Posts Tagged ‘resurrection’
What is Finished?
What is Finished?
Jesus’ job is done. Ours is just beginning.
A key premise of this book is that you and I play a significant role in our ultimate salvation. It’s easy for Christians to get derailed, confused and disillusioned when their victory and freedom seem to evade them.
“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30, ESV)
It is finished.
These three words, this short sentence, may be the most powerful and eternity-shaking ever uttered. In fact, I’m sure that is the case.
The world shook and groaned as Jesus completed his most glorious assignment.
“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”” (Matthew 27:50–54, ESV)
Can you imagine being there, witnessing these incredible events? Jesus cries out and dies resulting in a shaking of the earth, a torn curtain, split rocks, open tombs and long-dead people walking around alive once again.
Truly this was the Son of God!
The centurion was correct.
“It is finished” changed the world.
But, “It is finished” begs the question, “What is finished?”
A GREAT DECEPTION
One of the greatest deceptions that has compromised many Believers in Jesus is this:
They presume “It is finished” means “All is finished.”
This miscalculation of the impact of the blood, the cross and the resurrection has resulted in a sleepy church, a casual people and lukewarm Christians who are at risk of surrendering their salvation.
““And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.” (Revelation 3:1–3, ESV)
Wake up.
““ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15–16, ESV)
Burn hot.
If we misunderstand “It is finished” to mean everything is finished, all is well and there is nothing left for us to do, we sleep and grow cold.
When Jesus died and rose, everything necessary for us to live in victory, power and abundant life was made available. Jesus succeeded in grand fashion by conquering death, Hell and the grave. We have been invited to walk in that victory, but in order to do so we have to, for starters, walk. We have a part to play.
WHAT IS FINISHED?
The Gospel message reveals the glory of the cross and resurrection. What is finished? More than we have the capacity to understand. it’s immeasurable.
Sin was crushed.
Death was destroyed.
Sickness was defeated.
The Holy Spirit came to the earth.
Freedom was made possible.
Beyond this, demons must obey us. We have authority. Mountains must move. We are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. We are the head and not the tail, above and not beneath.
We trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and they will by no means harm us.
Of course, countless messages have been preached on the power of the blood and the victory of the cross. The power and the victory are real and the church has barely tapped into experiencing it.
But, the blood, cross and resurrection didn’t resolve everything. If it did, Universalism would be true. The believe that all will be saved is a false-belief. It’s untrue.
We must respond to the sacrifice and victory of Jesus if we hope to walk in victory, and ultimately to be saved.
WHAT IS UNFINISHED?
The cross has empowered us to respond and to walk in victory. But, again, we have to walk.
The concept is quite simple. Jesus has given us authority over the enemy. He defeated Satan. Yet, people today are demonized. What is unfinished? Well, for starters, demons must be dealt with.
If someone is demonized, they will remain in torment if we don’t do anything. The victory of the resurrection didn’t result in demonic attacks coming to an end. If anything, they became more intense.
We have to act. We have to cast out the demon.
That example works well in many scenarios. Consider sickness.
Nowhere in the New Testament will you find the Apostles praying for God to heal somebody. Why? Remember, Jesus said, “It is finished.” His job is done. He already did everything necessary for the sick to be healed. There is nothing left for him to do. It’s finished.
In order for the healing to manifest, we must draw on the victory and power of Jesus and minister his healing power. We have to do it.
Demons are still with us. Sickness is still here.
The resources necessary to eradicate both have been made available to us. We must act. God is ready to facilitate his deliverance and healing through us.
What else is unfinished? Well, every second of every day people are entering their eternal home in Hell. Since I wrote that previous sentence, approximately another twelve people died, and, most likely, most of them are currently in torment.
We have a job to do. The harvest is ripe! Hell is growing larger to hold the number of people who are going there. This should grieve us! We should be moved to cries, groans and tears!
Yet, the church sleeps.
It is unfinished. Our job is unfinished.
OUR SALVATION IS UNFINISHED
There is much for us to do in the short time we are alive. Are their open doors to the enemy in our lives? We must close them. Are we apathetic? We must burn hot. Are we one of the foolish Virgins who have no oil in our lamps? We must develop intimacy with Jesus. Is our family unsaved? We must intercede. Is our city overtaken by wickedness? We have no choice but to pray, preach and advance into the darkness.
