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Baltimore Revival, by Elizabeth Moll Stalcup

by Geoff 13 August 2011 2 Comments

Baltimore Revival

by Elizabeth Moll Stalcup

Elizabeth Moll Stalcup is a writer based in Fairfax, Virginia. She interviewed Bart Pierce and Tommy Tenney in Baltimore in April 1998

Reproduced from  Renewal Journal 12: Harvest

Renewal Journal 12: Harvest – PDF

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If the church will begin to walk in humility and

repentance then the world will see God’s glory.

“Lord, we are desperate for you.”

When Baltimore pastor Bart Pierce cried out for more of God in January 1997, he had no idea the Holy Spirit would change his life-and his congregation-forever.

Bart Pierce will never forget the day the Holy Spirit fell at his church in the rolling suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland. It wasn’t gradual, nor was it subtle. God showed up during the Sunday morning service on January 19, 1997.

Pierce, pastor of Rock Church in Baltimore, and his wife, Coralee, had just returned from a pastors’ retreat in St. Augustine, Florida. Pierce says he went to the retreat with “a desperate, deep hunger for more of God.”

While there, he heard Tommy Tenney recount an event that occurred in a Houston church a few months earlier. Without warning, during the early morning service on 20 October, 1996, God had sovereignly split a Plexiglas pulpit in two before the amazed congregation (see Charisma, June 1997; Renewal Journal #10, page 14; Flashpoints of Revival, page 144). Afterward, an unusual movement of repentance broke out at the Houston church.

Tenney, a third-generation travelling evangelist, told the gathered pastors that the drama of the split pulpit was totally eclipsed by the awesome presence of God that filled the sanctuary immediately after the supernatural event. “The revival,” Tenney told them, “was characterized by a deep sense of humility, brokenness and repentance.”

While Tenney spoke, many of the pastors, including Pierce, fell on their faces weeping. Pierce spent much of his time at the retreat prostrated and weeping before the Lord. When it ended, he asked Tenney to come back to Baltimore with him for the weekend.

On the 18-hour drive home, Pierce, his wife and Tenney had “an encounter of God as we talked about what God was doing and what we believed,” Pierce says.

“We would sit in the car and weep,” recalls Tenney. They reached Baltimore on Saturday night, filled with a hunger for more of the Lord.

Turned Upside Down

The next morning Pierce knew something was up as soon as he got to the church building. “Two of my elders were standing inside the door weeping,” he says. “We started worshiping, then people began standing up all over the building crying out loud.” Some came forward to the altar; others would “start for the altar and crumple in the aisle.”

Even those outside the sanctuary were affected. “Back in the hallways, people were going down under the power of God. We never really got to preach,” Pierce says. Tenney and Pierce were supposed to be leading the service, but both were too overcome by the intense presence of God to do anything but cry.

“There was a deep sense of repentance that grew increasingly more intense,” Pierce recounts. At 4 p.m. there were still bodies lying all over the church floor. Pierce and Tenney tried several times to speak, but each time they were overwhelmed by tears.

“Finally,” says Pierce, “we told our leadership team, ‘We’re going home to change clothes.’ We were a mess from lying on the floor and weeping.”

The two men went home and changed. When they got back to the church at 6 p.m., people were still there, and more were coming. That first “service” continued until 2 in the morning.

Monday night, people returned, and the same thing happened. It happened again Tuesday night.

“Many people simply crawled under the pews to hide and weep and cry,” remembers Pierce. “At times the crying was so loud, it was eerie.”

Pierce noticed new faces in the congregation. “We didn’t have a clue as to how they knew about the service, because we don’t advertise at all,” he says. When he asked, some of the visitors told amazing stories.

One man said he was driving down the road when God told him, “Go to Rock Church.” Another woman said she was sitting at her kitchen table when she got the same message. She didn’t know what a “Rock Church” was, but she found a listing in the phone book. After the service she tearfully confided that she had been planning to leave her husband the next morning.

“God had totally turned her heart,” says Pierce. “She and her husband have been totally restored.”

For the first few weeks, Pierce says, “every ministry at the church was turned upside down.” The church has always been known for its mercy ministries – its homeless shelter for men, its home for women in crisis, its food distribution program, which moves 7 million pounds of food a year, and its ministry to revive Baltimore’s inner city.

But when the revival started, everything took a back seat to what God was doing. Pierce would find his staff lying on the floor in the hallways or hear a thump against the wall and find someone lying on the floor in the next room, crying uncontrollably.

People reported supernatural events in their homes, too. One woman’s unsaved husband had a dream in which everyone spoke Chinese. He came downstairs and found his wife lying on the floor speaking Chinese. His son, who was supposed to be getting ready for school, was lying on the floor in the living room, weeping and crying. That day, the man got saved.

One night a boy from a local gang came forward weeping while Tenney was still preaching. “He came to the front, looked up at me and said, ‘You’ve got to help me, because I just can’t take it anymore,'” Tenney recalls.

“This type of brokenness is what draws God’s presence,” he says. “God will never turn away from a broken heart and a contrite spirit.”

Pierce agrees. He believes the congregation has “opened the heavens somehow by our crying for him. He has become our pleasure.” Both he and Tenney say they have “turned to seek his face, from seeking his hands,” meaning they are seeking to know God intimately rather than seeking him for his benefits.

The Power of his presence

“We don’t have any agenda,” says Pierce. “We come in and begin to worship, and his manifest presence comes in. It is overwhelming. Sometimes there is nothing any of us can do. We have turned from trying to control the meeting to letting him be the object of why we have come.”

Tenney calls it “presence evangelism.” He explains, “We understand ‘program evangelism,’ where you pass out tracts or put on an evangelistic play or host Alpha classes. John Wimber helped us understand ‘power evangelism,’ where people encounter the power of God as you pray for the needs in their lives.

“But what happened in Houston and what is happening in Baltimore we call ‘presence evangelism.’ The presence of God becomes incredibly strong to where people are literally overwhelmed. They are drawn to his presence. They aren’t drawn by the preaching; they aren’t drawn by the music; they are drawn by the presence of God. It is hard to talk about without weeping.”

The church doesn’t keep figures on the numbers of people who have come to faith in Jesus since the revival started because they encourage people to go back to their home churches. Many pastors bring their people to the services in Baltimore because they know that Rock Church won’t steal their flock.

In contrast to the Toronto Blessing services that have drawn people by the thousands from all over the world to the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship in Canada, most of the people who have come to the Baltimore revival services have been from the local area, including pastors from other churches. “On any given night we have 12 to 20 pastors from the Baltimore area,” Pierce says.

Still, some do come long distances. One night they looked out and saw 47 Koreans who had chartered a plane to come. Another time a group from Iceland was there. They have had visitors from Britain, Germany, the Ukraine and all across America.

Before Easter, the church put on a play about heaven and hell called Eternity. Crowds filled the 3,000-seat sanctuary. Some nights several hundred people had to be turned away because there was no more room.

And during one two-day period, more than 700 came forward to give their lives to Christ. The church originally planned to host the play for two weeks, but they continued an extra week because of the tremendous response.

A dual pull on the Spirit

Tenney believes there is “a connection between what the Rock Church has traditionally done” – meaning the church’s strong ministries to hurting people outside the church – and the way the heavens have opened in Baltimore.

“It came to me one day that when Jesus was in Bethany he was always at Mary and Martha’s house,” he says. “Mary cared for the divinity of Jesus, while Martha cared for His humanity. Martha made sure the bed was clean and the food was there.”

Mary chose the better part – sitting at his feet – but that didn’t mean Martha’s part didn’t have to be done, he says.

A church that does both – sits at Jesus’ feet and ministers to the needs of the hungry and hurting – exerts “a dual pull on the spirit realm,” Tenney says. “There is a special visitation of God that accompanies it. When Mary and Martha called Jesus, he came and raised their brother from the dead.”

Today, services in Baltimore are quieter and gentler than they were during the first few months of revival. But the worship music is powerful, and the singing draws the congregation to Jesus. Most of the songs were written by people in the church after the revival began.

After an hour or so of worship, Tommy Tenney takes the microphone and begins to preach. He asks the audience to worship Jesus in a way they never have before – to worship Him the way Mary did when she broke the alabaster jar, poured the ointment on Jesus’ feet and wiped His feet with her hair.

“We have turned our churches into a ‘bless me’ club where people come to get something,” he tells the crowd. “They are always wanting to receive. They fall with their blessing-of-the-month, then get up and continue on as though nothing has ever changed.”

As Tenney continues to speak, people begin to cry, most quietly, but some more openly. He invites people to come forward. Almost everyone does, either kneeling or lying with his face on the floor before the altar.

“Just for one night in your life, worship Him,” Tenney encourages them. “He wants to manifest himself to his people. For once in your life set aside what you want from God, and give him the glory.”

Those looking for dramatic supernatural displays won’t find them here. But they will feel the intense presence of God.

The impact of the revival is seen in the lives that have been changed for eternity. There have been physical healings, healed marriages, burned-out people empowered to follow God, prodigals returned and hundreds of people who have found Jesus for the first time.

“Extreme celebration can come only after extreme repentance,” Tenney cautions. “The world is tired of us calling them to repentance when we are standing in hypocrisy. We need to repent.

“It is not for us to point the way to a lost world. It is for us to lead the way. If the church will begin to walk in humility and repentance, then the world will see his glory.”

Reprinted with permission by Charisma, July 1998. Strang Communications Co., USA.

Resting in his presence

Church member David Jehl, an engineer, sent these e-mails reports in July and September 1998.

Baltimore: For the last decade the Rock Church in Baltimore has sought to care for the ones nobody wants; the homeless, the hungry, the unwed mother, the prisoner, the sick. In this search to provide hospitality for the unwanted, God has been teaching us how to entertain his presence. Learning to minister to humanity and divinity, like Martha and Mary, will cause Lazarus to come forth.

There’s something about the format of Monday and Tuesday meetings in Baltimore that transforms the sanctuary into an entertainment center for the Lord’s presence. The worship team seeks to entertain him rather than a crowd. In the meetings there is no hype but an opportunity for an encounter, no pressure but wooing from God’s Spirit to yours.

First time visitors’ expectations are sometimes shocked by the format of the meetings. There are no introductions of speakers or important visitors. The Lord is the one we have come to meet. There is no agenda for the meetings, no announcements, no distractions to stop you from going deeper and deeper into his presence.

Tommy Tenney has not preached a traditional sermon in Baltimore, but encourages and facilitates people to a place where they can have an encounter with the manifest presence of God. After a long period of worship, Tommy will quietly take the microphone and begin to explain how to get closer to God. The worship team will sometimes sing the same song for a very long time. This helps the congregation move from corporate praise and worship to a place where each person finds an individual expression of worship and conversation with God in a personal encounter.

The meetings have been characterized by deep repentance, changed lives and a strong overwhelming presence of God. Many people report that as they approach their seat, they are hit by waves of His glory and presence. As they stand and begin to sing they become breathless, humbled in His presence. No longer able to sing, they sit down, unloading all the concerns of the day, all the appointments of tomorrow, and now they are swept to a place beyond the church building. Now at the feet of Jesus, the chair melts away and it only seems right to lay prostrate on the ground before a Holy God.

This place of an intimate individual encounter with the manifest presence of God is where Tommy Tenney loves to lead people. It’s a true breakthrough, suddenly people find themselves in the garden of the Lord, in the throne room of God, in the third heaven, or at the feet of Jesus. They don’t get a word of wisdom from Tommy, nor a bless me prayer from the prayer team. They get a meeting with God, an opportunity to worship him and talk to him. This contagious hunger and strong presence of God is not limited to time in the sanctuary, but can be found by those who seek him in prayer time at home, at work, or in the car. Visitors take it with them around the world. It takes repentant worship and sacrifice to sustain it.

Here’s a quote from Charles Finney, Hindrances to Revivals, that will be helpful: “A revival will decline and cease, unless Christians are frequently re-converted. By this I mean, that Christians, in order to keep in the spirit of revival, commonly need to be frequently convicted, and humbled and broken down before God, and “re-converted”. This is something which many do not understand, when we talk about a Christian being re-converted. But the fact is, that in a revival, the Christian’s heart is liable to get crusted over, and lose its exquisite relish for Divine things; his unction and prevalence in prayer abate, and then he must be converted over again. It is impossible to keep him in such a state as not to do injury to the work, unless he passes through such a process every few days. I have never labored in revivals in company with any one who would keep in the work and be fit to mange a revival continually, who did not pass through this process of breaking down as often as once in two or three weeks.

“Revivals decline, commonly, because it is found impossible to make Christians realize their guilt and dependence, so as to break down before God. It is important the ministers should understand this, and learn how to break down the Church, and break down themselves when they need it, or else Christians will soon become mechanical in their work, and lose their fervour and their power of prevailing with God.”

