by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

When I reflect on all that God has done in 2015 and I look around and see the incredible treasures of people He has surrounded me with, I feel so undone by His lavish love. Thank you for being a part of the Destiny House family's journey, it has made all the difference.

I want to share an activation below that has helped me process and find the gold from this past year as well as dream for the new year ahead. I pray that the Holy Spirit launches you into a greater measure of your destiny as you go along with me on this journey of giving thanks and of dreaming for the future.

Reflecting & Finding the Gold in 2015

What were some of your highlights of 2015 that you are most thankful for? Write out at least 5. 

For example, in Destiny House a few of our highlights were:

• Cultivating an atmosphere of worship during the birth of baby Fenna in Destiny House
• Starting our non-profit
• Times of extended worship where the glory was so thick that bodies were on the floor for hours
• Launching Elisha’s Room, a guys community house in conjunction with Destiny House
• Hosting and worshiping alongside the Destiny Kids (5th graders from Bethel Church)
• Powerful treasures from around the world coming to live at Destiny House
• Surf trips!

How have you grown in 2015?

What lessons, revelations, gold nuggets from making it through hard things has He taught you that you can carry with you into the future?

Before moving onto the next activation, I encourage you take some time thanking God for all He has done for you in 2015.

Testimony

We are soon going to write out some goals, but first let me share a testimony of what God did in my life when I did this activity 10 years ago as quoted in Writing in the Glory:

“In 2006, I was a manager and trainer for Starbucks Coffee, and I had the opportunity to go to a leadership training class. One of our activities was to write out a list of goals and dreams. One of the goals I wrote was that I wanted to “write a book about revolutionaries/revivals.” Years later during the summer of 2012, the Holy Spirit opened doors for me to work on a book project with Bill Johnson, the pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, California. This started as a summer job to help him do research for a book about defining moments of revival leaders. It later developed into a two-year project where I actually got paid to help write a book with one of my heroes of the faith. It astonishes me how good God is. He had given me the desire to write the book six years before I actually started writing it. Then, when it was finally time to start it, He paired me with someone who carried the same heart for revival history. As we seek God first (see Matthew 6:33), He consistently goes above and beyond our wildest dreams.”

This book called Defining Moments that I supported Bill Johnson comes out January 14, 2016. Dreams come true but they begin somewhere. I am praying that when you do the activation below, that the Holy Spirit will overshadow you and open your eyes to see dreams that God has planted in your heart that are awaiting to emerge.

Dreaming with God for an Incredible 2016

Now, write out a list of 20 things that are you dreaming for in 2016. The bigger and more impossible the better. Be as specific as you can. These dreams and goals can be in various areas such as relationally, financially, physically, spiritually, adventure, destiny, etc. 

Positioning for Alignment

Who are a few of the people God is highlighting for you to run with more intentionally and deeply in 2016? What can you do invest in these relationships in the new year?

Living Fearlessly

If you knew that you couldn’t fail and that no matter how messy, embarrassing, shameful, awkward it got, you would always be loved, what risks would you take this year? What areas would you step out and try?

Surrender

Now, I encourage you to surrender and trust God with all the dreams, desires, relationships He has placed in your heart and ask Him to water these with the Holy Spirit and cause them to emerge and grow in His perfect timing. Cover these dreams and desires in prayer and in His presence.

Thanks for all your prayers and support for our Destiny House family. We are so thankful for you in our lives. Blessing each of you with an incredible ending to 2015 filled with His goodness, favor, and love. I declare that 2016 will be full of hope, promises fulfilled, and exceedingly abundantly above all you could ask, hope, dream, or imagine in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:20). 

With love from Jen and the Destiny House family

New release by Rolland Baker Keeping the Fire is sure to cause you to burn for the One Thing (Psalm 27). I remember reading his doctoral thesis a year ago and how much I burned for more of Jesus after. I am so excited that his book is now available to the world! I am also in awe at the Holy Spirit’s creative synergy in the midst of the family of God. When I look at the covers of these two new releases, I celebrate God’s goodness. 

That Writing in the Glory and Keeping the Fire came out only months apart and that these covers were done separately without the other knowing causes me to praise Jesus because of His goodness and the synergy that happens in family. I love that simply by being a part of the same Iris family, we are tapping into a similar current of the Holy Spirit without even needing to talk about the aesthetics of our projects. Not only in appearance and timing are these books similar but also in heart. Both of these books are rooted and grounded in intimacy with Jesus and focusing on the One Thing (Psalm 27).  

In Writing in the Glory, I talk about the importance of being rooted in Jesus as the source of all creativity and about writing from a place of intimacy to light a fire that will impact the world. I share a few excerpts below.

Works that are birthed from a place of intimacy with God can have ripple effects for eternity. As you feast on God and contend for the One Thing (see Psalm 27:4), your covenant love with Him will naturally birth life.

