Posts Tagged ‘unity’
Revival: Seven excuses that legitimately threaten revival
Revival is not a guarantee. In fact, the chances of revival breaking out are extremely low.
Detroit is marked for revival, yet revival is not here. It’s delayed. We have a problem. This is an issue not only for Detroit, but for the nations of the Earth. God has planned revival, but we have not.
First, I have to qualify the comments you are reading in this article. The driving force of my mandate is revival and reformation in the church. As a prophetic messenger, a primary focus of my ministry is calling the church into the fire of revival. That fire will only ignite as the church becomes flexible and ready for momentous change. The church must agree with an inconvenient revolution.
Revival Is A Corporate Mission
Church is corporate. Revival is corporate. Ministry is corporate.
The first point we have to understand is that the pursuit of revival requires a corporate strategy. The mission of the entire church requires the participation of the church. Church is defined by the corporate gathering. It's the ministry of many. Personal desire, personal prayer and personal pursuit does not result in revival—unless it first spreads to a larger unified group of people.
Acts 2:1 (NIV) 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
This is why being together corporately and continually in the church is so important. Satan used God’s principle of unity to start building his church, the Tower of Babel, and God surprisingly revealed that they would accomplish their task—unless he attacked their unity and scattered them. Now, Satan is trying to pay God back by attacking the unity of the church and causing people to scatter. He has also been successful. What is maddening is that God’s strategy of Kingdom advance and revival would also be unstoppable if Christians simply gathered in unity. That’s all it takes! Go to church, minister with passion, embrace corporate mission and go after revival!
Now, many Christians who are unwilling to battle through personal struggles are now convinced that revival can come without devotion to corporate gathering and unity.
Revival is threatened by:
- Inflexible focuses: We live in a society that is extremely independent, and this results in people locking into their own plans with little regard for the dynamic and demanding development of the church. Revival demands our attention.
Acts 1:4 (NIV) 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
Their leader, Jesus, invaded their personal space and their personal plans. He demanded flexibility and that they cancel their plans. Their ideas of ministry were challenged by Jesus and the call was to drop them. Jesus needed all of them to go in another direction, to cancel their plans, to respond even though the reason was not at all clear.
Today, when leadership calls on the church to turn on a dime, to respond corporately, they are usually faced with unresponsiveness due to other personal life focuses. This is a threat to revival.
- Family:When confronted with the call to gather as the church, a very easy excuse is, “I have a family activity to attend.” Little League games, family fun, movies and other family activities are pulling people out of the corporate mission of revival. It’s often said that we are to put God first, family second and ministry third. I strongly disagree. That model leads to a separation, to division, when God is calling for unity. We don’t compartmentalize God, family and ministry. We involve ourselves with all three at the same time.
There used to be a time when families would be in the church every time the doors were open. That was the model. God, family and ministry all happening together, all the time. The revival fueled 24/7 church is coming, and we have to discover now how to implement this model in our families. We’ll be together most every day of the week. This is how it started, this is how it must be again. In fact, if you are intent on prioritizing these three focuses, check out Jesus’ viewpoint in the second passage below! If anything, God and ministry come before family.
Acts 2:42-47 (NIV) 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Luke 14:25-33 (ESV) 25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
- Time & energy: American culture has won. Or, at least it is winning by a huge margin. Revival and the church has lost. Cares of life have nearly destroyed any hope of people having the time and energy to fulfill their call as revival soldiers in the church. The culture of society is driving the church schedule. Churches have waived the white flag of surrender by cancelling and shortening services. This is absolutely tragic. The church’s warriors have willingly gone AWOL due to wrongly prioritized daily focuses. A worn out church body now uses the church for something it was not designed to do—be their servant. They are tired and they use the church to recharge. Only when we take dominion over our schedules, turn off the TV, shut down time and energy thieves and refocus on the main thing will we have the capacity to personally charge up so we can serve the church mission. Check out this powerful warning:
Luke 21:34-36 (ESV) 34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
- Church conflicts: It’s better to unify around an imperfect church vision than it is to divide & argue about what is the perfect vision. It’s common to pull back from our devotion to the mission of the church when we don’t fully embrace their strategies. We want it to be done our way, and if it’s not, then we presume we have the option to lessen our commitment. That results in a weakened and threatened mission. In order for revival to come, we must understand this is an ‘all hands on deck’ level mission. Revival needs us. The church needs us. Revival is waiting. We can’t use the church for personal gain, we must serve the church to ensure there is corporate gain and full blown revival. The church struggles because those who are called to serve it are making demands on it to serve them.