During the 14 July, 1998, meeting, in the midst of glorious worship, Tommy Tenney gave an altar call for “extravagant worship”. Wherever a person stood, there became an altar, each pushing past any visitation they ever had. The dancers danced more, the criers weeped more, each one expressing their love in the most extravagant way. The tangible sense of his presence was stronger than anytime in the past 18 months of visitation. In past e-mails I have talked about heavenly visitors (angels) to our meetings. This time through powerful corporate worship, we became visitors in heaven. Pastor Bart Pierce, sensing a powerful impartation of intercession asked for all to pray. A powerful birthing process began as each prayed for revival in their city, or for their families. I, being a typical engineer type, don’t understand intercession at all, but I felt the call to prayer in my bones.

In Baltimore we spend a lot of time worshipping God, and entertaining his presence, but then we get up from the carpet and go to the worst places in the city to help those in need. We want the revival to go to the streets.

Pursuing his presence

Baltimore – Psalm 27:4-5: “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me upon a rock.”

In Baltimore, we spend a lot of time doing one thing, worshipping. To get a hold of the one thing, we are learning to get rid of the other things. Prayer time is spent in repentance, cleansing the hands and heart of the corruption of the day. The next things to cast off are the concerns of the day and the appointments of tomorrow. Turn off the beeper, shut down the cell phone, remove your watch, take off your glasses, change your focus from this world to the next, pass from time to eternity.

On Monday and Tuesdays we have a special reservation with the Lord. We spread a table for the Lord and ask him to come. In danger of oversimplification, I would say we spend three hours worshipping, and in the middle somewhere Revivalist Tommy Tenney or Pastor Bart Pierce will spend time encouraging us to be better worshippers. There are no introductions of speakers, no recognition given to famous visitors from, no fancy preaching, no solo singers, no announcements of any kind, no display of a people or their talents. During worship people bring their offering and cast it upon the altar of sacrifice. The worshippers give when they are ready for a breakthrough into radical, intense, repentant worship.

During the 29 September 1998 meeting, Tommy Tenney said, “God is taking away choices till all we have left is one thing. He wants to purify our pursuit till we are after only him. Tonight’s service is about pursuing his presence.” In Baltimore, God is overwhelming us with His Presence. Like Mary, we spend a lot of time pouring our love upon the Lord.

The Martha’s might ask, “Do you spend time helping the needy in Baltimore?” The answer is yes. ‘A Can Can Make a Difference’ moves over six million pounds of free food per year to the hungry, assisting 60 food pantries in Maryland. ‘Nehemiah House’ is the only men’s shelter in Baltimore County and assists 300 homeless men per year. ‘The Hiding Place’ is our seven bed home for adolescent girls in crisis or facing pregnancy; 260 babies have been born through the program. Through ‘Adopt-a-Block’, Baltimore pastors, congregations from different denominations, and businesses, gather to reach hurting communities.

Worshipping and serving together, pastors joined in unity are learning to pastor the city, not just their own local congregations, forming city wide the church of Baltimore.

Internet: http://www.baltimorerockchurch.com

(c) Renewal Journal 12: Harvest, 1998, 2011.

Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included in the text.

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1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
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Contents: Renewal Journal 12: Harvest

The Spirit told us what to do, by Carl Lawrence

Argentine Revival, by Guido Kuwas

Baltimore Revival, by Elizabeth Moll Stalcup

Smithton Revival, by Joel Kilpatrick

Mobile Revival, by Joel Kilpatrick

Australian Reports – Aboriginal Revivals

Global Reports

Book Review: 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, by Eddie Hyatt

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BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

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BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

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Argentine Revival, by Guido Kuwas

by Geoff 13 August 2011 3 Comments

Argentine Revival

by Guido Kuwas

Guido Kuwas, wrote as editor of Global Revival News, and compiled this report in November 1998.

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Thousands are getting saved and

God’s miracle power touches people

Argentina has been basking in Revival for almost 15 years. And I don’t mean the type of Revival where 3 people or even 30 people get saved in one meeting. I am talking about a Revival where thousands are getting saved and where God’s miracle power touches people.

Charisma Magazine has reported that during the last decade, the population of Latin American Protestants grew from 18.6 million to 59.4 million. That represents a 220 percent increase, nine times the growth rate of the general population. Secular researchers calculate that 400 Latin Americans convert to evangelical Christianity every hour.

The revival is transforming the religious landscape. In Peru, a Protestant church is planted every eight hours. In Rio de Janeiro, one new congregation is born every day. Brazil’s largest denomination, the Assemblies of God, has grown tenfold since 1980, to 15 million members and 90,000 local congregations.

The fastest growth has been among Pentecostal and charismatic churches. Less than 2 percent of the Protestant population at the end of World War II were in Pentecostal churches. Today, about 66% of Latin American Protestants attend a Pentecostal church.

Claudio Freidzon

1. Change of Plans

Claudio Freidzon recounts: In 1985 I had a vision of God in my room. It must have been two or three in the morning. I was asleep. Suddenly, God woke me up and showed me a vision on the wall, right before my eyes. I saw the picture of a public square in the district of Belgrano (within the same city of Buenos Aires). In the vision, the square was filled with people who were celebrating in an evangelistic campaign similar to the ones that Carlos Annacondia held. And the Lord said to me: “This is your new field of work.”

God showed me that he wanted me to reveal his glory in that place, and that he wanted to move us away from the place where we had worked for so many years. When I mentioned this to my wife, she did not understand it immediately. Now that things were beginning to go well in Parque Chas, ought we to move to another district? Nevertheless, I was sure of what God had showed me. It was a difficult situation, and a highly challenging one. While my heart was pondering over these things, hundreds of men and women whom I had never seen before (but whom I would meet later in that square) walked around lost, hopeless and without God in this world. Daniel Perotti and Sergio Marquet (called “the Frenchman”) were among them. At present, thanks to the tremendous change that God operated in their lives, they are two of my associate pastors.

I went and had a look at the public square I had been shown. A sign said “Plaza Noruega”. There was a crowd of drug addicts sitting around on the floor. I began to take measurements of the place, and to find out where I would get electricity for my evangelistic campaign. Someone in the neighbourhood watched my movements, came up to me and said: “Look here, I don’t know what you are going to do, but I hope you will clean up the square, because here we have the worst of them. This is the meeting place of the worst kind of drop-outs in Belgrano. Last week they killed a man…” I prayed to the Lord silently: “Father, are you sure this is the square you showed me?” The man went on: “This is the territory of “El Francés” (the Frenchman), a dangerous man.”

A violent battle raged within me while he spoke. On the one hand I had the comfort of my little flock which was beginning to multiply, and on the other the great challenge of the unknown. There were also difficulties in finding an evangelist willing to preach in that public square.

All the preachers I invited were unable to accept for various reasons. God wanted me to do the job of an evangelist! That evangelistic campaign in February 1986 was historical. Great signs and wonders followed the preaching of the Gospel. That is how the “King of Kings” church was born in the Belgrano district. I have never repented of having obeyed that vision!

2. A New Time

1992 marked a new era for Claudio Freidzon’s ministry. In that same year he received a visit from Pastor Werner Kniesel, who was well respected by him. Actually Kniesel is a Pastor in the city of Zurich (Switzerland) in the church called “Christliches Zentrum Buchegg” (Christian Center Buchegg) having one of the largest congregations in Europe. He knew Claudio from their student days at the Seminar. When Claudio told him of his many ministerial activities, this man asked him: “How much time do you dedicate to listening to the Holy Spirit?” That question would change his life. He suspected that God had something else in mind, for him and he needed to know God more intimately, a new relationship with the Holy Spirit. Pastor Ibarra, a great man of God with a great sensitivity to things related to the Holy Sprit, was always a great blessing for Claudio, even though they didn’t see each other very often. In those days he shared the great blessing that the book Good morning, Holy Spirit by Pastor Benny Hinn of the Christian Center in Orlando had been for him.

Claudio Freidzon reports: God greatly blessed me through that book, so I decided to visit the United States in order to share a time of prayer with brother Benny Hinn. Pastor Benny Hinn’s testimony, and his relationship with the Holy Spirit, were a great inspiration for my own life. Betty and I went to the Christian Center in Orlando with great expectations. The atmosphere of that worship service was charged with glory, and worship went up to God in a deep and magnificent manner. I did not want to miss the smallest detail of that moment. All I longed for was to be with the Lord, to meet him and to get to know him. When Pastor Benny invited me to pray with him on the platform, I was amazed. He did not know me personally, but the Holy Spirit guided him to pray for me in a marvellous way. It was all part of a plan from above. God had planned new times for my life and ministry. As the years went by, Pastor Benny and I have cultivated a beautiful friendship. I love him and respect him. Whenever we meet together we feel the affinity of being united by this same passion: “to know the Holy Spirit more and more, and to be guided by Him.”

While seeking after him, the Holy Spirit came upon Claudio in an extraordinary way. A glorious atmosphere surround the services, and the presence of God began to manifest itself in the church as never before. Without inviting anyone nor promoting what was occurring, it began to be known that something was happening at 2547 Olazabal Street, in the “King of Kings” Church. Pastors came on their own to receive the fresh anointing that transformed their lives and taking them back to their first love. The Holy Spirit came with such power that many laid on the floor under the presence of God for hours, others rejoiced in the Spirit, others cried when the Holy Ghost touched them and others left “drunk” in the presence of God. God led Claudio Freidzon to recognize his powerful and sovereign hand, producing fruit in many lives and renewing a devoted life in Christians. The work of evangelism and edification was spread over the radio and on television. In the course of days, hundreds of pastors visited the “King of Kings” Church in large numbers to receive the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit. Many came with their whole congregations. For weeks at a time, on occasions, there were lines hundreds of meters long of people waiting to get into the church. Many traveled from far away places by hired buses to receive more from God.

3. Large Crusades and International Ministry

This situation prompted the church to rent the indoor stadium “Obras Sanitarias” (seating 6,000 people) in order to provide a solution for the lack of space. In addition to the weekly meetings in the Obras Sanitarias Stadium, a crusade was called in the largest indoor stadium in the city: the “Luna Park” stadium.

Attendance went beyond the capacity of the stadium. Two meetings were held on the same day; 15,000 attended each, while over 25,000 unable to get into the facility, filled the streets. The police had to cut off traffic on the avenues and streets around the stadium because of the crowds of brothers waiting to get inside. The biggest crusade in Argentina was held on 9 April, 1993. Over 65,000 people packed the “Velez Sarsfield” soccer stadium. Brothers and sisters from all denominations, from many faraway places in our country came to seek the face of God on a historic Good Friday.

The ministry of Claudio Freidzon began to spread outside the borders of Argentina. Ministers and Christian leaders -even as teams- started to travel from all over the world to Argentina to receive God’s touch.

Claudio Freidzon has written a book called Holy Spirit I Hunger for You, which to date has been translated into six languages: English, French, Japanese, German, Czech and American English. Many Christians around the world have been inspired by this book to develop a deeper and more personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.

More than a million and a half people to date have been reached by his ministry in a personal way, through crusades, conferences, special events and meetings in churches.

Source: Claudio Freidzon’s website.

Reflections on the Argentinian revival

By J. Conrad Lampan (missionary pastor from Freidzon’s church to the USA):

As I see it there have been three major steps so far in the outpouring of the Holy Ghost in Argentina. The three steps have to do more with the way God wanted to manifest himself to us rather than what we did in order to have revival. We cannot schedule revivals. We just pray and let him be God!

The first step or manifestation was through the ministry of Carlos Annacondia. He was raised by the Lord to a ministry of power with great manifestations of the Holy Spirit in healing and in casting out demons. A highly powered ministry aimed toward reaching the lost. Brother Annacondia says that he is not a good preacher, but the Lord gave him a heart for the lost and also gave him the power to reach them and fill their needs.

Now, this first stage of manifestations of God could be seen in Brother Annacondia’s ministry but the church as a whole seemed to be unaffected. I mean he preached to multitudes and yet it was not enough. We love to have power. We need his power. But we want to have his power and keep our own ways. He is saying now: “I will give you power, I will use you, I will bless you … but you must be holy.”

The great secret behind this scene is that we should stop looking for power, stop looking for manifestations or miracles. We should stop trying to be holy on our own efforts and stop trying to sanctify people; that is the work of the Holy Ghost.

If we start to search for the person, the blessed Holy Ghost, if we come close to him and he becomes our friend and our master, our companion and our Lord, we will have all that he is.

Preparation for revival includes prayer and action. This has been true in all revivals. Churches in Argentina prayed for revival and prayed for the unsaved people. God cannot stay inactive when a lost soul is being prayed for!

