The New American Revolution Part II

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

To understand this revolution we must recall our first revolution. The first had to do with the understanding that individual rights and freedoms were God-given and should not be taken away. No other nation, before or since, has been based on this premise. Liberty is what the American Revolution was about. It was what our founding fathers risked:

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

What should not be missed here is that liberty is God-inspired and God-ordained. This was not just an assumption. Liberty is a truth. It is absolute. It cannot be ignored or relegated as unimportant.

One of the greatest enemies of liberty is falsehood. Our founding fathers believed that we would have to be ever vigilant in protecting this liberty. If not careful, wrong thinking could undermine the concept of liberty. Liberty might be sacrificed for something else that, in the moment, might seem more important. The framers of the Declaration believed that nothing could be more important. They were risking everything for liberty.

The New American Revolution has to do with reclaiming both freedom and truth. We must reclaim what God says is important, not what the state or educational institutions, or the media tells us is important. Fortunately, God is facilitating this reclamation. What has been hidden is now being revealed. Falsehoods in both our political leaders and religious leaders are being exposed. Orwellian double-speak suddenly is not seeming to make as much sense, not that it ever did.

As intercessors, we must pray for the exposure of falsehood. This means that we must submit ourselves to God for instruction, correction, and training in righteousness. We must pray for those in authority that they resist temptation and adhere to the truth. If we do we will discover that we are in agreement with God and we will be releasing Him to establish freedom and truth in the land once more, as He did in the beginning. This time, that freedom will be extended to all people, regardless of color, culture, or creed.

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:31-32)

The New American Revolution Part I

There is a stirring in the hearts of many Americans today. The stirring may have political implications, but this stirring has to do more with the spiritual.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Individual freedom of worship and the expression of one’s ideas have been guaranteed by the Constitution. These freedoms are now at risk. The Government that was formed to protect them may now be the instrument that curtails them. Citizens are beginning to understand this danger.

Ultimately, it is God who protects our liberty and assures our safety and security. In our pledge of allegiance we say: “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” “In God we trust” is inscribed on our coins. But we have strayed from God. In fact, Government is now replacing God as our protector in minds of some. Our founding fathers never envisioned such a thing. They fled to this country to escape tyranny.

One of the reason we need a great revival across the land is that we need a restoration of order based upon our founding principles. It may be true that  America is not a Christian nation now. Nonetheless, America was founded upon Christian ideals by strong Christian believers. The Bible was the basic reader in our public schools. Most of our great colleges and universities were first seminaries. Prayer under-girded our decisions to fight for our independence and the establishment of our form of government.

Are we now ready to deny all of this and give up our precious heritage for the sake of a righteousness apart from God?

New Reformation

God is reforming His Church. He is at war with denominational thinking and man-made programs. We have been receiving much prophecy in this regard over the past few years. What seems to be emerging is a unity that Jesus prayed for before He faced the cross. Each of us must face our own crosses if we are to catch His vision. We must be willing to give up some of our cherished beliefs while gaining new understandings that we have long resisted.

From time to time in this blog we will be addressing what seems to us to be some of the several elements of the “New Reformation Church.” Nevertheless, the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts. The parts will be integrated into the Church and not competing with one another.

This much is clear: Christ will be central in His Church. Signs and wonders will take a back seat. The Holy Communion will be restored as Jesus instituted it and be central to worship. There will be a tangible manifested presence of God in His Church. Holiness and righteousness will be evident. Healing and deliverance will flow from the altar because Jesus will be lifted up. People will both flock to and flee from the reformed churches. Repentance and rejoicing will mingle together.

We offer several teachings on the need for radical transformation of the church on our web site Revival Outreach Center. We also invite you to follow our insights concerning church reformation and share yours on our blog New Reformation Church and our twitter site: NewReformation.

Radical

Americans are now searching. They are unsure about what they are looking for but they know that something is missing. Astute politicians and talk show hosts  and church leaders will attempt to exploit this unrest, but will have difficulty figuring out what angle they should take. Others will simply ignore what is happening in the hopes that it will go away. Whatever it is it will not be reported on by the news media. (Journalism is dead in America and the people know it.)

