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October 31, 2025

Reformation Day

Today’s post is in some ways a pause in the teaching I began yesterday on awakening and reformation; it is, however, most certainly related. Today’s date is significant. While many celebrate Halloween, others like myself will be celebrating a far more important day in history, Reformation Day. Many believers give it little or no thought, most actually do not even know of its existence, but it is a monumental day in world history.

The Great Reformation was a major 16th‑century movement that transformed Western Christendom, politics, and society. It began in 1517, traditionally marked by Martin Luther’s Ninety‑Five Theses, and unfolded through a mix of religious critique, doctrinal debate, political change, and cultural upheaval that reshaped the Christian church in Europe and beyond. It is often referred to as the Protestant reformation.

The Cause

God caused the Great Reformation, but there were several natural causes that He used. Leading into the 16th century, many Christians criticized the sale of indulgences—claims that one could reduce punishment for sins by monetary payment. This practice, along with other perceived abuses in monastic and papal authority, sparked widespread dissatisfaction. Leaders of the Renaissance emphasized returning to original sources. Scholars urged reform based on a more direct study of Scripture and the Church Fathers, challenging medieval scholastic methods and some papal traditions.

The church’s wealth and temporal power created resentment among some nations and cities, fueling the desire for greater independence from papal control. The invention of the printing press facilitated rapid dissemination of these reformist ideas, while rising nationalism encouraged rulers to curb papal influence.

Then along came Martin Luther and his theses in Germany. A monk and theology professor, Luther argued that salvation came through faith alone and that Scripture alone should be the ultimate authority, not papal decrees. He also contended that the Bible should be translated into vernacular languages, making it accessible to common believers. Reformers like Luther questioned the number and administration of sacraments, the role of tradition, and the authority of the Pope. Different reforming groups developed their own doctrinal positions. Translations of the Bible into German, English, and other languages empowered laypeople to read and interpret Scripture, diminishing the monopoly of clergy over doctrine.

The Reformation led to the creation of numerous Protestant denominations. It also stimulated literacy, education, and literacy campaigns as people sought to read the Bible. And it influenced art, music, philosophy, and science, contributing to a broader shift in European civilization.

Ligonier.org says of Martin Luther’s nailing of his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door on October 31, 1517: 

“…This law student turned Augustinian monk became the center of a great controversy after his theses were copied and distributed throughout Europe. Initially protesting the pope’s attempt to sell salvation, Luther’s study of Scripture soon led him to oppose the church of Rome on issues including the primacy of the Bible over church tradition and the means by which we are found righteous in the sight of God.

“Luther recaptured the biblical view of the priesthood of all believers, showing all people that their work had purpose and dignity because in it they can serve their Creator.(1)

GotQuestions.org says, “The impact of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation has been enormous on global Christianity. In contrast to the extra-biblical traditions and works-based practices of Roman Catholicism, Luther called the Church back to the good news of salvation by grace alone through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).

“Luther believed the Word of God was the supreme authority for the Christian faith, rather than tradition or papal decrees. In the process of bringing the Scriptures to the common person, Luther translated the Bible into German, published numerous books and sermons of biblical teachings, and composed numerous hymns based on biblical themes. Many of his hymns are still sung today.”(2)

The Impact

It would be impossible to overstate the impact of the Great Reformation, not only on Christianity, but the entire world. The revelation of the priesthood of all believers meant that we no longer had to connect with God through another person, other than our High Priest, Jesus Christ. He is our only go-between. Rediscovering salvation by grace through faith meant that we no longer had to work our way to heaven, conforming to religious systems and the traditions of men.

These revelations freed us to have a personal relationship with God as our Father, and allowed us to draw near with full assurance of faith (Hebrews 10:22). Our prayers could now be offered “boldly” to Father God (Hebrews 4:16; Matthew 6:9). We could worship Him in spirit and truth, knowing that He was actually seeking such worshippers (John 4:23), and we could read the scriptures for ourselves, feeding on them as our daily bread (Matthew 4:4; 6:11).

The Great Reformation unlocked the door of revelation to believers, allowing us to hear from Holy Spirit personally (Ephesians 1:17-18). We now know we can be led directionally by Holy Spirit, not a human go-between (Romans 8:14). Our once fallen souls can now connect to the One we were made to know and love (Song of Songs 3:1-2).

We will jump back into the teaching on revival and reformation on Monday. Take some time today and celebrate these blessings, then ask God to reform our nation through another great revival of historic proportions. And ask Him to spread this great awakening to the entire earth. Let’s ask for this now.

