Posts Tagged ‘prophetic’
An offensive church
There’s a way to develop a church that will provide extreme opportunity for offense—and also the promise of great power.
FIRST—the situation in this nation is extremely serious. Pray with us for favor and open doors to get the prophetic message of revival, reformation in the church and city strategies out to the masses. Some have come to us feeling we must get on the radio or on television as soon as possible. If you can give toward this, please do! www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/donate. (15 minutes a day on a popular radio station in Detroit will cost around $2400 a month)
AN OFFENSIVE CHURCH
In a hyper-grace church world, the type of message that I was rocked with on Sunday night might be dismissed or even renounced. Our ministries have become conditioned by the perceived needs and demands of the seekers instead of the demands of scripture for radical surrender. Even when discussing the concept of revival, most believe that it will enhance their churches, while in reality revival brings us back to the cross—and anything in our churches that doesn’t embrace the cross will be crushed.
Revival, when it comes, may actually result in many churches closing down under the pressure of the offensive demands of the cross. Other churches will remain open but lose a lot of lesser committed people. Finances might plummet. Everything will be at risk. If we want God more than we want our churches to grow and our own personal security, then get ready for our paradigms to be violated and calibrated.
At Revival Church Sunday night, God wrecked me.
He said that churches could be birthed and developed from one of three different places:
- The Board Room—In Acts 15 we read about the Jerusalem council. The simple parallel here is that we can meet and discuss how church should be done. Come up with a great plan, follow clear wisdom, appoint leaders and let them run with a plan of action.
- The Upper Room—This one surprised me when God started talking about it. Of course, I love the idea of functioning out of a white hot atmosphere of prayer and prophecy. My book 20 Elements of Revival outlines this in detail. However, it’s true that there’s a certain temptation to participate in a movement that has the hopes of some power encounters, signs and wonders. We can inappropriately focus on the outward explosion while forsaking the true cost of participation. We can have upper room style conferences and churches that gather together the masses, but we’ll have limited impact if we don’t consider the next place that God spoke to me about.
- The Cross—Where two or three are gathered, He is there. This was never more literal than at the cross. The offensive call to full surrender, to the terrible cost of the cross, must sound louder than any other alarm. It’s rare to find churches that emphasize the extreme cost of a life in Christ. The call to the cross is inconvenient, extremely costly and wildly offensive—and few will respond. Many are called, but few are chosen. Our churches must be driven by repentance, by surrender to a fearful call. As we launch our churches with people who refuse to scatter (remember, even devoted disciples ran away from Jesus when confronted with the cross!), and with people who actually sit at the foot of the cross in the face of severe threat to their very lives, it will be a church that cannot be stopped.
STOP TRYING TO GROW HUGE CHURCHES—AND YOU MAY FINALLY GROW A HUGE CHURCH
The point? Start the development of your church, and continue it’s process, from the cross. Raise the bar as high as Jesus did. There’s a false doctrine in the church that rightly emphasizes that Jesus paid the price that we could not pay, but wrongly communicates that we have no part to play in the process.
I’m radically concerned that MANY, MANY people in the church…in really great, Spirit-filled churches, have chosen to avoid the cost of following Jesus, the cost of the cross (Jesus isn’t the only one assigned to a cross—we are as well), the call to deep intimacy, and due to a false grace message are convinced of their salvation when, in fact, they are not saved.
If we build churches around the cross, the crowds will be VERY small. Maybe only a few. Only two were at the cross with Jesus. But, the resulting victory and power will explode the church into the nations.
Then, we’ll move into the upper room, and into the board room as the Church develops in wisdom and power.
Shocking dream : Trust me, take time to listen to this critical message for the church
I had a shocking dream that communicated a critical message of prophetic realignment for the church.
Watch or listen to this message: A Prophetic Culture
In a day where churches are not even prophetically influenced, much less prophetically led, we’re experiencing a radical misalignment.
Most of us have grown up in a pastor led church model, and the idea of apostolic/prophetic leadership is quite foreign to us. Many are afraid of prophecy, while others embrace it, but only if it’s personally encouraging.
Follow along with the notes below, and feel the heart of God in this special message. I will share a dream that absolutely freaked me out, and share about the piercing prophetic alarm that’s sounding over the cities of the Earth.
