The sound of passionate praise filled the room as several hundred pastors from around the world shouted in unison, “Jesus you are way maker, miracle worker/ Promise keeper, light in the darkness/ That is who you are!” That spirit of faith permeated the gathering last night in Pasadena, California, where Apostle Ché Ahn opened his annual leaders gathering, the Harvest International Ministry Global Summit, at Harvest Rock Church.
Ahn prophesied that God was releasing a new season of boldness to His people and that “the church was getting her roar back.” This was met with a spontaneous shout of praise as every pastor and leader in the room witnessed the anointing on the declaration and heartily agreed. With this, the annual gathering, set to continue through April 10, began.
2020 was a lot for everyone. Many of these leaders have performed funerals for church members. They’ve counseled families going through financial difficulty. They’ve navigated a never-before-seen moment where church was shut down and only reopened to a fraction of the size it was before the pandemic. These leaders have dealt with their own losses and struggles as they sought God on how to take the right steps forward in leading their congregations. It all seemed to lead up to this moment of assembling together in Ambassador Auditorium, home of Harvest Rock Church. God had led His people through a valley, and the clear fields had suddenly become visible in the distance.
“There have only been two times in the history of the earth where all the nations have been shaken,” Ahn explained. “The first was in World War II. One hundred ninety-five nations were involved in that conflict in one way, shape or form. Those nations were shaken either through conflict or through alignment with nations in conflict. The second time every nation was shaken occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.”
Ahn believes the prophet Haggai had times like these in mind when he prophesied, “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more … I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations'” (Hag. 2:6-7a, NKJV).
But the prophet Haggai did not merely prophesy pain and suffering. He also prophesied that all the nations would come to “the Desire of All Nations” and that the Lord would fill His temple “with glory” (Hag. 2:7).
Ahn continued his exhortation by explaining that ever since World War II, the world has experienced waves of revival, from the latter rain movement and mass evangelism of the 1950s to the charismatic renewal of the 1970s and the more recent revivals of Toronto and Brownsville of the 1990s. He stated that coming through this COVID-19 crisis is positioning us to see a new season of revival, which he believes will span over the next 70 years. “We are on the brink of the greatest move of God the world has ever seen.”
He concluded his message with a strong reminder to those gathered, saying, “Governments will continue to come up with some other existential threat and will fabricate some crisis in order to exercise control. But we are not going to bow to any government! We will only bow to the Lord Jesus Christ!” Again, his booming voice was met with shouts of “amen!” and the sound of applause.
“Even when I don’t see it, You’re working/ Even when I don’t feel it, You’re working/ You never stop, You never stop working.”
These lyrics from the song “Way Maker” summarized the spirit behind last night’s gathering. Many who came from around the world have kept their hand to the plow during this trying time. Many too have operated strictly out of faith while their eyes have yet to testify to what they believe is true: Even in the darkness, God is moving and working.
The opening night of the conference also testified to something more. Darkness and shaking are a sign that “the Desire of the Nations” is close by and that the God who spoke light into darkness in the beginning will once again speak light into the darkness of our day. {eoa}
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