excerpt

Preparing for Transformation
Jesus gives us a clear picture in the Book of Revelation when He addresses the Laodician church, about the spiritual journey that prepares us for transformation. First, Jesus points out their double-mindedness and the reality of their condition and offers them counsel to be delivered from their compromise. He then encourages them saying "as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent".

Jesus wants us to understand the reality of our compromised condition so we can (1) repent for our compromised condition, and (2) be restored by taking His counsel (to be refined in the fire, put on new garments of holiness, and apply eye salve so that we can see).
Then, we see Jesus standing at the door knocking waiting to be invited back in. Jesus is knocking at the door of His church. If Jesus is knocking on the door it because He is on the outside, not the inside! Why does Jesus find Himself on the outside of the church? Because of their compromised condition, He makes His presence available to them again by this invitation:

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me" (Rev. 3:20)

We can't produce transformation in our communities anymore than we can produce transformation in ourselves. It's a process that requires humbling ourselves before the Lord and seeking Him with our whole heart until the very nature of Christ is formed within us personally and corporately. While we cannot write a plan for transformation, we can and should earnestly pray and prepare for it. We start by opening the door and inviting Jesus back into His church!

The Work of Waiting
"No one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him" (Isaiah 64:4) This scripture promises that God will act on behalf of those who "wait for Him". Waiting is not passive; it's an active pressing in to the Lord with hearts filled with holy desire and prophetic expectancy. It's the same idea as the parable Jesus told of the 10 virgins, they waited for the Bridegroom to come and they were prepared, and had their lamps trimmed and filled with oil…

You might wonder, "if we are going to see all these amazing things in our cities, how can we wait - don't we need to be doing something?" That is a fair question. How we answer that question will determine how we proceed and how effective we will be on the journey of transformation.

The tendency in the Western World is so overwhelming to "do something" waiting is almost unthinkable to some people; they equate it with wasting time. But if we believe that ministry requires the presence of Jesus in the midst of His church, why would we do anything but wait for His presence to come? Can we tarry until…?

Waiting on the Lord is fruitful not unfruitful. Spending time in His presence enables us to connect to Him and gain understanding about His nature, His word, and His heart. That communion forms us into His image. We must be zealous and passionate, prepared in every way, aware of the urgency of the hour, abandoned to the call, filled with God's presence, and then wait!

And it will be said in that day, "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation" (Is. 25:9) This is in contrast to the message Jesus brings to the Church of Ephesus when He said that that had been very busy but had lost their first love.

Information doesn't transform cities! Conferences, can't transform a city! Education can't transform a city! Having citywide ministry programs or large networks cannot transform a city! Only the presence of Jesus can bring transformation and only individual people willing to get on the altars of prayer to contend for His presence will become the kindling for God's fire.

God ignites the hearts of His people to pray and that prayer becomes the catalyst for revival. We see this precedent in Biblical record and throughout church history - revival is preceded by sometimes years of fervent, sacrificial intercession. Prayer is what moves God's heart; it brings agreement and repentance that opens the heavens.