Part I

Part II

PART III

By June 2009 the SHOP was at its peak and the summer continued to be full of fun, growth, and challenges.  This was the beginning of a pivotal season for us as we were given a very sobering and challenging word that revealed a fork in the road and called us to the less traveled and higher path of the Cross.  This message also came with a time frame of about 3 months.

The first Tuesday of July 2009 Steven and Andrew set up the SHOP outside on the back patio of the Gerber house property.  It was not the smoothest transition, as we had a new worship leader along with new distractions; but it was a lot cooler and could hold more people.   We were back inside the SHOP the following Tuesday and it was another full house filled with worship, prayer, unity, and an awesome testimony by a gentleman named Paris.

We had a new friend, Tyler Johnson, come from Washington the next week through a connection of a couple that wanted to fly him out to share at the SHOP as well as at our local church.  The 8 of us met with Tyler, his wife Christine, and friend Adam Short, at our house the Saturday before the SHOP.  There was an instant connection as we prayed and worshiped and received encouragement from our new friends.  I had a unique encounter at the end of our fellowshipping that I will never forget. There was a great connection and we were all excited to hear Tyler share at the SHOP.

That Monday our pastor had graciously said yes to host the shop for worship as Tyler spoke.  This was a big success in our eyes as a lot of church members came together in one place to worship Jesus.  The worship that night was very powerful and released a great measure of freedom and joy.  On a side note we found out that night that a meteorite the size of earth struck the planet Jupiter (There is more to it, but we felt that there was some significance behind it).  Tyler shared again at the SHOP (outside on the back patio) with encouraging stories and testimonies.   There were over 150 people gathered and we had a fun fire tunnel followed with 13 baptisms in the pool at the end of the night!  It was a great night full of Jesus.

August was busy as far as leadership went as we all felt like it was important to figure out a clear vision and mission statement for the SHOP.  Because of the rapid growth that we were experiencing we started to get bombarded with questions!  This was a good thing and caused us to step back and look at what we believed the SHOP was called to.  By now we had each shaped our own ideas, influences and agendas about what it was to us personally so it took some time to hammer out.  I must admit that we easily complicated this process and mixed in a lot of flesh instead of simply seeking the Lord in prayer.  Aimee and I noticed during this time that the core leadership circle was being tested causing our friendships to be strained.

During the month of September Steven took a break from worship and we ended up having a lot of guest speakers.  We started the month by watching The Finger of God, which is a great documentary on some of God’s moves and miracles around the Globe.  We were then blessed to have Ryan Helbling lead worship and share a message as he was back from Africa for the remainder of the year.  On the 22^nd Isa Agape came and shared an awesome message that the Lord had been placing in her heart over the last couple of months.  Young, old, and new faces continued to show up as we enjoyed the summer outside.

The last Tuesday of the month was a very difficult night; looking back this also marked the end of the period for the word that we had received.  We had found out that a local teenager, Emmitt Broaddus, was killed in a car accident right before we gathered; he was a friend of many.  There was also a very large group of black birds circling around the property for about 20 minutes, which we found to be very bizarre.  Steven, Andrew, Sonja, and Bethany all went to the hospital to pray for him and his family.  Carlie, Aimee, and I felt led to get everyone in a circle to pray until we felt breakthrough. It was rough but we did feel some breakthrough at the end.

Our season out on the patio ended and so did our season on the property.  We had our last shop meeting in the actual shop building October 6, 2009.  It felt great to be back in the shop and have our old friends Ryan and Nina Landis leading worship to bring things back to the heart of worshipping Jesus!  Being outside was good but I believe it brought a lot of distractions naturally and spiritually.

We had corporately made the decision to move our place of meeting down the hill, into an old warehouse in Tuolumne City.  We were outgrowing the old shop and had some issues that needed attention; like parking, bathrooms, and the leaking roof.  I went up to the owner of the building after church one day to inquire about using his place and before I finished explaining everything he had graciously put the key to the building in my hand.   We had also gotten some cool words about the fire flowing down the hill.  I have always had a heart for Tuolumne and saw this as a dream come true!  I believe that there was a grace to move and that the Lord wanted to start moving in Tuolumne City in a greater way!  With that being said, a huge part of the shop was dearly missed.

This warehouse was MUCH BIGGER, had plenty of parking, and two bathrooms…but the best part was it fit us perfectly.  It had dirt floors, old church chairs, and was centrally located in a town that needs much reviving!  So we had our first gathering in Tuolumne, October 13, 2009.  I was super excited as a couple of my Tuolumne friends showed up after not seeing them for a while.  It felt like a smooth transition.  It was also raining that night and it sounded beautiful as the raindrops poured down on the old metal roofing.

Tyler Johnson came back for our second meeting in the new place and helped us break it in a little more.  The leadership also started meeting around this time with an amazing couple whose heart is to refresh those in ministry.  The timing was great as there were feelings and stirrings going on between the leadership as well as in the community.  It was good to have an outside source come and help us in some practical ways.  These meetings were very healthy and brought some things to the surface that Aimee and I were unaware of.

As November and December rolled around the shop was good but the building was getting beyond cold.  We had little space heaters set up, but everyone was being challenged by the frigidness.  This put even more strain on the leadership as it seemed like the grace was lifting.  I felt like we were to weather the storm so to speak but it may have just been my stubbornness.  I also felt like during the last few months of the year that I was fighting something that I couldn’t see at the time.  The leadership team also lost two big pieces as Bethany went on a mission’s trip to Africa and Carlie went to a prayer internship on the East Coast.

Aimee and I started taking a good look at what the shop had become to us and how it had started to become our identity.  We had realized that our friendships between the leaders had turned into something completely other than, as everything revolved around the shop!  There was no doubt that His presence was still there, but we both started asking the question as to why we needed to be on the leadership team.  With the growth, changes of season and our weaknesses, I believe that the leadership team had gotten distracted.