What is America looking for? What is important to them? That is the important question that they are attempting to answer. Part of the answer to this question is the question itself. What is important? What is basic? What is true? Everyone wants to know this? On the day of Jesus’ crucifixion even Pontius Pilate asked: “What is truth?”

The underlying question for America is not about racism though many are still racists. The question is not about capitalism though greed is a driving factor in America, even in its churches. It is not just determining how much government we should have, though some of our leaders want government alone to be the solution for everything. The question is a more radical one.

One of the meanings of the word “radical” means “going to the root or origin.” What is America founded upon? What has been the purpose of America? What has been the meaning of America? Why has America been blessed?

We may ask these questions on the one hand while on the other declare that: “America is not a Christian nation.” Are we able to continue the American experiment while denying our roots – denying our heritage? We may attempt to do so but will God be with us?

Is God important to America? Is He important in our daily lives, in our values and conduct, in our homes and business, and even in our churches and synagogues. If He is not then America as we once knew it may be no more. We must answer the question first for our own lives. Then do so for our churches and synagogues. And then do so for the nation. It is not too late to do so but the day of reckoning is fast approaching.

After 911 many people flocked back to the church. They were seeking answers then. The nation had been rocked by a great tragedy. Unfortunately, the church in America seemed too much like the world. The crises was a wake-up call but it seemed to pass all too quickly. We went back to spending and ignoring what was happening to us and our country.

Our current political and religious leaders will tell you that they have the answer but do not believe them if they are not talking about a truly radical solution. If God is not in the equation, if His Word is not true, if Jesus is not Lord, if we are dividing up the nation of Israel, if we are seeking a world religion and government, and if we are not on our knees before a sovereign God, then America will be lost. Terrible things are going to happen in the world, but America need not be a part of them.

Prayer Revival

This is a revival that you and your intercessors may participate in immediately. It is a revival that God has already commenced. His Word promises that where two or three or gathered in His name, He will be in their midst. We just need to understand what it means to “gather in His name.”

The Hebraic understanding of the word “name” meant “character.” We must pray the way Jesus prayed if we are to pray in His character and nature. Jesus taught His disciples to follow a pattern of prayer which we call the “Lord’s Prayer” of the “Our Father.” We first honor and praise God the Father. Then we pray that His Kingdom would come and that His will would be done — on earth — that means in our lives. The “on earth means” — in us.

Our prayer meetings must be Jesus’ prayer meeting. He wants to lead us in prayer. He wants us to hear the solutions that the Father gives to those intercessors who take the time to come into His presence and listen. We must hear and all be in agreement. We must pray in oneness with the Father and the Son. We are to discard our lists and pray what God gives us to pray. We are to pray His words. When we do we are prophesying His answer into existence.

There is much more to say on the matter. If we want to participate in the revival that God is establishing then we must be willing to participate at the most basic level — the level of true intercessory prayer. If we want revival for our land then we must receive revival for ourselves. We must hear, pray, and obey the Word of God.

Join us in prayer-walking for our communities and nation. See Revival Ministry Network and Revival Outreach Center.

Going On Beyond

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.

When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and *said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” Mark 6:45-50

What is quite remarkable in this reading from Mark’s Gospel is that Jesus’ apparent destination and purpose was not joining his disciples in the boat. His intention, rather, was to go on ahead of them to the other side of the lake. Jesus has a purpose that is greater than ours. We want Him to ratify and bless what we are doing. We want Him to join us in a sinking boat. And often He does out of compassion. But His plans and purposes are much greater then ours and time is running out.

Jesus is more interested in His true disciples joining Him rather than His joining of them.

They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him. Mark 10:32

If true revival is to be consummated in America then the American Church must join Jesus and not the other way around. Are we ready to follow Jesus. Are we willing to get out of a sinking boat. Are we as interested in going on with Jesus to His destination as He is, or are we more interested in diverting Jesus for our own purposes?

