Posts Tagged ‘revival’
A school of revival : Video is here : Participate in a massive drama
The prophecies have been clear, and now video is here!
Have you ever wondered how the Brownsville revival broke out? Or Azusa, or Toronto?
Of course, we have some great historians that have done a good job of breaking this down for us, but… what if…
…what if there was a video record of the teachings and calls to action that preceded an outpouring?
Imagine 50 years from now in a school of revival somewhere in the world… possibly in a village in Africa or a homeless shelter in a city in Europe… or in Bible colleges… countless hours of video was being studied and the teachings implemented in their own pursuit of revival. Wow!
So, this massive drama is before us. Thanks to Revolution House of Prayer in Manitou Springs, Colorado, we have the camera. The services and events at Revival Church will be recorded starting this Sunday, and our prayer is that many people around the world, both now and after the revival lands, will glean key strategies from them.
Three key people prophesied that news cameras would be in our building recording the revival. But, they also prophesied that we needed to have cameras in the building BEFORE the revival so a before and after documentary could be produced.
Now, we still do have needs to take this media missions ministry to the next level. Can you help?
- A second camera ($500)
- A video board (?)
- Monthly broadcasting on xpmedia.com ($250/month)
You can donate at www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/donate. Send an email to me at [email protected] to let me know that your donation is specifically for the media ministry.
You can watch a quick video that I took at www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/teaching.
Also, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube videos… these are taken ‘on the go’ and I talk about the messages that God’s burning in my heart in the moment. www.youtube.com/johnburtonministries.
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.
John Burton ministering at 24FLOOD in Dearborn Friday
24FLOOD is a prayer ministry right in the heart of the Islamic capital of America
I’ll be there praying along with everybody else for the fire of revival to arrive in this region.
Around 9pm I’ll be speaking about this coming move of God and I’d love for you to join me!
The prayer meeting starts at 8pm and ends at around 1am. Come for as much as you’d like.
Let’s see revival hit Dearborn and the entire Detroit region!
Location: Dearborn Heights First Assembly of God, 5650 S. Telegraph Rd. (Just north of 94)
John
Same feeling as Brownsville : Revival Church plans : Tonight at 6pm
We have dreams and plans to expand and spread the influence of the Holy Spirit
My son Skylar said something out of the blue the other day.
“Dad, I think Revival Church is going to really grow now.”
The power and the momentum around here is awesome!
An amazing guest worship leader that was with us last weekend told me,
“This is the first time since I was at the revival at Brownsville that I’ve felt this type of Holy Spirit activity. The same experience is in the room tonight that was there when revival hit.”
I’ve been in ministry for nearly 18 years, and last Sunday’s service has to be in the top five. The way God moved at Revival Church is awe inspiring.
The most amazing thing was the lingering, hovering mist of God’s glory that has been showing up visibly for the last few month or so. Last weekend, when I just looked at it, I was overcome!
At the end of last week’s service (the service that just wouldn’t end!), it felt like an angel, or God himself, took out my legs. I jerked and trembled the rest of the night as I laid on my face. I continued to experience this power of God for the next few days.
Our current strategic plans to initiate revival are very simple. Gather together often, pray and worship and have a resounding ‘yes’ in our spirits for the activity of the Holy Spirit.
We’ll be doing this again TONIGHT… in just four hours! Join us tonight at Revival Church!
ALSO—we’ll be taking a special offering in response to some very strong prophetic words. We need to start chronicling on video what God is doing at Revival Church. Our worship team is also growing, and we are in immediate need of three monitors. Approximately $1500 should cover this first step. If we go with a two camera setup, which does provide a lot of flexibility, we’ll need at least double.
This will enable us to record the amazing moves of God, and also to archive our teachings on video. A lot of people from around the world have requested this. As soon as we have a building with internet, we’ll stream the services live.
We are on the hunt for a new building so we can expand into a 7-day a week ministry of prayer and revival. Would you pray with us as we seek the right location? We need favor and a lot of participation in order to make this move.
