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God created sex for married men and women, so it stands to reason that there is a spiritual side to it. (iStock photo )
It's silly not to talk about the No. 1 issue, the No. 1 temptation, the No. 1 economic engine in culture for men—and that's sex.
Testosterone never goes away; your sex life isn't just a physical thing. God knows where your sex life really is—on the inside. There is so much sexual confusion, so much brokenness. I have never met a man who hasn't, in some way, been impacted or broken in the area of sex in one form or another.
God's mind on sex is very positive. Sex is a gift. That's how He created you. Sex is a good thing. He wants you to use that aspect of your life for positive things, not to misuse or abuse it.
God hates sexual sin, not because He hates sex, but because He loves life. Our identity as God's men, our energy and expression sexually is to honor, worship and glorify God.
But the message from culture is that sex is a compartmentalized, private aspect of your life that you really shouldn't talk about a whole lot, and that it's a deeply personal and individualized choice and experience. It's almost a separated functionally in our physical and spiritual lives.
Unfortunately for all of us, culture is wrong, and you can't separate sex and spirituality because God created it. It is not just another bodily function. It's not just another pleasurable experience. It's far more than that. To deny the spirituality of sex is disastrous in your life and the lives of those you've hooked up with.
Let's take a look under the hood. We are going to look at the body. We will eventually go body, mind and spirit, but for this article, we are going to look at the physical aspects of sex and masculinity.
What is going on in your body? Men have testosterone. Our male physical development hits its peak at an early age. It has this bell curve we are all familiar with, but did you know that men have what we would call a man period—or a man's cycle?
Women get blamed for their week of the month. It's not a good time and they are suffering all the time. You know, she's in a bad mood, with good biological reason.
After doing some research, I realized that men have a period too—or a man cycle—connected to their testosterone. I'm going to prove to you emphatically, from your own personal experience, that this is true.
Testosterone levels are highest when: morning or evening?
Testosterone is highest in the morning. That's why you are going hunting in your shorts in the morning. When you wake up, that's when there is blood flow. I don't know why God did that, but for men it's highest in the morning and lowest at bedtime.
Do you know that men also have emotional cycles related to their testosterone levels? It runs in a four- to six-week rhythm.
There are also periods of low testosterone levels, whether you're older or younger. The lowest levels are generally in the spring, usually in April. The spring would be the male sexual winter. When we are in that season of four to six weeks, the key feelings that men have are apathy and indifference.
The peak time is November. I don't know why that is, but maybe that's why it's football season.
Here's where it's actually more serious. Testosterone is very intimately linked to your level of stress, anxiety, depression, aggression and mood. This is very important because negative emotions have a negative impact on the people around you.
Is this a physiological thing? Is this fate? Can we control our hormones' behavior?
Yes, testosterone has the ability to produce more stress, depression, aggression and anger in your life, but you have control over that. It's all about who you are: your beliefs, your values and where are you going to go with those negative emotions and the impacts of testosterone in your life.
That's where we'll go in Part Two, because if there is a natural physiological presence of testosterone, and I'm single, I'm married, I'm more mature, my body is more mature or I'm single again, where do we go with it?
Kenny Luckis the president and founder of Every Man Ministries. As the former men's pastor at Saddleback Church in California and current leadership pastor at Crossline Community Church, Kenny has found the proven way to improve men's ministries around the world. Sleeping Giant is this blueprint, and gives men the tools they need to lead and understand their own men's ministry. Watch Kenny's teachings at everymanministries.com and start your men's group today!