At the end of December Aimee and I attended the OneThing Conference in Kansas City as well as the leadership summit.  This was an impactful time for us as we felt a release from the SHOP leadership.  We both strongly felt that we were to start a family after hearing a powerful message from Lou Engle.   It was also confirmed with us that we were to pursue prayer and worship on a deeper level while growing in His Word.  January 17, 2010 we let the team know that we were stepping down in hopes to continue to be friends.  About a month after this decision we found out that Aimee was pregnant with Liberty Reign.  This was very exciting news for us as our steps were confirmed and our family started to blossom.

The shop continued to weather through the winter and with spring time Kaenan and LauraLee got married March 19, 2010.  I will end this session here and see if there is room for another one down the road.  It was a wonderful to see the Lord work through the shop and I am very thankful that I got to be apart of it.  Thank you for taking the time to read this.  Feel free to share any of your own stories in the comments!

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Continued…PT. 2.

There was a special shift in the supernatural when we moved into the shop. The first night in the new setting seemed different, in a good way.  I believe it was partly due to the family history of the Gerber property.   My great aunt Ginny and uncle Bill Gerber (the land owners since the beginning of Ponderosa Hills) always envisioned some sort of house of prayer in the area.  That being said, the property had been filled and continues to be filled with prayer and worship. I also realize that there was a huge grace and blessing from the Lord because He loves us loving Him!

August was a year of new beginnings for me.  As we transitioned from Tuesday Night Worship at the blue house to Tuesday nights at The SHOP, an even bigger shift came as I went from being single to married!  Aimee and I got married at Chapel in the Pines, Saturday August 16, 2008.  It was a fun season as life continued to be full for us.

The first time we had someone come visit the shop from out of town was on September 7, 2008 (a Sunday).  Through our connection with Aunt Lisa, Pastor Paul Harris came for two nights to pray and share.  Also, some of Lisa’s intercessor/prophetic friends came up from LA.  Paul described the shop environment as “ a campfire with couches” and felt like the region was, “Sitting on a very powerful combustible place in the Spirit”.  He shared a little bit the first night but most of the evening was spent in intense prayer.

The second night (Monday the 8^th) was very powerful for Aimee and I as we were ministered to after Pastor Paul shared.  Aunt Lisa’s friends were really operating in the prophetic gift and blessed us so much with insight and encouragement.  I will never forget what was shared that night.  One of the words spoken for the shop was,  “You bring Him comfort, you bring Him joy, and you bring Him friendship and love.”

Tuesday’s continued to make an impact on me and others as we all kept showing up never really knowing what to expect.  Steven Robbins really started taking off with his incredible worship gifting and the Presence of the Lord continued to manifest and move each tuesday night.  On the 19^th we had our first open shop meeting to share input, ideas, and direction.  There was still no official “leaders” team set up then. That following Tuesday night, our amazing friends and leaders since near the beginning, Andrew and Sonja Heisinger, got married September 23, 2008 as we all got to celebrate with them.

We felt like it was time to make the shop a little bit nicer so we had another workday on October 25th.  You can watch the footage below to catch a glimpse of all the “excitement”.

November 25^th stands out to me as I remember my long time friend Wyatt coming for the second time.  Wyatt had no religious background and lived a rough walk of life.  After sitting through worship for about twenty minutes and feeling tired, he closed his eyes.  As his eyes were closed he saw a bright light get brighter and brighter and the coattails of darkness fleeing the scene.  The light got so bright that he could no longer keep his eyes closed and he was filled with energy and jumped up to tell my cousin Kaenan about it.  He was so excited and at the end of the night he shared in front of everyone his experience and said, “Before tonight I didn’t believe in God.”

It was right around the end of the year when I believe we felt led to form a team of leaders for Tuesday nights.  There were no special requirements other than we had all been apart of this thing from the beginning.  It ended up being Carlie Vogt, Bethany Williams, Steven Robbins, Andrew and Sonja Heisinger, and Aimee and me.  Not too long after this we brought Kaenan Whitman on board because he is a fireball and had recently moved to the area after our wedding.  The shop also was on Kaenan’s grandparent’s property, so he carried a level of authority.

The year 2009 rolled around and Holy Spirit continued to fill us up while the shop kept filling up with new people!  We had a group of 20 make it up to Jesus Culture on February 6-7 and it was a blast.

That following Tuesday, the 10^th,

“75 people came, even though it was cramped, worship broke through amazingly quick and we were not able to get to anything else we had planned for the night.  The Holy Spirit loves to move when hungry people make themselves available.” (Taken from an email)

Ryan Landis

2009 was a great year for the shop, we had a lot of visitors!  On February 17^th, we had Ryan and Nina Landis come and rock out with us!  It was definitely a packed house.  One of the neighbors elbow got healed that night and Ryan and Nina encouraged us by saying, “No formula and no structures equals easy access to GOD! Keep doing what you’re doing, we don’t have to try to create anything…it’s already here!”  They were super uplifting and ended the night with some prophetic ministry.  And we got to bless them by taking up an offering that was rather staggering for our crazy group oddballs.

March 31^st was a monumental moment for everyone that was at the shop that night.  Steven had the fun idea (I thought it was very random at the time) to make it pajama night!  So, regardless of how I really felt…I showed up in my pj’s and so did a lot of other people.  There was close to 90 people and at least 4 physical healings!

