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Introduction

As I stated yesterday, I am coming to the end of a long, very demanding travel schedule. This is the final week of the stretch and I will be on the road the entire week. To help me out, I have asked some of our favorite Give Him 15 guests to write posts. They are outstanding. Today’s inspiring post by our friend, Cheryl Sacks, which I’ll be reading, points out the incredible speed at which God is moving us into revival, and challenges us to “keep pace with what He is doing!” Cheryl’s title is:

Racing into Acceleration

I was seated in a bobsled at the top of a gleaming ice-carved track, poised at the edge of impossibility. The course shone brilliantly white, majestic, and alive with activity. Endless bobsleds stretched before us—filled with athletes, all waiting for the race to begin. Then, without warning, we were catapulted forward.

The acceleration was instantaneous—a breathtaking surge that tore the air from my lungs. We hurtled down the track, slashing around razor-sharp curves, plunging into valleys, then shooting up blinding inclines. The sled tilted and lifted, threatening to break free from the ice. My heart pounded, caught between exhilaration and sheer terror.

It was a dream the Lord gave me thirty years ago—one He has brought back to me with an urgency I cannot ignore—because the acceleration I saw then is what we are entering now.

In the dream, we weren’t steering; we were being carried—drawn by a power far greater than human strength. The wind roared, the ice shook beneath us, and it felt as though creation itself was trembling. This wasn’t just speed—it was divine momentum. Heaven’s purposes were racing toward fulfillment.

Then I woke up. Instantly, I knew the Lord was unveiling a time of divine acceleration—when events on earth would unfold with breathtaking speed. You and I are stepping into a spiritual hour unlike anything this generation has ever witnessed.  We are living in the fulfillment of what the prophet Amos described:

“Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won’t be able to keep up.” Amos 9:13 (MSG)

Yes, darkness is spiraling quickly, but God’s movement is advancing even faster. What looks like chaos is actually divine momentum. This is the hour when shaking and awakening collide—when disruption jolts the Church awake and draws multitudes to the Truth. We must be ready.

I hear the Lord saying, “What you have now cannot contain the magnitude of what is coming. Now is the time to prepare for the masses of lost people who will run toward truth in this shaking hour.”                                                                                          

The Time Is Now

If you want to see what divine acceleration looks like in real time, let me share the story of my friend Des Wadsworth, pastor of Grace Community Church. Once a thriving megachurch, the congregation had dwindled through five pastoral transitions. When Des moved from the U.K. to take the reins, he found a faithful but weary flock—mostly older believers—and only fifty students in the college ministry, despite being located beside a major university.

After five years of laboring with little fruit, Des came to the end of himself. He cried out to the Lord for direction. Just before the New Year, the Lord answered with a single word: “PRAY!”

Des realized he had been a man who prayed but was not yet a praying man. And Grace was a church that prayed, but not yet a praying church. That revelation pierced him. Everything was about to change.

He announced to his elders, “We are going to become a praying church!” From that moment, things shifted. Every meeting—children’s classes, board meetings, worship rehearsals, Sunday services—was preceded by prayer. Des began leading the Monday night prayer meeting, and every church leader started attending.

Almost overnight, the prayer meeting surged—from a handful of intercessors to ninety—and then climbed past 350. The college ministry began to grow, too—fifty students became five hundred. Then it grew by five hundred every week. Students filled the 1,200-seat sanctuary every Thursday night for worship, prayer, and Bible study. They packed every inch of standing room, then filled two overflow buildings, linked by livestream.

Des’s son, who leads the college ministry, said, “Dad, students won’t think watching a livestream in another building is cool.” But there was no option—the hunger was too great.

That night, when they gave a simple, old-fashioned call to accept Christ—inviting students to stand and come forward—young people rose to their feet everywhere, even in the overflow buildings. There is no elaborate setup. No big-name speakers. No hype—and yet they keep coming. Last week, 1,800 Gen Z-ers poured in—desperate for God.

Des said they never asked God for a larger church or a bigger college ministry. They simply prayed the Lord would bring in the lost. And that He did—so powerfully they can’t contain the numbers coming.

