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Letter To The American Church Recently, I found myself considering the importance of forerunners, voices of change who point the way toward the right path, and thought of Eric Metaxas. The journey of forerunners is always difficult as they challenge the status quo and ruffle comfortable feathers, but God gives them steel backbones and steadfast hearts. They are usually blessed with great intellect and remarkable communication skills; Eric is no exception. You may have read one of his exceptional books. Amazing Grace, the story of the great reformer, William Wilberforce, deeply impacted me, as did the powerful book on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer entitled Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Metaxas has other great books, but today I want to highlight once again his latest book entitled, Letter to the American Church, and the amazing documentary and film adaptation with the same title. I believe the message of this book and documentary is urgent. Today’s American church has failed to be the voice we were called to be; thanks to people like Eric Metaxas, this is changing. Eric’s appeal to the church is passionate, intellectually and factually sound, historically reinforced, and biblically based. In the words of Erwin W. Lutzer (pastor emeritus of The Moody Church, Chicago), “This book [and now documentary] is like a bucket of cold water thrown into the face of a sleeping church.” And from Anne Graham Lotz (author of eleven books, including Just Give Me Jesus), “We would do well to heed this five-bell alarm.” Michael Youssef (Ph.D., senior pastor of the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia, and executive president of Leading the Way), says of America’s great need and the importance of this book: “Back in the 60s when I escaped with my life from the socialist dictatorship of President Nasser of Egypt, I only wanted to come to America. Why America? Because its system of government has never been duplicated. The founders ensured that the ultimate authority under God is not the President, nor the Congress, but ‘We the people.’ Thus, they drafted the greatest political document in all human history, the U.S. Constitution. Yet many of my fellow pastors who claim to relevantly and contextually interpret the Word of God fail to take this ‘unique’ blessing of ‘We the people’ as the governing authority to heart. They sold out this blessing and exchanged it for selective silence against the modern scourge of the evils of wokeness. Nay, some of them even baptized this evil into their church’s catechism. Unbeknownst to them, they are handing over the keys of their own freedom to preach the Gospel to the enemy of their souls. Perhaps there is no modern writer who can draw a comparison of this selective silence on the part of many American pastors to the German church in the 1920s and 1930s like Eric Metaxas. In the pages of this book…there is a solemn warning. Read it, heed it, and pass it on to many others.” Please watch this film! Pastors, show it to your church! Eric has done the hard part by producing this powerful documentary - now let’s do ours. Consider giving a copy of the documentary to your pastor or a friend. Here are a few paragraphs from the book’s introduction; after reading them, we will pray. “The German Church of the 1930s was silent in the face of evil; but can there be any question whether the American Church of our own time is guilty of the same silence? Because of this, I am compelled to speak out and to say what - only by God’s grace - I might say to make plain where we find ourselves at this moment, at our own unavoidable crucial crossroads in history. “It is for good or for ill that America plays an inescapably central role in the world. If you have not read Alexis de Tocqueville on this subject, you likely nonetheless understand that the extent to which that central role has been used for good and for God’s purposes has had everything to do with our churches, or with the American Church, as we may call her. So if America is in any way exceptional, it has nothing to do with the blood that runs through American veins and everything to do with the blood shed for us on Calvary, and the extent to which we have acknowledged this. America has led the world in making religious liberty paramount…It was this that made Tocqueville marvel most: that while in other nations - and especially in his own nation of France - the Church was adamantly opposed to the idea of political liberty, in America, it was the churches that helped encourage, create, and sustain a culture of liberty. “Because of the outsized role America plays in the world today, the importance of whether we learn the lesson of what happened to the German Church ninety years ago cannot be overstated. Though it may be a gruesome thing to consider, the monstrous evil that befell the civilized world precisely because of the German Church’s failure is likely a mere foretaste of what will befall the world if the American Church fails in a similar way at this hour. “And at present, we are indeed failing. “We should underscore the idea that the centrality of our nation in the world does not mean that we are intrinsically exceptional, but rather that God has sovereignly chosen us to hold the torch of liberty for all the world, and that the Church is central to our doing this. So the idea that He has charged us with this most solemn duty should make us tremble. Nonetheless, we must carry out that duty in a way that is the opposite of prideful, and that is meant to be an invitation to all beyond our shores. If we should aspire - in the words of Jesus as quoted by John Winthrop - to be a ‘shining city on a hill,’ the idea is that we should exist and shine for the sake of others and not for ourselves alone. President Abraham Lincoln said that we in America were God’s ‘almost chosen people’ and acknowledged that this placed upon us an almost unbearable burden. It is a certainty from the Scriptures and from our experience over the centuries that apart from God, we can do nothing. So if God has chosen us for some task, we must do all we can to shoulder that task, and must know more than anything that unless we lean on Him and acknowledge Him in all our ways, we are guaranteed to fail. “If anyone would feel that believing God has chosen the American Church for such a vital role somehow smacks of an egotistical nationalism, they have already bought into the Marxist and globalist lie that America is nothing special - or is probably a force for evil at this point. In any case, they miss the point and have only leapt away from one ditch to fall headlong into another. It is a fact that God, in His sovereignty, chose the German Church to stand against the evils of its day, but it shrank from acknowledging this and from standing. Germany has been living with the deep shame over it unto this day. So for the American Church to say that God has not chosen us is as bad as saying He must choose us because we deserve to be chosen. Both stances are equally guilty of the sin of pride. It is far easier to ignore God’s call than to acknowledge it and rise to fulfill it, but it is more difficult and painful than anything to live with the results of ignoring God’s call. Let the reader understand.”(1) May God help us truly understand and embrace these poignant words. Link to the trailer and info regarding how to find the film is here. Pray with me: Father, thank You for raising up voices to point us in the right direction. Though forerunners often make us uncomfortable, they nonetheless prepare the way for needed change. We ask You to breathe great momentum into this book and documentary by Eric Metaxas. Use them to awaken the American Church, especially, but not limited to, leaders in the Church. We see signs that a remnant in the Church has been awakened, and we thank You for this. But we ask for this to increase exponentially. Rain fire, passion, and great zeal onto Your people in America. Revive us, as You have promised. Breathe great favor and momentum into the voices of change. As always, we thank You for your promise that America shall be saved. We declare our faith that You will do this, as we appeal to You based on Your obvious will and purposes. Continue to deliver us from evil and bring Your Kingdom authority to bear in our land, and the nations of the world. We thank You for this, and pray it in Yeshua’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that voices of change will be heard, and America will once again embrace her God-given calling. You can learn more about Eric Metaxas at EricMetaxas.com. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ______________________________ Eric Metaxas, Letter to the American Church, (Washington, DC: Salem Books, 2022), pp. ix-xi.