One of the healings that took place really stands out as I was praying for her with a friend.  She came in that night on crutches with a knee brace.  The prior Thursday she had blown her knee out when she collided with another player during her soccer game.  She was taken to the hospital and the doctors confirmed that she would need surgery and told her to keep ALL pressure off of her injured leg.   Long story short we prayed for her and asked if she felt anything and she said no.  We prayed again and asked her to try bending her leg.  We took off the brace and she was able to move it a little bit.  We continued to contend for healing in her leg and she said she could tangibly feel something while we were praying and tears started streaming down her face.  She ended up putting her full weight on her leg and at the end of the night she walked out of the shop without her brace and crutches!!!  It was a powerful testimony.  The best part was that the doctor confirmed that her leg was fine the next day, April 1, 2009.  I realized now looking back that her healing was confirmed a year to the day from when we had our first Tuesday night at the blue house.

March 31, 2009 Pajama Night!

May 30^th, we had the honor of hosting Shampa Rice.  There were around 120 people listening intently to her message that was filled with LOVE.  This was also around the time that Jake Hamilton’s music from Marked By Heaven started influencing our worship time .  July 16^th, Elyssa Williams came and shared and encouraged us with a word that she got for the shop.  Part of it said,  “How I love you, I have seen your prayers and heard your cries, I have seen how you reach out and welcome the broken and the hurting and have opened your arms and chased after what others have abandoned.” Aunt Lisa and her intercessor friends came up again for a Tuesday night (6/23/09) and we had an amazing “fire tunnel” at the end of the night that rocked all of us!

And this only leads us up to half of the year!  I know that I am just giving highlights and small glimpses, but every Tuesday night was special and filled with His presence whether I personally felt something or not… someone was always encountering His love.

To be continued…

The beginning: this is important to know. Before the gathering officially started it was birthed in Aimee Atkins (then McGrady’s) heart. I asked her why she felt lead to start Tuesday Nights and she said, “I had it on my heart for a couple of months to start a college age worship group. Just a time to be with the Lord and worship freely with no limitations.” At the time Aimee was too old for youth group and was hungry for a place to gather with like hearted people that were close in age.

So the origins of “Tuesday Night Worship” started on a Tuesday night (imagine that!) in October of 2007 (possibly the 16th). Aimee’s heart was stirred so she went to a few other worshipers and they gathered in her parent’s living room. It was a very small group of young adults that came together in a little living room to worship a BIG GOD. I must clarify that the heart of this was not started out of a dissatisfaction or frustration with the church. It was simply another time to meet outside of Sunday morning to love on Jesus through worship, prayer and fellowship.

There were guitars, some bongos, and hungry hearts. It was very simple and low key with a genuine focus on Jesus and building friendships. There was no agenda or task list. From the beginning freedom was honored as the Holy Spirit showed up time and time again. This continued for 6 months every Tuesday in the McGrady living room.

It was not too long after this that I flew Aimee out to Albuquerque, New Mexico with me and proposed March 24, at the Rio Grande. I proposed to her at the same place that I got baptized on Easter Sunday the year before! This was a great time for both of us as we were working full time and maturing as the Lord was unfolding His plans before us.  Aimee’s heart for worship was blossoming before the Lord and I starting to feel a fire for prayer like never before! Not to mention that we were making amazing new friends from all over the place.

Aimee (my fiance’ at the time) had told me about the get-together but I had never made the effort to show up. I didn’t know any of Aimee’s “Christian friends” yet. Eventually I showed up and it was awesome! I wanted this thing at my house! I know that sounds selfish but I had just moved into a new place with my roommate Jordan Geary and our living room was perfect.  As the worship time ended I asked what everyone thought about moving it up the hill to my place. It is a pretty funny story looking back because other than Aimee and her brother Ryan, no one knew me and I hadn’t said much to anyone before. I remember everyone looking around and then the consensus was, “Ya, that sounds cool.”

The 8 people that were there that night must have each told one friend because that next Tuesday, April 1, 2008, there were 16 people gathered! It was a great first night to break in the new place. We had a time of putting on a Misty Edwards CD and started going at it in prayer for people. A few were falling down in the spirit, others were filled with laughter, and some were weeping. The Spirit broke loose and His presence was very thick and tangible in the dimly lit living room that evening.

It was exciting that the Lord was moving and hearts were being touched. There was anticipation building that whole week and as word spread, 25 people showed up that next Tuesday. Because we never had time for announcements each week, Steven Robbins (one of the amazing worship leaders from the beginning) started up a g-mail account under the name, Acts2Gathering, to share any changes, announcements, suggestions, prayer requests or testimonies. The first one sent April 20, 2008 and read as follows:

Yes, you can bring a friend… or a few…Yes, adults and children are allowed to come…Yes, you can arrive late or leave early if you need to …Yes, you can share some scripture during our time of worship…Yes, you can bring an instrument and play along if you want to…Yes, you can request that we lay hands on you and pray for you…YES, YOU CAN EXPECT THAT NOT EVERY WEEK WILL BE THE SAME AS THE ONE BEFORE. We are very open to many things as long as we keep our focus on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our purpose for meeting is to worship freely and expressively and to expect God to respond to our worship and prayers. Please pray for corporate breakthrough in our worship, revival in our county, and for more souls to come to Jesus.

By the beginning of May there were at least 40 plus people packing into our two-bedroom house. Jordan and I stopped putting the furniture back in order and just left it the way it was until the next gathering. With that many people we took out the dinner table and chairs to open up space and it still wasn’t enough! We had people lined down the narrow hallway, the living room was maxed out, and the dinning room and kitchen were full. Did I mention that 40 worshipping kids in a house without A/C during the start of summer makes things a little hot?

Every night was unique as we honored each other to create a “safe atmosphere” and allow freedom to worship Jesus. There were new faces each week, some with church backgrounds and others had never been to church before or had never seen anything like Tuesday Nights. Worship, prayer, prophetic words, reading the Word, and sharing testimonies resulted in freedom, joy, breakthrough, and unity.