- I’ll wait and see: People who adopt this strategy are deeply loved by God, but will most likely miss the full thrust of the impact of the revival and outpouring. The issue is not one of love and acceptance, but rather of function. If we presume that God is going to do the work of revival, our perspective is flawed from the beginning. Our follow through will then also be compromised. Revival is dependent on our determination to initiate it. We aren’t waiting for God, he’s waiting on us. We aren't waiting for revival, revival is waiting for us. We are called to minister, to serve. Revival is calibration to Kingdom life, and that life is marked by Believers doing the work. We heal the sick. We preach the Gospel. Not only do we initiate revival but we also facilitate it. We work and serve God as opposed to expecting ourselves to be served.
Deuteronomy 23:21 (NKJV) 21 “When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you.
Psalm 119:60 (NKJV) 60 I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments.
- I don’t fit in: If we understand the definition of ministry, we’ll find there is always a place for us. To minister is to serve. Simply serve and you will find acceptance! The church needs you! Revival needs you! You fit in revival and you fit in the church!
When I was 15 I got my first real job. I was a busboy in a tiny country restaurant. I’ll never forget my first day. It was awful! For those of you who know me you’ll be shocked to know that I was tragically shy and not outgoing whatsoever. There were a few other workers there the day I started my job and I found myself just standing all alone presuming rejection from my new coworkers. One of them looked at me and said, “Hey, you don’t have to stand over there by yourself. Come on over here.”
There are two takeaways from this story. First, I was disqualified relationally by myself, not by the restaurant. In fact, the restaurant welcomed me! Not only was I welcomed, I was hired! I wasn’t rejected, I was accepted! Second, and more importantly, I wasn’t there to develop relationships! I was there to clean dirty dishes off of tables so others could enjoy their stay. I was there to serve. So, the excuse that I didn’t fit in simply didn’t have any bearing on my responsibility. There was a job to do, people to serve and a mission to fulfill. The same is true in the church. Never let this excuse cause you to stop serving. The cause of revival needs us to serve with passion.
If Jesus’ goal was to avoid rejection in the midst of his mission then he would have never made it to the cross, and you and I would be destined for Hell.
Psalm 118:22 (ESV) 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
Matthew 8:34 (ESV) 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
John 1:11 (ESV) 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
- I don’t want to: This is the most honest excuse. However it’s rooted in unbelief and a misunderstanding of the importance of the mission. If we truly believed that revival was the biblical norm for all of us, we’d give everything, every moment in the pursuit of it. An apathetic church is putting the mission of revival at great risk. It’s time to awaken to the call of God for the fire of revival to ignite in our nation.
Ezekiel 22:30 (ESV) 30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.
Haggai 1:4-11 (ESV) 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. 7 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD. 9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.”
Special event TONIGHT at theLab : School of Fire begins tomorrow
The fastest way to discover what this revival movement in Detroit is all about is to attend theLab Prayer Event Friday nights!
TONIGHT we will be in our brand new host church praying in fire from 10pm-midnight!
In 2011 we were in at least 40 different churches in the Detroit region. What a movement of unity and revival it has become!
I consider Friday nights to be the key to this movement…you could consider it our primary weekly service… and TONIGHT we’re at our home base in Madison Heights.
I’d like to invite THE ENTIRE REVIVAL CHURCH COMMUNITY to join us TONIGHT at 10pm!
