intercession is a foreign concept.
WHY WORSHIP IS ADORED AND PRAYER IS A STRUGGLE
ONE: It's all about the experience
If we aren't careful, worship can become more about us than about Jesus. As I'm writing this, I'm pumping my spirit with worship music. Like many, I absolutely love anointed music whether it's in my headphones or in the sanctuary. It's enjoyable. It's edifying. It's emotional.
Prayer, on the other hand, can often be difficult. The cost is greater and the energy necessary to push through can be extreme. Of course, there are different modes of prayer including soaking, meditation, petition and others. From my experience, the greatest impact both for the church and for the individual comes when there's a healthy dose of strategic, informed, prophetic intercession, decrees, declarations and warfare. The breaking power of such prayer is intense.
The tender connection with the Holy Spirit that we might get with musical worship often shifts to a raging internal fire that demands mountains be moved and darkness be invaded. Of course, we aren't choosing between worship and prayer. We need churches to be driven strategically by both with prayer as the foundation.
TWO: There's a lack of equipping in prayer
Worship is easy to understand. Surrender, love, adore and exalt as some beautiful and anointed music fills the room. I'm not saying it always easy to enter in, but the concept of worship is easy to grasp.
The purpose and function of strategic prayer? Not so much.
We need training in what I call Revelation Driven Prayer. How do we hear God's voice? How do we declare prophetically what he's saying? What do we see in Scripture? How should we not prayer? What are the roadblocks?
Exhausting, right? As a prayer freak, I'll admit that it can be a battle. Often it's a war. I've wasted a lot of time and energy in prayer over the years by not praying correctly. If prayer is to be foundational in our churches, equipping in prayer must be equally foundational.
THREE: There's no vision
The concept of “having a vision” isn't something many people think about. Often, people go to church largely based on their desires, not their God-given vision for advancing the Kingdom. Again, they want a satisfying experience with great worship and great ministry. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, though it's tragically limiting. There's so much more.
When prayer-driven churches gather, the focus isn't mostly on giving the people a nice Sunday experience. They have gathered with war in mind. The vision is too intense to be okay with anything less than conquest. Plundering Hell and contending for revival consume their thoughts. Such a vision demands prayer at a level few would ever sign up for.
FOUR: Prayer can be deflating
Regular people don't want to be part of a church that struggles to punch through into the miraculous. Remnant Believers do, however.
A vision of intercession has built into it a resolve to keep pressing, keep prophesying, keep standing in faith until the breakthrough comes. If quick growth, instant wonders and visible impact are required to stay faithful in the place of prayer, most will quit. This is why churches often have to keep the hype going. We need the dopamine hits and the adrenaline rush every Sunday.
FIVE: Tongues are rare
Groans of intercession are required if we want to pray, walk and live in the supernatural. This type of corporate expression is rare as pastors accurately predict that many would run for the exits should it explode in the church.
The Holy Spirit must be invited to rage in our gatherings again! Baptisms in power must be non-stop as people become infused with an other-worldly language of intercession!
PRAYER-DRIVEN CHURCHES ARISE
I've campaigned for churches to eliminate all ministry for at least six months – except for prayer. Bring the worship team down from the platform. Call the youth and children into the auditorium. Shut down everything except for fiery, prophetic prayer in every service and see what happens.
When we return prayer to first place in the church, everything else will start to calibrate with God's design and the power of the Holy Spirit will again manifest.
5 Marks of “The New Normal”
The shift must come to every church –immediately.
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There are over 19,000 cities in the nation and not one is experiencing the biblical normalcy of revival. Yes, there are pockets of Holy Spirit activity, but when considering regions, there's no smoke, no fire.
Every church and every Christian must not only be ready for reformation, they must initiate a massive revolution. Our daily experience will soon look nothing like it does now.
5 Marks of the “New Normal”
ONE: A radical devotion to the local church
A casual “commitment” to the most important, catalytic and strategic vehicle for the advance of the Kingdom in our nation's cities will result in devastation.
Lesser activities, entertainment and endeavors must yield to the schedule of the church as we gather with extreme discipline several times each week.
No longer can we allow schisms, opinions, frustrations, offense or any Leviathan or Absalom influenced emotion to derail us. The fire on the altar must never go out and the laborers are needed to tend to it.
TWO: A troubling, challenging, fiery church culture
Even in the most Spirit-driven churches it's easy to spot disinterested, disengaged people who are more interested in clock-watching and the buzz from their phones than in going deep in God with their fellow warriors.
A seeker strategy in the church over the past decades has resulted in a babied, hyper-sensitive people who will refuse to return if the fire gets too hot or the challenge is too intense. Of course, there's a ready remnant, but they are the exception.
We need to get used to anointed preaching that is roared from the pulpit and a vision that puts a tremble in our spirit, troubles us to the core and awakens us to action.
