-Jerusalem: An Interview with Heidi Baker, Part One

Chris Mitchell of CBN News interviewed Heidi Baker of Iris Ministries in Jerusalem a few days ago. This first video contains an update on the ongoing revival ministries of Heidi and her husband Rolland in Mozambique and Malawi, Africa where they have planted 10’s of thousands of churches, and run several orphanages and a school of ministry.

I have personally experienced their ministry several times in my home church during their visits back home to South Orange County California. Always an incredible experience.

This is what Chris Mitchell in way of introduction on his Jerusalem Dateline CBN website:

“Would you believe people are being raised from the dead? Or the deaf hearing? Even food being multiplied? Heidi Baker believes it and has seen it. …

What happened then sounds like stories straight out of the Book of Acts. But Heidi insists it’s happening today. She says it’s a story of miracles and Muslims coming to faith in Jesus.”

-“Recession Is a Good Time for Revival”

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(Photo by Lanes Simmons /Council Today)

I have always thought that any time is a good time for revival but especially hard times which seem to get the attention of more folks and prepare them to seek God in a more serious way.

Pastor Rick Warren in addressing the Assemblies of God (Link NLA)(AG) biennial General Council last week observed:

“Bad times are good times for churches because people will turn to the Lord when things are going bad. When things are going great they ignore God.”

Then he proceeded to present recent evidence of revival in his home church in Lake Forest, California:

“He said revival hit his congregation in April, when the church saw 1,600 people come to Christ in that month alone. He said more than 1,000 people were baptized, and 2,600 people participated in the church’s monthly membership class, which typically draws 100 people.”

That is tremendous growth for a mega church with a steady membership that had leveled off in recent years. 

I can tell you from first hand experience, since I live in Lake Forest, that this area has been experiencing a severe recession with unemployment way over 10%. In my own family, 3 of my adult children had lost their jobs early in the year and another had lost a job but found another at 1/2 what he was making before. From January to July we had 5 extra people living in our home because of the downturn and still have three including two grandchildren.

In his address, Pastor Rick noted:

“We have the potential, if we are ready, to see genuine spiritual revival in our local churches—if we are prepared for it”

He cited Exodus 4 where Moses met God in the burning bush and the Lord told him to lay down his staff—the symbol of his authority and pick it up again renewed:

“When God told Moses to lay down his staff, He was saying, ‘I want you to lay down your influence, your identity and your income. When you pick it back up, it’s Mine,’” Warren said, noting that after that point, Moses’ staff was called the rod of God.

“God said, ‘If you give it to Me, I will make it come alive.”

Later, Pastor Rick listed 5 different stages that historical revivals usually go through:

1. personal renewal;

2. relational revival marked by repentance and reconciliation;

3. a renewal of vision that causes ministries to rediscover their purpose;

4. structural renewal to accommodate growth; and

5. cultural renewal, which happens as a result of the other phases.

He noted that revivals that stop with personal and relational renewal usually fizzle out. His address culminated with this important message for leaders:

“Nothing matters more” than reaching people with the gospel message.”

“If you want the blessing of God on your life, if you want the anointing of God on your life, if you want the power of God on your life, you must care about what God cares about most.”

“What does God care about most? It ain’t politics. It isn’t changing American culture. It’s He wants His lost children found.”

Amen, Pastor Rick.           

-Revival and The Jews

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Here’s an article By Sid Roth that suggests that the greatest revival of all time awaits for the gentiles to finally take the gospel back to the Jews:

”Will Revival Come to the Jews”? (LINK NLA)

Sid says that Oral Roberts recently had a visitation from the Lord, who told him:

“This is the hour Jewish people are being drawn to God.”

Also according to Roth:

“Here’s how it works. God is removing the spiritual scales from the eyes of Gentile Christians (see Rom. 11:25). Their spiritual maturity (fullness) will result in a great Jewish harvest. The salvation of the Jews will be the catalyst for the greatest Gentile revival in history.”

Response: I think Sid may really have something here. I have noticed in the last few years that miraculously more Jewish folks are coming to Christ than in any other generation since the first century.          

-The On-going Revival in Cuba

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(Cuba via Wikipedia)

Strang Report: When Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, there were 89 small Assemblies of God churches in Cuba which remained until 1989, then revival came. Since then the Assemblies have grown from 12,000 members to over 500,000.