A Prophetic Culture
I. A prophetic culture
a. We have to be concerned that most churches are not prophetically led.
i. The entire culture of the church has to change so the church moves from a simple teaching center to a missional organization.
ii. The church has such a phenomenal opportunity to radically change—if we respond to the prophetic instructions.
b. The restoration of the prophetic ministry is essential for the vitality of the church. Whereas the gift of prophecy can be given to any believer as the Spirit wills, the ministry of the prophet is a calling on a person’s life. The church urgently needs this ministry.
i. the role of the Prophet is :
1. to Speak for God
2. to exhort and direct the body of Christ.
c. The prophet will provide vision for the church and keep it on the right track. He will ensure that there is an emphasis on holiness. A prophet is really an elder, who challenges church members with besetting sins and specializes in getting vision for the church.
i. This means the city church!
d. People absolutely love it when they receive prophecy that foretells what’s to come.
i. They love simple encouragement. They love exhortation.
ii. However, most shrink back when instructional prophecy is delivered.
iii. It takes humility to know the difference between prophecy and exhortation. Exhortation is not prophecy (Mario Murillo- Prophecy).
iv. The prophetic alarms that are sounding now are going to require extreme and swift response by everybody.
v. God requires men with a vision. To do a great work only requires one man with a vision who is prepared to burn himself out for it. God takes a man and burns a vision onto his heart. To be a disciple means that God has to take everything that person has. If a vision is to be fulfilled we must give everything for it (Clark Taylor on Prov 29:18).
vi. In a day when people are trying to avoid burn out, I believe God is calling us to be willing to burn out…the call is that severe.
e. Isaiah 58:1-3 (ESV) 1 “Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. 2 Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. 3 ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure…
i. It’s a prophet’s job to analyze the current situation in the church via the revelation of the Holy Spirit and then to call the people to respond.
ii. This is a rare manifestation of the prophetic office, but we must embrace it again if we are to experience God’s plans for our region.
iii. Definition: A prophet is a spokesperson for God. The prophet admonishes, warns, directs, encourages, intercedes, teaches and counsels. He brings the word of God to the people of God and calls the people to respond.
iv. Definition: The seer is one who has understanding of the times. This person has the ability to perceive and discern the spiritual significance of a situation and can give the Lord’s perspective on a given situation. This person’s strengths are giftings of illumination and discernment, though they may or may not communicate what they see in any one set or particular manner. This kind of prophet is extremely valuable as a watchman and intercessor in the midst of the Church.
v. As a prophetic center for the region, this is one of our key mandates. We serve through sharing critical analysis of the situation and offering solutions.
vi. Quote: Some prophets are watchmen or men of vision who stand on the walls of the city of God to see what God is doing. They look into the distance to see what is coming. They often see a long way ahead.
f. One place where the modern church often stumbles is in the understanding of revelation.
i. Many believe that God will speak directly to them when something is to be done.
ii. They don’t understand that at times God will be silent to them, but will speak clearly to a prophet, or to their leader, regarding what is to be done.
iii. You can have spiritual gifting and insight, but that does not mean God has set you in a position of governing authority. God gives gifts to men by His Spirit, but the governing offices are established by the Lord Jesus. We get into trouble when we mistake gifts for offices (John Bevere Thus Saith the Lord p.131).
g. Amos 3:6-8 (ESV) 6 Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it? 7 “For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets. 8 The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?”
i. Share my dream of the apocalyptic city when the air raid siren sounded.
1. I wasn’t moved. I was casual. I went to the bathroom (it seemed necessary, but really wasn’t). I represented the state of the church.
2. Where’s the response?!
a. I’m so radically concerned about the hope for revival in Detroit.
3. Quote: The church will always be the prophet’s main concern.
4. The true church could not have become the “institution” it has, if the watchmen had not been rendered impotent (John Martin).
a. Meaning, the removal of prophets has resulted in a sterile church without vision and forward advance. Wildly expectant : We need your help to get into a new property
We are looking to pull the trigger on leasing a different property for Revival Church and theLab—your participation will help determine what type of property we choose.
IN THIS MESSAGE:
- Finding a new property (this week?)
- The (huge!) vision
- Amy’s story of giving to a better storehouse (So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.)
We have our eyes on several properties now, and have offers to share them with another church (like we do now).
I’m feeling a very, very powerful swirl of the Holy Spirit today…huge expectancy. So, I thought I’d get you all praying with me. Something unusual is going on!