Can you plan on participating in tonight’s special offering? You can also give online at www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/donate.
Blessings!
Three prophecies about video : You can help
The outpouring is drawing close in Detroit—and we’re ready to chronicle it all!
We have received three very specific prophecies about a video documentary on the revival that’s coming to Detroit and Revival Church.
- Michele Perry of Iris Ministries Sudan was with us this past weekend, and she was adamant that we needed to start recording our events.
- A ministry partner of Georgian Banov was with us and prophesied that he saw film crews in our building recording what God was doing in the revival.
- Another friend of the ministry saw the same thing… and felt a documentary, before and after the outpouring begins… must be made.
So, we need to get video setup in our services!
A lot of people have asked me when we’d start recording our services, and I believe now is the time.
We need some help from you.
In addition to a quality video camera with an audio input and the ability to connect to a laptop for live streaming, we need monitors for the worship team (God is growing our worship team!).
This should cost no more than $1500 total. We’d like to get the equipment this week… can you help us by making a donation?
We’d be so thrilled if you could! These are exciting times and we want to display God’s love and power to as many people as we can all over the world!
You can donate at www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/donate.
Thank you very, very much!
John
Teaching and notes- Order in the Church- Preparation for Revival
Revival might come.
We all know that it should come, but there is a lot that must come together if we hope to have a foundation strong enough to sustain it.
If we understand that revival isn’t defined by a powerful church service, or by life getting suddenly better, but rather that it’s a calibration—judgment—as God brings order to chaos.
This calibration to biblical normalcy will give a massive opportunity for offense and complaining to erupt as God, in love, begins to touch what’s sacred to us but a hindrance to him.
The church is God’s governmental structure to initiate, facilitate and give structure to the wild fire that revival will bring.
Simply, we must be together, connected to apostolic leadership, deeply organized and ready to advance. The church must be on the same page, must be ready to deal with the people that are going to be flooding to the altars, and simply must be unoffendable, teachable and full of the Holy Spirit.
This teaching addresses all of these issues. You can listen by going to www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/teaching.
Here’s the notes so you can follow along:
Order in the Church- Preparation for Revival
I. Order and government is critical
a. 1 Corinthians 14:12 (ESV) 12 So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.
b. Titus 1:5 (ESV) 5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—
i. People who handle the spiritual duties of the church
ii. 1 Tim 4:14 “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you”
iii. 2 Timothy 1:6-7 (ESV) 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
iv. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ must not settle for anything short of godly leadership. Where can we find such people? Jesus said: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest" (Matt 9:37-38).
II. Demands of revival
a. In the midst of revival we will have every opportunity to succumb to the pressure.
i. To understand this, we must have a clear picture of what revival is.
ii. It’s not simply an outpouring, but rather it’s a recalibration.
1. The challenge, the pressure, the rebukes, the refining will be constant.
iii. Those who are mostly looking for the refreshing (99% of the people) will very possibly find themselves bruised, discouraged and disenchanted.
1. Wow, revival can actually bring people to a worse place!
b. Moses went through this.
i. He was the deliverer, the OT savior of the Hebrews.
ii. He laid down his life, he risked everything to liberate people, to bring revival.
iii. But, there wasn’t the order necessary to handle it.
iv. In fact, Moses, the heroic leader, got so depressed that he wanted to die.
III. Numbers 11
a. Moses engaged in communication with God such as no man had ever before experienced.
i. He talked with God face to face.
ii. All 27 chapters of Leviticus and the first 9 chapters of Numbers record God’s words to Israel through Moses while the people were encamped at Sinai.
iii. The statement, “The Lord said to Moses” (or similar) appears nearly 60 times in these chapters.
iv. The day then came for Israel to move on, to leave Sinai and travel on towards the Promised Land.
v. The cloud that hovered over the Tabernacle suddenly began to move, and Moses and all Israel knew it was time to break camp and follow the Lord.
vi. Moses was optimistic when they broke camp and was highly motivated after his personal communication with God over the past 12 months.
vii. Numbers 10:35 says, “Rise up, O LORD! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you.”
viii. Moses was pumped!
b. But, it lasted all but three days.
i. The complaining began.
ii. Even though they were better off now then they were when they left Egypt, they complained.
iii. Numbers 11:1 (ESV) 1 And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.