A significant focus for us must also be our own salvation.
We work it out with fear and trembling.
We must endure every single day until the very end when we breathe our last breath.
Our salvation is unfinished.
Eternal security is not only a myth, it’s a disastrous and eternally dangerous lie. We first endure and tremble, and then we are saved.
A casual approach due to a misunderstanding of “It is finished” leads to lamps without oil and a lukewarm life.
“For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.” (Matthew 25:3–5, ESV)
“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’” (Matthew 25:11–12, ESV)
A failure to go deep in God, to have a passionate heart and to stay awake in these perilous end-times can lead to eternity in Hell.
Depart from me, I never knew you.
“It is finished” didn’t result in everybody going to Heaven. You and me included.
If we lose our love, grow sleepy and lose our passion, we are in a risky position. If we continue in sin, are careless with the call to holiness and refuse to respond rightly to the cross of Jesus, we can’t presume to be saved at all.
“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:26–27, ESV)
“It is finished” didn’t result in all being saved. We must respond. We must walk in holiness. If we continue in sin we can only expect judgment and a fury of fire that will consume us.
WE HAVE A JOB TO DO
Your life is unfinished. Your job is unfinished. We all must respond to the glorious benefits of the empty tomb by walking in power, authority, obedience and overwhelming passion for Jesus every day.
We can no longer wait around for Jesus to do what he isn’t going to do.
“So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”” (Acts 1:6–11, ESV)
The disciples still didn’t get it.
They expected Jesus to establish his kingdom and to hang around to work miracles and all of the other incredible stuff he did prior to his death and resurrection.
Jesus basically told them that he’s leaving. He’s done. It is finished.
He told them to wait for the Holy Spirit. Why? Why would this great gift be necessary?
It’s simple. It was their turn to do the works of Jesus.
““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12, ESV)
Then, Jesus left. He was gone.
It was in this moment these original followers of Jesus went from being disciples to apostles. From followers to “sent ones.”
Now it was their turn. Jesus’ job was finished. Theirs was just beginning. A desperate world was waiting for them. It was time to work wonders.
“And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.” (Mark 16:17–20, ESV)
How Should Christians Respond to “proof” of UFOs and Aliens?
Former President Barack Obama believes the revelation of UFOs and aliens could unite humanity.
So now we are looking for E.T. to bring peace and prosperity to the world it seems.
The Department of Defense and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence are scheduled to soon deliver an unclassified report on unidentified flying objects to Congress. Many are quite curious about what is about to be revealed.
In March, former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe offered some hints in a Fox News interview, saying it would describe events from “all over the world,” and that “there are a lot more sightings than have been made public.”
Our former President said, “But no doubt, there would be immediate arguments about, well, we need to spend a lot more money on weapons systems to defend ourselves,” Obama said. “And new religions would pop up, and who knows what kind of arguments we’d get into.”
President Obama admits that even he, with the wealth of information and secrets only the highest officials in our nation are privy too, doesn't know if aliens exist. He is not sure what the unidentified flying objects that have been reported over the years are.
“What is true, and I’m actually being serious here, is that there is footage and records of objects in the skies that we don’t exactly know what they are,” he went on. “We can’t explain how they move, their trajectory,” Obama said. “They did not have an easily explainable pattern, and so I think that people still take seriously, trying to investigate and figure out what that is.”
Former president Trump claimed last year that he had heard “very interesting” things about Roswell, the New Mexico city known for an alleged UFO event in 1947.
“I won’t talk to you about what I know about it, but it’s very interesting,” Trump said at the time.
We have pilots speaking about their experiences with UFOs on 60 Minutes, videos captured by military personnel and even the Pentagon confirming several videos of UFO activity in 2019.
HOW SHOULD CHRISTIANS REACT?
Branson Ambrosino of the BBC writes, “The discovery of life on another planet might seem incompatible with faith in a deity.” “…How could a believer reconcile this with their faith that humans are the crowning achievement of God’s creation?. How could humans believe they were the apple of their creator’s eye if their planet was just one of billions?”
While Billy Graham reportedly told the National Enquirer that he “firmly” believed God created alien life “far away in space,” it would not be a stretch to admit that such a belief is challenging to support with Scripture.
