I believe this is a time where the Spirit and word of God will pour into and through local churches and cities having a national impact. Cities that have leaders and people who are desperate, thirsty, intoxicated with and for the presence of God beyond Sundays. Too long the water to wine - first miracle has been diluted by religious efforts. In Acts 2, we see that they went out intoxicated by His presence: fearless, bold, radical, and dangerously turning the world upside down. There were Capernaum’s and Jericho’s in the Bible, where the presence of God to heal was and where no good thing Jesus could do because of unbelief. The atmosphere is thin in places where heaven can break into earth. This is due to past revivals. I believe churches should “gear-up” to: preparing worship teams and leaders to prepare for “suddenly’s” where there will be extended meetings beyond Sundays. These teams need to prepare to bring revival to the nations as it is seen and has been done in the book of Acts. Weekend girlfriends are over... fantasy Christianity - it’s a marriage ... covenant preparation for end times. (Keir Taylor- NCMI Apostolic team)

I believe that God is already pouring out new wine, and that new wineskins will be vital for the containing and the maturing of what God is doing in our days. We need more than ever to be flexible and relationally well-knitted (stitched) together to receive this new wine. Care should be taken as to not to try and give our own shape or preference to this new wineskin. Instead we should welcome and embrace the new wine and allow the wine to fill and shape the wineskin to its fullest extent. I saw a picture the other day of someone placing a fresh, empty wineskin in a square box. The wineskin fitted snugly in the box, but when new wine was poured into the wineskin, it could not stretch, fill and be shaped to full capacity. It eventually took on the shape of the box. It was fairly safe, because the wineskin was not stretched to the point of tearing, but it also could not contain its full measure. I believe to receive the fullness of what God has for us in these days, we need to be courageous enough for an out of the box (that which we are comfortable and used to) filling of a new wineskin with the new wine. Pour it, Lord!! (Jan Slabbert - First Love Church, Wellington)

HEAVEN, that’s what’s happening on earth. God is demonstrating His power through His church. God has always been a God of freedom but the freedom is being manifested in a greater measure. Fresh revelation is being unlocked in the church to renew our mind about the power of God. Evangelism is no longer about twisting people’s arms, but about leading them to a place where they experience God! The Kingdom is advancing. God has pushed the “Nos” button on His church and is speeding up our maturity! We are learning to know God through experience rather than our western mindset of knowing through reasoning without experience. With this experiencing of God comes a greater intimacy with God and a deeper revelation! First hand experiential revelation, not some second hand processed knowledge. It’s like the church is starting to feed on fresh tuna rather then processed tinned tuna! There is also a fresh revelation of the spiritual realm being unlocked. How we as the church are called to lead our cities in the spiritual realms and usher in the Kingdom of God to rule over the cities. There is a mobilizing of the saints, the whole church is rising up together to further the Kingdom, not just a few people. There are some interesting manifestations of the Holy Spirit occurring. I believe for a few reasons. One, I believe it offends people at times to reveal our hearts and our religious mind sets, God wants ALL religion out His church, so if He has to shake it out of us He will! I also believe that these manifestations display some of God’s power. When God touches you there is no way that it won’t affect you physically in some way. Heaven is invading earth through the church in a big way and we are seriously privileged to be part of it! I love my church! (Adrian van Zyl, Urban Life)

We read about events like Pentecost: the violent wind, the building shaking, tongues of fire on the disciples heads and it seems more like a story then present day reality. God encounters read through ‘storybook lenses’ that take away the raw emotion, the absolute fear of the moment, the trembling, the falling down like dead men (the awe and fear that heaven breaking down on earth brings). How have we missed the powerful awesomeness of God encounters throughout scripture? We read Isaiah’s commission, “In the year king Uzziah died I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him were Seraphs….” then further on “Woe to me! I cried. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips that live among a people of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty”. How would we cope with such an event? Even the book of Revelations reveals a Christianity few honestly want to acknowledge and now in this outpouring, this revival, people are experiencing the angelic, they are seeing into the heavens. The unseen is becoming the seen - the very prayer we have prayed for years is being answered to our somewhat horror. And it’s only the beginning! I find myself re-reading scripture with a soberness that God that is so big He could snuff us out just by lifting His eyebrow but somehow He loves us so much He doesn’t. He is a God that desires to dwell in our midst in the power and glory that the scriptures declare, wanting to reveal Himself to us like He did to Moses. It is at this time when we must guard our hearts and not take offence, like those learned scholars of the New Testament that missed the very thing Jesus was doing among them. Jesus blew their very thinking with signs and wonders, miracles that touched the needy, brought deliverances and turned cities to Him. God’s agenda has always been the world, to seek and save the lost and bring people out of darkness into His marvelous light. This revival must break into our lives to renew, refresh, commission, re-commission and radically change us so that we can reach our neighbour, touch our city, our nation and the world for Him. If this doesn’t it is merely a move that comes and goes…. It was Paul that said “His intent was that now through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” As in the days of Acts a boldness came over His church as His Spirit was poured out and they moved in the miraculous, seeing things unseen, demonstrating His power over people, situations and governments. We need to embrace this revival for the sake of ourselves, our families, our city, our nation… for the sake of His kingdom coming on earth. The church needs to be the church and it’s only by His Spirit we can be all He intended us to be. Our purpose as a church is only just beginning! (Esme Bense, Urban Life)

It’s like God is taking defibrillators and placing them on the heart of His body – the Church –bringing the dead areas back to life and sending a new surge of power to weakened limbs. He is unifying parts of the body that have not been working in harmony and amputating parts that have no usefulness. He is putting His plan to reach this world – “Operation Church” - into action. God is planting His Church by the River of Life so it will bear fruit and that it’s leaves will be for the healing of nations. God has also been blurring the lines between the natural and supernatural. Places where we have put lines between the natural and spiritual realms. He is blurring the lines of this thinking that say, “Ok now I am being spiritual… and now I am just ordinary”. He wants us to be extraordinary in the ordinary and naturally supernatural! He destroying the boxes that we live in and redefining us. He is invading our space! When I see what God is starting amongst us, the comment from the master attending the wedding feast in Cana comes to mind, “Everyone serves the good wine first… but you have kept the good wine until now”. (Catherine Jones, Urban Life)

The church of Jesus Christ worldwide has largely been seen as pathetically weak, timid, ignorant and indecisive. Most celebrities, the rich and famous, politicians and people of high standing in society in every nation, have had little or no respect for the so-called church. Even other religions have viewed Christianity with contempt. A prominent preacher of the gospel, Derek Prince once said “Moslems despise Christians; they seem them as weak, uncommitted and cowardly”. Also, the South African Constitution declares equality of all religions. This means that Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, New Age and Traditional African worship of ancestral spirits are seen as being on par. But things are changing. People are getting healed of incurable diseases, food is being multiplied, and the dead are being raised. Church meetings are not monotonous and predictable anymore. Cultures are being shaken, both religious and other. People are being overcome by God’s power and literally shaking, falling over or remaining in inexplicable stupors for extended periods. There is sporadic, spontaneous uproarious laughter too. These phenomena have been observed in geographically disparate locations, worldwide. A supernatural power has taken over and gripped the church. Like Peter, we also can now say “This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel…”. God is restoring the dignity and majesty of His Church. As this phenomenon spreads and grows stronger, all other gods will be silenced. The shaking is only a sign of the church coming back to life. She has yet to rise and really shine. Watch this space! (Mike Masuku, Urban Life)