I’ve never been involved in such an exciting shift in ministry as the season we are in at Revival Church.

The next TWELVE MONTHS of deep teaching has been set, and our role as a regional intercession and equipping center is increasing in focus.

Julia will be releasing decrees this Thursday, and will also be teaching on Friends of the Bridegroom this Sunday!

Keep her covered in prayer as she travels on this important assignment…she is wholehearted in her desire to serve the mission in Detroit!

• THURSDAY 7PM
• SUNDAY 6PM

Revival Church meets at CENTRAL CHURCH, 1529 E. 12 Mile Rd, Madison Heights, MI 48071.

THELAB UNIVERSITY

Have you seen the new video for theLab U?

Watch it here: www.thelabuniversity.com/video

Apply TODAY!

Evening sessions are FREE, but registration is REQUIRED!

On opening night, Catherine Mullins will be leading in intimate worship and I’ll be bringing a prophetic message: God 2.0

REGISTER HERE: www.thelabuniversity.com/manitousprings

• Learn more about Catherine Mullins here: www.catherinemullins.com
• Learn more about theLab University here: www.thelabuniversity.com

WATCH A BRAND NEW VIDEO!

http://youtu.be/ozOM8bok1L4

A SIX MONTH SCHOOL OF FIRE

theLab University is coming to the Colorado Springs region this summer!

Experience six months of fire, encounter and equipping in the spiritually strategic city of Manitou Springs, Colorado.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED even for the free evening sessions.

The events will be held at RHOP, 12 Old Man’s Trail, Manitou Springs, CO 80829.

THE COMING CHURCH

The theme: Equipping end-time prophetic messengers to prepare the way for revolution in the church.

There is a coming burning church that will reveal to us the shock and awe of the glory of God. The call to participate in this last days movement of revival is a weighty call indeed. Discover your key role in The Coming Church and how you can prepare to carry the life, love and fire of God into a desperately wicked culture.

WHAT TO EXPECT

thLab University is a powerful and unusual ministry experience that will result in freedom and equipping. Each monthly three-day event will include morning and afternoon workshops, personal prophetic ministry and training in prophetic warfare and intercession in the streets of Manitou Springs.

The evening public worship and training is designed for maximum impact  as we encounter God in a deep place of intimacy and embrace the urgent and sober call as forerunners.

THE COST

• theLab University full six month session: $100
• Individual weekends (all sessions in any given month): $30

MAY 16-18 SCHEDULE

• Thursday 6pm: Prep Room (prophetic intercession)
• Thursday 7pm: Worship with Catherine Mullins + Teaching (FREE) (The Coming Church)

• Friday 10am: Workshop (positioning ourselves to receive revelation)
• Friday 2pm: Prophetic Impartation & Activation (personal ministry & spiritual adventure in Manitou Springs)
• Friday 6pm: Prep Room (prophetic intercession)
• Friday 7pm: Worship with Catherine Mullins + Teaching (FREE) (Revelation Driven Prayer)

• Saturday 10am: Workshop (the urgency of the hour)
• Saturday 2pm: Prophetic Impartation & Activation (personal ministry & spiritual adventure in Manitou Springs)
• Saturday 6pm: Prep Room (prophetic intercession)
• Saturday 7pm: Worship + Teaching (FREE) (Carrying the Fire)

The last part of this article will deal with different types of churches that millions of Americans are a part of—that are at significant risk. I challenge you to read this article in its entirety and prayerfully consider, in humility, whether you may have fallen into one of these at risk groups. I must also wrestle with this myself.

I’m disturbed. That’s not news, really, as I was created to carry the burden of God for the bride—his church. This results in a life of both continual joy and non-stop grieving—and never-ending bold calls of consecration.

The dissatisfaction with God in our nation has resulted in an attempted upgrade—a 2.0 version of God that meets our demands and fits the picture for the perfect leader. Always happy. Always nice to us. Always working to fulfill our desires. Not inconvenient. His personality matches what we expect in a God.

Exodus 32:7-8 (ESV) ⁷ And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. ⁸ They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’”

The previous verse reveals the motive of the people:

Exodus 32:6 (ESV) ⁶ And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

The Hebrews were not satisfied with the current version of God, so their 2.0 upgrade was in the form of a golden calf—a god of their own design.

After all, God’s purpose is to perform as we expect him to, right? He is mostly interested in our desires to eat, drink and play, isn’t he?