Marked! “Then the sons of Judah approached Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the word which the Lord spoke to Moses the man of God on account of you and me in Kadesh-barnea. And now behold, the Lord has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless, my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the Lord my God fully. So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘The land on which your foot has walked shall certainly be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God fully.’ I am still as strong today as I was on the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim was there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I will drive them out just as the Lord has spoken.” (Joshua 14:6-12 NASB) In the above passage, the great warrior Caleb, said he was just as strong at 85 as he was at 40. “Now,” he stated, “give me my mountain!” Then he proceeded to conquer the city in the Promised Land ruled by the biggest giant! Caleb had a “different spirit” than most, and “followed God fully”(Numbers 14:24). My spiritual father, Jim Hodges, turned 85 this week. Like Caleb, he has a different spirit and has followed God fully. He has also conquered his share of spiritual giants, starting with the “religious spirit” back in the 60s. Jim walks in more revelation than the average spy agency, and has more knowledge stored in his cranium than the local library. Yet he’s humble! Those of us privileged to run with him have often joked that “he doesn’t know how much he knows.” Jim’s wisdom and/or revelation has “marked” me often - he was one of Ceci’s and my professors in Bible School, and has been our spiritual father and mentor for almost 40 years. While the wisdom that sometimes (not always) comes with age is frequently spoken of, a word often overlooked when describing this wisdom is “perspective.” The higher you climb, the further you see. Eighty-five years is pretty high up the mountain of life. I sometimes laugh when I hear arrogant and dogmatic young leaders trying to correct or enlighten the body of Christ. Then I remember some of my younger days and blush. The problem with our youthfulness is often not knowing what we DON’T know. Oh well, at least I was zealous. I’m always moved when I read the passage in Ezra when the Temple in Jerusalem was rebuilt after decades of desolation. The Lord moved on the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia, to allow those who so desired to relocate back to Jerusalem and rebuild this place of worship (Ezra 1). After the foundation was laid, a celebration occurred: “And they sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘For He is good, for His favor is upon Israel forever.’ And all the people shouted with a great shout of joy when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, because the people were shouting with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.” (Ezra 3:11-13 NASB) Different perspectives. We’re left to wonder why the old timers were weeping. Were they remembering the glory in the previous Temple? Did they realize more clearly just how far they were from completion? Were they remembering the horrible devastation of the cruel Babylonians, perhaps thinking of family members they had lost? Were they mourning the sin that caused their captivity? We don’t know. But we do know they had a different perspective, and were seeing much more than the younger ones. I was on a Zoom call last week with Jim and 6 or 7 leaders in his ministerial network, hashing out some future plans. As we finished and were about to end the call, he said, “Wait a minute; I want to bless you all with something.” Jim held his phone up to his iPad, and I thought he was going to play something humorous - Jim has a great sense of humor. Then the song, America the Beautiful, sung by Lee Greenwood, began to play. We could see Jim clearly behind his phone. No one spoke; we just watched and listened intently, and the moment became holy. After a minute or so, Jim’s hand went up in worship. Then he began to weep…so did I. And Jim Hodges marked me, once again. I’ll never forget watching as he worshiped and wept over our nation. No one asked why he cried; no one needed to. Jim loves America, especially her calling to partner with God. He is aware of her failures, remembers her greatness, sees her current devastation, and has hope for her restoration. I stayed up until 2:30 AM that night listening to the song over and over. And yes, I cried again. It took me back to 25 years ago when the Lord visited me and imparted His heart for America. He told me then that He needed this nation in order to reap the great harvest He was planning to gather throughout the world. I felt His love for the nations, and for America. Then He and I wept together over her for 3 1/2 hours. That night, Christ marked me. Those who tell me it’s wrong to love America as I do are too late. The propagandists who call me a “Christian Nationalist” because I believe America has a distinct calling to SERVE all other nations by partnering with Christ, taking His gospel to them, can babble on. I am unmoved. I’ll continue kneeling with “misguided” Hunt on the beach at Cape Henry and reading the Mayflower Compact with the “deceived” Pilgrims. Of course I know that God loves all nations as much as America - don’t insult me with such uninformed and ridiculous accusations to the contrary. Those who tell me to stop speaking from the pulpit about our nation, government, schools, etc., lost that battle when God encountered and overcame me as I stood at my pulpit that night 25 years ago. The issue was settled as He wept with me on the floor next to said pulpit. Those who hate the flag, and those who believe it is heresy to connect it with delivering the gospel, lost the argument the night I wrapped myself in Old Glory, while the Lord and I wept over it for three hours. And don’t insult me with your weak arguments and heretical statements about the subject of government being evil and off-limits in church services, when God IS government and began discussing it with us in the FIRST chapter of the Bible! And by the way, yes, I know what makes America truly great. It isn’t military power, wealth, size, or natural resources. It is serving God and His purposes. And, no, Donald Trump is not my messiah, as disingenuous liars suggest. But he did give us Supreme Court Justices that overturned Roe vs Wade, brought law and order to our borders, is patriotic, kept tyrants around the world in check, honors God and the church, and is hated by crooks and God-haters. I prefer him over an open border, the dishonoring of God, child mutilation, and a trans White House. Don’t waste your time telling me not to love, talk about, and pray for America so much - you’re too late. You arrived AFTER the encounter with my weeping Heavenly Father, and AFTER the 40 years I’ve walked with my “Calebesque” spiritual father. Your lower perspective will never unmark me. To all of you who are marked by love for America and God’s plans for her, do yourself a favor: use the link I’ve provided and listen to “America the Beautiful.” Make that today’s prayer. And thank Jim Hodges. “America the Beautiful” sung by Lee Greenwood via YouTube: click here. “America the Beautiful” sung by Lee Greenwood via Spotify: click here. You may be able to find this on other music outlets, as well. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

10 Requirements For Turning America Larry Tomzcak was born again during the Jesus Movement of the 60s and 70s. He and I would certainly picture the mavericks of that era who were “rounded-up” and led to “independence.” (See yesterday's post here to read The “Mavericks” Are Coming.) In a recent article, Larry speaks of his dream of a transformed America, and the 10 requirements for turning our nation around. Here are Larry’s 10 points and explanations: “Reconsecrate ourselves to the Great Commission given us by Jesus. The Pilgrims prioritized this in the original Mayflower Compact - to proclaim the ‘gospel of the kingdom’ (not some ‘He Gets Us’ distortion!) to see lives transformed, not merely affirmed, by the power of the living God. “Renounce and reject complacency. This has brought about the decline and demise of civilizations throughout history. We must repent and return to the values that made us great in the first place, refusing to succumb to the seduction of affluence and leisure as substitutes for hard work. “Cast off D.E.I. (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) mandates. These criteria for our institutions are inherently racist, giving people preferences and positions that should belong to achievers applying themselves to merit advancement. Our nation affords ‘equal opportunity for all’ who are willing and able to work for it! “Replace destructive Marxist, Globalist elements. These have poisoned our government, schools, media, and corporate boardrooms. In their places, we must put leaders of integrity and conviction, mirroring those of our truly great and revered statesmen and stateswomen. Though they, like all of us, had flaws, they deserve honor because of their overall character and achievements. “Put an end to propaganda and promotion of unbiblical socialism. We must return to a Constitutional Republic that has undergirded us successfully for close to 250 years – longer than any nation in world history. Anti-American activists are entitled to their opinions, but I agree with former Prime Minister of England, Margaret Thatcher, who said: ‘The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.’(1) Check out our unsustainable $34 trillion debt! “Accept the sacred responsibility to expose and eradicate tyranny. We must replace oppressive government in all its forms and contend for freedom. Let us take seriously the warning of President Ronald Reagan: ‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling them what it was once like in America when men were free.’(2) “Pastors once again must arise to the urgency of the hour. Just as in colonial America, they must courageously lead the way to embrace the directive of Jesus to be ‘salt’ (holding back decay), accept the responsibility to equip their congregations with relevant truth, and refuse to be silent in our current cultural battle. May they heed the sobering words of pastor/martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer who stood against Nazism in a similar situation. ‘Silence in the face of evil is evil itself. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak, is to speak. Not to act, is to act.’(3) We must reject fear of man and follow in the footsteps of Billy Graham, who stood openly against segregation, Apartheid, same-sex ‘marriage,’ and nuclear expansion, telling us, ‘Courage is contagious!’ “Unapologetically affirm man/woman marriage and the nuclear family. ‘One man and one woman’ is the explicit design for this sacred institution recognized worldwide and honored for thousands of years as the divinely ordained foundation of a stable society. Biology and science have recognized male (XY chromosomes) and female (XX chromosomes) genders throughout history, so we’ll simply stay the course and stay safe from ‘Woke’ moral insanity and societal instability. “Sound the alarm and stop the massive invasion of law-breaking foreigners into America. Millions of cartel-driven illegal aliens are disregarding our established immigration laws to unlawfully secure healthcare, food, housing, education, costly benefits and privileges at taxpayer expense. THIS MUST STOP IMMEDIATELY BY EXECUTIVE ORDER (not by Congressional debate). America represents 4% of the world's population, and we cannot allow this unprecedented and unmitigated disaster to bring about our country’s collapse! “Expose as demagoguery the leftist tactic of regularly dismissing valid opinions and perspectives as ‘destroying democracy,’ ‘racist,’ and ‘authoritarian tyranny.’ Traditional conservatives, Christians, pro-lifers, and patriotic Americans are slandered as ‘right-wing extremists,’ while agencies are weaponized to run roughshod over basic civil liberties, censor free speech, violate the Constitution, and use Soviet-style kangaroo courts to indict political opponents (so they can’t run for office). These agencies and tactics represent America’s real threats and must be exposed! “Here’s the Deal: If enough of us who love America stand in solidarity with these 10 points, we can translate our dream into reality and once again experience peace, prosperity, and the blessing of God we’ve previously known. ‘You may say that I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one.’(4) Freedom-loving, patriotic, traditional Americans are still the majority. And though we may not control the levers of power, there’s still hope if we pray, repent, and act courageously to turn America around. “I beseech you to watch the blockbuster documentary, ‘Letter to the American Church; and for pastors to show it on a Sunday! Google it now at lettertotheamericanchurch.com and get engaged today.” Pray with me: Father, thank You for seasoned and bold leaders like Larry Tomczak. Bless his family and ministry with great favor, health, and provision. Use him greatly as he labors to see America transformed; we share his dream and agree with the needed changes he delineates. We ask for a reconsecration in the church to the Great Commissions given in Mark 16 and Matthew 28, proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom. We renounce complacency and laziness, and ask for an awakening of passion. Give us Your heart for the lost, for truth, and for justice. We pray against all forms of racism and mistreatment. A true revival that changes millions of hearts will include a revival of love. Give us this. Break the influence of Marxism, socialism, globalism, wokism, and other unbiblical philosophies invading our nation. Awaken the “mavericks” to the insanity of these dogmas. Transform our government. Remove those who desire to weaken us. Help us close our borders and minimize the damage. Break the back of the wickedness allowing this evil. Expose the evil distortion of truth, law, and justice in America. And awaken the church. Forgive us for not being salt and light to our nation. Convict leaders of their silence regarding truths in Your Word. Break the fear of man off them and help them find their voices. Motivate them to be the watchmen You have called them to be, and to sound the alarm. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We declare that a great awakening is coming to the church of America, and to America itself. Today’s post was contributed by Larry Tomczak. You can find out more about Larry at LarryTomczak.com. Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/138248-the-problem-with-socialism-is-that-you-eventually-run-out https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/january-5-1967-inaugural-address-public-ceremony https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/601807-silence-in-the-face-of-evil-is-itself-evil-god https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1816-you-may-say-i-m-a-dreamer-but-i-m-not-the

The “Mavericks” Are Coming Today, I want to share portions of a dream about mavericks; it was given to my friend, Clay Nash. A maverick is “an unbranded calf, cow, or steer; a lone dissenter, such as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from their peers; a person pursuing rebellious, even potentially disruptive, policies or ideas.”(1) The Dream “The dream began with you, Dutch, creating a thread on Signal titled ‘Gathering the Mavericks.’ You requested those on the thread to meet you in Oregon City, Oregon, the end of the Oregon Trail. “Upon arrival, you informed us we were there to help gather and drive maverick steers back to Independence, MO, the beginning of the Oregon Trail. You instructed us that the mavericks must be brought to Independence in order to achieve independence. You stated that as we found the watering holes where they were gathered, you would assign individuals to stay there; they would keep other mavericks in the future from muddying up the water holes. “You informed those who joined you in Oregon City that they were assigned certain horses on which to make the journey. The horse you assigned me (Clay) was one I had actually owned, a full Appaloosa named Judge. He had my King Brand saddle on him. Dutch, you were to ride the prettiest Buckskin I ever remember seeing. When I remarked on the strength and beauty in this horse, you informed us that it was a descendent of John Wayne’s favorite horse, Sent, and its name was Messenger. I asked you where the mavericks were, and your answer was, ‘We must find them along the way.’ “The grub wagon was there, packed and ready. Ken Malone pulled you to the side, but was within hearing, and said, ‘Isn’t that Gordon Lindsey on the grub wagon?’ [Gordon Lindsay founded The Voice of Healing magazine and Christ for the Nations Bible Institute in Dallas, Texas, and died in 1973.] “You answered and said, ‘Yes, but he can still cook food with heavenly nourishment, and will bring healing along the way if needed.’ “You began informing us of various watering holes we would be dropped off at along the journey. You did not assign me one, saying, ‘You know about cattle drives, and I need you to scout on the whole journey.’ “We stopped at several watering holes, discovering and gathering mavericks at each; you assigned individuals to stay and protect the watering holes, and we moved on to the next. The 12th and last watering hole was in Independence, MO. When we arrived at Independence, I stated, ‘We must have over 10,000 mavericks.’ “You informed us that there were actually 12,000 mavericks and one ox. You were then asked what we were to do with them. You said that they would be discipled to go forth into the fields that are ripe unto harvest and disciple the nation. Someone asked, “What about the ox.” “You stated to us that the ox’s name was Sign and Wonder, and he would follow the mavericks as they discipled the nation. “Gordon Lindsey then told Dutch that his assignment was finished, but others from the cloud of witnesses would join us as needed.” End of Dream. The Interpretation God has created a young generation who will prove to be unique in their strengths and motivations. They are “unbranded” by religion, untamed in many ways; some even seem “rebellious.” Many appear to be “disruptive.” But God has great plans for this generation. My friend, Pastor Randy Lopshire, said regarding this dream, “I started preaching and prophesying about the Mavericks in this dream three years ago, calling them ‘A harvest of harvesters.’ I saw them as Gen Z’s and felt many are not yet even born again. But God is already priming the pump, and they will know truth when they hear it. They are spiritually allergic to religion, so God is raising up and developing churches who specialize in receiving people like them.” Here are more of my thoughts: It is obviously time for the rounding up of these mavericks. We must bring them to “independence” from sin, leading them to Christ, yet do so without taming and branding them with religion. Pray for this to begin and increase; leaders must prepare. Watering holes - God will lead these mavericks to “watering holes” He has prepared for them. These places of nourishment, training, and discipling must be protected from the “muddying” of religiosity, sin, man’s agenda, unbiblical traditions, and more. A horse named Judge, a King Brand saddle, and a scout/prophet, Clay Nash - Jesus, as our King, the Supreme Judge and Prophet, will be overseeing this roundup. He is the Lord of the harvest, and will lead us in finding the mavericks and watering holes, and also in preparing and maintaining the watering holes. A horse named Sent and Messenger - This is fairly obvious: we are being sent as messengers to find and lead these mavericks to “independence.” We are not called to judge or tame them, but to prepare them for their important assignment of discipling a nation. Gordon Lindsay - we must draw from the wisdom, insights, and movements of those gone before us, honoring and building on what they have accomplished. One of these movements was the healing and miracle movement of the  50s, 60s, and early 70s. Gordon Lindsay was one of the leaders of this movement, a great teacher and author. The magazine he published, The Voice of Healing, shared testimonies of the many miracles happening around the nation and nations. We must tap into this anointing of signs and wonders. And the dream told us more from the cloud of witnesses would be sent to us, meaning there are other truths and movements of the past we must build on. The ox - the name of the ox was Sign and Wonder; he would follow this generation as they discipled the nation, just as Mark 16:17 says will occur. Lindsay said, when leaving, that he had finished his assignment. That assignment was 1) feeding us: we must learn from the past generations, and 2) giving us the ox, a mantle of signs and wonders he and his generation restored to the church. 12 watering holes and 12,000 mavericks - 12 is an important number in Scripture. It represents governing authority, completion, and perfection. There are several possible meanings to this in the dream. It would certainly mean that these mavericks walked under and in the complete authority of the Lord. The great commission in Matthew 28, which speaks of discipling the nation, references this authority (verse 18). The fact that these mavericks would disciple the nation could also indicate they would restore our government to its intended purpose and function. Personally, I believe it is both. Clay said regarding this dream and the coming mavericks, “Their journey to independence will activate them at a greater level of authority, releasing the roar of God into their spheres of influence. These refreshed and commissioned mavericks will take their independence forth to affect the nation, with signs and wonders following them. Their obedience will leaven with a righteous leaven; new companies of overcomers will be activated from their completed faith to become an ever-present weapon of warfare against injustice, releasing righteousness and empowering grace.” WOW! Clay was so impacted by this dream that He is holding a series of meetings along the Oregon Trail beginning June 21 of this year. It will launch in Oregon City, OR, and end in Independence, Missouri, on July 12 and 13. I plan to join him there. You can read his other thoughts regarding this dream and the details of the tour by using this link: Gathering of the Mavericks. Get ready for the mavericks. They will stretch the church. There is no box in which they will fit; they won’t accept clichés and processes based on “This is how we have always done it.” They’ll want a true relationship with Jesus, Holy Spirit, and the Father, not religion. They will insist on power, not rituals, traditions, and forms. They will ask why. They’ll want action, not words. They will be justice-minded, and demand change. And they are coming. Pray with me: Father, we know You have significant plans for the coming generation/s. Not only will You save millions of them, You will use them to change the world, just as You did the generation of the 60s and 70s, which so many thought was hopeless. We ask You to prepare the body of Christ to receive them. Create the watering holes and keep the water clean. Prepare flexible wineskins that can disciple them. Deliver us from mindsets and ways of thinking that could hinder this. And prepare the hearts of the mavericks for the outpouring of Your Spirit. Finish ripening the harvest, prepare, and send the laborers. We pledge to You, that we will not lose this harvest. We ask this in Yeshua’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the Mavericks will be found and moved to Independence! Click on the link below to watch the full video. ___________________________ Dictionary.com, version 11.6.0.27 (11.7.0), maverick.