Now is the time to strip of offenses, let go of bitterness, unforgiveness, doubts, or anything that might hinder you and run fiercely into the arms of the One who love you more than you could imagine. Now is a time to have no other lovers but Him. Today is the day to be single minded; to press in so you can release what God is about to birth in and through you. The time of awakening and birthing has come. It is here. It is now. Step in. Rise up. Don’t look back. Arise and shine. You were born to release this book.

In Writing in the Glory, Heidi Baker also writes

Apart from Him we can do nothing. But as we abide in Him and as we remain connected to the vine, we bear fruit that remains. All lasting fruitfulness flows from the place of intimacy and deep connection with God.

The fruit that remains might just be a book that impacts generations with the love, healing, and power of God.

Ask to be a holy habitation, a resting place for Him to come and abide. Open yourself up now to the glorious presence of God. Invite Him to capture your heart again.

In Keeping the Fire, Rolland, a leader in this generation and has seen the lame walk, blind eyes opened, and even the dead raised, shares about the core values of Iris and how Jesus is the key to sustaining of revival. A few excerpts are below.

Iris is not about us. It is about Jesus. Revival is not about manifestations or miracles; it is about the Reviver, Jesus our Savior. We only have one destination, one home, one reality, one resting place, one source, one motivation, one reward, one possession, one point of contact with God, one source of real satisfaction – and that is Jesus. We cannot overemphasize Him in any way. He is all we have and everything we need.

Love is a gift of relationship, not just self-sacrifice. The secret place is not necessarily found in a prayer closet or a posture of soaking, or in battling for a just cause, or in a massive prayer and fasting effort. Even the most amazing miracles can leave us lonely and without relationship. We can run out of motivation advancing the noblest ideals and working at all levels to transform society. We can minister until we have no more strength, and still go home and lie in bed without the relationship for which our hearts are made.

Everything is okay with relationship. It is all that Jesus cares about, all that motivates Him. He could do many more amazing miracles and dazzle the world with His powers, but He is interested only in relationship.

I wonder what the Holy Spirit is trying to say by birthing these two works with creative synergy in family at the same time. Maybe it’s another Ephesians 3:20 exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think or imagine moment. Maybe there’s something about intimacy with Jesus and living for the One Thing that will cause us to burn in this generation like never before. Maybe there’s a powerful synergy when reading these two works together. Either way, I encourage you to explore and receive this piece of our hearts. These can both be ordered on irisglobal.org's bookstore HERE. May our words start a fire inside you and cause you burn for the One Thing like never before. May Jesus truly be what this season is all about. Happy Christmas and may the fire burn hotter than ever before.

To read another account of crazy synergy that happened within the context of the Destiny House family, go HERE.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

What if our generation is pregnant with birthing the next Great Awakening and The Call Azusa on April 9, 2016 is a tipping point? If this might really be the case, what would it look like if this unified Body of Christ assembling in Los Angeles for the 110th anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival knew the depths of God’s history there to be able to draw from and tap into the power of the testimony? What kind of focused prayers and greater signs, wonders, miracles, and stewardship of the awakening might take place because of this investment?

Now is our time arise and shine. Today is the day to dive in and not look back, to remain focused on Jesus, to immediately respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and to lean into the Father’s heart. Now is our moment as a generation to shine.

As a generation, we have been given a great opportunity to shift the culture of what the next 100 years and more can look like. What if once this billion soul harvest is released, the new believers immediately get welcomed into the family of God, are discipled and activated in signs and wonders all coming from a place of intimacy with Jesus? What if people are knit together in covenant relationships with the family of God who will encourage and cover them as they follow the leading of the Spirit even into dangerous places? We have such an awesome opportunity to create a culture of family, love, intimacy, and power to welcome the new Christians into. What are we going to do with the responsibility God has entrusted us with?

We were born for such a time as this. God has called and equipped us to stand together with one another. He has promised to be with us always.

To position yourself to step into what God has for us in our day, I encourage you to receive impartation from the Welsh Revival (1904-1905) video above. This revival preceded and was an important catalyst for the Azusa Street Revival (1906). The ladies of Destiny House watched this video during one of our Monday night family times and after it ended, we waited on the Lord. The presence of God was thick in the room. After some silence, prayer broke out, then I could hear weeping. Bodies covered the floor. A couple of the ladies were so rocked by God's presence after watching this that they never made it back home that night but lay there encountering God deep into the night. I pray the same refining fire falls upon you as you watch.

Be also encouraged by an exhortation by Azusa Street Revival participant Frank Bartleman written in June 1906, just months after the the Azusa Street Revival broke out:

“Opportunity once passed, is lost forever. There is a time when the tide is sweeping by our door. We may then plunge in and be carried to glorious blessing, success and victory. To stand shivering on the bank, timid, or paralyzed with stupor, at such a time, is to miss all, and most miserably fail, both for time and for eternity. Oh, our responsibility! The mighty tide of God’s grace and favor is even now sweeping by us, in its prayer-directed course.

