20 Elements of Revival- I just finished reading 20 Elements of Revival. Everyone should read this book! I wish I had the cash for a case of this book. Seriously! I keep thinking of more people who NEED a copy of it! It’s very, very, very rare for me to feel this way about a book other than the Bible.-Kathi Sharpe

I’m going to include the full version of a new review on my book 20 Elements of Revival in a moment, but first I feel I must allow some powerful feelings come to the surface.  They all have to do with the reformation that I deal with in the book.

I have been feeling a bit raw lately, very emotional and provoked, as I’m being radically invaded by the Holy Spirit.  I mean, I’m going from fire to tears every day for the last several days.  I’m so deeply concerned, so much so that I’m absolutely undone.  I’m ripped and broken.  We must drop everything and cry out and seek God and contend for revival!  We need to feel the severity of the moment we are in!  I’m trembling.

I feel very alone.  Don’t feel bad, friends!  It’s not you… it’s God’s season for me.  I feel very much alone… shaking, weeping, feeling God deeply, sensing terrible yet necessary movement in the atmosphere.  I’m sensing the armies of Hell and the armies of Heaven… preparing for the battle for revival on the Earth.

I’m experiencing a powerful increase in the prophetic just in the last week, and I’m also feeling the impact of a whirlwind of enemy forces who are swarming over this nation.  A few days ago I received a vision of a ‘maddening spirit’ coming very quickly to America, and specifically to Detroit.  The next day I read something by David Wilkerson- a very serious prophetic warning regarding chaos and riots that will shake even the most godly.  You can read more about the maddening spirit and David Wilkerson’s warning here.

Here we go again, tears are trying to form.  A violent groan is in my spirit.  The call is:

“NOW, NOW, NOW! The remnant, the hungry, the broken- step into position, stand up with a great burning within, a wellspring of tears pouring out, with your cross crushing your back… stand up and prepare to march.  NOW, NOW, NOW! Change, change, change! I am coming! I am moving! I am moving! NOW, NOW, NOW!”

My God.  It’s rare that I feel led to prophesy with the thrust of a ‘thus sayeth the Lord’, but I’m shaking in my spirit.

Here’s some of what we must be alerted to:

• The spirit of Control has been aroused.  This spirit is significantly attached to so many Christians.  When God starts to move in freedom, pray hard that this spirit doesn’t coerce people to resist.  Pray for yourself.  I know I am.  When God moves, and the process of revival is initiated, everything will change.  Many will be tempted to manipulate and control and ensure things remain ‘under control’.  The cry will be “Order!”, but it’s human order that will be demanded.  When Holy Spirit order comes, humans must release control.  A spirit of prophecy must elevate to disarm the spirit of Control.
• 1 Samuel 15:23 (NKJV) For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king."
• The heresy hunters will be active.  This is already happening to a significant degree all across the internet, and it’s tragic.  From my experience, it’s usually easy to spot someone who has been bewitched by this spirit- they have lost their joy, become self-governing, are quite critical and willingly separate without due process (Covens in the Church addresses this process).  Often they call themselves Bereans.  We must remember that Bereans were called ‘more noble’ NOT because of their suspicion and doubt as they searched the scriptures.  They didn’t have this ‘spirit of suspicion’ upon them.  The Bereans were called more noble because they eagerly received the word of a fresh move of God!  They joyously and eagerly searched the scriptures! 
• Acts 17:11 (NIV) Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
• The prophetic will be fought violently.  This has been ramping up in recent years, but literally in this season there is a coming violent reaction to the prophetic in this nation.  Those who embrace a spirit of control are some of those who will feel the thrust of the prophetic most d eeply.  Comfort zones will be totally threatened. Note, a prophetic spirit is radically different then the spirit that drives heresy hunters.  Prophecy will be bold and sharp yet will bring life and impartation of power to those who respond.  It will awaken a sleeping church.  I feel very strongly that the key weapon of warfare in Detroit specifically is that of the Rhema Word of God. 
• Ephesians 6:17 (NKJV) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
• In Ephesians 6:17, the word ‘word’ translates Rhema.  The prophetic, instant and sharp message from Heaven that scatters demons. 
• The leviathan spirit that I discussed recently must also be hit with a prophetic charge.  It is huge and strong, and won’t simply move because we say a prayer.  The spirit of Elijah must arise and the prophet killing spirit of Jezebel must be thrown to her death!
• 2 Kings 9:36-37 (NKJV) ³⁶ Therefore they came back and told him. And he said, "This is the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; ³⁷ and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as refuse on
  the surface of the field, in the plot at Jezreel, so that they shall not say, "Here lies Jezebel." ‘ "

The book 20 Elements of Revival is a handbook of Acts chapter 2 style church.  It’s a call to reformation.  This reformation will be violently resisted.  Many will marvel and many will mock. 

I feel we must be willing to risk losing everything for the sake of reformation.  I remember when God challenged me to obey him by transitioning our church to a night and day ministry of prayer. 

I sat alone at the altar and told God, “If we do this, we’ll lose people.”  God didn’t respond. 

I sat there with my head down for a while and then said, “And, if we do this, we’ll lose money.”  After all, we had to pay salaries and other bills that the church had.  God said nothing. 

Then, I admitted my greatest fear. “God, if we do this, I’ll lose my reputation.”  You see, I’m a vision caster and I had an all encompassing responsibility to see Manitou Springs, Colorado set free.  People would certainly presume that I had missed God.  I was confused.  I was dropping the ball.  In the moments after I said, “…I’ll lose my reputation,” God said, “Good. My Son was of no reputation.” 

Are we willing to risk everything for the sake of offensive, shaking, cross-centered revival that puts an end to much of what we have held dear?