Preparation included other people like Alberto Scattaglini taking some unusual “risks” among evangelical circles inviting a not known preacher. Or people like Ralph Hiatt planting the seed from which many of the most outstanding pastors in Buenos Aires came forth. Or that first “hit” in Argentina back in 1954 with another unknown preacher Tommy Hicks.

Can God heal a barren land?

About four years ago a group from our church in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Iglesia Rey de Reyes, Pastored by Rev Claudio Freidzon) started a mission work in a Northern province in Argentina among some of the Indian tribes still living in that area. They worked among those people helping them spiritually and materially.

Our missionaries preached the Word of God to them and also gave them medical assistance, clothing, food, and seeds. The native people stared at them strangely: Soon they discovered they were intending to have the Indian people cultivate a barren land. Now what would those people do with seeds in a barren earth? Nothing would grow in that earth, only some weeds dare to show up there.

Our missionaries then decided that the best thing to do was to pray to the God that promised to heal the land.

They took some handfuls of earth in a bag to Buenos Aires and brought it to the church that had sent them on that missionary work. The church prayed for that earth laying hands on the bag. We prayed that God would heal that land and restore it to produce food for those people. Later on they took back the earth to the missions place and spread it all over the area in the name of Jesus.

The next thing the missionaries brought to the church was a basket full of ‘first fruits’, all kinds of crops, from the barren land that was healed by the power of God.

Source: Global Revival News, Argentine Revival

See also, Renewal Journal #11, “Standing in the Rain: Argentine Revival” by Brian Medway.

(c) Renewal Journal 12: Harvest, 1998, 2011.

Reproduction is allowed with the copyright included in the text.

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6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

Contents: Renewal Journal 12: Harvest

The Spirit told us what to do, by Carl Lawrence

Argentine Revival, by Guido Kuwas

Baltimore Revival, by Elizabeth Moll Stalcup

Smithton Revival, by Joel Kilpatrick

Mobile Revival, by Joel Kilpatrick

Australian Reports – Aboriginal Revivals

Global Reports

Book Review: 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity, by Eddie Hyatt

Renewal Journal 12: Harvest – PDF

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GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 4: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

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Reviews (11) Discipleship

by Geoff 9 August 2011 1 Comment

Taking our Cities for God:  How to break spiritual strongholds

by John Dawson. Word, 1989.    Reviewed by Stephen Milstead.

 

 

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Taking Our Cities for God explores history, geography, demographics, and spiritual warfare as part of an overall strategy in wining a city for Christ.  John Dawson gives sound biblical foundations illustrated with examples of his own experience in dealing with spiritual powers and principalities.  Floyd McClung notes, “Occasionally a book comes along that is more than a good book, it is indeed a word from God. This is such a book” (p. 11).

People face a multitude of problems and opposition by spiritual forces on a daily basis.  John Dawson identifies certain keys and spiritual insights into how we may overcome these obstacles, which may be instrumental in a overall strategy to winning any city in the world for Christ.  He covers topics such as studying the spirituality of a city’s history; discerning the spiritual strongholds which work against a city; the power of intercession for a city; planing and gaining God’s strategy in breaking strongholds and restoring a city for God; and gaining understanding of the weaknesses of the spirit realm over a city.  The book has a thirteen lesson study guide which includes an application for daily living.

Taking Our Cities for God has five sections.

Section One:  Battle Stories

Besides the biblical and personal examples of spiritual warfare in missions and evangelism, Dawson devotes part of this section to teaching Scriptural principles.  He describes the work of the Holy Spirit in the gift of discernment of spirits, and reveals the importance of acting from obedient will and faith.  He brings clarity to a very touchy subject for many Christians.  His dependence on God, and insistence of working with the Holy Spirit is evident, and brings this crucial situation to the door step of the reader, in any city.

Dawson combines his theory with experience. An interesting example occurred in Argentina when a group of Youth With a Mission workers came against the city’s spiritual stronghold (Pride) and humbled themselves by kneeling down with their foreheads on the ground praying.  All over downtown Cordoba, Youth with a Mission workers preached to attentive audiences and a harvest of souls began (pages 19‑20).

Section Two:  Deliver The Dark City

Over half the world population lives in urban centres (p.34).  In developed nations like the U.S. the percentage is much higher, e.g. 91% of California’s population live in cities. He examines the historical issues of today’s modern cities, taking into consideration some of the changes that have taken place.  For example, Los Angeles has four and a half million Hispanics, is the second largest Chinese city outside Asia and second largest  Japanese city outside of Japan (p35).  Since the fall of communism in Russia the remark that Marxist cities are closed to the gospel is no longer applicable.

Dawson compels the reader to ask “Why is this town here?” (p43) and gives examples of God’s purpose in the location of a city.  For example Omaha was once the place where pioneering wagon trains were provisioned for the arduous trail into the western wilderness.  “We believe that we are still to equip the pioneers,” one pastor told me.  “This  time it is to support world‑wide missionary work.”  Now that’s a vision worth living for (p44).

Dawson realised the benefit of examining how a city will grow and change over the next twenty years.  He develops  an argument from an historical view of how relationships have changed with the modern city’s growth.

Section Three:  Discerning The Gates Of Your City

Dawson’s main thrust in this section is to know the city’s history and what has brought about change.  “When you look into the history of your city, you will find clues as to what is oppressing the people today” (p77).

He calls upon the prophets, intercessors and spiritual fathers to be the “watchmen” over the city, with the emphasis on repentance, reconciliation and prayer, alert to current and future trends.  Uncovering these trends will help the church to advance.

Dawson studies the concept covenant over a city.  He cites good examples such as  the Azuza Street Revival in Los Angeles, and Wilber Chapman and Aimee Semple McPherson in Denver.  He encourages the reader to seek God and find out what point of entry evil had to gain entrance to a city or nation. He lists twenty questions ranging through religious divisions, wars, poor leadership, economic corruption and racial practices.

Section 4: Learning To Fight

Dawson concludes that we must fight because through Jesus we have regained our stewardship of the earth (p.158).  He provides the reader with the foundational traits of spiritual warfare by taking spiritual discernment a step further.  He has demonstrates the realities of the two kingdoms – God’s and Satan’s rebel province ‑ and includes a biblical background on angels and their origin and functions.  He reveals the tactics of spiritual warfare by first focusing on Jesus, the giver of the spiritual gifts.  We are provided with the power of the cross and with the truth of Scripture .

Section 5. Into Battle: 5 Steps To Victory

Dawson divides this section into worship‑ the place of beginnings, waiting on the Lord for insight, identifying with the sins of the city, overcoming evil with good, and travailing till birth.  Part of his strategy involves the importance of waiting on God, and allowing God to reveal the situation in the spirit.  We need to come to him with repentance and humility.  Dawson gives practical advice about overcoming evil with good by resisting temptation and taking positive action through prayer and fasting.  Again the emphasis is on ministry in the opposite spirit, such as overcoming pride with humility or violence with turning the other cheek.

Dawson combines his theology with practical experience in the front line of spiritual warfare.  His examination of the historical and geographical nature of a city provides an excellent understanding of how the demographics of a city will effect an outreach.  His examples of the size and nature of various ethnic groups within Los Angeles demonstrates the problems a local church may face in the mission field.  His consideration of trends was also an interesting revelation, as most churches do operate with a catch up mentality.

Dawson gives examples of occasions when he got it wrong, and also when he got it right.  He maintains a balance, observing that although he has given the reader very good keys to the taking of our cities for God, it is necessary to seek God for ourselves.

(c) 2011, 2nd edition.  Reproduction allowed with copyright included in text.

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1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

Contents: Renewal Journal 11: Discipleship

Transforming Revivals, by Geoff Waugh

Standing in the Rain: Argentine Revival, by Brian Medway

Amazed by Miracles, by Rodney Howard-Brown

A Touch of Glory, by Lindell Cooley

The “Diana Prophecy,” by Robert McQuillan

Mentoring, by Peter Earle

Can the Leopard Change his Spots? by Charles Taylor

The Gathering of the Nations, by Paula Sandford

Book Review: Taking our Cities for God, by John Dawson

Renewal Journal 11: Discipleship – PDF

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See also Revivals Index

See also Revival Blogs

See also Blogs Index 1: Revivals

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS(BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH(CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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The "Diana Prophecy", by Robert McQuillan

by Geoff 9 August 2011 1 Comment

The “Diana Prophecy”

by Robert MQuillan

Flowers at Diana’s death

Dr Robert McQuillan wrote as editor of The Australian Evangel, the national monthly magazine of the Assemblies of God.

Renewal Journal 11: Discipleship– PDF

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An article in Renewal Journal 11: Discipleship:
https://renewaljournal.com/2011/08/09/discipleship/

 

__________________________________

a powerful fresh move of God

sweeping through many churches

_______________________________________________

 “When Princess Diana died, and particularly the weekend of her funeral (September 6, 1997), this nation found its soul,” Wynne Lewis, general superintendent Elim Pentecostal Churches (UK), told me when I was in England recently.  “There came a realization of the stark reality that a heroine had gone – tragically – and life and materialism are very uncertain.  It has become easier to preach salvation and the need to trust God.”

Indeed there has been a powerful fresh move of God sweeping through many churches, including mainline and the various pentecostal streams as well as the historic AOG and Elim movements.

A Significant Sign

Many Christians and leaders spoke of the so-termed ‘Diana prophecy’ received in two parts by a Sheffield lady as being highly significant to the nation.  In case you missed it, the following is an extract:

(16/5/97) “I am at work in the heart and the spirit of the people of this nation.  I am doing a work which, at the moment, is unseen.  Things are happening much more quickly than you think.  And as a sign, there will be a day very soon when the whole nation will mourn and put flowers in the cities.”

(31/8/97) “When that day happens the sign is this: the speed at which the heart and the spirit of the people of this nation can be affected, that is the speed at which I will work among this nation.  Do not think that what you see and hear of are small, insignificant happenings.  Do not despise the day of small things.  For I tell you, when you see this sign, I am on the move in the cities of this nation and where flowers are laid, my Spirit will be moving faster than those flowers are removed.

“For I am bringing the power of my Spirit to bear on the cities.  As fast as that mourning went through the nation, joy will go through this nation.  And I tell you that you will know the miraculous entering your lives.  You will see changes in areas where you never expected to see changes.  You will see relatives you never expected to see coming into the kingdom of God.  You will know areas in your life where you’ve battled and battled and never overcome – you will overcome in a day, says the Lord.  For I am at work in this nation and I will bring (it) to its knees before me and they will know the joy of their salvation in the mighty risen Lord Jesus.

“Therefore, rejoice.  And do not let that spirit of mourning pervade your own spirit.  Do not let that spirit of mourning grasp at your heart.  For you have joy inexpressible in your hearts.  Therefore, let the rivers of living water flow from within you and know that you will have many opportunities from this point to speak of my grace, to speak of my love, to see in action my Spirit at work.  Know that I will be with you in that and you will see the miraculous, says the Lord.”

God is Moving

There are several major spiritual initiatives and thrusts occurring in the UK.  In particular concentrated prayer, as in other European nations and the States, has become a top priority with many leaders and churches and is bringing amazing results.  London especially has become a main target for prayer.  Powerful prayer meetings and conferences are calling for the nation and Christians to repent before a holy God.  Church services see people repenting at the altar and even where they’re sitting.

Ken and Lois Gott’s Revival Now Ministries’ great October prophetic conference was no exception when God’s Spirit ‘blew in’ a wind of repentance and forgiveness regarding snobbish attitudes between people ‘representing’ the north and the south of England. Then individuals from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Jamaica, Germany and South Africa also came to the altar to similarly apologise for their countries’ wrong attitudes towards the British.  Tears flowed openly and prayer for the nation as a whole was powerful. Humbly recognising afresh that Jesus is the answer to all humankind’s needs, other nations were also prayed for.

Pioneer People’s Gerald Coates unadvertised Sowing the Seeds of Revival meetings in the rotunda  Emmanuel Centre, Mawson Street (close to Westminster Abbey) five nights a week attracted over 40,000 people in a matter of months.  Around 150 full of faith Chinese Christians purchased the former Christian Science building for only £2.6 million instead of the asking price £6m.  Allowing the Pioneer Team to use the church has resulted in hundreds saved, many on their knees and in tears, and lives changed.  Personalities from Parliament and Buckingham Palace have visited and been touched by God.  Dustbin loads of surrendered pornography, illegal drugs and weapons, masonic jewellery and clothing and personal effects have had to be dumped.

London’s Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) and Queens Road Baptist continue to hold significant revival meetings with hundreds of attenders hungry for God.  Many AOG and Elim churches are moving in revival and planting more churches.  There is a greater openness to networking to gain more meaningful results, and many noteworthy conferences are held across the nation.  More and more churches are taking HTB’s Alpha program on board and seeing converts and stronger disciples of Christ.  Over half a million people have embraced the course.