If you feel God is calling you to give a financial gift toward a new property, now is the time to do that. We’ll be making a decision on where we go soon based where God is leading and on the finances we have to use (possibly this week—we have to be in a new place no later than May.). We are committed to staying out of debt, so we’ll only move on something that we can afford.
As of Sunday, the church only had $130 in the bank, but then the Lord moved nicely and the offering was our largest ever—$2300. So, I think God is really touching some hearts in this area now.
We pay $800 a month to share the current property, and won’t go much beyond that when we move to a new place—unless we receive a significant donation that makes it clear that it would be wise to get something a bit more.
THE VISION
We are called to fulfill a very important mission here in Detroit. Our ministry has a mandate to be a prophetic regional center of revival.
What does this mean? A few things:
- We have regional focus. We envision a team of pastors from all throughout the region locking arms and focusing primarily on strategic regional events.
- We are raising up a team of prophetic messengers and revivalists. theLab internship is helping fulfill the call to create a company of people who will station themselves in the mission command center for Detroit. They receive prophetic data and instructions and communicate it to the pastors and leaders of the region.
- Continual apostolic intercession is a foundational ministry for us. Not only do we want to intercede, but the call is to hear God’s plans clearly, and then respond immediately and appropriately. We’re gathering 1000 intercessors, pastors, leaders and burning men and women of God to pray very aggressively and intentionally on site together each week.
- theLab team is being trained and equipped to carry the call to gather leaders and to host large scale prophetic prayer events. theLab events are purposed to bring in key, anointed national and international leaders to deposit fire into the desperate Detroit region.
Now, to pull all of this off, we need a large campus. A 2000+ seat auditorium plus prayer rooms, class rooms and other facilities will be necessary. At this point, we’re willing to either take that giant leap, or we will take a much smaller incremental step by simply finding a place to meet on Sundays. We’re open to the exact plan of God for us.
We don’t want to go for the campus if we are supposed to share a property, and we don’t want to share if we are supposed to find the campus at this time.
You can donate at www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/donate.
THE BETTER STOREHOUSE
On Sunday, God dropped a timely message into my spirit, just before we received the tithes and offerings. I was reminded of a situation in our household, and then shared a scripture that I’ll pass along to you. Detroit is shell-shocked financially right now, and I’m concerned that people are attempting to entrust their own storehouses (a reaction of fear) instead of God’s risk-free system of giving toward the storehouse of the church (a reaction of faith).
Here’s our story:
First, Amy went to pay the bills, and discovered that we were $630 short. She was very frustrated, and couldn’t figure out why that was. She had to take some money out of our savings (our storehouse) and move it into our checking account so we could pay the bills.
Then, later that day, Skylar found a check for $630 that Amy thought had already been deposited. Well, there was the missing money. So, Amy was about to deposit it into our savings to replace what she had to move over. God then said, “All of your bills have been paid, right?” Hmmm. Yes, it was true. We were not in lack, and we did have an excess of $630. So, Amy decided to give $50 out of her thankfulness.
God then said again, “All of your bills have been paid, right?”
Right there, Amy was faced with her financial nervousness contrasting with God’s clear ability to take care of us—and was convinced of the importance to put our money in the right storehouse. She wrote a check for $500 and gave it to The Fireplace (a revival movement here in Detroit) and put aside another $130 to be used to treat some pastors to dinner.
The money was given to a much better storehouse.
Luke 12:15 And he said to them,”Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully,17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Let me know if you have any thoughts at all.
Blessings!!
theLab Staff : Cool confirmation : You are invited to apply
We are developing our launch team, and YOU are invited!
In this message:
- Amazing confirmation
- The Vision
- The Requirements
- The Plan
At noon prayer yesterday we prayed for two specific things:
- That there would be a rapid response to the call
- That people would respond from other nations
When I got home from prayer, Amy handed me a letter (snail mail!) from The Netherlands. He wrote, in broken English,
“I have heard about the teachings of Rev. John Burton… I desire to receive more information… I desire to come in contact with them who walks in the way that Rev. John Burton have teach. I don’t have email possibility. Thank you very much in advance.”
Amazing! No internet, no email yet God use him to send a confirmation from the other side of the world!
Then, later that day, I received a message from someone in Australia asking how they can participate.
That’s rapid, and that’s international!
