In view of its content, it’s right that this two-part post covers the old and new years. Also, two bolts of ‘holy lightning’ struck from ‘across the Pond’ in addition to that posted here. That one was the Holy Spirit’s reaction within Nina upon hearing a song about Jesus Christ’s return to earth in glory. The other ‘strikes’ were interior responses to prophetic words about a coming revival in the USA!

Also as 2014 closes, the nature of my considering Revival in North America takes the year full circle!  2014’s first, personally written post introduced the concept of ‘Bridge Over The Pond’, where Holy Spirit inspires similar teaching in the UK and US churches with which we’re personally associated, followed by several posts on prophesying into Time based upon the previous year’s blogs on the power of prophetic decrees.

More about all that later. First we need to understand the meaning of ‘revival’ other than as personal revival, which is nevertheless of great importance to the individual. It’s not possible to do more than briefly overview this vast subject on a blog, so I quote a couple of sources:

Revival is…

An ‘ancient’ book recommended only this week by a local intercessor directly refers to a historic revival in America. Arthur Wallis opens his 1956 book In The Day of Thy Power by asking  ‘What Is Revival?’, from which I extract with emphasis added:

‘True revivals have ever been marked by powerful and often widespread outpourings of the Spirit. Many times the preaching had to cease because the hearers were prostrate, or because the voice of the preacher was drowned by cries for mercy. Who will deny that these were outpourings of the Spirit? …

‘David Brainerd recorded the beginning of the wonderful movement among the American Indians in 1745 thus: “The power of God seemed to descend upon the assembly ‘like a rushing mighty wind’ and with an astonishing energy bore down all before it. I stood amazed at the influence that seized the audience almost universally, and could compare it to nothing more aptly than the irresistible force of a mighty torrent. . . . Almost all persons of all ages were bowed down with concern together, and scarce one was able to withstand the shock of this surprising operation.”

‘Revival can never be explained in terms of activity, organization, meetings, personalities, preachings. These may or may not be involved in the work, but they do not and cannot account for the effects produced. Revival is essentially a manifestation of God; it has the stamp of Deity upon it, which even the unregenerate and uninitiated are quick to recognize. Revival must of necessity make an impact upon the community, and this is one means by which we may distinguish it from the more usual operations of the Holy Spirit…

His next chapters consider the distinctive features of Revival [see link at 1 below]. An  up-to-date scholarly analysis and summary of revivals and 25 key revivalists by John Peters offers, from across that spectrum, a succinct definition of the role of revival. In Great Revivalists [at 2] John quotes Dr Wesley Duewels:

“Revival days leave you with a profound realization of God’s greatness and transcendence and of your own unworthiness and dependence upon Him. [In this way] God accomplishes more in hours or days than usually results from years of faithful non-revival ministry. But revival is far more than evangelism. Man can evangelize; only God can give revival.”

Five aspects of the role of revival in particular are mentioned, that revival:

1. demonstrates the power of God
2. exemplifies the glory of God
3. emphasises timeless truths about the Lord Jesus
4. acts as a catalyst for the Church and its outreach
5. means days of heaven on earth.

Revival prophesied in July 1994

What we heard and learned this month about a coming revival reminded me of what an American teacher-prophet said earlier this year. In blogging about Paul Keith Davis remembers his friend Bob Jones I noted his references to the precision of Bob’s prophetic gifting, in particular:

• Accurate prophecies about two revivals – Pensacola/Brownsville and The Bay of The Holy Spirit – as well as two hurricanes striking the same place (Mobile bay).

By 1994 they’d become friends and decided to convene a prophetic round-table with mutual friend Bobby Conner and others. Sixteen minutes into his eulogy Paul Keith reveals what happened when they all got together:

“In July 1994, I felt comfortable with Bob (ie. his constant anointing) and I said, “Bob, why don’t we have a prophetic round table in my condominium….let’s spend a weekend, a couple of days, seeking the Lord on what He would say?

“What came out of that meeting was to prophesy what became known as ‘The Brownsville Revival’…(he shows a photo taken that day in July 1994 – not this one here)…

“Everyone began to come to the breakfast table and every single person there had a revelation that God was about to pour His Spirit out in Pensacola, Florida – each one had a little different variation but everyone had a part, everyone had a piece of the puzzle that God was about to do something in Pensacola Florida that just wasn’t going to be for Pensacola, it had more far-reaching implications.