There is a river (of salvation) the streams whereof make glad the city of God. - Ps. 46:4. It is time to ‘get together,’ and plunge in, individually and collectively. We are baptized ‘in one Spirit, into one body,’ - I Cor. 12:13. Let us lay aside all carnal contentions and divisions, that separate us from each other and from God. If we are of His body, we are ‘one body.’ The opportunity of a lifetime, of centuries, is at our door, to be eternally gained or lost. There is no time to hesitate. Act quickly, lest another take thy crown. Oh, church of Christ, awake! Be baptized with power. Then fly to rescue others. And to meet your Lord.” 

To learn more about the Azusa Street Revival check out Spirit Flood: Rebirth of Spirit Baptism for the 21st Century (In light of the Azusa Street Revival) and to be catalyzed to write literature that will set this world aflame with the love and fire of God check out Writing in the Glory. Join us at Destiny House Redding Friday mornings 8-10am for worship, prayer, and testimonies. Many blessings and fire!

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

The Azusa Street Revival was catalytic and played a significant part in the expansion of the Pentecostal movement around the world. This revival was marked by a hunger to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. People from around the world flocked to Los Angeles to be a part of this great move of God and to receive impartation to take back to their nations. They, like many in the early church in Acts (see Acts 2), waited on the Lord until they were baptized in the Holy Spirit and also spoke in tongues. This all-consuming encounter with God drew people into a revival that swept across the world.

I have been struck lately by Matthew 3:11-12 where John the Baptist said,

I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and He will clear the threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

While Azusa Street was marked with a Baptism of the Holy Spirit, I believe that the next great move of God will be marked with a BAPTISM OF FIRE. Fire purifies, refines, sanctifies, and makes holy. It causes all the dross to dissipate and only the gold to emerge. Asking for the baptism of fire strips off any enemy of the cross of Christ, even good things that are distractions. There’s no greater way to be surrendered than when we are willing to ask God to send His fire over every detail of our lives, relationships, dreams, thoughts, and ask Him to burn away anything that is not from Him for this season. When we realize the price He has paid for us (see Romans 8:32), we will be willing to become living sacrifices (see Romans 12:1) and we will continue to lay our lives on the altar to burn for Him continually. It says in Leviticus 6:8-13,

The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.

What would happen if we lived in a baptism of fire daily? What does it look like to be a burning one in this generation?

There is more for each one of us today. I believe God is asking us to call out for the fire of God to come and consume anything that might get in the way of all He wants to do in our lives. I encourage you right now to ask for the fire of God to fall upon you and for this fire to burn away any bitterness, unforgiveness, double-mindedness, offense, fear, shame, insecurity, disappointment, hopeless, or discouragement. Ask God to search your heart to see if there is anything holding you back from all that He has. Wait on Him for a few minutes.

As the Holy Spirit brings up people and situations, today go and be reconciled. If someone has an offense against you, go and make amends quickly. Give no foothold for the devil in this time of great awakening that’s coming. Always remember that our battle is never against flesh and blood (see Ephesians 6:10-18) and that you have authority in Christ to tear down every stronghold or enemy of God that tries to oppose you (see Romans 8:31). Stay deeply connected and knit together with the Body of Christ in this season, for they will also be your armor bearers. When the fire falls and the pruning begins and you feel the pain of things leaving in your life that you were once comfortable with, ask for even more fire. He wants to purify us so we are prepared to carry what He is about to pour out across the earth. He is looking for pure and holy vessels that He can possess and fill with His Holy Spirit and with fire. I encourage you to pray the following prayer outloud:

God, I ask right now for a fresh baptism of fire over my life. Let your fire fall on every single detail of my life. Burn away anything and everything that is not in line with You in Jesus’ name. Purify with fire all of my relationships, thoughts, dreams, desires, and situations. Burn away anything that is contrary to your nature or that will hold me back from all that You want to do in and through my life in this season. I surrender all and ask for the fire of consecration to come and set me apart as a burning one for You. Let my love for You be marked by purity, holiness, and a burning passion. Fill and possess me with Your Holy Spirit and with fire. I am all Yours. My life is in Your hands. Have Your way in my life today whatever it looks like and no matter the cost, all for Your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

*I encourage you to get involved in The Call Azusa to take part in re-digging this well of revival at Azusa Street to bring American back to God in our day.