Pray with me:

Father, we thank You for Jesus, our great High Priest. We come directly to You today through Him alone, approaching Your throne of grace boldly. Thank You for His mediation and advocacy, and for restoring us to Your family.

As Your sons and daughters, entrusted with Christ’s authority, we partake now of His priestly ministry of intercession, asking on behalf of others. Send revival to our land. Deliver, save, and draw many to You in this season, showing them Your heart and nature, enabling them to find the fulfillment that can only come from You. Deliver them from lying teachings and philosophies of men, from deceptions regarding who they really are and what they were made to be. Bring an explosion of truth in our homes, schools, and institutions, freeing people from addictions, perversions, wounds, and all that controls them.

And we ask for this in other nations as well. Open the eyes of the masses who worship other gods and follow teachings that do not lead to You. Send the light of revelation You spoke of in Isaiah and elsewhere. Break the power of principalities over regions, ending the control of these spirits. Release great revival. Spare millions of innocent lives from the destruction that the kingdom of darkness desires to bring. 

We ask all of these things in the name of Yeshua. Amen.

Our decree:

We declare that Jesus is our Savior, High Priest, and King. He has bestowed upon us His priestly and kingly role, and we will walk in the fullness of this calling.


Click on the link below to watch the full video.

 
 

October 30, 2025

In The Beginning . . . 

The Charismatic and Jesus People Movements occurred simultaneously. I have always considered them as two parts of one revival. Recently, I have been sharing a few posts highlighting some of the weaknesses of these movements to help us avoid the same mistakes in the coming revival. Today, I’m going to begin discussing another mistake we made. This weakness involved short-term thinking, and was caused by poor theology. It will take me two or three posts to cover this subject; I am going to take my time because I consider the teaching to be critically important.

Just before He left for heaven, Jesus gave two commissions to His church:

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. The one who has believed and has been baptized will be saved; but the one who has not believed will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name, they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.’” (Mark 16:15-18 NASB)

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”’ (Matthew 28:18-20 NASB)

The “Great Commission” in Mark 16 is the restoration of people back to God’s family–salvation. The “Great Commission” of Matthew 28 is the restoration of a people’s thinking back to the ways of God–discipleship. The first (Mark 16) changes people’s nature—who they are—transforming their spirit. The latter (Matthew 28) changes people’s thoughts and actions–how they live–transforming their soul (mind, emotions, and will). God not only wants kids; He wants them to become mature sons and daughters who know His ways and think His thoughts, enabling them to represent Him. When Mark’s commission occurs in mass, resulting in the salvation of many people, we call this a revival; when Matthew’s commission occurs in mass, resulting in societal change—government, laws, morals, education, culture, etc.—we call it a reformation. In the Charismatic/Jesus People revivals, we worked toward Mark 16; the Matthew 28 commission, not so much. I will cover the result of this later. But first, let’s make sure we understand these commissions.

These two commissions will never be fully understood without a clear grasp of Genesis 1, for they are actually recommissions of what took place then. Jesus came to restore–restart, rebirth, revive, redeem, recover, reform, refill, and recommission. It is only logical, therefore, that we must go back to the beginning in order to understand what he is RE-storing and RE-commissioning us to.

In The Beginning. . .

In the first chapter of Genesis, God worked on a planet in His universal kingdom: Earth. It would become home for the family He was soon to create. For five days, He transformed this home. I love the glimpses of His heart as He progressed. After each day’s work, God said the progress was “good.” Why would He say this? The Lord certainly wasn’t bragging, patting Himself on the back for a job well done. Nor was He surprised–“Wow, this is turning out really well.” No, Yahweh was expressing His pleasure—His satisfaction with what was occurring—just as an expectant mom and dad might when preparing their nursery.

Abba’s pleasure increased to its highest level, however, on the sixth day after creating His human family. In His sixth pronouncement that what He had created was good, the Architect added a word: “This is very good” (Genesis 1:31). His plan was coming together, and like a proud parent standing over a newborn baby, Papa God was savoring the moment.

The Creator made this family in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). The Hebrew word for ‘image’ is tselem, which involves the concept of a shadow, a phantom, or an illusion.(1) An illusion is something you think you see, but on closer observation, discover that your eyes have tricked you. When the rest of creation saw Adam or Eve, they must have done a double-take, thinking: For a moment, I thought it was God, but it’s only Adam.

The Hebrew word demuwth, translated as “likeness” in Genesis 1:26, comes from the root word damah, meaning “to compare.”(2) Adam and Eve, at creation, were very much like God, filled with His life, nature, and Spirit. They were His family. He who had innumerable angels serving Him was not satisfied. God desired sons and daughters; He also wanted companions for His Son. To satisfy these desires, He created a new “species,” in His image and likeness, far different than the angels. 