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Posted: 19 Apr 2016 Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG
Is it “anti-faith” to prepare for the very hard times that are coming? You would be surprised at how many Christians believe that this is true. Recently, I have been reading a number of articles by Christian leaders that take the position that Christians should not be preppers, and not too long ago I watched two very well known ministers actually mock the idea of preparing for the future on a major Christian television show. To me, this is exceedingly irresponsible. If you don’t want to do anything to get prepared for the very difficult years that are coming that is your business, but don’t urge multitudes of your fellow believers to go down that road with you. In Matthew 24, Jesus describes what conditions will be like just prior to His return, and He told us that one of the things that we can expect is famine… 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, epidemics, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. Jesus promises us that famine is coming, and if we truly are entering the period of time that the Bible refers to as “the last days”, this is one of the things that we should fully expect to see. And yet there are very prominent preachers out there that have taken the liberty to mock other preachers that are actually encouraging their flocks to store up food and supplies. Well, what are those mocking preachers going to do when things get really crazy and the people in their own congregations don’t have anything to eat? Are those preachers going to personally feed all of them? If you can see what is coming and you don’t warn the people, you are going to be responsible for what happens to them. Without a doubt, it is very clear in the Scriptures that we are not to fear and that we are not to worry. We are repeatedly commanded to trust God with everything in our lives, but does “having faith” mean that we sit back on our couches watching television while we wait for God to do everything for us? Of course not. Radical faith almost always involves radical action. God tells us what to do, and then He expects us to trust Him enough to do what He has instructed us to do. If faith really means doing nothing while God does everything, then why would any of us ever go to work? Why wouldn’t we just sit back and wait for God to miraculously zap the money that we need into our bank accounts for us? And why do those that are “living by faith” ever fill up their vehicles with gasoline? Why don’t they just “trust God” to fill up their tanks every time? Look, without a doubt God can do incredible supernatural things that require absolutely no participation on our part. I know that this is true, because it has happened to me many times. But the vast majority of the time God works with us and through us. He requires us to take challenging steps of faith and obedience, and in the process He leads us, He guides us, He blesses us and He opens doors for us. Just look at the example of Noah. God could have certainly built an ark for Noah, or He could have zapped Noah up to some sort of “heavenly waiting area” while the flood happened. But He didn’t do either of those things. Instead, God ordered Noah to build a boat that was approximately the size of a World War II aircraft carrier, and then He watched as Noah and his family spent years doing exactly that. Noah was the very first “prepper” in the Bible, and his radical faith resulted in radical action. In Hebrews 11:7, Noah is commended for this… 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Unfortunately, many Christian leaders today mock this kind of effort. They seem to believe that if God wants them to survive what is coming then He will do everything for them. Another example that we see in the Scriptures is Joseph. In Genesis chapter 41, God showed Joseph that there would be seven good years followed by seven lean years in the land of Egypt. So how did Joseph respond? He didn’t sit back and relax knowing that seven good years were ahead. Instead, he implemented the greatest “emergency food storage project” that the world had seen up until that time. By heeding God’s warning and taking radical action, he ended up saving the nation of Egypt and his entire family as well. I don’t get why more Christians can’t seem to understand these things. So many of them even admit that incredibly hard times are coming, and yet they accuse me of being “anti-faith” because I am constantly urging my readers to get prepared. The following is an excerpt from one email that was sent to me by a fellow believer some time ago… “Now, although I agree with you about the things you write about the corruption of the financial system, and that there will be a collapse, yet I do not agree with you in promoting people to be self-sufficient contrary to the Lord’s teaching. If you truly have God then no provision needs to be made at all for yourself, just trust in God’s providence alone.” Just consider the implications of what this person was saying. If “no provision needs to be made at all for yourself”, then we should all quit our jobs, empty our bank accounts, quit saving for retirement and cancel our health insurance. Personally, I want to be radical in trusting God, but trusting God almost always involves doing something. There are so many passages in the Bible that speak about working hard and preparing for the future. For instance, the following bit of wisdom found in Proverbs 6:6-11 comes from the Modern English Version…
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise. 7 Which, having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep— 11 so will your poverty come upon you like a stalker, and your need as an armed man.
Approximately one out of every 25 verses in the New Testament is about the last days. God obviously wants us to understand what we are going to be facing, and just like Noah and Joseph, He expects us to take appropriate action. Unfortunately, most evangelical Christians have been taught that there isn’t any need to get prepared for the future because they are going to be taken off the planet before anything really bad happens. For the first 1800 years of the Christian era, the church did not teach this, but over the past 200 years this new doctrine has become dominant in the western world. It is called “the pre-Tribulation rapture”, and I grew up believing it too. But you won’t find it anywhere in the Bible. In my new book entitled “The Rapture Verdict“, I spend 37 chapters conclusively proving that Jesus does not come back and gather His bride until the Tribulation is over. It is the clearest and most comprehensive work on the subject anywhere out there, and it is turning out to be one of the most controversial Christian books of 2016. And even if you believe that a pre-Tribulation rapture is coming, the truth is that America is going to fall before we even get to the Tribulation. This is something that I also cover in my book. So no matter what your view on Christian eschatology is, we all need to be getting prepared to face the exceedingly difficult times that are immediately ahead of us. But just like in the days of Noah, most people are going to ignore the warnings, and the mockers are going to continue to mock until judgment begins. I always expected that unbelievers would mock, but I never expected that so many Christian leaders would gleefully join the mocking. In the end, they and their followers will pay a very great price for not listening to the warnings and not getting prepared while they still had time. *About the author: Michael Snyder is the founder and publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog. Michael’s controversial new book about Bible prophecy entitled “The Rapture Verdict” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.*
It was difficult to watch Rachel Dadon speak to reporters on Israeli television on Tuesday.