In our post-Christian world we first must agree that the Bible is the final authority on all matters. If a big-headed, thin-limbed green alien were to stare us in the face with their oversized eyes, and the Bible explicitly revealed that aliens do not exist, we'd have no option but to consider other conclusions. Contrary to the science-first crowd, I'm a Scripture-first guy. The Bible isn't threatened by scientific revelation, nor is it constrained by it.
Creationist Jonathan Safarti believes that humans are alone in the universe. He said, “Scripture strongly implies that no intelligent life exists elsewhere.”
Of course, many Christians, including General of the faith Evangelist Billy Graham, give room for the possibility of other-worldly life.
On the official billygraham.org website a question about the possibility of alien life is answered beginning with this: “The Bible doesn’t say anything about the possibility of life on other planets. Its main concern is with human life on this planet, including our problems and our future. This doesn’t mean life can’t exist on other planets, for it well might; the Bible simply doesn’t tell us.
Granted, the Bible is silent on many issues, including many astronomical facts. Biblical silence doesn't erase the possibility of aliens existing.
Of course, we do know that God created everything, including Earth and all the worlds beyond. If aliens existed, it would mean that God created them as well.
However, there are some difficulties that we must consider when discussing the possibility of aliens existing.
INTELLIGENT LIFE
We often hear about the possibility of the existence of intelligent life on other planets. The question we'd need to consider as Believers is a bit different. Does this life, if it indeed exists, have an eternal spirit? Dolphins, dogs, pigs and other animals are extremely intelligent, yet they are distinctly separated from humanity. They do not have an eternal spirit. God gave dominion over the animals to humans. Further, the whole of Scripture is intent on rescuing the souls of man. It has nothing to do with our intelligence, but rather it's our capacity to be in relationship with Jesus forever. So, would these aliens have an eternal soul?
EARTH-CENTRIC SCRIPTURE
It would take quite a creative theological dance to dismiss the reality that Scripture is centered on Earthlings. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Yes, of course, there's space here for the creation of aliens and other worlds in this scripture, but what follows in the entirety of the Bible is zeroed in on mankind on this planet. It's important to note that there is only one Bible. There cannot be additional “words of God” for other civilizations that qualify as the Word of God. There is no other. The Bible we have on Earth is the supreme and only true Word of God.
With this being the case, if alien life-forms did have an eternal spirit (meaning they were like humans and not animals), then how could they gain access to the Bible? If God provided a copy of Scripture for them, how could they relate to it if earth and humans were foreign to them?
THE CROSS AND RESURRECTION
Central to Christianity is the death of Christ on the cross, which, of course, took place on our very own planet. There can be no duplicate scenario for other worlds. God's son was sent once, only to Earth, to die. Is it possible that other worlds could be benefactors of the death and resurrection of Jesus? Yes. If we populate the moon or Mars, and people are actually born and live their entire lives there, they would, by definition, be aliens to Earth. Just because someone is a “human Martian” who never visits Earth doesn't mean that Jesus would visit Mars as a baby, die and rise from the dead for that culture. That has already been done and it will never be done again. Those living on the moon or Mars would have to learn about the story of Jesus coming to Earth, a place they would never visit.
That's a fairly easy scenario to imagine as it would be inhabitants of Earth migrating to another world. Our stories, books, history, culture and much of what we experience on Earth would be readily accessible elsewhere. How unhuman foreigners from light years beyond would gain access to this truth is harder to conceive. Their sin must be atoned for just like ours is. The truth remains, the death and resurrection of Jesus on this planet must be embraced by all who wish to be saved, no matter where in the universe they may live.
Dr. Jason Lisle on the Answers In Genesis website said, “If there were Vulcans or Klingons out there, how would they be saved? They are not blood relatives of Jesus, and so Christ’s shed blood cannot pay for their sin. One might at first suppose that Christ also visited their world, lived there, and died there as well, but this is antibiblical. Christ died once for all (1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 9:27–28, Hebrews 10:10). Jesus is now and forever both God and man; but He is not an alien.”