Then came two commissions or mandates to this new family. Commission One: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28). God was saying, “Reproduce! I have placed in you the ability to multiply My image and likeness. And I want a big family!” Just let that sink in: God gave humans the ability to reproduce and multiply eternal images and likenesses of Himself! Astounding! What a privilege and what a responsibility.

Then came Commission Two: “Rule over…all the earth…over every living thing that moves on the Earth” (Genesis 1:26-28). Psalm 8:6 restates the mandate, “Thou doest make him to rule over the works of thy hands, Thou hast put all things under his feet.”

Each of the above passages uses a different Hebrew word for “rule” (translated as “dominion” in other versions of the Scriptures). The Genesis verses use radah,(3) Psalm 8 uses mashal.(4) Both words convey the concept of management, government, or rule. Adam and Eve were commissioned to govern or manage earth, their home, for themselves and Creator God. They did not “own” earth; they were delegated stewardship and governance for the Owner and Creator, Yahweh. Obviously, they were to do so under His headship and rule, implementing the principles of His Kingdom, not according to their own dictates.

Obviously, this plan was interrupted at the fall. When Adam sinned, he lost the image, likeness, and Spirit of God; he also lost his dominion, the delegated authority to manage the earth. And God lost His family. (God did NOT lose ownership of the Earth, for He had never given that to Adam, nor did He lose HIS personal authority over the Earth; we humans lost OUR delegated authority, which had now been transferred to satan.)

These two losses are what Jesus came to restore: 1) God’s family, and 2) their lost governance and stewardship of the earth.

We will pick up here tomorrow, see how this all relates to the last revival, and what will change in the coming great awakening.

Pray with me:

Father, we know revival has begun. It is in its beginning stages here in America, though in some parts of the world, multitudes are already coming to You. Increase it here and around the world. Save a billion souls. We thank You for the increase that has come this year. Now, we ask that You unleash the full-force power of the gospel and confirm it with signs, wonders, and miracles.

You have said reformation has also begun, stating that the ekklesia, the church, is prepared and ready. You said angels have been dispatched to assist us, that the impossible will occur, and the unchangeable will change. So we ask You for this. Revive and reform. Teach us what reformation looks like, so that we can partner with You at higher levels and see lasting fruit.

Cause this revival to break out over the entire world. We declare the coming of Your Kingdom, and the accomplishing of Your will here and throughout the earth, as it is in heaven. Multiplied power, multiplied deliverances, multiplied salvations–bring them forth. In Yeshua’s name, amen.

Our decree:

We decree that we have moved into revival and reformation, and will see the great billion soul harvest.


Click on the link below to watch the full video.

  1. Spiros Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible - New American Standard (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1984; revised edition, 1990), p. 1768.

  2. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. No. 1819.

  3. Ibid., ref. no. 7287.

  4. Ibid., ref. no. 4910.

 
 

October 29, 2025

The Importance of Running Together

The Jesus People movement occurred in the late 1960s and throughout much of the 1970s, impacting North America, Europe, Central America, Australia, and New Zealand before it subsided. It coincided with a significant breach between the younger and older generations, commonly known as the “generation gap.” This division was not a single, uniform phenomenon, but encompassed political beliefs, cultural tastes, social norms, and expectations about authority, education, and personal freedom. Sadly, the generation gap negatively influenced the Jesus People movement in some ways. Before we address this, let’s briefly recap this “generation gap.” It was caused by several overlapping phenomena:

  • Postwar affluence: As economies grew, more young people enjoyed disposable income and time for education and leisure. This created a distinct youth culture with new priorities and ambitions separate from parental routines and activities. 

  • Educational expansion: College attendance surged in the 1960s and beyond. Known for radical ideas in philosophy, sociology, and political science, campuses became hotbeds of challenges to established norms about race, gender, class, morality, religion, and authority.

  • Civil rights and anti-war movements: Many young people began questioning the legitimacy of older generations’ hierarchical structures and national decisions. This led to great disillusionment in the youth.

  • Cultural revolutions: Popular music, art, literature, and media celebrated experimentation, sexual liberation, and nonconformity. The rise of rock and roll, folk revival, and the drug culture offered new identities and ways to resist conformity.

  • Changing gender expectations: Women increasingly challenged traditional roles at home and in the workplace, which impacted the family unit.

  • Technological and media shifts: Television, film, and the mass availability of information allowed younger audiences to encounter diverse viewpoints and lifestyles, creating a sense of global connectedness and generational difference.