Just a day earlier, Rachel and her 16-year-old daughter Eden were wounded when a terrorist’s bomb engulfed their bus in flames in Jerusalem’s Talpiot neighborhood.
Rachel Dadon approached the media microphones a broken woman after visiting her daughter in hospital for the first time since the attack.
“I had a healthy daughter and now it’s difficult to look,” said Rachel, who suffered light injuries in the blast. “No mother wants to go through something like this.”
Eden, her mother recalled, always liked to sit at the back of the bus, so that’s where she ran to as Rachel paid the fare and started making a phone call.
“…suddenly the whole bus blew up. There was soot and something went up in flames,” she said. “At the time I was confused, but in a second I remembered my daughter and looked for her.”
In that split second, Eden, who had sat almost exactly where the bomb was located, had suffered severe burns and other injuries.
“I saw her with burns and her whole skin peeling,” recounted the distraught mother. “She told me, ‘Mom it hurts, it burns.’ Eden sat on the ground and couldn’t move. She asked me to bring her water, but I didn’t have any.”
After that, “things became dark, everything was darkness and blood. I couldn’t find myself,” said Rachel.
Thanks to the quick response time of Israel’s medical services, Eden’s life was saved, but she isn’t yet in the clear. She remains on a respirator at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, where doctors say Eden has improved, but remains in serious condition.
In the aftermath of such senseless violence perpetrated against her child and other innocents, Rachel Dadon sent the following letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhau:
“I call on Netanyahu to wake up. Whenever I saw attacks and wounded victims, I prayed for their recovery. But now I am experiencing it. I can’t stand it. It’s not just me, it’s thousands of people who were left disabled and wounded. It’s scary to just go outside. I didn’t expect to go out to treat my daughter and come back wounded.”
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Some pious people say casino owner Donald Trump is not a godly man. Should we, however, ask: Is Donald Trump God’s man? Retired firefighter Mark Taylor claims the Lord has chosen Mr. Trump to pull America back from the cliff. Rick Wiles interviews Mark about his amazing 2011 prophecy that Donald Trump has been marked by God to lead America.
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Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen during a security and defense tour in the Golan Heights, near the Northern Israeli border with Syria. April 11, 2016. (Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO)
Arab League, U.S., Germany Reject Israel’s Golan Heights Affirmation
“And this shall be your north border: from the Great Sea ye shall mark out your line unto mount Hor.” Numbers 34:7 (The Israel Bible™)
The Arab League has denounced Israel’s “escalation” over control in the Golan Heights, while Germany and the United States also rejected Israeli claims on the strategic territory.
Israel’s cabinet held its weekly meeting in the Golan on Sunday to affirm the Jewish state’s sovereignty in the area.
“Israel will never come down from the Golan Heights….In the 49 years Israel has controlled the Golan, it has been a place of peace and prosperity. Israel today is the solution, not the problem,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
On Monday, Arab League General-Secretary Nabil al-Arabia said Netanyahu’s comments marked “a new escalation that represents a brazen violation of international law.”
At the same time, Germany’s Foreign Ministry on Monday said that Israel’s decision to unilaterally maintain control over the Golan Heights would violate international law. German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer said it is “a basic principle of international law and the U.N. charter that no state can claim the right to annex another state’s territory just like that.”
The U.S. State Department also said that the American position on the Golan Heights has not changed, and that it does not recognize the territory as part of Israel.
Following Netanyahu’s comments, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad said his country would “retake the Golan Heights by any means necessary, including using military force.”