THE RETURN OF JESUS
Earth is also central to the return of Jesus and God's forever Kingdom. This is where it will all take place at the end of the age. All authentic Believers in Jesus will be living here as Jesus governs from Jerusalem. Will there suddenly be an insurgence of aliens who somehow gave their lives to Jesus? Though silence doesn't preclude it from taking place, Scripture doesn't remotely give room for anything this far-fetched happening.
“PROOFS” OF ALIEN LIFE MUST BE SCRUTINIZED BY THE WORD OF GOD
One thing we know with clarity is that the end of the age will offer all sorts of extremely convincing deception. If something contradicts the Word of God, we must reject it, even if the alien is staring us in the face.
“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,” (2 Thessalonians 2:9–11, ESV)
There is much to be discussed including the possibility of Nephilim appearing as aliens and other Satanic deception. Numerous scriptures about God's unique relationship with Earth-bound humans could be studied. Dr. Jason Lisle said, “From a biblical perspective, extraterrestrial life does not seem reasonable. Intelligent alien beings cannot be redeemed. God’s plan of redemption is for human beings: those descended from Adam.”
We could also talk at length about the possibility legitimacy of alien life. Are there some divine loopholes that would enable extra-terrestrial souls to find salvation in Jesus? Maybe. For the sake of this short article suffice it to say, the arguments against the possibility of aliens existing far outweighs the probability that there are other explanations.
Photo credit: “The Science of Aliens” by MIKI Yoshihito. (#mikiyoshihito) is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Mocking a Hopeful Resurrection. Is This What Christians Do Today?
A beautiful child died and Christians mocked the relentless faith of a church family.
A little time has passed since the heartbreaking death of Olive Alayne, the daughter of a Bethel Church worship leader. While the news story has settled down, I still can't deny the grief that I am feeling. My spirit is deeply troubled. In fact, I don't believe it's too strong to say that I'm sickened by the response of so much of the church during this tragic time. No parent wants to go through the unspeakable pain of losing a child. When it happens you must have the love and support of a faith-filled family surrounding you. A spiritual family like Bethel Church in Redding, California isn't going to offer simple “hopes and prayers” as most everybody in the world does at the time of crisis. No, they are going to contend for a miracle. Of course they would, right?Kalley Heiligenthal stomped her feet and waved her arms, dancing her way from one side of the bright-lit stage to the other.
“Come alive, come alive!” the congregants at Bethel Church in Redding, California, shouted in expectation as they clapped and sang praises.
The faithful shared these scenes on Instagram Tuesday night as they prayed for Heiligenthal’s 2-year-old daughter, Olive Alayne, to be raised from the dead.
A CHILD DIES AND CHRISTIANS MOCK
Other evangelical Christians are beginning to question the church’s ongoing calls for resurrection. Author Wade Mullen, who writes about abuse within evangelical institutions, cautioned that attempted resurrections are often associated with cults.I'll admit I was quite shocked when I started to hear about Christians on social media voicing disapproval of such an effort to contend for a resurrection. Who wouldn't pray with passion in such an unspeakably terrible situation? Who wouldn't take a step of great faith and gather as many prayer warriors as possible to believe with them?
52 And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” 53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. Luke 8:52-53 (ESV)Jesus experienced something similar when he suggested a pending resurrection. He was laughed at. The laughing continues today. I propose it's to the shame of the church that supernatural happenings are rare and so resisted in our Western culture. The default for every life crisis should be a corporate war in the Spirit for wonders to come. Help from deity is required. A faith-filled cry should echo out of us as otherworldly aliens who live by a set of different rules and live in a very different realm.
