Ten observations of a former ministry leader

Revolution Church in Manitou Springs, Colorado

Six years away from full-time ministry has provided me time for evaluation.

After 25 years of planting and leading churches, developing regional prayer initiatives, traveling to speak at churches and conferences and giving leadership to internships and other projects, I morphed overnight into a business owner in Branson, Missouri.
Ministry was my world, my grid, until suddenly it wasn't.
There's a stigma surrounding ministry when it comes to a change of seasons. Many would regard moving from pastoring or other ministry assignments to the marketplace as unfortunate. Suspicions of failure threaten to follow them as they begin their new venture. Outside of moral failure or other issues that would demand a ministry be benched, a shift from ministry to business can certainly be viewed as a promotion. When God smiles on you and moves you into a new season, it is a promotion indeed. I don't argue this for my own sake (though I will admit the enemy likes to tell me I failed), but rather for many who are sensing their full-time, vocational ministry assignment to be over.
While I still write each week for two publications on revival, prayer, culture, politics and current events, the bulk of my time is devoted to my new life outside of vocational ministry. My wife and I are having the time of our lives building an escape room business while also growing a YouTube travel channel.
When we moved from Detroit to Branson, Missouri, we knew the ministry grind we were so familiar with was over and an exciting new life awaited us.
After six years away from the pulpit, here are ten takeaways I've gleaned during the transition from ministry to the business world. While these are personal points, many if not all will ring true especially to those experiencing the same journey as me.

ONE: The vision

I miss running with a very personal and God-infused vision for city transformation. There is something about giving leadership to a ministry that's fueled by sharp vision with a call to see the darkness pushed back in a city. It was never about doing church, growing a church, attracting visitors or making sure the tithes and offerings kept coming in. I never cared about any of that. I was consumed with a divine call and I came alive when I ran toward that mark.
Night after night I'd be with other firebrands in intense prayer encounters and strategy sessions. We'd prayer walk the city, prophesy over it and release decrees and declarations. That just can't be duplicated in a typical church environment.

TWO: Preaching

I'm a preacher. I miss releasing the fire several times a week and imparting what God was downloading to me. It was uniquely prophetic and often spontaneous. The goal was never to simply impart Bible knowledge as much as it was to rally the troops, to reveal current God's plans, to confront the spirit of the age and to advance together from the place of encounter.
For me, preaching and teaching isn't as much a Bible study as it is a biblical revelation of what God was speaking to us in that moment. I miss the times when God was burn assignments and calls into my spirit that I then communicated to the church. The rallying cry resulted in a timely, unified advance in the next phase in the mission.

THREE. The team

I miss my incredible, consecrated, passionate and locked-in teams of revival-minded, Holy-Spirit driven zealots. One reason I was never that interested in drawing the biggest crowds in the city is I was on the hunt for remnant people who God was specifically assigning to our mission. These burning ones that showed up several times a week to contend for revival marked my life for eternity!
For me, typical friendships and relationships were never compelling (though I know many others are wired differently, and that's good). I was invigorated by people who burned with the same fire that I did, people who were ready to go deep and blaze with intensity night and day. Yes, I really miss those firebrands!

FOUR. The miraculous

I miss the encounters with God, the unusual and otherworldly signs and wonders and the miracles that manifest in environments like that. Of course, God does move in a variety of ways in a variety of environments, but for me nothing came close to comparing with what happened when remnant revivalists cried out and groaned in the Spirit.
The signs, wonders and miracles over the decades have been absolutely stunning. My life has been transformed by the unusual, otherworldly workings of God and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. When a group contends night after night, week after week, year after year together in this fashion, you get God's attention and he definitely gets yours.

FIVE. False expectations

As someone who functions in the prophetic and apostolic, I definitely don't miss the expectations people would place on me as if I was a pastor.
This was one of my greatest challenges when giving leadership to churches. In the Western culture churches are predominantly led by people in the office of Pastor. The expectations are hardwired in most and when the leader of the church doesn't come through, it's easy for people to get disappointed or offended.
I believe we need an emergence of churches that are Apostle led. The entire atmosphere will be radically different from what we see today. Family-style churches will begin to give way to apostolic and prophetic revival centers. The primary purpose for going to church will shift from hanging with friends and simply learning the Bible to getting equipped in the Word and taking cities.

