April 9th has been a significant day in history on more than one occasion. Googling the date pulls up many events. Here are just a few:
- Henry V crowned King of England - 1413
- Sir Walter Raleigh departed England for Roanoke Island (now North Carolina) - 1585
- The Civil War ended – 1865
All of these events took place with much fanfare. Another event, a prayer meeting, took place on April 9th, 1906 in a run-down house in Los Angeles. No one knew about it except those who were inside, but in a short amount of time people all over the world were talking about that meeting on Azusa Street. The reason this small gathering of no-names made the front pages was because the headliner was the Holy Spirit. The recent Call convocation on April 9th, 2016 got lots of press with over 100,000 people registered. For a period of time on the 9th, Azusa Now was the top trending topic on Twitter and Facebook.
From the social media results it would appear that the world was watching. I believe the world is now waiting and wondering—what’s next? They have a right to ask. We have a responsibility to give them an answer. Will this be merely a memory, a post on Facebook or a Twitter hashtag? I pray it will it be the igniting of a switch in the body of Christ that propels us forward with God’s plan for Heaven to invade earth.
For the latter to happen I believe we must believe something significant took place on the 9th. Perhaps some were expecting fire to break out from Heaven, God to appear on the stage and non-stop revival meetings to take place in the LA Coliseum for the next 3 months till all of Los Angeles was saved. The fact that this didn’t happen doesn’t mean nothing happened. From God’s perspective, when we pray, something always happens, whether we see it or not. It is crucial to see Azusa Now through eyes of faith.
I believe Azusa Now was a holy re-set for the body of Christ, not simply for the fulfillment of a prophecy given 110 years ago. It was a re-set of:
- Purpose—to boldly preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God with signs and wonders with expectation and hope.
- Affection—for Jesus and the expression of love for Him in worship, prayer and fasting.
- Relationship—for a new love of the body of Christ and commitment to unity and reconciliation in humility.
Here are 7 action steps I am taking to be positioned to participate as the Holy Spirit reveals the "What's Next?" in the days ahead.
- Believe that April 9th was the beginning of something not merely a one-time event.
- Stay plugged in to the Presence experienced during Azusa Now.
- Plan for the inevitable revival. I have taken disaster-training courses to prepare for natural disasters. I am asking God how to prepare for mass revival.
- Give thanks for what happened on April 9th, both the seen and the unseen.
- Live daily from Heaven—keeping in touch with the revival command center for blueprints, deployment, and execution strategies.
- Keep these weeds out: Jealousy, Offense, Impatience, Looking at circumstances, Immorality, Fear, Laziness
- Stay focused on Jesus
It is time to get this done! God has been planning this revival since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden. He had redemption in His heart and set the plan in motion that very day. He strategized, planned, executed, and persisted for centuries. He knew the end from the beginning. That is why He could sit in Heaven and laugh. God has done His part. He is waiting for us to do our part. He has given us the world, the present and the future as well as everything we need for life and godliness through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (See 1 Corinth. 3:22 and 2 Peter 1:3)
Here are some Daily Declarations I plan to make to stay focused. I invite you to join me.
The petitions from this house of prayer will be without ceasing.
The fire on my altar will never go out.
I will seek first your kingdom not my own.
Your praise, not criticism, will ever be on my lips.
The world will know I am a Christian by my love and not by my judgements.
Signs and wonders will follow me all the days of my life.
I will keep my faith anchored in hope not in fear.
Preparing for what's next!
