Author Archives: Dr. Mike

-1. Victory in ‘Living’ The Lord’s Prayer: Introduction

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Matt 6:9-13:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.   -KJV

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It was a cold rainy winter’s evening in January 2010 (Cold for Southern California).

I was running later than I planned to be, rushing to be on time for a Prophetic/Marketplace Conference at church (Vineyard Community Church, Laguna Niguel CA). I was part of the Ministry team that was supposed to be available for praying for folks during and at the end of each session. We were expecting a full house and had seats reserved for us at the front. But if I got there late, after the start of the service, I would probably have to sit way out in the back rows.

Still half a mile away I impatiently waited for the light to change and then took off for the next. Before I got half a block ahead to the next light, The Lord had downloaded to me a better understanding of the Lord’s Prayer. After that I was no longer in a hurry. My priorities had changed and all I wanted to do is get into a seat and write down what I had been given.

In essence the Lord told me:

“You have been praying the Lord’s Prayer all of your life…now it’s time to live it!”

The Lord told me that within the prayer itself is a summary for victorious ‘Kingdom living.’—that it contained keys for revival and for walking in the Kingdom daily.

Since then I have not only used the Prayer as an outline to direct my daily prayers but also as a reminder of how I need to live daily.

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This is the Introduction and first article in a series on the Lord’s Prayer: ”Victory in ‘Living’ The Lord’s Prayer”

In this series, I hope to share some of the insights given to me about how to incorporate the prayer in our daily lives.

Also we will look at the use of the Lord’s Prayer in early Christian history and explore the meaning of the words themselves and the implications for us in daily living and maintaining a closer relationship with the Lord. Continue reading →

-1,000 Receive Christ at Franklin Graham’s London Outreach

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Londonstory1-Feature

                 (From BGEA Org.)

More than 10,000 in London heard Franklin Graham preach the Good News on Saturday (8/26/23). Christian artists—Ce Ce Winans, Newsboys, and Michael W. Smith provided the worship music during the service.

BGEA partnered with close to 1,000 area churches providing buses to the event. Also, over 85,000 watched it on-line and via livestream.

In the end more than a 1,000 came to Christ including those at the service and even more on-line that cannot be counted. A remarkable number and percentage that is an obvious Move of God.

This comes after LGBTQ activist groups were able to get several events and venues cancelled last year in the UK; including a scheduled event in Scotland due to Graham’s Biblical beliefs and positions on marriage and homosexuality. Franklin Graham’s organization was subsequently successful in their legal action against last years cancellations leading to this years successful events. Read more about it in the Christian Post article and on the BGEA website.

-A Vision of the Coming Revival

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A vision of the Revival I am looking for- January 20, 2001:

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was sitting in my easy chair watching the events of the day on TV ( The inauguration of Pres. Bush) when all of a sudden I was in an open vision  above the earth looking down.

North America was covered in a thick grey fog. There were 4 black words in the midst of the dark covering:

Deception, Depression, Destruction, and Depravity. 

Then I saw Jesus on a white horse above the earth coming with an army. He blew away the dark fog and the Lord and His army descended upon North America.

Then I saw a light come on in the midst of America, next a few scattered lights; then soon lots of lights started coming on, like popcorn popping, all across the North America until there were 1,000’s of lights on in the USA and Canada.

Then I saw a huge tidal wave forming up on the east coast of Canada and New England and sweep across the Atlantic engulfing all of Great Britain and wash up on the northern shores of Europe.

Then I was back in my easy chair watching TV once more and I heard the Lord speak to me:

“This is my coming revival”

-Some Revivals Were Cut Short…

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THANKFULNESS

A word that the Lord recently gave me:

“Some revivals were cut short for the lack of thankfulness.”

One would think that in the midst of revival those involved would be continually thankful for the special presence of God in their midst? But in some cases, apparently not.

Thankfulness by definition points back to the provider—who in the case of revival is the Lord.

To be lacking in thankfulness could indicate that those involved eventually came to believe that their excellent ‘spiritual’ environment and leadership was somewhat responsible for God bringing the revival to them (thinking they deserved it more than others). Then actually taking in the accolades of notoriety along with some of the glory for themselves.

Thankfulness, by contrast, demonstrates ones attitude of dependence upon the Lord. Maintaining humility is a necessity in the midst of revival.

I Thessalonians 5:18: “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” –ESV

-Revival? Over 2,000 Baptized @ Life.Church

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Life Church

Life.Church is celebrating that more than 2,000 baptisms that took place on their campuses last weekend. Here’s the story from CBN:

Sunday’s service at the Oklahoma megachurch began with praise and worship as more than 80,000 attendees watched people make a public declaration for Jesus Christ.
From the young to the old, many took that step of faith at a large facility pool used by the church, while others got baptized at satellite campuses. Some even got baptized in their bathtubs,

Pastor Craig Groeschel of Life.Church ….remarked, “The power of God is moving.”

“We’re not praying for revival. We’re in the middle of one. I thank God for what he’s doing,” the pastor said. “God is doing a big thing.”

Read the whole article

-Zambia: Crusades Bring Over 1 Million to Christ

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Location of Zambia

                 (Image @ Wikipedia)

Christ for All Nations held crusades in 11 cities in Zambia at the same time in May (2023) that saw 1,040,720 come to Christ in a 2 week period. Here’s a link to an exclusive interview with Charisma News, Christ for All Nations’ Macoby Donaldson on you tube. The following are quotes from the interview printed in Charisma News:

“We did 11 crusades in a two-week period,” Donaldson said. “And we did it for what normally would cost the same as one crusade because there’s something special.”…”It’s something that when you’re on that field with the masses of people and there’s deliverance and there’s breakthrough and there’s freedom,” Donaldson said. “There’s such an overwhelming presence of joy.”

“You may think you’re unqualified to lead people to Christ or to preach on stage or take testimonies in front of hundreds of thousands,” Donaldson said. “But it still is like the harvest is outgrowing the harvesters…it’s almost like a mentality. It’s more like, the harvest becomes wider and wider.”

The 11 crusades were conducted by new ‘Evangelists’ trained by Christ for the Nations last fall. The results were obviously supernatural and a good example of The Great Harvest currently in action taking the Gospel to every nation. Praise the Lord!

-Tough Times? Time to Praise The Lord!

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    (Image via Wikipedia)

Here’s a timely message from Habakkuk 3:17-19:

Habakkuk Rejoices in the Lord

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. –ESV

The passage reminds me of a book I read years ago, and then again recently, and highly recommend: “Prison To Praise” by Merlin Carothers.

Just like the Habakkuk passage, the book testifies about how we need to be praising God no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. How praise can change the very dynamics of our living and bring us closer to our Father. Just like prayer changes things, so does praise.

Here’s my favorite NT scripture with this same message- I Thessalonians 5:17-18:

17 pray without ceasing,

18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. –ESV

The greatest example of this teaching that I can think of is Paul and Silas in prison singing praises after being beaten (Acts 16:-40). It was the very worst of circumstances, but praise changed everything. An incredible story that we should take to heart and never forget. Praise the Lord!

-Is Churchianity Getting in the Way of Revival?

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(Image-Glenn Thomas Franco Simmons-flickr)

Is Churchianity getting in the way of revival? I believe that it is.

We all have pre-conceived ideas about how God can move among us and bring revival. For most Christians it is confined to the 4 walls of a church building or maybe a special tent or conference. Even when we go to the streets we take our Christian culture, language, and music with us.

But what if God really wanted to do something different in our midst? Well we have a myriad of ‘heresy hunters’ to take care of and discount that potential turn of events. Fact is, every Revival has been different and every one of them made the church uncomfortable.

After all, we might want revival but most American Evangelicals expect it to come during a 20 minute sermon surrounded  by 3 hymns and a couple of prayers with an offering in the middle. Plus it better be over in exactly on the hour cause the next service starts when the big hand strikes 12.

Of course I am being ridiculous but mix in your own form of worship and church structure or denominational traditions and see where God is really allowed to move. I believe this is why God is continuing to shake up the church and even allowed it to be bullied and shut down during COVID. And in the aftermath, over 20-30% of the members have never come back.  Actually, we are at the point where the church in America needs revival to survive.

What if he wants to move downtown on main street or in the neighborhoods, or maybe at your work or business? What would that look like and how would the church respond?

So God starts a revival in a Methodist university and a prayer service lasts for more than two weeks. Who would have guessed or expected that? Eventually they ‘had’ to go back to the regular college business of teaching classes. But it proves that if it can happen there it can happen anywhere and even near you. This is just the beginning.

-Georgia: Minister Prays Dead Man Back to Life

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Read this incredible story from CBN:

Dr. Kellie Agueze personally knows that God can change any situation. As a full-time minister, she spends hours warring for nations in prayer, encouraging millions of followers on social media with the Word of God, prophesying to others, and sharing the Gospel message all over the world.

Yet, the most profound miracle she’s ever witnessed happened recently in a small church in Roswell, Georgia. …

I immediately put on my nurse practitioner hat and checked his pulse…NOTHING. The gentleman was LIFELESS, COLD, SLUMPED OVER— DEAD,” she described in a Facebook post. …

“I made the decision that I had no choice but to raise him from the dead,” she said. “I have to bring this man back to life.”

She called out to onlookers asking what was his name. His wife identified the man as Stephen Ihenacho.

“I grabbed Stephen’s head and upper body and I prayed with a fervency I’d never experienced before and then I said ‘Stephen you get back here! Come back to life! You will not die today,” she shared.

Then the impossible happened. Within seconds the man started to blink his eyes and his pulse returned.

<<Read the whole story>>

Response: Note that Dr. Kellie Agueze is not only a minister but a nurse practitioner by trade and surely knows when someone is dead. An Incredible story and this time in the USA.

-Taiwan: 200,000 Christians Gather Praying Against Invasion

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          (Taipei City by Tom Ritson)

Over 200,000 Taiwanese Christians are involved in praying for their nation against a potential invasion by China: 

A remarkable prayer movement has taken hold, as individuals from various walks of life come together in continuous prayer sessions. Their focus lies in calling for spiritual revival, unity, repentance and protection for their homeland.

Taiwan’s Christians stand united, fervently believing that their petitions will reach God, and His guiding hand will bring peace and protection to their beloved nation. In the midst of rising tensions, they find comfort and assurance in the words of

Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with gratitude, make your requests known to God.”

Another key scripture for the prayer movement is:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

<<Read the whole article>>

Response: According to Taiwan sources, the potential for an attack is far greater than our media is letting us know about and the seriousness of it does not seem to bother the current President and his administration.

Christians here in America should join these free Taiwanese Christian brothers and sisters in praying for their continued freedom and against war.