SIX. Failure to address culture

Stepping outside of the bubble of my own ministry, I've noticed that few pastors and leaders are regularly dealing with culture, politics and the issues of the day. In the real world, everybody is addressing and influencing the culture — except for church leaders it seems. The tragic repercussions in our society are obvious.
A spirit of diplomacy will kill the sharp, prophetic mandate on a church. The desire to keep people happy in the pews instead of daring to actually take an unpopular stand on cultural issues is costing churches their anointing. This is one of the risks of family-style churches that focus mostly on developing relationships. Of course, godly relationships are extremely valuable. Relationships are the only thing we'll take to heaven with us, as the saying goes.
However, if we aren't willing to take a stand out of fear of disrupting the fragile family chemistry, in my opinion we've disqualified ourselves from ministry. Apostolic and prophetic churches don't have this problem as the very reason they are in existence is to confront the spirit of the age and advance toward an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

SEVEN. A godless world

I've always know this to be true, as the topic has driven many of my sermons over the years. However, again, stepping out of my church bubble has given me a much clearer view. The world is nearly godless. Most give absolutely no thought to the concept of God in their daily lives. It's tragic how wicked, lost and confused most people are today. It absolutely breaks my heart.
When I was in ministry a primary driver was the pursuit of authentic revival. I believe more than anything a legitimate Acts chapter two outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the best and fastest way for the masses to surrender all to Jesus. Give me another Azusa outpouring. Give me a Welsh revival. Let's see another Brownsville move of God. When the lost encounter supernatural, holy power, they are undone — and free.

EIGHT. Strange Christians

I'm probably the last person you'd imagine would be highlighting Christians acting strangely. I've witnessed God manifesting in some absolutely bizarre and supernatural ways. From oil manifesting on someone's hands during worship to a mist of God's glory to demonic encounters, I've seen a lot. I've experienced a lot myself. When God moves, the human body will very often react in some strange ways to say the least.
However, I've noticed a segment of Christians are unnecessarily strange and unbalanced. As I confirmed, I believe in authentic, supernatural and extremely bizarre encounters with God. But, what I'm seeing is what so many in the world are seeing: goofiness with no power of God evident. This hinders the advance of the Gospel.
The conspiracy theorists are out in force and slapping God's name on their analysis of current events. Others are emotionally driven to the exclusion of self-control. Many in the prophetic stream are living in an ultra-mystical state and presume any cloud that looks like an angle is Michael ready to descend on the earth. It's weird.
The challenge is leading a church that is open to the moving of the Holy Spirit and inviting of manifestations no matter how bizarre — if it's truly God. Such churches invite the unbalanced, and if they aren't open to guidance from leadership they can cause quite a schism in the body.

NINE. Marketplace ministry

More than any time when I was in vocational ministry I've noticed God working powerfully through businesspeople and entrepreneurs. In fact, I've believed for a long time that many current full-time ministers would do good to shift into the marketplace.
As I stated above, for many a change of scenery would be a promotion out of ministry and into the workforce. (Of course, God also promotes into and within the ministry.) When we have Spirit-filled, God loving men and women serving and leading in the world system profound impact can come. It's a powerful testimony when God's people exhibit integrity, godly character and a tangible anointing as they work alongside the lost.

TEN. An exciting future

I don't know what the future holds, whether it's stepping back into ministry or selling our house to buy an RV as we focus on taking our travel videos to the next level! Anything and everything is on the table. I love the adventure!
When locked into a pastorate or a specific ministry without the option to move into a wholly different season, whether it's in or out of full-time ministry, frustration can set in. There are many people who just need the permission to shift. Go as God leads. He promises to order our steps, and what I've discovered, those steps can be quite unusual and unexpected indeed!

The Secret Sauce of Supernatural Encounter

I'm often asked how to experience God on a regular basis. I do believe there's an answer, but it's not a simple one.

There's a phenomenal opportunity available to every legitimate follower of Jesus: an indescribable and life-rocking encounter with an invisible, all-powerful Deity. Sadly so few do what's necessary to live in this realm where the Holy Spirit reveals his shock and awe to the children of God.

It seems so many are satisfied living a typical, logical life in the natural realm. The idea that we can be overwhelmed by a Spirit and experience unimaginable manifestations that only exist beyond where our eyes and ears can discern is silliness to them. Twilight Zone. X-Files. Science fiction.

Yet, to others, it's not far-reaching at all. They yearn to meet God in this place but they don't know how to get there. It's those hungry people I'd like to try to encourage.

THE RECIPE FOR ENCOUNTER

RAW, RISKY BELIEF

5  …so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:5 (ESV)

Intellectualism may be the greatest killer of faith and supernatural encounter among those who are truly living for the Lord. Their left-brained approach to invisible and mystical realities rarely works. When it does, you usually have to take the long way around.

My passion is for God to encounter me in ways my natural, logical, intellectual capacities could never predict, gauge or moderate. The moment I limit this to my own understanding or my careful analysis is the moment I've diminished my hope of moving into that spiritual realm that exists beyond what can be grasped.

The “I have to see it to believe it” mantra doesn't work in a “walk by faith, not by sight” Kingdom. Having to understand it before seeing it doesn't usually work very well either.

Of course, I'm not proposing a renunciation of the pursuit of understanding. However, when logical understanding must come first, before the other-worldly revelation that God wants us to experience, we short circuit the supernatural happenings.

