This Is Not Your Grandmother's Revival !

In Acts 3:20 we have a very special promise, "times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."  However, don't count on God moving in the same ways He's moved in the past. Too many people keep looking for another Azusa Street Revival, another Jesus People Movement, or another outpouring of the Holy Spirit just like the last one.  In fact, the only thing most people, who spend their lives chasing similar moves of God (these supposed "Old Glory Days"), find is their own disappointment because they keep trying to relive or recreate the past. God doesn't work that way. I am afraid that too many people may be addicted to “euphoria and utopianism” rather than embracing what it means to be human.  In my mind, we are living in a culture of escapism.  The purpose of the Holy Spirit is not to give us another heavenly buzz. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to empower us to live an authentic life of faith.

I have enjoyed many outpourings of the Holy Spirit in my brief lifetime. Each experience was "refreshing" but each outpouring was different from the last.  I was in the Jesus People movement in the 1970’s. I was a part of a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit which emphasized praise and worship in the 1980’s.  I was a part of the major outpouring that took place in Toronto Airport Vineyard with John and Carol Arnott and with Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia in the 1990's. People gave their hearts to Christ, got delivered, infused with the Holy Spirit, fell on the floor, shook under the power, spoke in tongues, prophesied, and went through all kinds of healing; but not one of these moves looked a bit like the "Old Days."  Since the turn of the century, too many leaders have led prayer events, made promises, and prophesied things that God is JUST NOT GOING TO DO.  He will never do what He has done in the past because Hewants us to live in the present.  The future of the Church can be deeply rooted in the past but it must be focused on what the current generation needs.  My grandparents passed away back in the late 20th century.  Many of my spiritual mentors have also gone on to be with the Lord. Each served their generation well and were wonderful examples of faith for me. Their faith gave me the courage to press forward with an expectancy that God can do "Above all I could ask or ever think possible."  If God did exactly what He did in the past, then all we would have to do is push a button to get the result we want, but that's not how God works.  As much as I love revival, outpourings, and moves of the Holy Spirit, I see God doing something new in our time. THIS IS NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S REVIVAL!  

As the Body of Christ, we are called to become engaged in the transformation of communities, regions, cities and nations. As wonderful as "falling under God’s power, experiencing holy laughter or encountering the Holy Spirit in fresh and wonderful ways (and I believe and advocate all of this)”, God is calling for healing, reconciliation, and transformation on both a personal and corporate level.  An astounding statistic is that 88% of people classified as “GenX” and 98% of Millennials’ have never heard the Gospel! They are not looking for a show... they are looking for authenticity and real relationships.  Despite the wonderful work of the Spirit-filled contemporary church, music and entertainment will not reach or disciple today's generation. A big room, full of theatrical lights, rock bands and big screen images filled with God's man of faith and power will not change our cities or nation.  These churches measure their effectiveness with numbers, cash, and assets.  God's work cannot be reduced to a mathematical equation.  THIS IS NOT SUCCESS!  In fact, what our contemporary church leaders ought to be exploring is why the statistics of divorce, young Christians cohabitating, declining moral values, and those lifestyle choices that we find in our secular culture are THE SAME as in our churches!  The contemporary entertainment model church shows, despite the crowd building goals and photo opts, have not produced any dent in the number of unchurched people.  On top of that, many Christians are leaving the Church never to return because they are tired of all the over-promised and under-delivered claims of contemporary preaching and the same old tired songs and sound of the contemporary Church. It's fake news!  So, what does a true revival look like today?

It may begin with a good cup of coffee and meaningful conversation. It may begin with a prayer and a hug.  It may begin in a conversation together around a table. It may begin when we create space for a meaningful connection with God, ourselves, and others. But one thing for sure it will never begin in a show.  This is a generation that is craving for authentic relationship, the real meaning of life, and for a place where their voice matters.  God understands the cry of their hearts and will move in ways that speaks to them.  The future of the Church will begin exactly where Jesus has always been - at a table.  This is not a generation that wants to be preached at.  This is a generation that wants to collaborate.  They don't see leadership in a modernistic way. The future of those who are called will be "to become facilitators" of the conversation and fathers and mothers who have a desire to disciple. A big room with loud music may move people forward to pray a prayer but it will never produce true disciples of Jesus.  God may be calling the Church to learn how to do "small" in big and legendary ways.  In my mind, I see that the future of the Church will be a return to the New Testament principles where the Church began. (See Acts 2:42-46).  However, the future Church will look like something we have never seen before in history (See Haggai 2:9).

On the prophetic side of things, like “Disney World's Carousel of Progress”, the Church should always be looking towards the future and asking what comes next and how do we prepare for it (See I Chron. 12:32)?  A few years back, I had a dream/vision of the next great outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  In my dream, I saw young people laying all over floors weeping and crying out to God.  The presence of God was so thick they were afraid to move. There were no lights, loud music, or stage productions. Just young people laying on floors crying out to God.  In my dream, I asked why I was here and I heard, "Because you are a father and you understand these things."  The Church of the future will not be built on corporate business principles, celebrity leaders, or bands whose goal is to get named in Billboard magazine.  The Church of the future will be a listening, discerning, collaborating body of people with a deep spiritual hunger for the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. D.L. Moody once said, "The church that can't worship must be entertained, and leaders who can't lead a church to worship must provide entertainment."

The Church must have apostolic spirit-led facilitators who will father, disciple and mentor this emerging fatherless generation. Recently, just before the election of Donald Trump, God woke me up in the middle of the night and said to me, "When you hear Donald Trump give the command to build the wall, rebuke the entertainment model church, call them to repentance, and to return to building a New Testament Church, spirit-directed, filled with obedient hearts marked by the work that I will do in their midst…  a Church without spot or wrinkle; for this will be the hour of restoration that I promised!"  Wow, I was overwhelmed. I have been waiting for this moment since 1978.  Every revival throughout church history will look pale compared to this coming move of the Spirit.  Each revival in the past was just a picture of what is to come, when whole cities and nations will be transformed in an instant!  But don't think this coming outpouring is coming to revive or prop up an old religious system.  God is deconstructing the Church as we know it; so that He can prepare it for the coming generations of people who will not be adulterated with religion.  It's a “cup of coffee and a conversation” kind of revival, not a “brick and mortar” one with some preacher pontificating all his supposed revelations from God to wow the crowd (See Ezekiel 34:10).  People will hear God for themselves directly, both personally and corporately (See John 10:27).  No longer will they transfer their God-given responsibilities to a hireling preacher.  No longer will they be like the people in the Old Testament who said to Moses, "You go up and speak to God for us and come back and tell us what He said” (See Exodus 20:19). Hebrews 8:11 explains to us exactly what the future Church is going to look like; "No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest." I am deeply encouraged and stirred in my heart as I prepare, write, film, record and gather discipleship materials for the next few years; getting ready for this coming time of spiritual transformation. Like an expectant father painting, wallpapering a nursery, and putting the crib together, I'm getting ready for this coming move of God!  As promised in I Cor. 2:9; "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” As my friend, Brian Houston, Global Pastor of Hillsong Church always says, "The Best is Yet to Come."