What has God spoken to you or shown you in Awakening 2013? Please share your story!
Thanks to all who participated in the 21 days. And a special thanks to those who supported the 12 nights of “regional revival.”
Awakening Nights of Regional Revival Conclude Tonight! January 31, 2013
Tonight, the Awakening Nights of Revival draw to a close with our final session, and we are excited to celebrate everything that God has done in our church and our lives during this time! We will have a night of extended worship and prayer, along with testimonies celebrating what God has done as we have drawn close to him over the past three weeks. You do not want to miss this time prayer, praise and celebration!
As our corporate time of Awakening draws to a close, our 21 days of personal awakening are drawing to a close as well. As the end of our 21 days nears, be encouraged to finish strong in whatever God has called you to. The blessings of setting aside these 21 days to seek the face of God won’t even be fully realized at the end of these 21 days, but you will be blesses and encouraged as you finish strong. We have sought the face of God and many of us are still believing God for the breakthrough, so do not grow weary as the end approaches!
“The abstinence is not to be an end in itself but rather for the purpose of being separated to the Lord and to concentrate on godliness. This kind of fasting reduces the influence of our self-will and invites the Holy Spirit to do a more intense work in us.” –William Thrasher
The Awakening Nights of Revival Welcome Tory Baucum January 30, 2013
As the Awakening Nights continue, we are honored to welcome the Reverend Tory Baucum from Truro Anglican Church in Fairfax, VA. Tory has been influential in steering Truro through a very difficult time of church transition and is now watching God work an incredible act of restoration.
Truro Church, one of the oldest churches in the region, was founded in 1845 as an Episcopal Church. For over a century, Truro has been one of the most influential churches in the Northern Virginia region. However, in 2006, Truro’s parish voted to leave the Episcopal Diocese on Virginia to take an important stand on biblical authority. The result has been an extended legal battle with the Diocese over the ownership of Truro’s building and property.
In 2007, Tory was called as the new rector of Truro Church. At the time, Tory was the Associate Professor of Preaching and Church Renewal at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, KY. He has a PhD in Intercultural Theology with expertise in the catechumenate, Christian revitalization movements and the history of preaching. Tory was born in Kentucky, and he and his wife Elizabeth have 3 daughters who all live in Fairfax. Tory has an incredible story of forgiveness and the redemptive power of Christ that you do not want to miss. We hope to see you tonight!
Awakening Nights of Revival Welcomes Pastor Barry White January 29, 2013
The final week of the Awakening Nights of Revival is off to a huge start! God is moving in our house in powerful ways and you do not want to miss what He is going to do next. Tonight, we are please to Welcome Pastor Barry White from Park Valley Church in Haymarket, VA.
Barry has served as a pastor for over 21 years. He has served churches in both Virginia and Massachusetts. He graduated in 1988 from Liberty University and later completed a two-year Bible Institute program. He has a passion for the church and takes to heart his responsibility to spread the message of Jesus, and to help the poor, widows and impoverished children who are in need all around the world. He and his wife Christine have four boys and are active in their community.
Barry is the founding Pastor of Park Valley Church, one of the most influential churches in Prince William County. We are very excited for the encouraging word that Barry is going to bring tonight. You don’t want to miss it!
Awakening Nights of Revival Welcome David Stine January 28, 2013
The final week of Awakening is here, and we could not be more excited for the awesome week that God has in store for us! Tonight, we are honor to welcome Pastor David Stine from DC Metro Church in Alexandria.
As Lead Pastor of DC Metro Church, Dr. David Stine is known for his practical biblical teaching, his visionary leadership, and his heart to impact the DC Metropolitan area. David’s authenticity and his ability to communicate the truth of God’s Word in a humorous, dynamic, and revelatory manner helps people understand the Bible and how to apply its teachings to their everyday lives. David is passionate about people coming to know Christ, getting planted in God’s house, and becoming transformational leaders who work together to build a God-first culture throughout the DC Metro area.
Before David and his wife Taryn moved to DC, he was in full-time ministry for twelve years, including his most recent role as the Senior Associate Pastor at Celebration Church (a non-denominational church with 10,000 in weekly attendance) in Jacksonville, Florida. David also serves in a leadership capacity as a member of the A-Team for the Association of Related Churches, which has planted over 150 life-giving churches across the US and presently averages a new church plant every seven days. David is honored to be teaching, training, and coaching future church planters because he strongly believes that the local church is the hope of the world.
David and Taryn are thoroughly enjoying raising their sons and loving their call to full-time ministry. They believe nothing compares to the joy of experiencing the transformation in people’s lives as they choose the God-first life. David is incredibly honored to be the Lead Pastor of DC Metro and he and Taryn are extremely thankful to be living out their dream of getting to “do something great for God” together. Do not miss this powerful night that will kick off the final week!