What does it mean to go on beyond with Jesus? It means taking our minds off our circumstances and placing them on Christ alone. It means a willingness to give up all that we hold dear if it is holding us back from a faithful walk with our Lord. It means giving up denominational spirits. It means abandoning all programs. It means doing the very thing that Jesus is asking us to do that we do not want to do. It means trusting Jesus more than ourselves. It means forsaking the good for the God’s best. it means going from glory to glory without stopping and building a booth. It means going on up the mountain without even stopping to look at the pretty scenery down in the valley. And it means continually being before the Lord on our faces in prayer with a true hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Blueprint For Revival

There are no magic formulas for revival. If this were true then real spiritual revival would have followed if we had simply followed certain prescribed steps. We do know, however, what God’s Word tells us:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  2 Chronicles 7:14

The above passage is God’s blueprint for reviving His people. Are we His people? Yes, we are. We Christians are from the seed of Abraham. We are the in-grafted branches of the House of Israel through the blood of Jesus Christ. (We will speak of Israel in another installment.)

Pastors, I am compelled and authorized to let you in on a secret. Revival is on our shores. It is up to us to see that it moves inland. You see, the intercessors have already prayed and God has heard their cry. They have humbled themselves and they have repented. And they are ready to lead the charge if you will let them. Never mind what the bishops and “apostles” are saying. What is the Spirit saying to you and your church?

Get together with your intercessors and pray. Do not be threatened by them. It is true, God is about to change your world and your ministry. Let it all go and put everything in His hands. You should not love your world so much anyway. If things were so good why would we be in need of a revival?

God wants to prepare you and then your church for His glory. Your intercessors will help you. You must be in agreement with them and you must repent. Allow God to inter into the midst of your intercessory prayer time. Allow Him to remain. Listen to what He says and do it. Then allow Him to enter into your church. We are not talking about signs and wonders. We are speaking of His manifest presence and glory.

Do not be so quick to shut down a meeting. You do have the authority to bind and loose. But if you bind up the work of God and His people there will be grave consequences. If you are looking for credit and validation then it is time to allow God to heal you or to move you out of the way.

This is no time to be listening to the voice of the enemy. Notice this, the enemy is not telling you how to have a revival (unless you are listening to fallen angels.) He is telling you that you will lose control and the people will no longer love you. Yes, you will lose some control. And many people will turn against you if they have not already. But will you miss the day of God’s visitation?

The Winds of Revival

“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  John 3:8

A revival is blowing. Many will not recognize it. Church leaders are too busy conducting their own programs to notice. But there are some who are aware of this wind. They did not call upon God for the wind. Rather, the intercessors in their church are the ones who called upon God. They confessed their sins and the sins of the nation. And they humbled themselves before God. They did not do so merely to save their church. They called upon God to save their nation. Intercessors, you know who you are even if your pastors do not.

The winds of revival are blowing. For those who perceive this, what you do next is very important. You may not understand what is happening but you do know that something is happening. What you are perceiving is something that you will not be able to control. If you attempt to control it you will lose it.

Why not let God’s revival control you? We are desperately in need of a revival that puts God back in charge of His Church. We should not worry about what God will do. Rather, we should worry about what God will not do.

Preaching Revival

Today I make good on my promise. What do we need to do to participate in revival? Notice I did not say: “What must we do to start a revival?” We can study past revivals all we want but we will not be able to start a revival.

I want to start with the preachers. The title above suggests that we need to revive preaching in America. It also suggests what we need to preach. We need to preach revival. Who is preaching it? Are you? Why not? We cannot start a revival, but we can participate in the revival that God starts. How? By being in agreement with His message.

Preachers, are you still preparing a sermon? Why a sermon? No one needs your sermon. Your people need a fresh word from God for them at this particular time. How can they hear unless you preach God’s Word — not your word. God is speaking to the Church. He is speaking to you. It is time to humble yourself learn how to listen to what He is saying.

How do you do it? Spend time with Him in prayer. Get together with your intercessors and pray. Get into God’s presence and listen. Then pray what He gives you to pray and preach what God gives you to preach. Leave your prayer list behind as well as your sermon notes.

And do not try to take over the prayer time and impose your program. Your seminary training does not qualify you to lead prayer. Let those who practice prayer do it. Set an example of humility before your people. Please don’t pray like the pastors do at the pastors meetings. Just let the intercessors  know and let God know that you are hungry for revival. (Maybe you don’t have intercessors — just elders. Elders should be intercessors. I will write more on this later.)

