Ignite Indy

The Welsh Revival

2011-10-29T15:29:00.000-04:00

The Welsh Revival

by Starr Jacobi

Coal miner turned revivalist Evan Roberts, 26

[Poem written by ISSM's Starr Jacobi as her 'book report' on Rick Joyner's The World Aflame, an account of the Welsh Revival, 1904-05]

A single soul that burns, cries out both day and night;

Longs for nations transformed and walking in the light.

The fire seems so small, a tiny fragile flame;

Yet those who lay ahold will never be the same.

The flickering embers grow, and become a shining light;

The Spirit now moves in with His glorious power and might.

This inferno brightly rages in power undenied;

Souls with wild abandon the Spirit’s waves do ride.

Willing vessels borne on waves of the Spirit’s wind;

With hearts unfurled like sails receive His breath within.

Now songs of hearts redeemed rise like incense to thethrone;

These lives now transformed no longer are their own.

No earthly maestro leads this Holy symphony;

Yet every heart cries out in perfect synchrony.

Angels draw near to see this great and wondrous sight;

Sinners now transformed from darkness into light.

The heartbeat of this wonder is a Savior on a cross;

He’s risen now in splendor and will not suffer loss.

Where has this great wind come from? And where now does itgo?

No man can guide this fire only the Spirit this does know.

We bend our knees in reverence, our hearts sing adoration;

We cry now for this fire to disciple every nation

ISSM Week Six Highlights

2011-10-22T13:38:00.000-04:00

KV on the Prophetic: It's a 'Gold Rush'

Mentors!

We're very excited about a new mentoring initiative at ISSM. Several of our 2010 grads have agreed to make themselves available to our current crop of students. Thanks, guys!

Recap: "Great Moves of God"

Bill Johnson

When one considers the great revivals of the past, is there any one 'key' to what started them? Was it repentance? Prayer? Ministry to the poor? Reconciliation? Though all these things are good and necessary, there is no "formula" for revival. Bill says it was simply "because one person was available to the Holy Spirit."

Further, we should not hold up the fruits of revival as prerequisites for revival. The fact is people will pray more, love more, give more, serve more, etc.---after revival has come----than they did beforehand. Bottom line---the Holy Spirit will fall on any person who is open to Him. Our responsiveness to the Holy Spirit is the most critical factor.

In this teaching Bill shares a lot of wisdom about the dangers of unhealthy introspection: Am I sure my motives are pure...By giving a testimony am I trying to get glory...What is wrong with me?

Introspection is often a dead end street---or, perhaps a "roundabout" is a more apt metaphor. While it is true that our motives are vitally important, a search of our own hearts unaided by the Holy Spirit is an exercise in futility. God is very capable of pointing out our faults. The difference is, when we engage in introspection without Him, we feel no hope. When He does the work, there is always hope!

Recap: "Encountering God's Love"

Judy Franklin


Heaven Can't Wait

Judy Franklin is Bill Johnson's personal assistant and author of Heaven Can't Wait. Her inspiring testimony is one of being transformed from 'hurt and angry at the church' to 'restored and transformed' by the love of God.

Growing up in a home without love, and then being disillusioned by the 'hypocrisy' she saw in the church, Judy found herself alienated and bitter. But several encounters with God changed all that, and now she teaches others how to encounter God in the "third heaven" and experience His transforming love for themselves.

Judy led us into some moments of encounter with the Lord during which our students had some beautiful revelations of His love for them.

Recap: Prophetic Ministry Part 1

Kris Vallotton

In this message Kris begins by defining the prophetic as 'finding gold in the midst of the dirt' of peoples' lives. Though there is a place for correction and direction, "it is not very prophetic to find dirt in a sinner." It takes the grace of God to see the gold.

1 Corinthians 14:25: ^"as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” The word "secrets" can also be translated "treasures." People are drawn to God when the treasures of their hearts are exposed.

Rom. 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Kris: "You were created for glory. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and the judgment---but the gifts of the Spirit convict the world of the glory of which they fell short."

I love this: "When we prophesy over people and uncover the gold in them, we actually give them a grace to become what they could not become one second before they received the prophetic word. Grace is 'the operational power of God'."

More from Kris: "We are not a subculture; we are a counter-culture. We are not subservient to any culture. When we redefine humility as 'feeling bad about ourselves', we are not attractive to the world! Our message is not, 'Come to Jesus so you can feel bad about yourself.' Instead it's, 'Come to Jesus so that you can be the superhero you always dreamed about. Come to Jesus, because dreams do still come true. Come to Jesus---because we have the happiest kingdom in the world!'

Taking the secret place to the marketplace,

Dave

Indianapolis School of Supernatural Ministry

WeRevive.org

ISSM Week Five Highlights

2011-10-15T14:01:00.002-04:00

The Mind Matters---a Lot

"If we do not keep His promises in mind, we will do what we think---which is never as good as what He thinks." ~ Bill Johnson

These first few months in ISSM's school year have proven to be a time when God tenderly uproots false concepts concerning His identity---and ours---and deepens our roots in His amazing love. Though the process can be painful, the rewards are empowering in ways that one can scarcely imagine at the outset.

Our students are growing in their transparency and vulnerability, and in doing so they are able to receive healing prayer and encouragement from one another. I've said it before, but the transformation of a life is a joy to behold!

One of my favorite Bill Johnson quotes was in his teaching on "The Two Temptations": We cannot afford to have thoughts in our heads about us that God does not have in His.

Two Temptations That'll Take You Nowhere

The Two Temptations

1) Has God said...? This was the enemy's modus operandi in the Garden, and it remains his ploy to this day. If we question God's word wrongly, we set ourselves up for deception. Conversely, if we protect and cherish what God has said to us, believing Him, we set ourselves up for blessing, and even breakthrough.

2) Questioning our identity. This was the enemy's plot against Jesus: "If you are the Son of God..." The temptation is to gain by performance what we already possess by birthright! Bill Johnson: "Your identity is in what Jesus did for you. Your confidence in what Jesus did for you releases you to be capable to live up to His expectations."

The Father Ladder

In "The Father Ladder", Danny Silk presents a marvelous tool to help one recognize and replace false concepts of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that originated in our relationships with our father, mother, siblings and friends. The purpose here is "not to convince you that everyone had bad parents, but to help you become aware of any lie that you may believe [because of] your relationships with imperfect people."

Exodus 1-18

This week's Bible survey in Exodus coincides with ISSM's daily Bible reading. Bernie Ooley taught lessons learned from the life of Moses. One example: God asked Moses to lay down his protection (the rod) so he could rely on God's strength and power. Thus the rod changed names from "staff of Moses" to "rod of God."

Born to Rule

Rule with Love

In this powerful teaching, Kris Vallotton says the church has been "emasculating and castrating" people in the name of humility. How can we disciple nations when we feel like paupers? "Humility is not demeaning yourself, but exalting your God. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's just thinking of yourself less. God's grace humbles a man without degrading him, and exalts a man without inflating him."

How does self-worth affect our approach to marriage, for instance? Kris points out that "if you get married before you love yourself, you will marry someone who treats you the way you think you should be treated. If you do not love yourself, you may marry someone who will punish you as opposed to marrying someone who is good.

In a similar vein, if you are not 'wealthy' (healthy) on the inside, when you begin to prosper financially, you will figure out some way to sabotage your money!

We're learning that having a proper view of ourselves is crucial to the fulfillment of God's plan for the earth---including our individual destinies.

Taking the secret place to the marketplace,
Dave

Indianapolis School of Supernatural Ministry

WeRevive.org

ISSM Week Four Highlights

2011-10-13T10:07:00.005-04:00

From Paupers to Princes

"Jesus never told people not to be great; He showed them the path to greatness---through humility." ~ Kris Vallotton

Week Four at ISSM was crammed full of great moments. From Georgian Banov's joy-filled teaching on being "Possessed By Love"...to Kris Vallotton's "From Paupers to Princes"...to Bernie Ooley's survey of the book of Genesis...it's been an amazing week in God's presence.

One of the most prominent features of ISSM's first year curriculum is identity, an issue Kris does an outstanding job expounding on. For instance:

"Jesus died to restore the glory that you fell short of, not just to erase your sins, but to raise you to the level of royal priesthood."
"If you teach people they were born to be great, won't they become arrogant? It does not provoke arrogance when you realize everyone around you is a champion. The kingdom of God is the only kingdom on earth where every single person is royalty!" (see 1 Peter 2:9)
"Greatness is demonstrated in the kingdom by serving others and by creating an empowering culture instead of a controlling culture."
"Conviction: 'You are way too amazing to be acting like that.' Condemnation: Satan calls you the name of your offense so you will take on the 'title' and repeat the offense. (Example: 'You lied---so now you are a liar.'). You always act out who you think you are.
"Christ in you is the hope of glory. (Col. 1:27) God put glory in you so that you would attract nations. (Isa. 55:5) When you act like you are not glorious---like you do not have the glory of God inside of you---you are keeping people out of the kingdom!"

"Rule with the heart of a servant. Serve with the heart of a king." ~ Bill Johnson

Dave

Indianapolis School of Supernatural Ministry

WeRevive.org

ISSM Week Three Highlights

2011-10-06T13:09:00.002-04:00

What a Great Crew!! Arrrrgh!

Both north and south campuses are "cooking" these days, as issues of identity and purpose (in that crucial order---purpose flows out of identity, not the other way around) are being powerfully addressed at ISSM.

The first class session centered around Beni Johnson's teaching on Intercession (much of this material was later published in her book The Happy Intercessor). Beni said she initially resisted the Lord's call to intercession because the intercessors she knew seemed sad and depressed much of the time.

Beni's perspective changed when she realized that rather than being fixated on a problem, we can "pray from heaven to earth." Practically speaking this means asking God what He is doing in a given situation and then in response, declaring it in prayer. Thus our prophetic intercession becomes 'heaven-centered' rather than problem-centered. We desire to be more 'impressed' with the greatness of God than we are the size of the problem.

Bill Johnson taught on the subject "Language of the Spirit." (Oddly, Holy Spirit's first language is not English!) Some snippets:

Not Merely a Cartoon Character!

Unusual coincidences. Bill cited an instance when, traveling in Texas, he was given Room 308 on two separate occasions, in two different cities. Then he was awakened at 3:08 AM. Having seen "308" several times in close succession, Bill inquired of God and He answered: "Isaiah 30---verse 8." He looked it up: "Now go, write..." Bill had had a desire to write books, but until that moment, had not made time in his schedule for writing. Holy Spirit got his message through to Bill---through two hotel keys and a digital clock!
Unusual circumstances. Bill told the story of a roadrunner that for months on end "visited" their church in Redding, standing at the outside of a plate glass window looking---and only showing up during prayer meetings. Then, as Bethel began construction of their Prayer House, the roadrunner began "standing guard" on a rock that overlooked the prayer house. Then one day, the roadrunner got inside the building and flying into a plate glass window, it tragically died. The roadrunner had become a sort of "mascot", but that day its death became a parable when the Lord spoke to Bill's heart: What comes into the church had better find a way to be released from the church---or it will die.
Physical senses. God uses the five physical senses to speak to and to teach us. We can be trained to be sensitized to the realm of the spirit if we learn to recognize how each of us is uniquely impacted by the Spirit.

