November 21, 2023

Thanksgiving: Did You Know?

This week, we will celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday. I will read a short Thanksgiving proclamation and prayer on that day’s post, then lead in communion. I encourage you to take 8-10 minutes and join me; I believe it will enrich your Thanksgiving celebration. Today I want to share some thoughts regarding a woefully understood, yet immeasurably important, subject, to help prepare you for this important time. Hint: Thanksgiving is linked to the Lord’s Table.

Grace

The word “grace” is one of the most important terms in our language. I’ll give its technical definition momentarily, but in its broader application, “grace” encapsulates: the incarnation of Christ (becoming a human), Messiah’s sufferings, the gift of our rebirth into God’s family, and every benefit we receive from these actions. We neither earned nor deserved any of these blessings; they are ours only through God’s grace, His “unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15), bestowed on us from His passionate love. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

“Grace” is translated from the Greek word charis(1), an important word also meaning “goodwill, loving-kindness, or favor.” It is also translated “thanks,” the response offered for benefits or favor.(2)

“Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament defines this specifically New Testament use of grace (charis) as the ‘spontaneous act of God that came from the infinite love in His heart, in which He stepped down from His judgment throne to take upon Himself the guilt and penalty of human sin, thus satisfying His justice, maintaining His government, and making possible the bestowal of salvation upon the sinner who receives it by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who became a Sin-offering for him on the Cross’”(3) Wow!

“The New Testament also employs these related Greek words: charizomai, ‘to give graciously’(4); and charisma, ‘a gift that is graciously given.’(5) For example, in 1 Corinthians 12:4, 9, 28, 30, and 31, the term charisma features prominently in Paul’s teaching about spiritual gifts. Paul stresses that the gifts of the Spirit are gifts of God’s grace. These spiritual ‘grace gifts’ are not developed through natural talent, but instead bestowed upon believers by God. In The Dynamics of Spiritual Gifts, William McRae defines a spiritual gift as ‘a divine endowment of a special ability for service upon a member of the body of Christ’”(6)

Mary and the Church

Charis was the root word (charitoo)(7) used by Gabriel to Mary in Luke 1:28, telling her she was “highly favored.” Indeed! The honor of being entrusted to carry Christ in her womb, birth the Savior of the world, and then nurture Him for Yahweh, was truly immeasurable favor. Yet, the same word is used one other time in Scripture, Ephesians 1:6, when describing the great favor granted to us as believers, who also now carry Christ in our spiritual wombs! God is in us!!! The fountain of life, the breath of God, the nature of God Himself is in us in the person of Christ. That is charis, grace.

Thanksgiving

Now, would it surprise you if I said that charis is also the root word for “thanksgiving”? Thanksgiving, or “the giving of thanks,” is from the Greek word eucharistia. The word could be translated “giving thanks for our grace gifts.” When America set aside a day “of public Thanksgiving and Prayer” to “Almighty God,” as George Washington stated in his official proclamation (which I will include in Thursday’s post), it was to thank God for His incomparable benefits of grace through His Son, Jesus Christ! We aren’t simply giving thanks for the physical freedom, prosperity, and abundance we enjoy in this great nation; we are acknowledging that we enjoy these things because of the grace of God and the gift of His Son!

And for the icing on the cake, or should we say the stuffing in the turkey, this Greek word for Thanksgiving (eucharistia) is also the word for the Eucharist, the Lord’s Table: Communion. The bread and wine are called the Eucharist, not just by Catholics but also by many evangelicals, because it’s a word Jesus used when initiating the meal: “when He had given thanks” (eucharisteo), He then gave the disciples the bread and wine, which represented His body and blood (1 Corinthians 11:23-25). Thanksgiving originated at the Last Supper, when God’s-grace-meal was inaugurated!

On Thursday, when sharing the meal with family and friends, remember that Thanksgiving is rooted in the Lord’s Table, Communion, through which we celebrate God’s “grace gift” of His Son to us.

Join me on Thursday, as we celebrate Communion, the first Thanksgiving meal; then enjoy another Thanksgiving meal with family and friends.

