The Holy Spirit on Assignment - Part 2

Confession time ... one of my greatest frustrations each week is that I want to communicate my passion for the Holy Spirit and help enable children's ministry leaders to know Him and flow together with Him and yet I know that people's reading capacity can't keep up with the level of my passion. I could write pages and pages each week and just scratch the surface of what I want to communicate. I guess that my only recourse is to get to work on the books that I have hidden inside of me. I would LOVE to have one or two published by the 2009 Ignite the Supernatural Conference in February.

I concluded last week's blog promising that I would continue discussing the assignment of the Holy Spirit in the next posting. Before I continue, let me direct you to two previous posts that show other portions of the Holy Spirit's portfolio. They are a part of a teaching that I do in our conferences under the The Holy Spirit on Assignment teaching. Please take a few minutes and read the post on August 10, 2008 Lessons from a Gardener and the August 5, 2008 post The Holy Spirit Will Show You Things to Come.

Here's a way to ease my frustration and still be somewhat brief. I won't share the teaching on each portion of His portfolio. Rather, I will share the list that I use in my teaching and supporting scripture and allow you to complete the teaching yourself. Hopefully, I will have this teaching available by CD (this will include the audio teaching, my teaching notes, and a handout for your students) in a few weeks.

As you and I learn to commune with the Holy Spirit and learn the importance of praying in our heavenly prayer language, the Holy Spirit will be allowed to fulfill His assignment. He will:

1. Prepare you for the ministry. Jude 20 (See last week's blog)
2. Prepare the children for your ministry. Romans 8:26 (See the Aug. 10, 2008 blog)
3. Be your co-teacher. John 14:26
4. Be your guide. John 16:13 (See the Aug. 5, 2008 blog)
5. Be your super-charger, super-energizer. Acts 1:8
6. Be your prayer limit breaker. 1 Corinthians 14:2, 14

The Holy Spirit on Assignment - Part 1

As I travel and teach in our Ignite & Unite Conferences, I LOVE teaching about working together with the Holy Spirit and seeing children's ministry workers begin to understand how to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. For far too long, we haven't understood that the Holy Spirit was sent to this earth with an assignment. He isn't just biding time until Jesus returns. This Paraclete (the One who has been assigned to walk alongside us) is looking for opportunities to manifest His presence and power in us and through us. He has been assigned to each and every one of us to enable us to fulfill our God-given assignments.

This week, allow me to briefly share His first assignment in those of us who work in children's ministry ... the Holy Spirit is assigned to prepare us for the ministry that is set before us.

Every great athlete knows the value of preparing their body before they attempt their physical feat. Before competing in a race, you will see the athlete bending, twisting, and loosening up their body. Why? They know the importance of having a body ready for the upcoming race. Every great vocalist knows the value of preparing their voice before they walk onto the platform to sing. Why? They know that the greatest performance will come as their vocal chords are warmed up.

Sadly, many children's workers have failed to learn this lesson. They haven't learned that just being animated and having a war chest of brilliant ideas aren't enough. These alone won't produce lasting fruit. Preparation isn't complete until the Holy Spirit is allowed to prepare us for what God has prepared for that time of ministry.

How is this accomplished? As we pray in our heavenly prayer language throughout the week, we are working together with the Holy Spirit as He builds us up (Jude 20) and edifies us (1 Corinthians 14:4) preparing us for the ministry task that lies ahead of us. Each time of praying in tongues fortifies our inner man. The end result is that we walk into the ministry session fully prepared, Satan is pushing his panic button, and great results are just minutes away!

I'll continue this next week with the next assignment of the Holy Spirit … the Holy Spirit is assigned to prepare the children for the upcoming ministry.

Lord, Send Revival

Let me set the scene ...

> The nation's focus centered on its bleak economy after a stock market crash.
> The failure of several banks and transportation systems pointed towards an economic meltdown.
> Living conditions were deteriorating.
> Unemployment was rampant.
> Poverty was everywhere.
> The political scene was in turmoil.

Does it sound like current headlines from the USA Today newspaper? The list shown above actually reflected America's headlines in the fall of 1857.

What was the answer to virtual collapse of a nation? One man named Jeremiah Lamphier began to pray.

Rather than recount the story, allow me to share the following couple of paragraphs from Wesley Duewal's Revival Fire (Zondervan Publishing House).

"Lamphier felt led by God to start a noon-time weekly prayer meeting in which business people could meet for prayer. Anyone could attend, for a few minutes or for the entire hour. Prayers were to be comparatively brief. Lamphier's group met on the third floor of the old North Dutch Reformed Church on Fulton Street in New York. Lamphier printed some handbills announcing the prayer meetings with the title, "How Often Should I Pray?" He left these in some offices and warehouses. He also put one on the door of the church on the street side.

The first day, September 23, 1857, Lamphier prayed alone for half an hour. But by the end of the hour, six men from at least four denominational backgrounds joined him. The next Wednesday there were twenty. On October 7 there were nearly forty. The meeting was so blessed that they decided to meet daily. One week later there were over one hundred present, including many unsaved who were convicted by the Holy Spirit of their sin."

What was the end result? Revival spread across our nation. What began in New York began to spread across our nation. Soon, noon prayer meetings sprang up all across America. God was on the move once again in America. As many as 50,000 people a week were being converted.