Week Three was capped off with our annual ministry at the Fishers Renaissance Faire. We enjoyed a morning session with Georgian Banov via DVD, then headed to the RenFaire to share words of destiny and healing prayer with the spiritually hungry.

One lady saw the sign offering "Free Healing Touch" and was eager to receive because she was grieving over having recently given up her newborn daughter for adoption. The Lord touched her deeply, and though she initially indicated she was into New Age practices, by the end she was asking "where do you go to church?"

Another woman received ministry, telling the team she had lost nine babies and had been physically assaulted numerous times in her life. Though a practicing witch for 18 years, she nonetheless warmed up to our team as they shared the love of Jesus with her.

On and on it went at the RenFaire. Some of our students were "stretched" by doing a kind of ministry they had never quite done before; others went even further in using their gifts to 'take the secret place to the marketplace.' Beautiful!

Dave

WeRevive.org

ISSM Week Two Highlights

2011-09-24T17:29:00.000-04:00

Father's Embrace---Our Beginning Place

Week two is in the books, and ISSM continues to buzz with life. Students are engaged and energetic as God meets with us in significant ways. Holy Spirit is our great Teacher and Helper!

Highlights from Danny Silk's talk on "Father's Embrace": 'True intimacy means people are able to trust and be vulnerable. Counterfeit intimacy/addiction = human beings attempting to create intimacy through an object rather than a person...'

'....submission = when you change your course to protect what is important to someone else; it is a symptom of a "love connection"...Danny's paraphrase of Jesus's words in John 14:15: "If you love Me, you will have a value for the things that are important to Me. You will manage yourself to help take care of the things that are important to Me---that is how I will know that you love Me."

As usual Bill Johnson's talk was full of nuggets of revelation. In talking about the relationship between "honor" and "impartation": "Words can release grace; however, it is not the words that will always impact you, it is the experience and the anointing behind the words. Honor is what brings their inheritance into your bank account."

Bill gave this example of impartation: Rolland and Heidi Baker had labored 17 years to plant four churches overseas. After receiving an impartation through Randy Clark's prayers, the Baker's planted 8,000 churches in eight years!

Wrapping up the week was Kris Vallotton, who gave his testimony of being raised a "pauper". When he became a leader, he still thought like a pauper, wounding many people with his words. The Lord spoke to Kris through Proverbs 30:21-22: 'the earth cannot hold up under a pauper when he becomes a king.'

Kris pointed out that Moses was raised in a palace as a prince so that he could release the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. When you are raised as royalty, you tend to think that everything in the kingdom is your responsibility. You will not shrink back from taking action against injustice: "You can always tell how close to the throne you are by how you deal with injustice---do you ignore it, or do you do something about it?"

This is why it is vital that we realize we are saints, not sinners (Paul wrote to the "saints in Ephesus", not the 'sinners in Ephesus'). When we think of ourselves as sinners, we will 'sin by faith.' But when we embrace our royal identity, we will act accordingly---serving humbly from a position of honor in our Father's heart.

The Twins Are Doing Well!

2011-09-19T12:40:00.000-04:00

Our twin campuses in Southport and Castleton are well under way, with the first week of the 2011-12 school year under our belt. ISSM got off to a smashing start with Orientation on September 10th.

We heard encourgagement from some ISSM grads. Then our incoming students shared a little about themselves. There was an unusual amount of transparency, especially considering many were meeting one another for the first time. Because intimacy flows from self-disclosure, this suggests the 2011-12 class will be a close-knit group!

Our first two class sessions were built around messages by Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton. There were too many highlights to do justice to them in this space, but I'll mention a couple:

I loved Bill's point about the book of Ephesians (which contains no word of correction). Paraphrasing, 'What do you get a church that has everything? You pray for a spirit of revelation about Jesus. Why? Because we become what we behold.'

Kris's teaching dealt with the differences between instruction and teaching. Instruction---reproof, correction, discipline---builds a 'structure in' us so that our hearts can be a place where teaching can take root and thrive. Week one culminated in our weekend with Georgian Banov---splendid! More about the weekend with Georgian in another post!

Dave
WeRevive.org

Guest Blog: ISSM's Kristi Mervar

2011-07-05T09:05:00.000-04:00

Hi Friends:

This summer I have the opportunity to travel to Africa to be apart of a 12-day mission trip with Global Celebration (July 31st-August 12th).

During my time there, I will minister throughout the countries of Mozambique and South Africa with street outreaches and parades, feeding the poor, working in orphanages and sharing the good news of God's grace and love for all the people.

We will be joining with Iris Ministries (irismin.org) where they are seeing an amazing outpouring of God's supernatural power. I believe God has a plan for me to go and and be apart of what He is doing among these beautiful people.

Global Celebration, founded by Georgian and Winnie Banov, travels the world spreading the love and joy of God to many of the poorest people on earth. To learn more, click here: globalcelebration.com.

I believe the Lord has called me to go to Africa this summer to pour out His love and joy to the poor and oppressed, and am responding by faith. As i take this step of faith, I am trusting God's provision and faithfullness to provide all that I need.

Through some miraculous provision I have been able to cover half the cost of the trip. I am currently in need of $2,500. I am trusting the Lord who owns the cattle on a thousand
hills will provide the remaining funds needed to serve His people in Africa.

I am asking for your support and prayers. Would you please take a moment to ask God if He would like you to partner with me by supporting me financially, prayerfully, or both? A gift of any size will be a blessing. If you are a frequent flyer and have extra miles I am still in need of a domestic roundtrip flight between Indianapolis and the New York City, JFK Airport.

I am excited to participate with you in giving and receiving what the Lord has for each of us and look forward to sharing my experiences with you when I return.

Shalom, Kristi

Psalm 2:8
"Ask of Me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as your possession."

Checks can be made out to: Global Celebration Ministry
Please send to me at:

Kristi Mervar
2405 Guilford Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46205

NOTE: If you would like this to be a tax-deductible please do not write my name on the check.

If you would like to be part of my prayer team please let me know by e-mail at: thai.kristi@gmail.com

ISSM---One School, Two Campuses!?!

2011-06-28T14:12:00.000-04:00

ISSM's having a meeting tonight (Tuesday, June 28) at 7PM for those who have an interest in being a part of an ISSM South Campus (in the Southport/Greenwood area). The meeting is being held at Bethel Community Church of Southport, 2810 E. Southport Rd (Jaman Iseminger, pastor). You are invited!!

The idea be would be for ISSM to accomodate Indy's nine-county metro area by operating at twin campuses---one on the North side, the other on the South:

Mondays and Wednesdays - South Campus
Tuesdays and Thursdays - North Campus
Saturdays - North and South meet together on Indy's East side

We will also have a meeting for those interested in the North Campus---stay tuned for that announcement!

For details, including info on a significant reduction in tuition, visit us on the web: WeRevive.org

Taking the secret place to the marketplace,
Dave
WeRevive.org

Right on Target

2011-05-28T23:10:00.000-04:00

This week's Treasure Hunt involved two teams going to separate locations. My team didn't find its clues (that happens sometimes) but the other team had a very different experience. Following is their account:

Our clues led us to Target, where upon arriving we decided to wait near the entrance. In about three minutes a girl came in that fit FIVE of our clues ("blonde hair", "teenager", "woman", "Target", and "injured foot"). We offered prayer and she accepted.

After praying we gave some prophetic words and encouraged her in her faith. After sending her on her way, we saw her exit the store less than a minute later, having purchased nothing. It was almost as if God brought her into the store just to be touched by Him!

Next we saw a lady walk in with her mom, pushing a stroller. One person on our team had "mom and daughter" and "stroller" written on his map. We showed them our map, asking if they had any prayer needs. The daughter quickly turned and pointed at her mom. We turned to look at the mom who was now nearly in tears.

She told us she had just been laid off after 28 years as a teacher. Her situation was made more dire by the fact that she had diabetes and was now uninsured. Due to the lapse in coverage and having a pre-existing condition, she feared she would not find coverage.

One of our team members shared a similar story from a few years ago when, needing a $100,000 brain surgery and having been repeatedly denied coverage by his mother's insurance carrier, the company inexplicably changed its course and agreed to pay for surgery!

Hearing this story, the woman began to cry and gratefully accepted prayer, along with some prophetic words. She left us very encouraged!

Just as our prayer session ended, one of our team members spotted a former co-worker who matched four clues on our maps---"Target", "woman", "brown hair", "Elizabeth"---her name was Beth!

We offered to pray for any needs they had, and the woman requested prayer for strength. She had lost her father about a year ago, and now her mother was suffering from dementia. We prayed and prophesied, and soon they were laughing, leaving greatly encouraged.

We had about five minutes left before we needed to go meet Dave's team. Just then, we saw a little girl who matched our clues---"young girl around 3", "pajamas", "blonde hair." We approached her father and asked if we could pray for his child. He accepted and we prayed Scripture, pronouncing a blessing over her.

We then started to prophesy to the father and as we did, one of us felt God saying "interest rates" and so gave him a word about "creativity with banking and loans." When asked what he did for a living the man said he was a financial advisor! God is amazing!

Taking the secret place to the marketplace,
Dave
Indianapolis School of Supernatural Ministry

An Army of 'Superheroes'

2011-05-20T07:43:00.000-04:00

"Have you ever felt the power of God?"
"No."
"Would you like to?"
"Sure!"

What's exciting to me about the revival that's upon us is it's not about a few 'superheroes', but a whole host of superheroes anointed by the Spirit of God, doing the works of Jesus---and aspiring to the "greater works"! Come on!

This week our treasure hunt took us to Carmel: a fast food restaurant, a superstore, a pizza place, back to the superstore parking lot---then boomeranging back to the fast food restaurant from whence we came.

Though starting slowly, it proved to be a fun and fruitful night. Our team of six worked together at times, and other times as two groups of three. We approached a number of people explaining our treasure hunt. In one instance we proposed prayer to a lady in the superstore who politely turned us down, saying, "No---but you can help me find a flower pot!" We laughed with her and really did try and find the elusive item, but alas, the pot..was not..in a spot..to be got (w/ apologies to Dr. Seuss).

It can be discouraging to get turned down, but the beauty of working as a team is that we encourage one another when things don't seem to be clicking. We understand "faith" is spelled R-I-S-K, and that God is eager to reward our perseverance. So on we go, trusting God will lead us to the people He wants us to bless.

Leaving the superstore, we continued walking outside the storefronts until we got to a pizza place. Standing outside the shop, one of our treasure hunters said, "All right everybody," motioning toward the teenager behind the pizza counter, "let's pray and get some words for that guy." And so we paused for a few seconds and did just that. Armed with what we hoped were supernatural insights, we went inside.

We explained what we were doing and asked "Shane" (not his real name) if we could give him some words of encouragement from God's heart, and he readily agreed. One of the guys told him he felt like Shane had a gift for engineering. Shane confirmed he was leaning strongly toward going into aeronautical engineering! Several of our team shared specific words of encouragement with Shane that only God could have known.