Today, the church that was aging and dwindling is alive—bursting at the seams with young people passionately pursuing God. The older generation isn’t just sitting in pews—they’re discipling the younger ones.

What’s happening at Grace Community Church is not an isolated story—it’s a prophetic picture of what God is releasing across the land. Nowhere is this more visible than in Gen Z. A generation once lost in confusion is running toward truth. The same move of the Spirit transforming Grace is breaking out on university campuses. And it’s spreading nationwide. Large-scale ‘UniteUS’ college gatherings are igniting worship, prayer, and the proclamation of the Gospel. Thousands of students are accepting Christ and being baptized.

Gen Z’s foundations are shaking. They are searching for something real—something unshakable. Many are discovering the only answer is Jesus. The assassination of Charlie Kirk sent a shockwave through Gen Z, intensifying a movement already stirring and confronting many with the seriousness of the hour. A generation is waking up—right before our eyes. The harvest is massive. How will we disciple them?

The Book of Acts gives us a clear model: believers gathered in the temple and from house to house. Healings and miracles broke out in the streets. Thousands were born again every day, and homes became places of discipleship and encounter. We are seeing this pattern again—believers ignited with holy fire, homes transformed into revival centers because the harvest is so great.

In places such as San Francisco—where many might never set foot inside a church—believers like our daughter and her husband are opening their doors. They are inviting neighbors and families from their kids’ sports teams into their home. As conversations unfold and friendships form, hearts open. People notice God’s peace and presence; they ask questions, and before long, they’re being discipled around the kitchen table. This is the kind of grassroots discipleship that will enable us to steward revival and sustain the harvest.

This is not the hour to retreat or wait for things to settle. The shaking around us is not subsiding—it’s escalating. Comfort zones are being dismantled, and the Church is being summoned to the front lines. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment. Every believer is needed—every prayer, every act of courage, every voice that will speak truth and hope into the chaos.

It is no longer a question of if revival will come; revival is here. The real question is: Will we be able to keep pace with what He is doing? We are being carried forward by a move of the Spirit, accelerating with undeniable force. I hear His urgent call: Where are the ones who will rise to contend in prayer for the lost, get ready to disciple the harvest, rebuild the spiritual altars of our homes, our churches, and our nation?

Is it you? Will you say, “Here am I, Lord, send me”?

Pray with me:

Heavenly Father, we say “yes” to Your divine acceleration. Empower us to build altars of prayer in our homes and churches. Pour out Your Spirit upon our campuses and cities. Let revival flow from home to home, heart to heart, until the earth is filled with Your glory.

Our decree:

We decree that this move of God cannot be contained; it cannot be stopped. The harvest will come in. Churches will overflow; college campuses will be aflame. Our homes will become revival centers, our families will burn with holy fire, and the sound of awakening will thunder across this land!

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Cheryl Sacks and her husband, Hal, are leaders of BridgeBuilders Int’l, Phoenix, AZ. Their newest books, Fire on the Family Altar: Experience the Holy Spirit’s Power in Your Home and Unshakable: How to Prepare for Uncertain Times, will equip you for the days ahead.

 
 

Introduction

I am coming to the end of a long, very demanding travel schedule. This is the final week of the stretch and I will be on the road the entire week. To help me out, I have asked some of our favorite Give Him 15 guests to write posts. They are outstanding. Today’s post by my friend, Greg Hood, is a very encouraging message on The Victorious Church. Enjoy. 

The Victorious Church

Hello and welcome to Give Him 15. I am Greg Hood. I am honored to be filling in for my friend Dutch today. The title of today’s post is “The Victorious Church.”

There is some confusion regarding the assignment of the Church. Many think our only job is to witness, save the lost, and get them into heaven. Let’s plunder hell and populate heaven—great idea, but not complete.

Yeshua never assigned us only to offer people heaven. That was not His goal. We are to bring people into the Kingdom of God. I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t the Kingdom of God in heaven? Well, yes and no. Actually, our destiny is not in heaven; our destiny is in the Kingdom of God on earth.