The Revival Church staff is leading the charge in the development of theLab staff, and others have already come on board with us. It’s still very much in development, but here’s some of what’s being prayed and thought through:
THE VISION
The vision is really what it has been since we’ve arrived in Detroit. To gather together burning revivalists, intercessors and prophetic messengers who will carry the fire of the Holy Spirit to Detroit and the cities of the Earth.
We are very aggressively calling together 1000 intercessors to gather every Friday night in prayer, and theLab staff will be leading them.
Additionally, theLab will be developing a monthly large scale event where we’ll bring in anointed men and women of God to infuse life into this region.
THE REQUIREMENTS
In order to join theLab staff, there is a mandatory level of participation (you basically have to be extremely available and ensure theLab is your primary ministry focus several times a week).
- Arrive by 9:45pm every Friday night for theLab prayer event and be ready to impart into the church leaders and others through prayer and the transfer of our key values of intercession, prophecy, intimacy and deliverance.
- Attend every noon prayer meeting. The only excusable absence is for those who have to work during the noon hour. Those that have a job MUST still attend at least one noon prayer event. The noon prayer meetings are critical as we debrief, listen to God for further strategy and pray together.
- Attend Revival Church’s evening service (when we move to Sunday mornings, people who are on theLab staff who attend other churches will attend their own morning church service, but they will be required to attend the Revival Church evening service(s)). This service is the primary briefing for the week and it’s a time of deep prayer, corporate worship and impartation.
- Attend weekly training sessions. This has yet to be developed, but we plan on developing a ‘school of the Holy Spirit’ where we will train people in the core values of theLab so they can, in turn, impart them into others.
- Travel locally together when I’m ministering in another church or when theLab is serving in a particular function. The team will join with me as instruments of fire as we infuse churches and conferences. An example is the upcoming Fire in February conference where theLab has been asked to provide the intercession coverage for each of the event’s services. (be sure to register at www.awakeningnet.us)
- Traveling with me outside of the region (more than 2 hours away) will be optional, but is still encouraged.
- Participating in other ministries is allowed, but theLab must be your primary commitment. If there is a conflict between ministry schedules, it’s required that you fulfill your commitment to theLab.
- You will have the opportunity to serve in a variety of ministry functions at theLab. Administrators, teachers, singers, worshipers and others will be needed to run the ministry.
Keep in mind as you evaluate whether you can participate or not—these are minimum requirements, and are not optional.
THE PLAN
- We’re in the development stage right now, and we need as many people to jump on board during the pre-launch as possible. You will help pioneer and form this new ministry of revival!
- We are considering 4 or 6 month semesters/trimesters.
- The pre-launch starts immediately. Simply show up at the next prayer meeting and/or send me an email at [email protected].
- We’ll be training in the prophetic, intimacy, intercession, reformation in the church and other key focuses.
- theLab staff will be giving leadership to the 1000 intercessors who will be giving leadership to the entire region.
- This is open to anybody who is a deeply committed Christian, and who will be honorable in their commitment to the team and the mission at theLab.
- For those moving from other states or nations, you will be fully responsible to secure housing, transportation and the necessary finances to live in Detroit.
- **SPECIAL: those who join us in pre-launch any time in February will be exempt from any tuition that we may implement at launch time—for life! (this does not include costs for conferences, materials, etc.)
Contact me at [email protected] for more info or to apply!
Two videos : A Casual Approach : Prophetic warning
Watch two brand new videos—theLab vision explained AND a teaching on prophetic warning and a casual response.
Amos 3: Will a trumpet sound and the people not be afraid?
Last night at Revival Church rocked us.
As a prophetic center of revival for the region, and as a ministry that has our finger on the prophetic pulse of the nation, God is starting to release key strategies to us.
Watch TWO VIDEOS that deal with this issue.
First, head on over to www.revivallab.com and check out the new video on the sidebar where I explain the critical prophetic mandate for the pastors, leaders and intercessors in Detroit to gather together every Friday at 10pm.
Then, watch the teaching on A Casual Approach to a prophetic warning from last night’s service.
You can watch that teaching at media.johnburton.net.
You can also subscribe to the RSS feed at http://media.johnburton.net/rss.
The teaching notes are also there for you to follow along with.
New video teaching : Intimate Encounter
The cities of the Earth are waiting for the church to encounter God.
