Is. 28:16 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone,
A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed.
He who believes in it will not be disturbed.
1Pet. 2:6 For this is contained in Scripture:
“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone,
AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
Matt. 21:42 ¶ Jesus *said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone;
THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD,
AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’?
Eph. 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,
The Lord woke me up early this morning after only a very few hours of sleep and was speaking to me about personal and corporate revival. Throughout Church history there has been a tension about what does revival look like. Is it about entering into supernatural personal holiness, and victory over sins power, or is it about moving in the power of supernatural signs and wonders. The answer is YES!!! It is both, for one represents the character of Jesus and the other represents the ministry of Jesus, and real lasting revival is ALL about JESUS. Those who throughout history have entered into personal revival through the door of the gift of victory over sins prevailing power in their lives, are still missing the other side of “The Life He Lives” in them and through them. You see, He also wants us to allow Him to move in signs and wonders through us in victorious ministry as He sets the oppressed free from the power of the enemy. On, the other hand, those whose experience of personal revival is through the door of being released to move in signs and wonders, generally don’t last, because of personal internal defeat because sin and selfs grip has yet to broken, and they spend their lives chasing the next miracle, or manifestation fix. Victorious Christian Living is supernaturally moving in both the fruit and gifts of The Holy Spirit, Who lives in us to make real the life of the Risen Christ. It’s a TWO DOOR Revival on a personal level, and a FOUR STAR Revival on a corporate level (more about that in a moment) that God is desiring. Your revival is also meant to be a RESTING Revival, for as you enter into the LIFE HE LIVES (I can’t imagine being more revived than experiencing living in and through us the life The Risen Lord Jesus lives) it is a resting faith, (not a begging faith) in His ability and victory over sin, self, situations, and human suffering that is to characterize your own Great Awakening. Listen to, don’t just read, this verse.
Is. 30:15 For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said,
“In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength.”
But you were not willing,
I am convinced though, that though these doors are lined up one in front of the other, the first door is the door of repentance, and the free gifted victory in The Person of Christ over sin, self and defeat. Revival is a Person, and a renewed experience of that Person Jesus Christ. So much damage has been done in the name of revival by those who have gone through the second door of manifestations, and signs and wonders without ever going through the door of personal holiness. Freedom isn’t just about being uninhibited, though that is good, it is first about being uninhabited by the strongholds of sin, and selfs grip. Someone who can jump up and down, which is awesome, but lives down and out in the grip of fear, despair, depression, self pity, anger, pride, lust, etc. isn’t walking in, or rightly demonstrating full revival. Having said that though, if you are inhibited in your passion, worship, and expectation of the signs and wonders of His compassionate heart, then you aren’t demonstrating full revival either. The good news is it doesn’t need to be one or the other. Jesus lived a life in the freedom of holiness, and He also did some crazy, cool stuff in His freedom o love His Father, ministering in His Fathers name. God longs for us to be both Crazy about Him and Crazy for Him.
On a corporate level, God is bringing about a FOUR STAR Revival. He has been telling me this for almost two years. I was at a revival service in a convention center a couple of years ago that had been going on for many months. A couple thousand people attended nightly. It was a real revival and impacted lots of lives. There were real signs and wonders. It was powerful. The first night I went The Lord said “This is a Two Star Revival.” He explained. On my television, when I’m searching movies to watch, the movies are rated from one star up to four stars. The higher the stars, the better the movie. The Lord said a ONE STAR Revival is one that happens supernaturally in a church, but simply impacts that particular church in dramatic ways. It can last for years, but doesn’t have a permanent, or geographical impact. A TWO STAR Revival is one that happens in a certain place, and people come from all around to come and dip in the oil and take it back home. Again this can last for months or even years, but again it isn’t sustainable, and its not geographical. Examples recently would be Toronto, Brownsville, etc. It doesn’t change the culture and the cities around them. A THREE SATR revival is one that becomes geographical. It will change a culture, a city, and nations. The problem is, again, it’s not sustainable. Examples of THREE STAR Revivals would be The Welsh Revival, the Two Great Awakenings, the Shantung Revival of North China, etc. A FOUR STAR Revival is one that is geographical and sustainable, and ever expanding until. All revivals are awesome, but revival means to bring back to normal life, and God wants to restore, the Life that He Lives, which is The Normal Christian Life, and that it should be, of course, sustained and ever expanding.
God is looking for a TWO DOOR REVIVAL personally, and a FOUR STAR REVIVAL, corporately. DIVE IN!!!