While many would argue that seeing is believing, for Christians the opposite is true. Believing is seeing…and encountering, and being shocked by the fire and power of the Holy Spirit!

5  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)

DESPERATE HUNGER

I'll never forget the night many years ago that changed my life. I witnessed God doing remarkable things in the lives of some of my friends. These seemingly normal American guys who were grunting on the basketball court and staying up to all hours playing video games were also undone by an unseen force. I'd watch them weeping in prayer, pacing the church and crying out to God for him to move. These people had tapped into something that I convinced wasn't invented. It wasn't fake. It was real and I had to meet God they way they had.

Alone one night, I paced around the youth room of the church, feeling nothing but desperation. I prayed a simple prayer, the only one I could. “God, you know my heart.” That's it. Over and over I was talking to God using those words, revealing the depths of my hunger in a simple statement. God knew how deeply I desired to know him.

The rest is history. My eternity has forever been altered by that simple yet overwhelming prayer. Shortly after, he flooded into my life in a way that could never be described by using human words, though I'll try. Extreme boldness replaced timidity in a split second. A tangible force shook my being. Passion for Jesus was instantaneous. There was a power source connected to me and I was radiating with fire.

I didn't seek to understand what I was pursuing. I was simply desperate. Hungry. Willing to surrender all. In fact, I told God in the days preceding this momentous experience that I didn't want anything to do with him if he “wasn't all that he was cracked up to be.” I wasn't interested in fairy tales or following some religious icon who didn't heal, couldn't deliver and wasn't omnipotent, good and alive. However, I also said, “But if you are all of this, I will die for you.”

PASSIONATE PRAYER

While an initial encounter may not require a disciplined life of intercession, I've discovered that a regular, continual encounter with Jesus absolutely does. It's in the place of fervent, fiery prayer, especially praying in tongues, where the presence of God is constant, and very often extremely intense.

Some may wonder why it's so important to contend for encounter. They may see it as unnecessary and possibly even evidence of an imbalanced or immature person, someone who is driven by emotions or strange, mystical rushes of adrenaline. Oh my, this couldn't be further from the truth. Encounter is absolutely necessary for every blood-bought Christian.

As we walk in great faith and hunger with great desperation, the cries of our heart and the intercession of the Holy Spirit through us will launch us into the place where God can be clearly heard. We can discern his heart. He can reveal mysteries to us. Critical information, some of life and death, is transmitted to us through impressions, dreams, visions or other prophetic means. Simply, if we aren't living in encounter, we are tragically limited to our own understanding, the very understanding the Bible instructs us not to lean on.

But, as we pray in the Spirit, everything changes. The heavens open. God's voice resounds. An inner tremble shakes within. Our daily lives become adventures as God takes the reigns and gives us direction that can only be received via the Spirit.

DEEP HUMILITY

God resists the proud. This is why I firmly believe the gateway to deeper levels in the Spirit includes many opportunities for humiliation.

I'll never forget meeting a young lady at an event who was a part of another church. She told me she so wanted to experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but had no idea how to do so. She was unpretentious and authentic as she shared her expectancy for what was going to happen at the worship conference we all converged at in Los Angeles.

I don't have space to explain what happened the next night other than to say, this hungry young lady was suddenly, without warning, flopping all over the ground as strange and wonderful new sounds were exploding from her mouth. God's activity in that moment hit her and many others, including myself. I was suddenly on the floor experiencing an extremely weighty manifestation of God's glory that wouldn't dissipate until the next day. The presence of God in that moment was something I can still remember, though it's been over twenty years since it happened.

Humility caused this young lady to dismiss how she might look to the hundreds of people all around as supernatural God invaded her natural self. She wanted God. She was hungry at a level few experience. She was filled.

UNAPOLOGETIC HOLINESS

If you think a very Holy Spirit is going to brood over you and manifest in and through you as you are living an unholy life, you have been terribly deceived. Holiness is absolutely mandatory if we have any hope of God moving remarkably in our lives. This is such common sense, yet so many Christians can't understand why they aren't being consumed by God's Holy Spirit.

You simply cannot watch movies, TV and other media that contains foul language, nudity, coarse joking and other immorality and think you are a candidate for encounter. You are kidding yourself. In fact, why would you want the Holy Spirit if that's your chosen lifestyle? You are only inviting conviction if not judgment.

I encourage everybody to eliminate all secular music and listen to nothing but anointed worship music. I even suggest doing away with most contemporary Christian music and pumping music through their headphones that carries the unusual fire and glory of God.

Those who have taken me up on this, time after time, experience dramatic breakthrough. Those who don't tend to trend downwards.

14  …For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14 (ESV)

WILLING MARTYRDOM

Possibly the quickest shortcut to living a life of dramatic, supernatural encounter with God is to sign up as a martyr.