Reaching Out

The AOG of Great Britain and Ireland has increased by 250 churches in the past four years.  General Superintendent Paul Weaver sees the need for strong churches effectively communicating the gospel locally.  With 650 fully accredited churches and several probationary, the AOG in the UK is determined to play its role in impacting the nation, and reaching thousands for Christ.  Their general conference this year – Impact 21, affecting change in the power of the Spirit – should prove historic in inspiring and releasing leaders.

Christian Channel Europe, headed up by Rory and Wendy Alec, was finding good response from the UK and Europe when based in Crown House.  Miraculously God arranged for the Alecs to be given top class TV studios nearby.  Despite a presently limited time slot, 3am to 7am, CCE has been reaching as far away as the Baltics.  Now, with the greater facilities, the channel will ‘hit Europe and the UK in a bigger and more effective way.’

Kensington Temple, England’s largest pentecostal church, has tapped into the incredible potential of satellite TV for its churches and teaching  courses.  These programs reach Europe as well as the UK.  Praying and open-air preaching by KT youth at Leicester Square has seen thousands saved.  Over 2000 people now attend KT’s Sunday night services in the new ex-BBC warehouse auditorium in North Acton.   A whole month of  ‘unprogrammed’ meetings Wednesday through Saturday saw hundreds of lives dramatically changed, healings and signs and wonders.  On the Saturday nights the church took to the streets and saw hundreds saved.

Sense of God’s Time

Many believe strongly that God is at work in the nation and exerting his influence as Sovereign Lord over churches and Christians.  Leaders are becoming more challenged and sensitive to allowing the Holy Spirit to have his way.

Ken Gott virtually echoed Wynne Lewis’ words when he stated, ‘Britain found its soul when people prayed along with the Archbishop of Canterbury, “Our Father, your kingdom come.”  Princess Diana’s death deeply touched the nation spiritually.  There is a searching going on!’

He then told of a man in a London pub who went over to two other men who were sitting quietly having a meal.  He was searching, desperate for answers, and ‘somehow knew’ they were Christians.

‘Sir,’ he said to one, ‘I perceive you are a man of integrity.  Do you have something to say to me?’

‘Yes, Jesus loves you.’

‘Do you have anything else to say?’

‘Yes, you’re dying.’

It was a sure word of knowledge.  The man was dying – from AIDS.  He had been walking all day around London praying to the God he did not know personally and saying, ‘If you’re real, God, reveal yourself.’  God did and the man got saved!

There is a definite awareness of God’s time for the UK.  Prophet Paul Cain has declared that God has targeted Great Britain for harvest.  I sensed it deeply in my own spirit and encouraged many to believe for God to raise their nation on a powerful ‘next wave’ that will exalt the Lordship of Jesus, see thousands come into the kingdom, the nation turned around and, as in years gone by, again touching other nations especially the Continent.

A deepening hunger to know God more intimately and to redeem the time is also prevalent.  As Fulton Sheen put it: ‘Every moment comes to you pregnant with a divine purpose; time being so precious that God deals it out only second by second.  Once it leaves your hands and your power to do with it as you please, it plunges into eternity, to remain forever as you made it.’

Hope and Expectation

The flowers have been laid and lifted and God is moving!  Prime Minister Tony Blair declared that Britain would be a compassionate nation, a giving one and one on the cutting edge.  I personally believe that will also happen spiritually and we’ll be receiving wonderful exciting reports of the power, grace and favour of God at work in Great Britain, with an emphasis on the ‘Great.’

Hope and expectation would aptly describe the present state of many Spirit-filled believers there.  Australia may not have been as deeply affected by Princess Di’s death as the UK and even Eire, but great expectation and strong hope in Christ, accompanied by serious prayer, laying aside personal priorities and even church programs, and getting right with God, lead to amazing accomplishments in taking Jesus to any nation.

May it be so in Australia as the Holy Spirit seeks to, and is allowed to, dig new wells in places not yet familiar with the sounds of the river of God’s refreshing and his saving grace.

Reproduced with permission from The Australian Evangel, February 1998, pages 47-48.

(c) 2011, 2nd edition.  Reproduction allowed with copyright included in text.

Renewal Journal – contents of all issues & links to articles

Amazon – books & journals

Book Deposistory – free shipping worldwise (so cheapest)

Back to Renewal Journals

All Renewal Journal Topics

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

Contents: Renewal Journal 11: Discipleship

Transforming Revivals, by Geoff Waugh

Standing in the Rain: Argentine Revival, by Brian Medway

Amazed by Miracles, by Rodney Howard-Brown

A Touch of Glory, by Lindell Cooley

The “Diana Prophecy,” by Robert McQuillan

Mentoring, by Peter Earle

Can the Leopard Change his Spots? by Charles Taylor

The Gathering of the Nations, by Paula Sandford

Book Review: Taking our Cities for God, by John Dawson

Renewal Journal 11: Discipleship – PDF

READ SAMPLE

Revival Blogs Links:

See also Revivals Index

See also Revival Blogs

See also Blogs Index 1: Revivals

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS(BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH(CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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A Touch of Glory, by Lindell Cooley

by Geoff 9 August 2011 3 Comments

A Touch of Glory

by Lindell Cooley

John Kilpatrick and Lindell Cooley

Lindell Cooley wrote as the worship leader at Brownsville Assemblies of God in Pensacola, America, a church in revival since 18 June 1995.   This article is from his book A Touch of Glory (Revival Press, 1997).

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An article in Renewal Journal 11: Discipleship:
https://renewaljournal.com/2011/08/09/discipleship/

 

 ___________________________

True revival comes

when God descends

in His glory

____________________________

One of the most important things I can tell you is that true revival comes when God descends upon man in His glory.   That’s it.   There is no formula or religious dogma to memorize and implement at your church.   There is no “12‑Step Revival Plan in a Can” that you can purchase at some expensive church growth seminar.   Extraordinary things happen when the Extraordinary God shows up among ordinary people who long for more of Him.   That is a summary of what happened at Brownsville Assembly of God on Father’s Day in June of 1995.

When I moved my mountain of boxes to Pensacola, Florida, and began to lead worship there, I quickly realized that I had come to an ordinary Assemblies of God church.   Pastor John Kilpatrick was a wonderful pastor and a skilled teacher of the Word, but he struggled with the same problems every other pastor has to deal with.   He worried about motivating and training workers, finding time to handle his counselling load, and balancing his roles as administrator, family man, and spiritual leader of the flock.   He worried about the welfare of the sheep in his care, and he was fervently praying for revival.   It was a church that wanted more because it didn’t have it yet.

I inherited a great worship team and a talented group of musicians, but like anyone else I struggled with rehearsal schedules, motivation problems, and the constant need to learn new songs and resuscitate the old ones.   The congregation was a normal mix of young, old, and in‑betweens, representing almost every musical taste you could think of.   In the midst of the normal challenges, we desperately wanted to see revival spark in our services and we were frustrated.  Brownsville Assembly of God was like most of the medium‑sized Pentecostal and Charismatic churches scattered across America.  We wanted something that we didn’t have, and we were pressing in by faith to see it come to pass.

I was scheduled to return to the Ukraine for a short missions trip in June, but before I left I began to teach the worship team, the choir, and the music team some Vineyard worship choruses.  I had done away with most of the hard‑driving, lively praise songs I favoured before.  I didn’t want to do anything that smacked of hype or emotional manipulation.  I just wanted to go directly into worship and bypass praise altogether.  The congregation seemed to enjoy some of the choruses and was indifferent to others.  Something was still missing.

Revival!

I went to the Ukraine in June of 1995 to help conduct a short choir tour and planned to return the week after Father’s Day.  I was getting ready to leave the Ukraine when revival came “suddenly” to the Brownsville congregation on Sunday, June 18th.  At the end of the Father’s Day service, the visiting evangelist named Stephen Hill gave an altar call.  He had just delivered a normal sermon during a normal Sunday service, but everything changed when the Spirit of God suddenly descended on the congregation.

Many people who were present, including Pastor Kilpatrick, literally felt a wind sweep through the sanctuary during the visitation.  A thousand people rushed to the altar that day to confess their sins, repent, and commit themselves to the Lord without hesitation or compromise.  At this writing, the revival has continued week after week for two years and 125,000 souls have been added to the Kingdom by conservative count.  The Lord continues to visit us with ever‑increasing power and glory month after month.

I flew into John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on Tuesday the 20th after reluctantly bidding my beloved Ukranian friends good‑bye.  I found a phone and immediately called Pastor Kilpatrick.

“Hey, John what’s going on?”

“Lindell, It has happened!”

“What has happened?”

“Revival is here.”

I had waited to her those words for a long time.

My heart leapt in my chest because I knew it had to be real or the man on the other end of the line wouldn’t say it like that.  I wanted to get back to Pensacola just that much quicker, but I knew I couldn’t make it until Wednesday.  During the flight from New York to Florida, my mind kept taking me back to those “gentle laid‑back moments in God’s presence” that I had embraced since April.

When I arrived, John and Brenda Kilpatrick picked me up at the airport, and he began to share with me what God was doing.  It sounded wonderful, but I was very tired, and felt disconnected.  I didn’t realize it then, but that disconnected feeling would stay with me for about two weeks.  There was no doubt that God was in the house, but I was having trouble entering in.  I ran headlong into a major disappointment because I was expecting “Toronto”.

Breaking Old Dislikes

First there was this Stephen Hill character.  I had never met him before the Wednesday night service after Father’s Day, but this evangelist seemed to be just a little “too hyped” for me.  Pastor Kilpatrick assured me that he was okay and said that he had known Steve for years.  My daydreams of a ‘gentle’ move of the Holy Spirit that morning were jolted back to reality by Stephen Hill, a dynamo with an unquenchable passion for souls.  He was far from gentle.  I thought he came across like a speeding freight train that first night.

He had us sing one chorus for 30 minutes straight at a clip of 90 miles an hour, and I felt like I had stepped back into my old Pentecostal roots again.  All the wonderful things that the Lord had done for me suddenly seemed to disappear and my own heathenistic self came out again.  I thought, I am not going to do this!  Sorry, but I’ve been there, done that.  I don’t want to do this!  I want that gentle sweetness that I had.

After the service I was pretty hard on Steve Hill once we were alone.  I said, “Steve, I am not going to get up there and do all that hype stuff.  If you want it, then get someone else to do it, because I’m not doing it.”  Frankly, I had a rotten attitude.  Do you know what Steve did?  He totally disarmed me with his answer.  He said, “Well, brother, that’s all right.  Whatever you want to do.”  I had to repent to him shortly after that because I was so mean to him.  He could have been angry with me but he wasn’t.  The battles in my heart would continue for a while, but we were on the way to becoming close friends with one heart.

I knew that my reaction to Steve was rooted in my dislike for the old pattern of wanting to be worked up by powerful music.  After my breaking in April, I was so moved by the revelation of just loving the Lord that I could be moved to worship at any time by the slightest breath of the Spirit.  All I have to do is say from my heart, “Lord God, all You want is my worship.  All You want is my attention.  You are like a Father to me.”  I don’t need a lengthy time of praise to crank my flesh up to speed.  At the mere mention of His name I am ready to fall to my knees and worship.  He has touched me so deeply that I must respond.

I didn’t realize it, but God was also out to break my deep‑seated desire to be somebody important.  (Everyone I’ve ever known has had this desire too.)  I was just floating along on a cloud of simply loving Jesus and hungering after the Lord, but there was some hidden poison still lurking in my heart and God wanted it out.

It was the glory of God that finally destroyed the yoke around my neck.  Before God touched me, I always thought that God had called me to a greater grace and a higher calling than to just be somebody’s “flunky musician.”  I thank God for His mercy and grace in forgiving my arrogance.

Just when I was convinced that God wasn’t doing anything in me, He brought all my wrong motives to the surface.  In the first few weeks of the revival, any time Stephen or Pastor Kilpatrick would interrupt one of my songs or stop the worship service to say something, I would be totally offended.  I wouldn’t say anything or change my actions, but in my spirit I was offended.  My face might have been smiling but my heart and head were shouting, “Doggone you, get away from the microphone.  I don’t interrupt your sermons, do I?  Now stay out of my hair ‑ I’m trying to lead worship here.”  (I am not interested in being “politically correct” in this book; my goal is to speak the truth in love so that you and others can avoid the mistakes I made and move directly into God’s best.)

It was wrong, but I felt like these godly men were invading my territory.  Musicians seem to have an old link to lucifer the first rebellious worship leader ‑ they have a pride that is never satisfied.  They jealously guard what is “theirs” and then wonder why they don’t have what the pastor or evangelist has too.