You might say that I am not a prophet. I can’t speak God’s Word. Then get out of the pulpit. You may  not serve in the office of a prophet, but God wants you to preach prophetically. You may say you are a liturgical preacher and must follow the lectionary readings. Well, did not Jesus follow the lectionary of the synagogue? And yet He preached prophetically. He also taught. It is possible to teach prophetically as well.

Maybe the prophetic word will not be profitable? (Although some modern day “prophets” who sell books and conduct seminars might disagree.) Maybe the prophetic word will not be popular? This is a lie from the enemy. Many in America are desperate for a Word from God. How will you know unless you preach the Word. Even if it is not received in your church, your commission is to preach the Word in season and out. You step into the revival and there will be those who step in with you. If you do not, revival will pass you by and you will be held accountable for not warning the people.

Are you desperate enough to listen and preach what God gives you? He does not need your help to start a revival. He needs your faithfulness. Are you desperate enough to pray in agreement with your intercessors? Are you desperate enough to put your programs aside? Are you desperate enough to let the Spirit of God move in the midst of your congregation without your control or taking any credit?

God was doing a new thing in Jonathan Edwards’ day. Edwards was faithful. He just preached the Word.

The Gatekeepers

Let me be clear. I was a pastor and I understand pastors’ concerns. Nonetheless, we must now understand God’s concerns and put His concerns first if we love His kingdom and if we love our people.

God is ready for a revival. Are we? America is not ready but desperately needs revival. Most American churches are not ready. But there are a significant number of remnant churches that are ready. In those churches God is asking the pastors to step up and understand what He is doing. God is doing a new thing. Do we not see it?

Pastors, we are not the narrow way through which people must enter. Jesus is that way. Are we standing in the way of our people and opposing God?

It should be easy to tell if we are. Are we controlling the prayer meetings or are we releasing the intercessors to pray as the Spirit leads them? Are we robbing God of His praise by prolonging worship events for our aggrandizement. (What about you worship leaders?) Is there an open heaven over our church where prayers might receive answers and yet we are still equivocating in our prayer requests because of our own unbelief. Are we begging God or are we getting into His presence and prophesying over the circumstances with the assurance and authority that He gives us? In other words, are we listening to Him and acting as He directs or are we continuing to piously lecture God?

No true healing and deliverance in the church? But plenty of bizarre signs and wonders? Sounds more like witchcraft and sorcery than sound preaching and teaching. Pastors, we need to repent. Our church is big and successful and we are still preaching the “prosperity gospel?” We need to repent. Our church is small yet orthodox in its beliefs – but nothing is happening? The lost are not being saved? We need to repent. We are not having communion services because there just isn’t enough time to get it all in? Our sermons are too long and we are not balanced. We need to repent. We are not out on the street and in our communities and we are not disciplining our people to do the same? We need to repent.

Not preaching revival? Not preaching the Kingdom of God is at hand? Not preaching repentance? Saying that what we have in our church is pleasing to God and that it is like the Kingdom. We need to repent. Jesus preached that the Kingdom was at hand and that repentance was necessary. That was the same message given by His forerunner John. When people heeded the message great things started happening.

Homosexuality and abortions are not the concern of the church? These are too controversial and we do not need to go there? Premarital sex is not that big a deal? We need to stay out of people’s private lives and not be judgmental? The Apostle Paul did write that we should not judge the world. We do need to reach out the lost. But Paul did say that we have the right and obligation to judge the church. We are to teach and we are to disciple and we are to give witness to the conduct that pleases God. We are not condemned if we are in Christ. But certain actions are condemned if we do not repent and receive God’s deliverance and healing.

You may say that you do not understand all this and that even if you did you could not do it all. If so, you are right. In fact, you and I cannot do any of it. We need to step out of the way and let Jesus take over His Church. But first, we must allow Him to take us over. Are we sold out to Him? We just need more of Jesus in our lives and in our church. It is His church and He can do all these things. He said we could do these things too if we abide in Him and His Word abides in us.

What is in us? Who is in us? Are we men pleasers or God pleasers? Are we just spouting old cliches and politically correct sermons? If so, we are leading our people to hell. God will pass us by, but he will hold us accountable for not warning the people and for not trusting in His Word.

Revival is at our door. Are we shutting that door. Jesus said:

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Rev. 3:19-22 NIV