We see the body of Christ coming together within our diversity, uniting the various doctrinal and ministry streams and bridging the generations, to connect all of Michigan?s eighty-three counties in day and night prayer and worship.
We see a net being cast for the great harvest and a prayer shield arising to cover our state as a shelter from which to contend against the challenges that we face.
We see the transformation of family, Church, government, educational systems, media, arts and our economy if, we the church, together, humble ourselves and seek God?s face for our state.
We are partnering with what can be perceived by some to be a historic initiative that will impact not only our state but America. Transformation Michigan will be "a Michigan Branch" co-laboring with "The Oak Initiative" - a strategic network of ministries and leaders who are committed to the practical and spiritual advancement of the kingdom of God on earth in the midst of the great darkness of our times. Go to THEOAKINITIATIVE.ORG to see the mission and vision of this grassroots mobilization. Transformation Michigan will be directly co-laboring with the Oak Initiative in efforts to restore America. We are looking for 1000 Oak members in Michigan. Please sign up!
RICK JOYNER, LANCE WALNAU, GENERAL JERRY BOYKIN, FRANCIS FRANGIPANE, BISHOP LARRY JACKSON, HARRY JACKSON, Dr. BRIAN SIMMONS, and DR. FRANK TUREK will be visiting Michigan throughout 2010. MI can be a model to the nation. We are being postured for a great move of God. A transformation strategy is being formed through the Oak Initiative - THEOAKINITIATIVE.ORG.
We see ourselves as a prayer covering for this national move that will impact the family, church, education, government, business, media and entertainment gateways of society.
The Oak Initiative is a new movement to help unite, mobilize, equip, and activate Christians to be the salt and light they are called to be by having practical, workable solutions to the world's problems. To do this, Christians must be informed and proactive in engaging in the great issues of the times with boldness, courage, and resolve to see righteousness, justice, and truth prevail.
NOTE: View the short videos in this section and this will give you an overall perspective of The Oak Initiative.
The Oak Initiative will be boldly Christian and seek to base all of its teachings, training, and actions on biblical truth. It will also be a basic commitment of The Oak Initiative to treat those of all other faiths, political or social persuasions, with dignity and respect. When challenges or confrontation is required, we will seek to do so with the truth spoken in love, that these are the "divinely powerful weapons" that "are not carnal" or physical.
TheOakBoard:
Rick Joyner - Morningstar Ministries/Heritage International
Marc Nuttle - Attorney/Formerly with the Reagan Administration
Rev. Samuel Rodriquez – National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
Bishop Larry Jackson – Bethel Outreach International
Lance Walnau – Seven Mountain University
Cindy Jacobs - Generals of Intercession
Ret. Lt. General Jerry Boykin – Former Deputy Undersecretary US Intelligence
Rev. Louis Sheldon – Chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition
Bob Weiner – Maranatha Churches and Campus Ministries
Nicholas F. Papanicoloau – Business/Economics
Strategy and Objectives
*It is the basic strategy of The Oak Initiative to be a grassroots movement to find and help develop principled and effective Christian leaders who can mobilize and organize a cohesive force of activated Christians.
*These will be called to work on every level where government is found, from the most local to state and national levels.
*Believing that this strategy will only be effective to the degree that we have leaders and active members who are the most informed and best trained possible, a basic purpose of The Oak Initiative will be the development and dissemination of resources for the purpose of constantly increasing knowledge and upgrading skills so that they can be the most effective servants of their communities possible.
*Action plans of The Oak Initiative can include everything from community service, promoting commerce, disaster response, as well as the evaluation, proposing, and when necessary, the challenging of government or commercial legislation and/or actions that are deemed immoral or hurtful.
*Though it will be the ultimate goal of The Oak Initiative to address the crucial issues of our times, through the development stages we will necessarily have to prioritize initiatives based on criteria of importance and impact. When it is deemed more effective, The Oak Initiative will help mobilize for, and work with, other organizations that share our common goals and values.
Spiritual and Moral Resolutions
*The biblical mandate of The Oak Initiative is to be the “oaks of righteousness” described in Isaiah 61:3. A healthy oak tree has a root system as expansive below the ground as it has branches above the ground, and it is likewise our resolve to help promote Christian leadership with a corresponding depth and expanse.
*It is the resolve of The Oak Initiative to take up the mandate of Isaiah 61 which describes the purpose of the Spirit of the Lord. The principles of this chapter are the inspiration for the following resolutions.
*It is a basic Christian duty to consider and seek real and lasting relief to the poor, the needy, and the oppressed. Because charity is a basic Christian duty, when charity is institutionalized it becomes cold, inefficient, and ineffective, and therefore it is the responsibility of the church, not the government, to address this mandate.
*It is the devotion of The Oak Initiative to maintain and defend individual freedom based upon the eternal law that God is sovereign and grants all rights, and that all men are equal under the law, regardless of race, creed, culture, financial, or political affiliation.
*It is a basic devotion of The Oak Initiative to establish, maintain, and defend religious liberty in every place, and for all people, and to challenge all attempts to inhibit this basic liberty.
*It is the conviction of The Oak Initiative that the development of the Constitution and Bill of Rights of the United States were guided by biblical principles and morality, and that these are the basis of legitimate government of the United States, and that any who seek to void or circumvent these must be opposed.
*It is the resolution of The Oak Initiative to seek solutions for healing moral offenses, racial prejudices, and basic justice for all.
*It is the resolution of The Oak Initiative to promote respect for and good stewardship of the creation as a basic biblical mandate.
*It is the conviction of The Oak Initiative that it is a basic responsibility of those on “the path of life,” to defend and protect life, which is a “womb to the tomb” mandate. It is also our conviction that because mankind was given stewardship of the earth that all life is sacred and includes all species, and our guardianship of the earth includes the stewardship of all life on it.
*Because it is a commandment from God found in both the Old and New Testaments, we must have a basic resolve to “honor our fathers and mothers.” Honoring them includes making every effort for them to live out their days with the dignity, peace, and comfort they deserve.
*Because the commandment to honor our fathers and mothers is the only commandment with a promise: that it would go well with us, and that we would dwell long upon the earth (see Deuteronomy 5:16), this is essential for national well-being and longevity, and that the poor treatment of our elders would be a basic shame and injustice.
The process of filling prayer slots has begun. Our plan is to work with a multitude of churches, ministries, and individuals across our state to launch a 24/7/365 prayer, praise, worship, devotional, and Bible reading initiative in all 83 counties in Michigan. It will last indefinitely until the Lord returns. Counties are presently being networked connected and activated. Some are developing their own websites and enlisting people in day and night prayer. Our goal is to connect them to a statewide website.
Point to Ponder: What if pastors of churches and leaders in ministries encouraged and enlisted people to pray on a daily and weekly basis? What would happen if they activated their sphere of influence? The church would be transformed. What if the gatekeepers in a region banded together and did the same. We would see a “tipping point” manifest and Divine Intervention would occur.
A "Verizon Network" of prayer is being established throughout Michigan. There will be no "dead zones" as every county will be engaged as people step forth to commit time to the Lord in their prayer closets (Matthew 6:6). The Father, Son and Holy Spirit is our 3G network. We each have “friends and family” in our sphere of influence where God has called us to impact. Will you be part and submit information to network and align our state in Making Michigan a 24/7/365 House of Prayer. Will you commit 1/2 hour a week of designated time to pray for our state and nation each week. What about daily?
SIGN UP ON THE HOME PAGE OF THE WEBSITE: "Want to Make a Commitment to Pray" - The "prayer closet or secret place" (Matthew 6:6) is the key where individuals will take 1/2 hour or more each week to wait on the Lord. It is our personal time with God each day where the whole individual seeks God privately that will transform our state and nation!
We are declaring Michigan as the next Herrnhut. May we learn from past history. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Those who ignore history will never know how to advance beyond it. Let us glean from history that was good and utilize the principles in our state and nation. We need “Divine Intervention” and only day and night prayer preceded by humility will enable it to manifest.
