Taken from: Firepower Ministries International

OUT OF THE RUBBLE SPROUT THE SEEDS OF REVIVAL!



Febrauary, 2002

INTRODUCTION

During a recent lunch with some long time friends, the occasion of the APOSTLE PAUL'S ministry in ATHENS became the topic of conversation. Despite the fact that Paul's preaching on MAR'S HILL is a tremendous example to us of meeting people where they are at and then taking them to Christ, one of my friends pointed out that of all the cities that Paul visited, Athens was perhaps the only one where there was no church planted as a result of his ministry there.

PAUL'S MISTAKE

Most of Paul's epistles are to churches in cities where he initially preached, people responded, elders were appointed and as a result, a church began to grow. But where is the "Epistle to the Athenians"? After all, it was the second most significant city in the world at that time besides ROME, and we do have an epistle to the Romans. It was suggested that there is no letter to the Athenians because there was no church left behind. Why? Because of one vital component missing in Paul's visit there which was present in his visits to the other cities, and that was; he went to Athens alone! Was this Paul's mistake? We know that JESUS sent them out "two by two" and that "one puts a thousand to flight, while two put ten thousand to flight", so if we are going to have any measurable impact our cities, we obviously can't do it alone!

BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS

The GROUND ZERO CLERGY TASK FORCE, an initiative of the NORTHEAST CLERGY GROUP, was birthed out of the ashes of 9/11 in NEW YORK CITY. Many ministries and churches based in lower MANHATTAN responded quickly to the tragic events of that day, providing food and counsel to the rescue workers and clothing to the needy. One of the first joint tasks was a prayer vigil in downtown Manhattan, which drew over 3000 people from 40 different churches. To quote the SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHRISTIAN TIMES; "… When it was over [the initial attack], dozens of shoestring churches and ministries, operated by the blood, sweat and tears of its knuckle-worn leadership and volunteers, were faced with helping some of the nation's most advanced companies deal with the sorrow, loss and overwhelming task of building anew."

"…dozens of shoestring churches, operated by the blood, sweat and tears of its knuckle-worn leadership, were faced with helping some of the nation's most advanced companies…with the overwhelming task of building anew."

THE SEEDS OF REVIVAL

Six months down the track, "the seeds of revival" that were "buried in the rubble" of the WORLD TRADE CENTER are beginning to bloom. The Northeast Clergy Group, under the leadership of REVEREND MARCUS RIVERA and REVEREND RICHARD DEL RIO, has now expanded to 234 churches, ministries and coalitions, including the CITY COVENANT COALITION with whom I closely work as Chairman of the Regional Leadership Council.

Recently, almost 300 ministry leaders gathered at the Grand Ballroom of the REGENT WALL STREET HOTEL, for a special luncheon sponsored by the group called "RENEWAL, RESTORATION, REVIVAL". Pastor Marcus Rivera reports; "We were encouraged by the inspiring words from ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ, and we were honored by several key elected officials including US SENATOR JON CORZINE from NEW JERSEY, and NYC MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG. Before Mayor Bloomberg left, Pastor Rick and I lead a [personal] prayer for him..."

RENEWAL, RESTORATION AND REVIVAL!

"The Lessons of the last five months have been hard to bear. However, now we realize that the Lord had prepared us for this event (9/11): were it not for the Lord moving in the hearts of many to support the Ground Zero Task Force (GZCTF), we would not have been able to continue our efforts much beyond the immediate crisis response. What we have experienced, and what we are committed to, is the mission to revive our communities spiritually, physically and economically, in the aftermath of the World Trade Center Disaster… The GZCTF represents a range of denominational and ethnic affiliations of all types. This rapid development is but one manifestation of a new spirit of unity that has gripped the hearts and minds of ministry leaders all over the [Greater New York] region."

Committed to ongoing collective action with several hundred other ministries, the Northeast Clergy Group believes to experience Renewal, Restoration and Revival in New York City. 9/11 has shown us that no one can do it alone! #