At one point we were strongly impressed to pray for Shane's mom. He then told us that his mom was in remission from cancer, having just completed chemotherapy. We prayed for her continued good progress and ongoing health.

As we wrapped up, one of our guys who regularly gets pizza there told Shane he'd be seeing him again. Shane answered enthusiastically, "I hope you DO come back! Thanks so much for everything!"

Our next encounter was with two teenaged girls in front of the superstore. Their response was lukewarm, but yet a word of knowledge about "nightmares" was confirmed as accurate by one of the girls, and they both allowed us to pray for them.

From there our night came full circle, ending at the same fast food joint where we'd started. The whole evening I'd been feeling like we'd encounter a group of teenagers that were hungry to experience God.

Once inside, we saw four Hispanic teenagers get up to leave, so some of us followed them outside. We called out, "Hey---have you guys ever felt the power of God?" When they answered "no" we asked if they would like to. "Sure!"

And so, in the spirit of 'silver and gold have I none, but such as I HAVE, I GIVE...', we released the presence of God on them. One 18-year-old girl in particular got "zapped" by Holy Spirit. She was plainly stunned, shaking her hands in amazement at a God who can be FELT!

We shared God's love with the whole group, giving prophetic words of encouragement, praying for their needs. One of our team asked for the phone number of one of the guys so they could get together and play soccer---and to connect him with a Hispanic teenager in one of our churches who recently left the drug culture and has few Spanish-speaking friends. The wonderful presence of God was thick in that parking lot!

Meanwhile back inside the eatery, two of our team members were sharing words of prophecy with three other appreciative teenagers. As the trio left, they'd had so much fun with our guys we overheard them saying of their encounter, "I'd like to take those guys home with us!"

This is why we were born: to know Him and to make Him known. What an adventure!!

"My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power." ~ 1 Cor. 2:4-5

Taking the secret place to the marketplace,
Dave
Indianapolis School of Supernatural Ministry

A Good Catch

2011-05-14T20:07:00.000-04:00

For this outreach, we intended to set up on the Monon to offer "free spiritual readings" (aka, prophetic words of encouragement) to passersby. But when we arrived at our familiar spot there was a police action taking place. We asked the officers whether we could set up nearby, and they suggested we move some distance away. They were sympathetic with our desire to serve, so they suggested for our future endeavors that we contact the Parks Dept. (the Monon is under the authority of the Parks Dept.).

So instead of setting up our "spiritual readings" table, we elected to give away ice cold bottled water to the runners, bikers and walkers on the Monon. We answered our curious recipients ("Why are you doing this?") with, "We just want to show the love of Jesus in a practical way." We also offered another kind of refreshment---prayer.

A newlywed couple of eight months were particularly interested in what we were doing. They were believers and so were very receptive to our ministry, and beat us to the punch by asking for us to pray for them. During the course of prayer we shared numerous prophetic words with them.

At one point a word of knowledge concerning the young man's mother came to light. He told us his mother was quite ill and so we asked the Lord for complete healing for her. We spent about 20 minutes or more with this beautiful couple, and they left us saying, "You made our night!"

It was getting close to dark, so we grabbed our empty cooler and made our way back to our cars, satisfied that it had been a very good night. But then something very exciting happened.

At the start of the night we filled out Treasure Maps, and one of our team had the clues "baseball player, but cannot play baseball any more" and "broken arm" on his map. A young man walked past us with his arm in a splint, so we asked him what happened. He said it was a fluke of a baseball injury. He was up at bat when he swung at a pitch and the baseball hit him on the forearm. They suspected his arm was broken. Wow, only God could have set this up!

So we showed Matt our treasure map and he said we could pray for him. After a few seconds of prayer, Matt excitedly said, "This may sound really weird, but as soon as you guys started to pray, I felt a tingling on the exact spot where the baseball hit me---and then it traveled all the way down my arm to my pinky finger!" We encouraged Him that God was at work and gave him our contact information so he could tell us later what God had done. We also shared some specific words with Matt having to do with his unique destiny. Yay, God!

The Lord knew we wouldn't be able to minister in our familiar spot, so he put it on the heart of one of our team members to buy a case of water. Not only that, but we normally don't take Treasure Maps to this kind of outreach, but "for some reason" this time we did. Holy Spirit is brilliant!

Taking the secret place to the marketplace,
Dave
Indianapolis School of Supernatural Ministry

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

2011-05-01T21:27:00.000-04:00

Yogi Berra's famous rallying cry---"It ain't over 'til it's over"---was certainly applicable to last Thursday's Treasure Hunt. Having only modest success, we almost called it a night. But the persistence of one our team members caused us to try one more place...

Our clues had taken us to a shopping center, but we didn't find our "treasure" there. It was a chilly, windy evening, so foot traffic was light. After a half-hour or so on the hunt, we began to feel like perhaps we were off our game, that we would have to be content in the knowledge that we had been obedient to "go"---and that in this alone, the Lord was well-pleased.

Most of us were ready to call it a night (including yours truly). It was getting colder and darker by the minute. But one of our treasure hunters suggested we try one more place---a bookstore---where we could be inside. So we agreed to give it a go.

One of our treasure maps had "a guy wearing a Cubs hat, Nike shoes", and "his son with him." No sooner had we walked into the store than we saw a guy with a Cubs hat, Nike shoes---and his fourth grade son with him!

We also had "neck problem" on one of our maps, so when we approached the Cubs fan, we showed him our map. Not only did he have a neck problem, but so did his son. He was eager to connect us with his wife (she fit several of our clues "woman with blonde hair", "arthritis", and "spine issues") and she received us very warmly as we explained that her family were "treasured" by God and wanted to bring healing. In talking with her, we also found that SHE TOO had a neck problem (three neck problems in one family if you're keeping score at home!) We exclaimed, "Group discount!", and the woman laughed.

We prayed for the woman and her son (her husband was eager for his wife and son to receive prayer, but he removed himself from the area). The boy's pain went from a "7" to a "4" as we prayed, and we encouraged him to expect God to finish the job as the night wore on. We also shared some prophetic encouragement with the family and rejoiced over God's love expressed to some of his treasures.

In all, we counted TEN CLUES that found their match in the family at the bookstore---and we would have missed this great encounter had we not persisted on a cold, windy Indy night.

You were right, Yogi---It AIN'T over 'til it's over!!

Taking the secret place to the marketplace,
Dave
Indianapolis School of Supernatural Ministry

Maundy on the Monon

2011-04-23T18:54:00.000-04:00

It was Maundy Thursday, a perfect evening in the high 60s to go treasure hunting in artsy Broad Ripple Village. As usual we started out with prayer and "soaking", allowing our consciousness to be saturated with the beauty of Jesus. After comparing treasure maps, off we went to find some of God's treasures.

One of our clues led us to the Monon Trail, a very popular Indy pathway. No sooner had we gotten there than a voice called out, "Dave?" Then out of the shrubbery stepped "Tom", a young man I have known for 20-plus years (since he was a toddler). He lives about 35 miles from Broad Ripple Village, so he was quite surprised and grateful that our paths crossed at that exact moment. Once again, Holy Spirit proved Himself to be a genius!

After we explained our purpose, "Tom" asked for prayer for some of his young homeless friends who live in Broad Ripple Village, one of whom was standing beside him at that moment. His friend is an alcoholic and quite depressed ("depression" and "homeless" were on our treasure maps, along with "Monon"). As we prepared to pray Tom's friend held out his hands and so, with the five of us clasping hands, the Lord turned the Monon into a sacred spot for the healing of the broken-hearted. Beautiful.

As we stood and talked, more homeless young men were drawn to that special space where we were able to show them God's love through prayer and prophetic encouragement. The needs were great, but our God is greater! Those young guys were hungry for God's love and it was an honor to pour it out on them. What a magnificent "Maundy on the Monon"!

Taking the secret place to the marketplace,
Dave
www.WeRevive.org

Paradise Found

2011-04-15T08:55:00.001-04:00

For this Treasure Hunt we started out at Starbucks, not because of any particular clues, but because we all wanted coffee (!) and Starbucks was in the vicinity of where our maps pointed us to---Clay Terrace shopping center.

While in Starbucks we noticed four high schoolers, so we engaged them in conversation and they warmly received us and accepted prayers for physical healing for two of the boys, along with some spot-on words of encouragement concerning their gifts and destinies. (It's awesome to see the effect God's kindness has on people. He truly is the King of hearts!) The best, however, was yet to come.

Next we followed our treasure maps to Paradise Bakery, where six of our clues would find their target in one person: 1) Clay Terrace, 2) Paradise, 3) Young white male, 4) Blue shirt, 5) Left wrist problem, 6) Shoulder problem.

As we looked around the cafe', there was one guy wearing a blue shirt. We were a good distance from he and his female companion. When we started to approach them, they got up and left the restaurant. Jokingly we said, "Quick---they're escaping!" We didn't know whether we would catch up to them before they left the shopping center, but we decided to walk in their direction just the same, looking for other "blue shirts" along the way.

We walked about a block when we noticed the couple we were following preparing to leave on a motorcycle, giving us time to catch up with them. "This may seem a little strange to you," we said, "but we're on a treasure hunt and we think God may have highlighted you on our map." We then showed them our clues: Clay Terrace...Paradise...blue shirt...young white male. We then asked if any of our other clues were a "match", and the young man we'll call "M" said he had just injured his left wrist weight-lifting, and he also had a shoulder injury!

As we pointed out how much God loved him, his female companion pulled one of our female treasure hunters aside and excitedly confided that she was a believer, but her friend was not. She was appreciative that God was reaching out to her friend in such a powerful way. In the meantime, "M" gladly received prayer for his wrist and shoulder, along with some specific words of prophetic encouragement.

We also prayed for his friend "R" and the Lord gave some very on-target words about her present circumstances that were of great encouragement to her. "M" just shook his head in wonderment at how God had met him and spoken so personally to the two of them. There was a lot of joy around that motorcycle!

In Kevin Dedmon's book, The Ultimate Treasure Hunt, he points out that sometimes clues don't seem to be panning out, only to be confirmed near the end of the treasure hunt. This was the case on our treasure hunt. Though our first encounter at Starbucks was good, it didn't seem that our clues converged there. Then at Paradise when "blue shirt" left the restaurant, we could have simply assumed he was not our man. But a little persistence paid off handsomely.

As we made our way to our car we rejoiced at the ways of God. Come to think of it, why wouldn't God show up---in Paradise? What a privilege to partner with Him in bringing heaven to Indy. 'On earth as it is in heaven...'

Dave
WeRevive.org

Getting Chatty With Cathy at the Caffeine Cathedral

2011-04-02T12:35:00.000-04:00

This week's treasure clues led us to a Starbucks at a nearby shopping center. Other clues included "ankle injury" and "Cathy." We walked up to four teenagers seated at a table and told them what we were doing. When we found out one of the girls was "Cathy" and that one of the other girls had just sustained an upper ankle injury, we excitedly showed her our treasure map clues--- "Cathy", "Starbucks", "ankle injury."