My God, how far has the church fallen?

The Bride

Entire movements in our nation have upgraded God to their 2.0 version, and have successfully seduced millions of Christians to abandon the old, outdated, ancient Jesus. The arguments of the emergents have infiltrated the main line church in America.

Before I continue, I have to make an important point. When bold truth is revealed that threatens the status quo of the church, it’s common for those who are invested in that system to accuse the messenger of being unloving or unconcerned for the bride of Christ.

How opposite the reality truly is!

It’s deep, troubling love that causes those who are broken over the compromised bride to sound alarms and shine lights to shake and wake a church that’s in extreme risk of living forever without the Bridegroom!

We must be concerned not for the personal desires and perspectives of those who presume to identify with the bride, but for God himself and his desire for those who are lukewarm or deceived to pursue him with passion!

Josh MacDonald from The International House of Prayer said on a trip to Detroit recently, “This might be shocking to you but 1/2 of the church or more will probably fall away in the end-times.”

That, my friend, is why we must risk offense to let an at risk bride understand just what is at stake. Many in the church will be shocked to find themselves in Hell one day. That reality haunts me non-stop.

The False Bride

Do we understand that not everybody who calls themselves a Christian actually is? Again, that is why we have an urgent job as forerunners. The false bride, those who think they are Christians but are not, are at extreme risk of burning in Hell for multiplied trillions of years. Actually, forever. We cannot remain silent.

An immediate, and unbiblical response that many people have today is, “It’s not your place to judge.” How many times have you heard that defense from the secular camp? Now, we are hearing it from Christians when their pet sins, false doctrines or structures are threatened!

The accusation is that we are being cruel, unloving or presumptuous by dealing with this subject matter. Again, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

As Christians, we actually have a very serious responsibility to judge in love! It’s a part of our job description. Pure love of the bride will reveal all that hinders love!

We absolutely have a responsibility to urgently warn. To release messages of awakening. To talk about eternity, about Heaven and Hell. To call people to greater fervency. It’s love that demands this, yet so few are sounding alarms.

If I see a child wandering into oncoming traffic, I don’t really care so much about whether he chose to rebel by running into the street. I’m not thinking about his motives or his error of judgment. I just want to warn him so he isn’t crushed by a bus. Yes, it is that simple. It is that urgent.

At Risk Churches

With that in mind, I want to reveal some major church movements and expressions that are actually opposing the cross. The call of every single Christian is to hear God’s voice, to know him deeply and to intercede for the nations. You can gauge where the general church public is by calling a prayer meeting. The most elementary call for any Christian is to pray…and when Christians avoid the prayer room, it’s a revelation of just where we are as a church in this nation. Frightening.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if most people in the church in America are unsaved.

Leonard Ravenhill said he doubts that 5% of American church goers are actually saved.

I heard someone once say, who had a heavenly encounter, that only 1 in 1000 who die on any given day make it to Heaven. Possibly 99.9% go to Hell. That wouldn’t surprise me, and it grieves me beyond what I can bear. God 2.0 would never support this statistic. He is benevolent and unconcerned with our hearts.

Mike Bickle said that the false-grace message, which is one of the leading causes of people being deceived as a false bride, is more dangerous than the issue of abortion and 54 million baby’s blood crying out in our nation!

Listen closely! This is serious! My God, help us! Masses of people who are convinced that they are saved are actually following Jesus in an unsaved condition right now! Many more will fall away in the future! Who will warn them?

Before we look at the problem churches, we must consider this: We have to resist the urge to presume the current Sunday driven church structure is the biblical norm. If we think we’re functioning normally, we’ll resort to minor adjustments to that system as repairs are needed instead of the destruction of it in favor of the introduction of the biblical church.

When we truly understand this, we’ll devote ourselves to the removal of man made systems and give ourselves to the development of the new.

Most people alive today have no idea what revival is. They have never experienced it. They have no grid for it. So, we default to what we have experienced and try to build on that faulty foundation.

1. The Money Changers Church

In Matthew, the passage that deals with the money changers follows immediately after another type of church that we’ll discuss next—the Triumphal Entry Church. I find it interesting that these two stories are back-to-back, and that they are events that are closely situated to the drama of the cross. Simply said, the cross of Christ is not only foreign, but resisted.

Matthew 21:12-13 (ESV) ¹² And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. ¹³ He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

The money changers church is possibly the best representation of the current American/Western church. This is a serious issue. This is possibly the most severe and violent reaction from Jesus to a situation when he was still on the Earth.

