Archive for July, 2007

Guest Blogger Bios and Why You Should be Nice

Published
by
carl
on July 6, 2007
in Christianity
. 3 Comments

I have taken a cadre of young revivalists to try and infect youth groups from all over Florida. While I am gone I asked some of my friends to post for me.

I want to thank each of them for the blessing me and my blog with their efforts.  Though I posted this info on each of their posts, here is some info on each:

Rev. David Copeland: David Copeland of Revival Journal is the head of Revival Now! Ministries. The intro to his itinerary is probably the most telling text regarding his ministry:

Due to the Holy Spirit moving mightily in some areas, dates are subject to change and meetings may extend without notice. Please call the church or our office before driving a great distance to a revival meeting.

I love that!

Dr. Michael G. Davis: MGD, as he can be found throughout blogsville, of Charismatica runs ANSWERS FOR THE FAITH Internet Ministries. Michael received his Doctor of Ministry from Claremont School of Theology. I have never personally met people before who were willing to out run their D.Min in chasing Jesus in this realm. His writings are both well exegeted and passionate.

Pastor Mark Hadfield: Mark of Made to Praise Him is Senior Pastor of Inverness Community Church. Mark is leading a church into the glory realm. His writings are challenging and enlightening. I enjoy watching as his church finds its footing in the supernatural. Beyond this Mark has been a friend in time of need.

I am blown away with the friends I have made on the internet.  I have personally contacted each of these people that I met purely through this, and their, blog.  Michael, David, and Mark each have a distinctly different call and ministry.  Yet I call each of them friends even though I have not met any face to face.

When I was planning to move to Georgia all indicators seemed to say go but David was honest enough to tell me some of the costs that I may have not seen.  When things did not work out His counsel helped it to make sense.

When it began to pan out that we were not moving and in fact not moving into full time ministry yet, the Holy Ghost brought a prophesy that Mark had given me to rememberance.  This was a great comfort.

Besides being a great resource for solid writing on the Holy Ghost, Michael has been a real encouragement as I seek a healing gift.  He was there at the beginning of some of the great movements of this day and I hope that in the future, he will devote more writings to what he saw with a critical eye.  It is my impression that one day (hopefully soon) he will publish books based on what happened from 68-75 or something like that.

Popularity: 24% [?]

As Iron Sharpens Iron: Experiences in Blogging - Michael G. Davis

Published
by
carl
on July 5, 2007
in Christianity, Doctrine, Healing, Holy Spirit, Prophesy and visions
. 16 Comments

I have taken a cadre of young revivalists to try and infect youth groups from all over Florida. While I am gone I have asked some of my friends to post for me. Here is the bio of today’s blogger:

Dr. Michael G. Davis: MGD, as he can be found throughout blogsville, of Charismatica runs ANSWERS FOR THE FAITH Internet Ministries. Michael received his Doctor of Ministry from Claremont School of Theology. I have never personally met people before who were willing to out run their D.Min in chasing Jesus in this realm. His writings are both well exegeted and passionate.

As Iron Sharpens Iron’: Experiences in Blogging

“As Iron Sharpens Iron, So one man sharpens another.” -Prov. 27:17

One year and four months ago I launched my first blog and tentatively posted my first article. At the time I had all sorts of grandiose plans to do a ‘great’ teaching ministry on the internet. At least that was the vision that I believed that God was instilling in me at the time and maybe still is to a lesser degree.

Soon I was visiting in the blogosphere and paying homage at the feet of Adrian Warnock, JollyBlogger, Challies Dot Com, Evangelical Outpost, Mark D. Roberts, and Albert Mohler; with a Hugh Hewitt, a Mark Steyn, and a James Lileks or two thrown in for insane variety.

The ‘Godbloggers’ at the time were in the midst of a continuing discussion about Spiritual gifts. The battle lines were drawn between the Reform Charismatics and the Reform Cessationists with a few Pentecostals and what I call ‘Functional Cessationists’ (those who grant the possibility of Spiritual gifts while they seldom if ever experience them) thrown in as observers and referees. I thought I was through with theological minutiae when I passed my ‘quals’ and graduated from seminary. This was definitely not what I had in mind when I started.

