Calling the Church to Arise
By Daniella Bivona on November 25th, 2019
“Is there not a Cause” 1 Samuel 17:29
“Is there not a cause” says the Spirit of the Lord to me at New Vision Church in Englewood Florida. See this was not just any Wednesday but the culmination of a year of tarrying in prayer, sharing the love of Christ and how His Spirit is moving in our city. The culmination of months of meetings, preparation and networking. All For One Vision and One Church to stand for the Lord Jesus Christ on a five-day Outreach to save the Lost, heal the sick and love on those who have never felt loved before. The Revive Florida movement touched countless lives, transformed numerous hearts and unified the Baptist, Lutheran, Pentacostal and the Catholics like never before. But, this is my testimony and the many experiences and encounters that took place before, during and after the week with Revive, and where it all began on a Sunday service in January in 2019.
Is there not a cause to save the city of Englewood?
Pastor Don Hamsher of Living Hope Church stood up to share his vision with boldness, passion and Holy Ghost Fire to evangelize the city of Englewood, FL. Pastor Don knew how many people lived in the city and mapped out for the congregation that morning if we all discipled, came alongside just two people once a year, the city of Englewood would be saved in 5 years. The fact that he had numerically mapped out with such clarity and precision…I was left intrigued. I immediately in my spirit received the vision and said YES! Mind you that was my first Sunday service at Living Hope Church in Englewood, Florida. At the end of service Pastor made an alter call to anyone who felt led by the spirit to commit to disciplining two people to see the city of Englewood saved, healed and delivered for God’s glory. I went up to the Altar and just wept and received what the Lord Has for me. During that moment a brother in Christ prayed for me a prayer that I will never forget, one that was manifested during our five-day Outreach with Revive Florida. Did you know the prayers you pray today stand for you and your tomorrow?
Is there not a cause to intercede?
Fast forward to sometime in May 2019 when Pastor Don hosted “A Time To Revive” for some vision casting. For those of you who don’t know A Time to Revive/ Revive Florida is a Ministry that goes in to states and cities where they are invited to revive them for the glory of God by sharing His gospel, unifying the local churches and equipping the Remnant to love, listen, discern and pray. Did you not know that you are the salt of this earth (Math 5:13), a city on a hill (Math 5:14), a light shining in the darkness (John 1:5). During this first meeting I was introduced to A Time to Revive and what the Revive Florida movement was all about. While sitting in the church that morning God reminded me of what I had said yes to that first Sunday morning I attended Living Hope Church. I knew I was in position for such a time as this and waited for the door to open for me to get involved. Well shortly after that thought A Time to Revive team member said they were looking for a person to host a Business Leaders Breakfast and my heart screams YES LORD! I knew this was the door I just prayed for! I used to host Business Network Gatherings all the time. With me being in business for so many years I knew I had to skill set, capability but more importantly I had the Holy Spirit nudging me to do this and plus nobody else volunteered so I knew it was meant for me! So, I went to the team member and said “let’s do this, what’s next!”
Is there not a cause to make a Clarion Call to the Nations “Revival is coming”?
The breakfast was a huge success and we went on to have two more meetings just like it! Leaders came from all over Sarasota County and Desoto County. The interesting piece here is that immediately after me saying yes to do the breakfast I had to go to New York for the month of June to work so the whole time I’m in New York I am planning for the first Business Leaders Breakfast, but I’m sharing what God is doing in Englewood, Florida with Pastors, leaders, intercessors, wives and children. Leading up to October 25th you can feel the excitement, the anticipation, the hungry hearts, the cry for more Lord, more of you Jesus, more of your Spirit within this region.
Is there a cause to come together from all over the country?
Due to the seeds the Holy Spirit had planted while I went back and forth to New York during the summer of 2019 there were 4 people from New York who caught the vision and said yes to come down to Englewood, Florida October 25th through October 30th, 2019. Now these four people are not just any ordinary people but anointed, called and chosen dear friends of mine who by way of the Holy Spirit has knit our hearts together.
Is there not a cause to testify about the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living?