Matthew 6:10 makes this very clear. It reads, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (NKJV)

We are assigned to the earth to expand the Kingdom of God. Now, let me clarify. When you die, you go to heaven if you’re born again. But it’s a short stay. We will return with Yeshua to a new heaven and a new earth.

Yeshua did not promise us a religion; He promised us a Kingdom. We need to distinguish between religion and Yeshua. We must learn to discern:

  • What is God? What is not God?

  • What is His will? What is not His will.

  • What is His assignment? What is not His assignment?

Bringing the Kingdom of God to earth is Yeshua’s assignment.

The enemy wants to stop our momentum. Yet the enemy’s resistance will not catch us off guard if we position ourselves and prepare for the enemy’s retaliation as we take ground. That’s why Paul said in Ephesians 6: “and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore.” Then he lists what we need to do so.

As the Ekklesia, we must be aware of the counterattack of the enemy. Fights are rarely easy. Most are lengthy struggles. As we are wrestling with the enemy for territory, we must expect pushback when we fight.

Just as Yeshua has a body—the Church—so does the enemy. Have you ever thought about that? The enemy has an Ekklesia working in the earth on his behalf to produce the will of the Kingdom of Darkness. Fortunately, the enemy’s governmental structure has been defeated through the death, burial, and resurrection of King Yeshua, and the arrival of the Holy Spirit to earth to take up residence in us.

We are the most dangerous force on the planet. Conversely, we are the least significant when we are off the planet. Why? Because we were not created to operate in the unseen realm alone, even though we have authority in the unseen realm, we must operate from the seen realm. That’s where our authority resides.

Ephesians 2:6 says, “God raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

When we operate from the seen realm, we can pull things from the unseen realm into the seen realm that need to be here. But it takes effort. This is not like going to Wal-Mart and filling our buggies. We have to understand: We’re in a fight. This is not a Church social or a Sunday School picnic. The goal is not our comfort. It’s a fight for our lives. It’s a fight for the nation.

When Jesus was choosing disciples, some would-be disciples proclaimed: “Hey, we’re willing to follow you.” Jesus replied with a sobering reality regarding the fight in which he was engaged. “Birds have nests, foxes have holes, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20).

Sadly, the modern-day Church is lethargic, weak, and complacent. It sees its goal as coexisting on the enemy’s territory rather than turning that kingdom into the Kingdom of God. Set this mentality before you: We are in a war. Not only can we win this fight, but we have already won this fight. We have to walk it out. The fight is fixed! Why? Because we’re more than conquerors, Jesus won. Jesus, conquered. Romans 8:37 (NKJV) says, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” What does it mean to be more than a conqueror?

Let me tell you a story! There is a great Filipino boxer named Manny Pacquiao. The only reason Joan and I owned a TV in the early days of our marriage was so she could watch him box. Manny trained in Big Bear, California, where he ran every day, no matter the weather: rain, wind, or snow, he ran and sweated and shadow-boxed. His sparing partners were matched to resemble his upcoming opponents, and he insisted that they fight realistically. The results were cuts and bruises, just like a real contest.

When each fight came, he entered the ring fully prepared to defeat his opponent. Most of the time, he won (unless they cheated, according to my wife, Joan). When the referee raised Manny’s hand, he was a conqueror.

Now, the story continues. Most people don’t know what happened when he left the ring. Yes, he was a conqueror, but he encountered “she who was more than the conqueror.” Her name is Jinkee, his wife. Why is she more than a conqueror? Even though Manny won the fight and got the prize money, she got to spend it. She never ran, never bled, never bruised, never had to get up early, never had to watch her diet. Yet they shared the prize of the fight. This is the meaning of Romans 8:37.

There is no division between the conqueror and the “more than the conqueror.” They are married. They are one. They are together for life. What’s his…is hers. And what’s hers is hers. Yeah. Something like that. Everything Manny won, they shared. The same thing applies to the Church. Jesus won the fight, but He shares the prize with us.