God would be using me mightily in worship, and then this “old ugly” would come out.  Right then and there, in the middle of an anointed Brownsville Revival service, I would feel my hidden spiritual pride, piety, and ego rise to the surface.  I’d catch myself thinking, I’ve been in this thing a long time, and here is some old drug addict [Stephen Hill] preaching a sermon.  Dear God, he just said he got saved in 1975!  I was rolling on the floor and speaking tongues in 1975.  Why, I’ve been in church all my life and never veered from the path!  (Sounds like the older brother of the Prodigal son, doesn’t it?)

God never let me get away with it.  He would just zap me and say, “Stop it.  If you want Me, humble yourself.”  Yes, you thought you had that jealousy under control, but I brought that out to show you that you don’t.  Repent of it, and let it go.”

One of the greatest joys of working with Pastor John Kilpatrick and Stephen Hill is the fact that they are transparent.  They prefer direct communication.  I told Pastor John one night after service, “You know, God has brought out some really ugly stuff in me, and I’ve had to repent.”  I don’t think he was surprised, but I do know he was pleased.

When the Spirit’s work was complete in the area of my calling and self‑worth in Christ (He has so much more to do in me), I had a totally different attitude.  Now any time those brothers need to say something or interrupt for any reason, I think, ‘That’s fine, brother.  I trust your judgement.  Go ahead and do anything you want to do.  If you want to prophesy, if you want to stop me in the middle of my favourite song, that’s fine.’  Yes, the musician in me will still occasionally grumble a little bit when I’m interrupted, but now I have a tolerance for it.  I just tell myself, Oh well, what is the big deal?  The guy is trying to follow the Lord here.  Relax.

Pastor Kilpatrick, Stephen Hill, and I have great confidence in one another today.  We trust each other.  We’ve cried and wept in each other’s arms, and we are soldiers.  We’ve been in the fox hole together, we’ve watched out for each other’s back, so all of the small differences and irritations just don’t bother us now.

New Things ‑ Even in Revival

Once my eyes were opened to the incredible work God was doing in me those first two weeks of revival, I became content.  I realized, for the first time in my life, that I wasn’t “somebody’s” piano player ‑ I was God’s piano player.  (My mother had been saying it for decades, but I guess I just wasn’t listening close enough.)  If that was what God wanted me to do for the rest of my life, than praise His name; I would be content.  I had to pass that hurdle before the other gifts within me could be released to grow.  If I had failed to pass that test, my selfish ambitions would have tainted all the other gifts and callings in my life.

Very early in the revival we began to notice some supernatural occurrences in the worship service that let us know God was personally involved in this revival ‑ even in areas not related to the hundreds of souls won each night and the filled altars.  I looked in my personal journal and found an entry dated August 17, 1995 (about two months after the revival began.)  This is what I wrote down after I got home that night:

August 17, 1995

The service tonight seemed to be pretty average until the very end.  As I was about to leave, I talked with Richard Crisco, the youth pastor, and he questioned me about a particular worship chorus we had sung toward the end of the service.  It was an ad lib thing that just came out of the air.  He wanted to know how I was able to cue the sound track tape to come in as precisely as it did.  I told him there was no tape, it was just me and the keyboard ‑ there weren’t even any singers, but he didn’t believe me.  He said that he had heard at least three voices and several instruments.

As  Richard spoke, I remembered that I too had heard a third voice singing a beautiful counter melody, but was so caught up in the presence of the Lord that I didn’t see who was singing, or who it might be.  I knew I was singing, and I assumed it was Jeff Oettle [one of the worship singers at the time] or someone who had felt inspired and grabbed the mike to join in.

As Richard talked, I remembered two things: First, the third voice was exceptionally clear, and the counter melody sounded rehearsed.  Second, when we had finished singing, I went to sit by Pastor John who was a little lost in the Spirit (in other words, he was out like he always is), and he told me in slurred speech, “That new chorus you just did was wonderful.  Could you do it again tomorrow night?”

Later on, Benny Johnson (the sound guy) and Van Lane (the children’s pastor) told me that they had heard it too.  They were at the sound board, and were trying to find out what channel the third voice was on.  [It wasn’t going through the sound board at all!]

My conclusion, that the third voice was definitely not of this world, wow.

Later that week I asked Jeff Oettle, “Were you singing with me?”

“No, but I was standing on stage.”

Then I asked him, “Did anybody else sing with me?”

I already knew the answer ‑ no.

All this happened during a Thursday night service, and I remember that the entire worship team was exhausted because early in the revival we used to sing for hours at the end.  Somewhere close to midnight the band started to really sound bad and the singers were nearly out of it, so I dismissed them so they could get some rest.  I punched in a piano program with a breathy sound on my electronic keyboard, and I just started playing a chord with a monastic Gregorian chant style.

I clearly remember hearing a backup voice and a third voice come in that was singing a perfect counter melody to my song, except that it wasn’t repeating what I was saying ‑ that would have been impossible anyway.  I was making it up as I went.  Yet this voice was singing at the same time I was singing in perfect counter melody with an incredibly clear voice.

I was making up the melody and words as I went and the other voices were singing right along with me while putting in these little moves in their melodies.  I was kind of thinking, “That’s cool, whoever that is.”

Two girls from Puerto Rico who had backgrounds in witchcraft came to the revival that night.  When I started singing this song, hundreds of people were still being prayed for at the altars, and it is normally pretty loud.  When I started to sing, “Ha‑ha‑hallelujah…” accompanied only by the keyboard, everything became totally quiet.  The song (with the heavenly voices) was so impressive that everyone stopped to listen.  This went on for probably two or three minutes.  (Everybody I questioned that night heard it.)

When I stopped singing, one of the Puerto Rican girls sitting to my far right released a blood‑curdling scream and I thought, How rude of you to interrupt.  But it was almost as though a demon had left.  The girl told one of the intercessors who was working with her that she had tried to get deliverance from the witchcraft that she had practiced for years, and she’d never been really free of it.  Once the angels started singing, that demon left her, and that was that.

It Comes Full Circle

Once I allowed my insecurities and religious pride to be broken, God began to speak into my life again through prophecy.  A prophet named Michael Ratcliff prophesied in the revival in 1995 that the Lord was giving me an anointing of “imperialism”.  At the beginning of the prophecy he said that I had laid down the anointing to speak the Word because I felt it was inappropriate, but that God was commanding me to open my mouth, and that I would be used as a spearhead to pierce the darkness.

He said that when I or my music went to Taiwan or mainland China, God would give me eight different currencies to work with, and that He would begin to bless me financially.  I was to give and be free with it, and the people would be touched, as well as the officials.

He also said God would give me a song that would be sung around the world, and that the Lord was giving me a ministry to heal marriages.  The song would be about the Lord and His love for the union of marriage.  Some of the marriages healed through the song would be the marriages of heads of state in many countries and I would sing and speak the Word of the Lord to them.

Ruth Heflin prophesied early in 1966 that because I had embraced the harvest, the Lord would make my path flat.  I should take no thought, and I should not worry about the things that others do, because God would provide all that I needed ‑ houses, food, and clothing.  She also said that the Lord would move me from harvest to harvest.  Anywhere in the world that there is a harvest, I would have a portion of it.  The Lord said that there was a generation that would follow me, though they’re incomplete, but the Lord would raise them up, and they would follow.

These prophecies closed a prophetic circle in my life by fully confirming the prophecies spoken over me long ago.  Some of them have come to pass already and others are in process.  Since they were in full agreement with what God had already put on my heart, I embraced them with joy.  From time to time I remind the Lord about His promises to me and stand on His faithfulness.  As a young man not yet in his 40’s, I am hardly old enough to publish an autobiography of my life, but I am obligated of the Lord to share some of the lessons I’ve learned along the path of obedience.

For reasons known only to God, I have catapulted to a place of national and international exposure, and I am well aware that thousands of leaders and would‑be leaders are watching me.  I am writing this book from the things that I know and have experienced, and I will leave other subjects to those better qualified than I. …

The glory of God has fallen on Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida, and it has also fallen in significant measure in Toronto, Ontario and at Holy Trinity Brompton Anglican Church in London, England.  At this writing literally thousands of reports are flooding the offices of Brownsville Assembly testifying that God’s glory is falling all across the globe. …

If you have abandoned the old landmarks that God established in your life years ago, then it is time for you to hurry back to those landmarks.  Clear away the brush and debris that hide them and once again cherish the word of the Lord over your life.  Protect those things that are holy and cleanse those things that are unclean.

Used with permission from A Touch of Glory by Lindell Cooley (Revival Press, Destiny Image, 1997), Chapter 8, pages 119‑132.

(c) 2011, 2nd edition.  Reproduction allowed with copyright included in text.

Renewal Journal – contents of all issues & links to articles

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All Renewal Journal Topics

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

Contents: Renewal Journal 11: Discipleship

Transforming Revivals, by Geoff Waugh

Standing in the Rain: Argentine Revival, by Brian Medway

Amazed by Miracles, by Rodney Howard-Brown

A Touch of Glory, by Lindell Cooley

The “Diana Prophecy,” by Robert McQuillan

Mentoring, by Peter Earle

Can the Leopard Change his Spots? by Charles Taylor

The Gathering of the Nations, by Paula Sandford

Book Review: Taking our Cities for God, by John Dawson

Renewal Journal 11: Discipleship – PDF

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Revival Blogs Links:

See also Revivals Index

See also Revival Blogs

See also Blogs Index 1: Revivals

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS(BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH(CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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evangelism, revival, transformation ,

Renewal

by Geoff 6 August 2011 No Comments

A Renewal2

A Renewal All2

Renewal

I make all things new

Renewal – PDF

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Two books compiled in one volume

A summary survey of historical and current revival.  Chapters are compiled from revival articles in the Renewal Journals.

This book explores a few facets of our Lord’s renewal of all things. 

 

Contents

Chapter 1, Renewal Ministry, explores how renewal applies to our lives as we love God and love others.

Chapter 2, Revival Worship, notes current developments in renewal worship and ministry.

Chapter 3, New Wineskins, tackles issues about emerging churches and networks.

Chapter 4, Vision for Ministry, dreams big and explores some implications of renewal in ministry and service.

Chapter 5, Community Transformation, touches on the amazing current renewal transformation in communities and ecology.

Chapter 6, Astounding Church Growth, surveys the explosive expansion of the church during the last century.

These chapters are compiled and reproduced from these articles, also available here on line:

Renewal Ministry (Issue 7: Blessing)

Revival Worship (Issue 6: Worship)

New Wineskins to Develop Ministry (Issue 15: Wineskins)

Vision for Ministry (Issue 16: Vision)

Community Transformation (Issue 20: Life)

Astounding Church Growth (Issue 2: Church Growth)

Foreword

He who sat on the throne says, “Behold I make all things new.”

Revelation 21:5

Jesus Christ is Lord.  Every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

He reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords – not just in some future time or only in heaven.  He reigns now.  He makes all things new.

Ultimately, everything will be new.  “Then the end will come when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.  For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:24-25).

All dominion, authority and power belong to Jesus our Lord.  He makes all things new.

We call that process by many names, including renewal.  Our Lord is renewing everything.  Right now he is doing that in all the earth, especially with everyone born anew or born again (John 3:3, 7).

Yet, renewal is far more than conversion, vital as that is.  Our Lord is making all things new, not just some people.  His renewing is cosmic and eternal.  He is renewing ecology as well as communities.  He heals the land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

This book explores a few facets of his renewal of all things.  Each chapter is reproduced from my articles in the Renewal Journal.

Chapter 1, Renewal Ministry, explores how renewal applies to our lives as we love God and love others.

Chapter 2, Revival Worship, notes current developments in renewal worship and ministry.

Chapter 3, New Wineskins, tackles issues about emerging churches and networks.

Chapter 4, Vision for Ministry, dreams big and explores some implications of renewal in ministry and service.

Chapter 5, Community Transformation, touches on the amazing current renewal transformation in communities and ecology.

Chapter 6, Astounding Church Growth, surveys the explosive expansion of the church during the last century.

The companion book to this one, Revival, is compiled from other articles originally published in the Renewal Journal, specifically:

Revival Fire (from Issue 1: Revival)

Spirit Impacts in Revival (from Issue 13: Ministry)

Revivals into 2000 (from Issue 14: Anointing)

Revival in the 21st Century (from Issue 11: Discipleship)

Our Lord is making all things new – your life, your relationships, your destiny.  I hope these books both inform and inspire.

Reproduction is allowed and encouraged with the copyright intact with the text.  These articles are also available on the internet.