There’s an exceedingly urgent prophetic call for churches to become encounter and intimacy focused again. Head on over to media.johnburton.net and watch tonight’s service and download the notes so you can follow along.
This teaching reveals a serious call to reorder our lives, lock arms with other intercession-driven Believers and discover the mandate for intimacy, encounter and taking dominion.
As we do this, entire cities and regions will experience the supernatural wonder of God.
I also discuss the radically serious mandate for 1000 intercessors to gather every Friday night from 10-midnight at theLab. The times are so desperate, and we simply must call every pastor, leader, intercessor and revivalist in Detroit together for deep prayer in the Holy Spirit each week. This intimacy and agreement will result in an explosion in Detroit that’s so needed.
For info on where our next prayer experiment will be, text FOLLOW REVIVALLAB to 40404 or visit www.revivallab.com.
Revival in Detroit for Dummies : The clear plan and how you fit in
Here is a clear explanation of the vision for revival in Detroit—and how you fit in.
First of all, nobody out there is a dummy… but, you know, that’s how those books are titled!
For 2011, I felt it was important to explain as clearly as possible what is needed to see revival land in Detroit.
People have some honest questions:
- What exactly should I do?
- What are the expectations on a personal and corporate level?
- What are the key focuses for the new year?
Here’s my personal perspective. I didn’t move to Detroit for anything other than investing like mad into the process of full blown revival. That’s why I’m here, and if you live in this region, that’s why you are here too. The fervent advance of God’s Kingdom in Detroit is both demanding and urgent.
So, what’s the plan?
First, I’d encourage you to watch the most recent video on our NEW media site: http://media.johnburton.net. The 2011 Vision video will explain all of this in vivid Technicolor.
Second, determine to give yourself with wild abandon to the call.
THREE DISTINCT MESSAGES
REVIVAL CULTURE
At Revival Church, a prophetic center of revival for the region, the culture and lifestyle is all about the experiential fire of God. For everybody in Detroit, it’s time to transition our Christian and church experience into that of continual, night and day burning. Simply learning principles and trying to apply concepts that will enhance our lives week after week as the extent of our life focus won’t cut it anymore. We must BURN.
The call is to such a holy, fiery, passionate reality that atmospheres melt when we walk into the room. Be together, all the time, with others who cause you to tremble, people who are having perpetual encounters with God, who are continually undone in His presence.
What’s Expected?
- Become a person who is giving everything you have to ensure the fire of God is raging in you, around you and into others.
- Stay right on pace with the most fiery revivalists in the region.
- Understand the extreme cost every day that’s necessary to launch revival—and then pay it.
- Study on revivals of old.
REVOLUTION MANDATE
This is the tough one, yet it cannot be ignored. I’ll be honest, since I’ve been in Detroit a handful of people have truly impressed with the level of their commitment. However, the general body has been largely absent, distracted and hesitant.
This call to revolution is a call to EXTREME reformation in the structure and experience of the church. It’s RARE to find people who are willing to go to this place.
The 24/7 church is absolutely necessary if we are to see revival initiated and sustained. This means that we cannot just tweak our calendar. Everything must change. Everybody must be alert, in position, responsive, communicating, battling, praying and ready to move according to what God is revealing.
What’s Expected?
- Start to schedule every day around the prayer room. Participate in as many of the weekly prayer meetings as possible (Mon, Wed & Sat at noon, Friday at 10pm).
- Every Friday night from 10pm-midnight, theLab is an “all hands on deck” event for the city of Detroit. We pray in a different location each week, and we intentionally scheduled it during a time when most nobody would have any conflicts. Kids and everybody is invited and needed to pray together. www.revivallab.com
- Rarely miss any church service, prayer meeting or special event. Truly, this reformation will require radical changes to our daily focuses and agendas. The season is way too important to have a casual approach to the corporate mission.
- Communicate daily. Critical information, prophecies, instructions and other revelation is being sent out from this revival center, and other places as well. Thoroughly read, watch and listen…and then respond back to the sender. We must all be on the same page and in literally daily communication. Again, the mission of revival is job one for all of us, and staying on task continually is imperative.
- theLab Broadcast. Every Monday night, every revival minded person in Detroit is needed to join us online for prayer and key instructions for the coming week. Go to www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/thelab to tune in every Monday night at 8:30pm.