OUR OWN FOR RESURRECTION
My wife and I have lost seven children to still-birth and miscarriage, and we have battled in tears for each of them. I'll never forget one night several years ago when my wife and I were a part of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. Amy was pregnant, and using her at home doppler heartbeat monitor, she frantically searched for the baby's heartbeat. There was none. After a confirming visit to the emergency room, sadness overcame us and we devised an unusual plan to match our heart-wrenching desperation. Within hours we were on a flight to Lakeland, Florida. We were going to do whatever it took to gather with other faith-filled people who would agree with us for a miracle. At that time all we knew was that God was moving extremely powerfully and thousands of people were converging under a massive tent, hungry for encounter with God. The intense anointing we felt there as 10,000 people were worshiping with passion was undeniable. Hindsight would give us a glimpse into the assault of the enemy against what God was doing, and, unfortunately, how Todd Bentley would fail. I'll tell you this. Todd's failure and exposure in no way diminished the faith, passion, hunger and legitimate love for Jesus that the people under that tent had. God was manifesting unusually, remarkably, powerfully. I wish I had the space to share the mind-boggling way the Holy Spirit orchestrated the events there. We were back stage throughout the night, doppler in hand, as people hovered around my wife and decreed and declared resurrection nonstop. Their love for two total strangers will never be forgotten. No laughing. No mocking. Only love. After many dramatic encounters and untold expressions of determined faith by two humbled, broken people, we flew home. There was still no heartbeat. The next night a spontaneous “resurrection service” took place in one of the classrooms at the International House of Prayer. Well over one hundred people worshiped with fiery zeal, cried out for God to move and then, one-by-one, lined up and took turns commanding our dead daughter, Livi, to live. With tears in their eyes, they pointed at my wife's pregnant belly as she sat in a chair, hands lifted, eyes swollen and faith raised, and shouted, “Livi, come forth!” The next day at the hospital she was induced and a tiny, lifeless body emerged. She was dead. The following night we had a memorial service, and most of those who were at the resurrection service were there. We worshiped intensely, refusing to surrender to unbelief even in the midst of failure. God was still God. Suddenly, in the midst of the worship, faith hit me powerfully. God pointed out a friend of mine across the room who was totally blind. God told me to pray for him. As the loud worship music filled the room, I started commanding his eyes to open. Nobody heard me, nobody knew what I was praying. Moments later it was my turn to preach. I released a bold message of faith and revival. I refused to allow this to defeat our belief in a miracle-working God and I determined to see revival come as a result. That was the passion of my heart. That was the message of the night.
After I was finished I was called over to my blind friend. He said, “John, I just need you to know, when you were preaching on revival, my eyes started to burn. I wondered if I was about to be healed.” He had no idea I prayed for him. God was doing something.
IT'S TIME FOR THE CHURCH TO BELIEVE AGAIN
The moral of this true, emotional story? We don't have all the answers. We don't always know how to react in the time of trial. I firmly believe the Lord revealed to me that all of this was training ground for my wife and me. You see, walking in increasing faith requires much learning and revelation. There's a way to walk in the Spirit and there's a realm of faith that simply requires becoming familiar with how things function in that realm. Simply “believing” and quoting Bible verses won't cut it. A life of supernatural faith demands much more. Did this, along with the lost of six other babies, damage our hearts? Honestly, yes. Did we question God? Yes. Did we evaluate our faith? Absolutely. Did the enemy try to overtake us, to shame us, to mock us? Oh boy did he. Are we closer to seeing blind eyes open and dead people raised after experiencing this overwhelming season of our life? Yes. I believe we are. It's time for the church to wake from its secular humanistic slumber into a supernatural reality. Read the reports. Around the world blind eyes are opened, dead people live and miracles are normal. In fact, read the Bible. It's all in there. I've never met the parents of Olive Alayne, but I'm confident that, even in the midst of mourning, they are growing deeper in faith and they are learning how to function in the Spirit. They may not feel it, they may be limping and they will never forget this tragic season of their lives. I would never pretend to understand their private, personal heart response, but I do know their daughter will forever be in their hearts and they will see her again very soon. Oh, and I'm convinced they don't regret the fight for her life in the least. Kalley Heiligenthal, Olive's mom:“Olive, we miss you, love you so much and we'll see you soon. We know now more than ever that King Jesus is good and His every word is worth believing and following at any cost. That's the song we'll sing until we're with you again and we finally sing it together. We cannot wait.” “It's a new day, and we're awake for it. This is a victory story,” she concluded.
CoFI Group Video: Four Fires Part 2
Watch a powerful teaching on dead religion, unbelief and experiencing the wonder of God!
The new video switch and cameras are up and running! Check out the updated tech as you watch this week’s powerful teaching! Are you carrying spices in your hands, expecting a dead Jesus? Are you doubting as you walk down the road to Emmaus? Come alive as you discover resurrection power in your life! John discusses four specific keys to experiencing revival on a regional level. The call is to burn hot and to see that fire ignite in our churches and in our cities. This is a powerful teaching that will leave you more passionate for Jesus and for an outpouring then ever before!
