Kari Browning with Shawn Bolz:
On M
other's Day, 1980, God used a young hippie preacher named Lonnie Frisbee to bring revival to John Wimber's church in Yorba Linda, California. The Vineyard movement was birthed during that season. It was an exciting time of the Kingdom being demonstrated through healing, deliverance, prophecy and signs and wonders.
Below are three separate experiences from three different individuals, all tied together with Isaiah 22 in mind:
1. On November 17, 2003, I had a dream that John Wimber's secretary called me and told me that he was coming on 2/22. I knew the dream was symbolic because John had passed away in 1997. I was shocked when I later read that he had died on November 17—the date I had the dream. I felt the dream had to do with Isaiah 22:22, "I will place on His shoulder the key to the house of David; what He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open."
2. On February 25, 2009, Shawn Bolz had a dream about breakthrough coming to California. In the dream he was given 22 stakes, and on 11 of them Shawn painted the word "Breakthrough" and images of "keys and crowns." When he awoke from the dream, he felt that the 22 stakes represented Isaiah 22:22. I knew that John Wimber's birth date was February 25—the date Shawn had the dream.
3. After hearing Shawn's dream, I remembered reading Lou Engle's book Digging the Wells of Revival, in which he shared that in 1998 he went to Bonnie Brae Street, where the Azusa revival had started with a group of intercessors. They drove a stake into the ground, declaring that the revival well in Los Angeles would again burst forth. When Lou got back in his car, the clock read 2:22. He thought of Isaiah 22:22 and realized that God had given him a key to open that well.
I was amazed at the thread I saw in these three experiences. Obviously, God was emphasizing Isaiah 22:22. When I studied that Scripture in context, I saw that Eliakim was given the key of David. Eliakim's name means "God will promote." It is recorded that he was a servant and a father. I believe John Wimber had those same character qualities and God used him to raise up a movement that changed the face of the Church.
We also read in Isaiah 22 that Shebna was fired from his position. He was building a monument to himself like King Saul did. The application for this today is: those who walk in humility and brokenness will be promoted and those who walk in pride will be removed from their positions.
John Wimber's Message
 |
John Wimber's main message was the Kingdom of God. He believed that "everyone can play" and he activated and mobilized the Church to "do the stuff." I believe there will be a return to the simplicity of the Kingdom message and we'll see Heaven come to earth. It is the Father's good pleasure to give us the Kingdom! (see Luke 12:32).
Shawn Bolz was a young boy in John Wimber's church (which at the time was a Calvary Chapel) on Mother's Day 1980, when Lonnie Frisbee asked everyone under the age of 25 to come forward. Lonnie uttered his famous prophecy, "The Church has for years grieved the Holy Spirit, but He's getting over it! Come, Holy Spirit!" Hundreds were filled with the Holy Spirit at the same time and began shouting out loud in tongues. The chairs were falling over and the people were falling on top of the chairs. Everyone was in shock, including John Wimber.
John Wimber didn't sleep that night. He stayed up reading books on Church history and revivals, and he prayed all night. About 5am, Tom Stipe, a pastor in Denver, called and said, "I don't know what's going on there, John, but the Lord woke me and told me to call and tell you that it's Him. Does that make sense?"
When John was met the next morning by unhappy staff, he told them that he would always choose the moving of the Holy Spirit over what people thought was the smart thing to do. It was a defining moment. A revival broke out among the young people and there were many conversions.
Recollection from Shawn Bolz
The Manifest Presence of Revival: When I was in the service that Lonnie Frisbe
e shared his ministry, I was only a child but my whole perspective changed about God. I watched as this guy just asked the Holy Spirit to come, and our whole group of junior high schoolers fell at once! I knew a lot of the junior high schoolers and looked up to them; nothing like this had ever happened. My parents had a home group for high schoolers since there wasn't a youth pastor yet. I knew it was God because I knew this group of high schoolers. We had a fun children's ministry too, but I don't think any kid in the church ever had an encounter past speaking in tongues and seeing some healings.
I looked at my family as the first wave of the Holy Spirit was resting on many people. My mom and dad were terrified—like probably half of the congregation! They had never seen power like this. Then some of the high school kids got hit by this wave of the presence of God. My parents weren't sure, like many other leaders that night. At this point people all around the room were amazed—knowing it wasn't fake. It was real power but where did it come from? How was Lonnie accessing this? All I can remember at that point was wanting to encounter God and the Holy Spirit. I was so young!
Later in life I got to spend some time with John Wimber on some ministry trips. One evening we had ministered together all night at a youth conference in California. John asked the Holy Spirit to come just like Lonnie had years before. The room was like a crashing wave of power! John was so comfortable, and he was just introduced to the Holy Spirit's radical side. I loved his calm confidence. Afterwards, I went up to him and asked him to pray for me—to walk in what he walked in. He said, "Only if you release it to others when they ask you. This is meant for everybody to walk in."
I have never shared this story publicly, but I know it was a key commissioning to my life—it was an activation anointing. I remember my mother loving John's heart because she said he had the heart of David. I felt this was a key when she shared this—to give it all away. I am so grateful for these Isaiah 22:22 men who went before us and showed us how to steward the key of David.—Shawn Bolz, Senior Pastor, Expression58 Ministries
A Date with Destiny this Mother's Day weekend:
Shawn Bolz and I will be speaking together at a conference this Mother's Day weekend in Pocatello, Idaho, at a Vineyard Church (see itinerary information below).
I believe we will have a Date with Destiny!
Kari Browning, Ministry Overseer
Revolution Church
Email: info@revolutionchurch.us
Website: www.revolutionchurch.us
Kari Browning is the Ministry Overseer of Revolution Church in Hayden, Idaho. She has a passion to see the understanding and expression of Christianity changed in her generation and the Church come into unity, maturity and fullness. Before planting Revolution Church, she co-led a church in Coeur d'Alene that had an unusual manifestation of the "glory realm." She believes that the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth and that we must contend for the manifestation of God's glory. Kari has spoken at many conferences nationally and internationally. She started a Bible School and training center that has equipped many Believers and has hosted several leadership summits over the years. She currently is writing a book entitled "Unsealing Ancient Mysteries" on the Feasts of Israel.
No comments:
Post a Comment