The girl with the ankle injury was an exchange student from Germany (yes, ISSM is international, baby!). After allowing us to pray for her "A" said her ankle pain improved. During prayer the Lord gave us a word of knowledge about nightmares ("A" confirmed she was being tormented by nightmares) and we assured her that God wanted to set her free from fear. As we prayed for "A" He also showed us she would begin experiencing dreams with rivers in them---and we told her the "river dreams" would represent the presence of God. We also told her she would a magnet for God-seekers back in Germany, especially teenagers who were suicidal.

Other words of destiny were shared with a teenage boy concerning architecture, and his three friends began to laugh because 'he's always drawing these intricate mazes' and the boy himself confirmed that he's presently taking two engineering courses. Yay, God!

There were more words of encouragement given as the presence of God settled upon the teenage foursome God led us to at the place we affectionately call St. Arbucks. Caffeine + Holy Spirit = Supernatural encounters! Ha!

God is full of encouragement! His love is like a raging river and He wants to be released in and through us to flood our cities with His goodness.

Taking the secret place to the marketplace,
Dave
WeRevive.org

We're On The Map

2011-03-06T21:04:00.000-05:00

Yes. Yes, we are. In case you missed it a while back, click here and scroll over that little blue push pin in central Indiana, and---voila! Indianapolis School of Supernatural Ministry is right there.

Thanks, Bethel, for producing such a dynamic, life-changing DVD curriculum! Thanks, Jesus, for being the power in and through it all!

Dave
WeRevive.org

(Al)mighty Tall Order

2011-03-04T13:45:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, March 3, we had another amazing treasure hunt adventure. This time one of our treasure hunters received from the Lord the name of a particular restaurant, along with a very detailed vision of a man---6'4" tall, thin, brown hair and brown eyes, long sideburns, and deep-set eyes. Now that's specific knowledge from a supernatural God!

We walked into the restaurant and there he was---all 6'4" of him, matching the other descriptors to a tee. Our student invited Mr. Tall to sit down and was able to share a message of God's love with him, underscored by the fact that the man's description was already written on the "treasure map" prior to our arrival.

In that same visit, one of our ISSMers was ordering from a female worker "M" at the restaurant counter when he felt like he heard the Spirit say, "Ask her if she's filled with the Spirit." Granted, this was an unusual question to ask at a restaurant, but our student followed the prompting. The worker immediately responded, "I WANT to be! I've been trying...." Our student assured her of God's generosity and willingness, and that being filled with the Spirit is a gift in response to spiritual hunger.

We prayed together at our table for "M" to have all roadblocks removed and to be filled with God's Spirit.

We also had an opportunity to pray for and encourage another worker who is in Bible college and trying to decide his next step for next year.

Taking the secret place to the marketplace,
Dave
WeRevive.org

Weekend Itinerary Feb. 26-27

2011-02-25T20:49:00.000-05:00

I will be speaking and leading worship in Anderson this weekend. You're invited! Here are the particulars:

7PM Saturday, Feb. 26 at New Life Christian Church
10:15AM Sunday February 26 at New Life Christian Church
http://www.nlcc-anderson.org/

6PM Sunday at Aletheia Fellowship
http://www.aletheia.tv/WhereandWhen.html

Hope to see you there!

Dave
www.WeRevive.org

God Under the Golden Arches

2011-02-18T11:32:00.000-05:00

Treasure Hunt Testimony

(A Treasure Hunt is when we pray before going out, asking God to give us "clues" that will lead us to His treasures---i.e., the people He wants us to love through prayer or other ministry. We each write down our clues on a "treasure map" and then compare maps, deciding where to go.)

One of our treasure hunters had these clues on her map: "McDonalds"..."dark"..."Betty"...

She also had the name of a business nearby McDonald's, so we elected to go to McDonald's first. When we walked in we encountered a Hispanic ("dark") woman who was watching her grandchildren at play. Though she spoke little English, we were still able to communicate fairly well. We asked for her name, and she replied, "Petra." We asked her what Petra meant in English, and she said "Betty"!

We excitedly showed "Betty" our treasure map, and she melted into tears at God's clear demonstration of His love for her. We offered prayer and she gladly accepted, asking us to connect her to a Spanish-speaking church in the area. There was much joy under the Golden Arches last night!

As a memento---and a reminder of God's love---we gave Betty the treasure map with the clues pertaining to her. She was elated!

Next we went into another business (also on one of our maps) and found that we were the only customers there. We briefly explained what we were doing, and one of them asked us to pray for their manager (not present), who'd had a very bad day and as a result, had made the work environment very uncomfortable.

So we prayed (with our eyes open), yet the workers all stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads! We prayed for their manager, for them, and for the business to be successful. We also prayed for an atmosphere of peace to permeate the workplace.

Less than five seconds after we finished praying, some customers came in. It was as if (!) God had orchestrated those moments so we could bring His peace into that business. He is amazing!

You've Been Nominated 'Enjoy-ee' Of The Year

2011-02-10T09:40:00.000-05:00

You know how one very familiar verse of Scripture can, after many years, suddenly explode with fresh meaning? That's what's been happening to me with this one:

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love." - John 15:9

Jesus, are You saying that in exactly and precisely the same manner as the Father loves You---in that same way, You love us?!!?!?

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.

Oh my. Well, then. That begs the question, "Exactly how does the Father love You...?"

That question has been not only the springboard for my meditation of late, but it has resulted in a wellspring of revelation that's rocking my world (which was His intent in the first place---how good is He?!!).

Love and Enjoyment Are Inseparable

It's one thing to almost mindlessly affirm "God loves me" (although that thought by itself deserves much more than passive mental assent). But have you ever considered how "love" and "enjoyment" are inextricably woven together?

If I say I love flank steak served hot off the grill, it is implicit that I also enjoy it. Same thing with walks on the beaches of Maui, or an Indianapolis Colts victory, or (especially!) my wife and children and three grandsons. When I say "I love them" I am also stating, "I thoroughly and completely enjoy them!"

It is not difficult to imagine the Father enjoying His only Son. Exactly what that looked (and looks) like in the realms of timeless eternity before Christ became incarnate Man---and since the moment of His ascension---is a mind-bending consideration. Oh the absolutely blissful communion there must be between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

All of this has gotten me thinking: Since Jesus loves me in the same way the Father loves Him, that means....He enjoys me! And He enjoys me (and you) for reasons specific and unique to each of us. It's not that He merely enjoys you for your general humanity, or for the very real reason that you are made in His image---it's that He enjoys things like...the way you think...your artistic expression....your sense of humor...your organizational skills....and on and on and on the list goes.

I was sharing these thoughts with a group of young adults when one young man spoke up saying how meaningful the thought of being enjoyed by God was to him because he, too, is a father. As the dad of a young son, Rick said he could watch his son for hours at a time and never get tired of it. If he, being a flawed human being, is capable of enjoying his son to that degree, then....oh, Lord....

Not God's Employees---but His 'Enjoy-ees'!

Jesus told His disciples, "I no longer call you servants, but friends." Yes, we are involved with Him in His work. But we are not to approach life and ministry with an "employee" mindset. We are co-laborers with Him! We are---now, presently---seated with Him in heavenly places in Christ! We are loved by Him, enjoyed by Him! We are not mere employees, but 'enjoy-ees' of His raucously joyful Kingdom enterprise!

As I've been meditating on this wonderful reality, I've sensed Him speaking to my heart:

If you knew how much I enjoy you, you would never again compare yourself to another...you would never again try to be like someone else....and as you realize how much I enjoy others, you will encourage them to be the best version of themselves---loved, accepted, and enjoyed. Let Me tell you how much I enjoy you...!

I Double Dog Dare You!

I dare you to quiet yourself, get alone with God, and ask Him: "Lord, what do you enjoy about me?" And then wait for Him to show you. He will do it. His thoughts toward you are too numerous to count. His kind intentions are inestimable! Receive His love and enjoyment, and then give it away. As one person said, "We get to keep everything we give away."

Yep, I nominate you, dear reader, for 'Enjoy-ee' of the Year. Take it from a fellow traveler, it's an honor just to be nominated!

Dave

WeRevive.org

February's Hot!

2011-02-09T08:58:00.001-05:00

Folks around central Indiana (or anywhere in the region) reading the title of this blog entry know it can't be referencing the weather. With wind chills predicted anywhere from minus 16 - minus 23 degrees tonight, people in these parts are pining even more than usual for the advent of Spring.

But February is hot at ISSM for a number of reasons. Despite weather-related class cancellations, the Lord is doing amazing things among us. Following is a summary.

I spoke to a group of young adults in Anderson at New Life Church and we had a great time exploring the life-changing truth that God actually enjoys us. (Look for a future blog post on this subject.) One of our ISSM students was able to accompany me on this trip and was powerfully used by God to give personal prophetic words to many.
We continue to do outreaches (Treasure Hunts) at various retail locations, finding people who are hungry to receive prayer and encounter God in new ways. We're encouraged by the rewards related to risk, i.e., stepping out in faith in spite of our fears in order to see God do what only He can do.
Our class sessions continue to be rich. Not only are the DVD teachings powerfully instructive, but we're also enjoying great conversations centered not only around the topic du jour, but also "tangential" subjects that pop up from time to time. I love being around hungry people, and our students are ravenous!
This week we will be attending a conference in Ohio called "Hem of His Garment" featuring Joaquin Evans and Chris Gore, both from Bethel/Redding. Joaquin and Chris are in one of the DVD series we're utilizing this year, so it will be great to hear them in person.
One of our upcoming adventures will be to offer prayer to people at hospital Emergency Rooms. (The Doctor is in!)

As winter winds down, we welcome your prayers as we hotly pursue His purposes.

Peace and Joy,

Dave

WeRevive.org

High Five Moon

2010-11-18T09:38:00.000-05:00

This is inspired by a story told to us this week by our daughter-in-law, Sarah. She and our two-year-old grandson Simeon were walking together one evening when Simeon, gazing into the night sky said, "Yook, mommy---moon! High five moon?!" Simeon wanted to high-five the moon!

Now we're told the average distance from the earth to the moon is 238,857 miles. A stat like that would seem to put Simeon's wish out of, um, reach. (On the other hand, maybe the Man in the Moon has a very, very long arm?)

Sarah's Simeon story is a poignant reminder of the simple wonder and unbridled enthusiasm of childhood that has no trouble with formulations like: 'We high-five lots of people---why not the moon?'

"Unless you are converted and become like a little child, you cannot inherit the Kingdom of God." - Jesus

The Simeons among us view the world through a lens of limitless possibilities. The laws of nature are no impediment to what can be concocted in the imagination of a toddler. I can climb this huge piece of furniture...I can jump head-first off of it, too...I can run into immovable objects many times my size without even getting hurt...why...why...I can high-five the moon!!

