'The Domino Revival' Movie a Call for Revival Across America and the World
NEW YORK – What is revival? It is one of the most welcome but misunderstood words in the modern Church today. It’s so easy to get caught up in the groundswell of faith-fueled fervor as the Gospel message of hope and healing is intensified through these concentrated meetings. But the sad reality is that revival is sometimes viewed as a means to place undue emphasis on jump-starting the flagging attendance at a struggling church.
The aforementioned thoughts seem harsh but truthfully, for every great awakening such as the Azusa Revival of 1906 or the recent events at Asbury University, there have been a litany of so-called revivals that flickered brightly for a moment but soon faded into Christendom’s rear view mirror.
Simply put, true revival is not the lights, the music, or the feeling created by the event but the life-changing moment that fuels one's heart. Revival is putting Jesus first before everything in your life and being obedient to what He has for you. Before your schedule, before your finances, or before your professional life, it is when God moves so powerfully that His brilliant light of faith cannot be extinguished.
The Great Awakening swept across the nation in the 1730s and 1740s, and the impact of this religious revival undoubtedly shaped the future of America. Theologians and pundits near and far, while acknowledging the lasting impact of that event on Christianity and American culture for generations, question whether it could ever happen again. The thought is the world has just changed too much. Sadly, technology has altered the way the world works forever.
Mike Signorelli, a megachurch pastor from New York City believes revival not only can happen again but can shine bigger and brighter than ever before. So convicted by his belief for another great revival, Signorelli has produced a groundbreaking new documentary called The Domino Revival. Playing in theaters across the nation for one night only on Tuesday, October 24th, the film takes a deep dive into the decline of American spirituality, as well as what Signorelli sees as a growing spiritual awakening currently pulsing through our nation.
“Revival is returning back,” explains the 40-year-old Signorelli, who pastors the 1,390 member V1 Church in New York. “There was a man that walked in Galilee named Jesus Christ. And this film is trying to show people the true Jesus, not the Jesus of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. Not the hipster Jesus, not the philosopher Jesus, or the great moral teacher, Jesus, but the real resurrected Jesus. And when you introduce people to Jesus, addictions are broken, demons are cast out, I believe they can be healed physically in their body. And that is what we are really trying to show in the film.”
Filmed over the course of the last three COVID-fueled years, The Domino Revival features compelling Gospel preaching, documented miracles, and the undeniable life changing events happening that are so prevalent across our culture.
“With Generation Z, the rate of suicide is exponential right now,” says Signorelli. “Not only that, but people are turning to drugs and alcohol. Addiction exponentially increased during the pandemic when people were stuck inside. I literally cashed out my savings, went across America and said, I will pray for whoever wants to be prayed for. And when I saw people canceling suicides and I saw them surrendering drugs and weeping, I said, I'll do whatever it takes to show this to more people. And that's why I directed this film and I put my whole life on the line to do this. I'm just a normal guy. I am a local church pastor. I don't have any business making movies, but I truly feel that God wants more people to see this.”
One person who has witnessed the power of Signorelli’s passion for revival is podcaster Isaiah Saldivar. The California-based host of the popular Revival Lifestyle podcast, has seen firsthand the desperation of this generation; he went from being an atheist, to a born-again Christian, to hosting a Bible study in his home for upwards of 500 people within weeks of his conversion.
“When you see the film you realize this is not about some celebrity pastor or some celebrity preacher,” Saldivar points out. “This is about the average, normal person that's going to watch this and say, “Wait a minute, I can see this in my life. I can see God move.” God was never about celebrities and about one man shows. God wants the body of Christ to be awakened and to walk this thing out.”
Called The Domino Revival because of Signorelli’s vision of a big domino being pushed down in New York City, and then hitting another and another all across America, other pastors have captured his vision for another great revival.
“One thing that leads to the next thing leads to the next thing, like a real domino,” says Alexander Pagini, the founder of Amazing Church in Bronx, New York. “So, what started off as one man on his phone, walking the streets of New York City, praying during a lockdown, connected all of the dots, and here we are.”
One young pastoral couple who have certainly caught the vision for true revival, Parker and Jessi Green have risked arrest and potential imprisonment in their quest to baptize thousands on our nation’s beaches and awaken this generation to the resurrection power of Jesus through their ministry Saturate Global.
“We are both students of revival and we love Charles Finney, who led the second Great Awakening,” explains Jessi Green, who along with her husband, are featured in the film. “And for us, it's that reawakening and returning to your first love, where all of a sudden Jesus becomes front and center to your life. It's not just a Christian add-on, but you really realize the Gospel is real. Jesus is real, and I want to give my whole life to following Jesus. And you reprioritize your whole life into that.”
Adds Parker Green, “I think the first marker of true revival is within the church. You have what I think a lot of old school guys would call “descension”. That’s where the church is sliding back, where the church is not on fire, where the church is not fulfilling its mandate or its purpose. And I don't think we've done that for a while. And revival is when that purpose comes back, that focus on Jesus comes back in a very strong and powerful way.”
It has often been said that timing is everything and taking it a step further, God’s timing is undeniably perfect. With that said, many critics have questioned why right now could possibly be the right time for another powerful move of God in our culture. Signorelli and others hope that The Domino Revival will not only spell this out but set the stage for a life-changing individual experience for millions.
“We're not going to stand by and let culture and the world dictate what our kids do and how our kids think,” says Saldivar. “Hey, this is the moment to really punch back on the devil. And I see this as just a one-two punch to the devil to say, hey, we're not going to stand by. We're going to see revival and we're going to keep standing for truth in the midst of such a terrible time.”
“The Bible says when the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard,” echoes Pagani. “So, I think God is raising up a standard with movies like this and other Christian movies that are taking up the mantle. We are just taking the Gospel beyond the four walls of the Church.”
“Here's my greatest hope,” exudes Signorelli with a big grin. “For far too long we have been taught by the church that the responsibility was only the pastors. That's not Biblical. We want to empower every single person. That's the goal. It's not about an eloquent prayer, it's just about obedience, it’s about praying for other people. And so my hope is that people go into their jobs, they go into their schools and they say, “You know what? I might not have it all figured out, but I know for certain that Jesus is the answer. Let me pray for you.” That is the movement, not from the top down, but from the bottom up. We want to motivate and mobilize people. We're not trying to build an audience. We're trying to equip an army.”
“The Domino Revival” is a one-night Fathom Movie Event to be shown on Tuesday, October 24th. For more information and to purchase tickets please Click Here.
PLEASE WATCH A TRAILER FOR THE DOMINO REVIVAL:
