Category Archives: Church

-Jerusalem 2015: World Harvest Demonstrated

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So many American Christians are involved in the on-going ‘culture wars’ and the hopes for revival in our own country that sometimes we miss what God is doing in this generation all around the world. Nothing demonstrates this more than what happened last Sunday- Pentecost in Jerusalem.

The whole event was sponsored by Empowered21 and lead by American and Western Pentecostal and Charismatic church leaders including Billy Wilson, president of Oral Roberts University, and Dr. George Wood, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God. Other notables attending included-  Reinhard Bonnke, Morris Cerullo, Jack Hayford, Marilyn Hickey, David Mainse and Vinson Synan who were honored for their past service along with many others.

Christians came to the event from  more than 70 different countries but among the largest groups in attendance were those from China along with a group from Indonesia. It really does demonstrate that a ‘World Harvest’ has been going on for quite a while and now new evangelists and world church leaders are being called forth from those nations.

Look for young missionaries and evangelists to begin to come forth from Asian countries like China, South Korea, Indonesia and from the well established churches in Africa. Do not be surprised if they start showing up in Europe and America to re-sow the ground that was once fertile and produced the missionaries that originally brought the Gospel to their own nations. 

-Miami: ONE Conference Unites 200 Local Churches

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               (Image via Wikipedia)

Last weekend in Miami, Florida, Christians from 200 local churches of different denominations across the greater Miami area came together to worship God at the ONE Conference.

The 3 day conference, held at the BankUnited Center on the campus of the University of Miami, brought together folks from every denomination including  charismatics, Pentecostals, non-denominational evangelicals along with  traditional Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists and others.  The get together for Jesus was the culmination of a vision by Pedro Garcia, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Kendall. He hoped that the meetings would ignite a new passion for Jesus and impact the the entire region and world for the glory of God.

Approximately 6,000 attended the event sharing a common focus on Jesus Christ, with teaching from more than a dozen well known Christian leaders as well as worship music by Hillsong United, Dominic Balli and the Rebel Band.

Each speaker challenged the body of Christ in Miami to rise to a higher level of experiencing God and through the Spirit of Unity to actually make a difference and change the world for the better in the name of Jesus. The vision of the conference was “to have charismatics working alongside Evangelicals and other mainline Christian denominations in Miami to demonstrate the love of Christ with strength and unity.”

<Read about it here>

Response: Conferences of this type need to be repeated all across America. It is time for all Christians to stand up and be counted and united together in the name of Jesus.

It is time to see what the Father is doing and follow through. It is time for Christians to reach a new level of worship and love of Jesus. For too long we have allowed ourselves to be divided. America needs the church to be unified as never before if this nation is come out of its current trouble and continue to lead the world in freedom. Otherwise we could well see our nation descend into the dust bowl of history.   

The vision I was given many years ago of a major revival in America went across denominational lines and brought a new unity to American Christians and turned them into a force for cultural change pulling the nation out of the fire and destruction that the enemy had planned on.

This year is a critical moment where our nation is facing a number of different choices and paths. Most are not good and do not include or even recognize the hand of God. It is time for American Christians to stand up and be counted in this critical juncture of history. 

Our enemies are planning our destruction but God has different plans for our nation if Christians will stand up and be counted together bringing a new spirit of unity throughout the land—Not by military power, not by might but by my Spirit says the Lord. 

-Reap Now! Don’t Wait for Revival

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John 4:34-36
35 Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
NIV

On Saturday while I was praying the Lord showed me a golden field of grain that was ripe and ready to harvest. Then the scripture above came to mind along with the words:

–This is the day of your visitation don’t miss it.

I meditated and prayed over the meaning and timing of the word and the following clearly came to me:

–Reap Now! Don’t wait for revival.

I believe that this is a word particularly for the American and Western church. Revival is already going on nearly everywhere else—Africa, India, China, and even hidden revivals in North Korea, Iran, and all over the Middle East. There is a great world-wide harvest going on everywhere but in America and the West.

Many of us have been praying for revival with the perspective that once it came then there would be a great harvest and untold thousands would accept Jesus and turn the whole country around. But now I believe that the Lord is telling us to begin the Harvest and not to wait for revival. The fields are ready right now.

Now is the time to bear your testimony and tell folks about how Jesus has blessed your life.

Now is the time to pray for that sick neighbor.

Now is the time to demonstrate the Love of God that passes all human understanding to everyone around you.

Now is the time to reach out to all those unsaved relatives that you have been praying about for years.

Now is the time to teach your children about Jesus.

Now is the time to lead your adult children back to Christ.

Now is the time to teach your grandchildren about the Good News.

Now is the time to encourage that fellow worker that is depressed and tired of living.

Now is the time for all of the servants of Jesus to begin an all out harvest and signs, wonders, miracles, and healings will follow.

In the midst of it all we will realize that revival has come and it won’t be just another ‘feel-good’ time at church. This revival is destined to be in the marketplace, in the schools, on the job, at the malls, in the neighborhoods, on mainstreet, in the ghetto, and at Wal-Mart too.

-Reap now and revival will come.