Testimony Time- From July up until the Revive Florida kickoff date October 25th I had gone through a huge transition and left one job and started another. I was so concerned that my new job was not going to give me off from October 25th to the 30th but God showed up and showed out. My new job gave me two days off and paid me for it in advance. Hallelujah Jesus! One of those four people did not have the funds to get here for the outreach so she went to her pastor who knew what I was a part of down here and asked if the church would sponsor her. With that being said, the church paid for her round-trip airfare to get here! To back track and give you a little history, almost 1 year to date in October 2018 I launched a prayer line where two of the four people that attended Revive Florida joined alongside of me and leaders from all over the country in travailing for our cities, our communities and our churches. This Revive Florida Movement was the manifestation of our prayers prayed in the beginning of October 2018. That’s why they had to come from all over Long Island, NY to be a part of the movement. It began with a leap of faith to start a prayer line then to come into Divine Alignment with the vision and Leadership of Living Hope Church then the movement of Revive Florida was birthed here in Englewood.
Friday, October 25th we met at New Vision Church for a kickoff service and was the Spirit, the power and the presence of Jesus Christ of Nazareth in the room in a mighty way! People’s hands reach towards heaven in worship while others wept at the touch of Heaven’s downpouring. After such an amazing service like any good church folk would do, we went out to dinner, me and the four people from New York. At the end of the meal we ask for the check and the waitress tell us the check has been paid for! THE WHOLE BILL PAID! The waitress goes on to tell us that when she went to go print out the check for our table it was nonexistent. Being confused she goes to her manager and the manger proceeds to tell he, “oh someone paid for them.” We were so ecstatic and all we could say in the middle of the restaurant is “Hallelujah Jesus, we bless you Lord!”
Saturday, October 26th at 12 p.m. we meet at my home Church Living Hope Church to get ready, to get equipped to go out and be the hands and feet of Jesus. Teams were put together and we had a time of prayer. It was such a huge blessing to be able to pray over these four people who came from New York and my friend and her husband who came from Venice, Florida to be a part of the Englewood movement. We went out all seven of us in two different cars to Lemon Bay Rotary Park and it was amazing to see all six of them functioning in their gifts, to see the Holy Spirit using them. I saw them activated and now functioning and flowing in love to bless the hurt and lost with words of knowledge, comfort, peace as well as words of affirmation and healing for the people we encountered that day in the park. Now there were five of us left, me and the New Yorkers! It was on my heart for days to go to this bar on McCall Road so we went with boldness and confidence because the word says the righteous are as bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1). We all go in and I tell the bartender who we are and that we are out in Englewood praying for people and I was wondering if we could pray in here today for the people’s needs. Well before the bartender could say no a gentleman to my right put his cigarette down and said, “we could all use some prayer come on and pray, don’t be scared”. I thought to myself oh you got the right one today because I’m not afraid before you knew it everyone in that bar held hands with heads bowed and asked for prayer for loved ones and for themselves. Hallelujah Jesus. We all walked out of that bar ecstatic and electrified by what God had just done thru us! We were so encouraged we could not wait to go back out to minister and evangelize the love of Jesus.
Sunday, October 27th service that morning at Living Hope Church left most of us in awe! You could feel the atmosphere charged with people waiting and hungry for another move, another fresh breeze of God’s wind and was God faithful! God showed up and showed out! At one point I looked back over my shoulder from a kneeling position at the altar and saw the congregation and the four people who came from New York who gave their time, their talent and their treasure all with hands lifted and blessing the Lord with all their soul and all that is within them and it completely wrecked my heart to pieces to give the Lord another Yes. I said in my heart this is what it is about not a church, not a denomination, not a religion in true adoration worshipping, pouring out all of their hearts to the father who loves them.
Is there not a cause to say YES Lord?
Monday, October 28th we hit the streets to pray and give out Bibles and invite folks to church. We truly went from glory to glory every day we were apart Revive Englewood. During the morning Outreach the leaders of Revive Florida gave out to each team leader a church that they wanted the team members to go to and pray and encourage and empower the churches to fight the good fight of faith. Well God has a funny sense of humor because the church that I got was Suncoast Church. The address looked familiar; the name of the church looked familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on where I have seen the church before. So, we put it in the GPS, and we go. When I pulled up it was Living Hope Church. My home church! It hit me, before it was Living Hope Church it was Suncoast Church and I started hysterically laughing like God you’re amazing and we went in and Pastor Emily was there and we got to be a blessing to my home church and pray for the needs and encourage and empower my leader in Jesus name. Then later that day after the Outreach all of the team members met at a Lutheran Church in Englewood, Florida and it was a huge blessing to see all of the different denominations come together with no barriers, no hindrances just lifting up the name of Jesus in unity. Also there were so many states gathered together Texas, Georgia, NY, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and Florida to see so many people give of their time, their talent and their treasure to share the gospel and experience on how to revive a city completely wrecked my heart again and my life forever transformed.