From Series: “CoFI Group – Four Fires“
WATCH THIS WEEK’S VIDEO AND DOWNLOAD THE TEACHING NOTES HERE!
Tonight at Revival Church : Pics from theLab University Graduation
Powerful worship, intercession and a teaching on the resurrection that will cause you to come alive—tonight at Revival Church!
But first, theLab students have graduated! A new generation of carriers of fire is emerging!
Last night was simply amazing as theLab University students graduated! I’ll share some pics below.
THELAB UNIVERSITY ONLINE
Have you checked out theLab University Online? Do so now! www.thelabuniversity.com/online
Our NEW twelve week online university launches on July 18, 2013 with an INTRODUCTORY TUITION PRICE of $100!
Now anybody in any part of the world can get equipped as an end-time intercessor, prophetic messenger and revivalist.
TONIGHT AT REVIVAL CHURCH
As a house of prayer our primary mandate is to contend in intercession—and we will do that in the Prep Room at 5:15pm. Join us in the sanctuary as we pray for Detroit and the nations!
At 6pm the prayer rolls right into a powerful night of worship and teaching.
I’ll be starting a series titled Four Fires. It’s one of the original, and most important teachings I brought when I first started traveling to Detroit. And, yes, part one includes a powerful resurrection message!
Revival Church meets at CENTRAL CHURCH, 1529 E. 12 Mile Rd, Madison Heights, MI 48071.
PICS FROM THELAB UNIVERSITY GRADUATION
Something Shifted : Everybody using their gifts
I wanted to say that last nights service was absolutely incredible. What amazes me most is that it was only a "taste" of things to come!- Testimony from last night’s Revival Church service
That was awesome last night!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for giving the Holy Spirit free reign in the church! Never been in such a great place!!! Praying for you guys! Can't wait till Friday!!!- Testimony from last night’s Revival Church service
I’m still trembling as I write this. Something shifted at Revival Church last night.
Honestly, it wasn’t a complex strategy or a huge new idea. It certainly wasn’t planned or scripted. God simply moved.
In the midst of the outbreak and as people were burning and drunk as they were sprawled out all over the place I said, with a grin, “Man, and I had a really great sermon for you all tonight!”
In truth, I did! It’s a prophetic word that I’ll be sharing Friday morning with my Revival Road Team at Revival Nation Church in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada instead. (Come on out with us! We leave Grosse Pointe at 8:30am this Friday!)
But last night had different designs.
The launching point seemed to be a very strong unction in my spirit that many people in Detroit are yearning to worship God in spirit and in truth—without human restriction. They are deeply hungering for an opportunity to step out of the natural and into the supernatural and worship with fire.
The groans, the cries, the dances, the passion that is increasing deeply within so many is looking to be released as spiritual worship unto a spiritual God!
The word continued that many will follow our freedom. As we launch into freedom many will dive right in behind us.
Then, I asked several fire-breathing ladies to come to the front and cry out, release the fire of God into all of us. Wow! Talk about heat! I crumpled to the ground in drunkenness and just soaked as they gave leadership to that part of the night.
Here’s another recent testimony:
I have never experienced a congregation like Revival Church where EVERYONE is using their gifts. I've known that it's not for the Pastor to do EVERYTHING, and Revival Church is a great example of God working in the people who attend.
We have such amazing people at Revival Church! I am so blessed!!!
I did share a snipped of my sermon—there’s a significant difference between the Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that exploded the church in Acts 2.
Between the two events was the cross. Around 1/2 million people celebrated Jesus on Palm Sunday. Only 2 remained as Jesus went to the cross.
The power of the resurrection and the arrival of the Holy Spirit resulted in an outbreak in an upper room that was exponentially more powerful than what happened on Palm Sunday—even though the numbers were significantly less.
We don’t need Palm Sunday Christians. We need Believers who go to the cross and experience the Promise.
So, let’s get ready for more fire! Let’s see the outpouring that’s assigned to Detroit arrive right on schedule!
By all means, if you don’t attend church on Sunday nights, come out to our Revival Command Center and contend with us for fire!!