HERRNHUT IMPACTED AMERICA – WHY NOT MICHIGAN?
The greatest revival in modern history was begun in a little village what was formerly East Germany. It was a town called Herrnhut and led by Count Nicholas Von Zinzindorf. In 1727, a group of Moravians was fleeing persecution in Czechoslovakia and immigrated to Germany. Zinzindorf allowed them to settle on his estate. They came and built a village they called Hernnhut (the Lord’s watch).
Earlier in their history a prophet by the name of Malchoir Schaefer, gave a prophetic word that stated, “God will place a light on these hills that will illumine the whole world.” This may appear to be impossible as a group of 300-400 people in a little village could birth such a word. These were refugees, kicked out of their own country who were living in an obscure place in a backwater corner in Germany. Can you believe that God would do something here that would affect the world?
On August 13th, 1727, they went to a nearby village of Bertlesdorf to meet together in the Lutheran Church for a communion service. Count Zinzindorf got up to lead the service and got partway through when the Spirit of God fell. No one who was there ever gave a detailed description of what happened. They just said the fire of God fell, there were signs, wonders, and miracles, and they were never the same again.
The next week they said, “How do we keep this going? God’s presence is with us. How do we keep it?” They turned in their Bibles and found that in Exodus 29, God gave instructions and how to live in His presence! “If you keep the fire burning on the altar, I will dwell with you!” They determined to keep the fire on the altar. They divided the clock into watches and took turns praying 24 hours a day 7 days a week! They continued for about for 120 years. The result was the glory of God rested in their midst.
The Spirit of God began to send them out as missionaries. In the 1700’s missionaries went from here to Greenland, North and South America, South Africa, Australia, and even Tibet. They also went to England and one person that was saved there through their ministry was John Wesley. In his early walk with the Lord he went to Herrnhut and caught the fire of the Lord and brought revival to England. The nation was “transformed”. England was saved from a bloody revolution that France endured.
In Herrnhut one missionary was sent out for every 60 people. The revival in England affected America. It was called “The Great Awakening”. This “transformed “America” as it swept through the colonies. Church attendance doubled in the America. The U.S. Constitution was written, for most part, by men impacted by the “Great Awakening”.
Tracing the Historical Roots of Herrnhut
The Moravian Church is a mainline Protestant denomination. Its religious heritage began in 14th centuryBohemia (modern Czech Republic). Its official name is Unitas Fratrum meaning Unity of the Brethren. It placed a high premium on Christian unity, personal piety, missions and music.
The church's emblem is the Lamb of God with the flag of victory, surrounded by the Latin inscription: which said in English: "Our Lamb has conquered, let us follow Him."
The movement that became the Moravian Church was started by Jan Hus (English: John Huss) in the late 14th century. Hus objected to some of the practices of the Roman Catholic Church and wanted to return the church in Bohemia and Moravia to what were the practices in these territories when it had been Eastern Orthodox: liturgy in the language of the people (i.e. Czech), having lay people receive communion in both kinds (bread and wine), married priests, and eliminating indulgences and the idea of Purgatory. In rejecting indulgences, Jan Hus can be said to have adopted a doctrine of justification by grace through faith alone[citation needed]; in doing so, the Moravians became the first Protestant church.
The movement gained royal support and a certain independence for a while, but was eventually forced to be subject to the authority of Rome. Hus was tried by the Council of Constance and burned at the stake (1415).
Within fifty years of Hus's death, a contingent of his followers had become independently organised as the "Bohemian Brethren" (?eští brat?i) or Unity of the Brethren (Jednota bratrská), which was founded in Kunvald, Bohemia, in 1457. They received episcopal ordination through the Waldensians in 1467[citation needed]. These were the earliest Protestants, rebelling against Rome more than a hundred years before Martin Luther.
After 1620, due to the Counter Reformation and the Thirty-Years War (1618–1648), and after being abandoned and betrayed by the local nobility, who had previously tolerated or supported them, the Brethren were forced to operate underground and eventually dispersed across Northern Europe as far as the Low Countries, where BishopJohn Amos Comenius attempted to direct a resurgence.