Jesus had some amazing things to say about impossibilities. Rather than shying away from them, He wants us to embrace impossibilities---to engage them:

²² “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. - Mark 11:22-24

It would be a grave mistake to reduce down Jesus' 'impossibility statements' to mere messages about the power of positive thinking. Positive thinking alone can't move mountains--it takes God's power to do that. A careful reading of His life and ministry tells us that Jesus expects His followers to do the same things He did---heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead---and even greater things.

We're called to change the course of world history, a task that can only be achieved with supernatural empowerment.

So---yes, Simeon, please do high-five the moon. That's a really good start.

http://werevive.org/

Gearing Up for September 18

2010-08-24T13:56:00.000-04:00

Anticipation is growing by the day as we approach Orientation (Sept. 18) and the first day of classes (Sept. 21). Here's what's happening up to the moment:

ISSM grads going strong; second year program a possibility

Graduates from our 2010 class are making a difference in a variety of ways: serving more effectively in their churches, doing outreaches in Broad Ripple (two women prayed to receive Christ last week), and having God-arranged, serendipitous meetings at Starbucks!

In addition, we're working on the logistics to be able to provide a second year program to our grads, several of whom are strongly interested in continuing their training through ISSM.

It's recruiting season!

This is the time of year when recruiting is in full swing. Dave is meeting with prospective students over coffee, sharing his passion for revival and answering questions. There's an air of adventure about it all, as we wonder what this year's class will look like.

We've distributed about 1,000 of our attractive ISSM brochures to individuals, churches, and organizations. Just one brochure, placed in the right hands, could lead to the transformation of many lives! If you know of anyone who needs brochures, please write: dnoel@WeRevive.org

Prospective students---meetings and more meetings

We've had meetings with people from Indy, Anderson, and Mooresville---with more scheduled. Please pray for these people, as well as others who are in the decision process, that God will lead the right candidates to ISSM's doors.

Application deadline: Sept. 7

WeRevive.org

How ISSM Got Started - Part 4

2010-08-18T10:56:00.000-04:00

In our last post we talked about the fact that, though he received his calling from God, Moses had to figure out "where to park the camels."

Like Moses, I'd received a very specific calling to 'shepherd revival' until the year 2024. But the "how to" I would need to figure out on my own.

I was thrilled to have been exposed to the ministries of Bill Johnson, Kris Vallotton, and Danny Silk---all from Bethel Church in Redding, CA. Their Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry offered their curriculum on DVD---affording others the wonderful opportunity of raising up their own schools all over the world.

I decided to start such a school in Indy, and with the help of my friend Scott---a brilliant entrepreneur---I began making plans.

One of the first things Scott had me do was to begin formulating a business plan---the first business plan of my life! This was a stretch for me, but a necessary one, as it would force me to wrestle with crucial things like identity and purpose. (If you don't define yourself, others will!)

About one week after I'd started on the business plan, I attended a house meeting where there was a prophet whom I'd never met. He approached me and the first thing he said to me was, "There's a business plan inside of you...and there's a business component, and a ministry component..."

At no other time in my life would a prophetic word about a business plan have been true---except that very week! God had my attention, to say the least. The prophet would go on to prophesy about a "school", about me being a "headmaster", and a number of other specific things that only God would have known. Wow. How loving and kind of Him to encourage me in these ways!

At one point in the evening, a young man approached me and asked who to make a check payable to in support of ISSM. (ISSM had no operating capital at that time.) I told him, and moments later another gentleman slipped me a check payable to ISSM that would be enough to launch ISSM's web site and begin purchasing the DVD curriculum! Wow out loud!!

We were well on our way.

To be continued...

WeRevive.org

ISSM Grad David Jackson

2010-08-05T19:30:00.000-04:00

I’ve been a Christian for seven years. My nine months spent at ISSM have done more for my walk and progressed my relationship with God more than all of the previous years combined. This one year at ISSM has been the single greatest season of spiritual growth I’ve experienced as a Christian.

ISSM gives you the opportunity to be surrounded by like-minded individuals---learning, practicing, and progressing in a group setting that can’t be replicated anywhere else. I would describe the atmosphere like a greenhouse. In this spiritual greenhouse I developed friendships that will last my whole life as well as received amazing teaching that has transformed the way I think of God and the way I display God to the world.

In addition to receiving world-class teaching, ISSM provides you with a safe atmosphere to practice prophecy and pray for the sick. I saw healing miracles take place right in front of my eyes and learned to accurately hear the voice of God.

Prior to ISSM I had little to no experience with prophecy and hearing from God. Since I’ve graduated I’ve prophesied over several people at a church conference and done several sessions of fruitful street ministry. Every time without fail God has shown up, and the prophetic words have been confirmed as accurate and from the Lord.

ISSM has laid the foundation for the rest of my life and has taken me from a spectator to a participant, seeing God move in ways I’ve never seen before. I would recommend ISSM to anyone who is hungry for more of God and is ready to see the miracle power of God in his or her life!

Indianapolis School of Supernatural Ministry
WeRevive.org

ISSM Grad Alyssa Cirrincione

2010-07-16T11:43:00.000-04:00

ISSM has made an impact on my life forever. It was the best and the most transforming thing I have ever experienced. The Lord started to really ground me in His love. Through this I started to see Him differently. I saw Him for who He really is---a loving Father. ISSM was the place where I was launched into my royal identity and strongly encouraged to walk out my destiny as who I am and not just what I do. I also began to see that walking in the supernatural is my privilege and my right as a daughter of the King. Walking in the supernatural also involves being led by the Spirit and walking in the gifts of the Spirit. ISSM pushed me beyond the satisfaction of the status quo and encouraged me to dream bigger then I ever have. This school became more than just a class, but also a safe place to practice walking in the supernatural with a community of people going after the same thing. I enjoyed ISSM, the curriculum, the teacher, and the other students, so much that if I had the opportunity to do it all over again I would!

Alyssa Cirrincione
ISSM class of 2010

A Good Friday Indeed

2010-07-09T23:16:00.000-04:00

"TGIF" is apropos of the day, as I had two excellent ISSM-related meetings.

Meeting #1 was lunch at the Thai Orchid (Thai food---oh, yes!) with an awesome local pastor and long-time friend whose heart is ablaze for transformation, not only in his church, but in Indianapolis and beyond.

We talked for nearly two hours about the goodness of God as my pastor friend showed genuine interest in ISSM and our dream of training 500 revivalists in the next 15 years. I was greatly encouraged!

In meeting #2 I met with a young man who today verbally committed to attending ISSM in 2010-11---our first student of the upcoming year! The Lord is faithfully sending us students, just as He did last year.

This young man is extremely hungry for all ISSM can pour into him. Also, he has just accepted a position as a youth pastor in a local church. So the transforming work God does in him through ISSM, he will then pass along to the youth who are soon to be under his care. As I told him, "Transformed people transform people!"

So it was a TGIF kind of day, for sure. Please pray for my pastor friend, as well as our first student of 2010-11.

Indianapolis is most definitely in the cross-hairs of the Holy Spirit! Yay, God!

For revival,
Dave
WeRevive.org

ISSM Brochure Available Soon

2010-07-08T17:14:00.000-04:00

Today I met with the person who is designing a brochure for Indianapolis School of Supernatural Ministry. The brochure will be a valuable resource for churches and other groups to learn about ISSM.

Like our website, the brochure will answer questions regarding ISSM's:

mission,
atmosphere,
student life,
curriculum,
and the kind of person who might most benefit from nine months at ISSM

If you would like to receive a brochure (or 25, 50, or 100 for distribution), please call 317.542.3300 or write me at: dnoel@WeRevive.org

Applications are NOW being ACCEPTED for 2010-11!! To receive an application and reference forms, you may also request them at dnoel@WeRevive.org.

Also, I will be happy to visit your church, prayer group---or even a gathering of friends at Starbucks or Panera to answer your questions about ISSM. Just give me a call at 317.542.3300. Thanks!

For revival,
Dave Noel
WeRevive.org

Healed on the Fourth of July

2010-07-07T17:46:00.000-04:00

This is the testimony of a healing I received at Midtown Vineyard on Sunday morning, July 4, 2010.

Some background: Playing college football years ago I injured my medial collateral ligament. Had it not been the middle of my senior year, I may have had surgery to repair it. But since there were only four or five games left, the training staff just taped me up every day and let me play.

A few weeks ago I must have re-aggravated the injury. I've continued (probably unwisely) to exercise, but not without pain. I'd say the pain was a '5' on a scale of 1-10. I could only sleep on one side, otherwise even light pressure on the knee would be painful. I often woke up in the night from the pain and would have to reposition myself to keep the knee from hurting.

Even getting dressed was tricky---I would have try to avoid putting any pressure on the knee whatsoever. Lateral movement of any kind was a challenge at best. Because our toddler grandchildren are in our house these days, we have gates at the top and bottom of our stairs, so all the "hurdling" has been tough (but totally worth it, I must add---our grandsons are precious).

On Sunday, I could not put any weight on the knee without pain. While standing and leading worship from the piano, I had to put all my weight on my right foot, lifting my left heel off the floor, touching the floor only with my toes.

After worship our pastor, Rob, felt like he should have some people gather around me and pray prayers of blessing and give any words of encouragement they had for me. I deeply appreciated Rob's gesture as well as the prayers and kind words the people had to share.

As they were finishing up, I felt a little inward nudge, Ask them to pray for your knee. (It's funny, but at times I have all kinds of faith for other peoples' healings, but not so much for my own.) I ignored the Spirit's prodding and didn't work up the gumption to ask for prayer until after everyone else had gone back to their seats and Rob began "interviewing" me about how God had touched me during the initial prayer time. I mumbled something in answer to Rob's question, then sheepishly asked if they would mind praying for my knee.

The wild thing about this is that no sooner had I asked for prayer than the pain instantly went away! (God seemed to be waiting for me to exercise my faith and be humble enough to ask for help.) It was an amazing feeling. My pain went from a '5' to a 'zero' in nothing flat!

Not only was the pain gone, but I could stand on my left foot, jump up and down, turn my leg at any angle---and it was impossible to make it hurt!

I went home and later Sunday afternoon I did a P90X aerobic workout called KenpoX which involves a whole lot of kicking and punching---not to mention stretching before and after. This workout was always tough on my knees, so I knew this would test my healing (as if God does shabby work!). I did the whole workout with no problem. The moves that were toughest on my knee before produced no issues whatsoever.

I've seen God heal a lot of people over the years, a fair number of those times instantaneously. And I have received healing from Him myself in a variety of ways. But the most dramatic of them all was when I was healed on the Fourth of July.

Having been blessed this way, it's stoked my desire to bring healing to others, to obey the words of Jesus: "Heal the sick." I'm fired up about training healers through Indianapolis School of Supernatural Ministry. Come on, Jesus!

For revival,
Dave
WeRevive.org

How ISSM Got Started - Part 3 - Where to Park the Camels

2010-07-05T11:38:00.000-04:00

John Wimber is reputed to have said: 'God called Moses to deliver the children of Israel; it was up to Moses to figure out where to park the camels.'

