I had a dream last year. There was group of young people standing on a stage performing for a large crowd. In the middle of a song the lead singer turned around to the band and said “ I feel like we should play fire fall down” which is a powerful worship song by Hillsong United. So the band began to break out into worship. I could see the crowd look around to each other confused asking the question is this Christian music? The questions turned into laughter and mockery. As the band began to sing fire fall down I could see fire falling from heaven resting on the band and covering the stage. The fire began to spread from the stage to the front of the crowd. And the fire continued to spread until the whole place was burning. As the crowd was being consumed by this fire I watched as there mockery and laughter turned into tears and crying out to God. When the song was finished the band leader said to the crowd “ You might be wondering what is happening to you, It’s the holy spirit touching your heart. If you want to receive Jesus as your savior come to the front and we will lead you in the sinners prayer” The people were so hungry for God they were running and pushing to get to the front.
The dream was just getting started.
Most of the crowd was teenagers and as they left that place they were still burning with the same flame. I watched as they went back to there lives through out the city. I watched as one young girl as she went home and her mom was angry and yelling at her. The young girl still surrounded in fire reached out and placed her hand on her mothers shoulder. As soon as she touched her mother it looked like glass shattered off of her and her mother fell to her knees and began to cry. I watched as that young girl led her mom to Christ! And as she did her mom got ignited with the same fire.
I watched as other people led there bosses, coworkers, family and friends to God and one by one people were being lit on fire.
By the end of the dream I could see the whole city, It was burning bright and I could here the words echoing REVIVAL!
I woke up shaking and sweating, and all I could think was God I want to be a part of that!
Revival Dream
Prayer in the city Part 2
I have some great praise reports that i believe are a result of prayer in the city. I have been praying for the youth in our church and city all week and also for friends and family who don't know God.
On Friday i got a text message from someone I was praying for. This guy has for a few years said he didn't want anything to do with God, and that he didn't want to be a christian. The text message said that he all of a sudden he was feeling peace and joy, he started praying again and he was exited to talk to me about it! I had not told him about prayer in the city or that i was praying for him.
I have also received other messages that our youth are beginning to experience a new passion for Christ. And many say the best way they can describe it is they feel like they are on FIRE!
Prayer in the city
We had our first night of prayer in the city last night. It is going to run all week until saturday. The purpose of this week is to have the youth and young people lead the church in prayer for break through in our lives, church and city!
There seemed to be a theme last night. It was repentence. The prayer and music moved us to a place where God was dealing with our hearts in a mighty way!
I believe it is so improtant to have our youth lead this week of prayer for a few reasons. One, it encourages the young people to take a lead role in prayer and worship where they normally would reley on the "seasoned prayers" and teachs them to step up there worship.
Two, in all the resent revivals that have taken place, there have been two common factors, PRAYER and YOUNG PEOPLE.
Aquire the Fire Weekend
My wife Amanda and I with our youth group and Matt and Kat with the junour youth just got back from a weekend event called Aquire the Fire that took place in Hamilton Ontario at the cops colesuiem.
There were some amazing worship bands. The house worship band was Unhindered. This group is one of my top five worship bands. Our very own Vertical Worship band plays many of there songs.
Anouther group that was there was Jeremy Camp. In the past i didn't care too much for his music but after seeing him live and seeing his heart of worship i got hooked.
Two other bands that weren't so much praise and worship but were great enternament was Everday Sunday and Manafest.
ATF had great speakers and plays that presented the gospel in a very clear and effective way for young people and I know that many of our teens had a real encounter with God!
The very best part of the whole weekend was the time we had connecting with the teenagers and having really amazing conversations about life and God. It was a real victory!
Check out some of the weekend testimonys on the video side bar.