Pray with me:

Father, we thank You for Your unspeakable gift, Yeshua, and His sacrifice. Through Him, we have been welcomed into Your family, made Your heirs and His joint-heirs. As we Americans celebrate our many blessings this week, we remember that these blessings come through this grace-gift. Thank You!

And as we take time to acknowledge and thank You, we also give thanks for the grace-awakening that has begun. Thank You for the millions of grace-salvations coming soon, the grace-returning of prodigals, the grace-deliverances, the grace-miracles, and the grace-reset of America. Thank You for the grace-shaking, the grace-cleansing, and the grace-healing of our land. As we eat the grace-meal on Thursday, we will remember that it is a celebration of Your abounding grace!

We will also remember that Thanksgiving isn’t just America’s meal; this is the world’s meal. Thank You for saving a billion souls in the great grace-harvest that has begun. Thank You for a deluge of grace in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, North and South America. Pour it out! Flood the earth with grace! Signs, wonders, miracles, dreams, visions, deliverances, radical salvations - all poured out by the Spirit of grace! We celebrate this with You! In Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that every good and perfect gift is from the Father through Christ, with whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning (James 1:17).

Click the link below to watch the video:

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1. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no.5485.

2. https://www.gotquestions.org/charis-in-the-Bible.html

3. James Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, Vol 21 (Eerdmans, 1997), pp. 138–139.

4. Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, ref no. 5483.

5. Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, ref no. 5486.

6. William McRae, The Dynamics of Spiritual Gifts (Zondervan, 1976), p. 18.

7. Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, ref no. 5487.

November 20, 2023

War Eagles Rising

It should be clear to all believers that spiritual warfare around the world has intensified. Satan is making an all-out attempt to maintain his position and stop God’s plans. In today’s post, my brother, Tim, speaks of this warfare, comparing some of satan’s assaults to sieges. We, the church, must break the power of these sieges, rising to our assignment of partnering with Christ as His voices of freedom. His liberators. In sharing this, Tim uses a powerful analogy given to him by Holy Spirit, the Scriptures, and history. He shares:

“It is becoming increasingly clear that the passionate warriors of King Jesus must now rise. It is time to reset a nation and world according to God’s principles and ways. Hell has initiated a siege against the Lord’s plans on earth, including here in America, and that siege must be broken.

“There was a siege in Biblical history that, in many ways, parallels and prophesies into our times. It pictures a seemingly impossible situation and demonic principalities behind wicked human regimes. However, history also shows us that from the shaking, hope rose, victory came, and led to a great reset.

“A while back, I received a prophetic word about this event that led me to a study on ‘war eagles.’ The first mention of ‘war eagles’ in history occurs at a time when Jerusalem was under siege by a ruthless army. These invaders came from one of the most vicious kingdoms on earth, the Assyrians, led by King Sennacherib. They were heartless, cruel, and bloodthirsty, known for using horrific torture tactics and spreading great fear.

“The overall Assyrian campaign for regional dominance lasted for 17 years. They took nation after nation, many aligning with them simply because they didn’t want to experience their brutality. Eventually, King Sennacherib set his sights on Israel. He first defeated northern Israel, then moved his attention to Judah. The king of Judah was Hezekiah, a man who loved God and regularly consulted with the prophet Isaiah (2 Kings 18:1-3, 5-7).

“2 Chronicles 32:10-20 informs us that King Sennacherib sent a proclamation to the people of Judah telling them to give up, citing their conquests of other countries. Hezekiah responded by paying a ransom, but that did not stop the Assyrians. Sennacherib took the money and began amassing his forces. The army advanced and surrounded the walls of Jerusalem, beginning a siege that would ultimately last two years. The people of God were in a desperate position. During that time, the Assyrian army captured 46 surrounding cities, taking many lives. This is the context that leads us to ‘war eagles.’

“Toward the end of the second year of the siege, Hezekiah began to doubt that they would survive. The facts were staring him in the face, and he became discouraged. When he was at that low point, history tells us Sennacherib released three new war tactics.(1) The first came when Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem began to hear the loud, screeching of eagles. The Assyrian army had been training eagles for warfare!

