Posts Tagged ‘revelation’
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.
Seeking early adopters : Breaking away from the marginal Christian experience
The call at Revival Church : Three burning focuses will help rip the Christian church out of a marginal, stale state into a tremble that never ends.
I’m waiting.
I’m looking.
The strategy of God in this nation requires people who refuse to live according to a skewed Christian experience that has suffocated the church into a near flat line.
As a leader with a humanly impossible mission to call together people who will form their entire lives around the prayer room and the activity of the Holy Spirit, I find myself waiting and looking as I sound the alarm for the willing ones to move into position.
A radical response will result in a nuclear explosion of shock and awe that the nations of the Earth will witness—and then tremble.
My current city of Detroit must wake up. The church must destroy the habit of a casual response to a terrifyingly urgent call to repent, to respond immediately and to follow the feverish pace of the Holy Spirit toward revival.
During a prayer & whiteboard session on Monday, God refined the burning focus of the Detroit mission. We are intent on calling people together to participate in the mission at Revival Church… and the call is unapologetically and necessarily extreme:
REVIVAL CULTURE
The focus every day at Revival Church is to develop a culture of revival. The presence of God simply must press against us at every turn. It’s hard to believe that church services actually are allowed to continue without it! How can we teach and worship without the fire of God burning in our midst?
This culture is impartation and refreshing driven—meaning, God desires to impact, heal, deliver and pull destinies out of every one of us. Additionally, this focus results in communities of fiery love. People who are intentionally committed to one another… people who become family…who go deep in relationship and Holy Spirit fueled love.
Also, a key focus of this ministry is taking the fire of revival to the cities of the Earth. (If you are ready to book me, go to www.johnburton.net/booking) Teams of revivalists will be moving out with me as I minister in churches, at conferences and other events. We desire to train and coach others into a vibrant culture of wild revival.
REVOLUTION MANDATE
The second strategy of our ministry is all about reformation. Revolution.
Understand, the Sunday style of ministry must end. The 24/7 church must emerge. Now.
People who are used to living their lives throughout the week and attending church for a couple of hours on a Sunday morning must brace for an abrupt shock to their systems. A Kingdom perspective is being imparted into the forerunners who will be leading the church into it’s new reality.
Today, the church tends to be focused on feeding people… tomorrow the focus is for the people to feed God. To minister to him. To pray.
Today, the church gathers together, on average, 2-4 times a month. Tomorrow, people will be together several days a week.
Today, people tend to seek out teaching. Tomorrow, they will receive equipping and instruction with an expectation of response…ministry…action.
There are a lot of changes coming, and the call is now for the early adopters to respond and change their lives unlike few are willing to. At Revival Church, we are setting up shop to appeal to these early adopters.
REVELATION DRIVEN
The entire church and Christian experience must be driven by the voice, activity and revelation of God himself.
It must become normal for every Believer to be a person of extreme, zealous and fiery prayer as their primary activity in life. The church must embrace this primary mandate. Revival Church certainly does.
As prayer becomes the primary reason we gather together in the church, and the number one activity of our lives, we’ll hear God’s instructions clearly and continually.
Revival Church is called to be a prophetic revival center for the region. We must hear God. We must have people in our midst who are zealously on their face in night and day prayer. This is non-negotiable.
I’ll say it very clearly. If Detroit is to experience Kingdom normalcy… a revival culture… drastic and momentous change must come now.
Are you hungry enough for such a drastic interruption in your life? Are you willing? OK, let’s go. It’s time.
THE REVIVAL CHURCH CALL
So, what’s the minimum call for this new-form mission at Revival Church?
- Be early for prayer every Sunday at 5pm
- Make it extremely rare to miss a Sunday evening service.
- Nurture a life of radical prayer, study in the Word and pursuit of God’s presence.
- Participate in theLab, our weekly 8:30pm Monday radio show at www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/thelab.
- Participate in all, or as many as possible, of our weekly prayer meetings at IHOPE. We pray at noon every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. www.ihopedetroit.org
- Be extravagant tithers and givers
- Be an extreme communicator—participate in theLab, email us about what God’s revealing to you regarding the mission, be in contact with leadership and share your heart as often each week as you can.
- In order to understand the Revival Church vision, read John’s books, starting with 20 Elements of Revival (www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/resources)
The 24/7 church is emerging, and we’ll soon find ourselves in corporate ministry together at least 20 hours a week on the low end… and this transitional call of less than 8-10 hours a week will help ease our way into that new structure.
I’d love to hear from you! Are you ready to join the wild Revival Church family of revivalists? Contact me directly at [email protected].
New teaching video and notes : Razor Sharp Faith
We debuted our new camera at Revival Church last night… check it out!
[Pastors-some of you have asked for a video of my teaching… in preparing for booking me to minister in your church. Here you go! Contact me… I’d love to travel to your location and encourage your church!]