LOCATION: Central Church 1529 E. 12 Mile Rd, Madison Heights, MI 48071
theLab School of Fire
I can’t wait! The engine that drives the Detroit revival movement is theLab School of Fire. We are back in session starting TOMORROW morning!
*Today is your last chance to apply. NEXT SESSION there will be no student or minister discounts, so you might want to pray fast and see if the Lord might have you jump on board with us now.
The cost is $500, and students (between the ages of 18-25) and ministers receive a 50% discount! This school is valued at between $1500-2500 based on comparisons to other similar ministries, and we will soon increase our tuition to match that. So, for $250, you can’t go wrong!
Head on over to www.revivallab.com/apply RIGHT NOW!
The Spirit of Absalom/20 Elements of Revival teaching
The Spirit of Absalom
This has to be the fastest I’ve ever uploaded a message… but it had a great response, and I thought you’d be impacted as you listen to it.
Just a few hours ago I taught on the divisive spirit of Absalom… it’s one of my most requested teachings, and it sheds a bright light on the brilliance of the enemy to draw God’s people to himself.
Also, here’s some diagrams for you to follow along with the part of the teaching on the spirit of Absalom. It’s from my book, Covens in the Church.
What a night! Praying in tongues as a primary church strategy
Hi Revival Church team!!! Thank you SO MUCH for my birthday card and gift!!! You know my love language!!!
Last night’s “Bring your blanket to church” soaking event was PHENOMENAL from beginning to end! WOW! We’ll be doing it again next week! Invite EVERYBODY you know!
There are some key truths that will assist our ministry and any other as we advance into uncharted territory.
In order to move forward, it’s going to take quite a unified advance… I’m praying about what this looks like, and one significant step I’m calling the entire church into is:
- Praying non-stop in the Spirit together for one hour from 5-6pm on Sundays.
The groans, the flow of intercession as the Spirit prays through us is critically important… and it’s also important that we do it as a unified team.
I understand that ‘life happens’ to all of us, and it’s so easy to get hit… the enemy is nasty and very active… and based on my own experience in seasons like this there are two mission critical areas that tend to take the hit first:
1. Prayer
2. Unity
We have to jealously guard against anything that would hinder either of these focuses. We need to be proactive and preemptive.
We have to be very intentional in loving each other deeply and holding hands in prayer-fueled advance. If we do this, life will be amazing and we’ll blast through barriers with ease.
The very first element in our strategy (20 Elements of Revival) is agreement in the place of prayer. Revival and mission advance can’t happen if either of those two elements are minimized.
I’ll include chapter one from that book below…
It’ll give us a good picture of the importance of being together in fervent prayer continually. If you haven’t read the entire book, I’d strongly recommend you do asap.
**We can be in the building Sundays before 5pm (in fact, we need help at 4:30pm setting up)… and then dive into praying in tongues together right at 5pm.
**For those of you who are in the i1 or i2 intercession team… PLEASE ensure you are on the call every Monday night at 9pm.
If you have thoughts, words, dreams, visions, etc. please let me know!! You are the best of the best! Thanks for all you do and for who you are!!!!
Here’s chapter 1:
Element One
Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
The way this ancient and emerging Church was birthed is the way it was meant to continue. God drew zealots together to actively wait.
As we step through these twenty elements, it’s critical to prayerfully consider the step-by-step process. It is flexible enough to allow God to infuse your Church growth experience with your own DNA, yet the underlying principles simply must not be violated.
This first element is the most critical, yet is probably the most neglected. In the pursuit of establishing a new Church, or in the development of an existing one, the pure adrenaline of it can cause us to become impatient. This first Church could not have been planted from a human perspective.
Good teaching, proven programs, intimate small groups, evangelistic crusades and other methods would not work at this stage of the process. These are actually parts of future elements that will take root and develop further in the Church planting process.
So, what is this first element?
Element One- Agreement
The verse tells us that they were ALL in one accord AND in one place. This depicts a mature and hungry team of radically devoted believers who understand the massive commitment it will take to fulfill the mission.
