A key step in the pursuit of revival and reformation in the church is to steward the call for continual communication.

FIRST: Revival Church REALLY needs you. We are advancing, yet we are in a serious financial position. We must immediately raise an extra $2000 a month… to carry on with the mandate here in Detroit. DONATE before the day is done and you’ll receive a 2010 tax receipt. Thank you so much! www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/donate

New Years Day is not magical. Everything in life doesn’t just get better. It’s up to us to bring the change. We must work. It’s time. Check out a new video podcast (I do about one of these per day…and am seeking a company of people who will follow along and dialogue with me) at www.youtube.com/johnburtonministries.

Listen closely. The scattered, disjointed church is deeply vulnerable right now. I wish we could truly understand how serious this is. Families, individuals and entire regions are at risk due to the scattering and distraction that has impacted millions of Christians.

It has been accurately spoken over our ministry many times that there’s a unique anointing of communication—and that doesn’t mean that we just write books or preach or shoot out emails. There an anointing to advance the call for the church to break out of a private, unfocused way of living and into literal continual dialogue.

It’s a prophetic call to a prophetic life in a corporate environment.

We know from Amos 3 that God does nothing unless he reveals his secrets to his servants the prophets. However, those secrets, which are being revealed continually, have no real system to land in most churches and regions and to be watched over and responded to.

The technology is there. Except for the hours when I’m asleep or when I’m in certain meetings, there’s rarely a moment that I’m not available to receive urgent information that God has revealed through people. Via email, texts, Facebook, video podcasts, phone calls or whatever… it’s possible to receive instruction and information at any time… and we should be expecting it!

I’m ready to hear from people locally here in Detroit, or those who have insight in the mission in Detroit. I’m waiting to hear from you. To receive your emails. Your texts.

I have my phone with me. I’m ready to hear from my staff and other people who need to pass God infused revelation to me.

Are you alert? Are you available? Are you responding to what God’s doing every day?

Example: What if I, as a leader of Revival Church, received a mandate from God to call an all church prayer meeting tonight? Would people receive the message that I send? Would they respond in an instant? Would the church tonight be full or empty? How many would come on Sunday and admit that they didn’t check their email until it was too late? Who isn’t even on the email list? Who would check their email and decide the apostolic/prophetic call to action was too inconvenient? How many excuses would rise up? Would a Joel 1 call work today?

Joel 1:14 (ESV) ¹⁴ Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.

Consider the call to gather in Acts 2. 120 responded, and isn’t it interesting that what resulted was tongues of fire?

Acts 2:3 (ESV) ³ And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

• Tongues= communication
• Fire= the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of prophecy

We can’t presume to have the presence of God in our midst if we don’t also have communication, prophecy. God is prophecy! He is the Word! He is a tongue! He is communication! If your life is void of prophetic communication then you have to ask how much of God’s presence you are encountering. Are you in the midst of God’s action and mission?

Consider the story of the Tower of Babel. It was communication that was the power in that story! Communication would make it possible to accomplish the ridiculously improbable goal. So, God confused their communication. The devil is doing the same thing today as God is calling the church to be in constant communication.

Genesis 11:5-7 (ESV) ⁵ And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. ⁶ And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

Here’s what’s necessary. Every day, sometimes several times a day, every person connected with the mission… people who are in the church, others who are connected online… must develop the discipline of being instant. We must all get used to shooting out emails in response to blog posts, podcasts, etc. We must be in a place of hearing God and being so deeply invested in the mission that we continually and strategically respond to prophetic insight.

I have people that email me several times a week regarding what God’s doing in Detroit. That tells me that they are alive and alert and on task! What a powerful blessing!

I wish I could share how critical this is! We can’t sit back and wait any longer! The calls to action are going to escalate RADICALLY and we must learn now how to be accountable and responsive on a low level—even if that low level seems extreme.

It’s time to gather night and day. It’s time to respond through active communication day after day. There is no guarantee of revival… the new year brings nothing in itself. Tomorrow is not a magic day where everything gets better. We must bring the change. It’s on us to respond. Today. Right now.

**Your next step? Respond to this message… share your heart… what’s God saying? What’s burning in you? Are you one of the pioneers that Revival Church is looking for? I can’t wait to hear from you! [email protected].