*To learn more about the Azusa Street Revival and Baptism of the Holy Spirit for today see Spirit Flood: Rebirth of Spirit Baptism for the 21st Century in Light of the Azusa Street Revival and the Life of Carrie Judd Montgomery)

*To read about an encounter when fire fell on the sacrifice in a ministry school totally consecrated to God, see A Time of New Birth: Consecration with Rees Howells and the Welsh Revival

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

“But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ 

Matthew 14:27 (NIV)

Do you feel like giving up? Are you in a storm right now where you feel close to drowning? Do you feel stuck in an area that you can’t seem to move forward in? Do you feel that something keeps trying to hold you back from your destiny? Are you in a relational conflict that seems hopeless, a financial pit, a struggle at work, or are things just not lining up the way you imagined?

Let’s just be honest, storms are horrible. I don’t like them any better than anyone else. However, I believe there is a hidden treasure somewhere in the midst of the eye of the storm if we just have eyes to see (Isaiah 45:2-4). Somewhere in the center of the storms we are in, Jesus is waiting for us to come to Him and walk on water (Matthew 14:24-33). Somewhere hidden beneath the relational conflict is a gem. Somewhere buried beneath the mountain of debt we are facing, is a pearl of great price. Somewhere in the midst of confusion is a peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:4-7). Somewhere in depths of uncertainty stands Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Jesus is the way through the storm you are facing. He is all-powerful. He is the always the answer.

Peter was in a boat in the middle of a storm and feared for his life (Matthew 14:24-33). When he saw Jesus, he and his friends didn’t recognize Him; they thought He was a ghost. Sometimes it might be easy to miss Jesus or even mistake Him as a ghost when we are in a storm. Our vision gets clouded when things comes against us. We don’t see clearly. However, when we hear Him say, “It is I, do not be afraid,” it gives us peace, assurance, and courage.

What if Jesus is right in the midst of your storm, ready to deliver you but you can’t recognize Him? Ask Jesus what He looks like in the midst of the conflict or struggle you are in right now.

If He truly is the way, the truth, and the life, then stepping outside the boat into even greater danger to cling to Him is the only answer really. We must be where He is. Peter had to be closer to Jesus in the storm. It didn’t make any sense at all. He never set out to “surf” in the storm. He didn’t want to do the impossible so he could brag to all his friends. No, he just had to be near his friend Jesus. He knew that no matter what storms might come his way, being near to Jesus was always the safest place to be. What a beautiful friendship.

What would that look like in our lives? What does that look like for us today in the midst of the present storm we are facing? Can we really see God do the impossible by simply keeping our eyes on Jesus and moving towards Him? It worked for Peter. 

When Peter kept his eyes locked on Jesus, he did the impossible and drew nearer to Jesus. It was only when he took his eyes off of Jesus and “saw” the wind that fear crept in. Do you realize that it’s impossible to “see’” the wind. We can see the effects of wind, but we can’t see wind itself. Peter saw and believed a lie rather than keeping his gaze on Jesus.

When we throw off every distraction, every obligation, and every lie that comes against us and run with everything inside of us to Jesus, the impossible happens.

What would happen today if our only agenda was Jesus?

What if we were so moved by Him, that we could do nothing but throw ourselves at His feet and just worship Him because He is worthy? What if we weren’t trying to see any breakthroughs or miracles, but we just wanted to see and to be close to Him?

Peter didn’t walk on water to say he surfed or to do the impossible. He just wanted to be closer to Jesus in the storm. He didn’t know where else to go so he put himself in greater danger to be with the one he loved. May we do the same today. No matter what it looks like, may we go out to meet Jesus in the deeper places still.

May the eyes of our hearts be opened today in a new way to recognize Jesus even in the midst of the storms. May we lock eyes with the One who loves us more than we know. May everything else fade away in the light of His glorious presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.

*************************************************************************************************

7 Practical Tips for seeing Jesus in the midst of storms:

• Regardless of the surrounding circumstances, worship Him because He is worthy (2 Chronicles 20).

• Praise Him for His character and nature, focusing on the opposite of what you are facing. (For example, if you are struggling with lack, praise Him for being your Provider. If you are hopeless, praise Him for being a God of hope, etc.)

• Practice thanksgiving (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Reflect on moments in the past when God came through in a similar situation. Thank Him for His faithfulness in those situations and also thank Him ahead of time that He is also going to get you through this storm.

• Trust that God is good, is for you, and is working behind the scenes on your behalf to bring you into a greater measure of abundance as you press into Him (Romans 8).

• Realize that you are on the verge of a great breakthrough and that on the other side of this storm is something special. Let your worship, dance, and prayers be even more fierce. Gather friends to worship and press in together. Allow the storm cause your roots to go even deeper today.

• Don’t be afraid to go even deeper into the storm if Jesus is there. Be courageous and step outside of the boat.

• Cling to Jesus and never let go!

Further Resources

To listen to the very first time I ever released this message which later turned into me writing a book about it, listen to the podcast session below. I believe you will be encouraged and experience the fire of God.

To read a book that this blog post influenced, check out Walking on Water.

To take a journey with me more in depth through my Encounter Ecourse which includes a whole session on this theme of Peace in the Storms check out the Walking on Water Ecourse below.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, Ph.D.