Is there not a cause to bond one with another?
It was much more than just encounters, gatherings, experiences and trainings real relationships were formed within the body of Christ and with people who are now a part of the body of Christ because of the movement. Wednesday the 30th the culmination where the spirit of the Lord speaks to me “Is there not a Cause.” This is the service where we lifted high the name of Jesus for all that we had seen and done over the past few days! Everyone who was present had yet another touch from heaven. Joshua Chapter 4:1-7 God commands Joshua to take twelve of the men one from each tribe to take a stone and carry it across the Jordan onto dry ground as a memorial to the next generation for what God had done. Well that’s what we did that night The Remnant, of Englewood was given stones and asked to write something on the stone the Holy Spirit had laid on their heart and to keep it before them as a memorial for what the lord had done that week.
Mine says in big red permanent marker:
“IS THERE NOT A CAUSE”
OCTOBER 30Th, 2019
I keep this memorial on my kitchen windowsill so every time I go to the sink I remember the charge that there is a very real cause! The remnant was called to the alter and received a charge, a fresh mantle to go forth into the earth to make disciples of all the nation’s and to carry out the legacy of Jesus which is love, unity, power and truth to a hurt and dying world. I said all of this to say this there is a very real cause to evangelize the community at which God has planted you in. You are there for a particular purpose and a specific plan.
There is a very real cause to intercede for your land, there is a very real cause to come together in unity, there is a very real cause to sound the alarm REVIVAL IS HERE, there is a very real cause to testify and say Yes Lord all over again to go anywhere he wants you to go and do anything he wants you to do.
Why does there need to be a cause? Glad you asked, because that’s where our fire and passion is birthed.
Our children are dying to gun violence, our loved ones are getting caught up in addictions and perversions to strange idols. The violence, and the fear is running rampant here in America causing our children to be afraid to go to school because of all the shootings. There are women and children lost and in need of shelter, food and clothing. There are men in prisons who don’t know if they will ever make it out to see their families again.
There are racially driven hate crimes still happening in America in the year of 2019, there is separation between church and state, divisions, segregations, denominational hindrances, and a lack of truth. There is still poverty, and domestic abuses occurring that the state is not equipped to handle.
We All Bleed The Same Church, We All Cry so Why Not Unify for the sake our Land.
There is a very real cause in your community, and I believe that God wants you to inquire of Him what is the cause in my city?
Why have you saved me for such a time as this?
Why is he raising me up to go out to as bold as a lion? There is a hurt, hungry and dying world that is searching and longing for hope, love, truth and justice. Maybe just maybe you are the vessel that God desires to use to bring forth true transformation in the earth in Jesus name!
So, I ask you today what is your cause?
I ask you today what are you going to do with the advantage you have been given to have been born again saved by grace?
I asked you today Church what are you going to do with your advantage to have been born an American Citizen?
Your country needs you to pray, your community needs your love and your church needs unity. Why? To stand for the Gospel of Jesus Christ so your children and your children’s children can see you stand, speak and move the kingdom of God forward for His glory, His honor and His praise. So, what are you waiting for world changer and history maker! You are the move of God sent forth into the Earth for such a time as this.
I love you all so much and I’m praying for you daily. Attached below are the upcoming events for Revive Englewood! I would love to see you there.
Many Blessings,
Daniella Bivona
Upcoming Revive Events in Englewood:
December 3rd– A night of Prayer & Worship (New Vision Church at 6:30pm)
December 7th– Outreach (Living Hope Church at 2pm) & Testimonies (Dinner at 6pm)
To the livinghope.life owner, Thanks for the informative and well-written post!
Dear livinghope.life webmaster, Your posts are always well written and informative.
To the livinghope.life administrator, Thanks for the well-organized post!
Hi livinghope.life admin, Thanks for the well-researched and well-written post!
Hi livinghope.life administrator, You always provide great information and insights.
Hello livinghope.life webmaster, Thanks for the valuable information!
Hi livinghope.life owner, Your posts are always well-structured and logical.
To the livinghope.life administrator, Keep up the great work!
Dear livinghope.life owner, Your posts are always a great read.