Weekend Transformation Intensive – Bradley University, Peoria, IL

Processing the internal revolution in our hearts at Chi Alpha House



The first class of the weekend transformation intensive was awesome! We had over 30 people, and we met at the Garret Culture Center on Bradley University campus.
The first class focused on three main sessions: In session 1 we learned what revival from heaven IS and its timeless characteristics and we heard testimony of many great revivals. Then we watched a DVD of the Hebrides revival that interviewed people who were a part of that great revival! You could still feel the sweet atmosphere of revival as they shared! It provoked such hunger in our hearts!
Session 2 focused on the progressive nature of redemption, church history and the catalytic role revival plays in advancing the church forward toward the end of the age. There is a grand plan and history is God’s story! Then we looked at a chart of the redemptive story and discovered where we are now in history and what the Lord has ahead for us in the coming final great revival!
Finally our last session we learned about the role of spiritual revolutionaries in revival history and heard about the many heroes through revival history who lived radical lives abandoned to Jesus and His Kingdom!
Monday the class met again in the Chi Alpha prayer room and we had an honest discussion about what it means to be a spiritual revolutionary? We talked about the revolution needed in our own hearts to get untangled from the spirit of the age and resist the anti-christ system the permeates our culture.
Our “homework” for the next three weeks is to ask Jesus to bring revelation to any areas of our hearts and minds that are in conformity to the opposing kingdom and value system. We are asking the Lord to highlight areas of compromise in our hearts, secure our identities in Him, and remove insecurities that lead to passivity. We were also encouraged to gather our friends and watch “Luther” and “Amazing Grace” and stir our hearts about spiritual revolutionaries in history who changed the course of history in their generation!
Our next class is October. Check out www.chialphapeoria.com to register!

Spiritual Explosion in Bryan, Texas!

I (Rhonda) recently traveled to Bryan Texas to meet with pastors who have been praying and fasting together all summer following the murder of a young man in their community. While we only scheduled one evening meeting together to share the vision of transformation of the community, the Lord had much more in mind!
The Monday evening meeting exploded with expectation and desperation! When I walked into the auditorium I was greeted by about 100 people and an atmosphere saturated with the presence of Jesus. These were hungry people!
The people in the room represented many parts of the community – an interesting “mix” like I had never seen before! Ex-gang members with the glory of God shining on their faces helped me set up my book table. The Chief of Police other officers sat in the back row, focused and intense. Member of the city council were there and hungry for God. University students had gathered, the house of prayer staff was there, ex-drug addicts were in the room, Hispanic and African American and white pastors.
In spite of the wide diversity of the people who had gathered you could feel the spirit of unity and what they wanted – they were hungry for Jesus! They were ready to do whatever it takes to prepare the way of the Lord into their community! These were leaders and people that shared the 3 most critical characteristics of those that God’s presence begins to rest on: humility, desperation and hunger.
When I shared the message of hope about God’s heart to bring supernatural transformation to their hurting community it resonated – they knew they were being consecrated by the Lord but they didn’t know unto what. When they heard the vision they received it with joy and passion.
That Monday night meeting lead to a 3 ½ hour breakfast meeting with leaders the following day. The breakfast consultation lead to a 4 hour lunch with the leaders on Wednesday! They were hungry and desperate for God! I have never seen anything like it!
Wednesday night was the highlight for me. I was scheduled to speak to a Hispanic congregation. By the time we got to Wednesday the Lord had so stirred the people of the city at least 6 other congregations cancelled their Wednesday services and told their people to come to the meeting!! The place was packed! The atmosphere was charged with expectation, desperation and hunger!
The pastors have decided to lead their congregations through the “Face to Face – Divine Experiment” in a couple of weeks! In order to prepare their own hearts to lead their congregations through, they have shut themselves away in a hotel from for 3 days to fast and pray and get their hearts right with the Lord and each other. We’re praying with them and excited to hear what the Lord says and how we can serve them in the days ahead!

Texas A & M... The Story Gets Better!

During my time in Bryan I also met with student ministry leaders on the University campus about preparing themselves for spiritual revolution by consecrating themselves unto the Lord. Tuesday evening I shared my heart with 25 student leaders. It was awesome – they were so open, so hungry! So ready! Without any questions they said “yes”! They want to consecrate themselves onto the Lord and lead the students in their ministries to do the same.
Wednesday afternoon I met with 12 more student leaders. It was so powerful! When I shared my heart about consecration a young woman beside me began to cry uncontrollably. Another leader shared the Lord had been speaking to him for 2 months about consecrating himself! Another leader said “Rhonda it’s like we see a bike, we know it’s a bike and we’re suppose to ride it but we don’t know how”. When I shared with them about the “Face to Face” consecration it all made sense to them. They said “yes” immediately!
Since those meetings the Lord is supernaturally connecting students to pray for transformation! He is calling some to prepare to document what He’s about to do!
The student ministry leaders are committed to going through the Divine Experiment with the city. Imagine a city where the pastors and their congregations, combined with students at a University all begin to consecrate themselves unto the Lord – humbling themselves, seeking His face, repenting together??
The Lord has His eye on Bryan Texas, on His church and on the campus. Please pray for the Lord to fan the flame that has ignited until it’s a roaring fire of revival that sweeps across the city and region!!