Upon reflecting on our 3-year anniversary at Destiny House this Valentine’s Day, I have been struck lately by the synergy of 3s. We have received 3 floors and the alignment of the whole house at Destiny House in just under 3 years. In the next few months we are going to expand and inhabit the duplex next door that was only an empty dirt lot when I moved in February 2012.

So much has happened in the past 3 years at an accelerated rate. Even now, Bethany who lives upstairs at Destiny House is very pregnant and about to have her 3rd baby. She is going to have a home birth. God has put it on our hearts as a community to create an environment of worship on the floor below her while she is giving birth so that the baby’s first introduction to this world is in God’s glory. Quite prophetic of our mandate at Destiny House to help launch and birth destinies from a place of God’s glory.

There are lots of trios that are arising in our community lately as well. We have 3 people from Destiny House who are passionate about cooking and have aligned to do prophetic catering together. The worship team for our 3 year anniversary was comprised of 3 special people coming together bringing a beautiful synergy of giftings. There are also many other unions and partnerships coming together both in and outside the house that are bearing fruit. Identifying ourselves as a Levite tribe of worshippers at Destiny House, we also recently discovered that Levi was the 3rd son. Jesus also arose on the 3rd day.

3 of the dancers who live here created a beautiful tapestry while dancing on a white sheet with paint. By the time the dance was over, they were wonderfully decorated with different colors, as was the cloth. It produced a powerful expression of the beauty that is created when 3 align together for one purpose. Kind of like the Trinity.

The incredible Katharina, Elisa, and Carmella!

There is something about the number 3 for this season. I have heard that one person can pull 100 pounds but 2 together can pull 300 pounds. There’s something about synergizing that multiplies the impact. I wonder what would happen if 3 people came together. Could they pull 500 pounds? Jesus talks about how if 2 or more met to pray, He would hear them. What would happen if 3 people aligned to pray?

“When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of Me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” (Matthew 18:18-20 MSG)

Going even beyond that, what would happen if we built upon the disciples being sent out 2 by 2 and sent people out 3 by 3? What more might be released?

In the midst of the development of the revival history class I am co-teaching at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry with an incredible leader for our generation named Mark Brookes, the theme of the Trinity has been highlighted to me lately. In the 1800s there was an awakening of people discovering how good Jesus really is. They began to see Him as a friend and even a lover rather than a distant far off King. In the early 1900s, our world was infused with fire from heaven and a powerful impartation of the Holy Spirit. There were outbreaks of the Holy Spirit revival fire around the world including Azusa Street, which was a catalytic center of revival at that time. The power of the Holy Spirit was reintroduced to the church. Then in the 1990s we began to see a wave of the Father’s love poured out. The Toronto Blessing was also referred to as the Father’s Blessing. People began to receive the love of the Father in a new and powerful way.

Through the ages, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and more recently aspects of the Father have been highlighted and emphasized in the church in at different times. This is a very general overview and not meant to be a concrete representation of the church, only my reflection over the ages from some of what I have seen as I have been a student of revival history.

That brings us to our present age in the 2000s. I feel that rather than picking one theme or highlighting only one part of the godhead, there is a momentum of what has been built through the ages coming into alignment and synergy in the union of the Trinity. In light of all that God has been doing within our community with 3s and what He has been highlighting to me lately, I believe we are entering into the Age of the Trinity. This is not 3 in One; these 3 are One. This is perfect union and alignment where boundary lines are blurred because the union is so complete.

There is a new synergy available to us in this new age of the Trinity. Now, rather than just focusing on one Person of the godhead, we get access to the synergy of 3. The momentum of the revelation of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Father is building to burst into the synergetic power and anointing as we understand the union these share. What would a church look like that didn’t emphasize one or the other but had a view of the whole? What kind of momentum and acceleration could come as we fused our understanding of these 3 into perfect alignment? What might happen as we dive into what the significance of the Trinity means for us today?

It is time to enter in and partake of the beautiful, creative, synergy shared between Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Father. I feel that this Age of the Trinity we are entering into will also be an Age of Creativity. Creative expressions are naturally birthed when people are aligned for One purpose under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

I feel that something special will happen when we choose to build covenants and alignments with 3s in this season. There might even be more than one trio people will be a part of in different seasons. Those involved in a worship team synergy might also be linked in covenant relationships in another trio as well. Dancers might have a synergetic dance trio as well as another set of trios for other passions in their lives.

In this new Age of Synergetic Unity, Creativity, and Trinity, I encourage you to find your tribe and go as deep as possible with God and with them no matter the sacrifice. Once the Holy Spirit has highlighted your potential covenant partnerships in this season, I encourage you to pursue them with vulnerability to discover the hidden treasures that might be awaiting you within each other. As you step out, I believe you will then flourish in a destiny even greater than you could ever hope, dream, or imagine.