While many in the church are holding back and waiting for a change in their circumstances, God is calling us to boldly go where no man has gone before!
It’s a season of bold and risky advance… or, in other words, it’s a season of faith.
Faith is an action word… it’s not simply a disposition or a way of believing.
The call is for all of us to intentionally move to that realm… and when we do we’ll suddenly find ourselves with story after story to tell of miracles, signs and wonders.
Head on over to www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/teaching and watch our very first sermon video at Revival Church! (Yeah, it’s slightly jerky at times, and audio is coming out of only one channel… but it’s pretty good for our first attempt!)
New teaching video and notes : Razor Sharp Faith
We debuted our new camera at Revival Church last night… check it out!
While many in the church are holding back and waiting for a change in their circumstances, God is calling us to boldly go where no man has gone before!
It’s a season of bold and risky advance… or, in other words, it’s a season of faith.
Faith is an action word… it’s not simply a disposition or a way of believing.
The call is for all of us to intentionally move to that realm… and when we do we’ll suddenly find ourselves with story after story to tell of miracles, signs and wonders.
Head on over to www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/teaching and watch our very first sermon video at Revival Church! (Yeah, it’s slightly jerky at times, and audio is coming out of only one channel… but it’s pretty good for our first attempt!)
My notes for tonight’s prophetic teaching at Revival Church
FIRST—Don’t forget to register for the upcoming THE THINNING OF THE VEIL CONFERENCE with Michele Perry. The registration goes up on July 1st. You can do so at www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/events.
I don’t usually post my sermon notes (they are in outline form and I wonder how easy they are to follow), and I certainly don’t usually post them before I even teach them, but I feel this is a strong prophetic message for the church and it has the chance to really bless you.
I’ll be teaching this tonight at Revival Church at 6pm. If you are within 100 miles of Detroit, and don’t have a church service of your own tonight, BY ALL MEANS drive on out and join with us in a joy-packed, prophetic-filled atmosphere of fire!
We’re meeting in the First United Methodist Church building at 24036 Greater Mack in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. We’re easy to find, between 9 Mile and 10 Mile roads.
Here’s my notes—I pray the spirit of interpretation come upon you as you read!:
Revelation Unto Mission—Jonah’s Story
I. The Word of the Lord
a. It’s troubling to me that people attempt to live their lives outside of God’s Rhema activity.
i. Jonah 1:1 (ESV) Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
ii. Of course, Jonah was being called into a world changing mission, and it’s a mission he would not even know about if he didn’t hear God.
iii. This issue plagues Believers around the world. The Word is rare to them.
iv. Let’s look briefly at the story of Samuel and Eli.
v. 1 Samuel 3:1-11 (ESV) 1 Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli.
1. Note that Samuel was involved in ministry to God.
vi. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
1. He was where the ark of God was… just being in God’s presence changes everything!
vii. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
1. God’s voice was so clear that Samuel mistook it for a human.
2. When God talks, we should know him.
3. If our spouse were to show up at the house, we wouldn’t require their ID and a DNA test before we let them in. We know them. In similar fashion, we should know God!
viii. 6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
1. Did you get this? Samuel was involved in ministry, but did not know God! He never had an encounter, never communed with him! He never heard his voice!
ix. 8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the young man. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”
1. This isn’t a simple statement! This is a key goal of this ministry and of God—to get his servants to hear!
x. 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.
1. The mission was about to be revealed.
b. Now, back to Jonah and his impending mission
i. We want to do all we can to avoid living a Jonah 3:1 life.
ii. Jonah 3:1-2 (ESV) 1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”
1. What happened between Jonah 1:1 and Jonah 3:1 is enough to destroy most people.
2. Chapter two is the prayer of Jonah… he’s is begging God to rescue him from his hell… it’s a common cry of Believers everywhere.
3. Let’s look at Jonah 1:1.
c. Jonah 1:1-2 (ESV) 1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.”
i. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire, and one of the largest. It was three days journey in circumference.
ii. Some estimate that 2,500,000 people lived in Nineveh.
iii. It’s also presumed that as a prophet, Jonah had but this single mission.
iv. He was born for Nineveh.
d. Being open to God’s voice in our lives will result in a lifestyle of inconvenience, challenge and impossible mandates. It will cause huge, huge problems in our lives, and it will cause damage and bring calibration to our lifestyle.
i. But, like Samuel, as we understand our roles to bring reformation and calibration to the church and to the world, we’ll see that our words won’t fall to the ground. We will function in power as we hear God and release decrees and declarations.
ii. Unlike Samuel, who was residing in God’s presence, and responded to God’s voice and delivered a difficult message to Eli that had every opportunity for offense, Jonah ran from God’s presence. The message and the mission was too costly.
iii. Jonah 1:3 (ESV) But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
iv. Jonah 1:4 (ESV) But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.