One day while searching on Adrian’s blog I came across a link to PneumaBlogs. I went down the list on that page checking out a few. Then I came to a blog with an interesting name: “A Mighty Rushing Wind” -Carl Thomas. I Clicked on the link and was totally jealous when I saw that the domain name was Revivalblog.com, seeing that revival is a Spirit driven passion of mine. After that, I became a regular visitor to Carl’s blog.

I remember reading an article by Carl: “What I Learned in My Year of Blogging“. That article changed it all for me and the Holy Spirit used it to give me a new direction. Up to that point, Answers For The Faith was my main blog and it was by-in-large a teaching and an apologetic site. Charismatica was just a site where I stored a bunch of revival and prophetic ministry links that I wanted to keep track of. Once and a while I would post something Charismatic or Pentecostal that did not fit well on my other blog.

I really had no vision for the Charismatica site except the Lord had given me that name and domain in church one day. After reading Carl’s article, the ideas started flowing in a sovereign way. This would be a blog where I would share my own personal struggles, testimonies, and prophetic insights. Where I would write about my God-given passion for a major World harvest and revival.

A couple of weeks later, after I put up a contact link, I received an email from Carl asking me if I knew that it was impossible to make a comment on my blog. He helped me to change the settings and left the first official comment on one of my posts. It was the beginning of a friendship. He has no idea how thankful I was. My wife had been asking me every night for three months if anyone had left a comment yet. Finally, I could say yes and there was celebration in the Davis household.

That was over a year ago, though it seems like yesterday. Since then I have had a lot of different guests and a number of regulars commenting on my blogs and I am better for it. Also, I comment regularly here and on several other blogs. A whole community seems to revolve around this site and I am honored and blessed to be part of it.

I started out thinking that I was going to do some kind of teaching ministry on the internet and have found myself on the receiving end more times than not. I find myself in the midst of a whole lot of folks with similar interests. All seeking greater intimacy with God. All looking for a sovereign move of the Spirit in their lives and in their churches. All hoping for God to grace our land with revival once more.

All of you have built me up and have increased my faith and my hope exponentially. It is a case of ‘Iron sharpening iron.’ Every time Carl brings us testimonies about the Holy Spirit blasting his youth group, it is iron sharpening iron. Every time you visit Revival Journal and read about David Copeland’s latest ministry trip, it is iron sharpening iron. Take a few moments and visit SLW and gain the heart of a pastor, it is iron sharpening iron.

Read the latest on Chet’s blog and gain a heart for missions and discipleship, it is iron sharpening iron. Stop by and visit Mark H and Made To Prauise Him, it is iron sharpening iron. Go visit Rich and read his latest and then browse the Pneumablog articles, I have always found something to be thankful for, it is iron sharpening iron.

Then there is the fiery pastor/street preacher JC Smith, his passion wakes me up and keeps me moving on, it is iron sharpening iron in a big way. There are many others and lest you think it is just a ‘man’ thing, Sista Cala will drop by and occasionally leave an encouraging word, it is also iron sharpening iron.

I can’t tell you how much my life has been enriched and blessed by all of you. May God continue to richly bless you all and continue to bless me through you, and hopefully you through me also.

Michael G. Davis

Popularity: 60% [?]

Growing Up! - Mark Hadfield

Published
by
carl
on July 4, 2007
in Christianity, Healing, Holy Spirit, Missions, Prophesy, Revival, prayer and salvation
. 3 Comments

I have taken a cadre of young revivalists to try and infect youth groups from all over Florida. While I am gone I have asked some of my friends to post for me. Here is the bio of today’s blogger:

Pastor Mark Hadfield: Mark of Made to Praise Him is Senior Pastor of Inverness Community Church. Mark is leading a church into the glory realm. His writings are challenging and enlightening. I enjoy watching as his church finds its footing in the supernatural. Beyond this Mark has been a friend in time of need.