Being There The subject of faith is mystical, undefined, misdefined, and misunderstood in the minds of many believers. Yet, God places great importance on the spiritual substance called faith: “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). “Jesus said unto him, ‘If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth’” (Mark 9:23). The above-mentioned lack of understanding could also be said concerning divine healing. It is a challenging subject that can seem to raise more questions than answers. I would not be so arrogant as to suggest that I have a complete understanding of these subjects. However, I do know God heals, and I know our faith matters. Regarding the subject of healing, I believe Scripture teaches that it is released in various ways: the faith of the individual receiving the faith and prayers of others through agreement, intercession, laying on of hands, deliverance, and commands the gifts of Holy Spirit: gifts of healing, the workings of miracles, the gift of faith, discerning of spirits signs and wonders accompanying the preaching of the gospel I believe that regarding healings/miracles associated with the gifts of the Spirit and signs accompanying the gospel, the timing is often influenced by 1) the ripeness of the harvest (either individually or collectively; and 2) the corporate and/or regional spiritual atmosphere. I have said all of this to state that I believe we are coming into another season of healing and miracles associated with the preaching of the gospel and the gifts of Holy Spirit. This always accompanies revival. God will never work a miracle to convince the skeptic and cynical. He does, however, work miracles to confirm His Word and the gospel when dealing with hungry hearts and searching souls. And miracles are a game changer. My good friend, Ken Malone, sent me the following testimony regarding this: “In 1999, a friend, whom I'll call Charles, and I were flying relief supplies to the island of Eleuthera after it had been hit by an intense hurricane. We conducted three such trips together. On each one, we talked about the Lord, mainly regarding the Holy Spirit's miracles on other islands and settlements. “On one trip, Charles said, ‘Please pray for my dad, Bill; he's in the hospital with internal bleeding.’ His dad had been in the ICU for about a month, and had been given blood transfusions totaling several gallons! We prayed then, and continued to pray for his dad. “The final trip together ended up being a long day. I woke at 4 AM, went to the airport, and packed the airplane. We returned to the airport that afternoon around 4 PM. When I arrived home, I received a notice on my beeper to call Charles. When I reached him, Charles said, ‘Can you come to the hospital and pray for Dad? They don't expect him to live beyond another 24 hours. A helicopter is coming to take him to Orlando Regional Medical Center.’ “I agreed to do so. I was extremely exhausted, which no doubt contributed to increased vulnerability, and upon arriving at the ICU waiting room, a spirit of intimidation hit me. I felt as though I had no faith whatsoever. Charles’ family and I went into the ICU, and I saw His dad, Bill, in the last stages of death. He was ashen, and his lips were turning blue. He had no faith. “And at that point, it seemed I had no faith. “I began telling Bill of the miracles the Holy Spirit had performed in the Cherokee Sound settlement. I then shared about the miracles Jesus performed. Then Bill said in a feeble voice, ‘Ken, stop preaching and pray for me.’ “Upon hearing this, I took him by the hand and began to pray, still feeling no faith. On other occasions, when praying for people I had felt great faith, and God moved. Not this time, however; I felt nothing. The prayer was simple, and after decreeing the Lord's healing over him and rebuking the spirit of death, I couldn't get out of there quickly enough. After the Amen, I left! And the helicopter landed to take him to ORMC hospital. “As I drove home, the enemy began to torment me with thoughts that this man was going to die. However, I refused to voice these thoughts. When I arrived home, my wife, Cheryl, asked, ‘How'd it go?’ “I simply said, ‘I prayed for him.’ “The next day, around 1 PM, I received a call from Bill's home. It's probably Charles to tell me his dad passed, I thought. “It wasn't; it was Bill, himself! In a weepy voice, he said, ‘Ken, I need to talk to you.’ “My mind was not computing this, and I said, ‘What room are you in?’ “To which Bill replied, ‘I'm at home.’ “I arrived at his house and was greeted by his wife and daughter at the front door, weeping. As I walked in, I saw Bill down the hallway, weeping so hard he was convulsing. After about 5 minutes of weeping, he composed himself and began telling me what happened to him. ‘Yesterday, when we prayed, electricity came into the top of my head, went through my body to my feet, and went back up and out of my head. I knew right away that I was going to be okay. I didn't know how to tell you at the time. They didn't teach us this in our church.’ “I said, ‘Bill, they didn't teach us this in a lot of churches.’ “Bill then said something that made me feel uncomfortable, ‘Thank you for healing me.’ “I replied, ‘I didn't heal you; Jesus did.’ “He and I talked about all our Lord was doing in him when he said again, ‘Thank you for healing me.’ “I again said, ‘I didn't heal you; Jesus did.’ “After about an hour's visit, as I was getting ready to leave, Bill stood up and said, ‘Ken, thank you for healing me.’ “To which I replied again, ‘Bill, I didn't.’ “He interrupted and said, ’I know you didn't heal me. I know it was Jesus. But you were there!’ “WOW! “The revelation hit me: We won’t always ‘feel’ our faith. My faith was released by being there, not through what I felt. Faith is doing and obeying. Being where Yahweh wants us, being faithful when we feel no faith, and doing what we know to do is faith. When we do this, God will show Himself strong. Don't wait for a feeling; do what His Word declares: ‘These signs shall follow them that believe…In My name, they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover,’ (Mark 16:17-18).” Pray with me: Father, as we move towards the revival You are bringing, we are reminded that signs and wonders accompany the gospel of Jesus Christ. You have emphasized this, telling us that in this awakening notable, extraordinary, and creative miracles will occur. You will demonstrate through them that You are real, and that the good news we preach is true. We prepare ourselves to obey Your word, reminding ourselves that we must lay our hands upon sick and diseased people, asking for their healing. You will do the work. Remind believers that we do not need a level of “creative faith” in order to do this. And we don’t need a feeling. We need enough faith to be there and obey. We want to be those who give You opportunities to show Yourself strong in people's lives. So we ask You to prepare the church by reminding them of Mark 16:15-20; and that You use all believers, not just heroes and giants in the faith. And Lord, we conclude this prayer by remembering to pray for protection over our waterways, water supplies, dams, and ports. We thank You for protecting our nation from the destruction the enemy has planned for us. We also continue to bind the strong man over the Middle East, declaring that the hold of the “prince of Persia” is broken over that region in the name of Jesus. We declare Your will over the Middle East, that the people there are free through the blood of Jesus, and that the veil of deception is being lifted from their eyes. We also pray this over Asia, asking for the Spirit of revelation to replace all deception, leading to the harvest of millions and millions of people. And finally, we ask You to continue revealing the corruption in our land, especially in our government, and remove it. Send revival, we pray, in Jesus’ name. Our decree: We declare that we are Your hands and feet in the earth, even when we don't feel as though we are. According to John 14:12, the works Jesus did, we will do, and even greater works, in His powerful name. Click on the link below to watch the full video. You can find out more about Ken Malone at Forerunner-ministries.org.

Enforcing Christ’s Victory I mentioned the following verse last week in a post concerning the dominion God gave humankind over the earth. “The heavens. . . the Eternal holds himself, the earth He has assigned to men” (Psalm 115:16; Moffatt Translation). This translation communicates with greater accuracy the contextual meaning of the Hebrew word nathan,(1) otherwise frequently translated “given.” God didn’t give away ownership of the earth; He assigned the responsibility of governing it to humans. The Passion Translation says He has “put us in charge” of the earth. God’s “gifts” are often His “assignments,” an example being our children. Holy Spirit uses this word no less than 6 times in the first chapter of Joshua to remind Israel that He had “given” them the land of Canaan (verses 2, 3, 6, 11, 13, 15). Canaan was the land He had promised (“given”) their forefather, Abraham (Genesis 12:7). They were now being assigned to conquer and possess what God had “given.” Someone once asked, “Well, was He giving, or were they taking?” The answer is, “Yes.” There is another word in this passage that aligns with this concept. Verse 11 uses the phrase, “The land the Lord your God is giving (nathan) you, to possess (yaresh)(2) it.” The word yaresh means “legally an heir; military invasion in order to seize or possess.” In other words, “I have given it to you legally; now, I’m assigning you to conquer and take possession of it.” The principle that we must “lay hold of” by faith and/or spiritual warfare what God has already given us is often confusing to many believers. They believe that what God wills for us to possess or experience - from that which Christ’s redemption provided - will sovereignly manifest for us. Not so. Most believers have never been taught what it means to “fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life“ (1 Timothy 6:12). “Lay hold” could be translated as “seize.” Thayer says the word (epilambanomai) means “to take what is one's own, to take possession of, to take to one's self, to make one's own; to claim, procure for one's self; that which when taken is not let go; to seize, to lay hold of, to apprehend.”