I just read a quote from Rick Joyner that said, “If Jesus is in it, a cave will have more glory than the greatest human structure.” One thing was certain, it was God breathed and Jesus was there! It was completely out of our hands as we all marveled at what God was doing amongst us.

Nearing the end of May our biggest problem was not people thinking we were some type of a cult. It was parking and more room for the explosion of kids that were coming in. There was actually a lot of support and encouragement from adults in the area even though some didn’t want to show up to scare away anyone . A grass roots prayer covering started up as news was spreading fast! All of the “young adults” that had been there from the beginning went to church and had parents that were excited about it and were praying protection along with others that had got wind of what was going on.

On June 16th a huge door had opened up, thanks to my aunt Lisa Whitman (Gerber) and Nancy Allen. I cannot stress enough the role that these two played in the whole thing. They were praying and felt led to let us crazy young kids use the old shop on the Gerber property. When they shared with us this grand idea, we were stoked! Of course this old shop was filled with junk and had been sitting unused for a long time. That following weekend we had a shop workday and cleared out a ton of stuff.  The shop is located right behind the house that we were currently meeting at.

By the first of July, we had our first group of adults come to the house; 3 local couples that carry a fathers and mothers heart for our generation. It was an awesome night and the couples started showing their wonderful love and support ever since. We had one more shop workday on the 19th as I was pushing to have it ready before Aimee and I got married. It was great to see how the Lord provided. I was driving down the road and saw a free carpet sign and was able to pick it up and lay it across the cement shop floor. There were also some old family couches with no place to go that fit nicely in our new/old gathering spot. I can’t say that the shop smelled or looked great, but it was just what we needed.

On the 22nd the doors were open for worship and prayer as we had our first Tuesday Night Worship gathering in what was dubbed as “The SHOP” from there on out.  It was a great transition; as usual the presence of the Lord was there as we gave ourselves to worshiping Jesus.

Continued…Pt 2

“History reveals that we will reproduce converts after our own kind.  We will impart what we possess into those new believers.”  - Mike Bickle

I just “tweeted” this quote today because I found it to be a true statement.  But I wanted to share what follows after as Mike Bickle shares out of his book, Passion for Jesus.

“God, don’t fully release the harvest until You release something in Your church that is worthy of imparting to the multitudes of new converts.  Don’t allow another generation of easily offended Christians who lust for money, power, position and pleasure to be birthed.  Please fill us with a more intimate knowledge of Your Son’s splendor and loveliness before You bring a multitude of new believers for us to train-until we all attain to unity, intimacy, and maturity.” (p. 120-121)

Before Jesus comes back, the Church will be made full in unity, intimacy, and maturity as Paul states in Ephesians 4:11-13.  This is a great gauge to see how close we really are to Christ’s Return.  So are you pursuing unity in faith or building your own ministry platform and walls?  Are you becoming intimate in the knowledge of the Son of God or trying to grow your own following and upping your social status.  Are you growing in spiritual maturity or have you allowed yourself to grow dull and stagnate?

I believe that there is a great outpouring of His Spirit on the horizon.  Let’s get back to what really matters and fix our gaze on Jesus!  What kind of believers are we going to raise up and reproduce with this coming harvest?  What do we have to impart?  Is it all head knowledge and past experiences or will we be able to impart fresh encounters and a real relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

I want to impart a love for Jesus from my own abundance of love for Jesus!  I want to impart a living and active Word from abiding in the Living Word!  I want to see signs and miracles released because I have been set free and released by Him!  I want to live in the Light that draws men and captures their devotion to the King.  I know I can not impart my own history with Jesus but I want my history with Jesus to shine and compel others to live unto the Lord!

Bill Johnson says, “If you’ll make history with God, He’ll make history through you.”  Let’s make history with God by pursuing His Kingdom and His righteousness so that His Kingdom and Righteousness may be reproduced through us for others to be brought into.

John Hancock was the first of fifty- six men to sign the Declaration of Independence. His signature being first was at the top and it was also the biggest and boldest of them all.  He made quite the exclamation and after penning his now famous name, he said, “There, I guess King George will be able to read that.”

Signing and supporting this declaration was a monumental moment for the signers, the United States of America, and all future generations.  John Hancock and those that followed pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor.

So what was really on the line when John Hancock dipped his quill pen into the jet-black ink well to sign over his LIFE, FORTUNE, and SACRED HONOR?

A year prior to signing he was honored by being elected president of the Continental Congress. Shortly after being elected he married the love of his life, Dorothy “Dolly” Quincy and they were expecting their first child (Lydia) in October of 1776. John had also inherited a staggering fortune after the passing of his uncle.

John Hancock was born January 23, 1737 in Braintree Massachusetts to his father, Reverend John Hancock, and his mother Mary.  John had deep roots in the Christian faith; both his father and grandfather were Congregationalist ministers and graduates of Harvard’s ministerial school.

John would have been a minister of the faith as well if his father had not passed away when he was 7 years old.  His life took a different course than expected but he never gave up his faith.  When John was 13 his childless aunt and uncle adopted him and raised him.  His uncle Thomas Hancock was one of the wealthiest men in New England.  He established and owned an importing and exporting business to Britain and acquired great wealth from it.

John had graduated from Harvard and had since worked for his uncle. When his uncle passed in 1764, John inherited the business becoming known as, “King Hancock”.  Since, he became heavily involved in politics rising up as one of the most well known patriots while fighting for America’s liberties during the Revolutionary War and beyond.  He passed in 1793 and was remember as a generous man willing to lay down all he had for the freedom of America.

John Adams later wrote of him to Jedidiah Morse, 1818.

Of Mr. Hancock’s life, character, generous nature, great and distinguished sacrifices and important services, if I had forces, I should be glad to write a volume. But this I hope will be done by some younger and abler hand.