“An Assyrian warrior would tie weights to a trained eagle’s legs, then release the eagle to look for an enemy. The eagle would descend on an enemy soldier at speeds up to 60 miles an hour, the weights becoming vicious weapons. Eagles are relentless, and when they tire, they simply mount up, forcing air into their lungs to restrengthen and keep going. The sight and sound of the ‘war eagles’ incited much fear and terror in the people of Jerusalem.

“At this point, God spoke to Isaiah, telling him to prophesy to King Hezekiah. ‘They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint’ (Isaiah 40:31 KJV).

“One meaning for the word ‘wait’ in Hebrew (qavah) is “braid,” or ‘be entwined with.’(2) The Lord was saying to Hezekiah, ‘Those who braid themselves to Me will run and not get weary. Join yourself with me and become one of MY war eagles. Those who tie themselves to Me will soar and rise above the enemy.’

“These powerful words encouraged King Hezekiah, and he was renewed in trust and strength. However, his faith was soon tested again. Looking over the walls of Jerusalem, history tells us he saw more new Assyrian weapons of war: catapults and towers, which proved to be very effective in sieges. Sennacherib sent Hezekiah another message telling him, ‘Surrender and die. God sent me to destroy you’ (2 Kings 18:23).

“This obviously caused great despair in Hezekiah. However, God instructed Isaiah to prophesy to him again, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper. And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me, says the Lord” (Isaiah 54:17 NKJV).

“Everything accelerated after this, and one of the fiercest judgments in history took place. In fact, a reset occurred almost overnight. When the sun came up, 185,000 Assyrian soldiers lay dead. No one knows exactly how, but “the angel of the Lord” killed them (2 Kings 19:35). Perhaps the angel led a host of angels; Jewish historians say the seraphim were behind it. The siege was broken, and history was reset as Sennacherib and his army retreated.

“Hear the word of the Lord I received for this hour:

“‘An incredible spiritual force is being released into the earth realm: My Kingdom warriors. My “eagle force” will partner with My angel force; they will partner with My seraphim. They will be led by Lord Sabaoth. My “war eagles” will ride the waves of My glory, the currents of My winds, the rays of My presence. They will manifest the works of My Kingdom, demonstrating My power and accomplishing My will. Know that the coming generation of “war eagles” have been groomed and reserved to overcome hell’s siege of earth. They will now be loosed.

“‘This Kingdom force will braid themselves to Me, and I will mount up, carrying them. We will soar. They will run with Me at speeds the enemy can’t match, leaping barriers and walls, breaking demonic blockades to pieces. They will shatter the gates of hell, using their spiritual weapons to battle vicious, cruel regimes, bringing deliverance to the tortured captives. They will tear down the altars of Baal. They will not surrender in fear even when surrounded; overwhelming odds will not rattle them. They will not relent to new weapons or tactics of war. These things will only strengthen their resolve.

“‘My eagles will fly with My weight of glory tied to them. They will circle, dive, and devastate the thrones of hell. Demonic adversaries of My Kingdom will be the prey. My unique eagle force will be terrifying splendor, terrorizing hell’s regimes. They will run and not grow weary, walk, and not faint. My Spirit will renew and re-strengthen them, reoxygenating them in My presence. They will mount up with wings like eagles, and no weapon formed against them will prosper. This is the heritage of My sons and daughters, says the Lord.’

“Yes, the war is fierce, but a reset is coming!”

Pray with me:

Father, we are Your rescue team, Your liberators. You have called us to enforce Christ’s victory, declare His truth, and release His light. In this prophetic word, You compare us to eagles. Release Your “war eagles” across this nation and throughout the world. Cause us to rise with You, riding the glorious rays of Your presence, accomplishing Your plans and purposes. Use us to break strongholds and bind principalities. Our lives are braided and tied to You; therefore, we will run and not grow weary, walk, and not faint. We decree that no weapon formed against us will prosper; this is our heritage.