The largest remaining communities of the Brethren were located in Leszno in Poland which had historically strong ties with the Czechs, as well as in small, isolated groups in Moravia, these are referred to as "the Hidden Seed" which John Amos Comenius had prayed would preserve the evangelical faith in the land of the fathers.
In 1722, a small group of Bohemian Brethren who had been living as an underground remnant in Moravia (the so-called "Hidden Seed") for nearly 100 years arrived at the Berthelsdorf estate of Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, a nobleman who had been brought up in the traditions of Pietism. Out of a personal commitment to helping the poor and needy, he agreed to a request from their leader (Christian David, an itinerant carpenter) that they be allowed to settle on his lands in Upper Lusatia, which is in present-day Saxony in the east of modern-day Germany.
The refugees established a new village called Herrnhut (Herren hut), which means “the Lord’s Watch.”, about 2 miles (3 km) from Berthelsdorf. The town initially grew steadily, but major religious disagreements emerged and by 1727 the community was divided into warring factions.
Count Zinzendorf worked to bring about unity in the town and the Brotherly Agreement was adopted by the community on 12 May, 1727. This is considered the beginning of the renewal. Then, on 13 August, 1727 the community underwent a dramatic transformation when the inhabitants of Herrnhut "Learned to love one another," following an experience that they attributed to a visitation of the Holy Spirit, similar to that recorded in the Bible on the day of Pentecost.
Initially, twenty-four people took one hour shifts during which they committed to pray – the Lord’s Watch. More joined the watch and this prayer watch went on unbroken until 1847. Throughout the decades hundreds attended these prayer meetings and worship services – many of the people were overwhelmed by the strong presence of God and would sing and lay prostrate on the floor for six to eight hours. The anointing touched the children and led to a revival among children.
Herrnhut grew rapidly following this transforming revival and became the centre of a major movement for Christian renewal and mission during the 18th century. Moravian historians identify the main achievements of this period as:
Setting up a watch of continuous prayer that ran uninterrupted, 24 hours a day, for over 100 years.
Starting more than 30 settlements internationally on the Herrnhut model, which emphasised prayer and worship, and a form of communal living in which simplicity of lifestyle and generosity with wealth were held to be important spiritual attributes. As a result, although personal property was held, divisions between social groups and extremes of wealth and poverty were largely eliminated.
Starting missionary work; and a new sound released in Christian worship – JOY. In the first 65 years of this Herrnhut prayer meeting 300 missionaries were sent and the modern missions movement was born. Also, equally significant, joy came back into Christian worship as the uplifting Moravian hymns were embraced by the church worldwide. (Their music was led by trombone choirs – I bought a CD when I was there – wild stuff!) Isn’t this amazing… this a 100+ year long 24/7/367 prayer meeting produced the global missions movement and changed the worship expression of Christianity for generations. Here’s the prayer tower that now stands above the Moravian graveyard at Herrnhut.
Forming many hundreds of small renewal groups operating within the existing churches of Europe, known as "diaspora societies". These groups encouraged personal prayer and worship, Bible study, confession of sins and mutual accountability.
John Wesley wrote that he was led to Christ by a Moravian missionary from Herrnhut while sailing on a ship to America. When the ship was nearly overtaken by a storm, and he and the other passengers panicked, however the Moravian fellow on the ship was calm, had peace and prayed. In his revivals Welsey often talked about the “warming heart” moment of his born-again experience with the Moravian missionary.
SIGN UP AND TAKE A PRAYER WATCH TO MAKE MICHIGAN THE NEXT HERRNHUT!
Pray that a “Biblical Worldview” immigration reform will be birthed in our nation.
Pray that the threat of terrorism through Islam will be uprooted in the American culture! Our nation is being compromised in very strategic areas.
Pray that the National Health Care plan will be repealed. The bill has a culture of death within it including tax payer funded abortion and Euthanasia (assisted suicide). It will thrust our nation into insurmountable debt that our children can never pay back. It will also ration health care for all.
Pray for the medical profession as there is a move to take away the conscience clause by our government for doctors and nurses who do not want to perform abortions