1. In the OT and the NT when there is a move of God, there are also casualties among those who respond wrongly.
2. Acts 5:4-6 (ESV) …Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
3. Take note, if we are crying out for the fire of God, we must understand just what we are asking for.
a. It’s both a refining fire and a consuming fire.
4. Numbers 11:2-3 (ESV) 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down. 3 So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the LORD burned among them.
a. People died, yet the complaining continued.
5. Numbers 11:4-6 (ESV) 4 Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”
6. Numbers 11:10 (ESV) 10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the LORD blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased.
a. Weeping and despair when life isn’t going as planned is not the right response.
b. Later in this story we see that God gave them what they wanted—more meat than they could eat, and a plague landed on them as they ate.
c. Numbers 11:33-34 (ESV) 33 While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck down the people with a very great plague. 34 Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving.
d. They buried the people who had the craving!
c. The pressure of the people got to Moses.
i. He actually asked God to kill him.
ii. The revival was in process, the miracles were happening literally every day.
iii. But, the immaturity of the people resulted in a negative response to God’s move.
iv. These negative responses, the complaining will result in many people being impacted negatively right in the midst of revival if we don’t prepare for it.
v. These responses will land right in the lap of the leaders of revival.
vi. God has a plan to deal with this issue.
d. Numbers 11:16-17 (ESV) 16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.
i. He will take some of the Spirit on Moses and put it on them.
ii. They shall bear the burden of the people.
iii. Mike Bickle- “I don’t do anything!”
iv. This is both an OT and a NT plan of action.
v. Acts 6:1-4 (ESV) 1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
IV. Conclusion
a. So, we are in the gathering phase at Revival Church.
i. Many must be in position and ready to handle the needs of the people.
ii. My primary role is to hear from God, apostolically advance and raise up leaders… to pray and be in the Word.
iii. The rest will be handled by those who respond to the call.
iv. Most megachurch leaders don’t know what the day-to-day operations look like in any of the church’s ministries. He delegates authority.
v. This is where we are at now.
Audio and Notes : Massive change in the church : New Teachings
There’s a message of reformation that’s been burning within me for years, and it’s intensified radically since I moved to Detroit.
In a day where normal church attendance means less than two times per month, there’s an alarm sounding for the soldiers of God to gather corporately on a continual basis! I believe we’ll move from two days a month to over twenty. We’ll be receiving apostolic instruction on Sunday, responding strategically as a corporate body on Monday and Tuesday and through the rest of the week. Prayer will be 24/7. Ministry to the lost will have dramatic impact. Everybody will raise their families in a revival atmosphere of fire day after day!
Martin Luther brought us a reformation of doctrine. Today, we need a reformation of culture. Churches are limiting services to an hour or even less today. Why? Because they have become reactive to the demands of people instead of being drivers of the culture!
Busy lives and full calendars have demanded that the church submit and drop in priority—or die.
I taught on this last night, and you can listen to it now at www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/teaching. It’s titled A Drama for the Ages.
This call isn’t for the feint of heart. Many are what I call revival participants. They will jump in when the outpouring comes.
But, the outpouring won’t come if we have a revival participant mindset. We must be revival builders.
I’ll include the notes below for you to follow along with as you listen to the teaching.
There are also some other brand new teachings available:
- The Spirit of Pilate in the Church
- Six Enemies of Fulfilled Destiny (two parts, taught at the IHOPE Intensive)
A Drama for the Ages
I. The Blueprint
a. Joshua 3 is our blueprint, and we’ve focused on it considerably.
