Category Archives: Revival

-Outside the Walls: The Kingdom Breaking Through

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(Ziggerat in Laguna Niguel, CA: Wikipedia)

Last February VCC Laguna Niguel sent a team to India and had incredible results during the 2 weeks or so that they were there with 10’s of thousands coming to Christ, along with hundreds of healings including a number of miracles which featured lame folks that now walk and blind who now see.

On the plane on way back, Pastor Mike pleaded to the Lord for similar results back home in South Orange County, California. At the time we were hopeful for revival to break out in our church. While our services at VCC seemed to dial up considerably in 2012 most of the healings, miracles, and salvations that one would associate with revival actually began to happen among our people ‘outside the walls’ of the church at Starbucks, Walmart, Costco, at the malls and at high school games. Even at the federal ‘Ziggerat’ building across the street but particularly at our Mercy Warehouse Ministry just across the parking lot.

The Kingdom started breaking though in the food warehouse in March. Since then as far as we can tell over 403 people have come to Christ along with several hundred healings and miracles which continue to happen nearly every time we open the doors of the 24,000 square-foot facility. Meanwhile the faith of the warehouse volunteers for talking to folks about Christ and praying for healing in that ministry has risen to another level entirely. It is no longer Nazareth in that place but far closer to India.

It wasn’t until the last few months of the year after numerous accounts and testimonies that it began to dawn on us that the Kingdom was breaking through and God was doing some extraordinary things among our people ‘outside the walls’ of our church.           

-America Needs a Third Great Awakening or It’s Over?

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(united states currency seal: kevindean)

This is not a popular message among Christians in America but many leaders are beginning to sense a turn in history that America may not be able to recover from unless God brings on a Third Great Awakening in our nation.

Many see the economic problems that face our country and hope that they will be solved by merely electing a new president with exceptional business experience. Unfortunately, the choice before us is between a professing liberal Christian with a secular world view and a Mormon that shares our values but maybe not the Holy Spirit that is so needed in these trying times.

But what about the decline in our culture and the headlong charge towards same-sex marriage and the continuing secularization and the increasing demonization of Christianity in the public square? What about the very real decline in religious freedom in our nation? Pastors being arrested for holding Bible studies in their homes. Social change trumping the Constitutional guarantees of religious freedom. Secularists claiming that conservative Christians that stand up for traditional marriage and hold to Biblical teaching when it comes to homosexuality are ‘immoral’ unethical discriminatory bigots that need to be silenced and controlled. Liberal church leaders claiming that homosexuality is ordained by God and evangelicals who oppose it are actually opposing the teaching of Jesus to love one’s neighbor?

What about the upheavals in nature and changes in climate? Are they just happenstance or has God lifted some of his protection from our nation? The fact is that the problems facing America are greater than any one person or group of people will be able to solve. Without a new download from heaven I fear that America is headed for the dust bin of history along with other great world powers of the past that have seen their day and lost their power. Does this sound overly pessimistic? I hope it’s just that.

For a long time I have been convinced that a major revival in America was just around the corner and now I am really concerned that we may miss it at the very time when we need it the most. I am still convinced that revival will come to some areas, some churches, and some communities in our nation regardless. But it is a Third Great Awakening from coast to coast that is really needed to bring our nation back from the brink.              

-A Move of God in Pakistan

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(Photo: Marilyn Hickey Ministries)

Pakistan is a place where Christians are constantly being persecuted. In fact it ranks 10th on Open Doors’ 2012 World Watch List of the worst persecutors of Christians. Also, on another one of my blogs I am frequently posting about the ongoing persecution there. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit is on the move in the radical Islamic Republic of Pakistan and thousands of Muslims are being brought to Christ every year no matter what.

Here’s an article about one such move going on in Azam Basti, a suburb of Karachi: “Pakistan’s Pentecost”

The Christian community has been allowed to build a number of large churches  in the area. Most started out as small house churches that expanded through conversions to number in the thousands even in the midst of all of the adversity and persecution. According to the article, even a number of imams have come to Christ sacrificing everything.

Even more astounding, a recent Marilyn Hickey healing crusade drew more than 200,000 people on one night in Karachi. Plus it was actually supported by a number of high-level government officials.

<Read the entire article, you will be blessed>

Pakistan is not a country you think of when the topic is Revival but there are Muslims being converted to the real Jesus every day there. Like everywhere else in Muslim countries, many are being converted through dreams and visions. However it is a very hard place for new believers and many lose everything including their families in the process but their blessings will last for all eternity.              