To me, one of the mysteries about God is how He so skillfully directs us without being a dictator. If He were to determine our every move, then we would be reduced to robotic responses. Somehow He restrains Himself to allow us the latitude to choose, to "create", to truly co-labor with Him. Isn't it amazing than when we dance with God, at times He actually lets us lead?!! (He's evidently not be the least bit insecure!)

Back to parking the camels, then. I'd been called to 'shepherd revival for the next 20 years of my life.' But what did that mean? And exactly how would I go about doing that? For a time, I struggled with the answer, and I suppose down deep I hoped God would spell it all out for me, step by step.

But God doesn't usually spell everything out, and so I began to wrestle with my questions. And you know what? It's good to wrestle with our questions, and even like Jacob, to wrestle with God. In the wrestling we receive answers we could not have gotten any other way.

The bottom line is, I reached the conclusion that in order to shepherd revival, the best use of my time would be to equip and train revivalists. It's about the well-worn-but-true axiom, "teach a man to fish..."

Some time earlier, I had been exposed to the ministries of Bethel Church in Redding, CA and their Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. BSSM has made its teaching available in DVD format, along with an Administration Manual that lays out how to start a school of your own. Voila!

I was both excited and anxious... I can start a school! But I'm not particularly organized. Yes, but Bethel has an Admin. Manual! What if nobody comes? That's what faith is for! But what if I don't have enough faith? This is what I've been preparing for my entire life! But what if I'm too old and it's too late...?

On and on the inner dialogue went. In the meantime, God would connect me with a key person---an entrepreneur---whose wise counsel would prove strategic in assisting me to launch into the dream called ISSM. To be continued....

For revival,
Dave
WeRevive.org

Thanks a Latte'

2010-06-25T18:53:00.000-04:00

Know any recent high school or college grads who are a) unsure about what's next, and b) might wanna get their world rocked (in a good way, of course)??? I'll buy them a frappucino @ St. Arbucks for a chance to tell 'em about ISSM. (Shucks, I'll even buy you a latte' in lieu of a finders fee. Such a deal!)

Call me at: 317.542.3300 or write: dnoel@WeRevive.org

Taking the secret place to the market place,
Dave
http://WeRevive.org/

By the way, school starts Tuesday, September 21

http://WeRevive.org/

How ISSM Got Started - Part 2

2010-06-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Holy Spirit's first language isn't English!

In the previous entry, I related an encounter with God I experienced that was a defining moment and eventually resulted in the birth of ISSM, when on Halloween night of 2004, I received a 20-year mandate to "shepherd revival."

A week or two after that Halloween night I was reading some revival literature, this time about Evan Roberts and the Welsh Revival, when I noticed a "coincidence." According to accounts, the Holy Spirit first fell upon 26-year-old Evan Roberts on October 31, 1904. So, my encounter with the Lord happened on the 100th anniversary of the inception of the Welsh Revival!

The Holy Spirit speaks many languages (his first language isn't English!) and one of those languages is unusual coincidences. The Welsh Revival was the first international revival in the history of the Church, and one of the most powerful ever recorded.

About 100,000 people in and around Wales came to Christ during that time. In some towns jails closed down and sheriffs were out of work because there were no crimes! The presence of God was so tangible that people who traveled to Wales---some of whom knew nothing previously of the revival---came under the convicting influence of the Holy Spirit, crying out for God's mercy. (For more on the Welsh Revival, see Rick Joyner's The World Aflame.)

The "coincidence" of God speaking to me on such a significant anniversary meant several things to me: 1) Any lingering doubts of my calling were swept away, 2) "Revival" is not a mere accident of history---it is God's heart for the world, 3) ISSM has a small-but-significant role to play in all this.

And so, a burning passion was ignited in me---that until (at least) 2024, I am to spend my days 'shepherding revival'. Knowing the "what" is one thing; knowing the "how" is another. The "how" is for the next blog post. To be continued...

Dave
www.WeRevive.org

How ISSM Got Started

2010-06-02T18:18:00.000-04:00

It was Sunday, October 31st, 2004. I was sitting at my piano keyboard at home playing nothing in particular, daydreaming. Suddenly I felt the presence of God all around me---strongly. Being quick on my feet, I figured God might want to speak to me. Immediately I heard His voice---not audibly, but in my heart:

"I want you to shepherd revival for the next 20 years of your life."

I was stunned. Stunned, not that He would call me to "shepherd revival" (whatever that meant), but that He would give me such a time-specific direction. As I pondered the words, I did the math: 'I'm 51 years old, so 51 + 20 = 71. Cool. Well, I'll live to be at least 71.'

But I also had my doubts. Was this really God speaking, or was there some other explanation? Again, immediately I heard the same voice speak again:

"If you doubt this is Me, then turn to Psalm 71 and look at verse 18."

Well, I was about to find out whether I was indeed hearing from God. If Psalm 71:18 turned out to be about she-goats or pomegranates or pestilence, then I would know I was making the whole thing up. So nervously, I grabbed my Bible and turned to the text:

Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your might to all who are to come.
- Psalm 71:18 (NIV)

Wow. I mean, wow out loud! God was speaking!

Shepherd revival...the next 20 years of my life...'til I'm old and gray...how do I do that? Where do I begin?

Thus began the journey toward what is now Indianapolis School of Supernatural Ministry. To be continued...

Dave
www.WeRevive.org

Time to Streamline

2010-05-31T21:26:00.000-04:00

Hello again. It's been a long time. Thanks for following me during this long span of radio silence.

It's not that I ran out of things to say. It's just that I started a ministry school and it has (happily) laid claim to much of my creative energy.

So rather than let Ignite Indy go fallow indefinitely, I've decided to morph it into the "official blog of Indianapolis School of Supernatural Ministry." The content will often be the same as before, but from now on it will be about ISSM and what God is doing with the school.

It won't be a chore for me to add to these pages. ISSM is what I've been preparing for my entire life, so I'm passionate about this. Though I'm in my mid-50s, in some ways I feel younger than ever. That's the mystery of having your 'youth renewed like the eagle's.' God's amazing like that.

Thanks for following. Invite some friends if you'd like. It's going to be a blast.

Peace and joy,
Dave
www.WeRevive.org

Strange Things Are Afoot At The Circle K

2009-03-31T06:14:00.000-04:00

"Strange things are afoot at the Circle K."
- Keanu Reeves in the 1989 film, "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure"

I've always had an affinity for oddity. The wacky and weird appeal to me. But I don't think I'm the only one. Otherwise, zoos would only have dogs and cats in their cages---instead of walrus and wildebeest and wallaby. Or Cantor's giant softshell turtle. Or a Star-nosed mole. Or whatever this is. (I guess it's a Thornydevil. Aren't they all? Thorny, that is. But I digress.)

The oddities (from a human perspective) in creation speak volumes about the stunning ingenuity of our Creator. We may have cookie cutters on Earth---but I doubt there are any in heaven. And snowflakes? Just try and get your mind around that one.

Yet in spite of the amazing variety in all of creation, we humans tend to gravitate too easily toward sameness, predictability, and---well, boredom. Isn't it a sin to be boring?! (If it's not, can we nominate it as one?) Especially when you consider we follow the most fascinating, captivating, gloriously beautiful and powerful Being in the universe? (Realizing how much God loves diversity makes me kick myself for the hours I've wasted comparing myself to others---said comparison being a practice God calls "not wise.")

A glimpse of heaven provided by John the apostle in the book of Revelation gives us enough mind-bending imagery to outstrip the brightest imaginations in the fields of film and art. John saw beings he called "four living creatures", the throne of God framed by an emerald rainbow and multitudes of angels, and of course, the One about whom the Revelation was given, the Lamb of God Himself. Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, is "strange" in a wholly wonderful and holy Other Than kind of way.

"Strange" is the New Normal

We who follow the Lamb are called "strangers", and granted, some of us are stranger than others. (I kid because I care!) Of course, I'm engaging in wordplay here, but you get the point: God not only loves diversity and variety, but He also apparently gets a kick out of blowing our minds from time to time by invading our cookie-cutter worlds with the strange and unusual.

I've had a number of encounters with God that would easily fit under the nomenclature of "strange" to the casual observer---and even to me (at the time). Yet both in the Bible and in God-sent revivals in church history, we often see a great gulf between our version of "normalcy" and God's.

The Joy Bus Takes Aim

In the mid-90s I went on a spiritual pilgrimage with five other guys to the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship. We drove there in my Chrysler mini-van to check out what God was doing in a series of extended meetings at TACF, the genesis of which was a Father's Day service in 1994 led by a visiting pastor, Randy Clark.

We'd heard reports---unusual reports---of people being overwhelmed by the Spirit, some laying on the floor laughing uncontrollably. Yes. In church. Others wept, and still others jerked violently as if connected to a high voltage wire. Strange? Oh, yes. Was God in any of it? That's what we went to Toronto to find out.

By the time of our visit, tens of thousands had flocked to Toronto from all over the world to taste of what would later be dubbed "the Father's Blessing." We had heard that people were being deeply touched by God, healed both bodily and from wounds of the heart. Burned out and ready-to-quit pastors were testifying of being restored in their hearts, and thus, to their ministries. Lay people shared similar stories of radical transformations in the presence of God. Marriages on the verge of divorce were being gloriously renewed. Rebellious teenagers and broken-hearted parents were being reunited in love. On and on the stories went.

As soon as we walked into the building that first night, I felt God's "thick" presence. (He is everywhere, of course. But He was really, really there.) The service hadn't even started, but that didn't seem to bother God at all. He was already apparently touching people. Looking around the enormous sanctuary I saw most of what I described above---a tableau I would later come to think of as glorious chaos. As my eyes scanned the room and drank in the scene I heard the still, small voice of God: "Don't watch the manifestations, watch Me."

Instantly I knew what He meant: He wanted me to look beyond the visible world and discern what He was doing in the hearts of people. God is a "heart God". Ultimately, the outward manifestations of the Spirit---e.g., whether someone falls down or doesn't fall down (or laughs or shakes)---is unimportant. The question is, What is God doing in our hearts?

My friends and I attended every service we could over those three or four days. At the end of each service, prayer and the laying on of hands was offered by a seemingly tireless ministry team. And every time, I went forward for prayer. I was thirsty for more. More of God. Less of me. Enough to take home and bless others.

In all the times I was prayed for, not once did I fall down, laugh, cry or shake. But I did feel surrounded by God's beautiful and overwhelmingly comforting peace. No wonder Jesus called Holy Spirit "the Comforter"! Though I was not affected the way others around me were, I was not disappointed because I knew I was encountering Him. And He was speaking to my heart in ways that I had not heard Him speak in a long, long time.

A Rollicking Return: Gobsmacked By the Joy Bus

Our Toronto visit over, the six of us piled into my van and started the 10-hour trip back to Indiana. Due to the late nights, I felt too tired to drive, so one of my friends volunteered to do the honors. I sat in the middle bench seat, next to the sliding door.

As we knifed our way through the Ontario cold, I remember reading a book by Guy Chevreau I had picked up at the church called Catch The Fire, which contained accounts of people---some of whom I knew personally---whose lives had been transformed by the "Toronto Blessing". There was a worship CD playing in the van as we drove and as I read.