II. Joshua 3:16 (ESV) 16 …And the people passed over opposite Jericho.
i. A massive focus on the church, on preparing the army will come before we find ourselves staring at the city of Detroit.
ii. We need to pray for revelation so we can understand the magnitude of this mission that we are involved in.
iii. We’re about to be in the middle of a magnificent drama that will compare to some of the most magnificent times in history.
iv. The skeleton outline for Joshua 3 is:
1. Be alert and in position
2. Sanctify yourselves
3. Carry the presence of God
4. We’ve never been this way before
5. Step into an impossible situation
6. Cross over opposite Jericho
b. Understand, you are not simply sitting in a church.
i. This isn’t just a place to gather together, to worship God and to grow in the Word. It is that, but much, MUCH more.
ii. You are sitting in a Joshua 3 level military operation where normal people are about to do extraordinary things—and the masses will be changed forever.
iii. We are fervently calling people from all over Detroit to gather and follow the Joshua 3 protocol of readiness, holiness and wild faith.
III. Radical Preparation
a. We’re in the phase where we are awaiting dramatic deliverance and miracles, we’re setting a pattern of Kingdom living that results in extremely dramatic manifestations of God’s provision, glory and intervention.
i. The cost is crazy huge!
ii. I understand Detroit is tired and discouraged, but we cannot simply look for a quick fix. It’s imperative that every one of us understand that this call is a severe one, and this mission is the big one.
iii. God was ensuring that the Israelites understood the magnitude of their season of advance as well.
1. The precision of leadership that Joshua was exhibiting was phenomenal.
2. After this wild river crossing he told people to run back into the dry riverbank and bring back some heavy stones. They immediately responded.
iv. Joshua 4:4-7 (ESV) 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. 5 And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”
1. God was drilling home the extent of his power and how deeply involved in their process he was. Remember this! I told you in Joshua 3:5 that I would be working wonders and I was true to my word.
2. This was mentioned way back in Exodus:
a. Exodus 13:11 (ESV) 11 “When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you,
b. Exodus 13:14 (ESV) 14 And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
3. What memorial stones do you have?
4. We can look back over the last 14 years of our marriage, and I can look even further back than that and fill a notebook with miracle after miracle of God working in dramatic fashion in our lives.
5. Having memorial stones will make it easy to advance through mission after mission, season after season—and you’ll have something to share with your kids!
b. Joshua 4:13-14 (ESV) 13 About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14 On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.
i. 40,000 people ready for war.
ii. I’m looking for 1000 intercessors.
iii. What caused them to be ready for war?
1. Radical intentionality
2. Being together and in position
3. Carrying God’s presence—a lifestyle of intercession
4. Watching God move in power
5. Remembering what God had done
c. Joshua 4:23-24 (ESV) 23 For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, 24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”
i. God desires to establish a testimony, to function in dramatic fashion so that people know he’s mighty and that we fear him.
ii. We aren’t there yet. We’re in the process prior to this, which means we must follow the instructions of God carefully.
iii. It’s worth it! A city will be taken!
d. Joshua 5:1 (ESV) 1 As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.
i. This is a significant goal! In order to take Detroit, we must cause fear of God to settle into the principalities and powers over the city.
ii. This was a fulfillment of a recent prophecy:
1. Joshua 2:24 (ESV) 24 And they said to Joshua, “Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us.”
iii. Now, you’d think that the Israelites would be full of fire and ready to charge ahead.
1. In fact, they might have been.
2. But God understood the magnitude of the mission and the struggle that man has with pride, with emotions getting the best of them.
3. So, bring out the knives!
e. Joshua 5:2 (ESV) 2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.”
1. And here’s a ‘duh’ verse:
f. Joshua 5:8 (ESV) 8 When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed.
1. Ummmm, yep. That’s what I’d be doing.
2. They went from being ready for war to whimpering in their tents.
3. Adam Clarke—When adults were circumcised they were obliged to keep their beds for about three weeks, or at least during that time they are not able to walk about but with great difficulty.