According to recent reports, a negotiated deal on the Syrian civil war that is being worked on by world powers would declare the Golan Heights as Syrian territory.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads the weekly cabinet conference, held in the Golan Heights, Northern Israel on April 17, 2016. (Photo: Effi Sharir/POOL)
Israel gained control of the strategically important Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War. After Israel briefly lost territory during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel and Syria established a United Nations-monitored cease-fire line in the region, with Israel taking the western two-thirds of the territory. Amid the ongoing Syrian civil war, the territory continues to play a strategic role for Israel. Iran, Hezbollah, and the Islamic State terror group all have a presence in Syrian territory near the Israeli border.
A fourth great wave of the Holy Spirit is preparing to let loose. (Flickr )
For a few years I have been meditating on the principles of "catching and surviving every wave of the Holy Spirit" while yet staying grounded in the main and the plain of the doctrines of the historical church.
There have been numerous movements of the Holy Spirit through out our wonderful church history: The Great Reformation, the First and the Second Great Awakenings, the Pietism and Holiness Movement, the Student Volunteer Movement, the Pentecostal Outpouring, followed by the Sign and Wonders Movement, the Latter Rain and Healing and Deliverance Movements and even in more recent times, fresh grace of God upon the Evangelical and charismatic movements and many others.
Every wave of the Holy Spirit has restored truths to the larger body of Christ and often even birthed entire new denominations and ministries. The first mention of the Holy Spirit is that "He moved upon the face of the deep" (Genesis 1:2). So going by the Law of First Mention in Biblical Interpretation, we can say it is the "nature of the Holy Spirit to move and keep on moving."
I have seen or experienced the following expressions of the Christian faith in my own span of 60 years: Evangelical, charismatic, Jesus People, Discipleship, Word of Faith, Third Wave, Global Worship and Prayer emphasis, then shifting into the Prophetic Movement and the New Apostolic Reformation. Within each of these tidal waves there have been the contributing revival peaks such as the Korean Church Growth, Argentine Outpouring, the Chinese Underground Church movement, the Cell Church explosion with its many expressions, the Toronto Blessing, the fire of the Brownsville Revival and numerous other contributing tributaries of God's purposes.
In recent years we have seen some amazing shifts and trends. In the heart of Africa in Nigeria there are all night prayer watches with over one million believers present. In the United States alone we have seen a shift from a handful of 24/7 Houses of Prayer to now over 10,000. Today we have the church getting out of the box into the box office making a relevant impact in the arts, entertainment and media for Jesus sake!
Three Recognized Waves in the 21st Century
The Third Wave is a term was coined in the early 1980s to describe the recent historical working of the Holy Spirit in the global body of Christ. It is part of a larger movement called the "neocharismatic" movement. The Third Wave involved those Christians who have received Pentecostal-like experiences; however, those who identified with this movement often claimed no association with either the Pentecostal or the previous charismatic movements.
The "First Wave" occurred at the beginning of the twentieth century with the rise of the Pentecostal movement, arising in Topeka, Kansas in 1901 with Charles Parham and shifting to the Azusa Street Revival in 1906 with William Seymour, Frank Bartleman and others. This gave birth to many classical Pentecostal denominations such as the Assemblies of God, Church of God, Four Square, Church of God in Christ, Pentecostal Holiness, Open Bible and various other Pentecostal streams.
Other revival movements came on the shores in various parts of the earth as in Wales under young Evan Roberts, Shantung, China with Bertha Smith, and the Hebrides Islands with Duncan Campbell and many other lands.
The "Second Wave" occurred during the 1960s as the charismatic movement spread throughout mainline protestant denominations, as well as the Roman Catholic Church. The Full Gospel Business Men's, Women's Aglow International, the Discipleship and Word of Faith movements were also expressions of this massive global wave.
A parallel movement, based on the West Coast of the United States, was the birthing ground of the Jesus People Movement with the signs and wonders of Lonnie Frisbee and teacher Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel. Contemporary music had its debut with Maranatha Music leading the way with a host of other expressions following in its amazing trail.
The "Third Wave" occurred during the mid-1980s and into 1990s and was associated with leaders such as John Wimber of the Vineyard Movement along with others such as Peter Wagner of the Church Growth Institute and Fuller Seminary, James Robison among the Baptist Fullness Movement, many significant voices of integrity with sound theology such as Jack Deere, Jack Taylor and many, many others.