Note how aggressively Jesus rebuked and resisted the money changers. Why is this?

They were fueled by a spirit of religion. Religion defined is man’s attempt to use God and his church to get what he wants. They were using the temple for personal gain. They were thinking about their own needs and desires instead of ministering to God. They went into the temple with the expectation of leaving with more than they entered with. The call to the church is for us to enter with an offering. A sacrifice. We leave with less than we entered with!

Today, prayer is nearly dead in the church. Additionally, even in churches that support prayer, if every service was cancelled and replaced with prayer meetings, there would be a mass exodus of disappointed people who aren’t getting their desires met. In Acts, the “wait and pray” mandate was resisted by almost everybody. Thank God for 120 who weren’t waiting for a call from a pastor, a pat on the back or the perfect ministry center for their family. They showed up, laid down their agendas and changed the world.

I’ve said it probably thousands of times and I’ll say it again. Our false expectations of what a church should be are resulting in a defiled structure. The church isn’t a house of teaching, a house of evangelism, a house of friendships or even a house of musical worship. It’s a house of prayer first and foremost. The other focuses are important, but secondary at best. Would you stay in a church that prayed as their primary activity? Or would you get frustrated and leave if your demands weren’t met? Is it possible you may be functioning in a similar spirit as the money changers? You go to church to receive instead of to give?

Pastors know most would not stay, so they have all too often traded in their mantle of prophet for salesman. The church product has been altered, spruced up and packaged in a way to let the people know that they will receive the best bang for their buck if they come to their church.

This is grieving, and must end! I am looking for pavement people—those who aren’t looking for comfort, but will hit the pavement and cry out to God as they did in 2 Chronicles 7!!

2 Chronicles 7:1-3 (ESV) ¹ As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. ² And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’s house. ³ When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

Long ago as a young, first time church planter, my wife and I would often take visitors out to lunch after the service. I’d do my best song and dance to sell the Revolution Church experience to them. I’d ask what they were looking for in a church, and more times than not I’d encourage them that we’d get right on that! We’d be sure to sell them the product they are looking for! 

My brilliant wife would get so frustrated with me! She wanted me to stop the nonsense and simply communicate our vision. Boy, was she right! I was acting in the spirit of the money changers!

I slowly changed my sales pitch. Instead of letting people know how much they would receive if they chose our church for their home, I was reveal the challenge and the cost. I’d let them know that we all pray together 10+ hours a week. We give financially in an extravagant way. We are fervent and burning and calling people into a radical lifestyle—to the cross.

I’d actually try to discourage them from participating if they weren’t on board with the vision! And, surprise! I got more response from that call than I did trying to sell the perfect experience!

2. The Triumphal Entry Church

Now this is church!

I’ve witnessed first hand how people will flood into an environment that’s full of celebration and exuberance. I enjoy those environments too!

I’ve also witnessed first hand how those same people—those who are dancing at the altar, going after a happy experience, will get sad when the call to the cross is preached. It’s heart wrenching.

The focus of the people at the Triumphal Entry is similar to the focuses in the other churches we are discussing. They wanted their lives to be better. Blessing and personal gain were their motives.

The word “Hosanna” literally means, “save us now.” The people wanted a king who would give them life in a kingdom that would be personally fulfilling. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that desire—unless that’s the extent of the desire.

Matthew 21:8-11 (ESV) ⁸ Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” ¹⁰ And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” ¹¹ And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Notice how there was a measure of sacrifice by the people. They gave their cloaks. They got to work and cut down palm branches. They were exuberant in their worship. I can imagine a spirit-filled environment where people are at the altar dancing and laughing and worshiping. I’ve had that happen in churches I’ve led many times, and it’s great! Many churches are growing with this very positive, happy focus—but, the growth is, in my opinion, often driven by people who will not stay the course if the cross is preached with boldness.

See, Jesus was willing to save them now. However, his methods were nowhere near satisfactory for a crowd of people who were looking for life, not death. Jesus chose the cross as the means to answer their prayers. This crowd of energetic worshipers switched quickly to energetic crucifiers.

I’m all for wild, fervent worship. I am a proponent of continual joy. We should dance and smile a lot. However, we can’t dismiss the burden of the cross and the call to die.