And we once again wield the sword of Your word over the Middle East. We declare over Israel, “God is able to graft you into His family again! Your eyes will be opened to the Messiah!” (see Romans 11:23). And we declare over the sons of Ishmael, “‘God hears’ your cry. Your eyes, too, will be opened, and you will see a great light - God’s light of salvation and glory! (Genesis 16:11; Isaiah 60:1-2; John 12:46; Acts 13:47). We decree that the powers of darkness in that region will fail. Their hold is broken, light is overcoming darkness, and the oppressed will go free. We bind every demonic attempt to maintain control there and stop God’s harvest. In Jesus’ name, so be it.

Our decree:

We decree that strong spiritual warriors of Christ are rising, mounting up like eagles over this nation and the world, guided by the Spirit of God to accomplish His will.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

https://youtu.be/dAeueLRrtFw?si=xv4nvaREeNlDV1RR

Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim. You can learn more about him at TimSheets.org

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1. Dr. Ron Charles, The Search, (Bloomington, IN, 2007).

2. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 6960.

November 17, 2023

My Prayer Mentor, Ike

Last Friday (11/10/2023), I had the great honor of participating in Intercessors For America’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. No ministry has done more to generate prayer for America than this great ministry. As I pondered IFA’s role in my life, one of my fondest memories was my early years of learning to pray at Christ For the Nations Institute (CFNI) in 1977.

Each student was required to participate in an outreach or serving ministry on a weekly basis. My initial choice was Intercessory Prayer, not because I was an intercessor or knew much about the subject. Truth be known, I could barely pronounce it. But I wanted to learn more about prayer, so I enrolled. Our prayer guide each week was a bulletin provided by a ministry I had never heard of. Yep, Intercessors For America. One sheet of paper, front and back, with timely issues and government leaders listed for prayer. Thus began my prayer journey.

I’ll say more about my message at the IFA anniversary celebration in a moment. But first, I want to honor another link in the chain of my introduction to prayer at CFNI (Christ For the Nations Institute). I’ve always felt one of the best ways to learn something new or improve at it, was by watching and emulating someone better than me. Of the 1200 students at CFNI, I chose Immanuel Ike, a student from Africa, complete with tribal markings - three scars on each cheek. I believe Ike, as we called him, was Nigerian. When Ike prayed, the room shook. I think he was fire incarnate.

During the last six weeks of the school year, students were encouraged to gather for prayer in the main auditorium, an hour before chapel. This wasn’t united, corporate prayer; it was a time for us to seek God individually in an atmosphere fueled by 2-300 hungry, passionate people also pursuing Him. We were encouraged to come up on the large platform, and/or scatter throughout the auditorium - on our feet, knees, faces, or walking - it didn’t matter the position. I chose the platform, kneeling at one of the chairs right behind the piano…because that’s where Ike was.

I prayed for an hour each morning, with one eye closed, one open, watching and listening to Ike. When he bound, I bound; when Ike loosed, I loosed. Soon after beginning, he would grab the side of his chair and begin rocking back and forth. I, too, held on and rocked. Ike would start in English, shift into his African dialect, then “machine gun” his prayers in tongues - I think. Maybe it was his African dialect on steroids. All I know is that Ike had now lost all connection to earth and its earthlings; we no longer existed. Tears. Groans. Pleadings. Decrees. Worship. Ike was in heaven’s throne room, then traveling the planet with Holy Spirit, tearing down strongholds and birthing Kingdom realities.

And I was riding his coattails!

What is it they say? Often, more is caught than taught. My prayers were mostly, “Lord, give me at least some of what this man carries.” I think I received a small degree of Ike’s mantle. “Wherever you are today, Ike, thank you.”