4. Adam Clarke—Joshua, as an able general, would at once perceive that this very measure must expose his whole host to the danger of being totally annihilated; but he knew that GOD could not err, and that it was his duty to obey; therefore in the very teeth of his enemies he reduced the major part of his army to a state of total helplessness, simply trusting for protection in the arm of Jehovah!
5. God didn’t call them to circumcision on the east side of the Jordan where they were safe from their enemies. He removed all measures of safety as he knew he was capable of protecting them all by himself—and he wanted them to know this too.
6. Not only were they immobilized, when they crossed over the Jordan, out of the wilderness, the manna stopped too. Everything was changing.
7. Joshua 5:11-12 (ESV) 11 And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12 And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
g. Then, a dramatic encounter prepared them for what was coming next.
i. Joshua 5:13-15 (ESV) 13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
h. This launched Joshua and the Israelites into what was a dramatic and world shaking mission—the taking of Jericho.
i. Joshua 6:1-2 (ESV) 1 Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. 2 And the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.
IV. Conclusion
a. Do you understand the magnitude of this mission that you have been called into?
b. Under Moses there was disorder and dispute as people refused to move into the Promised Land.
c. Under Joshua everything changed.
d. What’s your plan? Are you ready? Alert? Sanctified? Circumcised? Ready for war?
e. Do you remember what God has done? What specifically are your memorial stones?
Tonight! Teaching at IHOPE : Six Enemies of Fulfilled Destiny
FIRST—Check out a NEW podcast about three ‘spirits’ we need to be paying attention to regarding heresy in the church and prophecy:
- A Jonah spirit
- A false-Berean spirit
- The Spirit of Revelation
Listen here: http://www.cinchcast.com/praytherevolution/68620
Tonight AND tomorrow I’ll be training out of my book Six Enemies of Fulfilled Destiny at the Teen Intensive at the International House of Prayer East Detroit.
Their address is: 19136 10 MIle Rd, Eastpointe, MI 48021.
I’ll teach the first half tonight, and the rest tomorrow evening. It starts at 7pm both nights.
Here are the six enemies we’ll be dealing with:
- Common Sense
- Felt Needs
- Human Desire
- Generic Dreams
- A Belief in Fate
- Reliance on Man
Here’s a sample from the chapter of the book on Reliance on Man:
As New Testament believers, it seems as if we should live our lives by a different code and in a different dimension. The rules are different here. If this is the case, why do we so quickly look for practical and logical solutions to life's problems and goals? Even in the church planting world, the most common discussions on how to be successful revolve around structures, theories, success stories and effective programs. Of course, such discussion can be educational and helpful, though I'm concerned at the overwhelming lack of balance. Where are the discussions on faith? Are people still discussing the power of prayer? Throughout the bible, as has been stated, story after story, principle after principle, truth after truth perpetuates the idea of stepping out into the impossible. Peter did it on the water. Moses did it at the Red Sea. Gideon did it with the Mideonites. David did it with Goliath. The stories are seemingly endless. If this is the case, why do we so often choose to err on the side of safety? On the side of practicality? On the side of logic? The bible clearly directs us to lean NOT on our own understanding.
I don't know how many times I've made a step of faith and people have either murmured or stated directly something like, "That doesn't make sense". Or, "You need to do what has been successful in the past". Or, "Where did you come up with that crazy idea?" Or very often, "You really should gain a consensus, wait it out, don't rush to a decision". Now, in certain instances some of those suggestions would certainly be valid. As has been stated, there is a very important place for Godly wisdom. However, the closer we get to God, the clearer his voice becomes, and the more urgent a decisive response becomes, the more confident we can be in making some radical decisions. In this situation, as we are clearly hearing God's voice, it becomes critical that we err on the side of faith rather than safety. Too many times, human logic has caused one to ignore a directive from Heaven.