- Understand the vision. Read my book 20 Elements of Revival for starters. It’s a very clear, step by step process toward revival on a city level. It’s rare to find someone who’s willing respond to the call of that book, but many have said how it is an absolute must read. Also, watch podcasts, read articles and follow the many men and women in the region who are sending out prophetic insights and instructions.
REVELATION DRIVEN
Everything we do, every day, in every church, at every turn must be birthed and fueled from the prayer room. In fact, the church IS the prayer room!
As we see the church return to its original and primary purpose, to be a house of prayer for all nations, everything else will be sufficiently powered and supported.
We need to see Revelation Driven churches and ministries all over the city who are calling every member and participant into a lifestyle of zealous, interactive and fervent prayer. The prayer rooms must be full all the time. Sunday services must be mostly prayer and intercession. This is how we will see revival launch and continue in great power.
What’s Expected?
- Be a person of continual prayer. Pray in the Spirit, allow the groans to erupt!
- Eliminate everything that hinders prayer, hinders encounter with God.
- Learn to hear God’s voice.
- Do everything you can to never miss a prayer meeting.
- Embrace holiness.
- Stir a prophetic atmosphere in your life.
Please understand. This is a regional call to action. However, historically it’s a remnant that responds. Can you really imagine yourself NOT being included in that remnant?
The choice is yours… but, I implore you… don’t miss this. You are needed more than you know.
I’m alarmed : Hungry yet sleepy, scattered and distracted : The core call for Christians in this hour
This prophetic analysis is specifically for the Detroit region, yet I’m confident it has impact in cities around the world.
[Don’t miss Aaron Crider Sunday night at Revival Church! This is most definitely a critical weekend as we gather together and advance toward revival!]
Aaron Crider was sharing with us at dinner after an amazing night of worship about the lifestyle to expect 
when revival breaks out in Detroit.
For six years he and his wife were invested in the Brownsville Revival. They would be at the church by 5pm each night and wouldn’t leave until after 1am… EVERY NIGHT except Sunday and Monday! Then, he’d wake up after 3-4 hours of sleep to get up for work by 6am. Work would finish at 11:30am and he’d go right to school. After school it was time for another revival service.
He said that every day 2,000 people would line up at 7am—for a service that started at 7pm! Every day!
This type of investment, of this level of focus is will become the norm for those involved in revival in Detroit.
Let me continue with a simple statement: The core call for Christians in this hour is to gather. To be together. Continually. We must daily build the house of God with fiery devotion.
When I arrived in Detroit a year and a half ago I immediately discerned an atmosphere of extreme hunger. The feel of breakthrough was in the air.
My guess was that it would be easy to sound the alarm, call the hungry to gather together in pursuit of the meal of a lifetime (revival) and the masses would quickly unify, come together and pray. I envisioned a movement of builders, of blue collar zealots who would lock arms and work with passion, together, day after day until the foundation for revival was built.
2000 years ago, in a historic moment of desperation, a key event unfolded. The disciples were about to experience the rocking of the Earth by the Holy Spirit as revealed in Acts 2, but they had to do two things in order for this to happen:
- Gather together
- Pray
It was a similar call that Jesus had for the disciples in the garden. Stay awake, gather together and pray.
It’s the same strategy for us today.
I’M ALARMED
There are hungry people in Detroit, but I sense that hunger is being overcome by a sleepy, scattered and distracted people. Let me say this clearly: Right now, the mission of revival in Detroit absolutely has to be primary for every Believer in the region!
We must be together—continually. We absolutely have to pray.
The new reformation that’s coming to the church that will result in a Brownsville style 24/7 level of participation must be introduced now. We must rearrange our lives around the mission, and build.
The first two elements in my book 20 Elements of Revival are:
- Agreement
- An extreme devotion of time
As we’re locking arms, building together, praying in the Spirit and developing a new culture of daily participation in the church we’ll find revival rushing closer at warp speed.
ALL OVER DETROIT THE CHURCH MUST GATHER
It must become normal, very quickly, for churches to be filled to overflowing as people gather to pray several nights a week. It’s time to resist the urge to scatter. We can’t be distracted by lesser things. We must wake up and understand the magnitude of the mission. This is an all hands on deck all the time season!
I’M ENCOURAGED
Yes, I’m alarmed, but I’m also encouraged. That alarm is sure to wake up a ready remnant that will break through the religious system and build up the walls of this city with passion.
