Dear Friends and Leaders,
I have watched lately as God is stirring churches to go deeper than they have ever gone in him. We have been seeing crazy physical healings and spiritual awakenings. It seems that we are living in a day of refreshing, outpouring, and miracles like not seen in generations. How have we arrived at this place? Maybe it is the political atmosphere of our nation. Maybe it is the financial crisis in our nation, or maybe the fear of terrorism. I am not sure, but I have learned that really it is about the leader. Yes, people can hinder a move of God, but God’s leader has to strive for a deep walk with Jesus. We all want miracles and we all desire to see the lost saved. True revival is when God gets so sick and tired of being misrepresented that he shows up. God is searching the land for places that His Dove can land. Most of my ministry I have felt like the weird one. That isn’t an insecure statement, but rather a reality. You see Karen and I have always been hungry for more. That doesn’t mean that we haven’t at times got lethargic, or that we have not gone through dry seasons. It seems that God continually shakes us. God simply won’t allow us to get comfortable. During one season of ministry God put on my heart the following teaching. You see I desire to see Acts 2 today in our services. I am reminded though that the first thing that happened to those 120 revolutionist in the upper room was UNITY. They were all desperate. They were all trusting. They were all ready to die for Christ. They were all awaiting His return. They were all simply hungry! They were in one mind and one accord. Read the precepts below. These are just a few precepts that will teach you concerning what will stop or bring a spiritual awakening. These are the days when dry bones will live again!
15 Things That Will Stop or Hinder Revival
• Leader, where there is no integrity there will be no authority. If God doesn’t trust you he won’t chase you. Signs and wonders should follow!
• If opinion of man far outweighs the direction the spirit to lead. Fear of man - position or passion - title or testimony? You see we don’t need title when we have a testimony! I love what Oswald Chambers said. “Find a man that fears man and he will fear everything, but find a man that fears God and he will fear nothing.”
• Your desire to entertain leaves no room for people to enter into God’s presence. We must do outreach, but we must also teach people to enter in!
• Your fear of manufacturing the Spirit or offending people will hinder God’s direction. You have to trust HIM! You have to make up your mind that people must have an encounter to truly change. Your job is to create the right atmosphere.
• You are building your kingdom in which there is an end! In his kingdom - this leads to building on personality instead of God’s reality-two kingdoms will clash.
• Your support staff lacks ability to lead or doubts yours. Reacting instead of acting upon! Where there is no respect God will not grant responsibility. You can’t lead where you refuse to go! Your team is watching you. Whether they are older or younger staff they have chose to follow your leadership.
• Your desperation level is overwhelmed by your perspiration level! Your schedule has cancelled your appointment with God! Your prayer closet has become a rare closet. There are times where you must hide away with God.
• Your spiritual level and depth is on the shallow end. Go deep. Jer. 33:3 tells us God has secrets for you. Fresh revelation awaits the hungry.
• When you don’t realize a closed door is not correcting you but a correction of direction. Rejection many times is not rejection but protection. Don’t lose heart for the vision when your plan doesn’t work. Hold on and believe. Keep crazy faith! Faith with wisdom is unstoppable. Remember, it is impossible to please God without Faith! Heb. 11:1
• Your home is not a refuge due to the refuse. We must guard our homes. Your family has to see someone real. I honestly believe that God builds our homes before he builds are ministries or churches. Ask your family if they want to be pastored by you. Their response will determine what you must change.
• Offenses have destroyed the defenses. Hurts have taken over your life. You must lay down the offenses. They will destroy your passion.
• Controlling spirits are out of control. Make sure you confront what must be confronted.
• When you do not realize the calling of God without the timing of God will result in the absence of God! You can’t make it happen.
• Boxing God in and refusing to box with the enemy.
• When Spiritual gifts are never unwrapped. Read 1 Cor. 12 and 14, Romans 12, and Galatians. God has huge next level gifts for you and those who are called to greatness.
15 Ways To Set The Stage For Revival and Reformation
• Sometimes we Clean house-don’t protect rotten fruit, we must produce new fruit. Realize that there is a time when we as a leader have to purge our team. Check your team and make sure they are hungry for a move of God.
• Set the climate and secure the environment. Open the door for deep worship and make the house a safe place.
• Refuse to live in the land of lost dreams or pettiness will prevail.
• Preach repentance, refreshing, reaction, and a call to responsibility. Sheep want to be led. If you preach these things with love and compassion there is no stopping the vision.
• Resign in the spirit - allow God to pastor the church. Lean not on your understanding. When I made the decision that God was a better shepherd than me our church exploded. I remained the lead pastor, but I put God in charge.
• Develop strategy - setup diameters with parameters. Guard - establish the groundwork. If God is going to bless the house you have to get things in order. Prepare the people to love the lost, welcome the hurting, and develop the desperate. Remember: God will not stick a healthy baby in a sick incubator.
• Serve your way to the holy of holies. The priest should be the biggest servant of all. What does this mean? Continue in the attitude of gratitude. Show people what it means to be humble, but bold. Live a place of being the least!
• Find a resting place and hiding place for you the leader. Never allow anyone to have your private time. If you preach or lead without a prayer life you will become a salesman. Paul said- “I am not a peddler of the gospel.”
• Build expectation – let your steering wheel be faith- plant vision - be the first one to experience God’s outpouring!
• Color outside the lines! Do things only dreamed about by others. Faith is the key. Ask God to show you ways to touch lives in your sermons, outreach, staff, and vision.
• Love people like no one else is willing. If you will live your life like others won’t, You will change lives others can’t. You may build the vision on the less desirable, but over a period of time with patience and discipleship those same people will become the greatest you could have desired. People who have been rescued always stay close to lifeguard.
• Your circle of influence must never become a cycle. To be pregnant with a vision the cycle must stop. Show me you friends and I will show you your future. Get around the great! Chase those who have something to teach you. Avoid those who could rob you of the next level.
• Break through the wall - Psalms78- every runner hits the wall. When you hit the wall it doesn’t mean God is done with you, but rather God you are being called to push through the wall. The wall usually comes in to play when you are in your 3rd, 5th, and 10th year in a location. You have to press through.
• Go after intimacy to stop illegitimacy. Operate outside of carnality. Guard the anointing. Guard what you say, do, and see.
• Stay in the book of Acts. Remember, Physical eyesight always will limit spiritual vision.
I pray these little concepts help you in a special way. God is waiting to pour His Spirit out in a powerful way. He just needs you to set the stage. Let’s touch a generation. This is our time! Bend Us O’ Lord! Sincerely, Pat Schatzline
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