Movements In Our Life Time
In 1960 in Van Nuys, California, the modern charismatic movement began in an Episcopalian Church (St. Mark's, with Dennis Bennett as rector). There was an outburst of tongues speaking in this church. This event was so significant that bothTime and Newsweek covered the story. After that, the movement spread like wildfire in the Episcopalian and Anglican Church and then among Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists and other main line denominations as well.
At the time of spring vacation in 1967, there were in the Notre Dame area about 30 zealous Catholics who had received the "baptism of the Holy Spirit." In 1970, the increase was more spectacular. Almost 1,300 attended the conference, including Catholics from Canada. In 1973, 22,000 Catholic Charismatics met together at Notre Dame, including Catholic participants from at least 10 foreign countries. By 1974, the Notre Dame conference was attended by 30,000 people. It simply grew and grew.
The Charismatic Conference on Renewal in the Christian Churches was held in Kansas City in the summer of 1977. I was a young leader in the Jesus People Movement in attendance at this grand event. I will never forget the spontaneous praise that broke out for over 20 minutes as Bob Mumford declared, "I looked at the back of the Book, and guess what? We win!" It was an electrifying moment!
All three wings of the Pentecostal movement were present: (1) Classical Pentecostals; (2) Protestant Charismatics; and (3) Catholic Charismatics. This was the biggest and most inclusive gathering of "baptized in the Spirit believers" in modern history. There were nearly 50,000 participants in this 5-day historic conference.
The Signs and Wonders Movement
The Fuller Seminarian C. Peter Wagner first coined the term "Third Wave" in 1983: "I see historically that we're now in the third wave. The first wave of the moving of the Holy Spirit began at the beginning of the century with the Pentecostal movement. The second wave was the charismatic movement, which began in the fifties in the major denominations. Both of those waves continue today. I see the third wave of the eighties as an opening of the straight-line evangelicals and other Christians to the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that the Pentecostals and charismatics have experienced, but without becoming either charismatic or Pentecostal. I think we are in a new wave of something that now has lasted almost through our whole century"(Peter Wagner, "The Third Wave?" Pastoral Renewal, July-August 1983, pp. 1-5).
I also had the honor of crossing over into this Third Wave emphasis after being a participant in both the charismatic and Jesus People ripples, as I had the honor of being a part of the leadership of Metro Christian (later Vineyard) Fellowship led by Mike Bickle in the Heartland of the U. S. It was a time of the mingling of the anointing of "compassion and worship" of the Vineyard with the "prophetic and intercession" of the Kansas City Prophets. Multiple streams of the prophetic movement emerged quickly in many locations and continue to flourish to this day. Bishop Bill Hamon with Christian International has possibly activated more people into a prophetic gift than any person in church history. Rick Joyner with Morningstar, Cindy Jacobs with Generals, the late John Paul Jackson with Streams and on and on it goes! Praise the Lord!
This in turn has been and is being succeeded by another step of restoration that some refer to as the New Apostolic Reformation with many diverse global networks, applications and expressions. In addition, we now have the prayer and mission's streams converging to see every people group reached with the gospel message of Jesus Christ. I thank God for the days in which we live! I thank the Lord for diversity in the body of Christ! Let's celebrate it – not tolerate it!
The Beginning of the Fourth Wave
In the spring of 2011, I was given a vivid dream in which John Wimber was the central figure. This great Third Wave leader had though already graduated to his heavenly reward in 1997. This musical minister was one of the greatest statesmen who moved in authentic power in recent church history. In this prophetic dream, the Holy Spirit used John Wimber as a representational voice of the Third Wave. I was told that the purpose for that movement was now subsiding and that it was time for another wave to roll in upon the scene of global church history.
A conversation with the Holy Spirit unfolded and it was explained to me that the previous waves included renewal, revival and empowering of the Holy Spirit and aspects of restoration. It was shared with me though that there was a "fresh movement" once again emerging on the world scene that would include all of the previous ingredients of the earlier movements. It is a time of the "convergence of the ages." I heard the following word spoken to me in the dream, "It is time for the Fourth Wave to crash upon the course of history."
