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I hesitate to share the following true story with you because I have feared for years now that it might cause a mindset where a man is honored for something that only Jesus deserves the credit for.

This morning I woke up with the words, “the year that Hananiah died” violently ringing in my heart, almost as if the Lord had burned these words upon my spirit. I could not escape this theme and felt that I needed to share this important message to all that will have ears to hear.

I have spent the last 34 years pursuing Jesus and preaching the gospel around the world. During this time, I have deliberately placed my life into God’s hands so He can utilize me for His glory during my time on earth.

In light of the current dynamics taking place in our nation today, I want to share some thoughts that I have been processing and praying through over the last few days as the horrors of rioting, looting, arson and more have been perpetrated across many of our major U.S. cities.

The vision that I am going to share with you here has been upon my heart for several days now. To be honest, I felt like I needed to wait and pray for the right time to even write about this and share with others.

A verse that is oftentimes used regarding revival is 2 Chronicles 7:14, which states the following, ” If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

A primary distinctive of the early church and the original apostles was the fact that they were fully apprehended by things of eternal value. They lived their lives in such a way that they maintained a passion for the Lord that went beyond mere religious practice and Christian discipline.

In 2 Timothy 1:5-6 (NIV) Paul admonishes Timothy with these words, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

As I am beginning to travel again, as well as spend time with leaders and churches either in person or online, I am observing a holy fire beginning to burn among the people of God like I have not witnessed since the mid-1990s.

The late John Wesley once said the following, “My fear is not that our great movement known as the Methodists will eventually cease to exist or one day die from the earth. My fear is that our people will become content to live without the fire, the power, the excitement, the supernatural element that makes us great.”