Don’t presume a church is alive just because there’s an electric atmosphere. Human energy and desire can create quite an environment. Wait and see who remains when the call to surrender is high, and the alarms of intercession are sounded.

3. The Rich Young Ruler Church

There is some relation between the Rich Young Ruler church and the Money Changers Church. In both scenarios, personal gain was the focus.

The Rich Young Ruler, however, possessed a sincere desire to follow Jesus. Notice how Jesus reveals this story is all about salvation:

Matthew 19:16-25 (ESV) ¹⁶ And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” ¹⁷ And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸ He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, ¹⁹ Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁰ The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” ²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” ²² When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. ²³ And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

I am convinced there are millions of people following Jesus in an unsaved condition. Pastors have affirmed people’s commitment to Christ and, in turn, their eternal security, all while, in many of those cases Jesus knew the deeper truth—they were not willing to surrender all. I believe the sinner’s prayer has probably led more people to Hell than to Heaven. Handled wrongly it gives people false-confidence in their position in Christ.

How many go to church each week, raise their hands in worship, pay their tithes and “follow Jesus” in a very public way, the same way the Rich Young Ruler wanted to—but are actually not saved?

Even Billy Graham admits less than 2% of people who make decisions at his crusades over the years remain true followers of Jesus. Wow!

If you are struggling with this and the truth of your own salvation, that’s good! That’s healthy! I don’t know where it started being negative for us to wrestle with that. Today leaders don’t want to upset people with messages like this out of fear of accusation and ridicule. We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling! The disciples in the above passage wrestled with it, and so should we. Let’s see what Jesus says next:

Matthew 19:26-29 (ESV) ²⁶ But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” ²⁷ Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” ²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

The most controversial thing I’ve ever said just may be this:

I give myself about an 80% chance of making Heaven.

Is there any part of the Rich Young Ruler in me? Is it possible that I could fall away? It would be arrogant for me to presume that I’m exempt from the great falling away. I wrestle with Jesus and with my own heart—and I love that process.

Again, it’s healthy and necessary to work that out day by day. And, we need pastors and leaders who won’t skirt that tough topic out of fear of losing people who would rather be coddled. It’s possible that the best giver and most vibrant member of your church is on a track that leads to Hell. We can’t stay silent on this issue.

When you understand how deeply God loves you, it’s wonderful to wrestle with the difficult topics. It’s invigorating!

It’s critical! So many will be shocked to enter Hell. We see this proven in scripture:

Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV) ²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

The Coming Church

I’ve written on this previously, so I’m going to be extremely short with this concluding point.

The coming church will be marked by:

• Everybody praying as their primary ministry
• Everybody ministering to God
• Praying in the Holy Spirit will be continual.
• We will be together most days of the week to pray, receive apostolic instruction and move out in unity to fulfill that assignment.
• We will arrive at church full and leave empty—after we’ve poured out to God.
• Friendships will be forged in the foxhole more than at potlucks and picnics.
• The cross will be central.
• Repentance will be continual.
• Freedom will be overwhelming.
• The bar of expectation will be high.
• It will be apostle led more often than pastor led.

Lets see an Acts 2 & 2 Chronicles 7 church arise!

First, a BRAND NEW video promo for thelab university is ready! Help us out and share it everywhere you can!

Detroit and the nations are in dire need of a connected end-time army that’s well trained and full of the fire of the Holy Spirit.

http://youtu.be/ozOM8bok1L4

TONIGHT AT REVIVAL CHURCH

The remnant is out there, and now is the time to awaken and gather around the intentional pursuit of revival.

Discover TONIGHT at Revival Church how to see revival launched! It can be done—but the remnant must arise!

INTERCESSION & WORSHIP

I recently asked on Facebook, “If everything in the church, all programs, all meetings, all ministries were cancelled and replaced with fervent prayer, would you stay?”

One response rocked me. “That’s when I’ll return.”

Wow.

Tonight at Revival Church, we’ll experience a powerful atmosphere of fiery intercession in place of the typical, expected worship time. The room will be filled with music as we all pace or hit our faces and cry out to God!

Don’t miss it! In fact, it all really begins right in the auditorium at 5:15pm as we pray before the service.

See you tonight!

Revival Church meets at CENTRAL CHURCH, 1529 E. 12 Mile Rd, Madison Heights, MI 48071.

We currently share a property, and it’s working great, with one exception—we are unable to be in there 24/7! theLab House of Prayer will be functioning most every day, and theLab U will be back in session in July.