1. Some of you might be there.
a. Your goal? Hear God’s voice and run in the right direction. Simple.
b. Is everything around you breaking up? Are you on your way to your mission or moving away from it?
v. Jonah 1:5 (ESV) Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.
1. Jonah was asleep, full of apathy, seeking out comfort.
2. This is plaguing the American church! We have created a place of comfort instead of advancing in a prophetic mission!
3. God is sending the waves and that boat is close to breaking up!
e. Now, watch this—this same scenario is about to be played out in the Church.
i. Jonah 1:6 (ESV) So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”
ii. Authorities are going to come to us for help—will they be disgusted as they find the church asleep?
iii. They will cry out, “Wake up! Perhaps your God will be the answer!”
iv. Now, watch this.
v. Jonah 1:7-10 (ESV) 7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
1. It will be CLEAR to the world why devastation has come.
2. The church tends to blame the liberal left, the homosexual agenda, abortionists… but, judgment comes first to the house of God!
vi. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation?
1. That is a critical question! What are we occupying ourselves as a prophetic people with? The world will ask!
vii. And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
1. They knew! Pagan idolaters’ knew Jonah was fleeing God’s presence!
viii. The world is angry… and this next statement is eye opening:
ix. Jonah 1:11 (ESV) Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous.
1. So life can get better, what must we do to the Christian church?
2. They are mad!
3. They are looking to eliminate us not because our values collide, but because we have failed to bring life to their reality!
x. Jonah 1:13-16 (ESV) 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
f. Take Two:
i. Jonah 3:1-4 (ESV) 1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
1. That is an excellent verse to use in regard to ‘failed’ prophecy.
2. Of course, we know that Nineveh was not overthrown.
3. Today, heresy hunters would be all over Jonah and decry him as a false prophet.
4. Often, a purpose of prophecy is for it NOT to come to pass!
ii. Jonah 3:5 (ESV) And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
1. God’s plan worked.
2. All of Jonah’s running and fear and disaster could have been avoided… his mission could not have been more simple… he simply went to a city and voiced a single sentence: In forty days Nineveh shall be overthrown! Mission fulfilled.
3. His whole life was about saying that single sentence and saving a city!
g. As Kingdom people respond or fail to respond, authorities will be impacted.
i. We see the captain of the ship seeing out Noah as he slept.
ii. We see the king of Nineveh respond as Noah obeyed.
iii. Jonah 3:6-9 (ESV) 6 The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
h. The last chapter of Jonah reveals what may have been the problem all along.
i. He was so distraught after the miraculous taking of an ENTIRE city!
ii. How can this be? Because of his selfish nature… his prophecy didn’t come to pass… the city was not destroyed… and he was concerned about his reputation… he didn’t want to be called a false prophet.
iii. He seemed to be more about reputation and self-preservation than he was about his Father’s business.
iv. This uncrucified quirk cost him dearly.
New teachings now available
Hi!
I wanted to let you know about several new teachings that have been uploaded to our site.
Two new series, Extravagant Favor and The Presence Centered Church, are available FREE to stream or download.
Also, there’s a teaching I delivered to a group of ministry leaders in Colorado Springs on Saturday via Skype titled The Prophetic Life.
Lastly, a recent prophetic message titled My Personal Book of Revelation is ready for you too!
Head on over to www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/teaching!
Very interesting video : Prophecy management system
Times are suddenly getting very interesting in the revival/prophetic realm… and especially here in Detroit. I received a phone call from Jeff Garvin from the 
Lakeland revival yesterday. He’s very alerted to the rising temperature in the Detroit area and I’m going to be connecting with him on Saturday in Windsor.
The same is true of Barbara Yoder, and I’m going to be connecting with her in Port Huron tomorrow.
Someone received a very interesting prophecy regarding voodoo, and hours later I received an invitation to minister from a pastor in a nation inundated with voodoo- Haiti. I may be teaching on revival and prophecy in a Bible college there next month.
With all of this going on, we must learn how to steward words, dreams, visions and prophetic data.
Most prophecy is conditional. We have a significant responsibility to hear God clearly and then to steward that revelation.
Imagine a web-based system that connected people, churches and ministries in real time. A system that receives, analyzes, filters and reports on prophecies, dreams and visions submitted via smart phones, laptops and other devices from around the world.
What if everybody in a church had an opportunity to prophesy during a service? What if all of that data was analyzed and submitted via a report to senior leadership as the service is in progress? What if that same data was compared with other submissions from all over the Earth?
This is the Strategic Prophecy & Intercession Management System. It's awaiting a team of brilliant and Spirit-filled people to take on the project.
You can watch the video below, or visit the permanent page for this topic at www.praytherevolution.com/prophecy.html.