THREE: Spirit-filled, prophetic intercession that consumes our lives
Church services must look nothing like they have, and leaders have to be okay with the masses heading for the exits. The church gathering is not for the lost. It's not an evangelistic tool. It's a Believer's meeting. It's a prayer meeting.
Decrees, declarations and an atmosphere filled with fiery tongues must overwhelm the sanctuary every Sunday morning. The prophetic charge will shock the meeting and shatter the heavens as we move beyond tired, predictable church services.
Leave the list of desires and expectations at the door when searching for a church. It's not about us. It's not about “good teaching, good worship and good children's ministry” like so many have on their church shopping list. It's all about sacrificial, tear-inducing, desperate intercession.
When our lives, night and day, are filled with prayer like this, anything less when gathering as the church body won't be tolerated.
FOUR: Repentance and holiness are non-negotiable
Wickedness in our culture has flooded into the church, and it's time for aggressive, ferocious preaching to return to the pulpit. It will offend the casual and will invigorate the remnant to move into deeper realms of holiness and intimacy with Jesus.
Those who are driven by an independent spirit, who refuse to relinquish control of their lives and who scoff at such a separated, consecrated life will cause many problems. Apostolic, prophetic leaders must be ready to confront the attacking demonic spirits that will manifest through gossip, accusation, lies, hatred and manipulation.
Yes, a focus on holiness and a call to repentance will result in a spiritually violent assault. This is evidence that it's a great threat to Satan.
FIVE: Ministry will dominate our priorities – and our families will thrive
Cindy Jacobs prophesied over my wife that it was time to start a school of the Spirit, and that it would dramatically impact our children and family. We responded, and our family is burning in the furnace of ministry together.
The end-time season we are in will absolutely consume our thoughts and our plans. While much of the ministry will happen as part of the local church army we are assigned to, our focus will also expand into the city and beyond.
Every moment of our lives must be lived in the Spirit, understanding the critical call to fulfill our unique mission. Whether it's marketplace ministry, leading small groups, training for missions or any number of other ministries, we have to be locked-in. Every Believer is a minister.
We must be careful not to underemphasize our role in the local church as it is the primary strategic company that God has ordained. The foremost emphasis is intercession, and from there you will discover what your future role will be.
We are living in critical times.
Don't allow recent political victories to lull you into a state of comfort. The enemy is ramping up the assault and we can't afford to take a break.
Everything in our lives and in our churches must dramatically and immediately shift if we hope to see revival come, the Kingdom advance and the darkness recede.
This is our new normal.
Will this Election Launch Revival?
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The fervor surrounding this election has broken the scale. The church seems to have been awakened to the responsibility to cast their vote. Lines of cars heading to polling stations led to lines of people willing to wait for hours in some locations. This is very good.
It would seem the passion for righteousness is suddenly spiking and hopes for a mighty move of God are trending upward. Then again, maybe not.
Five Reasons Revival Should Not Be Expected – Yet.
ONE: Where are the lines?
I'm not talking the lines to pull the lever and vote. I'm referring to the lines to the prayer rooms. While intercession has been on the increase over the last several years, a culture of fervent, strategic prayer has not overtaken most of our churches. Fiery prayer must be the primary activity of every Believer. The pastors and the leaders who promote this in their churches will be key catalysts of authentic revival in the nation.
TWO: Who cares?
I hear more about how the election will effect Bitcoin than I do revival. I've been a raging, desperate revivalist for nearly three decades, and I'll never forget the sad epiphany I had near the beginning of my ministry journey. I discovered almost nobody cares about revival. It's not something they think about. It's not on their grid. They don't pursue it. They don't care.
THREE: Why would it?
I agree that having a wicked leader leading a nation can result in a weeping church that cries out night and day for God to intervene. In that regard, yes, a national election can impact revival. Aside from a negative stimulus and other nuances in the grand scheme, we have to understand that secular politics have little to do with spiritual awakening. Spiritual awakening, on the other hand, will have a mighty impact on the politics of America.
FOUR: Is it a priority?
Obviously, if few care about revival, why would we presume strategic pursuit of it would be a priority? For too many, the focus is not on awakening. People are paying close attention to other important yet lesser issues such as the economy and national security.
Of course, some of the policies we are campaigning for like the ending of abortion are at or near the top of the list. I do not mean to minimize desperately critical issues. What I am attempting to communicate is simple. For most, revival is near the bottom of their list of priorities, if it's on the list at all.
FIVE: Have we paid the price?
It's clear we haven't prayed the price. Sadly, few have paid the price either. They have not counted the cost and shifted their life sufficiently to have any expectation of revival coming to America. The price is too high.
The benefits of revival are nuclear in power, invaluable beyond measure. Any price is worth what this nation, our churches and our families would experience should a supernatural outpouring visit us. Dramatic miracles, healings, encounters, freedom from demons, moved mountains and a massive harvest of souls is held back by a quasi-interested church.