(3 & 4). Obviously, this verse is NOT telling us to “take” or “wrestle” something from God. But we ARE being told to use our faith to “take possession of” what God has given through Christ; to “seize” it, and “don’t let go.” Sin’s curse operating on the earth, opposing circumstances, demonic opposition, and more, will attempt to steal from us what God has given. Paul was telling Timothy, “I know it is a fight, Timothy, a fight of faith. But you must use your faith and lay hold of that which God has given you.” Joshua is an Old Testament picture or type of Christ; Israel pictures the Church. Joshua gave Israel their inheritance; Jesus gave the Church its inheritance. To help paint this picture, Joshua’s name was actually changed earlier in his life from Hoshea to Joshua, which is the Hebrew equivalent to the name Jesus. In Joshua 10:22-27, Joshua (picturing Jesus) and the army of Israel defeated five Canaanite kings and their armies (picturing satan and those aligned with him). The kings fled and hid in a cave. Upon discovering them, Joshua (Jesus) ordered the kings to be brought to him and made them lie down on the ground. Everyone thought he was about to enact a very familiar custom of that time, which was the conquering king placing his foot on the necks of his enemies in order to display his conquest. Oftentimes the defeated army or armies would be paraded before the conquering king or general as he did so. This is what Colossians 2:15 is referring to, “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.” Joshua (Jesus), however, does something very different and very prophetic. Rather than place his foot on the necks of these kings, as was the custom, Joshua summoned some of his soldiers and had them do so! No more literal picture of Christ and the Church could have been given. When Jesus defeated satan and his principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, placing them under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:57, Ephesians 1:22, Hebrews 2:8), He “raised us up with Him” (Ephesians 2:6), placing satan and his army under our feet! And yet He also said, You’ll have to bind and loose (Matthew 16:18-19); you’ll have to use the “weapons of your warfare” (2 Corinthians 10:4); you’ll have to “wrestle” (Ephesians 6:12). He is saying, “What I have accomplished, you must now enforce. I have put our enemies under our feet legally—under My and your authority—but you must exercise that authority in individual situations, causing the literal manifestation of our victory.” This is why Romans 16:20 says, “And the God of peace will soon crush satan under YOUR feet” (v. 20, emphasis added). And Luke 10:19 tells us, “Behold, I have given YOU authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you” (emphasis added). In Joshua 1:3, the Lord said to Joshua, “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses.” The word “tread” is darak, and means more than just stepping. It is a warfare term used for “bending the bow” when about to shoot an arrow. It is still used today in Israel for the command, “Load your weapons.” God wasn’t telling Israel that everywhere they simply walked or stepped would be given to them. He had already marked off the perimeters of their inheritance. He was saying, “Every place that I have promised, and where you are willing to “load your weapons” and possess, I’m going to give you.” So, one last time: Was God giving, or were they taking? YES! And to prove my point, I remind you that the previous generation in Israel was fearful and unwilling to darak - load their weapons - and fight. And they did NOT possess what God said was theirs. These things happened to Israel as types or shadows for us (see 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11). That which our Joshua - Jesus - has given to us will not automatically come to us simply because we are now born again. We must darak and yaresh! America shall be saved…as we lay hold of her salvation! Pray with me: Father, as we move toward revival and reformation, we are reminded of Israel. You told them to prepare their weapons; they were going to possess the land. They would have to “possess” what You were “giving” legally. As long as they walked in covenant with You and obeyed Your strategies, they prevailed. You have given us spiritual weapons, with which to overcome the powers of darkness that have influenced our nation for decades. They have controlled other nations for centuries. The spoils we’re after are people’s salvation; we want millions to be freed from the curse of the Fall and their separation from You. We want them delivered from sin and freed from oppression. We want our children to know You and Your ways, and to be passionately pursuing relationship with You. You want this, as well. We want our nation to once again embrace her calling and destiny. We want to serve Christ and other nations by taking the gospel of Jesus to them. We want You to be honored - from the highest levels of authority in our land, to every home and person. We want to help You accomplish the great revival You’re planning, being Your voices, Your hands, Your feet, and especially representing Your heart. You have said You would restore America to this if we humbled ourselves and prayed, turned from sin, and sought Your face. A remnant, a representational intercessory army has done so, and will continue to do this. We know You will honor what You have said. So we command once again, “Kingdom of God - rule of Yahweh, victory of Christ, life of God, breath of Holy Spirit - COME! Will and desires of King Jesus, BE!” We pray and decree these things through His authority, and thank You in advance. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we will lay hold of that which God is giving. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ____________________________________ James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 5414. Ibid., ref. no. 3423. Ibid., ref. no. 1949. Ibid., ref. no. 2983.

The Dominos Are Falling You would have to look long and hard to find anyone more passionate about seeing America revived and reformed than my brother, Tim Sheets. He seeks God diligently regarding what Holy Spirit is saying to the church and what is necessary in order for these 2 things to occur. As you will see from this word, Tim is on fire. He shares: “Current events must be defined using God’s truth. Demonic visuals and messages must be forbidden and resisted. We must be a people who discern the times. Thomas Aquinas, a thirteenth-century Italian priest, philosopher, and theologian, made this statement, ‘He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger is immoral. Why? Because anger looks to the good of justice, and if you can live amid injustice without anger, you are immoral as well as unjust.’(1) “It’s possible to be angry and sin not (Ephesians 4:26). Anger at injustice is righteous anger. It is not love to wink at injustice; it is love to resist it. We are in a spiritual and ideological war for this nation. Ours is a call to spiritual warfare, and it is a call to cultural battles. It is an ideological war against unrighteous government and societal tyranny. It’s a call to speak truth to abusive, lying powers. The call of the Ekklesia is to arise and stand against evil. The weapons God gave us are mighty through Him to the pulling down of strongholds. We are called to partner with Him and stop corruption. It is time to cast off fear, apathy, indifference, laziness, and stand against injustice. “Last year, a shameful act of bullying by our government took place against our former president. This atrocity has never been done before in our nation. When I heard the news, I was reminded of things the Lord impressed upon me just prior to the event, ‘Leaders of some governmental agencies are about to panic. They will begin doing crazy things that will further expose their motives. In sheer desperation, they will lash out, but it will only reveal more of their own wickedness and evil. And though they are too deceived to know it, their dictatorial actions and communist tactics will have been further exposed.’ “Many in governmental positions of authority are trying to cover up their actions and lies. However, God spoke to me in a previous prophecy, ‘I will pull the covers off of you. I will bury your plans. I will write with my own finger: “vanquished.’” As Jesus said in Matthew 15:14, concerning the arrogant perversion of authority by Pharisees, ‘They are blind, but if the blind lead the blind, both fall in the ditch.’ “Currently, there are arrogant, self-righteous leaders in America who are going to lead other blind and arrogant people into a ditch. When fools lead fools, wrecks happen. These leaders are too blind to see that they have tipped a domino that will result in a cascade of falling dominoes. The serpent’s head is coming off. “1 Kings 18 speaks of Ahab’s and Jezebel’s confrontation with the prophet, Elijah. King Ahab and Elijah met, and Elijah proposed a challenge. An altar would be built and a sacrifice placed upon it; however, neither would light a fire. Each would ask for supernatural fire to fall on the sacrifice - Ahab’s prophets praying to their god, Baal; Elijah praying to Yahweh. The challenge would prove whose god was truly God. “The followers of Baal went first, praying from morning until afternoon with no results. Then it was Elijah’s turn. Immediately, the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed the offering. The challenge was over. The Baal workers supporting Jezebel were appropriately dealt with. “This passage of Scripture reveals that God has removed Baal’s influence from governments before. I believe He’s going to do so again. The day of reckoning is here. The hand of God is about to interrupt their party. The desecration of God’s laws and statutes will not go unopposed. The Almighty King is going to stomp the head of Leviathan that is slithering through government departments; his days in our government are numbered. “As I prayed into current events, the Lord spoke to me, ‘The Ekklesia must partner with Holy Spirit, allowing Him to lead in an aggressive battle plan. This plan will end in great deliverance, great reversals, and great victories, and will begin the discipling of nations.’ We must embrace this assignment. In many ways, our nation and way of life depend on it. Clearly, doctrines of demons are prevalent in our land; antichrist culture is being actively promoted. Christians are being persecuted, and our values are being vilified; the church has been described by some government leaders as ‘non-essential.’ “The war against Christ’s Kingdom and Ekklesia is real and is intensifying, but we are not without recourse! We have everything we need in order to prevail and turn this nation around. I believe the glorious Ekklesia is rising, just as God’s Word said it would. The Kingdom of God is amping up like I’ve never seen before, in order to accomplish Christ’s purpose on the earth. “To achieve this, we must do things God’s way, following the patterns and principles of Scripture. Sadly, we have too often seen nominal churches and shallow Christianity being promoted by fearful leaders. Obviously, this will not work; it is actually part of the problem. Nowhere in the Bible does it say to run from our adversaries, nor to be silent. We must not compromise, bow to fear, or cower to any challenge of our faith. “As Christ’s Ekklesia, we must raise our voices, make a visible stand without compromise, and be strong in the Lord. We must bring clarity and proper definition from Scripture to culture. When challenged by an ‘in your face’ attack from hell, we must respond by being real Christians, not religious pacifists, trembling in fear from loud-mouthed devils. “There is a remnant in the church that has heard Ahab’s defiance long enough. They are ready to rise up and do things God’s way, declaring, ‘Let the God who answers by fire be our God. If Baal is god, we’ll serve him. If Yahweh is God, we’ll serve Him. Let’s find out! Let’s find out who the real God is’ (1 Kings 18:24). “Jesus said hell’s government would not prevail. Let’s find out if Christ is big enough to back that up. I am confident that He can! God said He would watch over His Word to perform it. He said He would cause us to triumph. Let’s find out! Let’s find out if the name of Jesus is greater than any other name. I’m confident that it is!” Pray with me: Lord, break the darkness, break diabolical structures, and send Your great light. We decree that this is Your nation, and the recent schemes of our government will backfire in historic proportions. In the name of King Jesus, treacherous strategies will backfire, misfire, and boomerang! Battering ram angels are knocking the props of Baal out from under those who oppose You. Cause Your power to rise in this nation. Motivate the Ekklesia to raise her voice. Grant that boldness would be upon us to speak the Name of Jesus and the words He gives us. Give us signs and wonders. Show Your mightiness! Close the mouths of the prophets of Baal. Let righteous rulers arise, fearlessly declaring that You are God. Answer with fire! May the entire world see in this hour who the true God is. We continue to do as You instructed us and pray for protection over America’s water supply, waterways, dams, and ports. As the shaking occurs with greater intensity, as those with evil intentions begin their planned attacks and violence increases in our land, we boldly declare our faith that America is anchored, painted with Holy Spirit anointing, and will be restored through the shaking. Your Kingdom will come, and Your will accomplished, in Yeshua’s name! Amen. Our decree: We decree that Baal will be exposed in the government of America, and that God will answer our prayers with revival fire. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim Sheets. You can learn more about Tim at TimSheets.org. __________________________________ 1. https://graciousquotes.com/thomas-aquinas/

Winner Take All It will not be news to those of you who follow GH15 that we are in a “winner take all” spiritual war for the soul of America. The Left certainly knows this and has pulled out all the stops, no longer even masquerading their attempts at taking over. In their deceived minds, parents no longer have the right to control the education of their children, and kindergartners should be indoctrinated regarding sexual preferences. America should have no borders, her history should be rewritten, and laws are made to be broken. The fruit of allowing humanistic ideals to control our nation is now in complete manifestation: truth no longer matters, and lying to advance an agenda is perfectly acceptable. The average American, even those who do not profess to be Christians, shakes her or his head in wonder asking, “How did we get to this insane point?” That certainly needs to be addressed in order to reform our nation. But the strongholds that now exist will never be fully overcome only in the legislative chambers and courtrooms of America. A Third Great Awakening MUST occur to reawaken the conscience of millions in America. Yes, much else must be done, but without an awakening, there is no solution. We must experience revival and reformation. So, we war and work for both, and we will achieve them. Our amazing friend, Quin Sherrer, wrote the following piece regarding the spiritual battle we are in, highlighting General George Patton. It fits well with the subject of spiritual authority that I shared in the previous two posts. Quin writes: ‘“I am a soldier. I fight where I am told. I win where I fight.’ That quote by General George S. Patton is displayed at the museum honoring him at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. “An intercessor friend who saw it during a visit there commented: ‘That should be our attitude when fighting God’s enemies, the powers of darkness, through prayer and spiritual warfare, especially with what’s happening in our nation. God needs Christians with a warrior’s spirit,’ she said. “‘Patton attended the Virginia Military Institute and the United States Military Academy at West Point. He studied fencing and designed the M1913 Cavalry Saber, more commonly known as the Patton Saber. He also competed in the modern pentathlon in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden.’.(1) As a U. S. Army general, Patton’s leadership was strategic in winning battles. “‘George Smith Patton Jr. (1885–1945) was a general who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France and Germany after the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. ‘“Patton conducted a highly successful rapid armored drive across France. Under his decisive leadership, the Third Army took the lead in relieving beleaguered American troops at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, after which his forces drove deep into Nazi Germany by the end of the war.’(2)  Without question, Patton’s leadership helped to save the world from Hitler’s takeover. “Some of Patton’s talk to his troops was laced with words that ladies at afternoon tea would not approve, he once admitted. But he said his men did. ‘Patton's philosophy of leading from the front, and his ability to inspire troops was usually favorably received by them…[His] colorful image, hard-driving personality, and success as a commander were at times overshadowed by his controversial public statements.’(3) “However, biographers say Patton also believed in prayer. And he believed that the war he was engaged in, just as ours today, was spiritual. Here is one of his statements for his troops: ‘Urge all of your men to pray, not alone in church, but everywhere. Pray when driving. Pray when fighting. Pray alone. Pray with others. Pray by night and pray by day. Pray for the cessation of immoderate rains, for good weather for battle. Pray for the defeat of our wicked enemy whose banner is injustice and whose god is oppression. Pray for victory. Pray for our Army and pray for peace. We must march together, all out for God.’(4) “Wow! General Patton once told his men, ‘You must acquire the warrior’s soul.’ Here is another strong quote of his: ‘There are three ways that men get what they want; by planning, by working, and by praying. Any great military operation takes careful planning or thinking. Then you must have well-trained troops to carry it out: that's the working. But between the plan and the operation, there is always an unknown. That unknown spells defeat or victory, success or failure. It is the reaction of the actors to the ordeal when it actually comes. Some people call that getting the breaks; I call it God. God has His part or margin in everything; that's where prayer comes in.’(5) “Prayer and spiritual warfare must be used when satan and his demonic forces attempt to wreak havoc in our families, communities, and nations. We enforce Christ’s victory against the enemy to break his attacks using the weapons God has provided for us: the Word of God, the power of Holy Spirit, and the name of Jesus. “Though satan’s plans are carried out through people, Paul instructs Christians that their struggle is not with flesh and blood but with invisible principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness. He says to come against the ‘wiles of the devil’ - the enemy’s evil schemes - by putting on the full armor of God, taking a stand, praying in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests, and staying alert (Ephesians 6:18 NIV). “Christ’s victory over satan is complete. Yet, we must enforce that victory. God is looking for those with a ‘warrior’s soul’ to unveil corruption and cause truth to prevail in our nation.” (Quin then quotes from one of my previous posts) “‘How does this warrior spirit translate into action today against the spiritual giants of our land? Obviously, it begins with prayer - spiritual warfare. But there is more. Standing for truth, voting out of office individuals with unbiblical ideals, giving to righteous causes, speaking out against that which opposes the rule of God - all are ways by which we war.’(6) “With Christ’s authority, we will win where we fight! But we have to engage, or we will lose by default.” Pray with me: Father, as we stand in the gap for our nation, cities, and families, we declare that the power of the blood of Jesus has broken every chain of bondage. Let every evil scheme be exposed and thwarted before they can even be carried out. We declare that no weapon formed against Your plans for our nation shall prosper. Every tongue that would rise up against this will be exposed and cast down. We pray for Your manifold wisdom to rest upon all in authority over our country who stand with You. May truth and discernment guide every decision they make in their public and private lives. May unrighteous officials currently in office be replaced by those who will serve with integrity. We pray for their salvation, but also for the failure of their evil plans. We cry for justice and mercy, truth and righteousness to be established.(7) We bind the powers of darkness that are perverting justice in our nation. We ask that those partnering with this would continue to be exposed, and that the American people be shown the truth. Break the unrighteous attacks against President Trump and those who served him. Bring justice to those being persecuted unrighteously for protesting abortion, fraudulent elections, and other evils. End the evil associated with our borders; turn the tables on satan and his vessels by saving many of those coming into America. Send Revival! Orchestrate reformation! In Christ’s authority, we pray, amen. Our decree: We decree that the enemy’s tactics and assignments aligned against our citizens and country will be exposed and demolished. Justice will prevail. Christians across this land with a warrior’s spirit will continue to cry out and stand in the gap, ushering in the next Great Awakening - a great harvest of souls and a true reformation. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Today’s post was contributed by our dear friend, author, and seasoned intercessor Quin Sherrer. You can find out more about Quin at QuinSherrer.com. 1. George S. Patton, enen.wikipedia.org › wiki 2. Ibid. 3. Ibid. 4. https://www.azquotes.com/author/11404-George_S_Patton 5. https://libquotes.com/george-s-patton/quotes/god 6. Dutch Sheets Ministries, Give Him15, August 4, 2021 7. Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock, A Woman’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare, (Minneapolis, Minnesota, Chosen Books, 217), 220.