Reverend Dr. Thatcher, John Hancock’s pastor at Brattle, giving his eulogy said,

John Hancock was a great man and I want to continue to highlight his Christian faith.  Being a framer and founder of our constitution I think it is important to remember him for the man of God that he was.

The following is copied from HERE

John Hancock was a lifelong member of the Brattle Street Congregationalist Church. His name was inscribed on the cornerstone of the church for the 1,000 pounds he gave when the church was built. He also bought the church’s bell. He also gave a Bible to a church in Lunenberg and bought another bell for a church in Jamaica Plain.

He made frequent appeals to God in his role as President of the Continental Congress and Governor of Massachusetts. In these public positions, he made many statements of praise and thanks to God for His blessings in the fight for independence, made public requests for prayer and repentance and asserted that God was in control of America’s destiny. Hancock also advocated state support of religious institutions.

Some statements revealing his religious faith from some of his public statements and proclamations include:

• In a letter to the Continental Army in March 1776, Hancock proclaimed that the same God who had foiled British efforts to conquer Massachusetts would defeat their “deep-laid scheme” against the other colonies as well.
• In an appeal to all the colonies in September 1776, he stated that members of Congress relied “on Heaven for the justice of our cause.”
• He also said, “I am persuaded under the gracious smiles of Providence, assisted by our own most strenuous endeavors, we shall finally succeed.”
• From his inaugural address as governor in 1780, Hancock thanked God for “the peaceable and auspicious” adoption of the new state constitution.
• In 1782 Hancock reassured members of the Massachusetts legislature that “the favor of heaven” would eventually establish America’s righteous claims.
• Hancock’s Thanksgiving proclamation the following year encouraged citizens to express their gratitude for God’s numerous blessings and to recognize that their “entire Dependence” was on “His Goodness and Bounty.”

Here are some other well known quotes from him.

And in his Boston Massacre oration he stated,

I have the most animating confidence that the present noble struggle for liberty will terminate gloriously for America. And let us play the man for our God, and for the cities of our God; while we are using the means in our power, let us humbly commit our righteous cause to the great Lord of the Universe, who loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity. And having secured the approbation of our hearts, by a faithful and unwearied discharge of our duty to our country, let us joyfully leave our concerns in the hands of him who raiseth up and pulleth down the empires and kingdoms of the world as he pleases; and with cheerful submission to his sovereign will, devoutly say: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet we will rejoice in the Lord, we will joy in the God of our salvation.”

•••

Let us not forget the great faith and sacrifice of our founding fathers.  I believe that the LORD is still looking for those with great faith to lay down their lives, fortunes, and honor not just for the freedoms of this nation but most of all for His Kingdom.

I have been a devoted student of history for more than forty years, but it has been only over the last several years that I have felt compelled to understand our foundations as a nation. I was surprised to see that we truly were a nation built on sound biblical principles. The Scriptures give a lot of instruction about righteous governments, and The Great Commission was to make disciples of all nations, not just individuals. I have concluded that America was certainly one of the great nation disciples of the Lord. Our government was founded mostly by those with a great resolve to adhere to biblical principles of righteousness and justice. The prosperity we have enjoyed as a nation was the favor of God promised to the nations that did this as we see in places like Proverbs 14:34.

If we had continued to adhere to these basic biblical principles that the nation was founded on, we would not likely have any of the troubles we’re now in. The answer to getting out of the crises we’re in is to return to those solid foundations. However, we must understand them to return to them.

The Scheme of the Devil

The quickest way to kill a plant is to cut it off from its roots; the quickest way to kill a nation or culture is to cut it off from its history, which are its roots. This is why one of the first things totalitarian governments do when they gain power over a nation is to start changing its history. There has been a systematic attempt to destroy America by doing just that—gradually revising our history and then changing it altogether. What is now taught in virtually all of our schools as American history is not the truth about our history.

History textbooks now used in our public schools make almost no mention of our Judeo/Christian foundations unless they are derogatory. The emphasis of these textbooks is so focused on the mistakes and negatives in our history that they leave students ashamed to be Americans. This could be a greater threat to our future than all of the other crises we’re now facing. We have been systematically cut off from our roots. If we do not reattach to them soon, we will perish as a nation. If we do recover our roots, revival will quickly follow.

The Wells of Living Water

Some of the greatest revivals in Scripture began when a people rediscovered the roots that they had been cut off from. In Scripture, you see this repeatedly in Israel’s story, especially in the restoration books like Ezra and Nehemiah. The people regained a vision for their future by reconnecting with their history. The same will be true with us.

The revival that probably had the greatest spiritual impact on America, and helped to set our spiritual DNA as a nation, was the result of the young German Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf discovering the historic roots of the refugees he had taken onto his estate. He did this by discovering the writings of Jon Amos Comenius. Comenius is called “the father of modern education,” but he was a Moravian bishop who led a group of persecuted Christians from the same area that the refugees who had come to Zinzendorf’s estate had come from one hundred years earlier. Comenius founded schools so that all children could receive an education, not just the children of the nobility. His ultimate purpose for education was to prepare a generation of missionaries to fulfill The Great Commission.

When Zinzendorf shared the news that Comenius, who was considered one of the men that has most impacted the modern world, was actually a spiritual forefather of these refugees, this discovery resulted in what historians call “The Moravian Pentecost” and gave birth to modern missions. Many of those missionaries came to America, including Count Zinzendorf himself, and they inspired those who would be the voices of the First Great Awakening.

Zinzendorf was likely one of the wealthiest men of his time, and he expended his fortune on the gospel. For this reason, historians have called him “the rich young ruler who said ‘yes.’” This same spiritual DNA, missions and generosity of spirit, remains a basic part of America. Whether it is a natural disaster, or a manmade one, Americans can be counted on to be the first to help. Whether through Christian missions, or simple missions of charity, Americans are spread all over the earth seeking to do good.