We are called to die daily, to take up our crosses and to love life not unto death. This is our portion as Christians. The key moment in my personal life came shortly after my initial encounter I described above. Do you remember that I told God I'd die for him? He was listening.

From my article Risks of the Upcoming Presence Movement:

One night my life changed forever. In the midst of my amazing daily encounters with Jesus, I found myself in a prayer room at a youth lock-in in Dayton, Ohio. While 300 students were playing volleyball and basketball I was alone in a dark, glorious room overlooking the skyline of the city. God was waiting for me when I waked in.

I paced around praying and worshiping as the presence of God swirled all around me. I never wanted to leave.

Suddenly, as I was enjoying God, walking back and forth in his manifest presence, I heard a voice, “John, I want you to give me permission to take your life tonight.”

I was irritated. My focus on loving Jesus was interrupted by someone with what felt like a terribly different agenda. Little did I know, it was an agenda to grow me up and gauge my devotion.

I shook off that distracting voice, and attempted to enter back into the glory realm. I prayed and worshiped, but the presence of God was completely gone—or so I thought.

Again I heard, “John, I want you to give me permission to take your life tonight.”

Though I clearly understood I was being asked to give my life for Jesus, my emotions were negative. I was distraught, irritated, lonely and even afraid. My enjoyment was gone. However, what I didn’t realize was this—my feelings were not sufficient to analyze the situation. God’s presence had actually increased exponentially in that room of destiny, not dissipated. The fearful judge had arrived and he meant business.

Though I tried to enter back into worship again, it was futile. I heard the voice one more time, “John, I want you to give me permission to take your life tonight.”

Finally, in a state of lonely desperation, I realized I couldn’t live my life without the fire of Jesus burning within me. I needed him. I wanted him, even if it meant the loss of my physical life.

Understand, I was convinced that I was going to physically die that night. It was very real to me.

I told God, “I can’t live without you. If my death will result in the advance of your Kingdom, I give you permission to take my life tonight.”

The moment I said that, his manifest glory flooded the room about one hundred times greater than I had experienced it before. I had experienced the glory and the severity of God, and I was forever changed.

ZEAL FOR THE WORD OF GOD

As I reveal the final ingredient of the secret sauce of encounter, I can feel the naysayers breathing down my neck right now. They are riled up at the thought of focusing on the experiential, on the suggestion that faith trumps logic, on the mystical, invisible and on what they would call hyper-Charismatic fluff.

I'll try to put them at ease. Nothing I am proposing can defy Scriptural truth. If there's ever a contradiction, it must be eliminated. This means that we must be students of the Word. There should be a burning zeal in us for the powerful, eternal and non-negotiable truths of Scripture.

However, while many would hold up the giant family Bible in the air as a defense against the supposed superstition that I'm dealing with here, true Bereans will excitedly search the Word to see what powerful revelations it holds.

From my article What To Do When We Hear Rumors Of Revival:

11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. Luke 24:11-12 (ESV)

Belief and expectancy will result in running as a result of any news that God has moved with great passion. Doubt will always result in resistance, staying away and embracing suspicion.

I often hear about the concept of being a Berean from some who may be considered heresy hunters. Those who are deeply suspicious of any report of a fresh move of God often attempt to disguise their unbelief and mocking spirit with a religious cloak. They say, I’m just being a Berean.

People driven by a false Berean attitude hear a report of a possible revival or outpouring and their immediate response is to discredit it. They pull out scriptures that supposedly renounce any new move of God and declare the participants to be misguided at best, heretics at worst. Others may take a less direct approach by holding back, waiting to see if it passes muster.

That, my friend, is not being a Berean.

I agree that we must be based on the Word of God more intentionally than ever in history. There is too much foolishness out there today in the name of revival. The answer is a people who are sensitive to the Holy Spirit and firmly grounded as students in the Bible.

However, I don’t agree that our immediate response to a potential fresh outpouring of the Spirit of God should be suspicion! This attitude can affect even the most godly of people. It’s all too easy to immediately doubt that such a move could be anything more than overreaching hope, hype or sensationalism.

I propose we all have the heart of a true Berean.

Before the stop at Berea, Paul preached about a powerful fresh move of God at Thessalonica. I believe heresy hunters are actually more like the Thessalonians than the Bereans:

And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” Acts 17:2-7 (ESV)

There was an urgent and immediate rejection of the report of resurrection power. Let’s contrast this with the pure hearts of the Bereans:

10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Acts 17:10-13 (ESV)

This is a powerful passage of scripture!

The Bereans were more noble than those in Thessalonica. This is an important point! Why were they more noble? When they heard the report of a powerful, transforming, new move of God that would change everything in their lives, they received the word with all eagerness!

Their response was not scrutiny, unbelief, jealousy or resistance. They were excited to hear the news! They were so impacted by the potential of such a report that they immediately dove into the Word with the hope of confirming—not disproving—the life altering revelation!

