Friday, March 4, 2016

Revival Fire in America – It is Time! by Connie Friend

Carson City, NV



My husband and I are privileged to pastor a church that is hungry for revival. Not just hungry, but chasing after it. We get to see physical healings, brokenness made whole, relationships restored, and families reconciled by the love and power of God on a weekly basis, yet we know there MUST be MORE! Have you been feeling that way too?
For some time now, I have felt a building frustration and dissatisfaction, knowing that the revival stories of old are wonderful, but we need our own stories of unprecedented Holy Spirit power, widespread repentance and city transformation and we need it now!

Awakening the Sleeping Giant
I had my alarm clock set, but I awoke long before the alarm sounded. It was still dark outside, but I knew the dawn was not far off. A sense of excitement filled me as I knew God was speaking. He said, "The sleeping giant is awakening!"

Who is the sleeping giant, Lord? Immediately He showed me a picture of Gulliver. He was tethered to the ground with many onlookers and spectators. Some were peeking in pockets, examining the strength of this giant. Many were afraid, trying to control and restrain this unknown power that he contained.
God said, "That's My Church. It has seemed to be tied down, and many have not understood it. Some have sought to silence it. Others have tried to use its power for their own glory and good, but the true power of the Church is about to be unleashed in America."

In Gulliver's Travels, the author, Jonathan Swift describes Gulliver's condition, "I attempted to rise, but was not able to stir: for as I happened to lie on my back, I found my arms and legs were strongly fastened on each side to the ground;" (Book 1, Chapter 1, Page 55)

"Wow!" I thought. The unrestrained raw power of the glory of God released through the unified Church will change the landscape of our nation. When, Lord?

He said, "The alarm clock is set, but many are already awake and preparing for what is about to come."

Psalm 57:8 (The Message): "I'm ready, God, so ready, ready from head to toe. Ready to sing, ready to raise a tune: ‘Wake up, soul! Wake up, harp! wake up, lute! Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!'"
Maybe you are one of those who is already awake and praying, making preparations?

The Bride is Making Herself Ready
I have a dear friend who pastors with her husband in a neighboring town. Last week we were discussing the coming move of God. She said it felt like the whole earth is trembling in expectation. "For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are." Romans 8:19 (NLT). She was describing how a spiritual expectation breaks into the natural realm. Have you been feeling it?

I told her about Lou Engle's vision to bring together 120,000 people in Los Angeles, California on April 9, 2016 for a day of fasting and prayer to seek God for the greatest outpouring of the Spirit of God to sweep across our nation that has ever been seen. I saw fire in her eyes! We talked about the vision – that we would experience a double portion of Azusa Street outbreak exactly 110 years to the day that the Azusa Street Revival broke out – the ushering in of the billion soul harvest so often prophesied by Bob Jones. Stadium Christianity as seen in many visions by Bobby Conner.

She said, "We have to go!" A few days later she messaged me that they had a wedding scheduled in their church that she and her husband were performing and they wouldn't be able to go. I told her I would pray for miracles. This week I received a message from my friend; she said that she shared the vision with the bride and the bride changed the date of the wedding!

I could not shake the feeling that this was a prophetic sign that the Bride is making herself ready. She (the Church) is positioning herself to be prepared for what the Bridegroom wants to do! "Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready" (Revelation 19:7 NIV).

Arise, Shine!
I believe the alarm clock has been set. In this year of Jubilee, April 9, 2016, the Call is going forth and we, the collective Church, will arise and shine (Isaiah 60).

As we gather at AzusaNow2016.com, we expect to experience the fire of God! We expect to see the revival fires of thousands rekindled. We expect to see signs and wonders and salvations in the street. We have long been expecting to see these things in our own city, through the triumphant Church! I believe it is time.
When the unified Church, the sleeping giant in America, awakens and breaks loose of the things that have kept her bound, we will see this land return to God. We will see restoration of Godly values to our cities. When the sleeping giant arises, the glory of God will break out and spread across our world like we have only imagined in our dreams. Revival Fire – it is time.
Connie Friend
C5 Church

Website: www.c5church.com | www.conniefriend.com
Email: connie@conniefriend.com

No comments:

Post a Comment