What happened next is somewhat hard to describe, as subjective experiences sometimes are. But as I read Guy's book, I remember thinking, If I read one more wonderful testimony, or hear one more anointed worship song (on the CD), I think I'm going to explode! Joy---a powerful, unstoppable spiritual force---was rising up from within me. It was as if, in my mind's eye, I could see a gauge measuring the "level" of the Spirit's joy within me, and it was rising, rising, rising---until it reached the top of the gauge.

When the gauge read "full" I started to laugh. And laugh. And laugh. And laugh some more. What is happening to me?!! I suppose I could have stopped, but I didn't want to. I was caught quite off guard, because though I had seen this type of joy on people at TACF, that was not my experience. Until now.

Now, I had experienced laughter many times in my life, amused by a story or a comic or any number of humorous events. But this was different. This was a supernatural joy. It was an overpowering encounter with God's goodness and love, His delight in me and in all of His children.

Is the Holy Spirit Playful?

In the van I flashed back to one of the TACF services when I had seen someone on the floor laughing uproariously. Again I heard the still, small voice of God: Do you think the Holy Spirit is playful? For just a moment I was stumped---is this a trick question? But as I pondered it I had to say, Yes! Of course He is! When children play, are they not expressing a part of the very nature of God? Where does humor come from? From God, who else?! Why, yes! God must be a playful Being, because He has embedded this attribute in those creatures who bear His image!

On that road trip I laughed for what must have been hours. It was like I had overdosed on laughing gas. Several times I fell off my seat and onto the floor, but I didn't care. It was wonderful. It may sound strange to say this, but at the same time I was experiencing the joy of the Lord, a profound sobriety also gripped me. I gained a new appreciation for the Cross of Christ and the inestimable price He paid to save us from our sins. I felt like I was being exposed to regions of God's heart I had never seen or felt before.

You may be wondering what the other five guys in the van were doing. Excellent question! Well, interspersed between my fits of laughter were some richly meaningful interactions with my friends. One such time the Spirit led us to pray for two of my friends who, as children, had each lost a parent and were in need of deep inner healing. They were wonderfully touched by the Spirit of God in that time of prayer.

Encounter = Invitation

In the intervening years, I have on numerous occasions revisited that "place" of joy. I have learned that when we encounter God in a fresh way, it represents an invitation by Him into a new plane of existence. Today's ceiling is to be tomorrow's floor. This is not to say that I haven't been down or depressed in all these years. But I am saying that I find the "joy realm" to be accessible to me, by faith, any time I want to go there. And I am living more consistently in a state of joy than ever before.

The joy of the Lord is not only our strength---it is our birthright as believers. How sad it would be if at the end of our lives we would experience culture shock upon entering heaven, where "in His presence is fullness of joy, and at His right hand, pleasures forevermore"?

What would it look like if your life were filled with joy? Your family? Your church? It's attainable and sustainable. Why live beneath our privileges as His people? The Scriptures attest that Jesus was the happiest Person on earth. He wants His body---the church---to be in proportion to the Head---full of joy.

I do not mean to suggest that your experience will be identical to mine, nor should it be. God tailors our respective encounters with Him according to our uniqueness. But what I am saying is that His joy is for each one of us to experience. What relationship worth its salt is devoid of experiences?

Yep. Something strange is afoot at the Circle K. Something supernatural. You were born for this. Go after it.

I Feel Like A Mosquito At A Nudist Colony...

2009-03-13T22:55:00.000-04:00

...I don't quite know where to start. So I'll just hit on a few thoughts, stream-of-consciousness style.

What This Skeeter's Buzzin' About

I'm overwhelmed at the moment by the affectionate heart of Jesus. I'm experiencing it in what seems like new and deeper ways, both for myself, and for others. We have two infant grandsons---the affection we feel for Simeon and Marcus is off the charts. But it doesn't hold a candle to the blazing affection that God feels for every single human on the planet. Mind-boggling. Paul the apostle wrote about it: God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:8) Tonight outside a local supermarket we encountered a teenager who was selling candy to raise money for his AAU basketball team. As we engaged him in conversation I felt the affection of Jesus for the young man. We bought some candy and then offered prayer for him as we stood by our car, which he readily accepted. During prayer, I had the strong impression that Michael's aunt had been praying for him and that God was going to answer her prayers for her nephew. I shared this with Michael and he confirmed that his aunt was indeed fervently praying for him. During the prayer, Sandy felt prompted to give Michael a monetary gift, mouthing an amount to me to which I readily agreed. We gave him a check and I offered a hug which, again, Michael readily accepted. In the embrace I again felt the profound affection of the Lord toward Michael---and Sandy and I drove home rejoicing that he placed Michael in our path.
Last weekend I witnessed a number of people enjoying profound encounters with the Lord at the Soaking In His Presence Weekend. Toronto's Jeremy and Connie Sinnnot were wonderful as leaders---so down-to-earth, humble, and transparent. Many great stories emerged from the conference, among them the healing a woman received from fibromyalgia, and the complete healing of my friend Randy's S/I joint. Yea, God! I strongly suspect the ripple effects of this weekend will be felt in Indy for a long time to come.
The presence of God has been so, well, present of late. Of course, I don't mean that God was ever absent! But the manifest presence of God has been so intense, at times I am just undone (or as the Brits say---gobsmacked) by the sheer magnitude of His manifest presence. It only serves to underscore to me what Bill Johnson often says: "We owe the world an encounter with God." I feel like I'm beginning to understand the Psalmist who said: "Better is one day in Your courts than thousands elsewhere." His presence is that wonderful. What our fill-in-the-blank addicted friends need is a superior addiction---and Jesus is "it". We cannot afford to offer the world an impotent theory when the reality of His presence is 'within reach'!
The joy of God is a ginormous deal! C.S. Lewis said, "Joy is the serious business of heaven." Seriously! (Some day soon I'll do a blog post on the time I encountered the "joy inexpressible" the Bible speaks of, and how that joy continues to be a reality to me.) But for now I'll just say this: Once you encounter the joy of the Lord as an experience and not just a concept, you'll be ruined---ruined, I tell you! And it's available to everyone, not just a sanguine few.
I just finished a book by Rolland and Heidi Baker by the title: Expecting Miracles. It's a continuation of an earlier book of theirs that tells stories of their work among the orphans of Mozambique. It's nearly impossible for me to capture the scope of what is happening in that needy southeastern African nation. It is no overstatement to say the Lord is using the Bakers and their associates to radically change the face of Mozambique. Both Rolland and Heidi have earned doctorates, but what impresses the most is their 'sincere and pure devotion to Christ' and their passionate love for the orphaned children they regularly care for. I am deeply challenged by their story to find new ways to make a difference for the poor of the world. Noblesse oblige.
After all these years, I think I'm finally getting it---God doesn't want us to worry! I used to read the 'Don't worry about anything, pray about everything' verse and subconsciously dismiss it as an utter impossibility. After all, if I don't worry about stuff, how will anything get done?!! The fact that Jesus considers worry a sin was something I gave intellectual assent to, but in my heart of hearts, didn't seriously attempt to put into practice. But about a year ago a health scare caused me to seek God with a fervency that exposed my anxious heart to God's penetrating gaze. And I got it. Or at least, I began to get it. And so I decided it must be possible to be at peace if Jesus had commanded it. (So noble of me, I know!) And you know what? It's working! I'm finding myself nonplussed by things that would normally send me into a swirling eddy of angst. Again, I found a statement by Bill Johnson to be therapeutic: "We won't experience the 'peace that passes understanding' until we give up the demand to understand everything."

Well, it's time to buzz off for now. Stay tuned. Indy, you're in God's crosshairs for a tsunami-move of the Spirit of God. Believe it!

God Loves Rivers

2009-02-12T13:56:00.000-05:00

God must really love rivers. A lot.

He has scattered thousands of rivers across the surface of the earth. (There are 628 in Australia alone.) The Nile and the Amazon compete for the distinction of the longest river on Earth---depending on how they’re measured---each being about 4,000 miles long.

God loves rivers.

God put “rivers” in the oceans. (You have to really love rivers to put them in the oceans!) Surface currents like the Gulf Stream make up about 10% of all the water in the ocean. Not only are there currents on the ocean’s surface, there are deep ocean basin currents called “submarine rivers.”

God loves rivers.

He put “rivers” in the sky. Jet streams are usually found between 10 and 15 miles above the earth’s surface; they can be anywhere from one to three miles thick and from 1,000 to 3,000 miles long. These rivers in the troposphere are fast flowing---air travelers may experience tailwinds up to 100 mph between the US and the UK.

God loves rivers.

He put rivers under the earth. Perhaps the longest underground river in the world was discovered in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. It meanders for 95 miles through that area’s limestone caverns.

God loves rivers.

A “river of life”, the circulatory system, furnishes the human body with oxygen and disease-fighting properties. Both light and sound waves can be said to undulate like a river.

God loves rivers.

God's Word---A River Runs Through It

Unsurprisingly, rivers figure prominently in God’s dealings with His people. Consider just these few:

A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, dividing into four rivers

Moses was named after his experience of being drawn from the Nile River

Ezekiel saw a vision of a river flowing out from the temple of God that brought healing to everything it touched

Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River to inaugurate His ministry

The book of Revelation begins its concluding chapter this way: 1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

God. Loves. Rivers.

On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says." (John 7:37-39)

There’s a beautiful river in our midst, and He wants to flow out of us into a world that cannot live without Him. Bill Johnson reminds us, “He’s in us as a river, not a lake.” Let's allow the river to flow wherever He desires.

You flow into my wilderness
Your crystal waters give me rest
I find my peace upon Your shores
For lesser things I thirst no more

You turn the bitter waters sweet
Of every sour stream You meet
Polluted mind and stagnant soul
Are purified in Your control

I love the loveliness I see
In river bend and waterfall
I plunge my life into the deep
And from Your depths I live in awe

You make me want to laugh and cry
You make me want to dance and bow
You make me want to shout and sigh
Overwhelmed by Your beauty

Beautiful River

Dan the Man

2009-02-06T11:10:00.000-05:00

[In September '08 I was able to locate a friend I hadn't seen since our college days at Anderson University (then College). When I found him, my mind was flooded with the memory of a supernatural encounter I had because of the kindness of Dan Brockman. It was life-changing. Below is the email I sent Dan.]

Hi Dan,

Once again, it's so great to find you after all these years.

I have to tell you that you are (and will always be) a significant part of my testimony.
When I arrived at A.C. in the late summer of 1971 I was about as clueless about the Christian life as a person could be. To that point I don't think I had ever had a serious conversation with a believer about the Christian life. I knew nothing of being 'born again'. Of course, all that changed as I came into contact with a number of believers on campus, and in January of 1972, I knelt down alone beside my bed in Dunn Hall and quietly prayed to receive Christ.

My life was changed in that moment, but I struggled with the typical issues that confront a new believer---doubt, fear, setbacks, and loneliness.
.
By March of '73 there was a gloom about me, a seeming disconnect between the joy and peace we sang about in church services, and the reality of what I was experiencing. That's when you entered the picture. You asked me that day how I was doing and I told you, 'not very well', and you offered to talk. You told me I needed the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and then you walked me through the Scriptures and explained to me how to receive the promise of the Father.