But then, in verse 13, we see the unrelenting Thessalonians actually traveling to Berea to gather people to them in opposition to what God was doing there.

I hope you are truly ready for revival. This is what it looks like. The resistors will show up in force.

The question that needs to be answered is, which camp will you be in? Are you a scrutinizing Thessalonian or an eager Berean?

The Demons are Hiding: What Happened to the Supernatural Church?

Bizarre, supernatural manifestations should be normal in the church. What happened?

When given the choice between hearing another sermon and witnessing invisible and very active demons being cast out of a precious soul, I'm buying the ticket to the deliverance. Why then, if deliverance is even allowed at all, is it so often stopped so they can escort the individual into a back room somewhere? Today's church needs to see the power of the Holy Spirit overcoming the power of the enemy in people's lives right before their eyes! Here's a podcast on this topic: In fact, supernatural manifestations are consistently shut down as irritations or some sort of spiritual disorder. Manifestations should be expected, not avoided. We must allow our all-powerful God to interact with the people. When such a mighty force touches weak, finite humans, it's simply impossible to maintain our casual or dignified disposition. We will react with shock, awe and wonder!

THIS REACHES BEYOND SIMPLE SUPERNATURAL MANIFESTATIONS

Too often the Western church is functioning in the safe, natural, middle ground, and the demons remain in hiding, very active and unconcerned about any Christian interference. There is no threat. However, when a deeply determined and wildly prophetic people who are devoted to intercession and warfare unite, the unseen world starts to shake under the weight of their authority. When people like this advance together, they are met with dramatic and often bizarre supernatural reactions. Demons and angels engage and respond, and this will be easily discerned by men and women of God who live their lives in the spiritual realm. The invisible realm becomes exposed. We must have mature warriors who understand the realm of the invisible and who function in great authority giving key leadership in our churches. It's laughable to think that a church is truly having impact if the enemy isn't provoked and if the Holy Spirit isn't manifesting.

A DEMONIC COMMAND CENTER IN MANITOU SPRINGS, COLORADO

ALIEN-0000000 7-24-2019 4.10.01 PMI'm astonished at how often Christians live in disbelief (or disinterest) regarding the demonic world. The story I'm about to share can easily be dismissed as too extreme. They'd prefer to climb back under their safe, comfy blanket and deny reality—all while the demonic army gains strength and momentum. Hiding under the blankets or sticking your head in the sand is no strategy against such a formidable force. The Lord had revealed to me that Manitou Springs was a demonic communication center, a command center, much like NORAD, which was an active center of defense for our nation for years just a few miles from our town at the base of Pikes Peak. Further, it was expressed that Manitou Springs, at the base of America's mountain, was called to be an angelic command center of revival for the nation. We had a lot of work to do. A complete take-over and shift in authority must occur. My lead intercessors and I were prayer walking through the streets of Manitou Springs, Colorado several years ago. This city is well known for it's occult roots. Anton LaVey, who wrote the Satanic bible, lived there. Witchcraft is rampant and homosexuality and liberal ideals promoted. In fact, the pastor of the city at the time led a profoundly heretical church. During this particular prayer walk, which was one of hundreds, we were interceding on the grounds of a very old Episcopal church property. Suddenly, I saw a dark entity, a hooded creature. I told my intercessory friends, Miles and Jodi, about the encounter and we quickly moved closer to the church building where this demon was seen (and had since ducked into hiding). It's extremely important that we are all prophetic people, able to hear God's voice very clearly. If we don't, we can miss some life altering instructions and revelations. What God said next was absolutely critical for the advance of the Kingdom in this dark city. God told us the demon was a messenger on assignment, and that he was there to receive the keys of authority to the city. He was to transport them to his leaders. Understand, the enemy is granted great authority to advance its agenda when humans are in agreement. It gives power to their assignments. God revealed this particular messenger, on a very important mission, was fully surprised to see Spirit-filled children of God at his rendezvous point. It was even more shocked that I saw it. We prayed, seeking instructions on how to deal with this situation. God told us to intercept the keys. The authority in Manitou Springs was being transferred that day in surprise fashion.