-Revival Continues to Explode in Iran

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              (Image via Wikipedia)

Iran is in the news as a country developing nuclear weapons and preparing for war against Israel and ultimately the USA. However, regular folks in the country do not necessarily support their leaders particularly when it comes to Christianity.

A full blown revival is going on in the country and government officials are trying everything they can to stop it. Authorities continue to arrest pastors and persecute Christians to no avail. Recently the government issued a decree forbidding churches from meeting on Fridays. Friday is the traditional ‘day off’ and the time to worship in the Iranian culture and most of the Middle East for that matter. This decree is only going to affect the ‘official’ churches however since most Iranian Christians meet in illegal house churches in secret.

<Here’s the latest report in Charisma from Open Doors on what’s going on there>

The Iranian revival continues to expand through dreams, visions, and healing. Some put numbers now at 500,000. This article estimates 370,000 have converted to Christianity through the recent revival. There is no way to get an accurate account since it is all underground.

Please continue to pray for these brothers and sisters in Christ that are now under a great deal of persecution from there radical Islamic government. Also, at some point in the near future it does seem likely that Israel will attack the nuclear facilities in the country.

What follows is anyone’s guess. The Ayatollah claims that ‘12th Imam’ Mahdi is already appearing to him and demanding that Israel and the Jews be destroyed.            

-China: Revival in the ‘Official’ Churches Also

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           (Image via Wikipedia)

Most of the time when it comes to China, Western Christians hear about all of the great stuff happening in unofficial house churches while many contend that the official ‘Three-Self Patriotic’ Churches are somewhat compromised by the government.

According to the following article, that is no longer the case as real revival has also come to the official churches and faithful leaders are becoming pastors and leaders in that movement and are increasingly left alone to teach and preach the Gospel.

Here’s a link to the article: “Fires of Holy Ghost Revival Burning in China”

According to the writer, revival has been going on for some time in the house churches in the rural areas of China now it is raging also in the large official churches in the big cities with thousands of young people coming to Christ. Not only that but the ‘official’ churches are experiencing a genuine Holy Spirit revival with healings,  praying in tongues, and prophesying.

All we can say about this is that it is a real mark of a genuine move of God when a revival goes beyond the organizational, denominational, and political boundaries that people are comfortable with and touches people and places where most proper Christians will not go.

For a long time the ‘official’ churches were considered to be cursed and tainted by the government but God is doing a work there anyway touching thousands of young people in urban areas and bringing with it exponential growth. Praise God.           

-China: The Biggest Revival in History?

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Here’s quote from a recent article in Charisma magazine (Link NLA):

“Every day, 30,000 people believe in Jesus—even communist party members. It’s the greatest revival in church history.”

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When the Communists took over China in 1949 there were only about 900,000 or so Christians in the country according to the best estimates. Now there are more than 150 million and no one really can keep tabs on the actually number since there are actually thousands of Chinese coming to Christ every day. Some are calling it the greatest revival in History.

It is transforming the country and has real implications for the future. Consider that at the current growth rate of the church, China could actually become a majority Christian nation within a generation or so.

Nevertheless, most of the Christian ‘house’ churches do not have official recognition and their existence is rather precarious even though most are meeting openly. Also, there are still jurisdictions in that rather vast country where Christians are still being persecuted and must meet in secret. However, increasingly the government is leaving them alone in most areas.  Note also that nearly all of the major Christian leaders have spent at least some time in jail and prison for the faith.

Here’s one report from the article:

“I’ve never seen this in America.  I saw hungry people, people getting healed, and heard of stories of revival. It’s like the book of Acts. Living here we have a completely different perspective [than Westerners have.”

-The Call of Thankfulness

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            (Image by bdec via Flickr)

This is a good time to look at the call of thankfulness in the life of the believer.

Throughout the scriptures in both the old and the new, believers are instructed to express praise and thankfulness to God as a part of their daily worship and devotion.

Here’s a few good ones to remember:

Ps 100:1-5

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
ESV

Col 3:15-17
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
ESV

Phil 4:4-7

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
ESV

In fact, thankfulness is the fruit and proof of one’s faith. According to Romans 1:21 the opposite is true for the ungodly who do not “honor him as God or give thanks to him.”

All believers are called to be thankful no matter what circumstances we may find ourselves in (See: I Thess. 5:18 below). In fact the very act of rejoicing, thanking, and praising God changes our very lives for the better. It also can open the door to miracles.