Renewaljournal.com – 1st editions

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Revival Blogs Links:

See also Revivals Index

See also Revival Blogs

See also Blogs Index 1: Revivals

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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evangelism, revival, transformation ,

Revival

by Geoff 6 August 2011 No Comments

A Revival2

A Revival All2

Revival

I will pour out my Spirit

Revival – PDF

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A Renewal2Renewal

Blog – details

Renewal – PDF

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A Revival2Revival

Blog – details

Revival – PDF

Book Depository – free airmail postage

Amazon – look inside

Two books compiled in one volume

Free postage worldwide from The Book Depository

Also on Amazon and Kindle

A summary survey of historical and current revival.  Chapters are compiled from revival articles in the Renewal Journals.

Contents

Foreword

1   Revivals to 1900

2   20th Century Revivals

3   1990s – Decade of Revivals

4   21st Century Revivals

See also Revivals Index

Foreword

I will pour out my Spirit

Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:17-18

Revivals bring thousands into God’s kingdom as his Spirit moves powerfully in the earth.  All revivals carry some or most of the characteristics of Pentecost, the prototype and forerunner of revivals.  Peter, preaching then, explained what was happening from Joel’s famous prophecy (Acts 2:17-21):

And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
 And they shall prophesy.
I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.
And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the LORD
Shall be saved.

This book provides a summary overview of many revivals since the first Great Awakening in the eighteenth century including some current revivals now transforming communities.  I give more details in my book Flashpoints of Revival, and still further details including footnotes in Revival Fires (see Appendix).

Flashpoints of Revival     Revival Fires

This book gives a brief glimpse of revival in summaries.  These are compiled from my articles in the Renewal Journal, available on the web at renewaljournal.com, especially the Blogs:

Revival Fire (from Issue 1: Revival)

Spirit Impacts in Revival (from Issue 13: Ministry)

Revivals into 2000 (from Issue 14: Anointing)

Revival in the 21st Century (from  Issue 11: Discipleship & Transforming Revivals)

The companion book to this one, Renewal, also contains chapters drawn from my Renewal Journal articles, namely:

Renewal Ministry (Issue 7: Blessing)

Revival Worship (Issue 6: Worship)

New Wineskins to Develop Ministry (Issue 15: Wineskins)

Vision for Ministry (Issue 16: Vision)

Community Transformation (Issue 20: Life)

Astounding Church Growth (Issue 2: Church Growth)

Our Lord and God still pours out his Spirit, affecting untold millions of people, churches, communities and even nations.  I hope these books both inform and inspire you.

Reproduction is allowed and encouraged with the copyright intact with the text.  These articles are also available on the internet.

Renewaljournal.com – 1st editions

https://renewaljournal.com – 2nd editions and eStore

Amazon – see ‘Geoff Waugh’ for journals and books

Resources

This book gives a brief glimpse of revival in summaries.  These are compiled from articles in the Renewal Journal :

Revival Fire (from Issue 1: Revival)

Spirit Impacts in Revival (from Issue 13: Ministry)

Revivals into 2000 (from Issue 14: Anointing)

Revival in the 21st Century (from  Issue 11: Discipleship & Transforming Revivals)

The companion book to this one, Renewal, also contains chapters drawn from Renewal Journal articles, namely:

Renewal Ministry (Issue 7: Blessing)

Revival Worship (Issue 6: Worship)

New Wineskins to Develop Ministry (Issue 15: Wineskins)

Vision for Ministry (Issue 16: Vision)

Community Transformation (Issue 20: Life)

Astounding Church Growth (Issue 2: Church Growth)

Renewal Journal – Contents  – All issues with links to articles

Book Depository – Renewal Journals – free postage worldwide – $8

Amazon – Revival  – with ‘Look inside’, reviews and details

The Book Depository – Revival – (free postage worldwide)

 

Blogs about recent revival movements:


God’s Surprises – Blog
God’s Surprises – PDF
Biographical stories of current revivals in over 20 countries


Jesus’ Last Promise – Blog and Video – Pentecost
You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you


God’s Promise – Blog and Video – I will pour out my Spirit
Seeing God’s Spirit poured out in over 20 countries

 

Revival Blogs Links:

See also Revivals Index

See also Revival Blogs

See also Blogs Index 1: Revivals

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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Pentecostal/Charismatic Pioneers, by Daryl Brenton

by Geoff 22 July 2011 1 Comment

Pentecostal/Charismatic Pioneers

by Daryl Brenton


Daryl Brenton wrote this article summarising the influence of 20 pioneers as part of his Bachelor of Ministry studies at the School of Ministries of Christian Heritage College at Brisbane Christian Outreach Centre.  He served in Papua New Guinea as a Language Programme Co-ordinator with the Bible Translation Association.

 

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Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism
https://renewaljournal.com/2011/07/22/evangelism/

 _______________________________________________

Christ as Saviour, Sanctifier/Baptiser in the Holy Spirit,

Healer, and Coming Lord, are important in the formation

of Pentecostal/Charismatic ministry and evangelism.

________________________________________________

The late 19th Century saw a blend of four major doctrines that produced a seedbed for Pentecostal/Charismatic theology and ministry in popular Evangelical and Fundamental circles. These doctrines: Christ as Saviour, Sanctifier/Baptiser in the Holy Spirit, Healer, and Coming Lord, are important in the formation of Pentecostal/charismatic ministry and evangelism.

A Precursor

Edward Irving (1792‑1834) was appointed as a Scottish Presbyterian pastor of a London congregation in 1822. He developed a Christology which essentially said that Jesus took on the complete human condition and was only enabled to live a sinless life or work any miracles through the operation of the Holy Spirit. Thus the means of sanctification and miracles were considered to come via the operation of the Holy Spirit in people.  His church used gifts of the Spirit including tongues, prophecy and healing prayer.  Expelled from his church, he established the Catholic Apostolic Church.  The movement was used by early Pentecostal theologians as an interpretative guide for their own experience.

Two Instigators

Charles Parham (1873‑1929) was the founder of two bible schools and many Apostolic Faith churches, author of two books and editor of a publication promoting Pentecostal theology.  He was first to formulate the opinion that baptism in the Spirit was shown by the occurrence of speaking in other tongues (1901).  This gave emerging Pentecostals an identity separate from previous holiness movements.  Along with this, he gave the movement a strong missionary emphasis through his expectation that the reinstatement of tongues would lead to a world‑wide missionary movement and had a large influence on the spread of the doctrine of divine healing.

William Seymour (1870‑1922) was the other outstanding person involved in the beginning of the Pentecostal movement.  Seymour was influenced by Parham’s theology and started a mission (1906) which became famous/infamous as thousands of people came to see what was happening.  Publication of the periodical, Apostolic Faith reached 50,000 and gave Seymour a wide influence.  While his influence was curtailed by 1914, Seymour is still regarded as having influenced every Pentecostal strand, either directly or indirectly through the Azusa St. Mission in Los Angeles.

Classic Pentecostals

Donald Gee (1891‑1966) spent a significant amount of time as a Bible teacher, editor, author, historian and Pentecostal theologian.  He served as vice chairman and chairman of the British A.O.G. for ten years and three years respectively.  With this influence, Gee tried to stifle the parochialism of the day and made efforts to promote ecumenicalism within and without Pentecostalism.  His wrote more than thirty books and over five hundred articles.

Smith Wigglesworth (1859‑1947), an effective personal evangelist, was primarily famous for his emphasis on faith and the miraculous healings and other answers to prayer that accompanied his ministry.  This combination has made Wigglesworth an important example for Christians of every denomination to believe for miraculous answers from God and was often called the Apostle of Faith.  Wigglesworth was influential in the life of David du Plessis through a prophecy and subsequent advice, which directed David into a widespread ecumenical ministry.

Healing Evangelists

Maria Woodworth‑etter (1844‑1924) started as a Holiness minister.  Because she was a woman preacher and her meetings were attended with supernatural occurrences, she drew great media attention.  From 1885 on, her ministry had large numbers of conversions.  She claimed to experience speaking in tongues, prophecy and other charismata.  In 1912, Maria preached at F.F.Bosworth’s church, influencing many important Pentecostal leaders in the USA.  All of this greatly helped to spread the Pentecostal message and must have served the cause of women’s calling and gifting in ministry.

Aimee Semple Mcpherson (1890‑1944) served as an evangelist for the A.O.G. and later founded the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.  She edited a publication, The Bridal Call, opened a radio station, wrote several books, started a bible college (L.I.F.E.) and an aid organisation for the poor and distressed and encouraged many women to enter into ministry.  One of her main goals was to challenge her followers to trust in Jesus.  Her vision was interdenominational and worldwide, from the start.

John G. Lake (1870‑1935) was noted for a marvellous healing ministry and his contribution to the establishment of the Apostolic Faith Mission in South Africa where he established over 600 churches in seven years.  He was influenced by Alexander Dowie, William Seymour and Charles Parham.  In his missionary work, John helped to establish one of the largest works in South Africa.  Returning to America, John settled in Spokane, Washington and established some churches and his famous Healing Rooms.  Here it was estimated that over 100,000 people were healed.

Oral Roberts (1918‑) is internationally famous for his message of hope and healing. Oral’s huge crusades helped to revitalise Pentecostalism after WWII, he was instrumental in helping form the FGBMFI and greatly influenced the foundation of the Charismatic movement with his ecumenical style.  Wide spread use of TV, radio, books, magazines, newspaper articles, personalised letters and intercessory prayer made him one of the most influential Christian leaders in the USA.  His decision, in 1968, to affiliate with the United Methodist church formed a bridge for the Pentecostal message to move into mainline churches.  Oral established one of the most amazing educational organisations in the world.  The Oral Roberts University and the City of Faith medical and research facility, both run on Christian principles and prepare many Christians for the ministry, mission work and vocations.

Kathryn Kuhlman (1907‑76) was one of the world’s best known female evangelists.  By the age of twenty eight, Kathryn had established a church with a 2,500 seater building and an influential radio ministry.  At thirty nine, miraculous healings unexpectedly began to occur in her meetings, bringing her national fame through ‘Redbook’ magazine.  She regularly filled a 7000 seat auditorium for ten years, having outgrown one with 2500 seats.  Kathryn had a great impact on the Charismatic movement through her widespread fame.

The Latter Rain Movement

George Hawtin (1909‑) was prominent in the early Latter Rain movement.  He pioneered a bible institute as a Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada pastor in 1935.  George resigned in 1947 and joined Herrick Holt’s ‘Sharon’s Global Missions’ as president.  Shortly after this, a revival in the bible school brought him a leading role in the resulting movement.  His leadership was rapidly eclipsed as others took on leadership roles.

Myrtle Beall (1896‑1979) ‑ founded the Bethesda Missionary Temple, with a 3000 seat building, from a Sunday school ministry.  Originally an A.O.G. church, the Bethesda temple withdrew its membership, as it became a centre of the Latter Rain movement.  It provided direction for many North American churches.  Her son James succeeded her as senior pastor in the late 1970’s and is an influential charismatic renewal leader and contributed to many charismatic journals.  Myrtle’s daughter, Patricia Gruits, authored an important book, Understanding God (1962), which has influenced many churches’ theology in the USA.

Modern Pentecostals

Yonngi Cho (1936‑) was elected general superintendent of the Korean A.O.G. in 1966 and is the pastor of the world’s largest single congregation with 800,000 people.  Cho has also authored many books on faith and church growth which have been very influential.  Perhaps Cho’s greatest contribution has been the establishment of ‘Church Growth International’, which has promoted the principles of home cells, prayer and fasting, which have made such a change to his church.

Demos Shakarian (1913‑) was the founder of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International and has helped to spread the Pentecostal message into many countries.  FGBMFI has over 300,000 members world wide and is a non‑denominational organisation.  It has been a great impetus to the Charismatic movement.

David du Plessis (1905‑87) was instrumental in promoting ecumenical fellowship between factions of the Pentecostal movement and later, between the Pentecostals and Evangelicals.  Perhaps his greatest influence was in his unofficial liaison between the Pentecostal movement and the World Council of Churches.  Through this work, representatives from mainline churches found a non‑antagonistic representative of the Pentecostal message with whom they could establish a rapport.  He also lectured in many universities and seminaries This greatly influenced the formation of the Charismatic movement.

David Wilkerson (1931‑) was an A.O.G. pastor who established Teen Challenge as an organisation which would cater for the converts from his successful street evangelism ministry in New York City.  He established a bible institute as a part of Teen Challenge and the organisation has become international as World Challenge.  David also co‑founded Times Square church in New York City.  Of his many books, perhaps the most influential has been The Cross and the Switchblade which sparked interest about baptism in the Holy Spirit from both Protestant and Catholic circles.

Loren Cunningham (1914‑) was the founder of Youth With a Mission (YWAM).  Once an A.O.G. youth pastor, Cunningham’s vision has spawned an international missionary organisation that is primarily manned by self‑supporting, short‑term, volunteer youth.  Through this organisation, a school of ministry has been established, much missionary work has been accomplished in many countries and aid has been distributed to needy countries.  YWAM’s emphasis is on spiritual and physical aid to the mission field and finding, then obeying God’s will.