To launch, there must be a strategic team of mission-minded owners of the vision.
A tragic mistake that is often made at this initial phase of ministry is the improper focus on relationship. Fellowship will become a staple of the Church experience well into the process, but to entrust the strategy of fellowship as a foundational element at this phase will result in failure, stagnation and a lack of power.
Being in agreement is very different than being in fellowship. An attitude of agreement results in corporate strength that will bust through many barriers the enemy will set up in the early stages.
A strategy of fellowship alone is incredibly susceptible to offenses taking root, gossip, frustration, disagreement and the fostering of an Absalom spirit. Fellowship is simply not strong enough to be a foundation of a local Church. Agreement, however, easily is.
I’ll often hear pastors state that they are launching a new Church on a foundation of fellowship. They have a plan of worshiping together, inviting friends and developing a new community. Of course, the heart behind this is wonderful. Strategically however it simply rarely works.
This first element of agreement breeds the second element that we’ll discuss further in a moment. The second element is extreme devotion of time. We’ll notice that the first Church was together every day. Why? Because that was how it was birthed. In order to capture God’s heart, hear His instructions, nurture unity and become alert to the directives of apostolic leadership we must be together nearly continually.
If we are fellowship minded, this type of commitment will rarely last. Desire for fellowship is inward focused primarily, but an attitude of agreement causes us to look outward. To be agreed and unified toward an impossible goal that God has presented to the team will both require and result in a continual pursuit of that goal together.
I often teach that if we are to experience revival, we must do now what we will be doing when revival breaks out. A revival atmosphere results in people craving to be in the Church building night after night. Prayer and worship and breaking under the presence of God never end. If we are contending for that, we must start the process now.
I find it amazing that Churches are eliminating services in response to a very demanding American lifestyle. If we are to experience revival, we must fight that spirit and once again, as in the previous generation, be in the Church every time the doors are open- and the doors should be open night and day!
The Experience
At the risk of getting ahead of myself, I want to share now what we are contending for. The biblical norm for believers is to experience the weighty presence of the Holy Spirit regularly. The normal experience for a Sunday service, for example, is for us to walk in the door and immediately become influenced by an atmosphere of fire. Brokenness, tears, drunkenness in the Holy Spirit, prophetic unction, repentance and other manifestations should be the expected reality day after day.
We have become satisfied with teaching services, song services, social gatherings and other activities without the baptism of fire that should be burning through them.
I often discuss what I call the ‘money changer principle’. Churches, both new and mature, often have an imbalanced focus on satisfying the needs and desires of the members. Church growth strategies dictate that we must have certain things in place if we expect people to want to come to our Church. So, from the outset, our minds are tilted toward drawing the crowds and in order to do that we ask the question, “What will cause people to come, stay and get involved?”
May I offer that this mind set must change if we are to experience God the way He wants to be experienced. The money changers’ table was overturned by Jesus. He was indignant. He stated clearly that the temple was to be a House of Prayer. What was the sin of the money changers? They went into the temple with the expectation of leaving with more than they entered with. The temple is to be a place of sacrifice! We are to have the expectation of leaving with less than we entered with!
If we as leaders understand this, we will have no problem requiring much from those who are joined with us in mission. We are truly called to die. That perspective must be embraced and shouted from the rooftops.
Let’s look at an interesting passage of scripture. Keep in mind as you read this that Peter was the ‘rock’ on which the Church was birthed. Jesus was making a severe statement not only to Peter but also to the upcoming Church.
Matthew 16:21-25 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
Note an very important statement that Jesus made:
“You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Peter unwittingly renounced the cross. Jesus rebuked him in this famous conflict to ensure that the generations to come would be sure to embrace what Peter renounced- daily death under the weight of a cross.
This was exceedingly critical not only for Peter and not only for the generations, but primarily for the structure that Peter represented. The Church.