Revival in America will come as we reconnect to our roots. We have one of the most remarkable histories since biblical times, and as we reconnect to it, the great vision and nobility of spirit that gave birth to our nation will revive in us again. As the great British evangelist Leonard Ravenhill said, “America is too young to die.” Regardless of how great the crises are that we are now facing, our best days can yet be in our future. (Bold Emphasis added by Patrick Atkins)

The only commandment that was given with a promise, which is in both the Old and New Testaments, is to honor our fathers and mothers. The promise for doing this is that it would go well with us and that we would have longevity in the land that the Lord has given to us (see Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:2). Our well-being and longevity as a nation is linked to honoring our national fathers and mothers. This must be recovered.

We honor people by remembering them, and we dishonor those that we forget. It was for this purpose that the Israelites were commanded to recite their history to their children every year. This ensured that they would have the strongest possible roots as a nation. Our longevity as a nation will depend on how we honor our national fathers and mothers by remembering them. This must begin with honoring the Founding Fathers.

Winston Churchill said that we could not understand where we were going if we did not understand where we’ve been. One of the primary reasons for the present lack of national vision for the future is because we have been so cut off from our past. The vacuum created has opened the gates wide for the worst kind of influences. Over the last half century that the revising of our history has been taking place, we see the nation falling deeper into debauchery and the corruption of our basic integrity. Our revival and restoration is linked to returning to the good roots that gave life to America in the beginning, which have preserved us through the great crises in our development. They can give life to us again and preserve us through our present crises.

The Bible is basically a history book. It does not cover up the mistakes and failures of even its greatest heroes, and likewise, a true history cannot gloss over the mistakes and failures in our past. These are some of the greatest lessons we need to learn from. Even so, it is worse not to honor the good.

Back to the Future

MorningStar has become known around the world as a prophetic movement. We certainly value the prophetic ministries and gifts, and we are even increasing our pursuit of them. As we are told in Acts 2 and Joel 2, when the Lord pours out His Spirit in “the last days” it will result in prophetic revelation—dreams, visions, and prophecy. This is because we will need this increasing guidance as these days unfold. We have helped to teach and equip tens of thousands of believers from all over the world, and we are seeking to excel even more as the times require it.

However, along with our devotion to the prophetic, we have sought to also impart an understanding of and love for history. We have taught and are committed to the three-fold cord that is not easily broken: sound biblical doctrine, a good understanding of history, and a prophetic perspective. We must have all three and keep them in proper balance.

I was shown the first year that I was a Christian that we could not be trusted with the spiritual authority the Lord wanted to give us without being strongly linked to all who have gone before us to prepare our way. This is why when Jesus was asked by what authority He did His works, He pointed to the baptism of John. He was not trying to deflect their question, but this was the answer to their question. Jesus was linked to all who had prepared the way for Him. John was there as their representative to declare that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, so Jesus honored them all by submitting Himself to John’s baptism. He even said He did this to fulfill all righteousness.

Every generation that would carry on must do the same—be baptized by those who went before them to prepare their way. In the Old Testament, one of the ways that Israel honored their fathers was to drink from the wells that they had dug. We must do the same. We do this not by drinking from physical wells, but from the wells of living water that sprung up from them—their teachings and their prophecies.

One of the ways that the enemies of God’s people harassed them and drove them off of their land was to stop up their wells. Our wells have been stopped up in America as well as in many other nations that have at one time been disciples of the Lord. We must unstop the wells and drink again from this living water. Strength will return as we rediscover our true history.

This summer as you vacation, resolve that you are going to strengthen your roots. Read a good history book. Resolve that you will read at least one a year. There are many other resources such as history videos and historic movies that are full of inspiration and life.

For more on Rick Joyner and his ministry click HERE.

August 13, 1727 was a day not to be forgotten to those who lived in the community at Hernhut.  Now as you know from the previous post, this community of Christian believers had held a variety of doctrines and beliefs when it came to their faith.  There were many persecuted denominations represented including the Moravian Brethren (Unity of Brethren), Lutherans, Reformist, Schwenkfelders, Calvanists, separatists, and Baptists. A few months prior to that day, the community was in turmoil due to bickering and quarreling over their religious differences.

Count Zinzendorf, the owner and visionary of the land was grieved over the disunity of the Christian community.  And during the month of May 1727, he and his family came to permanently live in Hernhut. He gave his life to see this home of refugees be a place filled with the presence of God.  His passion to see this come to pass drove him to a deeper level of prayer for the people at Hernut.  He taught fiercely on the unity of Christians found in the Bible, the importance of prayer, and he also had the members sign a “Brotherly Agreement.”

He called all of them, “to seek out and emphasize the points in which they agreed”

This dedicated approach from Zinzendorf blew open the doors of grace for a great level of repentance, prayer, and unity! After this raising of a new standard, passionate prayer groups started up and new hymns flowed forth giving praise to the Savior.  God’s presence, unity and intercession increased through out the summer and much travail went out from Hernhut for even more of His presence.

It was August the thirteenth when Zinzendorf called the congregation for a special communion early that Wednesday morning.  Then it happened; the whole community felt the tangible outpouring of the Holy Spirit!  This was a moment that was unexplainable to many but was said to be much like the day of Pentecost recorded in the book of Acts 2.

Rev John Greenfield a Moravian historian said, “They hardly knew if they had been on earth or in heaven.” in his book Power from on High.

