The Church is not the Church until the Holy Spirit has come in wind and filled all those selected and elected into the Ecclesia, which means those set apart…apart from the world and apart to God.
Ezekiel 37 shows us that the army did not live until the Spirit had come into the army and they stood, but they only became living when the Spirit came on them. How much more should we start this series in Acts 2, because it is there that the Church, the Ecclesia begins to exist…the influx of the Spirit, in wind and fire!!
Acts 2 says that: they were in one place and one heart.
Until we come into one spiritual place in God I do doubt any report of the visitation, because there is a preparation. Jesus’ last words were tarry…stay…be staying and abiding. This is preparation of heart and soul. Because without it, there is no visitation. This visitation is to establish the ecclesia on the earth…to execute the plan of God until Jesus returns.
In those 10 days of preparation they had shed off the pain of Jesus departure and an expectation that He who was coming would revolutionise their lives. There is a letting go, a surrender before God comes TO us. He cannot work THROUGH US, until He has come TO us.
Acts 2 shows us the Upper Room, the place where pain, betrayal, weeping, preparing, washing all took place. Now this was to become the place of Empowering. Now God has to bring us there…to our “Upper Room”, where we pass through a deep preparation. What pain is experienced is replaced in the fullness of time with Joy. What separation is experienced in that place is replaced with union. It is magnificent truth that we are coming into the greatest visitation of all time. The outpouring was the former rain, where the ground is broken up for seed, our times are times of the latter rain where the harvest is brought in. This is not just a spiritual truth, but a physical phenomenon in Israel. There are two distinct rains.
For this preparation there are specific guidelines that Jesus gave. They were to be witnesses of Him. This witness has been spoken about on this blog before. It is the martureo. It is where signs and wonders come, as evidence of Jesus’ Lordship.
How we need those signs and wonders again! They tell of Jesus’ Lordship and supremacy over all.
So it is time if we desire to be the Ecclesia that we come to realise that being part of the End Time church needs an overwhelming true visitation. This true visitation has a specific revelation of Christ and who He is. It has the evidence of the wind and fire, that brings conviction through the message preached however it is preached. It is relevant for its generation. This generation needs to see the impossible made possible. It needs to see enemies made friends through conviction.
Without the visitation there is no distinguishing between a group which could be a club, or the Church which is full and vibrant…
So what are the characteristics of a true visitation?
1. Unity
2. Prayer
3. Fire
4. Revelation preaching
5. Strong conviction
6. Harvest of souls
7. Miracles
Once we have these characteristics we know there is a visitation taking place.
One of my favourite accounts is that of the Hebrides Revival 1948-1952. Kathie Walters wrote a book about it called Bright and Shining Revival, in which she researches the revival from the local point of view, talking to specific and significant people involved.
When you consider a people who set their heart to seek God, and He led them to understand the scripture and call for its manifestation based on God’s character, this certainly is the catalyst for a great revival. The whole island was impacted with great conviction that jails and bars were closed. People lined the roads in repentance of sin, and would meet for prayer daily. The presence of God was a feature as was angelic sightings of angels and Jesus Himself.
There is nothing more than a people call upon God with audacity asking Him to perform what He promised in the way He Promised and reminding Him of His Character. This certainly brings the catalyst for a massive visitation.
What distinguishes us from the world? We have seen Him and known Him.
Shalom!
The Spirit and the Bride say COME! Come Lord Jesus 
Good start, Russell! Over the years I’ve studied revivals around the world and even been involved with a few minor ones. Let us not forget that revivals like the Hebrides in Scotland, Azusa Street in California (USA), or the comparatively recent Brownsville revival in Florida (USA) were not so much about God coming to meet the people as they were about the people coming to meet God. All revivals, big or small, start with just a few devout people meeting in corporate prayer and thus coming to God. In Hebrides it was eight men meeting in an old barn and two elderly women meeting in their cottage home, with all in unison prayers. They were all led to praying according to 2Chronicles 7:14. Through continual, consistent prayer the Holy Spirit revealed once again to them that He was a covenant-keeping God and if they fulfilled their covenant responsibility (to humble themselves and seek Him in prayer and turn from their wicked ways), He would respond to them, forgiving their sin and healing their land. It happened!But, why did they last for only a comparatively short time? Did the people lose their zeal? Did sin once again rise up? Did the church become formulaic in its practice? Did humanism replace Godâs presence? Yes, yes, and yes!!!
This time around, if we seek revival, we must also seek continued guidance and the strength and fortitude to make it last. If not, it will be just another historic revival that lasts for a season. We cannot allow man to take over. In the case of Brownsville, the primary evangelist leading the revival became famous and rich from his efforts, basking in the fame and too quickly losing the zeal….Apostle Zook
Interesting thoughts Russell. I would add a few signs, because wherever there is a move of the Holy Spirit, there is a counter-move. So, I would add distractions, accusations, power struggles, occultic copies of spiritual gifts, undermining of leaders and opposition. I think what you describe is an unhindered visitation – far more desirable than what I have described, but sadly, far more rare.