If you are one who is ready for reformation, you call is simple. Be in the church every time the doors are open. Contend for the doors to be open even more than they are! Then, pray and build the House of the Lord.
If we can begin to see a pattern of daily gathering and fervent prayer through the region, we’ll actually be able to watch the wave of revival come crashing over us.
REVIVAL CHURCH PLANS
The dream is clear—we want to see an army of people explode a movement of night and day prayer, facilitate regional, large scale prophetic events, raise up a team of revivalists to take the fire to other cities and initiate the culture of revival as we help establish the 24/7 city church.
Can you give 10-20 hours a week to this vision? Contact us. We’re ready to see revival come, and we need the laborers to handle the harvest.
Detroit strategy tonight with Miles Anderson
Miles Anderson TONIGHT at Revival Church!
First, have you registered for THE THINNING OF THE VEIL conference with Michele Perry? Head on over to www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/events and register TODAY!
Yesterday was easily one of the most powerful and most important days in Revival Church history. Miles Anderson from Revolution House of Prayer in Manitou Springs, Colorado met with our church staff all day and imparted strategies for intercession, deliverance and for dealing with the warfare in this region.
TONIGHT he will be ministering at Revival Church at 6pm. If you want to experience a highly prophetic atmosphere with some serious breakthrough anointing, don’t miss this special event.
Miles is a great friend and a General of the faith. For years he woke up every morning at 4am, seven days a week, and covered me, my family and the ministry in intercession. His strategies of breakthrough are powerful and effective and he is intent on seeing the church rally together in Detroit.
Prayer starts at 5pm and we would love to have you join us!
For a map and directions, click here.
The best sermon I’ve ever heard : New teaching and notes
First—Friday I taught at New Wineskins Ministry on “Becoming Unoffendable,” and my son Skylar ran up to me when I was done and said, “Dad, that was the best sermon I’ve ever heard!” And, get this, it was nearly two hours long!
Go to www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/teaching and search for “Unoffendable” and listen to that sermon. I regularly hear that it’s one of the most powerful messages people have ever heard.
Also, I strongly urge you to listen to Sundays teaching on the Prophetic Mandate for the Church. I’ll include those notes below. It’s also found at www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/teaching and as of today it’s the most recent message (should be right on top).
I discuss four key messages that we’re mandated to run with including the pandemic of ‘false assurance of salvation’.
Here’s the notes. (The first segment is from last week’s sermon and this week’s picks up at “The Terror of Hell”):
Some Key Prophetic Mandates for the Church
1. Introduction
a. We’ve been given a clear mandate at Revival Church to help introduce revival to Detroit.
i. This means the way things are now must morph into something very different.
ii. The most successful way to ensure the coming outpouring remains for decades is to introduce reformation before it arrives.
iii. It’s the upper room strategy—respond to an extreme lifestyle call and carry it out forever.
iv. Do you ever get frustrated when a new road is under construction forever?
1. This situation is just like a road under construction—hundreds of thousands will benefit from it. But, it’s still being built. We are not those who are frustrated, we are the ones with the hard hats and gloves on. We are the workers!
2. The fact that it’s a long term project doesn’t frustrate us because we understand the scope of the project. We know it takes a long time to pull together a work force, to survey the area, to bring in the bull dozers, to dig, to lay asphalt… for it to harden, and on and on.
3. We need the work force to simply show up for work every day.
4. Greek: technites- an architect, one who plans, calculates and constructs a building
5. Have you ever gotten frustrated watching construction workers just standing there by the side of the road doing nothing while you are backed up in traffic?
b. Hebrews 11:8-10 (ESV) 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
1. The process of building is critical
2. This passage is true for individuals, and it’s also true for mission driven churches.
3. Luke 6:46-49 (ESV) 46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
4. Now, the enemy understands what a unified group of people who are determined to build can do.
5. In fact, he borrowed this Godly strategy himself and was on pace to do great things for his kingdom.
6. Just as the Holy Spirit is calling us together to build, an unholy spirit was orchestrating things behind the scenes here.
c. Genesis 11:1-8 (ESV) 1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 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.” 8 So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.
