After Chicago's Streets Resound with Joy for Jesus, It's Time for Round 2 and a 'Rainbow Revival'
ANALYSIS
The often-violent streets of Chicago were filled with joyous Christians waving banners and singing worship songs during Jesus March, a massive evangelism, prayer, and praise gathering in August. In the tailwind of the Holy Spirit's move through the city, another march is preparing to again lift the name of Jesus above Chicago in October.
A handful of Chicago pastors, churches, and ministry leaders rallied together for Jesus March in August. They expect the same wind of the Holy Spirit to ignite personal salvations, baptisms, and deliverances, as well as citywide transformation when Freedom March fills Lincoln Park and the streets of Chicago on October 19.
A Chicago pastor and missionary who met each other for the first time at Jesus March discovered their ministries share desires to see revival and awakening in Chicago and, especially, among a unique group of people that form what's called Rainbow Revival and Freedom March.
"God is going to raise up people from the LGBTQ community to bring revival and leaders who will change what is happening in this nation and this world," said Chicago missionary Jay Peters.
Having prayed and contended for revival for 20 years as a pastor, Peters almost gave up on the idea until the Lord began to send across his path former LGBTQ people who had left their lifestyles of sin and deception to follow Jesus.
"They're the Jesus People 2.0. God took the hippies and outcasts and transformed them into leaders, pastors, apostles, evangelists and prophets. He's doing the same thing with LGBTQ people," said Peters.
When Peters shared a link to a documentary he produced, "Opening The Door, Homosexuality and the Church Feature Film - Its time to talk!" with fellow Chicago Pastor Daniel Cruz, the two joined forces with Freedom March.
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The documentary shares testimonies of men and women – many of them part of the Rainbow Revival – who have left the LGBTQ community to pursue Jesus.
Cruz sees how a prophetic word spoken over FaithWorld Church more than 18 years ago may be fulfilled in part by its partnership with Freedom March.
Considered by many in the Body of Christ to be a prophet, Kim Clement told Cruz the Lord intends to use him and FaithWorld to reach the homosexual community. Listen to the prophecy here: Jesus Revival with Evangelist Jay Peters and MJ.
"I believe the march that we are all going to be a part of in October is also a part of that prophetic word," said Cruz.
He and Peters will be joined by at least four other Chicago-area churches – Near West Vineyard, Maranatha, Christian Hills, Calvary Lighthouse Church – and the ministries Jesus Revival and Hope To Turn, in supporting Freedom March.
Peters, a former film teacher at a Christian school, was mid-way through production of the documentary when his oldest daughter told him and his wife Esther that she was dating a girl, and they planned to marry.
Through this ongoing painful experience – they still pray God sends people to speak truth in love to their daughter – Jay and Esther Peters are equipped to serve as spiritual father and mother to LGBTQ people who come to Jesus at Freedom March, according to its senior leader, MJ Nixon, who also produced a documentary.
Comprised of 12 testimonies, the "Here's My Heart" documentary – produced by Nixon – includes her story of hearing the Lord say her heart was entangled with weeds of deception.
Nixon, who surrendered to Jesus her same-sex attraction 13 years ago, has for the last eight years directed other women to resources and mentorship aimed at overcoming unwanted desires.
"He took me to Matthew 15:13 which states, 'Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.' God told me I was going to be the first of many uprooted hearts. I've seen that come to pass," said Nixon, who has overseen seven Freedom March events since 2008.
With spiritual covering from GateCity Church in Atlanta, Nixon and Rainbow Revival hold onto a prophetic word dating back to 1989 when Bob Jones, who many believe was a New Testament prophet, had an encounter with the Lord.
Jones saw 100,000 people from the LGBTQ community saved, transformed and healed from AIDS. He saw them becoming intercessors, evangelists and great lovers of God. Many were raised up to preach the love of Christ with power. He understood this would be the first wave in a great spiritual awakening – a massive Jesus movement. He said it is a true vision that's waiting for an intercessory prayer movement to carry it.
"The good news is that there is a current happening that is not in the news or in the movies. God is bringing a Rainbow Revival in this generation," said Nixon.
She wonders if the church is ready to receive LGBTQ people who leave their lifestyles behind, a group Nixon compares to hippies featured in the 2023 movie Jesus Revolution when God brought revival to that community, and He used a man named Lonnie Frisbee, a hippie who struggled with his sexuality.
"I believe that mantle has fallen upon – I don't say this lightly – on Rainbow Revival to prepare the way and to remember the promise," said Nixon.
The revival is recognized by a seven-color rainbow that its members wear in humility, not pride, to honor God's covenant with the earth.
"The rainbow is actually a banner of mercy over the LGBTQ community. They just don't know it because pride is blinding," Nixon said. "When people see the rainbow it should bring them to compassion, instead of hate and judgment. These people are far from God and they need to know the lovingkindness of Jesus that leads to repentance."
Jesus Revival, the ministry founded by Jay and Esther Peters after leaving their teaching and church ministries, focuses on evangelism in partnership with churches. Training precedes heading to the streets to share the gospel door-to-door and in parks, where they baptize people who come to Jesus. Learn more here: MISSION ILLINOIS. They plan to be in Lincoln Park on October 19 with a Jesus Revival team.
The ministry, which got its name after the Peters were called Jesus People by many, utilizes two buses that Jay and Esther and their team drive across the country doing evangelism outreach and marches. Last October, they drove the donated buses, valued at over $200,000, to Freedom March in Dallas, Texas.
READ ABOUT IT: Rainbow Revival: Ex-LGBT Men and Women March in Dallas, Tell Their Powerful Stories of Freedom
"I believe Chicago is going to be the biggest Jesus Freedom March we've seen," said Peters.
The Lord, Peters said, has been highlighting Chicago in the craziest ways including the massive Jesus March in August and now Freedom March in October – a momentum that feels right and didn't exist sixth months ago.
2019: Former Members of LGBTQ Lifestyle Proudly Proclaim Freedom From Homosexuality in Florida March
2018: 'Jesus Can Change Anyone': These Ex-LGBTQ People Are Bringing a Freedom March of Hope to L.A.