As we launch or redevelop our Churches according to this New Testament paradigm we must be sure that we avoid a structure that appeals to man ahead of God. Jesus told Peter that he was an offense to Him. Why was he an offense? After all, he wanted Jesus to be safe and comforted. The boldness that we saw in the garden as Jesus was being led away to his destiny with the cross showed itself in this instance as well.
We don’t know what other inner struggles Peter may have been dealing with, but we do know that Jesus didn’t like his reaction to those struggles. He stated clearly that to be mindful of man ahead of God was offensive.
Our Churches must be setup to primarily minister to God on a foundation of prayer, sacrifice, offerings and service. When someone comes into our Church as a visitor they should witness a radical atmosphere of extreme commitment, passion and mission-driven fervor. Instead of forming materials that emphasize what the visitor can expect from their new Church those materials should highlight what their new Church expects from them!
Churches are missional organizations. They exist to accomplish a mission- and to equip the saints to ensure that mission advances with precision. We must be mindful of God and the vision he has given that Church.
Vision?
I won’t go into much detail here, but I believe the concept of vision must be addressed at least to a point. Agreement will not last without a vivid and easily communicated vision.
I was leading a prayer event at a Church in the area on a Friday night earlier this year. One of the other leaders who was with me that night asked the pastor what his vision was. When it was obvious the pastor was struggling with this question we asked if he had anything written down so we could come into agreement with them during our prayer time. He went searching for something to give us, and finally found a brochure that described the Church’s mission.
Vision for our mission should consume us night and day. If we do not lead from a place of vision, we will go nowhere. If we don’t have vision, we need to ask some hard questions. Are we the one to lead the Church? What alternate role may God be opening up to us?
The process of gaining vision might include something as simple as praying and fasting on a mountain somewhere for three days. God desires every one of us to have clear vision- but to receive that vision takes an absolute dedication to being with God, hearing His voice and obeying. Yes, our dreams and desires may be threatened when God starts talking, but as we walk in the direction of God’s voice, we will shake nations!
Simply, if we don’t have vision, we may need to step down. However, if we do have vision, stepping down won’t even be an option. There is a job to be done!
A trap that captures many men and women of God is to step into a leadership role based on gifting instead of vision and calling. Someone who has a pastoral gifting may not be called to lead a Church at all. A teacher may be called as a small group leader or a lecturer or an author. Or, that person may indeed be called to lead a Church, but if that is the case, vision must burn like a fire in their bones!
I’ll finish this sub-point by saying this- vision is very specific and personal. Vision is not a quote we hang on the wall in our sanctuary like, “Our mission is to grow closer to God and each other”. Vision is precise and seemingly impossible to fulfill. It will cause great excitement and scrutiny to be aroused at the same time. It will usually include geographical information, statistical goals, clear transformational ideas and a laser focus to fulfill that mission. This doesn’t mean it won’t be ambiguous at times- the larger the vision the more difficult it may be to put into words. However, there is an end goal and everybody under our leadership will be willing to pay its great price- and they will celebrate when we arrive together.
So, we discovered a lot in this first verse of Acts Chapter Two. Everybody had a clear vision, was perfectly agreed and together continually. The cost was understood at the very beginning- what was coming required strict adherence to God’s structural plan by everybody involved.
Evaluation
Church planters- if your team is radically agreed to pursue the fulfillment of a vivid vision for their region, then by all means, keep reading! If there are some in your midst who are wondering what is in it for them, then remain in this phase until you have 100% participation.
Existing Church leaders- Your evaluation may be a bit more difficult, especially if you are significantly developed. First of all, don’t be afraid to violate existing structures in the fear of losing people. A great reformation is coming to the earth that will cause Church as we know it to be shaken to its core. Do you have an atmosphere of extreme agreement and passion for a clear and precise vision? Is there great expectancy of what is to come and great commitment to the realization of that dream? If so, let’s move on!
Everybody else- Are you involved with your current Church for the right reasons? Would your pastor be able to say that you are one of his most loyal and faithful partners in ministry? Do you embrace the vision to the point of extreme participation and lifestyle change?