World Revival Church of Kansas City
By Pam Stead & Linda Valen
The Lord relocated an entire revival movement known as the 'Smithton Outpouring' to Kansas City recently. Over the last five years they have had over 250,000 people visit what is now known as the World Revival Church. On April 26-28th, Gloria Copeland, Lee Grady and Jill Austin ministered with Steve and Kathy Gray, the conference hosts of 'The Fire and the Word Women's Conference'.
A year ago they moved from Smithton, Missouri, to Kansas City. At first services were held in a big blue and white striped tent but a few months ago they completed construction on a new beautiful building! This is a church that is serious about taking territory in the Spirit and holding it. There's a resident anointing and they fight fiercely as prophetic intercessors to keep the heavens open so His glory can come. The Holy Spirit moved powerfully among the women right from the beginning. To watch Jill minister was like throwing a fiery torch on a river of gasoline.
Impartation or Information?
It was a surprise to those attending the conference when Jill suggested they put their notes away at the beginning of the meeting! What? Once she explained that her heart was for them to catch impartation in their spirit instead of information in their mind, they suddenly became very excited and expectant! Jill made prophetic proclamations to challenge their hunger level, and the people rose out of their seats crying out, desperate for more of God.
Kathy Gray is a woman of God who moves powerfully in the prophetic and loves the anointing! She and her team's commitment for the Manifest Presence lead the way. Their desperate hunger ignited faith in others to go after all Holy Spirit had for them.
Corporate Anointing
Moving in a corporate anointing as a team was very exciting! Luke 4:18 reminds us that the Spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon us to preach good news, set the captives free and heal the broken hearted. As we moved through the crowd, the Lord would give us prophetic words that pierced hearts. At other times as we walked toward people without even laying one hand upon them, they would fall to the ground. It was wonderful to see the glory sovereignly touching so many.
Youth Called to Martyrdom
"Those 25 and under please come forward!" This brought another wave of powerful encounters! The Lord showed Jill that many were called to the nations - some even to martyrdom. As she released the prophetic word -- many were radically gripped as they experienced the ravished heart of God. Fiery impartation for intercession and evangelism for their generation were released. Older intercessors, mothers-in-the spirit, were weeping with them and were also gripped by the Lord.
There He Is!
The Lord prompted Jill to prophesy to the leadership of the church so she called them forward. He then told her to call the members of the World Revival Church forward on the opposite side. After a few moments Jill faced them and simply said, "There He is," and the entire group of 50+ people fell simultaneously as if shot down by a firing squad. It was quite amazing!
Jill turned her attention to the leaders to give a prophetic word to one couple. As she began to deliver the word, the entire leadership team fell to the floor as well! When the stadiums are filled with masses of humanity, we're going to need a greater dimension of faith to believe that God can and will grip whole groups of people so they are forever changed and ruined for the ordinary!
In a world where special effects can deceive us, it is awesome to see the real power of the Living God demonstrated as He destroyed the paradigms of our culture in one fell swoop. "Open up ye gates, that the King of Glory may come in."
Pam Stead is a full-time intercessory missionary at the International House of Prayer under Mike Bickle. Linda Valen has been Jill's Ministry Assistant for the last seven years and is also a conference speaker under the Master Potter umbrella.
Jill: Passing the Mantle
Articles and Photos by Jon Hamill
Back in the 1930s the great healing evangelist Smith Wigglesworth would often be visited by a young protégé named Lester Sumrall. In public, Wigglesworth was rarely without crowds; however Lester was among the very few who pursued privately both the friendship and the mantle of this man of God.
Why? Anointings from God will generally draw both spectators and controversy. For many churches and people, it's safer to play at a distance. Therefore, though prophets may be pursued in cities and regions across the globe, rarely is much appreciation granted them in their own communities.
As Jesus said in Mark 6:4-5, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor. He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them."
This may be one reason why the mantles of men and women who demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit are rarely passed from generation to generation. The Kingdom's truest treasures are rarely imparted through superficial relationships-just ask Elisha or Peter or John.