AN ASSIGNMENT DEEP INSIDE THE EARTH

Very shortly after this transfer of authority I, along with very experienced and high ranking intercessors from the surrounding states gathered together for a prayer assignment in Manitou Springs. After some dramatic prophetic experiences that day, we capped it off with our primary assignment deep within a cave system. The intercessors knew Manitou had very evil roots and a wicked history, and they wanted to gain spiritual intelligence so they could devise a strategy. As we were all about to enter the cave, the regional intercessory leader, who was a little older than the rest of us, told me she wouldn't be going into the cave. She would stay back and cover us in prayer. She then privately gave me an assignment: determine whether the deep part of the cave where we were going to end up was a demonic command center. I eagerly accepted the challenge and then I, along with the rest of the team, started our journey into the depths. As I was walking deeper into the cave, I began to understand the severity of the assignment. I certainly didn't want to presume anything. I didn't want to guess. I needed to hear from God clearly about whether our final destination was in fact a center of demonic activity that was focused on destroying the people of Manitou Springs and the nation, or not. When we finally entered the furthest room in the cave system, I was absolutely stunned at what I was experiencing. All I could think was, “The Holy Spirit isn't welcome here.” It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The void created by the absence of God's manifest presence was something I never want to feel again. It felt like Hell without the fire and torment, and I can't imagine spending even a few seconds in there. However, I was on assignment and I had to deal with this supernatural reality. I couldn't leave. We stopped and turned off our lights and began to pray. It was perfectly dark. I hit my knees, trembling, wondering what was going to happen and what God wanted us to do. In the spirit, I saw the earth open underneath me. A massive entity emerged from the depths. This was a portal between the demonic realm and the land of the living. I did in fact discover a demonic command center. I was experiencing intercession unlike any time in my life. It's impossible to describe the experience. I was beyond overwhelmed, shaking, undone, disturbed. It was confirmed that the determined agreement of humans in Manitou Springs with the Satanic realm was extremely strong, and demons emerged from the depths to give instructions to people and to receive information from them. These were messenger demons much like the one I experienced on my prayer walk by the Episcopal church. Wait! The Episcopal church! God reminded me of the encounter I had there. As this massive portal was opened up under my feet, it was clear what I was to do. I had taken the keys of authority. I had them! I was to use this new found authority to shut this portal down. Lock it up. Seal it shut. Take dominion. I shared all of this revelation, in that pitch dark cave, with the other prophetic intercessors, and they all immediately agreed that I was discerning everything correctly. In that evil place where the Holy Spirit wasn't welcome, I felt a mighty shift. The anointing of the Holy Spirit filled me and I commanded, in the authority of Jesus Christ, that the enemy's assignment was over and that the portal must shut. We all roared and groaned in the Spirit, prayed with power, declared truth of the Word and successfully fulfilled our mandate. As we emerged from the cave, the faithful general in the faith who remained behind to pray had a smile on her face. She asked me, “Well, was it?” I said, “Yes!” I went on to explain what happened. She nodded her head and told me that God revealed the same thing to her as she was praying. Mission accomplished. Understand, this never could have happened if we didn't embrace the wild and bizarre supernatural realities that are all around us. In fact, a secular drama company from Broadway in New York City put this experience and others into a production and toured it from Washington D.C to New York City to Chicago to Los Angeles. My prophetic decrees, powerful personal freedom and other supernatural stories from our ministry were depicted on stage in front of thousands of mostly liberal, atheistic people who were in a prime position to meet Jesus! Isn't it amazing how God works when we start moving in the supernatural, spiritual realm?