Please review our preferences below and let us know if you have a property that may work for us!

LOCATION

We are open to locate wherever the Lord desires. That being said, if we move further than 7 miles away, it would be considered a new church plant vs. a move. The reason? Statistically, people won’t travel more than 5-7 miles to the new facility.

Our current plan of action has us within that distance from our current location at 12 Mile and Dequinder in Madison Heights. (Possible locations include Warren, Ferndale, Royal Oak, Sterling Heights, etc.)

SIZE

If it’s laid out extremely well, we could get away with 4000 square feet, though we’d be more comfortable with 10,000+ square feet. We must have room for 100+ seats plus a large stage, altar area and sound booth. Additionally, we need an area for children’s classes and a nursery.

ZONING/READINESS

The property will have to be zoned appropriately and move in ready (with some minor exceptions). Additionally, we have to consider building codes that may require expensive and time consuming modifications that are appropriate for a church. A property that is already functioning as a church is our best bet. Additionally, the property must be air conditioned and have sufficient parking (at least 30 spaces).

PRICE

With a small down payment, and the need for a land contract, the total price will have to be no greater than $275,000.

Please contact me at john@johnburton.net right away if you have any leads!

FIRST: Have you applied for theLab School of Fire ONLINE? You can do so here: www.thelabuniversity.com/online

Hi!

I wanted to connect to make you aware of a very exciting and strategic series of events that’s coming to the Colorado Springs region.

God has been dramatically dealing with several people from Detroit and Kansas City to come as carriers of fire to Colorado six times in 2013.

Folks are taking off work and paying their own way to come, and serve the Pikes Peak region.

Since we are not local, we will need quite a bit of help spreading the word, gathering the intercessors, connecting with pastors and preparing for our first event in May.

Can you help? Evening sessions are FREE and we are also encouraging people to register for the entire weekend which will include prayer and workshops.

• Pastors: Can you gather people from your church and sphere of influence and register as a group?
• Intercessors: Start praying for these six weekend events and spread the word across the region.
• Everybody: Use social media and any other method to get the word out.

Please contact me if you have any questions. I can’t wait to arrive in Colorado next week!

John Burton: john@johnburton.net • 719.231.6000

Catherine Mullins: theLab University Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs

A SIX MONTH SCHOOL OF FIRE

theLab University is coming to the Colorado Springs region this summer!

Experience six months of fire, encounter and equipping in the spiritually strategic city of Manitou Springs, Colorado.

THE COMING CHURCH

The theme: Equipping end-time prophetic messengers to prepare the way for revolution in the church.

There is a coming burning church that will reveal to us the shock and awe of the glory of God. The call to participate in this last days movement of revival is a weighty call indeed. Discover your key role in The Coming Church and how you can prepare to carry the life, love and fire of God into a desperately wicked culture.

WHAT TO EXPECT

thLab University is a powerful and unusual ministry experience that will result in freedom and equipping. Each monthly three-day event will include morning and afternoon workshops, personal prophetic ministry and training in prophetic warfare and intercession in the streets of Manitou Springs.

The evening public worship and training is designed for maximum impact  as we encounter God in a deep place of intimacy and embrace the urgent and sober call as forerunners.

THE COST

• theLab University full six month session: $100
• Individual weekends (all sessions in any given month): $30

MAY 16-18 SCHEDULE

• Thursday 6pm: Prep Room (prophetic intercession)
• Thursday 7pm: Worship with Catherine Mullins + Teaching (FREE) (The Coming Church)

• Friday 10am: Workshop (positioning ourselves to receive revelation)
• Friday 2pm: Prophetic Impartation & Activation (personal ministry & spiritual adventure in Manitou Springs)
• Friday 6pm: Prep Room (prophetic intercession)
• Friday 7pm: Worship with Catherine Mullins + Teaching (FREE) (Revelation Driven Prayer)

• Saturday 10am: Workshop (the urgency of the hour)
• Saturday 2pm: Prophetic Impartation & Activation (personal ministry & spiritual adventure in Manitou Springs)
• Saturday 6pm: Prep Room (prophetic intercession)
• Saturday 7pm: Worship + Teaching (FREE) (Carrying the Fire)

THELAB COLORADO 2013 SESSION

1. May: Thu 5.16.13 – Sat 5.18.13
2. June: Thu 6.13.13 – Sat 6.15.13
3. July: Thu 7.18.13 – Sat 7.20.13
4. August: Thu 8.15.13 – Sat 8.17.13
5. September: Thu 9.19.13 – Sat 9.21.13
6. October: Thu 10.17.13 – Sat 10.19.13

www.thelabuniversity.com/manitousprings

FIRST: Have you applied for theLab University? This is a BRAND NEW e-school led by IHOPKC trained instructors. Get all the info here: www.thelabuniversity.com.