What happened 151 years ago can happen again. It doesn't take a committee. It doesn't take a denomination. It only takes one desperate, passionate person to ignite a fire that will spread across a nation and bring a much needed move of God's Spirit.

Will you be the one?

The Prerequisite of Revival

I stumbled across a quote that is so timely for those pursuing a move of God. It would be good to copy, paste, and send this on to fellow Igniters.

Robert Sample wrote in an article entitled "Effective Preaching" in The Presbyterian and Reformed Review in April 1897:

"The great want of today is a holier ministry. We do not need more stalwart polemics (the art or practice of arguing passionately and strongly for or against something), more mighty apologists, or preachers who compass a wider range of natural knowledge, important as these are; but men of God who bring the atmosphere of heaven with them into the pulpit and speak from the borders of another world."

This doesn't sound like the words from one who picked up a curriculum or lesson plan just before entering into the classroom, does it? This doesn't sound like the words from one who relied just upon giftings, talents, or abilities, does it?

My prayer today is that I bring into each ministry opportunity the atmosphere of heaven. My cry is that each ministry opportunity carries the voice of one speaking from the borders of another world. Selah.

A Suggestion

After reading through my 60+ blog entries you will find that 90% are my insights about revival and flowing in the supernatural, 5% tell of upcoming conferences, and 5% are pictures and updates about the Burns family.

This week, allow me to digress from my usual format and use this entry to make a suggestion. If you have not done so, purchase and read Rick Renner's The Dynamic Duo: The Holy Spirit and You. In reading my blogs or attending our Ignite Conferences, you've heard me say that the Holy Spirit will never be real through you until He is real to you. Renner's Dynamic Duo is one of the greatest resources for assisting the reader to develop an intimate, working relationship with the Holy Spirit. The book is filled with great illustrations and helpful insights from the New Testament's original Greek language. After reading the book, I guarantee that you will write me to thank me for my recommendation. The book is available at many Christian bookstores or through our website www.billyburnsministries.com.

The 2009 Ignite the Supernatural Conference Update

The website for the 2009 national Ignite the Supernatural Conference is up and running. In placing the listing of the speakers and workshop descriptions/schedules on the site, I wanted February 5 - 7, 2009 to be here right now! I am so honored to have Mark Harper, Esther Ilnisky, Pat Holland, and Grant Foster to minister alongside Vickie and me.

This conference is a gathering of dissatisfied, desperate, daring, and determined children's ministry leaders and workers who realize that there must be more to children's ministry than fun games and good stories. From around the globe, Holy Spirit Igniters will gather in Orlando on February 5 - 7 for an impartation and revelation that will forever change them, their ministries and children.

3 days of learning to flow together with the Holy Spirit
24 Workshops * 5 General Sessions
Senior Pastors Come Free!

Take a couple of minutes to visit the website and you will quickly agree with me when I guarantee that there is not another conference like Ignite in the nation! At www.ignite-conference.com you will discover a listing of the speakers, workshop titles and discriptions, costs, etc. You can even download the conference brochure and then distribute it to your children's ministry staff. Even better, print out several copies, those for your staff and one for your senior pastor. Visit our website to see how your pastor and spouse can have free registration.

Hurry. The very best individual and group registration rates are in effect right now!

The Key to Longevity - Connect!

Here is an observation from 29+ years of children's ministry. Many children's workers fail to make it for the long haul. The children's ministry grave yard is filled with the remains of those who passed from the scene with little fanfare. Their departure was as pronounced as their time of ministry. No one knew that they were there or that they left.

Why am I still around? How have I eluded the children's ministry graveyard? Early in my ministry I learned this secret ... I need you. I learned that my survival is contingent upon my reminding myself that I am utterly and helplessly incomplete without you!

Have you ever noticed that we are called the Body of Christ and not the cell of Christ? When I stand and function alone, I am merely a disconnected cell. The disconnected cell has no source of outside strength and nutrients to draw from. By only drawing from the limited resources within itself, the disconnected, isolated cell is doomed to a short lifespan. It is only when the cells (that's you and me) are interwoven and connected that the Body is formed and able to function and survive.

Sadly, so many children’s ministry workers feel so disconnected and alone. The size of the church or the children’s ministry has no bearing on this situation. It is possible and probable that an individual can operate in a multi-person children’s ministry staff and feel as though that they are merely someone filling a gap in the organizational chart.

Come on, let’s connect. There are fellow children's ministry workers working alongside of you in your church or in your area that needs more than an occasional passing greeting. They need to draw from the giftings, talents, and anointing that resides within you. And, in turn, you will benefit from the deposit that God has placed within them.

Come on, let’s be purposeful and intentional. Relationships often aren’t convenient. Someone (that’s you) has to take the initiative to pick up the telephone and call. It takes someone to offer to make time to get together for coffee or a meal.

Come on, let’s change the isolationalist mentality of the children’s ministry workers in your church and city. It is a travesty for individuals with the same passion and assignment to only talk while passing in the hallway or at a denominational meeting. We need each other.

Connect and relate. Connect and affirm. Connect and appreciate. Connect and listen. Connect and be the Body of Christ. Selah!