Incredibly the government authorities agreed and encouraged them to continue their growth through a house church movement in order to accommodate everyone who wants to worship. Since then it has grown to include 3,000 house cell groups and over 900 Church buildings.

Not mentioned in the article–the AOG aren’t the only Christian groups that have been experiencing incredible growth in Cuba at the same time. There are also a number of indigenous Cuban church organizations that have grown in the same way—all of them experiencing healings, diverse gifts of the Spirit, miracles, and numerous signs and wonders in the process.

-India: Orissa Revival and Persecution

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Last Fall the world was horrified by the riots and persecution against Christians in the state of Orissa, India. Hundreds of churches and Christian businesses were destroyed, over 200 were killed, and 50,000 Christians were kicked out of their homes and villages with 30,000 going into the forests for hiding.

The problem still has not completely been resolved with the Indian Federal government dragging its heals and with the state and local authorities on the side of and actually in many cases participating in the persecution.

One good did come out of the persecution–the India Supreme Court ruled that there is “freedom of Religion” in India and all are equal under the law.

What led to the persecution? An incredible revival that saw approximately 28% of the population of Orissa converting to Christianity in a few short years. The Orissa persecution was a blowback for the major changes taking place and for the potential shift of political and economic power in the state. The Hindu radical party is heavily invested in stopping the revival at all costs.

What are the major characteristics of this revival?

1. Sign and Wonders, Miracles

2. Healings, Raising the Dead

3. Social Justice

4. Indigenous leaders and ministry

Very similar to the on-going revival in China.

-A Revival in Dubai?

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(-Picture of Dubai by Qba from Poland via Flickr)

In most Middle Eastern Muslim dominated countries, Christians are persecuted and seldom allowed to build new churches or even remodel the ancient ones they do have. However, in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates, the government has given land and favor to Christians to build churches (Over 30).

Consequently, Dubai is home to the largest Evangelical church in all the Middle East- King’s Revival Church International which has some 7,000 members, 24 pastors, and conducts 14 services for a week, 3 in English and the rest in a variety of different languages. Most of the members are expatriates that came to the country for work and a better life.

Pastor Dr. V. Dilkumar says that their outreaches are mostly to foreigners since it is still illegal even in Dubai to proselytize Muslims and those who do convert away from Islam face harsh penalties.

Signs and Wonders

According to Pastor Dilkumar amazing miracles and healings take place at the church every week:

“That’s one of the main reasons the church has grown very much, in fact practically in every main service of ours we get people healed instantly.”

The church even publishes a monthly magazine documenting their healings, including cancers being cured, the lame walking, and the blind seeing.

Pastor Dilkumar said that it all began as part of the calling that God placed upon his heart many years ago:

“He has anointed me to preach the Gospel of Jesus and to heal the broken hearts, and to cause the blind to see, to cause the captives to be free, to proclaim the coming of the Lord.”

The church also sponsors extensive charity work and supports more than a 170 pastors serving throughout the Middle East and Asia. Praise God!           

-An Interview with Revivalist Rodney Howard-Browne

Here’s a great interview with Rodney Howard-Browne from MinistryToday magazine online. He talks about the American church and about revival. When asked about the church’s role in revival he responded with:

The upper room was not a hotel where you checked in and never checked out, which a lot of charismatic-Pentecostal churches have become. They’re like hotels in that you just come for the feeling, like a drug. You come, get your high, go sit in the corner and say, “Wow.”

Response: The interview is short but sweet. I encourage you to read it all–it will only take about 5 minutes! Pastor Rodney does have an inspired understanding of where the church is and where God would like to take it. Blessings.

-Why We Need Revival!

We are in a spiritual decline in the church, in this nation, and in all of the Western world.

There is a blinding stupor that has covered all of Europe and America. Secular humanism and atheism are on the move and have overtaken the church in the media and in the schools and universities creating a spiritual vacuum in the Western world. Meanwhile it is like the church is asleep.

Some of us have come alive this Christmas season and become involved in the ‘War on Christmas’ and refuse to give or receive a ‘Happy Holidays’ greeting holding out for the traditional ‘Merry Christmas’. However, the cause is really already lost in our public schools. Traditional carols aren’t allowed, even Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was kicked out of one school because the song dares to even mention Christmas. You can bet however, that every schoolchild knows that the Muslims recently celebrated their yearly Hajj.

That brings up the real spiritual challenge to Christianity–Islam which is growing at a phenomenal rate and actually has incredible demonic backing. Unchecked, Europe could become Muslim in one generation–the current demographics bear this out.