Now, modern Christianity says that the gospel is all about the individual—our personal relationship with King Yeshua. Yes, we must be born again individually, but Yeshua did not die solely for the individual. He died for the corporate body as well, which He created to legislate on earth in His name. Our salvation and our walk with God are not just about you or me. It’s about us…all of us. As the Ekklesia, we must shift from individual Christianity to a corporate Ekklesia.

It’s not the ministry’s responsibility to preach “Seven Ways To A Better You.” Of course, if you need seven ways, or seventy-seven ways, God will get those to you. But it will always be to build you for the kingdom.

In Ekklesia gatherings, our assignment is to look past our personal lives and come together to execute rule and authority. As we read in Psalms 149:9, “To execute on them the written judgment—This honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord!” We are the legislative body of the kingdom of God on earth. We are the Ekklesia of the Father. We are His victorious Church!

Pray with me:

Father, we thank You for making us more than conquerors through Yeshua’s death, burial, and resurrection. We ask that You would empower us by the help of Holy Spirit to make a greater shift into our victorious position to legislate on behalf of Your government, the Kingdom of God.

Our decree: 

We decree that the Church, the Ekklesia across the nation, is becoming more aware of the battle at hand for our country and that the Church, His Ekklesia, is causing the kingdoms of this world to become the kingdom of our God and His Christ.

Most of today’s post came from my new book Ancient Evils, Present-Day Manifestations, Volume 1- The Rise of the Ekklesia. You can find this book at GregHood.org.

Thank you for joining me today.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.


 
 

The Walk 

I love to walk. The farthest I’ve walked in one day, is just over twenty miles. I know the distance because on a hunt, my nephew measured it using his GPS. On this particular day, such a long walk wasn’t planned. My brother Tim, his son, another friend, and I were scouting, looking for the best way in and out of a specific location.

We were confident there was a dirt road at the base of the mountain we were standing on because we could see portions of it. The woods, however, were too thick to see where it led. We debated for a few minutes whether to carefully make the VERY steep descent, which was a LONG way down. If we were wrong about where the road led, the climb all the way back up the steep mountain would be grueling and dangerous, if not impossible. But since we really wanted to check out the road and were confident it would lead us out, we decided to take the risk.

We were wrong. Way wrong. I can’t begin to tell you just how wrong we were! 

The road was actually on the other side of a broad stream. No way across. And even if we could have gotten across, the road was on private land! The area was gorgeous, with lush meadows bordering aspen trees and the beautiful mountain stream. But there was no access to the road. Thinking we would no doubt find another road if we followed the stream, we walked a mile or so. Eventually, we happened upon another hunter sitting at the edge of the stream. Relieved, we conversed for a few minutes, then asked him where another road out of the area was located.

“There is no road out of here,” he answered.

“There has to be,” we insisted, our concern mounting.

“My dad and I have been hunting here for twenty-five years,” he said, “and I guarantee you there is no road in or out of here. The dirt road across the stream is private, and the owner allows NO ONE to use it. You can’t get over there, anyway.”

“How did you get here?” we asked, still unwilling to believe him.

“Horseback. We pack in and camp for the week.”

We told him where we had parked on top of the mountain, and asked him how to get to it. With a slight grin and a confident demeanor, he pointed to a trail we could see meandering several thousand feet up the mountain. “Up that trail, boys,” he said. “That’s the only way out of here. That’s why they call it ‘Hell Hole.’”

Shocked and a little panicky, we said, “We have to be out by dark!” It was around noon at the time.

He gave us a warning smile and a piece of advice: “Then you’d better get going.”

We made it just before dark - with sore feet, tired legs, and bragging rights: We’d been to “hell” and back. Actually, it wasn’t that bad for a true walker. And it was so gorgeous down there, I’ve always wanted to go back. Hey, if you wanna make the memory, you gotta take the walk! If a person planned ahead, packed a lunch, and plenty of water, it wouldn’t be all that bad. And the peaceful meadow nestled up against the beautiful mountain stream - well, it was, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. The higher we climbed on our way out, the more beautiful the view of the stream and meadows below became. To me, Hell Hole was Heavenly, a view and an experience I’ll never forget. Perspective is everything.

