While the word “transformation” has many applications, there are basically two primary distinctions when it comes to community transformation: supernatural transformation and natural transformation.
There is a distinct difference between a reformed society and a supernaturally transformed community. Transformation is not social, political, or religious reform. Transformation is not synonymous with evangelism; evangelism is the fruit of revival, not the means to create revival. We must not confuse evangelistic strategies with hosting God’s presence unto transforming revival.
It is not possible to have supernatural transformation of a community without believers first experiencing authentic revival from heaven. Transforming revival is a corporate revival that brings supernatural impact on a community because of the manifest presence of a supernatural God. Though we may be willing partners in this process, God must be the author of it. Since God is the author of transforming revival, it will be characterized by both His supernatural presence and the supernatural fruit of His presence.
Participants in supernatural community transformation are keenly aware that the systemic problems communities are facing cannot be resolved with human wisdom or methodologies. Human strategies will never produce supernatural change. Man’s solutions are temporary at best and usually flawed.
Man’s resources are limited and insufficient in themselves to solve the desperate needs of people and their communities. Our resources only become sufficient when they are submitted to our supernatural God who is infinite and unlimited. God has provided a redemptive answer that goes to the root of the issues and brings comprehensive change for communities through His presence and glory.
Ministry in the Western world usually reflects a natural (not supernatural) transformational approach. Natural or man-based transformation is a process that man can manage or control. People assess the desperate needs of communities, then take an inventory of available resources, and finally allocate those finite resources to address the needs. Some change or improvement may result from the natural approach, but it will only be a temporary solution for a limited number of people.
We face the constant reality that man-based transformation is never enough. It is simply scratching the surface as the needs in our communities continue to multiply and spiral out of control because of sin.
Man’s best intentions, sacrifice, and resources are simply not sufficient to meet the needs communities are facing today. While it is commendable to alleviate some suffering where possible in the natural realm, a natural approach cannot resolve the root problems which are spiritual in nature and continue to proliferate and continue to oppress our society.
Pervasive conditions such as sexual immorality and perversion, domestic abuse, violence, shedding of innocent blood, ruthless political schemes, governmental corruption, social injustice, prejudice, racism will never be resolved through natural means!
The devastation prevalent in our communities is rooted in spiritual causes and therefore cannot be resolved by a man-centered approach. For example, if generations have offended the Lord by continuing in sins like immorality, idolatry, and shedding of innocent blood, the darkness and defilement that follows for a community cannot be remedied by a natural transformational effort.
When God transforms people, society, and land, He has a higher purpose and unlimited resources to accomplish community transformation for His glory. God’s mercy and supernatural ability to resolve and even reverse societal problems is infinitely greater than our ability or desire to do so.
God does not have to strive to resolve issues man cannot solve. God is able not only to provide pure water out of polluted water, He can also can bring it out of rocks as He did for Israel in the wilderness and has recently done for people in Brazil! He is able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine” (Eph. 3:20). His solutions are perfect and powerful!
When there is a polluted river (the main water source) flowing through a community, there are two approaches to remedying the problem. The human approach would be to build a water-processing plant to purify the polluted water so it is usable for the people. The supernatural solution begins by identifying the root reason why the land is polluted and applying God’s instructions for healing the situation. In Scripture and in hundreds of transformation testimonies, God brings healing supernaturally when the root causes are identified and dealt with.
In so doing, the Lord not only corrects the physical problem, His supernatural intervention and care results in redeeming people and land for His glory! A natural approach may bring an immediate remedy physically, but it does not deal with the spiritual issues necessary for God to redeem lives for His glory.
Supernatural transformation is occurring among the nations today that displays God’s extravagant redemption for people and for creation, enabling “the knowledge of the glory of God” (Hab. 2:14) to spread over the whole earth (Psa. 57:5, 11). Transforming revival is preparing the Bride and reaping the global harvest of salvation at the end of the age.
The transformation that is occurring is a presence-based reality – meaning that the presence of God is the critical component of the revival that transforms the people and society. This is not a transformation program, ministry or strategy managed by man! This is revival from heaven as Jesus brings life, healing and impact to an extent that only His presence can accomplish!
A stunning example of supernatural transformation of an entire community is Almolonga, Guatemala. The revival in Almolonga resulted in phenomenal transformation of individuals, their families, and every sphere of the community of 20,000 people. Even the physical land itself was dramatically healed.
Almolonga experienced the transforming impact of the manifest presence of God which brought supernatural, measurable, and long lasting change to the people and every level of their society. The community may not be perfect, but the transformation is so pervasive it hardly resembles its former condition.
The transformation miracle of Almolonga was first documented by The Sentinel Group in its first video (1999) entitled Transformation I. The documentary shocked the church-world concerning how far God was willing to go with His transforming power as Jesus impacted not only the church but also every community sphere in Almolonga.
When transformation first appeared in Almolonga (1990s), it was apparent that God was “doing a new thing” in the earth. In a sense, the Almolonga Revival was a “first fruits” offering to the LORD, a revival which contained the spiritual DNA that is now characterizing the transforming revivals of the twenty-first century.
This frequency of supernaturally transformed communities around the world indicates God wants to do more than revive His church. God clearly wants to transform the church and the communities we live in! When God’s presence and the Holy Spirit’s power greatly impacts the church, the revived church is then prepared to greatly impact society.