-TheCall–A Prophetic Cry for Revival

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Revival was a major subtext and focus of TheCall in San Diego on November 1st. There was a repeating call to prayer for revival in America and California during the 12 hour event. It was particularly intense during the final hour.

The significance of California in the beginning of number of major revivals and movements was cited and recalled as we looked forward to and prayed for God to move once more across this state and the entire country:

A 1890’s Holiness Movement, Azusa Street/Pentecostal Movement, Aimee Semple McPherson/Four Square Movement, Latter-Rain/Healing Movement, Bill Bright/Campus Crusade, Billy Graham/LA 1950, Jesus People Movement/Colleges/Calvary Chapel, John Wimber/Vineyard Movement…all had ties and beginnings in California.

During the last hour there was tremendous unction for revival prayer. Prophetic words were given over a call for light to spring forth from the darkness of San Francisco and Berkeley in particular.

The rebellion that typified my generation–the baby boomers, started in San Francisco in the 60’s with the Hippies and in Berkeley at the University of California.

There was a call for a new generation to rise up and reverse what happened in our American culture that started in the 60’s. A Call for revivals to spring up in San Francisco and in the California colleges and Universities, starting with Berkeley.

Interestingly, there were quite a few young folks there from the universities, probably 7-8,000 in attendance, including a student Christian group from Berkeley. The U. of California campus now has a majority student body of well disciplined Asian-American kids and lot’s of them are Christian. A real contrast to the 60’s.

The last 1/2 hour, there was a call for high school, college, and university students to dedicate themselves to God in a new more radical way, a call for prayer and fasting for revival on their campuses and in their cities.

From where I was siting, I could see the Holy Spirit blow through that group of 8-10,000 kids which was on the field standing in front of the stage–it was a sight to see–a real blessing and hope for the future.

There was a real response–followed by songs of rejoicing and celebration–which I will never forget, I’m still singing!

-TheCall -San Diego: My Experience

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I went to TheCall yesterday with the intention of only staying for part of it. Usually when I fast I get really sick but The Lord gave me incredible grace.

I didn’t feel hungry or weak nor did I get the hindering headache I usually do when I go without food for a day. Praise God, it was all grace cause it sure didn’t come by faith, I brought two sandwiches and two cans of Diet Coke along just in case–didn’t use them till on the way on the home.

I stayed for the entire 12 hours and came away invigorated. This morning I was ready to go and actually looking forward to church. I wouldn’t trade the day for anything! It was an unbelievable experience, 12 hours of prayer and worship with the Holy Spirit filling the entire stadium.            

Sights and Sounds:

According to the news reports, there were 33,000 at Qualcomm. Also, according to the paper, we were all bigoted anti-homosexuals there to spew out hate and to rant and rave for an entire day against same-sex marriage.

I guess that reporter phoned the story in without ever bothering to show up. If he did come, he must have been there between noon and 1 pm only when we were praying over Prop.8 on the California ballot—which would authorize marriage between a man and a woman only, and over-turn homosexual marriage in the state.

During that time we were joined by the Catholic Bishop of San Diego who had arranged for 1,500,000 Knights of Columbus who were committed to pray with us during that hour for California and Prop.8.

Those who showed up yesterday were an encouraging mixture of different kinds of churches and races.

The usual evangelical and Charismatic leaders were there taking turns leading us in prayer, including Dr. James Dobson and his wife Shirley.

The Black church was well represented in the stadium, with a number of pastors and worship leaders who lead us in prayer and some flat out wonderful/powerful worship music–including one group who did Christian Rap–the 10,000 or so kids on the field went crazy.

Also, there were tons of Latino Christians there –at least once an hour or so a Latino pastor would lead prayer in Spanish, also some of the worship music was in Spanish and along with some bi-lingual songs.

Everywhere I looked there were Asian Christians, Korean and Chinese pastors also lead in prayer along with a number of Asian worship leaders. A huge number of Asian kids were among the 10,000 or so down on the field.

Well that is an account of the sights and sounds, GodTV covered the event live and is planning on running replays so you might be able to catch some of it.

I found the day to be invigorating for my faith and encouraging for the future of the church in California. Stay tune, there is more–and it’s revival related!            

-The Ministry of Blogging

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This time of the year, around the Biblical (Jewish) new year, I usually take some time to consider what I am doing and what I’m involved in, particularly in the way of ministry. The process started two weekends ago at a church men’s retreat. I received some very useful words and a number of insightful prayers during that weekend. I came away encouraged and believing that the Lord was still calling me to participate in blogging as a form of ministry.

I started blogging 7 months ago. It all began with some clear inspiration that I received while worshipping on March 5. It was a call to ministry on the web. The initial idea was to teach a Bible study and answer Bible questions on the internet, my first blog- ANSWERS For The Faith was born that very day.

Soon I was caught up in blogging and spending hours reading and commenting on other blogs. I realize now that it became a hobby, and the ministry aspect was diminished in the process. Praying over it helped me to put things in perspective and make some needed adjustments. Actually, the Holy Spirit got me on track.

There are many times when I ask the Lord what I am doing here? Is this helping or blessing anyone? What I hear back from him is this:

You must learn to trust in me and be more humble in the process. Amen.