Enoch was a walker. You’ve probably heard of him. He was the guy whose friendship brought Yahweh such pleasure that the Lord decided to go ahead and translate him to heaven: “And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him,” (Genesis 5:24). 

The concept of Enoch “walking” with God is fascinating. The Hebrew word used can mean several things. It describes the flowing of a river, the descending of a flood, the blowing of the wind, the tossing of the sea and, of course, walking. The basic idea is movement. It is used metaphorically to speak of the pathways of one’s life. For example, a son can “walk in” or “follow after” the ways of a father.

Enoch followed after God and His ways, walking with Him on the pathway of his life. The meaning is quite simple: He lived life with God. Not satisfied with the mundane existence of life without God, Enoch decided to prioritize and enjoy the pleasure of His company. Somehow, he knew walking with God was a decision HE had to make - not God. The Scriptures do not say, “God walked with Enoch,” although that obviously occurred as they spent time together. No, the wording is important and the point is clear: “Enoch walked with God.” 

The Scriptures do tell us how the Lord felt about this relationship, however. The New Testament says of Enoch: “He obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God” (Hebrews 11:5). “Pleasing” is from the Greek word euarestos. “Well-pleasing” would be a more literal translation; the prefix eu means “well” or “good,”(1)  and arestos means “to please.”(2) Seeing other people gloat over their grandkids has always been pleasing (arestos) to me. Now, having my own grandkids is well-pleasing (euarestos). Enoch’s walk was more than pleasing to God; it was well-pleasing.

This hyphenated word isn’t used much nowadays. A more contemporary way of describing Enoch’s relationship with God would simply be that he brought Him “great pleasure.” The Passion Translation uses the word “pleasure” in this verse: “[Enoch’s] life had become a pleasure to God.” Fascinating, isn’t it? What is for us “the pleasure of His company“ can become for God “the pleasure of our company.” For most, this is an unheard-of concept. It’s one thing to believe God can use us. And believing that our obedience to His laws pleases Him? No problem. But I can’t help but wonder how many people realize their presence can bring pleasure to the Lord.

Don’t be deceived into thinking that only a few spiritual elites, such as Enoch, could have such a relationship with the Lord. Paul said to the Corinthians, “We also have as our ambition… to be euarestos to Him” (2 Corinthians 5:9). A literal rendering of the latter part of Hebrews 12:28 would read, “Let us have gratitude, by which we can offer to God euarestos worship with reverence and awe.” It absolutely is possible to become a pleasure to Father God. When this is known and embraced, life becomes an exciting and glorious journey. Yes, there will be hills to climb, but they’re part of a wonderful destiny to fulfill, not a journey to endure. And the higher you climb, the more magnificent the view.

Whatever else you do today, be sure to also spend some quality time with Abba. You were made for His pleasure. 

Take the walk!

Pray with me:

Father, teach us to walk in rhythm with the beat of Your heart. We know it brings great pleasure to You. We want to be pleasing and delightful to You. Help us to prioritize, reroute, and walk tirelessly, following the ways of Your heart. May the cry from within us be as Moses’: “I’ll only move forward if You do.” We choose to be led along on the pathway that brings honor and glory to You. May pleasing You, Father, be our greatest ambition, such that when our lives on this side of eternity end, it will be said of us that we walked faithfully with You, choosing to offer You the pleasure of our company. 

And Father, though America - and many other nations - are in challenging situations, even “hell holes,” You are willing to transform them all into redeemed places of beauty. Reveal Your gracious heart. May many nations taste and see that You are good, Your ways just. We call this forth in the name of our great Redeemer, Christ Jesus. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that we WILL walk with God, pleasing Him and enjoying the pleasure of His company.

Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company, published by Baker Books.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

  1. James Strong, The New Strong’s exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 2101.

  2. Ibid, ref no. 701.









 
 
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