REVIVAL IS ON GOD'S AGENDA
As many have said, we aren't waiting God. He's waiting on us.
Let me make it clear with a shout from the rooftops! I believe a planet-shaking, supernatural outpouring of the Holy Spirit is coming. I sense it can come much sooner than later should the remnant church take it up about a hundred levels.
Revival is simply defined as biblical normalcy. We are supposed to be living in revival at all times. Jesus has done all that needs to be done for us to initiate revival, to live in it, to minister in it and to invite a dying world into it.
Winning an election does little to cause a sleeping church to start doing what must be done for revival to break out. The prerequisites are nonnegotiable and few have even started on them.
Intense prayer, determined growth, active faith, radical surrender and locking into a church that is giving itself to nonstop advance toward city-wide and national revival are critical first steps.
A politician can't do that for us.
Yes, a righteous leader can promote righteousness in a deeply wicked nation. There is much good that can come which is why our vote is so important.
But the day after election day, our responsibility shifts. It's time to fill the prayer rooms, to contend for revival and to cry out for God to move powerfully in America.
The level of our celebration or depression following the election is directly related to the level of our pursuit of revival.
If we prioritize a move of God more than the appointment of a politician, we'll be as invigorated and focused after the votes have been tallied as we were before.
Nine Marks of a Revival Church (CM)
Are Spirit-filled churches becoming “typical?”
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I've given leadership to revival-style churches and ministries for decades. It's grieving how few Spirit-filled churches are truly taking people unapologetically into the depths of surrender to Jesus. Instead, the preference is to grow wide and shallow in the hopes that the seats stay full, the money keeps coming in and the programs are staffed.
Of course, the majority of churches, Charismatic included, aren't pretending to be concerned about revival at all.
The cost is too high. The chances are too slim.
To most, it's not worth it.
The truth is, revival churches don't see dramatic impact, big crowds and overwhelming wonders in the early stages. The wells of revival must be dug. The hours of prayer must be invested. Repentance, consecration and a radical devotion of time must be constant. Few are willing to buy in at this level, and pastors know it.
The preferred church growth method is to create a “healthy, vibrant” atmosphere that's focused on meeting needs and fulfilling expectations. The shock and awe of God's glory is traded for a more naturally familiar environment that's sprinkled with some worship, teaching and fellowship. Nothing too deep, expensive or disruptive.
Nine key differences between typical churches and revival churches:
- Typical Church: Participation is emphasized
Revival Church: Consecration is emphasized
In a revival church, the focus is radical surrender to Jesus. Simple church attendance does little to advance the vision of dramatic, supernatural, regional impact. A revival-style church would be happier with 50 people going deep in the Holy Spirit than 500 attending, giving and serving.
- Typical Church: Prayer is rare
Revival Church: Prayer is constant
Prayer is the primary call of all. A supernatural culture of intercession burns nonstop. No authentic revival has been initiated without first developing a foundation of unceasing and effective prayer. Without the intensity of intercession, revival churches cannot exist.
- Typical Church: Church growth is the goal
Revival Church: Regional revival is the goal
Revival church leaders don’t care about the numerical growth. Their eyes are on the city. They understand the Gideon principle. Fewer devoted people keenly focused on revival is powerfully effective.
- Typical Church: Relationships are a key focus
Revival Church: Relationships are a byproduct
Authentic relationships are developed in the foxhole at revival-style churches. The mission is the main thing. Relationships result as consecrated people put differences aside and contend for revival with military precision.
- Typical Church: Demons remain hidden
Revival Church: Demons are exposed
At risk of offending those in attendance, leaders will discern haunting, taunting spirits and expel them. They train the body to do the same and wouldn’t think of hiding the dramatic moments of freedom from others in the service.
- Typical Church: Encouragement driven
Revival Church: Prophetically driven
Prophetic messages will at times cut, offend, correct and challenge. Those who respond will be encouraged as they blow through limitations. Revival churches are equipping an army. Revival soldiers endure radical transformation in order to be made ready.
- Typical Church: Driven by expectations
Revival Church: Establishes expectations
Revival churches get their vision and strategy from the prayer room. They refuse to buy into the “tried and true” methods of building a church. Many will be turned off by revival churches as their demands go unmet. The rest will come alive and burn hot on the battlefield.
- Typical Church: One-stop shop
Revival Church: Specialized ministry
Revival leaders encourage people to draw from other churches and ministries. This allows them to remain focused on their specific part of the city-wide vision. Revival leaders make no apology about being laser-focused and allowing other needs to be met by other ministries in the city.
- Typical Church: A family gathering
Revival Church: A school of fire
Those in revival churches find themselves groaning in intercession, crying out to God, repenting with passion and getting baptized in holy fire most every day.
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