070 - PASSOVER TO PENTECOST
PASSOVER TO PENTECOST
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matt 3:11
Tens of thousands of believers across the earth just completed a 40-Day Jesus Fast in anticipation of a great global harvest of souls. The dates of the fast, March 1 - April 9, were initially chosen years ago to culminate on the anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival. Little did we know that this year April 9th would fall on Maundy Thursday, commemorating the Last Supper, which also coincided with the Jewish Passover! This convergence, all set in the context of a global plague, attuned the worldwide body of Christ to the Communion table and a cry for another Passover as has never been seen since the Israelites' days in Egypt. (Watch the archive of our corporate Communion Service on April 9th.)
Our lives will never be the same after this season. We also believe the world will never be the same. After having just experienced this unprecedented Passover/Communion explosion around the globe, it occurred to us, “Why shouldn’t we now believe for a coming Pentecost explosion?” It was 50 days after Jesus’ death on Passover that the promised Holy Spirit was poured out upon the early disciples with tongues of fire and the sound of a mighty rushing wind. Could we dare to believe that these are days of Pentecost once again?
On the first night of our 40-day fast, my husband Paul dreamed that he and Lou were walking together and encouraging each other in the fast. “We’ve been in this together for so long,” Paul said to Lou. Then he added, “Imagine what it is going to feel like when revival finally comes!” At that point in the dream, they both fell to their knees weeping at the revelation that the long-awaited promise was soon to be upon us. Then, just a few weeks ago, Paul had another dream in which we returned to our home after the fast and were standing together at a picture window. In the distance was a bay in which the waters began to rise suddenly as we watched. Within a few brief moments, the water rushed up to our house and quickly filled the inside until we were standing in warm crystal clear water up to our necks. It happened so suddenly that we were in utter amazement. All Paul could think in the dream was, “The revival is here! The Holy Spirit has come!”
Lou Engle also had a dream partway through the fast that gripped our attention. The dream involved a man named Duke Smith, whom Lou met in 1977 during the Jesus Movement. Duke was in high school in Ashland, Ohio and Lou was a seminary student. God joined these two young men in the Spirit as they prayed together often for revival. During that season they made a vow that they would seek Acts 2 no matter what the cost. It was a defining moment in both of their lives that soon led them to Maryland where there was a powerful move of healings and salvations taking place among young people. Eventually, Duke left Maryland and he and Lou lost contact for about twelve years.
Meanwhile, Lou moved out to Pasadena with a vision for revival. In 1995, the Spirit was poured out in Pasadena leading to nightly gatherings in which thousands came to encounter the Lord. One day Lou received a phone call from Duke who had heard about the move of the God. It turned out that he lived just one town over in Rosemead, California. He came to the meetings, was greatly touched by the Lord, and became the worship leader of that movement. Lou is still amazed at how God watched over their covenant, after twelve years of separation and 3000 miles of distance, to bring his friend to where the revival was taking place. They saw a manifestation of Acts 2 together, as well as the power of God’s covenantal commitment to them both.
So, back to the dream… while driving through Ohio on the way home from Boston a few weeks ago, Lou dreamed he was walking on a sidewalk and saw Duke Smith and his wife pull up in their car. Lou was so excited to see them again after all these years, that he could hardly contain himself. He ran towards them both crying out their names and eager to embrace them. When Lou awoke from the dream, he knew that it was time to call on the covenant again - to call on Acts 2! A few days later, we were back with Chris Berglund and found out that he too had a dream in which Lou was reconnecting with Duke Smith. Chris dreamed it just about the same time that Lou did! We were stunned at the testimony of these two witnesses, stirring our faith that it’s time for another Acts 2 outpouring.
There are times and seasons when God says, “Tarry here in Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49).” Over the course of these 50 days between Passover and Pentecost, we invite you to turn your homes into upper rooms. Perhaps you can even find a small revival core of two or three with whom you can pray in agreement. Our team is doing the same, gathering safely in various capacities throughout the week and praying to God that Jesus would baptize His Church in the Holy Spirit once again. We do not want to return to business as usual, but are looking ahead with eager anticipation.
Along these lines, we received an extraordinary dream recently in which Chris Berglund saw people all over the world completing long fasts. Many had been fasting on water, some on liquids, and others had been participating in a variety of partial fasts. In the dream an aged man appeared, full of wisdom and incredible light. He held a king’s goblet that was filled to overflowing with water. The man poured the water out over a garden that looked barren and dry. As he did, it produced all kinds of fruits and vegetables. The man then said, "Take and eat for the journey is not over, nor is the destination reached.” He continued, “Those who hear and see are invited to partake of this garden until their light shines and full deliverance comes.” As the man turned to leave, Chris asked his name. The man answered, "God is my judge as He is yours" and then disappeared.
It is possible that the man with the goblet may have been the prophet Daniel, whose name literally means “God is my judge.” We were astounded at this invitation to partake in what we believe to be an extended Daniel fast of fruits and vegetables now that the Jesus Fast has come to an end. We believe this dream is connected to another dream we shared recently in which Lou said, “We need 2020 revelation like Daniel had. We’re going to go through The Send. We’re going to go through the elections. We’re going to go through the end of the year!” This second dream provides a time frame, i.e. to the end of the year, and also an expectancy that God will give us divine revelation, like Daniel, that we will need in this crucial year of kingdom advancement.
Has there ever been a time like this in history? We sense these are days for wonder, expectation and deep consecration. Perhaps you too may want to make a covenant to see Acts 2. Let’s set ourselves apart on a daily basis, allowing time for worship, prayer and delving into His Word. Acts 1:3 tells us that Jesus appeared to his disciples over a period of forty days after His resurrection and spoke to them about the kingdom of God. May He come to us as we wait on Him and empower us to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth.
- By Cheryl Amabile