A TEAR JERKING EMAIL

This assignment in the cave along with many others over several years (some even more dramatic than this one) resulted in powerful breakthrough. This week, I received an email that moved me to tears. You see, we passed the baton to others as we eventually moved out of Manitou Springs. This message shows how much prayer, the prophetic, endurance and obedience can do to the enemy's camp. I pray this encourages you to allow God to move exactly as he wants, to invade the realm of wickedness with authority, to expect supernatural manifestations and to contend for freedom, even if you don't see the results on our watch.
Hey John! I love getting your emails – they are so challenging and so good. Thank you for what you do! I’m a huge believer in giving credit where it’s due – and since you were such a HUGE part of our transition and journey to Manitou, as David and I are a week away from transitionIng our, I wanted to give you an update – because you sowed seeds for so many years and made this ground so fertile. You wouldn’t recognize Manitou today! It’s becoming a beautiful community – restoration taking place in the supernatural and in the natural.  Houses and buildings being restored and families moving in seeking community. We’ve prayed over every inch of this city. The bridge over rainbow falls was restored, and the day it reopened, we prayed over it as a city gate and renamed “beautiful” at the Lord’s prompting. The same weekend, we dedicated the old Masonic lodge as the new worship space for new life Manitou – cleansed the ground, and claimed that gate as well. The mineral springs by the Loop was recently refaced, and, “coincidentally,” a new life member was contracted to do the work. He wrote our prophetic passage for Manitou on the back of each rock – Isaiah 41:17-20 – “the poor and needy are searching for water where there is none, and I THE LORD will answer them…” and now scripture is hidden in one of the central fountains in Manitou. It’s our little secret. 🙂 Not long after that, a sign that had been decades missing from the rainbow falls bridge was replaced. It says “Manitou Springs – healing waters.” New Life Manitou has been a full-fledged, weekly church for 3 years now. We beat the odds! It’s a thriving community of believers serving the city and accepted as part of the community. We’re meeting in the renovated (and very well-cleansed!) Masonic lodge on El Paso and running around 150 each Sunday. Every week, it seems, a new family shows up saying they just felt called to Manitou. We’re literally the only evangelical church here – but Manitou has embraced and not just tolerated us. Hiawatha Gardens, where you guys met for the HOP, is being restored. Interestingly, your banner is still hanging on the back door – even though they’ve been in there cleaning and renovating. There sign remains. Just a reminder of your mark on this community. David and I have been here for 4 years, and now we’re being called away. My heart is so torn – I have grown to adore this town and its people – our neighbors who are atheists and lesbians and agnostics who we are leaving we now have to entrust to Jesus. We’re headed back to San Antonio to pastor a church there. I can’t help but think of your story of leaving and how it must have been so bittersweet for you and your family. We have certainly felt the weight of living here – the call and yet the resistance and pressure – and yet the yearning to see more of God’s movement, knowing that you wouldn’t be here to see the completion firsthand. Because of that, I wanted to tell you again that your hard work and toil and trials and prayer and faithfulness did not go unseen, unnoticed, or unfruitful. Your obedience here in Manitou for all those years paved the way for what is happening now and for the restoration and revival that is happening here in Manitou. I know from firsthand experience that it wasn’t easy and that you suffered for the call. But your legacy lives on here. Your faithfulness and intercession and prophetic words spoken over this city tore down strongholds and softened hearts. You pastored this city so well. Well done, good and faithful servant. And thank you for giving us so much insight and comfort 4 years ago when we were so freaked out about moving here. Thank you for being the forerunner and for giving us the courage to carry the torch. Thank you for introducing us to Miles and Jodi, who passed the prophetic torch to us. I still have the house of prayer banner they gave us and still weep at the thought that our weekly prayer meetings were held in the very same room as your early prayer meetings were held. God has such a heart for this place, and my heart breaks to leave it – We have wept over it, loved it, and learned so much in our time here – but our time is done and we did what we came to do – 4 years of so much joy, so much travail, so much beauty. And you were such a huge part – so thank you so much for your labor, John. You are a giant in the kingdom, and I just wanted to let you know that we recognize your sacrifices and work here. It lives on and you are part of a very beautiful story that God is writing in Manitou Springs. Thank you, thank you, thank you. The Father is well pleased. Love, Sarah and David
I cried tears of joy.

Tonight: An otherworldly encounter in store for the Detroit region

Last night we experienced a sudden shock in the spirit realm, and the critical next step comes tonight at Revival Church.

TONIGHT: I’d like to invite EVERYBODY in the region to join us for an hour of white hot prophetic intercession for the service TONIGHT at 5pm!

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Brian Simmons carries an otherworldly anointing that provokes people into extreme encounter with the Holy Spirit.

The service last night was indescribable, but suffice it to say, a new wine is being poured out that will mark the church more significantly than Azusa did.

A strange, troubling and wonderful disturbance is coming to the church—and most will flee, while a rare remnant responds to the call into a mysterious new life.

Those who have been looking to the church experience and to God himself for personal benefit are at great risk of rejecting this new wine movement that will mark the end-time church.

The seeker sensitive movement results in the satisfied masses participating in church. A movement of fire & wine results in a dissatisfied remnant participating in revolution.

Tonight, this new wine will be eagerly received as Detroit is prepared for radical renewal.

Revival Church meets at 6pm at CENTRAL CHURCH, 1529 E. 12 Mile Rd, Madison Heights, MI 48071. www.explorerevival.com

theLab & 1000 Revivalists

We are working on the next phase of strategy for theLab—and let me just say that it’s going to be a thrill ride.

We’ll be launching teams of people who will grow together, plant together and start fires together in Detroit and beyond.

Stay tuned.

Tomorrow at Revival Church : JD King and a fiery encounter with Jesus

JD King has extreme revival wisdom and carries an anointing for healing and fire!

He will be ministering in the spirit of revival tomorrow (Sunday) at 6pm at Revival Church.

Come expectant and bring every friend you can find.

World Revival Church, J.D. King, World Revival Network of Ministries

Here’s some info about JD King:

J.D. King, International Director of World Revival Network says, “Learning what revival looked like historically can help us understand how we should respond when God comes down in our own lives today.”

King is an expert when it comes to revival. Son-in-law to Pastor Steve Gray, he was a participant in the Smithton Outpouring when the “lightnings of God” first struck Pastor Steve and spread to the whole congregation. Plus, he’s been with revival during the transition to Kansas City in 2000 and the fresh upsurge of May 2, 2008 at World Revival Church.

Additionally, he’s visited most of the major historic sites of revival including Wales and the Hebrides Islands, with opportunities to interview people who were a part of these past moves of God. King’s library includes over 1,000 volumes on revival and he has himself written two books on revival.

J.D. King heads up World Revival Network of Ministries.