  • Authority and traditional values came under scrutiny: Many parents and authority figures had grown up in more hierarchical, economically stable times. As their children embraced alternative lifestyles, dissent, and political activism, this generated distrust, conflicts over authority and discipline, and division.

What were some of the outcomes of this era? What did the generation gap produce?

  • Cultural transformation: The era reshaped popular culture—music, fashion, literature, and media—leading to more permissive attitudes toward sexuality, the challenging of authority, and the celebration of individual expression. This left a lasting imprint on societal norms.

  • Political polarization and discourse: Debates around war, poverty, and social justice created lasting generational divisions. Political movements often blurred into a sense of “us vs. them” between younger reformists and older traditionalists.

  • Educational changes: Schools and universities became spaces for indoctrination and activism. 

  • Long-term shifts in family dynamics: Shifts toward the family structure, feminism, reproductive rights, marriage, and contraception contributed to new family models and gender roles. Along with this, the idea that youth could and should define their own paths became a more accepted norm.

In summary, the 1960s and 1970s were a very tumultuous period, and the generation gap became very significant. It arose from a convergence of diverse issues affecting family, education, politics, and culture. Younger people questioned established authority, challenged social hierarchies, rebelled from past standards, and demanded more freedom. The era reshaped culture, intensified political discourse, and redefined family. 

How This Influenced the Jesus People Movement

When the Jesus People movement emerged, multitudes of youth were saved, but this did not heal all the division, distrust, and significant generational separation. The young people who came to Christ brought with them their different music, dress, free-spiritedness, many of their political ideals, and more. Some of this was actually good and helped break down the existing religious boxes in the church built solely on tradition and preference, not on Scripture. A lot of the older folks did not like this, however, and were resistant to the change, wanting the status quo. Traditions, especially religious traditions, are not easily changed. 

The youth also brought some of their distrust toward the older generation in the church. And, of course, this lack of trust was reciprocated by many of the older folks. Each wanted the other to change. The truth was that both generations needed to do so. Instead, the generation gap was brought right into this move of God. This was disastrous.

Malachi 4:6 speaks of a curse associated with division between parents and children. I realize many translations use “fathers,” not “parents,” but I believe the warning includes both fathers and mothers, as do several other translations. The verse states: “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” KJV

“He will return the fathers’ hearts to their children and the children’s hearts to their fathers so that I can come and bless and not strike the land with a curse.”  TPT

The charismatic and Jesus People movements experienced the fruit of this curse Malachi spoke of, along with the rest of America. The wisdom of age and the zeal of youthfulness were unable to partner and produce the wonderful fruit God intended through generational synergy. The experience of the older generation didn’t help channel the passion of the young, and the elders’ passivity wasn’t offset by the fire of the sons and daughters. 

Many Joshuas couldn’t find their Moseses, Elishas their Elijahs, and Timothys their Pauls. And vice versa. Many of the old grew stagnant, becoming old wine skins, unable to receive the new wine; many of the youth were captured by false doctrines and built ministries on weak foundations. And much potential fruit for the Kingdom of God was lost.

The Third Great Awakening

I have hope in my heart that this breach will not exist in the coming revival. I believe God has done a work of joining fathers and mothers to sons and daughters, turning the hearts of each toward the other. And I believe this will create a much greater stability, power, and productivity in the new move of God. I also believe it will produce the longevity that comes from generational connection. In the next awakening, we will not be divided, but instead, will run together.

Let’s ask for this now. 

Pray with me:

Father, You call us to walk in unity with one another, including unity between generations. Sons and daughters, fathers and mothers must run together. We know that when they are in agreement, it releases synergistic power. 

In the coming revival, we want to see Joshuas leading with the strength of their Moseses, Elishas moving in the double portion of their Elijahs, Timothy’s building with the wisdom received from their Pauls. You said Joshua had the spirit of wisdom because Moses laid his hands on him (Deuteronomy 34:9). You said Elisha received the mantle of Elijah (2 Kings 2:13). You told us that Paul laid hands on Timothy and gave him spiritual gifts (2 Timothy 1:6). Do these things many times over in our day. No more generation gaps; those days are over. 

And we pray that the young people who come to Christ in this great awakening would grow quickly. Break off any and all mindsets that would hold them back or cause them to stumble. Free them from all addictions, gender confusion, deceptions, and wrong ways of thinking. Cause them to be truly Christ-like, demonstrating the fruit of Your Spirit in abundance, and be the greatest generation ever. All of this we pray in Jesus’ name. 

Our decree:

We decree that the hearts of the fathers and mothers have turned to the sons and daughters, and the sons and daughters have turned their hearts to the fathers and mothers.


Click on the link below to watch the full video.


 
 
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