Don’t be afraid to invest, plant, and build. Look what happened in only 3 years here at Destiny House. In this day and age of needing to be entertained every 5 minutes with something new, I encourage you to dive beyond the surface and into the depths of God’s heart and those in your community no matter how hard you have to fight or what the cost. Synergy and depth takes time and commitment. Take courage and dive in. Beautiful things are awaiting you today.

At Zinzendorf's grave. 

by Jennifer A. Miskov, PhD

On July 14-15, 2015, I had the opportunity to visit Herrnhut Germany with some of the Destiny House family. We got to tap into the roots of our own movement and discover the depths of a deep well of what a community unified by love and humility looks like. 

I was marked by my visit to the Moravian's gravesite called "God's Acre." Nearly all the tombstones were the same size and shape. None outglorified the other. Nothing but the words distinguished one gravestone from the other. The only exception was a  few larger tombstones to honor some of the elders including the main leader Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. When I knelt near his tombstone to reflect on a life well lived and praise God for His faithfulness, I felt the presence and peace of God in a powerful way. Honoring a saint of old nearly brought me to tears, the presence of God overcame me. 

Moravian gravesite

I wondered what it would have looked like to be a part of a community that lived as a family, as a "church within a church," where everyone was celebrated for the gift of God they were, where there were no platforms but they were all on the same level before God. What would it look like today if each person was celebrated by their community for the gift that they are?

After going through a refining process, the early Moravian community realized that love must supersede denominational differences and barriers. Each person was important and had a role to play. No matter how seen or unseen, they were all important for the body of Christ to be able to fully function. The anointed unity found in this tribe of Moravians only came after God intervened to turn them away from years of quarreling.

It was in the summer of 1727 that God stirred the Moravian community to throw off dissension and instead choose unity in love. J.E. Hutton in his A History of the Moravian Church (1909) wrote the following account about this special season where God crashed in with His perfect love. This happened after Zinzendorf found a copy of Comenius' Latin version of the old Brethren's "Account of Discipline" in July of that year. After he read this, his eyes were open. Zinzendorf said,

"And though I have to sacrifice my earthly possessions, my honours and my life, as long as I live I will do my utmost to see to it that  this little flock of the Lord shall be preserved for Him until He come."

Hutton recounts this new awakening below: 

"As the Count devoured the ancient treatise, he noticed that the rules laid down therein were almost the same as the rules which he had just drawn up for the refugees at Herrnhut. He returned to Herrnhut, reported his find, and read the good people extracts from the book {Aug. 4th.}. The sensation was profound. If this was like new milk to the Count it was like old wine to the Brethren; and again the fire of their fathers burned in their veins.

And now the coping stone was set on the temple {Aug. 13th.}. As the Brethren were learning, step by step, to love each other in true sincerity, Pastor Rothe now invited them all to set the seal to the work by coming in a body to Berthelsdorf Church, and there joining, with one accord, in the celebration of the Holy Communion. The Brethren accepted the invitation with joy.

The date fixed was Monday, August 13th. The sense of awe was overpowering. As the Brethren walked down the slope to the church all felt that the supreme occasion had arrived; and all who had quarrelled in the days gone by made a covenant of loyalty and love. At the door of the church the strange sense of awe was thrilling. 

They entered the building; the service began; the "Confession" was offered by the Count; and then, at one and the same moment, all present, rapt in deep devotion, were stirred by the mystic wondrous touch of a power which none could define or understand. 

There, in Berthelsdorf Parish Church, they attained at last the firm conviction that they were one in Christ; and there, above all, they believed and felt that on them, as on the twelve disciples on the Day of Pentecost, had rested the purifying fire of the Holy Ghost.

"We learned," said the Brethren, "to love." "From that time onward," said David Nitschmann, "Herrnhut was a living Church of Jesus Christ..."

It was such a treat to have the opportunity to visit the church at Berthelsdorf where this outpouring of love was poured out. There we worshipped our King with song, dance, and tears, remembering the unity in love that was poured out nearly 300 years before.

Worshipping at Berthelsdorf where the outpouring of love happened in 1727

Following the ancient outpouring of love, on August 27, 1727, the Moravian community arranged "a system of Hourly Intercession" so that the blessing would not be lost. 

Hutton says that,

"As the fire on the altar in the Jewish Temple was never allowed to go out, so the Brethren resolved that in this new temple of the Lord the incense of intercessory prayer should rise continually day and night. Henceforth, Herrnhut in very truth should be the 'Watch of the Lord.' The whole day was carefully mapped out, and each Brother or Sister took his or her turn. Of all the prayer unions ever organized surely this was one of the most remarkable. It is said to have lasted without interruption for over a hundred years."