My heart and world also expanded through the influence of other guest ministries that came through CFNI every week. Literally. That was the plan: every week, a different ministry/person taught all students in a united session at 11AM, Monday through Friday. They, Ike, and prayer ministries like IFA taught me to move beyond my own needs, not praying only to generate money for school bills, rent, clothes, etc. They challenged me to transcend caring only for my own ministry and future success. For the first time in my life, I found myself praying for nations and travailing for souls. I called out the names of Senators, Representatives, Judges, laws, bills, and court cases. I began to realize I was called to more than personal success, something bigger than a congregation or a traveling ministry of my own. I was invited into the realm of an eternal Kingdom with a worldwide cause.

Somehow, my heart grew and expanded. I take no credit. It was the influence of others, of great teaching, of exposure to different ministries and organizations every week; it was an atmosphere of passionate worship, prayer, and faith - every day. And Ike, of course. I’ve never looked back.

The cheetah survives on the African plains by running down its prey. The big cat can sprint seventy miles per hour. But the cheetah cannot sustain that pace for long. Within its long, sleek body is a disproportionately small heart, which causes the cheetah to tire quickly. Unless the cheetah catches its prey in the first flurry, it must abandon the chase.

Far too often, Christians seem to have the cheetah’s approach to prayer. We start fast and with great energy. We are robust and have unmeasured faith. But lacking the heart for a sustained effort, we falter before we finish the job. We don’t need more speed or emotion; we need more staying power, which only comes from a bigger prayer heart.

Last Friday, I thanked IFA for their large prayer heart. Fifty years of prayer for America, and they’re only getting stronger! Incredible. And I thanked them for helping me pray more effectively…for 46 of my years.

I concluded my message by mentioning Rees Howells, an intercessor with a large prayer heart. In 1924, Howells launched the Bible College of Wales, which always had an emphasis on prayer. During WW2, however, Holy Spirit burdened Rees’ heart to intercede at even greater levels for the Allies, and for the deliverance of the world from Hitler’s Third Reich. Every day, anywhere from 5-10 hours, sometimes more, Rees and the students labored in prayer over the war. He challenged the students to not allow the soldiers at the Front to labor more than them. Rees Howells and his 100 students no doubt played a huge role in saving the world from Hitler’s demonic assault. (You can read more about the life of Rees Howells in the book Rees Howells, Intercessor.)

God is looking for intercessors now who will accept the call to save the world from today’s demonic leaders. Like Hitler, they are possessed by powers of darkness and want to rule the earth. If we join forces with big-hearted prayer ministries like IFA, we can prevail. I know many of you who follow Give Him 15 also have hearts that will never quit praying.

Thank you! Lock arms with others at this time and determine that we will not quit, we will not falter, and we will not fail until we see the earth in full-fledged revival. We have put our hand to the plow, and we will not look back. Victory is ours through Christ, and we will see it come to pass.

Pray with me:

Father, it is appropriate that we honor ministries like Intercessors For America and people like Rees Howells and my friend Ike. All of our successes are built, in part, on the work of others. We ask for Your blessings on them in abundance. For those still here with us, multiply their effectiveness, anointing, and provision. For others, like Rees Howells, well, tell them we said thanks.

Today, we ask You for bigger prayer hearts. We want hearts so expansive that they embrace Your worldwide Kingdom efforts, and run prayer’s race without growing weary. We pledge to persevere in prayer for a worldwide harvest. We will continue to lay hold by faith of a restored America. We will never stop representing You as Your Ekklesia, enforcing Your victory on earth.

We do that now over the Middle East. We pull down the thrones of iniquity over that region in Yeshua’s name. This is the hour of deliverance for millions there. This is the season of their entrance into the King’s family, their day of salvation. We declare over them that the veil is lifting, and the spirit of revelation is invading the territory. We loose them from their darkness and deception, their oppression and bondage. Signs and wonders are manifesting; powerful evangelists are being raised up and anointed with the level of power Stephen, Phillip, Paul, Peter, and others demonstrated in the book of Acts. We decree revival there now. And we do all this in the name that guarantees victory, Jesus.

Our decree:

We decree that Christ’s large prayer heart is being imparted to His Ekklesia. We will not faint.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

If you would like to learn more about Intercessors for America, visit IFApray.org. You can learn more about Christ For The Nations by going to CFNI.org.