An age old question we can ask ourselves is, "What do I have to lose?" If the answer has to do with the loss of respect, loss of friends, loss of safety, loss of comfort, etc., then the answer should be easy. Simply listen to God, capture his heart, and leap in faith! Really, this is an obedience issue. If we choose to err on the side of safety, or the side of maintaining a reputation, then we very possibly may be disobeying God. To be a New Testament believer, as we will see in a later chapter, requires us to live a miraculous life just to be obedient! A New Testament life is an impossible life. So, it only makes ‘sense' to expect most of our key decisions in life will require faith to be successful. We should expect faith to be required. To avoid situations that require faith truly may require disobedience! The bible makes it very clear that, when confronted with a difficult decision, or any decision for that matter, that we are to make a step of faith as opposed to one guided by sight. What we see is not as real as what we cannot see.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV) 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
Matthew 8:26 (NKJV) 8:26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
I can hear the arguments now, "Well, you should only make such a faith step that defies age old wisdom if you know that you know that you know that God has told you something. Otherwise, you should side with wisdom."I agree! This is an interesting point. It may seem as if I'm supporting a haphazard lifestyle. I am not in anyway. Foolishness is not an option. If we are not hearing God clearly, then we must gain some solid wisdom from some pillars of the church. Of course, the Word of God is always the final authority. But, the argument that is being made is really not against the seeking counsel. What is most often heard is a subtle chuckle and smirk when the idea of hearing God is raised. Most people don't truly believe that God speaks clearly and continually to those who are listening! Since they have learned to make their own way, and since they don't subscribe to the idea that God is in constant communication with his people, they believe those who make radical steps of crazy faith to be foolish.
Mark 5:35-36 (NKJV) 5:35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" 36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."
The unbelievers in the crowd (note they called Jesus ‘Teacher', they were ‘in the church crowd') were highlighting the obvious- the girl was dead. They were saying, "Give us a break! It's a done deal. She is gone." However, faith prevailed. Jesus instructed the man to take a faith step- to fear not and to believe. This step resulted in a miracle. Whatever you do, don't let fear of man stop you from being confident in your relationship with Jesus! The Holy Spirit is active and God is speaking. He will give impossible and radical directives to those who are willing to listen and obey. If we desire to be average Christians, we can err on the side of logic and safety. But, those who wish to venture into a different dimension, into a place of miracles and risk and big dreams then, every day, listen to God, hear his dreams and err continually on the side of faith.
Fear of Man
An entire book could be written on this topic, and, in fact, many have been. Let’s approach this from the perspective of a dreamer. To have a dream is deeply personal, unique and specialized for the person who has received it. A dreamer, or a visionary, who is spending countless hours in the presence of God and who is burning in their spirits to see their vision fulfilled has an important job to do- advance!
They are with God constantly and have heard his voice. The goal is clear. The stirring is endless. However, the process very well may not be clear, or at least it may not be easily communicable. Any visionary who has ever done anything worth writing home (or a book!) about has had to advance, to a large degree, alone. Why is this? The more impossible the dream, the more radical the approach must be. The more radical the approach is, the more it is scrutinized.
Few people ever understand what goes on inside prophetic people who see with spiritual eyes. Therefore, especially if they are in close relationship with the visionary, and ESPECIALLY if they are under the influence of their leadership, their lack of comfort in the process can easily result in a visible lack of support.
They certainly see point A. They see where you are, your weaknesses, your limits and your general situation in life. They may even be able to see point B. The goal may be a great one. There may be agreement on the value of it. It may even generate some excitement. The problem lies on that seemingly never ending dotted line between point A and point B. People who haven’t directly received the vision will, out of frustration or even pride, attempt to offer their two cents on how to fulfill the mission. To them it seems obvious. Maybe they have done it that way in the past. The problem is that they haven’t been given the dream. It’s not theirs.
To further muddy the waters, the visionary may truly not understand the process either. It’s at this point that living a Spirit-led life becomes as critical as life and death itself. The visionary may be receiving a steady stream of ideas, concerns, opinions and pressure from well meaning, and sometimes not so well meaning, people. This type of situation seemingly highlights brightly the weakness and apparent lack of the visionary. The visionary doesn’t know how to proceed and the critic has any number of ‘great ideas’ to offer.