John Wimber (1934‑) founded the Vineyard Ministries International.  John had worked as a church growth consultant with hundreds of churches of many denominations.  The occurrence of healings in his ministry in 1977, launched him into an international ministry and an intense church planting program.  He lectured at Fuller Seminary on the relationship of miracles and church growth, influencing many upcoming ministers.

The Charismatic Movement

Dennis Bennett (1917‑) was an Episcopalian clergyman who was baptised in the Spirit in 1959.  Taking over a parish which was due to close for the third time, Dennis transformed it into the strongest Episcopalian parish in Northwest America within twelve years.  His testimony introduced thousands of people to the charismatic experience in the US.  and overseas, often lecturing in major universities and theological schools.  He helped to found the Episcopal Renewal Ministries.

John Sherrill (1923‑) worked as senior editor for Guideposts for several years and with his wife Elizabeth, has co‑authored several influential charismatic books.  His, They Speak with other Tongues was an important book in shaping the charismatic movement.  It explained charismatic phenomena and how he, an Episcopalian, had been baptised in the Spirit.  He and his wife also co‑authored The Cross and the Switchblade, another influential book

Pentecostalism can be seen as a bridge between the currents of the Holiness movement and the modern Charismatic movement.  It preserved a specific type of theology with a strong emphasis on evangelism in the power of the Holy Spirit that has been released into the main body of Christendom in recent years.  Its ministers came from all walks and stations of life and reflect God’s multi‑faceted character.

 Language Programme Co-ordinator

  with Bible Translation Association

One of the stories which really affected me was about an expatriate translator who was working in the Sepik province of Papua New Guinea in the 1970s.  Once, after a three-hour canoe ride, this translator arrived in a village of another language group and she noticed that there was a church building in the village square.  When she asked the people if there was a missionary staying with them, they replied that no, there was not.  She asked if they had a pastor and again they said, “No.”  Finally, she asked them why they had built a church and they answered, “We are waiting for someone to come and translate God’s Word for us.”  When I heard these words, I began to realise that English readers have dozens of Bible translations, and thousands of Bible resources, but many people do not even have scripture in their language, let alone commentaries, Bible studies, and other books that we take for granted.  The tragedy of this story is that no one was available to take up the project in this particular village.

While thinking about these kinds of issues, we met the Executive Director of the PNG Bible Translation Association as he was passing through Brisbane.  It occurred to me that if a time ever came when expatriate organisations would have to leave the country, a national organisation could still be effectively in place.  So, I thought that helping BTA would be something important that I could do to support the Kingdom of God in Papua New Guinea.

Daryl Brenton (http://pngbta.org/node/70)

© Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism, 1997, 2nd edition 2011.
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright intact with the text.
Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)

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Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism
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Renewal Journals:  https://renewaljournal.com/renewal-journals/

Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism

Power Evangelism, by John Wimber

Supernatural Ministry, by John White

Power Evangelism in Short-Term Missions, by Randy Clark

God’s Awesome Presence, by R Heard

Evangelist Steve Hill, by Sharon Wissemann

Reaching the Core of the Core, by Luis Bush

Evangelism on the Internet, by Rowland Croucher

“My Resume” by Paul Grant

Gospel Essentials, by Charles Taylor

Pentecostal/Charismatic Pioneers, by Daryl Brenton

Characteristics of Revivals, by Richard Riss

Book Reviews: Flashpoints of Revival & Revival Fires, by Geoff Waugh

Contents of all Renewal Journals

Amazon – Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism – $8

Amazon – all journals and books

Link to all Renewal Journals

All Renewal Journal Topics

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

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https://renewaljournal.com/2011/07/22/evangelism/
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Reaching the Core of the Core, by Luis Bush

by Geoff 22 July 2011 No Comments

Reaching the Core of the Core

by Luis Bush

 

 

Dr Luis Bush, International Director of the AD 2000 & Beyond Movement writes on evangelism among unreached people groups.

 

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Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism
https://renewaljournal.com/2011/07/22/evangelism/

 ___________________________________________________

If we are faithful to the Scriptures,

obedient to the mandate of Christ,

and unwavering in our commitment to plant churches

within every people and city,

then we will get to the core of the core

‑ The 10/40 Window.

___________________________________________________

The core of the unreached people of our world live in a rectangular‑shaped window!  Often called “The Resistant Belt,” the window extends from West Africa to East Asia, from ten degrees north to forty degrees north of the equator.  This specific region, which has increasingly become known as The 10/40 Window, encompasses the majority of the world’s Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists ‑ billions of spiritually impoverished souls.

As we approach the end of this millennium, it is imperative that our evangelistic efforts be focused among the people who inhabit The 10/40 Window.  If we are serious in our commitment to provide a valid opportunity for every person to experience the truth and saving power of Jesus Christ, we cannot ignore the compelling realities within this region.

The 10/40 Window confronts us with several important considerations:

first, the historical and biblical significance;

second, the least evangelized countries;

third, the dominance of three religious blocs;

fourth, the preponderance of the poor;

fifth, the unreached ethnolinguistic people groups;

sixth, the least evangelized megacities; and,

seventh, the strongholds of Satan within The 10/40 Window.

1.  The historical and biblical significance

The first and most fundamental reason why committed Christians must focus on The 10/40 Window is because of the biblical and historical significance of this area.  Indeed, the Bible begins with the account of Adam and Eve placed by God in the heart of what is now The 10/40 Window.

God’s plan, expressed in Genesis 1:26, was that mankind should have dominion over the earth, subduing it fully.  However, Adam and Eve sinned against God and forfeited their right to rule.

Mankind’s sinful behaviour increased until God intervened and judged the earth with a cataclysmic flood.  Then came mankind’s futile attempt to establish new dominion in the building of the great Tower of Babel.  That effort, which also occurred in the heart of The 10/40 Window, was an open defiance against God.  Once again, God reached forth his hand in judgment.  The result was the introduction of different languages, the scattering of earth’s people, and the formation of the nations.

In The 10/40 Window we can see clearly the crucial truth expressed in Graham Scroggie’s book The Drama of World Redemption: “A World having turned from God, He left it and chose a man through whom He would ultimately by Christ reach the world.” Certainly we can see how ancient history ran its course in the territory marked by The 10/40 Window, from the cradle of civilization in Mesopotamia across the fertile crescent to Egypt.  Empires rose and fell.  The fate of God’s people Israel varied in relation to their obedience to his covenant.  It was here that Christ was born, lived a perfect life, died sacrificially on the cross, and rose triumphant over death.  The church age was ushered in, and it was not until the second missionary journey of the Apostle Paul that events of biblical history occurred outside The 10/40 Window.  Without question, this is an area of great biblical and historical significance.

2.  The least evangelized countries

The second reason why committed Christians should focus on The 10/40 Window is because it is  home to the majority of the world’s unevangelized people.  The “unevangelized” are people who have a minimal knowledge of the gospel, but have no valid opportunity to respond to it.

While it constitutes only one‑third of earth’s total land area, nearly two‑thirds of the world’s people reside in The 10/40 Window.  With a total population nearing four billion, The 10/40 Window  includes 61 countries, both sovereign states and nonsovereign dependencies.  Those countries with the majority of their land mass lying within the boundaries of The 10/40 Window are included.

Of the world’s 50 least evangelized countries, 37 are within The 10/40 Window.  Yet those 37 countries comprise 95% of the total population of the 50 least evangelized countries! Such a fact leaves no doubt that our challenge in reaching the unreached must centre on the core ‑ The 10/40 Window.

If we take seriously the mandate to preach the gospel to every person, to make disciples of all peoples, and to be Christ’s witnesses to the uttermost part of the earth, we must recognize the priority of concentrating our efforts on The 10/40 Window.  No other area is so blatantly in need of the truth that salvation is only in Jesus Christ.

3.  The dominance of three religious blocs

A third reason we must focus on The 10/40 Window is evident in the fact that it contains three of the world’s dominant religious blocs.  The majority of those enslaved by Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism live within The 10/40 Window.

Viewing the map from left to right the Muslim world can be seen most prominently in a wide band across the north of Africa into the Middle East, a bloc representing over 700 million persons.  In the middle of the map, overshadowing the subcontinent of India is the presence of Hinduism, also constituting a population of more than 700 million.  On the right side of the map is the Buddhist world, encompassing the whole of China.

From its centre in The 10/40 Window, Islam is reaching out energetically to all parts of the globe;  in similar strategy, we must penetrate the heart of Islam with the liberating truth of the gospel.  We must do all in our power to show Muslims that the highest prophet described in the Koran is not Mohammed, but Jesus Christ.  And that He is not only the greatest prophet, but the Son of God Himself who died and resurrected in order that millions of Muslims may be saved.

Overwhelmed with poverty and ravaged by disease, India is victimized even more severely by the spiritual blindness of Hinduism.  To a nation in which fattened cows roam freely among emaciated humans, we must proclaim the truth that Jesus came to give us life, and give it abundantly.

Although officially an atheistic country since the Marxist revolution of the late 1940s, China is nevertheless influenced deeply by its Buddhist roots.  Some scholars, in fact, consider China’s true religion to be a combination of atheism and Buddhism.  In actuality, religion in China is a hodgepodge which includes folklore, mysticism, animism, and occult practices.  Regardless of how one may assess the situation, the fact remains that 1.2 billion Chinese are in desperate need of Jesus Christ.  They represent the largest identifiable block in The 10/40 Window.

4.  The preponderance of the poor

A fourth reason we must focus on The 10/40 Window is because the poor are there.  Of the poorest of the poor, more than eight out of ten live in The 10/40 Window.  On average, they exist on less than $500 per person per year.  Although 2.4 billion of these people live within The 10/40 Window, only 8% of all missionaries work among them.

Bryant L. Myers, in his perceptive article entitled, “Where Are the Poor and Lost?”, states that “the poor are the lost, and the lost are the poor.” He arrived at this conclusion after illustrating that the majority of the unreached live in the poorest countries of the world.

When Christians from 170 countries gathered at Lausanne II in Manila in 1989, great concern was expressed for the materially poor.  In the second section of the Manila Manifesto, that concern was recorded in the following declaration: “We have again been confronted with Luke’s emphasis that the gospel is the good news for the poor (Luke 4:18; 6:20; 7:22) and have asked ourselves what this means to the majority of the world’s population who are destitute, suffering, and oppressed.  We have been reminded that the law, the prophets, the wisdom books, and the teaching and ministry of Jesus all stress God’s concern for the materially poor and our consequent duty to defend and care for them.”

Committed Christians cannot ignore the reality that there is a remarkable overlap between the poorest countries of the world and those which are the least evangelized.

5.  The unreached ethno-linguistic people groups

The fifth reason we must address our concerns on The 10/40 Window is because it contains the largest spiritually bankrupt ethno-linguistic mega-peoples (over one million).  In fact, over 90% of the individuals in these people groups live in The 10/40 Window.

6.  The least evangelized megacities

The sixth major reason we must focus on The 10/40 Window is because it contains the overwhelming majority of the world’s least evangelized megacities ‑ that is, those with a population of more than one million.  Of the top 50 cities on this list, all 50 cities are in The 10/40 Window!  This fact alone underscores the need for prioritizing our efforts to reach each of these great metroplexes with Christ’s love and truth.

7.  The strongholds of Satan

Reason number seven for focusing on The 10/40 Window is that it includes numerous strongholds of Satan.  The billions of people who live in The 10/40 Window have suffered not only the ravages of poverty and disease, they have also been kept from the transforming power of the gospel.  The are poignant examples of the truth expressed in 2 Corinthians 4:4, which states that “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

We must not view this situation with a fatalistic attitude, for we have been granted power to intervene.  In a later passage of the same letter, the Apostle Paul declares: “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world.  On the contrary, the have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3‑4).  Although Satan has established a territorial stronghold in The 10/40 Window, we must not concede one parcel of land nor one person.  The gospel must advance!

Looking back across the pages of history we discover a heartening story about spiritual warfare in the writings of the prophet Daniel.  A fervent man of prayer, Daniel was highly esteemed by God and by the people of his generation.

On one occasion, while waiting on God in prayer, Daniel fasted on bread and water for three weeks.  Finally, a majestic angel whose appearance was as lighting brought an answer to his prayer.  He assured Daniel with the promise that “…your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words” (Daniel 10:12).  However, the angel then went on to explain how, en route to answer Daniel’s prayer, he was detained for 21 days by the demon assigned to the Persian king (Daniel 10:13).  It was only when the archangel Michael arrived to help that he was able to free himself from the battle to go to Daniel.