I’m working on my book Pharaoh in the Church right now.  I’ll share a chapter in another post soon that deals with the radical call to risk everything for the sake of reformation, for the sake of leading people into the wilderness of encounter. 

Here’s the review of the book.  You can view the original review on the author’s website here.

Book Review: 20 Elements of Revival

I read lots of books (no mystery to regular readers of this blog). A few are terrible. Most are good, and a few are great. I’ve recommended a few books very highly. It is very, very rare that I recommend a book and say that everyone, simply everyone, MUST read it. Aside from the Bible, there’s maybe 2 or 3 other books that I’ve said this about.

20 Elements of Revival by John Burton is such a book. Let me say it again – everyone, simply everyone, MUST read it. Make it a priority.

John writes, “The contention of this book is simple – the extreme manifest presence of God is the biblical norm for a New Testament believer.”

The book is a step-by-step look at Acts 2 – the formation of the first church. On what other model should churches be built today? John contends, and I agree, that this is God’s way and therefore not only the best way, but the ONLY way!

I’ve read a lot of material on church planting – most of which amounts to man’s formula for building a successful business endeavor, not for building a thriving fiery church! I’ve also read more than a few things about being open to the mighty move of the Holy Spirit. Much of what I’ve read focuses EITHER on orderly process OR on allowing God absolute freedom to move – not on both. (How often do we make the mistake of acting like “all things be done decently and in order” means “do nothing” as opposed to “do all things”?)

John’s treatment of this subject accomplishes both. He outlines an orderly process for the purpose of allowing God absolute freedom to move – really, really move!

I’ve talked about this before, but it bears repeating. When we are saved, we are literally indwelled by the Holy Spirit (see for example 2 Cor. 1:22). We have largely missed the ramifications of this!! God can’t be divided. We don’t each have a little drop or a tiny piece of the Holy Ghost. We have the fullness of God RESIDENT in us!  We are carriers of the manifest presence of Almighty God, everywhere we go! God is always up to something. He’s active!

What’s more, He desires to do great exploits through us. He expects us to “occupy until He comes”.

If we proceed from the central premise that the extreme manifest presence of God is the biblical norm and that we should (must!) experience Him in our daily lives, then it follows that we will be living lives of fiery passion and experiencing signs and wonders (Where God is, stuff happens!). People will take notice of what He’s doing!

There’s a saying within churches that experience moves of God – “Forever ruined for the ordinary”. After we see God in action, we don’t want to settle for anything less!  The problem is, we DO settle for “less”. Sometimes this is due to bad or inadequate teaching (it’s a common misconception that miracles are rare, for example). Sometimes it’s because our focus is in the wrong place or because we allow ourselves to be distracted from His purposes. Sometimes it’s because revival is so costly and the status quo is so much easier to maintain.

John is a House of Prayer (IHOP) guy and that’s very, very evident in his book. There are several 24/7 prayer movements active today but IHOP is probably the best known, most vocal, and best organized group. I became introduced to them through their 6am Daily Devotional broadcast on GodTV, and have studied quite a bit on the subject.  The whole concept of 24/7/365 prayer is incredible. And biblical. Jesus said that His house is a house of prayer – so why do we make it a house of everything else? Why is prayer looked at as a means to an end, and not as ministry unto God – as an incredible privilege of fellowship with Him? Why do we look at prayer as something we must do before doing something else and not as an intimate powerful encounter with the One we love?

After reading this book I’m convinced that we’ve been trying to do church entirely backwards. We have 101 programs, each designed to bring a person deeper into relationship with God. We have small groups. We have Sunday school. We have youth group. Someday, we might get “there” if only we apply the right program. This is backwards! We should be daily in the house of prayer, getting fueled up and fired up, so that when we apply teaching, it’s instantly understood because it’s already been experienced. When we are in fellowship, God is openly in our midst. We minister from the overflow of the Holy Spirit’s action in our lives – not from a place of barrenness, trying to conjure Him up!

A central theme of the book is also the concept of “City Church”. This is new to me, and I admit, fairly challenging. Of course we recognize that “Church” is the body of Christ, not the building we go to… but we still tend to look at “church” as being the one local church we are joined to. Although some are involved with multi-church efforts, usually within their denomination, it’s rare that churches would join city-wide for the sole purpose of building the Kingdom of God and bringing revival in their city!! There is such a spirit of competition amongst churches – that THEY alone must be the be-all and end-all and that no other church can do it better!

Yet in Acts 2, we find the early church daily in the temple – in the house of prayer – and daily breaking bread from house to house. Why *can’t* we be like that in our cities? Why *can’t* we relinquish our ungodly desire to build our own kingdom? Why can’t we let leaders lead – why do “we” have to be the ones in charge?

John suggests (as the Bible teaches) that there be apostolic leadership and that individual churches thrive within that authority structure. There would be a central house of prayer. Other churches would specialize… one might be a teaching center. Another might focus on healing. Others will focus on preaching revival, evangelism, and  salvations. Each church would highly specialize in what God has specifically called them to do.

Each believer in each church would be full of the Holy Ghost and fire, would be equipped for ministry and leadership, and the outpouring of God in life after life after life will result in more and more people coming to Christ! And they in turn will encounter the radical grace and glory of God, become full of the Holy Ghost and fire, would be equipped for ministry and leadership, and the outpouring of God in life after life after life will result in more and more people coming to Christ!

Isn’t that so much better than having groups of people just showing up on Sunday morning and Wednesday night?

Here’s a quote – and a challenge – from Element 13 in the book (Holy Spirit & Power Encounters):

Is the bar for each new believer high enough to ensure they understand the wild commitment that the Christian life demands?

Radical difference from the “repeat these words after me” approach so many take to evangelism!

Like I said – it’s rare that I recommend a book as highly as I’m recommending this one. Get it. Read it. Pray and be transformed!