Fasting and Simplicity January 26, 2013
Well, we are nearing the end of the second week of the 2013 Awakening, and we have seen God do some absolutely amazing things over these past few weeks. God is in the process of depositing something in this church that is going to drive us forward for the next year. As we continue to seek the face of God through fasting and prayer, let’s make sure that the focus of our heart is God and not ourselves. Fasting has the potential to become a very self-focused spiritual activity. When that happens, fasting losses it’s spiritual power because it stops drawing us into God’s presence, instead inflating our own ego. Fasting is about removing things from our lives to make room for the things of God, not to make more room for our own ego.
The noted 20th Century Christian writer and thinker Richard Foster compared the spiritual discipline of fasting to the discipline of simplicity. He said that fasting was about stripping away the distracting things of our everyday life that we have grown accustom to in order to make more room in our hearts and minds for the presence of God. Foster argues, ““More than any other discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us. This is a wonderful benefit to the true disciple who longs to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. We cover up what is inside of us with food and other things.”
The modern world is loud, busy and distracting. As we walk through our daily lives, it can be easy to become dependant on things that matter little in the view of eternity without even realizing it. This is why fasting is an important discipline. Fasting is not a test of will as much as it is reveals the things have gained a hold in our hearts. Fasting reveals our need and acknowledges our dependence on Christ. So as we continue the fast and press in for more of his presence, ask God to show you the things that he’s looking to strip away from your heart and watch Him become bigger in your life.
Awakening is ON Tonight: Welcome Pastor Barry Lubbe January 24, 2013
The Awakening Nights of Revival are ON tonight! The snow is not going to stop us tonight from pressing into the God’s presence and experiencing his goodness together. Tonight, we are honored to welcome Pastor Barry Lubbe to the Awakening Nights of Regional Revival. Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Barry is the founder and Senior Pastor of Living Faith Church in Manassas, VA.
Barry committed his life to Jesus Christ as a teen and later began to sense a call to ministry. He mentored under Pastor Ray McCauley at Rhema Church in South Africa and graduated from the Ministry Training Center. Later, he also served as director for Kenneth Copeland Ministries in South Africa. In 1987, Barry and his wife Joan followed the call of God to America to pioneer Living Faith Church, bringing a fresh message of faith and an unwavering commitment to teach the Word of God. Barry serves as President of the Executive Board and oversees Living Faith Church.
We believe that this is going to be a HISTORIC night in Manassas, as the church of God comes together in unity to advance the cause of Christ. You do not want to miss what God is going to do tonight.
Awakening Nights of Revival Welcomes Pastor Angel Serrano January 23, 2013
As the Awakening Nights of Revival continue, we are pleased to welcome Pastor Angel Serrano. Pastor Angel has an amazing heart for local missions. He is the founder of Master’s Builders Ministry, which reaches some of the poorest neighborhoods in the Manassas area with the hope of the gospel of Christ. Pastor Angel has made The Life Church his home church, and we are very excited for the encouraging word that he is going to bring tonight!
Praying The Lord’s Prayer Today
Jesus told us to pray what we now call “The Lord’s Prayer.” It’s a prayer about making God famous. It’s a prayer about God’s Kingdom coming here on earth as in heaven (which pretty much sums up what Christianity is all about). It’s a prayer for God meeting our daily needs. It’s a prayer about rescue from evil. At every point, The Lord’s Prayer reflects what Jesus himself was doing when He walked the earth AND reflects his intercessory heart in heaven for us now.
I suggest we pray this prayer today (in slow motion so as to reflect on every stanza) and every day.
-Ps. David Baird
Welcome Daniel Escobar January 22, 2013
The Awakening Nights of Revival are continuing this week, and we are so excited about everything that God is doing in this house during this time! Tonight, we are very pleased to welcome Pastor Daniel Escobar. Daniel and is wife Misty are the founding pastors of LaRed Church in Falls Church, VA.
Daniel Escobar grew up in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. At 24, after two years of marriage, he and Misty left Mexico, being obedient to the voice of God. Not knowing what awaited them, they began to seek the Lord’s direction. They felt God calling them back to Misty’s hometown of Williamsburg, Virginia. Now, together with their three children, Michelle, Samuel and Julian, they live in Northern Virginia in the Washington DC Metropolitan area.
Over the years, Daniel has discovered a passion for leadership and helping others to improve in different areas of their lives. Daniel graduated from Cetys University with a degree in Business Administration. One of the things that characterizes Daniel is his entrepreneurial spirit and ability to communicate relevant life topics, as well as leadership issues. He is the founder of Global Solutions, among other business ventures, which allows him to enjoy an active and influential role in the marketplace.
We are very excited about the encouraging word that Daniel is going to bring tonight. As we near the halfway point of the fast, be encouraged to stay strong and keep pushing into the presence of God. God is doing some amazing things during this time that we have set aside for him. Be encouraged that there are hundreds of other believers in this house sacrificing to press into the presence of God with you. Do not grow weary. Keep pressing into His presence.
“Christian fasting, at its root, is the hunger of a homesickness for God.” –John Piper
Awakening 2013 Blog 