The Moravians birthed a movement that was marked by 100 years of uninterrupted prayer stemming from a profound encounter of rediscovering love for one another despite theological differences. I wonder what God might want to birth today within our generation as people lay down their armor, come together as one to seek, and worship Jesus alone... Lord, we ask that you do it again. Pour out a love Revolution flowing from hearts knit together in God's perfect love. Amen.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, PhD

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being likeminded, having the same love, being in one spirit and purpose..." Philippians 2:1-3

It feels like Awakening Europe was a fulfillment of these words. Friends from around the world all came together for one purpose, to see Europe saved and transformed by the love of God. There was no other agenda but Jesus. There was no competition, no striving, no trying to get a higher position. If anything, people were trying to get lower still so they could lay down to worship before the throne of King Jesus. 

Family: Seeing the leadership of this event unite in prayer, worship, and praise together because they all wanted to see more people enter into the family of God was such a beautiful sight. The conference felt more like a huge family reunion  than anything else. We all just worshipped Jesus together and sought to invite even more people into our growing family as children of God. Seeing Ben Fitzgerald, Todd White, Heidi Baker, Jake Hamilton, and so many more from around the world come together for one purpose, to glorify and make the name of Jesus known in Europe was such a pure offering unto the Lord. Whether it was at the breakfast table or during the meetings, there was such a precious unity in love that marked this community of saints in a special way. It was family burning for Jesus and doing the work of the Kingdom together.

Faith: Faith marked this conference in a special way. The speakers and leaders for this event all seemed to walk in a high level of faith. Ben and Todd stepped out in faith to get a stadium for this one purpose when they didn't have the funds to pay it yet. Even when the conference started, they were short thousands of dollars to cover the expense. On the final day of the conference however, all the money came in to cover the costs. Awakening Europe was a present day Nehemiah story coming together. Only God could have unified a community of Jesus lovers to unite as one to see His Kingdom come to Europe in such a short time with everything coming together so beautifully. Praise the Lord for His incredible provision and the miracle of this conference becoming a reality. 

Hunger: The people from around the world who flocked to Nurnberg this past weekend carried a powerful hunger for Jesus. There was a desperation in their cries for more of the Holy Spirit. There was passion in their voices as they sang at the top of their lungs to give Jesus praise due His name. There was a sacred hunger present. More of Jesus at any cost was a prominent theme. Those who are hungry shall be filled.

When there was a call to encounter God's love for the first time in the Friday night meeting, the people streamed down from the stadium and literally ran on the track to the end of the field so they could consecrate their lives unto the Lord. There was even one point during Walter Heidenreich's session that a girl ran on the field as fast as she could towards the front of the stage. She was hungry and desperate for more of God. The crowd cheered her on and the security guards tried to catch her. She made it nearly to the front before she was surrounded and then fell to the ground. She was hungry for more of God at any cost. Her hunger reminds me of the time in the late 1990s when Heidi Baker ran up to the front of the church in the middle of Randy Clark's message because she was so hungry for more. She was marked by his prayer that day. Hunger truly does attract the heart of God. 

One Thing: The conference started out with no agenda but worshipping and encountering Jesus. The very first night, the Holy Spirit took over that stadium and flowed through the voices with beautiful praise to Jesus. Heidi Baker was scheduled to speak Saturday night with several other smaller meetings and sessions that day. She felt God drawing her to come away and be with Him that day before the evening session. She was torn because she would have to cancel meetings to do that and she didn't want to let people down. One by one she began to cancel her other meetings so she could spend the day with Jesus and prepare for the evening. She modeled Psalm 27 in such a special way. When she spoke that night, she even mentioned how God can accomplish more in one minute in His presence than in a lifetime without it. She had made the right choice. Obedience is better than sacrifice. 

This conference was marked by the One Thing. The family of believers came from around the world, unified by the Holy Spirit, carrying faith for the impossible, drawing hungry hearts together all to see the name of Jesus be glorified in Europe. Thousands were saved. Many were set free from shame. Multitudes were activated to be Jesus to those around them in their everyday lives. Many in and outside the stadium were healed and encountered the love of God like never before.

I am so thankful for friends and the family of God coming together with no other agenda than to worship Jesus and to make Him famous. I truly believe that Europe indeed was awakened to hunger for something more this weekend. Hope arose in the hearts of those present. A nation was lit on fire by the Holy Spirit this week. Ripple effects for eternity will come from what God poured out this weekend. Years from now and even generations from now, stories will continue to be told about how God met us in Nurnberg, Germany at Awakening Europe. 

May this conference be a template, a new wine skin for carrying what God wants to pour out in our generation. May releasing the heart of God always come from a place of being united in love as a family. May every conference or series of meetings begin with no other agenda than to encounter the living God. May space be made to yield to  the spontaneous leading of the Holy Spirit. May a sweet sacrifice of worship and our lives always be poured out before our King. May every single gathering of believers forever be marked and led by the One Thing.