We usually reserve this class for students of theLab University, but the urgency of the hour demands we help as many people as we can discover deep intimacy with God—and the ability to hear his voice clearly. You are invited and there is NO CHARGE for this class!

The class will be mixed into two hours of fiery intercession. We will learn how to live in the spirit and hear God’s voice…and then do it! It will be quite a unique environment!

Revelation 1:10 (ESV) ¹⁰ I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet…

• What: theLab House of Prayer teaching series, Revelation Driven Prayer
• When: Thursday, April 25th, 7pm
• Where: Revival Church (Revival Church meets at CENTRAL CHURCH, 1529 E. 12 Mile Rd, Madison Heights, MI 48071)

THE REVELATION DRIVEN CHURCH—AN END-TIME MODEL OF MINISTRY

Something very special and unusual is happening at theLab and Revival Church in our current season.

The church at large is about to experience a shock to the man-made systems that have been setup, as God is calibrating his Bride with the design of scripture.

BIG CHANGE ALERT! We are beginning the shift by integrating fervent, fiery intercession into the main service on Sundays.

Isaiah 56:7 (ESV) ⁷ these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

Psalm 27:4 (ESV) ⁴ One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.

Instead of worship songs simply being sung, we will be praying in the spirit, declaring the Word of God and interceding for Detroit and the nations as music plays behind us, followed by teaching on prayer, revival and other related topics. We will be revelation driven as we tap into God’s heart and come into agreement with him as a body.

This is the first step into an extreme reformation in the church as God reintroduces us to the blueprint of the church—a house of prayer for all nations.

Of course, worship will be key as we move forward, and at times our services will include typical worship sets, but the goal is to have worshipers who are on their face night and day in intercession—and then who bring that fire to the platform as they lead us in intercession driven corporate worship.

As we discover how to engage with God and embrace the call to minister to him through this teaching, Revelation Driven Prayer, the outflow of fiery, engaging intercession both personally and corporately will bring transformation very quickly.

THE BRIDE REVEALED BY FIRE

Many Christians have an aversion to intercession, and I believe this is an indicator of an at risk position in Christ. To presume to know him, without craving to continually be with him, doesn’t make sense.

Dangerous theologies have affirmed people’s position in Christ, blinding them to their true eternal condition. This has resulted in a pandemic of false salvations in America.

These false doctrines make the narrow road wider than it is, resulting in ‘Rich Young Rulers’ following Jesus in an unsaved condition.

The church we know as Americans is such a part of our culture that it’s hard to see how far removed from the biblical church it is.

God will reveal the true Bride through fire, and that fire is coming to this nation.

As the heat is turned up, it will become more clear who is with God and who, by their own choice, is not.

Matthew 15:8-9 (ESV) ⁸ “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; ⁹ in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

This coming shock to the church will violate vigorously affirmed tradition as it makes ready a true end-time Bride.

Mark 7:13 (ESV) ¹³ thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Our traditions have serious power! They can actually make void the Word of God! When the church breaks away from hindering traditions and is again a house of prayer, and every Christian is actively involved in intercession and ministry to God, the power will return in force!

This nation is in a state of extreme emergency, yet few are responding with a lifestyle of intercession.

Let me say this clearly: If you are a Christian, deep, continual, strategic intercession is your primary daily calling!

As in the days of old, every time the church doors are open, we should be there ready to pray!

The 24/7 church is coming and we will soon find ourselves together in intercession most every day of the week! Will you wait for another bomb to detonate and for more lives to be lost or will you start your new life of corporate intercession THIS WEEK?

When this precedent of continual prayer is established, revival will eventually come. It may take a decade of continual prayer before God sees our devotion to keep praying without stopping when the outpouring comes.

►Detroit needs a house of prayer like never before, and EVERY CHRISTIAN must show up day after day to pray! Start now!