I am reminded of the occasion when Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in prison. Most of us including myself would have probably complained about the situation and questioned God about why he allowed it to happen. But Paul and Silas gave thanks and sang praises and it changed everything (Acts 16:-40). I also know of one pastor who went through similar circumstances who sang praises and converted more than a few in prison in the process.

Even if our praises and thankfulness do not change the circumstances we find ourselves in, it does change us and open us up to greater intimacy with God. This is God’s will for our lives and real blessings follow.

1 Thess 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
ESV

-71,000 Christians Attend Prayer Event in Cairo, Egypt

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Most of the time ‘bad news’ is coming out of Egypt, for once here’s a sovereign work of God.

The following report comes to us from long-time Christian blogger Andrew Jones (Tall Skinny Kiwi) who was visiting in Egypt at the time and attended the ‘Day of Prayer 11.11.11’:

– 71,000 attended the all-night prayer meeting in Cairo.

– It was the largest Christian event in Egypt for over a thousand years

– It was held at the cave church on Cairo’s largest garbage city, Mokattam. This church is called St Simeon the Tanner Coptic Orthodox Church.

– The gospel was proclaimed during the Prayer event and some people responded to the challenge call to follow Jesus.

– Prayers for healing were made at midnight and some people were healed of physical problems.

– It was an Egyptian event. Buses took people to this event from all over Egypt. …

One Egyptian Evangelical leader told Andrew following this event:

“I saw signs of the beginning of revival that I have never seen before!”

<<Read the entire report and the instructive comments following>>

Also while you are at it, read some of the other stories of Andrew’s visit in Egypt. They are eye opening and heart warming to say the least.

Response: It was remarkable on a number of different levels. Folks being healed and coming to Christ plus a real unity displayed in the Christian community. Also read Andrew’s report of prophetic words coming to the Christian leaders there. Obviously the Holy Spirit is at work awakening all of the Christians in Egypt including the Coptic Church. Amazing.

Note how in the report the Evangelical pastor was seemingly slighted at the prayer event but continued anyway in support and unity with his fellow Coptic Christians. What a great example for all of us.

The Christians in Egypt have been constantly under pressure and attack from the radical Islamists since the storied beginning of the so-called ‘Arab Spring’ which the Western media has cast as a push towards Western-style democracy.

However, it is in reality an Islamist revival with undercurrents that have brought increased intolerance and persecution of the Christian community. We should remember to throw up a few prayers of our own in agreement and support for our Christian brothers and sisters in Egypt. Also let’s pray that real revival will spring up and bring a new kind of ‘Arab Spring’ starting with this event in Cairo.  

-The Spirit of God Continues to Descend Upon India

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Here’s one recent report of the move of God going on in India:

“The whole stadium is filled with the spirit of God—you can feel God in this place.” As the Rev. Mohan Babu welcomed the crowd to the first night of the Hyderabad Festival with Franklin Graham, the pastor’s words proved to be prophetic. The Holy Spirit stirred the hearts of 1,240 who responded to the Gospel message at the end of the evening.

India is on fire right now.

In the last couple of years our church (VCC Laguna Niguel) has sponsored at least 3 conferences in India with incredible results. During one campaign more than 50,000 attended the services with nearly 20,000 coming to Christ plus 100’s of healings.

Several of my friends were on the ministry team and came back reporting that everyone they prayed for was healed including some who were blind. I sure would like to see that happen here in America.

-Thousands of Christians to Celebrate Sukkot in Jerusalem

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          (Image via Wikipedia)

“The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem is welcoming more than 6,000 Christian pilgrims from up to 100 nations for its annual celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles, which begins Thursday evening at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center.

Also called Sukkot or Feast of Booths, the Feast of Tabernacles is a biblical holiday and one of three mandated Jewish festivals to return to the temple in Jerusalem. The weeklong festivities mark Israel’s largest annual tourist event and the largest solidarity mission to Israel this year,…”

The International Christian Embassy was founded as an act of support and solidarity with the 3,000-year-old Jewish claim and connection to Jerusalem. It is considered the world’s largest pro-Israel Christian organization, with branches in 65 nations and a reach into over 130 nations around the globe.

Response: What a great opportunity to show support for Israel in the face of all of the Muslim opposition surrounding them. Also the International community right now seems to be looking upon Israel as a burden that can no longer be tolerated.

Unconditional love and support provides a needed positive Christian witness to the Israeli’s at a time when it is beginning to look like they are all alone.