This Fourth Wave would be one marked by understandings and expressions of transformation. In the past, by writing and public speaking, I have shared how in July 2012, I was given a vision showing California as a womb for the body of Christ in my encounter called "Come Again Holy Spirit."
Please note, that the previous three waves of the Holy Spirit came from or had great influence in southern California. So would it also be with this new Fourth Wave. It is and will have great impact the West Coast but will be global in nature. Some of our older leaders in the body of Christ would now be free to graduate to their heavenly reward while others with youthful and teachable hearts would be invited to be the fathers and grandfathers and mothers and grandmothers as "reformational architects".
This Fourth Wave emphasizes societal change by channeling these empowered believers to impact the seven Cultural Mountains of Religion, Government, Education, Business, Family, Media, and the Arts and Entertainment. Fresh intercessory strategies will now arise for effective ministry in the marketplace. The supernatural power of the Holy Spirit will not be able to be contained within the "four walls of the church" but rather explode into every sphere of life.
Today we have new Apostolic hubs as centers of equipping the saints budding in numerous cities of the earth, such of Bethel Church in Redding, California, Hillsong in Sydney, Australia, Gateway and Glory of Zion in Dallas, Texas, and on and on it goes once again. Do they look and act the same? Thank God, NO! Each are emerging with distinct spheres of influence but each one releasing rippling effects of God's glorious presence.
For now, I will push a pause button and then later I will bring what is burning in heart from an unfolding vision of the future called "The Door to the Harvest" in another installment. But let it be known, from the desk that I sit from, the "Fourth Great Wave" is already here!
Dr. James Gollis the founder ofEncounters Network,Prayer Stormand helps carry on the work of Compassion Acts. For information on his online school visit:geteschool.com. James continues to live in Tennessee and is a joyful father and grandfather today.
Dr. James Gollis the founder of Encounters Network, Prayer Storm and helps carry on the work of Compassion Acts. For information on his online school visit:geteschool.com. James continues to live in Tennessee and is a joyful father and grandfather today.
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On April 9, 2016, which was also the 110th anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival, our generation was inaugurated into a new era. Lou Engle and TheCall, in partnership with Bethel Church in Redding, California, hosted over 65,000 people in an event called Azusa Now. (Courtesy/Jennifer Miskov)
This Is the Tipping Point for the Next Great Awakening
Can thousands of people gathered together for one purpose shift a generation into the next Great Awakening? What if the date and location of this gathering tapped into one of the deepest wells of revival we've experienced over the last century?
On April 9, 2016, which was also the 110th anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival, our generation was inaugurated into a new era. Lou Engle and TheCall, in partnership with Bethel Church in Redding, California, hosted over 65,000 people in an event called Azusa Now. People from all around the world gathered together in the rain at the Los Angeles Coliseum to make the name of Jesus famous once again. The day was filled with worship, prayer, healing, miracles, prophetic acts, and signs and wonders. During the week preceding this event, Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, Circuit Riders, Youth With A Mission, Iris Global, and many other ministries sent out armies of Jesus lovers to flood L.A. with the love and power of God. Deaf ears were opened, people got up out of wheelchairs, many were welcomed into the family of God, and signs and wonders were released.
Because of the prophetic words and impossibilities connected to the Azusa Now story, it is important to pay attention. This was not just another Christian worship event. Deep wells of the Azusa Street Revival, which birthed over half a billion Christians and has spread to nearly every country in the world over the past century, were accessed on Saturday. At Azusa Now, many different streams of Christianity came together in unity for one purpose. Profound reconciliation occurred. Worship filled the stadium. Ripple effects that will impact the world and eternity will result from what was poured out at Azusa Now.
We Walk by Faith Not Sight
Something powerful and profound happened at Azusa Now whether we see and understand it now or not. Many stepped out in great faith to see God's kingdom come to this generation. If all of this was done and only one person got saved or healed, it would have been worth it. However, we know that many entered into God's kingdom and many others were restored, healed, and set free that day. We don't know how many lives these ones will touch in the future but these will be the inheritance of what was poured out at Azusa Now.