There is an emerging remnant of pavement people who understand this, who will forgo personal comfort and hit the concrete in prayer and worship as we saw in 2 Chronicles 7:

2 Chronicles 7:1-3 (ESV) ¹ As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. ² And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’s house. ³ When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

I have been continually grieved and disturbed for more than two decades of ministry by the lack of fervent prayer in the church. I literally can’t think of a single place in the world that I’d rather be than in the prayer room—even if it’s a concrete floor. The fact that calls to prayer are resisted with excuses of busyness, disinterest and the ever increasing cares of life is evidence that we still don’t understand a primary reason we are alive—to minister to God in personal and corporate intercession.

With that in mind, prayer rooms remain empty because we as leaders know people are averse to prayer…and we offer them alternate activities.

Instead of burning intercession for the nations, many use prayer as an attempt to achieve or protect their own definition of a normal life. When normalcy is stable, prayer ceases. If someone is sick, they pray for God to restore them to the normalcy of health. If they are short on finances, they pray for God to bring them to financial normalcy.

The problem with that is that prayer isn’t mostly about focusing on self and securing the life we hope for—it’s for deeply knowing Jesus and interceding for the world to experience the life that he paid the price for.

A CONFUSING EXPERIENCE

More than two decades ago, as a new burning child of God, I was met with confusion that is still with me today.

I was helping give leadership to a monthly regional youth event that was drawing around 100 young people for all over the Dayton, Ohio area. I’ve always believed the hour of prayer before the service was actually much more important than the service itself. (Anything driven by prayer carries extreme importance.)

I was truly confused each month as we sounded the alarm, spread the word, plastered signs in the foyer and let everybody clearly know that they were needed in prayer prior to the service. Each month we’d have 5-10 people in the huge sanctuary in prayer for an hour, while I watched a hundred people cram into a tiny foyer waiting for the service to start.

Was my promotion insufficient? Did I not make it clear enough? It was so packed in the foyer that faces were nearly squished up against the glass on the doors—right next to the signs inviting them to enter and pray.

I’ve watched this scenario play out time and again through my youth and senior ministry years. In San Diego I’d load up the bus with 50 kids to take them to the beach on Thursday, and then have 5 or 6 join me on prayer walks on Friday.

I will continually be confused and disturbed by the lack of passion for intercession—especially in a time of crisis like we are now in in America.

THE CRISIS IN OUR NATION

Last night at theLab House of Prayer, we prayed about the recent bombings in Boston, the earthquakes around the world and the explosion in Texas, and we interceded for Detroit. There have been many urgent prophecies and dreams about a nuclear level event downtown Detroit.

For those who only pray to achieve personal normalcy, there is little reason to fill the prayer rooms. Detroit is still standing.

However, even now, Detroit is not in revival. Even now there is suicide and murder in this region. Children are abused. Political corruption is extreme. An outpouring is no where to be seen.

Additionally, we are experiencing a Jeremiah 2 crisis. Check it out:

Jeremiah 2:4-8 (ESV) ⁴ Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel. ⁵ Thus says the LORD: “What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless? ⁶ They did not say, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?’ ⁷ And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. ⁸ The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit.

The Breakdown

• Verse 5: There is a spirit of accusation against God on the rise in America. Today, people are finding much wrong with God—Christians and non-Christians alike—and the result is a move toward accusation and away from intimacy with him. A misunderstanding of God’s role in our lives will do that. If we expect him to perform for us instead of us responding to him, we will quickly become offended at God and turn to worthless things—and become worthless ourselves.
• Verse 6: Thanksgiving was nowhere to be found. God admits that he intentionally led them into a place of drought and darkness—and then led them through.
• Verse 7: America was given as a gift, a plentiful land with good things. Today, the land is defiled and the heritage of God is an abomination. Oh what we have forsaken!
• Verse 8: The priests did not seek the Lord! This is the state of the prayer movement! In a time of crisis, the priests (all of us) must continually give themselves to seeking God! Pastors are failing and prophets are sharing doctrines of demons in the name of God! There are a lot of “false positives” out there in the prophetic…hopeful messages that don’t reflect what God is saying.

THE SEVEN MOUNTAINS

I personally don’t see the church fully taking over the seven mountains in this age as some do, but I do believe we are to have significant influence and impact, and to give leadership as God opens those doors.

This being said, the thought of an idolatrous church increasing in influence in the seven mountains should cause us all to shudder.

A consecrated, praying church that is intimate with God is mandatory!

Psalm 24:3-4 (ESV) ³ Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? ⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.