James Montgomery a Moravian Hymn writer, wrote this piece later on describing the event:

“They walked with God in peace and love, But failed with one another; While sternly for the Faith they strove, Brother fell out with brother; But He in whom they put their trust, Who knew their frames that they were dust, Pitied and healed their weakness. He found them in His House of Prayer, With one accord assembled; And so revealed His presence there, They wept with joy and trembled: One cup they drank, one bread they brake, One baptism shared, one language spake, Forgiving and forgiven. Then forth they went with tongues aflame In one blest theme delighting; The love of Jesus and His name, God’s children all uniting; That love our theme and watchword still, Thy law of love may we fulfill, And love as we are loved.”

It was a glorious day for the Moravians that launched a deeper passion for God’s Word, prayer, Hymns, and eventually missions. From this day forth they held meetings three times a day (4am 9am and 9pm) to pray and give thanks to God.

They also established 24-7 prayer! They started with 24 men and 24 women, each being assigned to one hour of the day to pray and they dubbed it Hourly Intercession.  Yes, it is true that this 24-7 prayer model lasted 100 years! This developed what they called Daily Watchwords resulting in one of the oldest and most popular daily devotionals.

Out of their prayer meetings they received a great zeal for missions.  They ended up sending out many missionaries’ abroad being among the first to reach out to slaves.  The Moravian missionary’s even made it to the United States and received a burden to spread the gospel to the Native Americans.

The missionaries going out from Hernhut were fearless unto death for the sake of Christ.  This Moravian mission movement was the first successful wide spread surge from the protestant reformation.  Zinzendorf and the Moravians helped lay a foundation for the great mission move that followed in the 18th century with men like William Carey.

The Hernhut community was modeled and duplicated near and far while small renewal groups broke out all across Europe.

•••

Does this inspire you at all???  It has definitely impacted me.  Last year I  got caught up in the “quarreling” of doctrine and theology and nothing was accomplished.  I have seen how ugly and immature it can get.  The end result of being in it and watching it from a distance caused me to realize that I need to be in His Word, prayer, and fellowship.

The Moravians were not perfect (who is but Christ) but I admire Count Zinzendorf for his bold leadership and convictions that lead him to find the good and common ground that each member had.  I personally think the Body of Christ needs to come back to this reality.  There are even more denominations and church splits in this day and age than ever before, let’s face it we probably will never fully agree on everything! So let us move forward in our love for Christ and our love for one another…isn’t that what He called us too?

I am hungry for this type of outpouring on the Church again.  I do not believe that the outpouring of Holy Spirit was a one time thing, I do believe that He wants to pour out His Spirit at an even greater measure today!  We saw it in the book of Acts and you can see it displayed through this Moravian Move and with other historical revivals.  The believers started in fellowship and prayer and the result was a great outpouring which lead to even greater prayer and fellowship PLUS souls saved for Christ!!!

What are your thoughts?

Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf had a very unique upbringing.  In 1700 he was born into a noble family, his father passed away shortly after his birth and he was raised and heavily influenced by his Piest grandmother.  He had a mind and heart to pursue the things of the LORD from a very young age, while his family directed him into the steps of his father’s noble heritage and government occupation; he meekly achieved his royal title as a count (English nobleman) as well as becoming the king’s judicial counselor at the end of his schooling.

Nicolaus went to a Piest school causing him to seek after a personal and intimate relationship with Christ through prayer, reading the Bible, and fellowship.  He then attended the University of Wittenberg, famous for the posting of Martin Luther’s 95 theses and was influenced by Lutheran theology.  He carried this unique upbringing with him being a devout follower of Christ and a devout Nobleman to his country; a devout Piest and a devout Lutheran.  His early years were marked with a personal heart for Christ while upholding his noble duties.

In 1722 some big events took place in Zinzendorf’s life.  He got married and he purchased his grandmother’s large estate in hopes to provide a place of refuge for any and all persecuted Christians of his day.  Amazingly, shortly after this purchase, some Unity of Brethren in need of a place of safety approached Zinzendorf.  The count gladly gave them a place to dwell and they named the area, Hernhut, which means, “The Lords’ Watch”.

THE LORD’S WATCH

It was at Hernhut where Count Zinzendorf’s true calling sprung forth.  Hernhut quickly became a haven for Christian refugees and not just for the Unity of Brethren but also for other persecuted Christians (Lutherans, Reformed, Schwenkfelders, Calvanists, separatists, and Moravians), all with differing doctrine and theology.  This was exactly what Zinzendorf had envisioned but he was not expecting the conflict and disorder that would spring up from the theological debates and quarreling.  By 1727 Zinzendorf had had enough of all the strife and moved to Hernhut full time to work out these theological differences among the people.  He built his permanent house there and named it Bethel; it was said to be very simple and open for the community.

Count Zinzendorf started off by going to each individual’s house and entered into prayer with each member.  He then assembled everyone together and vigorously taught from Scripture on how a Christian community should live, bringing the importance of loving God and one another to the forefront.  His intentions for everyone were to seek out and emphasize the points in which everyone agreed.  The result was shared by his close friend Spangenberg,

“On that day, the Count made a covenant with the people, in the presence of God. The brethren individually engaged to belong entirely to the Saviour. They were ashamed of their religious quarrels, and were unanimously disposed to bury them in oblivion. They also sincerely renounced self-love, self-will, disobedience, and freethinking. They were desirous of becoming poor in spirit; none of them sought a preference above the rest; and each one wished to be taught by the Holy Spirit in all things; they were not only convinced, but carried away and overpowered by the operating grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

He also came up with a voluntary discipline for the community, called the Brotherly Agreement.  It was this agreement that is said to have activated the Pentecostal move that took place three months later (WHICH WE WILL HIT NEXT!).  The agreement brought forth love as being the grounds for their common unity, which in turn intensified their prayer and Bible study gatherings.