Position and Partnership, Rights and Responsibilities In previous posts, I have pointed out that when determining who will rule the earth, power has never been the deciding factor. God’s power is and always will be infinitely superior to all other beings. Authority, the right to rule and control, is the issue. In Genesis 1:26-28 Yahweh stated that Adam was being given dominion over the earth. The Hebrew word adam(1) literally means “humans” - humankind was being given dominion over the earth. Psalm 115:16 says, “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord; the earth He has given to the sons of men.” “Given” is the word nathan,(2) which in this verse means “to give an assignment.” “Men” is the word adam. This verse is saying that God will oversee the heavens, but the earth He has assigned to humans. The Passion Translation confirms this: “The heavens belong to our God; they are His alone, but He has given us the earth and put us in charge.” The first Adam sinned, and through his blood, passed the resulting fallen nature to every human. He also forfeited his authority over the earth to satan, his new master. Yahweh honors His Word. He did so when Adam surrendered this authority to satan, and when recovering it, He did so, as well. The Savior, who would redeem humankind and take back their authority on earth, would have to be an adam, a member of the human race. God so honors His Word that redeeming us demanded the incarnation of Christ! This God-man, Christ, DID recover Adam’s lost authority. He now possesses - not only God’s authority - but that which the first Adam surrendered, as well. This is why Jesus announced, “All authority is now given to Me, both in heaven AND ON EARTH,” (Matthew 28:18-19). Christ took it all; satan lost it all. However, God is still honoring His original decision to rule and work on earth through people. Therefore, Christ needs humans here on earth through whom to release and exercise His authority. These humans are His body, the church. He provides them the authority, Holy Spirit provides the power. Authority is the right to rule or perform an activity; power is the strength or force needed to do so. Some illustrate this through a police officer. His badge is his authority; his gun is his power. Authority controls and releases power; power backs up and enforces authority. Delegated authority is representation, which literally means “to re-present” or “present again.” One to whom authority has been given represents the one who delegated it, “presenting again” their will, wishes, laws, etc. A police officer doesn’t say, “I have decided that you aren’t allowed to drive this fast.” She says, “The law [decided and declared by the city, county, or state she represents] states that you cannot drive this fast.” She represents the will and authority of another, not her own. Let’s look at two facets of spiritual authority, our rights and our responsibilities. RIGHTS Our rights involve our inheritance in Christ as His bride, His body, and His family. As such, He made us His joint-heirs (Romans 8:17). In His name or authority, every believer has an equal right to enter God’s throne room anytime and ask for this provision (John 14:13,14, 26; 15:16; 16:23; Hebrews 4:16). All believers have the right to ask for every blessing provided through Christ’s redemption (Ephesians 1:3). We have the right to resist the works and activities of all demons that oppose us (James 4:7), and the right to complete protection from them (1 John 5:18). We also have the right, in Christ’s name, to involve ourselves in priestly intercession, petitioning heaven for others to receive these benefits (Matthew 5:44; Ephesians 6.18; Colossians 1:9; 1 Timothy 2:1; James 5:16; and more). RESPONSIBILITY However, our authority in Christ also comes with responsibility as His Ekklesia. Many are still unaware that the word translated “church” in Matthew 16:18-19 (“I will build my church”) is ekklesia,(3) which is a governing assembly. Christ was stating that His body, His family, would have authority to represent His Kingdom on earth. This authority is pictured in the passage by “keys.” In this capacity, all believers do not possess the same level of authority. Our level is determined by our maturity and our assignment. A person with representational authority derives it from the one who sent them. Just as Christ represented the Father who sent Him, we represent Christ who sends us (John 20:21). Jesus operated in the Father’s authority, we operate in Christ’s. This facet of authority involves our kingly ministries and activities, including intercession. It doesn’t refer to priestly petitions offered heavenward for ourselves and others, but royal decrees issued earthward, enforcing the will of the King. With this authority, we command His Kingdom rule and will into the earth (Matthew 6:10). We are seated with Christ in His seat of authority (Ephesians 2:6), and from there, we release His authority over principalities and powers (Ephesians 3:10). This facet of our authority is not the body of Christ functioning as Christ’s bride or family, asking for their promised benefits; this is the Ekklesia, those who possess the keys of the Kingdom, authority to bind and loose, representing the King and His Kingdom against the powers of darkness. This is who Christ said the gates of hell can’t prevail against (Matthew 16:18-19)! These are those who reign in life by Christ Jesus (Romans 5:17), the “more than conquerors” army (Romans 8:17)! As we said in yesterday’s post, Romans, chapter 8, contrasts these two facets of authority - rights versus responsibility. This passage tells us the earth is groaning, waiting - not for God’s children! - but for mature “sons,” those mature enough to be “led by the Spirit of God.” These “sons'' of God know His Word and ways, carry His heart, and are led by His Spirit (verse 14), enabling them to re-present Christ, not just themselves. These mature believers can be trusted with great authority and influence, even discipling nations and bringing healing to the “groaning” earth. The entire family, even the children, enjoys the rights, blessings, and benefits of being in the family (verses 16-17). But mature sons and daughters can carry greater authority and be given more responsibility, re-presenting Christ’s will on earth. During the past several decades, the body of Christ has matured much in her bridal, familial, and priestly roles. We progressed greatly in multiplying God’s family, fellowshipping with and teaching one another, and in our worship of God. We learned more about our rights and benefits as redeemed children of God. This has prepared us for a greater understanding of our responsibility as Christ’s Ekklesia. We are not as mature in this governing facet of authority; many do not understand what it means to be His Ekklesia. But this phase of restoration in the church will now go to new levels in the lives of millions of believers, resulting in much higher levels of authority. A church the gates of hell cannot prevail against will now emerge. Pray with me: Father, thank You for the rights and blessings we have in Christ. You delivered us from the domain of darkness and sin’s many curses (Colossians 1:13). We are blessed with every blessing pertaining to life and godliness through Christ (2 Peter 1:3, Ephesians 1:3). You gave us total access to Your throne room (Hebrews 4:16), and told us to draw near to You (Hebrews 7:19, 10:22). We ask You to now awaken us to the incredible authority and privilege we have of representing Christ. Do for us as Paul prayed for the Ephesians - release a mighty spirit of revelation! (Ephesians 1:17) Cause us to see and desire more than just our rights and benefits as Your family, awaken passion in the church to represent You, to re-present Christ and His great victory. Bring millions of believers into “sonship,” a company of healers and restorers who walk in full maturity, taking Christ into all the earth. Raise up an army that understands binding and loosing, and what it means to possess the keys of the Kingdom. Transform the church from being congregational only, to becoming congressional. Use us to disciple and heal entire nations. We move in this authority now, representing and releasing the will of Christ on earth. We declare over America that the strong man, baal, is losing his hold over us and that millions of Americans are coming to Christ. We decree that the Prince of Persia is losing his hold over the people of Iran, and that millions of Iranians and other Middle Easterners are coming to Christ. We declare that the dragon and the bear, China and Russia, will not cause WWIII, and that China’s attempt to control America will fail. We declare that the coming shaking will heal America, not destroy us. For Christ and through His name, we pray this. Amen. Our decree: We declare our position in and partnership with Christ - our rights, and our responsibility. We will receive His benefits and serve His purposes in our generation. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ______________________________ James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 120. Ibid., ref. no. 5414. Ibid., ref. no. 1577.

Moving Into Greater Authority In a post last week, I mentioned an important passage from Romans 8, regarding mature sons and daughters of the Lord, capable of representing Him on earth. I knew at the time that further explanation was needed regarding this. I want to address this today. Today’s teaching is also an appropriate follow-up to yesterday’s regarding anarchy and a lack of leadership. There are several Greek words for a child, each depicting a different level of maturity. These words are used to describe various stages of spiritual maturity. Nepios(1) means “no speech” and refers to an infant or baby; 1 Corinthians 3:1 (NASB) says: “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.” Hebrews 5:13 - “For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.” A paidion(2) is a toddler or young child; Matthew 18:4 says, “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Ephesians 5:1, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” A teknon(3) is a child, up to and including a teenager or young adult. Galatians 4:19 says, “My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” 1 John 5:21, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” Finally, a huios(4) is a fully matured “son.” (Spiritually speaking, huios is not gender-based; just as a male can be part of Christ’s “bride,” females can be a fully matured “son.”) Romans 8:14 says, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Matthew 5:45, “…so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” In Christ’s day, when a child matured and had been adequately trained, they were “placed” into “sonship.” For this important transition, a public ceremony called a huiothesia(5) was held. This word literally means “placed as a son.” It was different than a bar mitzvah ceremony and normally occurred at 30 years of age. The father of the child would invite members of the community to this event, for it was a public announcement that the child was now a fully mature son with full authority to represent the family name, business, etc. During the ceremony, the father would announce, “This is my beloved son (huios), in whom I am well pleased.” This is why Father God spoke these words at Christ’s baptism (Mark 1:11); He was declaring that Christ was fully authorized to speak for Him and conduct His business. It was Christ’s huiothesia. Huiothesia is usually translated “adoption as sons” in the New Testament. Technically, however, this word isn’t saying we are being adopted into God’s family. It refers to the above ceremony, stating that as His children, already in the family, we are being positioned or placed into “sonship.” God’s plan is to mature us from spiritual babies to mature sons and daughters, qualified to fully represent Him. This understanding is important regarding Romans 8. The chapter tells us that as God’s “children,” regardless of our maturity level, we have all the rights, blessings, and privileges of being in His family. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children (teknon) of God, and if children (teknon), heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him” (Romans 8:16-17; NASB). However, the passage makes an important distinction between children and sons, saying that “sons” (huios) of God are led by His Spirit. “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons (huios) of God” (Romans 8:14; NASB). Many of God’s kids are not yet led by Holy Spirit. Though they have access to His blessings, they are not mature enough to know His voice and ways. Some never grow to this point. Children have rights and benefits; sons possess representational authority. The passage goes on to say that creation is groaning and travailing, waiting for the revealing of the “sons” of God - NOT His children (verse 19). The children of God cannot bring healing to the earth; only mature sons and daughters, those led by Holy Spirit, can do so. Obviously, a time of complete healing and restoration will one day come to the earth, just as a full manifestation of our sonship will one day occur. But as Christ’s Ekklesia, we are to manifest a level of this sonship now, representing His spiritual authority and releasing His healing to a groaning earth. I am confident that God has matured a company of believers throughout the earth into their “sonship” stage. They have grown in wisdom and knowledge. No longer spiritual babies or children, these believers have matured to a point where they can be trusted with Christ’s authority. As mature sons and daughters, they will bring salvation, healing, and restoration to impoverished nations, teaching them to prosper. They’ll transform governments, education, economies, medicine, farming, and more. They will be healers of decimated cities and nations (Isaiah 58:12), deliverers of the oppressed and downtrodden (Luke 4:18-19). This is all part of the discipling of nations we were commissioned to in Matthew 28:18-20. Although we are in an era of increasing spiritual warfare on the earth, with evil increasing and manifesting in many ways, God has a people prepared to accomplish His will. We must not fear but stand boldly in His name, releasing His kingdom authority and salvation. We are His healers and deliverers. We must move in humility, but also in power. We must operate in love, but also in authority. We are ambassadors of the King of kings, and this can be our finest hour. Pray with me: Father, we are a people called for such a time as this. You intend for and have prepared the Ekklesia to accomplish Your purposes on earth. Though we feel inadequate at times as we see evil abounding on the earth, may we be continually reminded that Your grace abounds even more! Keep us reminded that we are equipped for this battle, not from our own strengths and gifts, but because of the Greater One in us, and Christ’s authority upon us. We join our hearts as a vast prayer army, agreeing in intercession for the church around the world. We ask that a higher level of revelation be released in Your people, awakening us to our calling and equipping. Make this revelation as powerful for us as it was for Peter, who only weeks after denying Christ stepped into his apostleship and authority. Bring revelation to the church of Holy Spirit’s transforming power, of the incredible reality that He resides within us. Through His holy presence in us, we truly ARE more than conquerors, and CAN do all things through Christ. Pour out Your Spirit. Awaken Your spiritual army. Cause us, Your sons and daughters, to realize our full authority and position in Christ. Infuse us with new levels of humility, love, faith, boldness, and discernment. Do these things with such strength that we, like the early Ekklesia, turn our world “right side up.” Our decree: We decree that mature sons and daughters of the Most High God will arise in this hour to heal individuals and nations. Click on the link below to watch the full video. _________________________ James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 3516. Ibid. Ref. no. 3813. Ibid. Ref. no. 5043. Ibid. Ref. no. 5207. Ibid. Ref. no. 5206.