“We didn’t call it ‘Brownsville’ because we didn’t know that it was going to be Brownsville – we just said, ‘Pensacola’! And the prophetic word was – and I wrote this on August 1st 1994, months before Brownsville happened on Father’s Day 1995 – but I wrote that:

‘This outpouring would be repentance – an outpouring of repentance – which would lead to righteousness, which would eventually become power-evangelism’…that’s not yet fully accomplished…there were many aspects of that (eg.) we saw a prayer mountain coming to America, this was before we had what was known as ‘harp and bowl’ ministry, before the 24/7 intercession/house of prayer later began to be developed at IHOP in Kansas City, but we prophesied that God wanted to move a prayer mountain to America – it  symbolises continual prayer…there was something about a Charles Finney anointing…

“Part of my revelation that morning was, that what was going to be poured out in Pensacola was going to move 50 miles to the west!

“Here I am even before the revival ever started, I was ready to move it to Alabama! – and that’s how far it was over into Mobile Bay!

“And sure enough, that happened some years later. There was a little outpouring of the Spirit called The Bay of The Holy Spirit Revival. John Kilpatrick – the pastor – tells me that one of his members got into his car at the Brownsville parking lot and drove to the parking lot of Daphne civic centre and when he turned into the parking lot it turned over to 50 miles!” So that word came to pass. (Emphases mine)

(A similar significant travelling distance of 212 miles happened regarding my starting this blog and my childhood home’s address.)

The Bay Revival

As a result of a Visitation of the Lord on Father’s Day 2010, Church of His Presence moved meetings from the civic centre in Daphne to the Mobile Convention Centre on the north-western corner of Mobile Bay. That happened on the last day of their Open Heavens Conference and the outpouring became known as The Bay of The Holy Spirit Revival, after the Bay’s original Spanish name 500 years ago (Wikipedia). Many healing miracles with powerful evangelism led to live media coverage and global recognition, as well as its name being shortened to ‘The Bay Revival’.

Meeting for some years in rented premises was very expensive and so Pastor Kilpatrick sought support for moving into new premises and a piece of virgin land was acquired on the eastern side of the bay. Then a new building got erected within a record 8 months!

During one of the last meetings in Mobile, on 9th November, pastor John invited a speaker from the men’s breakfast to greet and briefly address the congregation.  It may have seemed like his own opinion but no, for he suddenly spoke under the unction of God and a lightning bolt hit my wife from ‘beyond the Pond’! . That is, Holy Spirit validated the following prophetic words:

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty and in this place anything can happen…I’m looking forward to what God is about to do on the eastern shore.

“You know, I believe that we’re about to experience the greatest move of God this area’s ever seen – I really do!

“Brownsville was good, Bay of the Holy Spirit would happen here – but I believe what’s about to take place over there (ie across the bay from Mobile) is going to rock this nation!…

“I challenge the men to get ready.. to be in our place and be prepared for what’s about to take place, to be prepared for what’s about to happen!”

Upon hearing that, it occurred to me that entire bay symbolises a reservoir source to the holy river of God, as seen in a vision by the prophet Ezekiel coming from under His Throne out of the East Gate of the Temple:

Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. ² He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side. (Ezekiel 47:1-2 NKJV)

The New Year’s first post considers how this may relate to a fresh revival as well as the matter of divine judgement upon the USA…>> click to continue reading >>

MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU IN EVERY WAY THROUGHOUT 2015

Sources:

1. Arthur Wallis: ‘In The Day of Thy Power’, read brief biography & first 3 chapters here, or ‘look inside’ here.
2. John Peters: ‘Great Revivalists’ (CWR 2008); see brief review here, CWR pdf extract ).
3. WhiteDove Ministries, Remembering Bob Jones: A Journey in the Supernatural, (from 16:20 minutes)
4. Church of His Presence, Leading on Empty Part 1 (from 1:13:00)

Credits:

• ‘Sphere of Energy’ by Dan, courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net
• ‘Teamwork’ by Franky242, courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net
• ‘Sea’ (cropped) by Salvatore Vuono, courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net