We prayed and you asked if I'd received. "I think so..." was my reply. You immediately said, "You didn't." (And you were right!). You encouraged me to pray once more, this time using the same trust as I had used when I first received Christ. We prayed again and honestly, I felt exactly the same as I had after the first prayer. The difference was there was a flicker of hope inside me, a determination that by the grace of God, I had received the power of the Holy Spirit---because God had made a promise and He could not lie.

I'll never forget what you said next; it was simple in its profundity and profound in its simplicity: "Dave, expect things to be different." And I decided to take your advice---I would expect things to be different, because if God's word was true, things had to be different.

We parted and I walked up the four flights of stairs and down the hall to my room in Smith Hall. I picked up my Living Bible, flipped it open randomly and began to read. Something amazing had happened! Evidently someone had sneaked into my room and replaced the pages of my Bible with all new pages! It couldn't have been the same Book, could it? But of course, it was the same Bible. What was different was the Holy Spirit had answered my prayer and filled me with Himself. Understanding was leaping off the pages of the Word because He had baptized me in a new way that day.

As the realization of what had happened swept over me, the feelings that had been absent in the car moments earlier started to well up within me and overtake me. Ha! So THIS is the joy we've been singing about! And THIS is the peace that had been "advertised" to me as a huge part of the Christian life. And HERE is the LOVE! I was ecstatic, and I'm sure, a bit overbearing to my friends for quite some time. But I couldn't help but tell about the reality of this God who had so radically touched my life!

Dan, it's been 35 years since that day. In that time I've seen the Lord use me to minister healing to the sick, prophesy to the discouraged, and bring deliverance to the bound. And all of it---every bit of it---is traceable back to the day when a guy named Dan Brockman cared enough to reach out to a struggling believer on the campus of Anderson College. You were instrumental in God wrecking my life (in a good way, of course) and setting me on a trajectory that continues to this very day.

There have been ups and downs, as you would expect. But after 35 years of marriage to Sandy, raising two kids, and now very recently welcoming two grandsons into the world---and assorted ministry stops at churches in North Carolina, Oklahoma City, and now in Indianapolis----I have relied on the power of God you helped introduce me to. I've taken His power---or perhaps I should say His power has taken me!---to Mexico, Haiti, and Russia. I've worked for Youth With Christ and other parachurch organizations. But it's really not about my resume'; it's about God's empowerment to do His work in His strength.

So I'm writing to thank you, Dan, for helping me. Thank you for praying with me. Thank you for sharing your knowledge of the Word with me. Thank you for being...available.
Thanks to you, I'm still 'expecting things to be different.'

So if you're ever discouraged, I hope you'll be able to pull out this email and reminisce with me about a cold, damp day in March of '73 when our lives intersected---and I've never been the same.

With warm gratitude,
Dave

Arthur Itis---You Are Not Welcome Here

2009-01-31T21:41:00.000-05:00

[NOTE: This blog post originally appeared 3/17/08 on MySpace. MySpace is so 2008, so I elected to copy-and-paste the story here. Since some of us are starting the 'Acts Me' Challenge in a few hours, I thought it especially apropos.]

I’ve been privileged to see God heal a lot of people over the years. Following is one of the most recent such occasions.

It was Sunday morning at the church where I am currently interim worship leader (Midtown Vineyard). During worship I had a sudden and strong impression that God wanted to heal someone of arthritis. I resisted the prompting for a few minutes while I "reasoned" that there was nobody in the congregation old enough to be arthritic. In spite of my reluctance to say aloud what I sensed within, the impression grew stronger.

So, during a brief transition between songs I shared this impression with the congregation, encouraging anyone with arthritis to simply respond to the Lord in child-like faith. I then went on with the worship service. To be quite honest, I had lingering doubts about whether I had truly heard from God.

It was a few moments later that the church’s pastor shared somewhat excitedly that it was his wife Leslie who had been suffering from arthritis for the past eight months. During communion he joined his wife in prayer and by faith, trusted God for healing. He seemed to think that Leslie had already experienced a touch from God.

After the service concluded, Leslie told us that when she first arrived at church she was in such pain that she didn’t know if she would make it through the church service. Her pain, which had been at an "8" on a scale of 1-10, diminished to a 1 or 2 during the communion prayer.

We then joined together in prayer for the healing to be complete. In a matter of minutes, her "1" to "2" pain went to "0" and she has had no arthritis since that day!

Is God cool or what?!

The 'Acts Me' Challenge

2009-01-29T22:13:00.000-05:00

I'm likin' this.

I guesss I didn't know what to expect. What started out as a blurb in the blogosphere (see previous post entitled, 'Acts Me' Again) has turned into something seriously cool!

About 24 hours ago I threw out an invitation for my Facebook friends and Ignite Indy readers to join me in reading the Book of Acts through four times in the month of February. I've been encouraged by the response.

As of this moment, there are 14 of us signed up for the Challenge, with more responses expected in the next couple days. Participants hail from four states thus far---Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and North Carolina. (If you'd like to sign up, there's still time. Go to my Facebook group, "I Accepted the 'Acts Me' Challenge", and click the magic button. That way, I can see who's on board. Thanks!)

There are a lot of great resources out there to help with Bible study; nonetheless, I thought I'd offer some suggestions to facilitate this exercise:

Read for encounter. The Scriptures were given to bring us into ongoing encounters with the Author. Jesus rebuked the religious Jews for approaching the Scriptures wrongly: 39You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (John 5:39-40, italics mine) God wants us to experience Him! Ask Him to reveal Himself to you---He loves to do that!
Picture yourself there. When you read the story of the disabled man at the Beautiful Gate, put yourself on his pallet. What must have it been like to be crippled from birth? Then the next week when you get to that story, imagine that you're Pete or John. Feel their boldness well up inside you as 'you' say, "Rise and walk!"
Take your time. There's little to no benefit in racing through the text so you can say, "There---I'm done!" I'd suggest splitting the chapters up throughout your day, e.g. one chapter in the morning, one or two at lunch time, and the rest in the evening. Read a section, then pause and ponder it. Ask the Spirit to shine a light on a key phrase or even a word.
Write stuff down. Got insights? Write 'em down. Questions? Write 'em down. Encounter God in a new way? You guessed it---keep a journal of it. Share whatever you'd like with the group on the group page. We'll learn together.
Include someone else. Sandy and I are going to do this together. Ask your spouse or a friend if they'd like to join you in the Challenge. The mutual encouragement and sharing of insights can be a huge plus. (Encourage them to join the FB group, too.)
Let's chat about it. If you're on Facebook, feel free to share via the group page what you're experiencing as the month rolls on.

Like most of you, I have a day job, so my ability to "moderate" the group may be limited. In large part this is an experiment. (I ain't never done anything like this before!) But one thing I'm sure of---God will reward our hunger. I'm excited. Let's do this thing!

'Acts Me' Again

2009-01-28T18:11:00.000-05:00

It wrecked me, that simple exercise, and I've never been the same.

The year was 1976. We were serving as youth leaders of a church in Drexel, a Mayberry-like community nestled in the Piedmont area of western North Carolina. The pastor, Don Smith, challenged the church to read the book of Acts four times in the month of January. There are 28 chapters in Acts, so four chapters a day was a manageable feat.

It's been said that the Bible is the only book that reads you, and I believe it. I read those 28 chapters 32 years ago with a mixture of awe and annoyance---awed by the exploits of the early Church, and annoyed that my own spiritual experience did not favorably compare to that of the early Christ-followers.

Try sitting down at the Acts-uary table (ok, that pun was a stretch) and tasting a sampler platter of some stuff you'll find there:

120 folks are jammed in a room as they wait for what the now-ascended Jesus had promised, to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Next thing you know, the sound of something like a violent wind storm fills the room, tongues of fire appear over their heads, and the people (apparently) stagger out into the streets speaking in languages they'd never learned before! Bizarre! But bizarre in a good way.
Pete, the guy who'd promised he'd never betray Jesus---and then did by cussing out a servant girl---is one of the 120 who gets blasted by the Holy Spirit. Yeah, he'd chickened out before. But now here he is, set on fire by the Spirit of God, boldly preaching Jesus to some of the same dudes who had crucified his Lord! C'mon! That's quite a flip of the script, if you ask me.
You have a guy whose life was anything but beautiful, crippled at birth and reduced to begging for his bread, lying at a gate called (irony alert!) "Beautiful". One day Pete, still feeling bold and rollin' with his homeboy Johnny-boy, stroll by the Beautiful gate when the crippled man asks them for some coin. P & J say (my paraphrase), 'Silver and gold, we don't have, but we do have something better for you. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!' Then the dude gets up! And not only that, he walks. And then he jumps around like his hair's on fire. Yea, God! Some of that!
One of the weirdest things in Acts involves a dude named Phil. Phil was on a road trip and had been directed by the Spirit to share his faith with an Ethiopian minister of finance who was takin' a spin in his chariot. The Ethiopian not only wants to become a Christ-follower, but he wants Phil to baptize him right then and there! So Phil dunks him and the next thing you know---wait for it---"the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away and the [Ethiopian] eunuch did not see him again." Well...okay Dave, sounds kinda like Phil split in a hurry. What's so weird about that? But hold on a sec. The Book says Phil was transported miles away, Star Trek style, to a town named Azotus. Frequent flier Phil--what a thrill!

And that little sampler platter contains a mere fraction of the events recorded in Acts. There are healings, weird signs, eye-popping miracles, astounding conversions (like the terrorist Saul, who became Paul), and even a couple who drops dead because they lied about a real estate deal! You can check it out for yourself.

I was wrecked by what I read because in the reading, the Spirit seemed to say, 'I haven't changed from that day to this. You can expect Me to show up like this in your life---you just have to believe.'

So I started believing. And then I started seeing. I haven't seen everything that's talked about in the book of Acts, but I've seen plenty of it. I'll be blogging about it, too. Because I've found something out about How Things Work, and it's this: What you honor, you attract; what you dishonor, you repel. The more we honor God and the things He's done (and is doing), the more He does. And that, my friends, is pretty stinkin' cool.

Hey, there are 28 days in February. Wanna join me for another soul-stirring spin through Acts? The only thing you've got to lose is your boredom.

A Spark Is Born

2009-01-28T13:11:00.000-05:00

Ignite Indy is a two-word prayer. It encapsulates what I (and many others ) have come to be happily obsessed by---a desire for more. More of God's fiery presence in the church and then, poured out through the church into a world starved for the real deal.

"Ignite" means "to catch fire or to cause to catch fire." It's my hope these scribblings will throw a few sparks in the air and that, carried aloft by the winds of the Spirit, those sparks will find kindling. May this blog be an encouragement to you who share my desire to see Indianapolis and the surrounding region set ablaze by the Presence and power of God.

In addition, the reader can find a listing of some area/regional events that might be of interest to fellow 'pyros' (and yes, that's a metaphor---please, no calls from the Fire Department!).