Count Zinzendorf being raised Piest and taking on some Lutheran doctrine was not looking to start another church at the time but was having a hard time with the intellectual state of the Lutheran Church and he wanted to see a heart to heart relationship with the Lutherans and God.  Zinzendorf became the leader of what was called the Moravian Church, but he considered it to be under the Lutheran church.

Eventually Zinzendorf became well known to all the European and American religious leaders of the 18^th century.  Count Zinzendorf was known for his strong lifestyle of prayer and fasting, missions, writing hymns, and community. The Count eventually left Hernhut traveling as a pilgrim from place place to spread the Gospel.  There were those that continued to follow him and he crossed paths with great men such as Charles and John Wesley.  After visiting America he had a burden to witness to the Native Americans and had already started a great missions movement out of Hernhut after the revival of 1727.

Towards the end of Count Zinzendorf’s life he was either loved or hated.  His passion for becoming one with Christ and His afflictions went to the extreme and he and his followers became rejected by many.  Zinzendorf lost his son and wife and started to become road weary from all of the extended travel.  Although Count Zinzendorf had his ups and downs and wrongs and rights, I believe he was a forerunner for the prayer and missions movement that we are seeing today.  At the end of his life he was seen as humbled.  He passed away at the age of 60 in 1760.

•••Do Not Miss Out on the Next Part of This Series: The Moravian Revival!•••

(This is what I have been building up too…finally!)

Here is one of his more well known hymns: Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness

My beauty are, my glorious dress;

’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,

With joy shall I lift up my head.

 

Bold shall I stand in Thy great day;

For who aught to my charge shall lay?

Fully absolved through these I am

From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

 

The holy, meek, unspotted Lamb,

Who from the Father’s bosom came,

Who died for me, e’en me to atone,

Now for my Lord and God I own.

 

Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,

Which, at the mercy seat of God,

Forever doth for sinners plead,

For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.

 

Lord, I believe were sinners more

Than sands upon the ocean shore,

Thou hast for all a ransom paid,

For all a full atonement made.

 

When from the dust of death I rise

To claim my mansion in the skies,

Ev’n then this shall be all my plea,

Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.

 

This spotless robe the same appears,

When ruined nature sinks in years;

No age can change its glorious hue,

The robe of Christ is ever new.

 

Jesus, the endless praise to Thee,

Whose boundless mercy hath for me—

For me a full atonement made,

An everlasting ransom paid.

 

O let the dead now hear Thy voice;

Now bid Thy banished ones rejoice;

Their beauty this, their glorious dress,

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness.

Following the “Hussite Wars” and the Utraquists compact with the Roman Church the remainder of John Huss and John Wycliffe followers formed a church independent of the Roman Church known as the Moravian church or the Unity of Brethren officially in 1457.  By the time the Protestant Reformation as we know it launched in 1517 by Martin Luther with the nailing of the 95 Theses to the church door, this group had been fighting for freedom and reformation in the church for nearly 100 years.  Martin Luther was the fulfillment of John Hus’ prophecy given right before he was burned at the stake.  Martin Luther came on the scene and only catapulted and encouraged what the Unity of Brethren had been saying the whole time. The majority of the Moravians had the Bible translated in their language (Czech) helping them understand the cause and to lay the foundation of independence from the Roman Church.

The brethren had a lot of noble support behind them and saw tremendous growth in the regions. The Roman Church was too weak to gain control through the battlefield at the time so they retaliated back in the late 1500’s and early 1600’s by way of cultural, political, and ecclesiastical power shifts.  To cut to the short another revolt broke out in 1620 by the Protestant Czechs to protect their liberties and a coalition of armies (Those in relationship and rule with the Roman Church) ended up wiping them out.  This resulted in the Counter Reformation by the Roman church and the 30-year war (Which was a mass war for religious and political power all through out the regions).  One third of the Czech population was lost do to plague and war during this time period; it went from 3 million to 800,000!  This was a time of much upheaval and blood spilling in the name of religion.  For the brethren that were not martyred, many of them were dispersed through out the regions or forced to remain highly underground and secretive. This turmoil became pretty much wide spread in Germany at the time.  The Jesuits who were a big part of the “Counter Reformation” regarded anything Czech as heresy! The entire countryside was literally ravaged and destroyed for these 30 years.

This is a prayer that was written by Reverend Martin Rinkert during that time.

Now thank we all our God

With hearts and hands and voices;

Who wondrous things hath done,

In whom this world rejoices.

Who, from our mother’s arms,

Hath led us on our way,

With countless gifts of love,

And still is ours today.

 

In the midst of much suffering, tormenting, death, and injustice the few and faithful weathered the dark times.  Surprisingly a contingent of brethren stayed strong and secretive in Moravia.  They remained hidden from 1620 to 1722 and were able to pass on their love for Jesus and His Word from generation to generation.  in 1722 the Unity of Brethren were referred to Count Zinzendorf of Saxony for protection.  Zinzendorf had a heart for the poor and persecuted and wanted to use his large estate to establish a Christian community.  It is here that the Moravian Revival broke out!  But I would like to stop for now and follow up next time with more on Count Zinzendorf.

* Next Count Zinzendorf

•••Let us be forever thankful that we have not had to witness this kind of religious chaos in the United States.  This encourages me that in the hard times it is still worth it all to hold on to what is true and to pass it on, even when everything else is shaking.  Are you willing to fight for the Truth?  I’m not saying attacking physically is the way to do it…but are you willing to fight spiritually for the Truth in America?  It seems like the enemy has not been able to straight on attack the Church in America but he has made some huge power shifts in our culture and spheres of influence which in turn has been brought into the Church by our own free will and compromise.  I believe that the LORD is calling us to a higher level of spiritual warfare and it starts with you and me!  Let’s get back to intimacy with Jesus and from there we can go out and take back spiritual ground.