Growing! Up!I’ve just come back from a morning on the streets in Inverness (Scotland), ministering healing. A group of us have been doing this for 3-4 months now, but this morning was extraordinary.It wasn’t extraordinary because we saw somebody leave their wheelchair, missing limbs grow, restoration of sight or hearing, or rejoice in the death of cancer. We saw none of those things today - and how my heart aches and longs, with weeping, for these to be commonplace.It was extraordinary because God said two things to be me very clearly which broke my heart, and He said similar things to others in the team.

The first thing He said is “now, you take the land”.

Let’s rewind a little in order to understand that.

We’ve been blessed with this amazing sense of God’s presence on the streets ever since we started Healing On The Streets. Every Saturday morning we go to the busiest part of the city centre, set-up some simple PA, raise a 5 metre banner with the word “Healing” on it, and place 6 chairs for people to take if they’d like prayer. Then we all kneel in the busy street and pray, before inviting people to come for healing. The sense of His presence has been just astonishing. There have been times that some of us have been unable to stand under the weight of His glory and we’ve stayed down a little longer than intended. Then people come for healing - and they’re healed, either immediately or over a few weeks, but they’re healed, not merely comforted.

But this morning was different.

I guess it started last night. (Or maybe it started last week?)

A group of us went into town to pray and worship and we sensed an unusual spiritual oppression. We realised that it was outside of our immediate vicinity. I likened it to sitting in a bubble. We were in the glory, but not far beyond us it was oppressive. We walked around praying. We sat and worshipped. We sensed the bubble expanding and then we sensed a breakthrough.

Then this morning, in addition to the usual ministry, some new things happened. We had a teenage girl who was pregnant come along, wanting us to bless her unborn baby. I’m blown away that a girl that age doesn’t just want her baby on her own, but also wants the best for her baby. She’s precious and I hope we’ll see her again. We had a Muslim woman come for prayer, wanting her family to know God. Amazing! Finally, we had a really wholesome conversation with a kind-of-new-ager whose into reiki and has been preaching syncretism at us ever since we started. This morning he opened up a little. He’s actually very spiritually aware but still looking for a tangible connection with something higher. He talked about visiting our churches.

The “bubble” really had expanded!

God really impressed upon me that we need to keep stretching, pushing, expanding, taking new ground. He gives us an encouraging start and then asks us to build upon it. Isn’t that the heart of a good dad? To get you started, but then give you the experience of taking it further. Does God really need us to do His work for Him, or does He really love us enough to invest into us for our own joy and fulfilment?

Consider the parable of the talents, or the instruction through the prophet Isaiah to enlarge the place of your tents, and to sing for joy who are barren. He gives us the start (a talent, a tent, a promise). He gives us the equipping for the job (the supernatural anointing of the Spirit and His Son’s authority). He shows us what’s possible. He holds our hand. He says to us “you’re my children, you have the best possible start, now go and make something of it”.

I think there’s something squif with our view of God’s sovereignty if we just sit around waiting for blessing to fall out of the sky. There’s also something squif with our view of the Father heart of God if we expect to be jolted out of our comfort zones with an impossible and painful challenge, instead of taken by the hand, given a head start, and then encouraged to develop.

Come on church! How about it? What gentle prod has He given you and what are you going to do with it?

And the second thing God said?

I was standing in the middle of the street during a slack period when the chairs were empty, looking at the scene of people rushing by to do their shopping, and I heard the voice of the Father say very clearly “can’t you hear me calling to them, my orphaned children?”. I cried. I walked over to the PA, turned off the music, picked up a guitar and started singing “Come Through To Me” by Godfrey Birtill. And people came and sat in the seats and received healing.

He trusts us, He trusts me, He trusts you, with what’s dear to His heart. That’s staggering. So how does He feel if we shrug it off instead of doing something about it?

Come through to me … naked heart …
Come deeper … I know where you are.
Come through the storm …
Let it be still … Come nearer …
Leap into my arms.
So let go, let faith rise.
Have no fear, you will fly.
So let go, let faith rise.
Have no fear, you will fly.
Come through to me … broken one …
Come higher … My daughter, my son.
My family … I’m gathering …
Come closer … I’ll make you as one.

Popularity: 47% [?]