This fascinating passage unveils the reality and territorial nature of the spiritual battle in the heavenlies.  The angel who visited Daniel announced that he would have to return to the battle over the Persian kingdom.  Apparently, that battle still rages, for ancient Persia is now modern‑day Iran.  Still a stronghold zealously held by Satan, Iran is situated at the centre of the The 10/40 Window.

George Otis, Jr., has concluded that two powerful demonic forces, with great biblical significance, stand at the epicenter of the unreached world ‑ the prince of Persia (Iran) and the spirit of Babylon (Iraq) ‑ and both must be penetrated with the gospel before the Great Commission can be completed.  Otis observes that this will occur in the region of the Garden of Eden, where the command to “subdue the earth” was originally given.

It is evident that the forces of Satan have great power and will resist all attempts to be overcome.  If we are to storm the enemy’s territory, we must put on the full armour of God and fight with the weapons of spiritual warfare described in Ephesians 6.  To depend on anything less is utter foolishness.

The focus of the concerned Christian community 200 years ago was for the coastlands of the world.  A century later, the success of the coastlands effort motivated a new generation to reach the interior regions of the continents.  Within the past decades, the success of the inland thrust has led to a major focus on people groups.  More recently, the world’s burgeoning megacities have also become focal points of concern.  Today, rapidly approaching the third millennium since Christ, we are wise to concentrate our efforts on The 10/40 Window.

Of course, this calls for some of us to reevaluate priorities.  We must find the most innovative ways to reach billions of people within The 10/40 Window with the love and truth of Jesus Christ.  We must mobilize for a massive prayer focus on The 10/40 Window with the body of Christ worldwide.

However, it must be clearly understood that concentration on The 10/40 Window does not mean a curtailing of Christ’s work going on elsewhere around the globe.  Missionary endeavours, in evangelism, training, relief, development, church planting, and mobilization for cross cultural missions should go on unhindered.

If we are faithful to the Scriptures, obedient to the mandate of Christ, and unwavering in our commitment to plant churches within every people and city, then we will get to the core of the core  ‑ The 10/40 Window.  May God grant each of us boldness and wisdom and energy to do our part in taking on this great and eternally significant challenge.

By all means, get involved!

This article was written by Louis Bush, International Director of the AD 2000 & Beyond Movement.

 

© Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism, 1997, 2nd edition 2011.
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright intact with the text.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)

Share good news  –  Share this page freely
Copy and share this link on your media, eg Facebook, Instagram, Emails:
Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism
https://renewaljournal.com/2011/07/22/evangelism/
Renewal Journals:  https://renewaljournal.com/renewal-journals/

Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism

Power Evangelism, by John Wimber

Supernatural Ministry, by John White

Power Evangelism in Short-Term Missions, by Randy Clark

God’s Awesome Presence, by R Heard

Evangelist Steve Hill, by Sharon Wissemann

Reaching the Core of the Core, by Luis Bush

Evangelism on the Internet, by Rowland Croucher

“My Resume” by Paul Grant

Gospel Essentials, by Charles Taylor

Pentecostal/Charismatic Pioneers, by Daryl Brenton

Characteristics of Revivals, by Richard Riss

Book Reviews: Flashpoints of Revival & Revival Fires, by Geoff Waugh

Contents of all Renewal Journals

Amazon – Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism

Amazon – all journals and books

Link to all Renewal Journals

All Renewal Journal Topics

1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

GENERAL BLOGS INDEX

BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)

BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)

BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)

BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)

BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)

BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)

BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)

BACK TO MAIN PAGE

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evangelism, revival ,

Evangelist Steve Hill, by Sharon Wissemann

by Geoff 22 July 2011 2 Comments

Evangelist Steve Hill

Steve Hill

Sharon Wissemann wrote this article on Pensacola Evangelist Steve Hill  in her Diploma of Ministry studies at the School of Ministries of Christian Heritage College in Brisbane, Australia.

 __________________________________________________

Stephen Hill has remained ‘holy, humble and hungry’,

enabling God to entrust him with powerful leadership in revival.

___________________________________________________

Since Sunday 18th June, 1995 hundreds of thousands of lives have been changed as a direct result of the Pensacola Revival in Florida, USA.  The spark that ignited the revival was an evangelist named Steve Hill.

Born Stephen Hill into an upper middle class family in January 1954 in Ankara, Turkey, Hill began to rebel at a very early age.  His life of drinking, smoking and taking other drugs began at nine years of age.  The next twelve years of his life was spent in cults, travel, hard narcotics, parties, music and jail.  Hill was arrested 13 times for car theft, narcotics trafficking and other related crimes.  His life was changed on October 28, 1975 when a Lutheran vicar led him to the Lord by simply saying the name of ‘Jesus’ over and over.  At 11 a.m. that Tuesday morning he had a dramatic conversion when the power of Jesus Christ flooded his soul.

In 1977 Hill entered the Twin Oaks Academy, a leadership training institute in Texas founded by David Wilkerson.  At the Academy he was taught prayer by Leonard Ravenhill and evangelism by Nicky Cruz and through personal experience.  He met his wife, Jeri at the Academy.  After graduating from the school, he entered into church ministry.  God called Hill to the mission field when he took a group of young people to Mexico.

In Argentina that Hill first saw Carlos Annacondia minister to tens of thousands of people.  In his first Annacondia meeting out in the middle of a soccer field he witnessed fifteen to twenty thousand people ‘craving God’.  Although he always had the desire for evangelism, Hill believes that he received the evangelistic anointing from Annacondia, who has lead over two million people to Jesus, when he laid hands on him.

Hill was involved in the Argentine Revival, seeing multitudes saved and healed. For seven years he helped plant seven churches in Buenos Aires and Southern Argentina during this revival.  He also planted churches and conducted church crusades in several other countries such as Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Spain, Russia and Belarus.

As well as from planting churches in various countries, Stephen Hill has been involved ministries such as Teen Challenge, street evangelism, counselling, youth conferences and crusades.  He has helped to establish drug rehabilitation centres in several areas around the world.

In 1995, Hill read an article in Time magazine about the move of God in an Anglican Church in London.  He arranged for a meeting at three o’clock on January 19 with Pastor Sandy Miller of the Holy Brompton Anglican Church to see what was going on.  Over 500 people were shaking and laying on the floor under the power of God when Hill arrived.  Instead of having the appointment, Hill asked Miller to lay hands on him.  He received a new impartation from Miller’s prayer.

On Father’s Day, June 18, 1995 Hill was invited by John Kilpatrick, the Pastor of Brownsville Assembly of God,  to speak at the Sunday morning service.  Kilpatrick had just lost his mother to cancer was emotionally and physically weary, so he requested his longtime friend Hill to speak in his place.  Hill issued an altar call and a thousand people responded.  Kilpatrick says that he felt the sensation of a wind blowing in the church.  Various manifestations occurred such as falling to the ground, weeping and violent shaking.  The morning service was scheduled to finish at noon but continued till 4 p.m.  Likewise the night service was extended and became a five-hour long service.  The Pensacola Revival had begun.

Congregation members asked Hill to stay a several more days.  This he did and began to cancelling appointments, including a trip to Russia.  He decided to stay and moved his family to be near the revival.  It is estimated that over 100,000 people have been saved and over 1 million people from all over the world have visited Pensacola since 1995.  Hill continues to minister in the revival services Wednesday to Saturday nights at Brownsville Assembly of God to this day.  Steve Hill is a leader in current revival.

Why did God choose Hill to start the Brownsville Revival?  There are two answers to this question.  Firstly, God is sovereign and he can choose whoever he pleases to start a revival.  Secondly, Hill possesses certain attributes that enable him to be one of God’s chosen vessels for this revival.

Characteristics

Several features of revivalists outlined in the 1795 classic Accounts of Revivals by John Gillies apply to Steve Hill.

The first feature Gillies listed was that revivalists are earnest about the ‘great work of ministry on which they had entered’.  Steve Hill is an evangelist.  His primary passion and compassion is for the salvation of the lost.  Hill’s preaching echoes the words of John the Baptist and Jesus ‘repent for the kingdom of God is at hand’ (Matt. 3:2; 4:17).

Revivalists are also men of labour.  Gillies explained that they labour for eternity knowing that ‘the time was short and the day of recompense was at hand’.  Hill is convinced of the urgency of this hour.  As an evangelist Hill’s preaching and prayers are geared towards the salvation of the lost, the backsliders and the prodigals.  It is because of his own past of crime and drug addiction that he can relate to the lost in a with insight and compassion.

Revivalists are people of ‘most decided doctrine’.  There is a ‘breadth and a power in their preaching’.  This feature applies to Hill’s preaching.  He knows the Bible and delivers his messages bluntly and directly from the Word of God.  Personally Hill would rather ‘hear the hard truth and live than to fall for a soft lie and die’.  This belief compels Hill to preach the full gospel, including the reality of hell, to people.  He preaches Christ crucified, total atonement and the Blood of Christ.  As the revivalists of old, Hill’s trumpet gives no uncertain sound.

Revivalists are also people of prayer.  Hill sets time aside to pray and sit in God’s presence to learn his instructions and his ways for each day.  Early in his Christian life Hill had been instructed in prayer by Leonard Ravenhill at the Twin Oaks Academy.

Another reason that Hill is involved in this current revival in Brownsville could be that he ‘caught the fire’ from elsewhere and was the spark that ignited the flame.  Throughout his Christian life Hill received impartations from leaders in different fields.  While at Twin Oaks he was taught by David Wilkerson, Leonard Ravenhill and Nicky Cruz.  In Argentina he ‘hung around’ Carlos Annacondia for seven years.  Hill received an impartation from Pastor Sandy Miller of the Holy Trinity Brompton Anglcian Church in London in January 1995.  Several months later, revival broke out in Pensacola.

Hunger is another contributing factor to Hill’s involvement in revival.  At the height of the great revival in Argentina, Hill experienced a personal, spiritual drought even though his devotional time was intact, his marriage was strong and new churches were being planted.  Through this time of testing by God, Hill maintained his time with the Lord during the morning hours.  This drought created a passionate desire within him to have more of God and less of himself in his ministry.  He wanted a fresh touch, a new anointing and craved intimacy with Jesus.  This personal famine produced in him an intense desire for genuine revival amongst sinners.  He wanted a ‘deep holy move of the Spirit amongst sinners’ and to see them ‘drawn to the Lord just by sensing His presence’.  Pensacola is the realization of those desires.

The Brownsville Revival is different from past revivals in history. This revival is not focussed on one particular personality, such as John Wesley or Charles Finney.  Instead it has occurred in one particular location, the Brownsville Assembly of God, Pensacola, Florida, USA, where God has chosen to pour out His Spirit.  Brownsville also illustrates the new team concept that has been prophesied about in recent years.  The team has been nicknamed as Pastor Watchful, Evangelist Street Smart, and Music Director Trendy.  God chose a team without fame or significant national acclaim to lead his revival.

Steve Hill is the evangelist in the current revival at Brownsville.  Saved radically from a life of crime and drug addiction, he has ministered in many places throughout the world.  He was the spark that ignited the Pensacola Outpouring on Father’s Day, June 18 1995, that continues to impact the globe today.  The fruit of the revival proves that Hill has been effective in his gifting and calling as an evangelist.  He is a man of earnest labour, prayer and doctrine dedicated to saving souls and bringing prodigals home.  Hill has caught the fire, ignited it and carried it successfully to this day.

Stephen Hill has remained ‘holy, humble and hungry’, enabling God to entrust him with powerful leadership in revival.

John Kilpatrick & Lindell Cooley, leaders at Brownsville AOG

© Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism, 1997, 2nd edition 2011.
Reproduction is allowed with the copyright intact with the text.

Now available in updated book form (2nd edition 2011)

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Renewal Journal 10: Evangelism

Power Evangelism, by John Wimber

Supernatural Ministry, by John White

Power Evangelism in Short-Term Missions, by Randy Clark

God’s Awesome Presence, by R Heard

Evangelist Steve Hill, by Sharon Wissemann

Reaching the Core of the Core, by Luis Bush

Evangelism on the Internet, by Rowland Croucher

“My Resume” by Paul Grant

Gospel Essentials, by Charles Taylor

Pentecostal/Charismatic Pioneers, by Daryl Brenton

Characteristics of Revivals, by Richard Riss

Book Reviews: Flashpoints of Revival & Revival Fires, by Geoff Waugh

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1 Revival,   2 Church Growth,   3 Community,   4 Healing,   5 Signs & Wonders,
6  Worship,   7  Blessing,   8  Awakening,   9  Mission,   10  Evangelism,
11  Discipleship,   12  Harvest,   13  Ministry,   14  Anointing,   15  Wineskins,
16  Vision,   17  Unity,   18  Servant Leadership,   19  Church,   20 Life

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