Today, much of the church is at the base of the mountain fashioning an idol, a god of their own design, while Moses met with God on top of it.

The prayer movement that’s focused on the heart of God will result in continual repentance as we allow God to search our hearts and burn up any idol or any desire for one!

Check out how serious God is about the call to ascend the mountain:

Exodus 19:16-25 (ESV) ¹⁶ On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸ Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. ¹⁹ And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. ²⁰ The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. ²¹ And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the LORD to look and many of them perish. ²² Also let the priests who come near to the LORD consecrate themselves, lest the LORD break out against them.” ²³ And Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’” ²⁴ And the LORD said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, lest he break out against them.” ²⁵ So Moses went down to the people and told them.

So, Moses ascended, and the people played. The prayer movement will absolutely separate out those who are truly devoted to God and those who are focused on self:

Exodus 32:4-6 (ESV) ⁴ And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” ⁵ When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” ⁶ And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

Eat, drink, play. As long as the normalcy of personal consumption and entertainment is safe, the church will see no need to pray—all while the consecrated remnant, the pavement people, are on the mountain in the presence of God receiving instructions for revival and Kingdom advance.

My God. Help us.

THE COMING CHURCH : THELAB UNIVERSITY : MANITOU SPRINGS COLORADO : MAY-OCTOBER 2013

Hi!

Something very interesting and urgent is happening this summer in the Pikes Peak region.

I want to do my best to communicate how critical this is, and how much we really need your help and participation.

Earlier this year I brought a team from Detroit and Kansas City to Colorado Springs to serve in the pursuit of tangible revival there.

The experience was the most powerful any of these extremely seasoned intercessors and revivalists had ever had. That’s saying a lot!

The impact was so overwhelming that every single person on the team is paying their own way (again) to travel and participate in the next event in May. I am beyond impressed and blessed that they are taking time off work and investing so much into a region they have no real connection to!

In fact, one young prophetic revivalist actually turned down an extremely prestigious job with a nationally known minister to be her personal assistant—the week after she experienced God so remarkably in Colorado. She said no to a guaranteed income and is now living fully by faith with near nothing in the bank—all for her call to both Colorado and Detroit!

We are looking for people in Colorado who have a similar heart and passion to partner with us!

We will be traveling to Colorado six times this year, and holding events each time.

►WE NEED YOUR HELP

Catherine Mullins will be leading worship Thursday and Friday on the May trip—and she needs some skilled musicians to volunteer to play on her team.

Our connections in Colorado Springs are limited, so we are scrambling to get the message out. Your help in spreading the word would be a HUGE blessing!

Additionally, we need to get the word out about the conference itself. Revivalists, intercessors, pastors and others who are praying for God to move in Colorado are invited!

►PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP

This is happening in less than one month! Can you contact me asap and let me know how you’d like to serve? Again, we need:

• Skilled musicians (drums, bass, lead guitar, keys)
• Intercessors
• Promotion assistance (put the event in your church announcements, etc.)
• Group registrations (register your church)

You can see all of the info, AND register here: www.thelabdetroit.com/manitousprings

Thank you! It’s going to be an amazing year in Colorado!

by David Wilkerson

There is a portion of Scripture that convicts me deeply. Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. . . If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:2, 6).

I have read and re-read these powerful words of Christ, and I cannot escape their convicting power. The Holy Spirit has impressed upon me the importance of understanding these words, “My Father is the husbandman . . . every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away.”

This matter of Christians bearing fruit is not optional with God. He watches over His vine and all the engrafted branches with great jealousy and concern, patiently waiting for the branches to bring forth fruit. He stands beside it with pruning knife in hand, lovingly watching for the slightest evidence of corruption, blight or disease which could hinder growth. God expects fruit from every branch.

Without fruit, it is impossible to honor and glorify Him or be a true disciple of Christ. Jesus said: “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:8).

Bearing fruit has everything to do with pleasing God-fulfilling our mission in Christ- and with having our prayers and petitions answered.

Jesus said, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (verse 16).

Actually, bearing fruit concerns what we are becoming, rather than simply what we are doing. I am bearing fruit when there is nothing hindering the flow of the life of Christ into me. That is what Jesus meant when He said, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3). He is saying, “Because you believed My word-trembling over it, letting it reveal every hidden secret, bringing to light every dark thing, allowing the Word of God to purge you-the hindrances are all gone!”

-Source-

http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/22427

© 2013 World Challenge – a registered trademark of David Wilkerson