Coming here to change the atmospheres
Revival, revival, revival
We declare it over the land
This little piece of spontaneous prophetic song has been popping up in my sets for the past few months. It first came during a Wednesday evening set in March at JHOP Boston. I was leading a set with one of my buddies Michelle. We were pressing in and, as often happens, went into a time of free worship. After, during our time of intercession, we went into a time of reflection as another friend who came to the set asked the group gathered, "What does revival actually mean? We keep praying for this thing to happen but I don't know if we know what it is we're asking for."
We were all quiet as we pondered this.
When there is awakening and revival, there is a shifting of the atmosphere. Where there was once darkness there is now light. Where there was once death, there is life. Where there were sleepers, there are now those who have woken and risen up.
Sometimes, we can see this shift begin to take place. Before the greater shift that comes with revival, there are smaller, but no less important shifts that help pave the way. Much like the Kingdom, the revival is here already and still coming.
This really jumped out at me during a time of street evangelism last Wednesday in Milan. I was joining a group of mostly Italian evangelists on their Missione Mobile "Mobile Missions" evangelism bus. Parked on the side of the road in the heart of one of Milan's most capitalistic shopper happy avenues, Corso Buenos Aires, the bus is in prime position to reveal who the true God is.
So, I came along with my guitar and prepared to engage in some spirit war. Along with me was a visiting pastor and prayer warrior. Neither of us claim evangelism as our primary calling, but we do tend to find ourselves in evangelistic situations.
Anyway, I started playing and didn't feel like anything was happening, so I put my guitar down to hand out tracks and pray with people. Soon though I felt led to pick up my guitar again and wham! All of a sudden everything looked brighter and the shift, the moving from one place to another, was tangible. The atmosphere felt more positive. I resolved then not to be put off if the change isn't immediate.
I went back again later in the evening, to celebrate "La Notte Bianca" or "The White Night" with some good ole fashioned evangelism. There were some young people from a couple of churches gathered together, and so I joined them, finding some dear familiar faces among the group. This time though, I didn't have a prayer warrior in agreement with me. No one who worked with the theological foundation of what I was doing. Not just singing church songs, but staking spiritual claim on the area for the Kingdom of Heaven. Soon, however, one of my dear friends came and as the two of us lifted up worship in agreement, the atmosphere lifted further.
Up until that point the only breakthrough I had been seeing was a lessening of the amount of mosquitoes plaguing us! Though, to be honest, I was pretty happy already with that.
But now, I had so much joy in worship, and the people handing out tracks were encouraged as well!
We had a great time praying with different people and inviting them on the bus for free reading materials and to learn more about Jesus. This interchurch interdenominational bus is literally an answer to many prayers for unity in Italy, and the coming together of different groups for the sake of the Gospel alone impacted the atmosphere, I'm sure.
Here are some pics :)
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