Here’s an article by JD King:

Conspiracy Against the Supernatural

While the Spirit of God has moved powerfully throughout history, there has been a tendency to downplay the supernatural. Movements birthed in revival, later "sanitize" their histories; leaving out phenomena and anything unusual.

This is certainly reflected in the histories of Baptists, Methodists and the Disciples of Christ. Many early American churches experienced great stirrings of revival during the period of frontier expansion. For example, an early campmeeting involving Methodists and Presbyterians was depicted as follows:

"…praying, singing, exhorting, and preaching were kept up day and night. Physical expressions of the excitement were numerous and sometimes took bizarre forms…The most common physical experience was ‘falling'…hundreds displayed convulsive physical contortions which were known as ‘the jerks.' Frequently those who came to remonstrate or ridicule were themselves sudden victims. Barking, running, jumping, and trances were common." (Kenneth Scott Latourette, A History of the Expansion of Christianity, IV Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1970, p. 193.)

Now, what did a modern Evangelical historian have to say about his own spiritual forefathers? With a detached condescension he wrote, "The roughness of frontier life, its absence of social controls, and the scarcity of social contacts for those living in isolated cabins, made such people susceptible to uncontrolled displays when they found themselves in the company of large numbers." (The Return of the Spirit: The Second Great Awakening; Christian History Magazine; July 1, 1989) As usual, the Spirit's work was discounted with patronizing disbelief. Many assume a natural or sociological explanation for things which could just as easily be understood in supernatural terms.

This unbelieving outlook is hardly new. A few years ago Jack Deere told about the cover-up of a forerunner to John Knox and the Scottish Presbyterians. Deere first read about George Wishardt in an Eighteenth Century book he found in a used book store. Describing Wishart, the writer of this book declared, "He possessed the Spirit of Prophecy in an extraordinary degree."

Later Deere uncovered a newer edition of "Scots Worthies" and was astounded that the account of Wishart had been changed. The revised edition now affirmed the following, "He possessed an extraordinary degree of sagacious foresight." While the original edition affirmed the supernatural, the later edition attributed Wishart's insight to natural wisdom. It seems another leader is busy sanitizing the annals of history; causing others to overlook the supernatural activity of God.

The church needs to reconsider the constraints that have been put on our understanding of miracles and revival phenomena. What has happened in the past continues to this day. We must drive out the conspiracy against the supernatural.

Invite John Burton to bring a message of fire to your church or conference

“Last night your message was incredible!  I was trembling the whole message and my spirit was coming alive!”~Ruth

image Head on over to www.johnburton.net/booking and learn more about what John can bring to your church or conference. He’s a burning revivalist with a deep passion for the advance of the church. He just finished his sixth book, Pharaoh in the Church, a burning message of reform and transformation in the wilderness of encounter. He is able to minister on that topic or on any number of others. SNAGHTML3d1733bd BIO
  • Planted Revival Church in the Detroit region
  • Directed one of the four major internships at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City
  • Planted Revolution House of Prayer in Manitou Springs, Colorado
  • Appeared on The Miracle Channel program, The Bridge
  • Has written six books including 20 Elements of Revival
  • Has led two city-wide prayer initiatives
  • Is launching theLab internship in Detroit (www.revivallab.com)
  • Have been active in ministry for 20 years
On the booking site, you can fill out a form and we’ll be in touch shortly! Pharaoh-in-the-Church-Box-Shot-032511 TESTIMONIES: I listened to Sundays message again. I’m so messed up, tears, groans, trembling (can barely type) such an anointing…o God, give us your heart and let us take heed to the call to prayer. I see us on the verge of a deep valley (the glory) (the radical call) God is saying just take the step down and let go. Make the changes and you will see my glory manifest in Detroit! – Michele So much fear and bondage has broken off my life. I am very grateful for John’s persistence in calling out destiny in people’s lives and the deliverance anointing that is on his life.  I am grateful that he is not afraid to make clear the mandate for God’s people to raise the bar in their lives so they will be a people who are deeply in love with God and willing to follow Him wherever He leads.  God is calling more to take the challenge and live the adventure!  Don’t hesitate to respond! – Amy God called you last night to rip open a revival in me, and it was REAL – building on the call and the BURNING I felt last Friday. Truly the Holy Spirit spoke into my life and burned through me – I was shaking from my feet up, like I was boiling. Your prophecies spoke to deep, deep rooted lies and hurts. I left wanting more -I woke up in the middle of the night still talking to God. I asked him to keep my revival going through my dreams so I would not have to let go of Him – and I dreamt all night of praising Him powerfully. There is such a strong desire in me for more intimate encounters with the Spirit. I ache – ACHE to hear his voice, and PRAISE JESUS I have HIM with me always! I will be back and I am ready to be part of God’s incredible work here in Detroit!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for ushering us into that closeness with the Holy Spirit. His calls keep getting louder – and I want nothing more than to respond. -Katie