1. We are seeing the enemy do to the church what God did to his mission—people are being scattered.
2. So, our goal, and God’s goal is for us to put on the hard hats, pick up the shovels and have one language.
- Rom 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
i. If we agree, if we align ourselves together in the purpose of God for Detroit- who can stop us? Who can be against us?
ii. Every noble work is at first impossible. Thomas Carlyle
1. On the contrary, if we are not aligned, we cannot win- we need each other, in a place of agreement, in a place of health and maturity and fully devoted to taking city for Jesus!
2. I challenge you—take inventory of your alliances. Who and what you are aligned with will determine your destiny.
3. Agreement is a powerful force.
ii. Matthew 18:18-20 (ESV) 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
1. This is usually used when talking about prayer—but this is really talking about mission.
2. Do you see the focus is on being together and warring against the enemy and moving ahead in agreement?
iii. You know the old saying, "United We Stand, Divided We Fall." This saying is applicable within the church too. In the battle for Stalingrad during World War II the Russian commanders ordered their soldiers not to give up any more ground. Any soldier who fled from the Germans was shot on the spot. The Russian commanders knew that if even a couple of soldiers fled their post the Germans would have an opening through which they could pour into the city. Likewise, when the church is divided, Satan finds it so much easier to attack and to conquer.
1. We have to know that we are aligned, agreed, together and committed as builders, workers and warriors.
iv. Tonto and the Lone Ranger were riding through a canyon together when all of a sudden both sides were filled with Native American warriors on horses, dressed for battle. The Lone Ranger turned to Tonto and asked, "What are we going to do?" Tonto replied, "What you mean ‘we,' Whiteman?"
v. 1 Cor 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
1. In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn't. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus. "These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they're nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold." "Which channel do you want?" asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can't you guys get organized like that?"
2. So, what must we be agreed on?
2. The Terror of Hell
a. Intimacy
b. Salvation
a. Many in the church will be surprised one day, just as you were surprised in the dream, to find themselves under the control of demons as they are taken to hell.
a. Proverbs 14:11-14 (ESV) 11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. 12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. 13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief. 14 The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
b. Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV) 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
b. This message is probably the number one mandate from God for me.
a. It’s all about two things:
i. Intimacy- seeking, knocking and finding Jesus, hunger, desire
ii. Lawlessness- in control of ones own life, not surrendered, not responsive, following Jesus on one’s own terms like the Rich Young Ruler.
1. There’s an anti-authority, anti-submission, scattering spirit in the church today, and it’s exceedingly dangerous!
2. 2 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV) 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority.
c. House of prayer movement
a. The house of prayer is not a splinter movement, it is a call to calibration for the entire church.
b. Luann Zettle- "..a house of Prayer for all Nations..yep, totally agree with you John. Biblically this is so clear. And there are SO many I know that do see it that way. But, I think the biggest problem is that we don't know how to get there from here. The current church structure just seems to throw prayer in as an "add-on" or an additional ministry/program or that 10 minute exercise we do in the morning as opposed to the driving furnace of the Church, through which all other church Life flows. And i agree. IHOP,KC looks a lot more like Church than most anything else I've seen. "
3. Reformation in the Church
a. 20 Elements of Revival
b. Ancient and emerging
c. Dangerous scattering in the church
d. Cares of life
e. Misunderstanding of the purpose of the church
i. A wrong understanding of why we go to church will immediately result in a faulty understanding of how to participate.
ii. Many are saying that they don’t need the church anymore, or they only need the church a few times a month. This is an indicator of a wrong understanding of what the church is.
iii. Have we ever considered whether the church needs us?
iv. Can you imagine the USA military being strong if the soldiers only reported one day a week? No way! America would have been defeated and held captive long ago—and this is what has happened to the church.
v. Old paradigm- God first, family second, ministry third
vi. New paradign- all of it happening in the same places at the same time
1. We’ve come to believe that our families are healthier as we sit in front of the TV together instead of in the prayer room.
2. We might have a measure of personal health as we participate at a low level, but it comes at the expense of the church.
f. Some are saying that the Kingdom must advance out of the four walls of the church and into society. I agree! But, this can only happen if we are strategy minded and mission oriented in a place of burning prayer within the four walls of the upper room.
4. Encountering God
a. Making it easy for people to thoroughly enjoy God
b. We want people to know God, not just know about God.
c. 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 (ESV) 1 As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. 2 And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’s house. 3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
5. Prophetic Atmosphere
a. A command center for the region.
b. Manitou Springs—a revival command center for the nations.