At this point the person who has been entrusted with the precious and sensitive dreams of God must be absolutely free from the fear of man. Fear of scrutiny, of weaknesses being exposed, of murmuring, of not knowing how to defend your position- it all must be broken in our lives.
There are many times in my life where I will receive counsel from well meaning people, and I know in my spirit that I am not to proceed in that direction. Of course, there are times where I seek out counsel from people that the Lord directs me to. There are experts out there who have both practical and spiritual insight that is important to grasp. However, whether I am seeking counsel or whether it’s simply offered to me, I must hear the voice of God myself. Confirmation in my spirit is non-negotiable.
New Ministry Partnership Packet
The new Ministry Partnership Packet is ready for you to look at! CLICK HERE to check it out.
Amy and I are missionaries to Detroit, and we are intently focused on establishing a base of night and day prayer and a hub of revival projects that are already impacting hungry people.
First, a primary joy of mine is taking the fire of God to churches and conferences. In the ministry packet you will see info on how to request a booking. I’d love to connect with you and hear your heart for people.
Also, we are aggressively (super aggressively!) seeking new financial partners who have a passion for transformed lives.
We’re experiencing a personal shortfall of approximately $1930 a month and need several new friends to erase that as soon as possible. The church, on the contrary, is doing fairly well financially. We do receive a small salary, but we also need to keep some reserves for our ministry projects. Therefore, our personal expenses must be covered via fundraising and other methods.
Take a look at the packet, and contact me at 313.799.3473 or [email protected].
You can donate to the Burton Family (it’s tax-deductible) at www.johnburtonministries.com/donate.
I pray huge revival blessings in your life!
John
Gathering the hungry for revival in Detroit
We have been experiencing an overwhelming atmosphere at Revival Church recently—one young lady mentioned, with tears in her eyes A WEEK LATER, that she’s forever changed. The saturating presence of the Holy Spirit has resulted in many powerfully rocked people!
**Michele Perry said that she feels that the mission in Detroit is more difficult than her mission in Sudan. This means that we need the masses to join together each week as we strategically contend for an outpouring in Detroit.
What’s radically important in this season? Several key points:
- This is a season of gathering the hungry—As a regional center of revival, Revival Church is connecting with people from all over the area each week to contend for an outpouring.
- This is a season of precision positioning—Simply, those currently connected to Revival Church, and many other we have yet to meet are being awakened to the extreme need to be alert, in position and intentionally advancing the mission of revival.
- We are praying in pastors, leaders, intercessors, musicians, etc—As a regional revival center, it’s important that we have key city leaders on our team. We’re praying in people who are running the race of Kingdom advance in the region.
- Joy, freedom and abundant life are to be the norm—As we find ourselves deeply refreshed and healed in God’s presence each week as we minister to God and each other, the life of God will explode into our city.
So, can you help in this mission? It’s a big one and we can’t do it with a small team!
A few thoughts:
- Participate in prophetic prayer every Sunday from 5-6pm
- Bring friends, pastors, intercessors, family and others to our primary revival and refreshing event every week on Sunday at 6pm
- Join a small group
- Ask how your gift and passion fits at Revival Church
- Share the vision with pastors and leaders, and request they book a Revival Team in their church or at their camp or conference.
Ministry sites:
- www.johnburtonministries.com
- www.detroitrevivalchurch.com
- www.facebook.com/johnburton
- www.facebook.com/johnburtonministries
- www.facebook.com/detroitrevivalchurch
- www.twitter.com/detroitrevival
- www.twitter.com/johneburton
We can’t wait to see you THIS SUNDAY at 6pm!
Also, don’t forget to REGISTER for October’s THE THINNING OF THE VEIL conference with Michele Perry! Discounted registration through June!
www.detroitrevivalchurch.com/events
Blessings!!