What I have Learned From Revival - David Copeland

Published
by
carl
on July 3, 2007
in Christianity, Doctrine, Holy Spirit and Revival
. 2 Comments

I have taken a cadre of young revivalists to try and infect youth groups from all over Florida. While I am gone I have asked some of my friends to post for me. Here is the bio of today’s blogger:

Rev. David Copeland: David Copeland of Revival Journal is the head of Revival Now! Ministries. The intro to his itinerary is probably the most telling text regarding his ministry:

Due to the Holy Spirit moving mightily in some areas, dates are subject to change and meetings may extend without notice. Please call the church or our office before driving a great distance to a revival meeting.

I love that!

What I Have Learned From RevivalI was prompted by the Lord this afternoon to sit down and write out a few observations of what I have learned since beginning itinerant ministry six years ago:

1. God can show up in the most unlikely of places, in the most unlikely of ways, though the most unlikely of people, at the most unlikely of times! The timing is really not our choice, its God’s: our schedule and His schedule are two different things!

2. Preparation for revival is a process many churches get weary of! [fasting, prayer meetings, giving, the constant talking and preaching about the revival that is coming] But those who are willing to accept that as the DNA of that particular ministry will enjoy the fruit of it!

3. When revival hits, many times we are still not completely prepared! In fact, I don’t know if you will ever be completely prepared!

4. Revival may look different in different places. For some it will simply be in the form of the regular scheduled services, but the services will have a marked increase in the manifest Presence of God! Others will hold extended services and meetings; others will experience a new focus on outreach and birthing of new ministries; but all will know there is a marked difference in the worship, preaching, teaching and attitude of the people! And yes, people will be saved, healed, delivered and drawn closer to God!

5. When revival comes, many times pride sets in and people market it, or build a new “movement” around it or out of it.

6. Revival can be very messy! Every baby delivery room I have ever been in both during and after the birth of a new baby, there has been a lot of blood, messy linens, after birth, screams, crying, (even some cursing), but afterwards MUCH JOY!

7. A revival can either revolutionize you or repulse you! Just as a new child revolutionizes a family (changes everything that family does from scheduling to feeding!) so do new converts and a new move of God! But how many times have we prayed in a move of God’s Spirit, but because we didn’t like the way the “baby” looked, we abandoned it?

8. There are “birthers” and then there are “sustainers” …sometimes a church or ministry can do both; but many moves of God have been lost because we failed to follow through with God to be able to sustain the move for a long period of time. Brownsville has been the exception, in that they were able to sustain the move of God there for a longer period than anyone thought they could.

9. Finally, we must learn in revival when to move on to the next season in God! There is a season of revival, then there is a season to rejoice over the harvest or spoils of revival; then we must learn to start the process all over again! There is an even greater move of God’s Spirit He wants to send than the one we may be experiencing right now!

10. Most of all, real revival will bring all the Glory and the Honor to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ! It will never be deposited to glorify a man or a church or a denomination: it will be to Glorify God!

This is certainly not an exhaustive list, nor do I claim it to be completely authoritative; my hearts desire is for all of us to be ready when He arrives with His Glory to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea!

Popularity: 25% [?]

Off to the Uttermost Parts of the Earth

Published
by
carl
on July 2, 2007
in Christianity and Wordpress
. 3 Comments

Pray for me! I have cried out for Africa. I have been to Central America. I have labored in the inner city. I have fantasies of preaching in the middle east. But God has chosen to send me to the very edge of darkness…high school camp.

This week I will be escorting 75 young people to youth camp. Thanks to modern technology, while you are reading this post I am probably casting the devil out of someone’s precious son or daughter.

I thought this would be a great time to ask some of my internet friends to fill the void for me on this blog.

I will not have internet access so I will not be able to approve comments for this week. If you don’t see any comments, don’t be afraid to let these guys know what you think.

If you read this blog and would like to be a guest poster in the future drop me a line, or better yet a post, using the contact tab above or send it to revivalblog@gmail.com.

Don’t forget to pray for me and these youth. I want every youth in that camp to come home baptized in fire!

Popularity: 24% [?]