If I know anything about Jill Austin, I know she doesn't want to burn as a solitary lamp. Her cry is for a great company to move in the fire that God has imparted to her. The good news is God is getting ready to make her dream become a reality. And she doesn't even have to start a Bible school to do it.
A Ministry Shift
Okay, that isn't entirely correct, because a school is actually being started. The Forerunner School of Prayer, founded by Mike Bickle to impart God's fire and passion to coming generations under the canopy of the International House of Prayer, begins classes this September. Jill has been asked to assume a role in mentoring the prophetic through classes at this school.
Jill's participation in the Forerunner School marks a major shift for her ministry. In addition to going on the road and impacting nations, she will teach at the FSOP and impart her catalytic legacy on a sustained basis to students hungry to see God's glory. Besides the classroom work, these students will also be joining Jill on ministry trips. On site with insight, they will glean many keys-not just to flowing in the anointing, but also to covering the practical details that bind integrity to a ministry work.
If you would like more information on the Forerunner School of Prayer, please see the Friends of the Bridegroom website at www.fotb.com. You can also email Steve Carpenter, director of the FSOP, at fsop@fotb.com. To receive more information by phone, call the International House of Prayer at 816-763-0200. Please mention that you heard about it through Jill's newsletter.
You might recognize Steve Carpenter's name if you attended Jill's conference in Park City, or if you read the reports of the team that accompanied her. Trained at Dallas Theological Seminary, Steve encountered the Holy Spirit's power in the early 1990s, and now moves powerfully in the anointing with profound depth of insight. He'll travel to several cities at times as part of Jill's team.
Jon Hamill is a full-time intercessory missionary at the International House of Prayer under Mike Bickle. He is a professional journalist and photographer and has traveled with Jill as a part of her mentoring program with Master Potter Ministries and is a conference speaker.
Rimini & Rome Italy Update
I want to thank you for your prayers during my trip to Rimini and Rome, Italy, and I want to thank those of you who gave financially to help make it possible. It was wonderful to be a part of the Spirit-filled Catholic movement in Rimini, Italy, and to see 30,000 worshippers gather in one place. Salvatore Martinez is the leader of 250,000 Spirit-filled Catholics. This event was their annual gathering to celebrate Jesus. I was so struck with their deep devotion and passion for our Lord.
I could literally feel the unity God wants to bring to His church and the excitement and energy in the Spirit as speakers such as Mike Bickle, Peter Dipple and Kim Catherine Kollins casts their vision for the worldwide prayer movement that God is raising up. It was a time of prayer, worship and impartation.
Thirty of us then traveled on to Rome for "A Gathering in the Holy Spirit: A Conversation Among Non-Denominational Christians and Roman Catholics". Kim Catherine Kollins was the co-director, along with Peter Dipple, for this cutting-edge meeting to bring Spirit-filled leaders together to build bridges and seek revival.
The group was split half and half, with Catholic and Protestant Non-Denominational leaders. Most attending were heads of churches or movements and all had hearts for unity and healing in the body. The work accomplished during this session was foundational and laid tracks for the future. There are certainly doctrinal issues but building relationally must happen first and this was a wonderful start.
I'm convinced we are on the verge of the Third Great Awakening! Just as the last one brought down walls between the races in America, I believe the power of God will sweep over His earth and tear down the demonically inspired dividing walls of His Church. I am thrilled to tell you that we are meeting again next year to continue the dialogue, build relationally and seek God's will for these perilous times.
The Book - Publishing House Dissolved!
As most of you know, the book Master Potter is all but finished and the last of the editing will be completed by the end of May. News has just reached us that our publishing house has been dissolved and most of their staff has been let go. Because of that, we are back to square one in finding the right publisher and moving forward with the release of the book.
Please pray that God will direct us in our search so that His will and purpose will be accomplished. We feel that God is orchestrating this move and the team has great peace concerning the final outcome. Nevertheless, we need strategies and wisdom in the days ahead and are asking for open doors and God's favor to go before us.
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