In the evening session at Azusa Now, evangelist Daniel Kolenda shared how God marked him at TheCall D.C. over ten years ago. He was impregnated with a hunger and passion to see souls saved. He has since brought thousands into the kingdom of God. The impact of what was released when he attended TheCall D.C. might not have become visible the next week or even the next year, but something significant happened that later contributed to the momentum of hundreds of thousands being led to the Lord. Whether we see profound results today or in the next ten years from what happened at Azusa Now, we said yes to what God asked of us. That is something to celebrate. We need to trust Him with the results as we continue to dive even deeper into His presence.
Healing on the Streets
When I was doing my Ph.D. on revival history while living in England, I helped my church set up Healing on the Streets in the city square where many youth gathered. We set up chairs in the middle of the square and put up a flag that said Healing. Anyone walking by who wanted prayer would sit in a chair and we would pray for him or her right out in the open. We did this every month and saw many miracles take place: legs grew, depression lifted, cigarettes disappeared, and people even grew taller. However, there's one story I want to share that will help demonstrate the unseen impact Azusa Now will have in the future.
One time when we were out on the streets, we met a teenager named Ben. He had been hit by a car and his leg was in a cast. He was a rough looking kid but had allowed us to pray for him. As our team laid hands and prayed for him in the middle of the town square, the presence of God fell on him powerfully. However, when he left, he hobbled away, still on crutches with no visible sign of healing. Did we fail? Did we not have enough faith to bring him into his healing? I think not. I believe that every Holy Spirit-led act of faith is something to celebrate. Our job is to obey God. He is in charge of the results.
The next month we went back to the same spot and saw Ben running out to greet us. He shared how a week after we prayed, he was totally healed and even went out jogging!!! We hadn't seen the effects in the moment we prayed, but God was working behind the scenes. Furthermore, one year after Ben got healed, we were all drinking coffee in a Starbucks and sharing testimonies after our ministry time on the streets. I noticed the Holy Spirit was doing something in Ben so I asked him what was going on. His grandmother had just passed away and he heard her favorite song come on which made him emotional. We prayed for him right there in the Starbucks and he began to weep. Then he said to me, "Jen, I never told you this before but a year ago when you all prayed for me, I had so much anger and rage inside of me that I was going to beat someone up that day. After you all prayed for me, that anger left and I have never been the same." We found this out one year later!
We don't always know or see the results of stepping out in faith, worshipping in unity, or doing prophetic acts led by the Spirit, however, in due time, these will surface. Azusa Now may or may not have been what we all imagined. We may have seen incredible miracles and salvations or we may not have seen what we were hoping for. However, something powerful was released either way that will impact generations. We must be content knowing that heaven is celebrating us each and every time we step out in faith to follow the leading of the Spirit. Yes, many people got saved, healed, and delivered which is incredible. However, Azusa Now was just the beginning of more to come.
The Rudder of Our Ship Has Shifted
The prophetic act of thousands of people worshipping together in one place, in one city, and on the anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival synergized and shifted us into a new era. What we did that day is like shifting the direction of a rudder on a large ship. Our generation may or may not recognize the radical change and the momentum that will carry on for generations from now from what was released at Azusa Now. However, even the slightest of changes on a rudder will redirect the course of that ship. Over time, that ship will arrive at a completely different destination.
We are now going in a new direction, even if ever so slightly. This change will take us to a greater reality than any could ever have hoped, dreamed, or imagined. The New Jesus Revolution has already begun. Sometimes this happens in the smallest of ways. Never underestimate the power of Jesus working even in one small shift, one great decision made, or one person saved. Remember and record what happened in your life on Saturday April 9, 2016 and celebrate each seed of hope that was released. This is only the beginning. These seeds will one day grow and emerge into giants as they are saturated by more of the Holy Spirit.
I close by quoting a song by Bob Dylan. I encourage you to imagine God singing it over you and our generation:
"The storms are raging on the rolling seas
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like Me yet
I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
To make you feel My love"
God has already gone to the ends of the earth to make you feel His love when He sent His Son Jesus. I pray that in this new era, your eyes are opened more than ever before to see and to receive a fresh revelation of the Father's great love. I pray that you become a target for His blessing, favor, and presence. May your heart increase in capacity to be able to receive the great love God is pouring out and to overflow it to others. May you be apprehended by God's extravagant and unceasing love like never before. Hang on tight, we're in for the wildest ride of our lives!
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