"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple." Psalm 27:4

May you receive a fresh impartation of what God did at Europe Awakening. May you run after Jesus and never look back. May you realize that you need family to fulfill your destiny. May God surround you with kindred spirits who will burn with you. May faith arise to step into the impossible. May hunger increase so that you are so desperate to have more of Jesus that you will take hold of Him at any cost. May everything you do come from a place of deep intimacy with Jesus. May you be aligned once again with Jesus as the most important One in your life. May you be undone for anything else but knowing Jesus and making Him known. Amen.

See also Reformations, Great Awakenings, and New Tidal Waves of Glory on the Horizon: Europe Awakening

by Jennifer A. Miskov, PhD

I have never seen people run to Jesus like I did tonight. Jesus Culture led some wonderful worship followed by Todd White bringing a powerful message. He talked about how when one squeezes an orange, they get orange juice but wondered why when the devil squeezes a Christian, we don't always get more of Jesus. Todd was encouraging us to be Jesus to those around us. Then at the end of his message, he called for all who had not encountered God's love to stand up. When many across the stadium stood to their feet and the crowd cheered. Then Todd told them to run quickly to the end of the stadium where a ministry team was prepared to receive them. He told them to hurry. There was a track there so they should run. After he said this, I saw across the stadium a small crowd of hungry ones running as fast as they could on the track to the end of the stadium. When they did that, I could feel the glory of God fall in a special way. It was such an anointed time. Hundreds of people cascaded towards the field so they could give their lives to Jesus.

Then after this, Todd had the several thousands gathered at the end of the field get down on their knees and repeat a prayer. Following this, he had the rest of those in the stadium extend their hands and ask for a BAPTISM OF FIRE. When people don't just say a little salvation prayer but also ask for fire of the Spirit to come and baptize them, the odds are that they are likely going to burn for Jesus immediately. God touched them as well as many others in the stadium in a powerful way. 

There was a special presence in the stadium tonight, many on the verge of tears because His presence hovered over them. When the Holy Spirit crashed in on them, they could no longer hold back the tears. 

God did a marvelous and wonderful work with many being added to the Kingdom tonight. I thank God for bringing so many to receive His great love. Ripple effects for eternity were initiated by what God did tonight. Towards the end of the session, Ben Fitzgerald and Todd White ended up on their knees and on their faces together on the stage in worship once again. The unity, brotherhood, family atmosphere here is contagious There's zero competition. This gathering is truly all about Jesus. There's no other agenda than to encounter Him and make His name famous. Everyone is yielding to the leading of the Holy Spirit and letting God have His way. I hope and pray this becomes a normal for the future of the church in this and future generations. I believe it will.

by Jennifer A. Miskov, PhD

Walking into the empty stadium before the event and knowing that in a short time the stadium would be filled with over 25,000 people from over 25 nations around the world congregrating for the One Thing, stirred my heart with peace and anticipation. Seeing friends from Redding and around the world who decided to make the trek out to Germany to be a part of this historic event and to support our friend Ben Fitzgerald birthing his dream was a special welcoming to the event. 

The evening started out with a roar from the crowd when the procession of nations came out onto the field each holding a different flag. Worship filled the stadium as the people strolled in to take their seats. Then after a few words about how now is the time to arise and shine (Isaiah 60) from Ben Fitzgerald, instead of having a packed program for the night filled with speakers and announcements, the only agenda was to love Jesus and to worship Him together. There on the stage, in front of thousands of people, Ben, Todd White, and their friends knelt down and started singing praises to their King. This reminded me of the first time I saw Heidi Baker over 15 years ago when she came to my school at the time, Vanguard University, and knelt down in front of a chapel service filled with well off white students. I was marked by her devotion to Jesus and her passion for the Lord that day. I was also marked by the simplicity, hunger, and passion of the leaders kneeling before Jesus in the stadium last night, singing songs of worship at the top of their lungs to give Him praise. 

As we all started to worship our King together in a stadium that once was used to send out evil around the world, waves of praise and clapping and spontaneous outbreaks of love towards Jesus flowed from the crowd to heaven. Many times we all just shouted the name of "Jesus" as loud as we could to proclaim His name over the nation.

This time set apart for nothing other than to love Jesus and encounter God reminded me of what I imagine the early meetings at the Welsh Revival looked like. People came from around the world for one purpose only, to encounter God. Spontaneous worship and space for the Holy Spirit took priority.  Over 100,000 people came to know Jesus within a matter of a few months in the nation of Wales in 1904-1905. I feel we are on the verge of the next Jesus People Movement and Awakening coming very soon, where a harvest of people encountering God will far surpass what God did in Wales in such a short time. I am honored to take part in such a historic event. May all who are reading this, near and far, receive a fresh overflow and impartation of what God is doing here. May your hearts burn for the glory of God and may the name of Jesus ever be on your lips. Blessing you from Nurnberg, Germany,

Jen