REVIVAL AND REVOLUTION

REVIVAL AND REVOLUTION

REVIVAL; THE BEGINNING OF REVOLUTION
How do you know the difference between a person who has experienced true revival and one who has not? The one who has experienced revival no longer needs reviving. I had a dream the other day in which there was a baby not breathing. It was the church, and it needed resuscitating (reviving) or it would die. But, when the baby is revived; it's greatest need is not continual reviving or resuscitation. Continued chest compressions only serve to suppress the NORMAL functioning of a heart that is beating.

Revival is an EMERGENCY measure to bring something back to life or save its life. When my youngest daughter was born she needed quick attention to revive her and get oxygen flowing to the lifeless limbs that were starving from lack of oxygen. Once she was out of danger and was breathing well on her own, she was given into the arms of her father and mother to nurture her and raise her.
So what is the need for a baby who has been birthed, revived, and is now breathing and alive? You raise it up to be released into the world to fulfill it's destiny. If you are revived, you are now an alive NORMAL Christian. If you are constantly needing revival, you have a serious underlying condition that needs to be corrected in order for you to live a productive life. If you are on life support, which is where some people are, you are not breathing for yourself and it may be time to pull the plug. Revival refers to the initial work of the Spirit to bring back to life that which is dying.

Revival IS needed, and I love revival. But, we need to lift their vision higher. Revival meetings are good, but not the end goal. The formation of Christ in His people is the end goal. That goal is to quicken to life that which is dead or dying in order that after it has done it's work, people will become NORMAL power filled children of God; finding their destinies in Christ. If we need revival we are dying. Revival is the doorway into a kingdom lifestyle and expression of the Christ life; walking in love, obedience, power, and faith. We should be experiencing renewing, refreshing, and refilling daily ON OUR OWN; and bringing the part we have to share in the gathering of saints.

If you are revived you WILL revive others and it is no longer about a meeting, but about BEING the life of Christ to others. It is time for many to move on to NORMAL kingdom lifestyle. The early church was a Presence and power filled body. We are entering the days of the "maturing" of the seed (Christ) that was planted in the ground that it may not abide alone. Once people are revived we must release them into NORMAL kingdom living. The formation of Christ in His people is the end goal.

There are certain things which tend to bring people back into a state of needing reviving. One major one is a leadership mindset and structure that does not understand the goal, has the wrong goal, or does not know how to accomplish the goal. This is where true apostolic ministry needs to come in to release people into their place.

APOSTOLIC REVOLUTION
After an evangelist brought revival to Samaria an apostle came in and established the people. Following revival must be the equipping and releasing stage that causes life to flow through the members of the body. I do not refer to most current understandings of apostolic ministry. The maturing of the saints has become stunted and sidetracked under the current apostolic model. The apostolic ministry I am talking about is still emerging as ministries that will truly raise up the body in maturity to be what they are called to be. These will give people a vision of their identity in Christ and release them to be what they have been given to be by Father.

Here is what the new apostles look like:
They do not have networks of followers; they have love relationship based connections.
They are not OVER groups or demand a fee or tithe in order for people to be related to them.
They are not just teaching and preaching, they become the example of their message. Their greatest work and joy is just watching, waiting, and enabling people to do the work.
The only covenant they have with others is the ONE covenant of blood.
They submit to you as you submit to them, and receive the gifts of others and correction of those considered less then themselves on an EYE TO EYE basis.
They are true Fathers with REAL relationship with people (much "apostolic fathering" today is based on position and NOT relationship). Their goal is to release people into their destinies.

Let me give an example of what is coming to the church:
An emerging apostolic friend of mine was building a relationship with a Goth church. At a meeting the Lord spoke to him ten specific verses. He wrote them down in order, assuming he was supposed to preach. He waited after the worship for the mind of the Lord. As he waited nine of the young people stood up and gave the verses he wrote down in exact order, sharing what the Lord was saying to them through the verses. He waited for number ten but Father told him, "You finish with the last." It was training for him from the Lord. His wife watched the whole thing transpire. There are many who are going to be released to this very thing. Get ready, the kingdom is come. THIS is the kind of apostolic ministry coming forth.

SIGNS AND WONDERS
Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of the hosts, who dwells in mount Zion.
I had a powerful dream years ago of sitting on a stage in a chair in front of a church full of people while God simply sovereignly moved. But it was the people who were ministering the anointing to one another in the meeting while I did nothing but sit in rest and watch. I have already experienced this in part, but am pressing for an all out breaking loose in the church.

Your children are for signs and wonders. My own children (age 12 and under) are examples of this as they have ministered accurately prophetically to people with visions and words of knowledge in our small gathering at home. I will look to them to bring forth prophetic insight needed in a situation. As they share what they see, I get wisdom to the application of the prophetic word coming forth, but even then, God can still have another person share the application I may receive.

The apostolic anointing is fully functioning as apostles have the ability to know the mind of the spirit for a gathering. This does not mean they are to do the work. There is an "Atmospheric" nature of apostolic ministry that has yet to fully come forth that quickens and releases the kingdom within and through in people in a gathering. This type of maturing ministry is coming forth with greater signs and wonders then revival meetings with a special speaker. Father has determined it is so.

That dream of WATCHING God move through others while at rest is coming true. The body must be equipped to do the work of the ministry. When people do not find their place of authority In HIM, sooner or later their fire dies out. Peoples purpose and function in the body of Christ releases a flow of Spirit life in them and others. When they are not exercising in their place, they dry up. That is when and why revival is needed. So get ready for revival, and then a revolution that will turn the church and the world upside down.

In His Love
Kriston Couchey
http://my.opera.com/Boanerges/blog/