It seems incredible but there is huge spiritual deception and blindness going on right now in regard to Islam. In fact, in the UK the Church of England seems to be surrendering to Islam on many different levels. In Italy the birth-rate among Italians is so low that most demographers forecast that The Vatican will be surrounded by a Muslim immigrant dominated nation in 20 years.

In America, the church is under a tremendous assault by homosexuality and the more liberal part of the church including the Episcopalians are surrendering under a delusion of the enemy–calling it a response to the love that Christ taught. Unless revival comes soon, mark my words, same-sex marriage will become a legal reality within 5 years and those who oppose it and teach against homosexuality will be subject to lawsuits and/or arrest. This is already the case in Canada and some European countries.

Look at the radical response to Prop 8-the traditional marriage amendment- in California. Also, notice the current outrage in the main-stream media because Pastor Rick Warren was picked to give a prayer at the inaugural. What is his great crime?–he supports traditional marriage.

Western civilization itself is actually in danger of disappearing in one generation. Without a major revival, major changes are planned by the enemy and the church could be driven nearly underground in one generation. Why do I say this? According to recent polls and demographics, 80% of the kids raised attending American churches by Christian parents leave the church as adults–and worst, are not raising their kids in the faith.

My generation (Baby-Boomers) and the next has failed to pass on their faith to the next generation and as we pass from the scene, the church could begin to diminish to 20% of its present size unless there is some kind of radical change.

Major revival is the only hope that I can see for reversing these trends. Christians have spent a lot of time and resources politically in the last 20 years trying to reverse some of these trends to no avail—Come Holy Spirit and bless this land. Let the Son rise up and shine across the face of America and Europe–to the very ends of the earth and push away the darkness once more.          

-Defining Revival?

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Here’s a great article from MinistryToday by Norman Benz: “Defining Revival

Part 1: What’s in a Word?

Norman Benz observes that:

“Revival is always extraordinary, beyond what we consider to be the normal work of God.”

Then he proceeds to identify what revival isn’t.

Part 1 continues with has a number of observations and statements about revival from different folks like Raymond Ortlund, John Armstrong, Jonathan Edwards, Solomon Stoddard, Richard Owen Roberts, Stephen Olford, J. Edwin Orr, Malcolm McDow, James Burns, and Robert Coleman.

My favorite is from  Raymond Ortlund who states that revival is when:

“God comes down to us.” “a season in the life of the church when God causes the normal ministry of the gospel to surge forward with extraordinary spiritual power. … What sets revival apart is simply that our usual efforts greatly accelerate in their spiritual effects.”

Part 2: The Six Characteristics of Revival

In Part 2 Norman Benz lists six characteristics of revival:

1) Revival is the cooperative effort of mankind with God.

2) Revival is like an ocean wave.

3) Revival is characterized by the extraordinary speed with which it spreads.

4) Revival often follows a spiritual decline in the church and community.

5) Revival touches both the intellect and emotions as people are drawn to God.

6) Revival produces extraordinary results.

The Conclusion:

When revival comes, a sovereign blessing occurs that is deep and lasting. The kingdom is advanced and the Word is more deeply rooted in the people”s lives. Revival is always the return of fresh life to the people of God. So while God is in control and we are the recipients of his gifts and blessings, He receives all the glory.”

Response: If you are interested in revival, the article is a must read. The six characteristics and the explanations under each are well worth the price of your time.

We are in a spiritual decline in the church and in this nation and all of the Western world. We’re in desperate need of revival and most of the church doesn’t even recognize it. Come Holy Spirit–bring revival to this land once more.           

-The Story of the Bakers: "Miracles in Mozambique"

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Here’s an article posted in Ministry Today Magazine by Hope Flinchbaugh– “Miracles in Mozambique”. It tells the story of the revival started by the Bakers in Mozambique:

The deaf hear, the lame walk, the blind see, the dead are raised to life, and tens of thousands have surrendered their lives to Christ–all of this is happening in the southeast African country of Mozambique, a nation suffering the squalor of extreme poverty in the aftermath of a prolonged civil war.

When missionaries Heidi and Rolland Baker of California arrived in Mozambique in 1995, they struggled to begin a church and a dilapidated orphanage housing 80 children, a center previously run by communist leaders. Today the Bakers’ Iris Ministries (IM) cares for thousands of orphans and is approaching the point of having a church in every single village in large areas of central Mozambique and southern Malawi.

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