America’s Anarchy and Its Cause In a recent publication, the National Faith Advisory Board stated the following regarding what is occurring at our southern border: “Sadly, the number of illegal entries this past year shattered all records, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection announcing that they processed over 300,000 illegal entries in December alone, the highest number on record. This is unprecedented and, more importantly, preventable. During the Biden presidency, over 10 million people have entered illegally, the highest ever in history, including 1.7 million ‘gotaways.’ In 2023, Border Patrol encountered nearly 500 people on the terror watch list, and fentanyl-related deaths rose 870% due to illegal border activity, making it cheaper, deadlier, and easier to obtain. “The border patrol agents tell us they are overwhelmed by the drug cartel bringing in fentanyl, cocaine, dealing in human and sex trafficking of adults and small children. Allowing for unmitigated illegal crossings is not compassionate to migrants either, who face overflowing programs for housing and healthcare, and puts American citizens at great risk due to the increased cost of illegal immigration, spikes in crime, and the entry of migrants on the terror watch list. 15 states have smaller populations than the total number of illegal border crossings in 2023. Migrants seeking to cross illegally are often targeted by violence and kidnapping by cartels. The smuggling cartels are profiting over $32 million a week for bringing illegal immigrants just into one 245-mile stretch of the border. Communities all over the country are flooded with migrants, overwhelming local resources such as a town of 15,000 in Wisconsin flooded by the Biden Administration with over 1,000 migrants. In a few months' time, this has led to the death of an infant child, multiple sexual assaults, and a kidnapping. “Our small towns, cities, and communities will all suffer under the weight of unmitigated illegal migration. It is not compassionate to let people get raped along the border, to have a price tag on their head, or to live without visas.” In her recent Fox News show, Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, she discussed illegals from China, perhaps America’s greatest current threat, now flooding into America. In 2022, 13.6% of those allowed in for “defensive” asylum were Chinese; the second most was El Salvador’s 10.4%, India’s 9.2%, Guatemala at 8.9%, Honduras 6.8%, followed by Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Russia, Mexico, and others. Some estimates are as great as 37,000 Chinese illegals entered last year, and 20,000 have entered in the last 4 months. “More than 30,000 migrants with possible ties to terrorism or other ‘nefarious activity’ were released into the United States in the last 15 months,” says the Daily Caller News Foundation.(1) The Daily Signal warns of Tren de Arafat, a Venezuelan criminal gang. “Joseph Humire, an expert on Latin American security, calls the Tren ‘the fastest growing trans-international criminal organization in the world.’” The Signal warns that “with 47,000 Venezuelans caught entering the US at the southern border last December alone – 27,000 of them single adults,” this gang is gaining momentum quickly. ”The Tren is reportedly active everywhere from Atlanta to Chicago to Washington, D.C.” When they enter our nation, by the way, in some cities, such as New York City, they “get free housing in luxury hotels, free meals, free laundry, and now, prepaid debit cards, thanks to taxpayers… in El Paso, Texas, [they engage] in human smuggling and sex trafficking. “In the New York City precinct where the Venezuelans attacked those two police officers, grand larceny was up over 83% last year over 2022.”(2) Meanwhile, America’s justice system is corrupt beyond belief. The state Supreme Court of Hawaii cited “The Spirit of Aloha” in a ruling that its residents do not have a Second Amendment right to bear arms: "The Spirit of Aloha clashes with a federally-mandated lifestyle that lets citizens walk around with deadly weapons during day-to-day activities," read the ruling written by Justice Todd Eddins. "The history of the Hawaiian Islands does not include a society where armed people move about the community to possibly combat the deadly aims of others," Eddins added. "We hold that in Hawaii, there is no state constitutional right to carry a firearm in public."(3) Carlos Garcia of Blaze News quotes several people who excoriate this crazy ruling: "’Ah yes, the “Spirit of Aloha” clause of the Constitution that allows the Hawaii supreme court to ignore or overrule SCOTUS,’ responded Ilya Shapiro of the Manhattan Institute. "’The Hawaiian Supreme Court completely lost their minds (and any credibility) by ruling the Second Amendment doesn't apply to them,’ read a statement from the Gun Owners of America. ‘Apparently, their “Spirit of Aloha” doesn't vibe with the right to keep and bear arms. Maybe the State of Texas can apply the ‘Spirit of the Alamo’ to federal mandates...’ "’The “Spirit of Aloha” does not give any court the ability to override our constitutional #2A rights. This is absolutely disgraceful,’ said Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa.”(4) Watch a conservative news network ANY night of the week and see America’s 2-tiered system of justice (in other words, injustice), “lawfare,” violence, lawlessness, and anarchy. As Isaiah once lamented, “Truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.” (Isaiah 59:14) We are being destroyed from within, as Abraham Lincoln once warned: “If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."(5) If you are a regular follower of Give Him 15, you know I believe America will be saved and restored. I also know this is only possible through a third great awakening, a revival and reformation of unprecedented proportions, which can only be birthed by intercession. There is no other way. I am continually shocked at the apathy of pastors and churches in America. One would think the pastors would be desperately turning their congregations into houses of prayer. Their children and grandchildren would thank them. The coming shaking, likely caused in part by the thousands of terrorists doubtlessly now in our nation, will no doubt break off much of the apathy. Anarchy Two definitions of anarchy are “lack of obedience to an authority;” and “confusion and disorder.”(6) Now let me surprise most of you. The original and literal meaning of anarchy is “lack of a leader; leaderless.” (From Greek: an - “without, lacking” and arch(ós) - “leader.”)(7) America’s anarchy is due to its lack of wise, honest, bold, selfless and godly leadership; it began in the church and spread to government. We leaders can decry the lawlessness, disorder, and spiritual death all we want, but we caused it through our “anarchy,” and our lack of leadership. In the church, we yielded to apathy, compromise of Scripture, weak theology, loss of passion and fire, cowardice and fear of man, wrongly defining success, and prayerlessness. Our weak salt and dim light then allowed what has occurred in government, followed by education and all of American society. Alex de Tocqueville’s warning was right: “America’s greatness started in her pulpits, and that’s where it ended.”(8) The health and well-being of any nation and culture are always linked to the church and government. These, of course, must have wise and godly leadership. When Israel rebelled, fashioned, and worshipped a golden calf (Exodus 32), Aaron, whom Moses had left in charge, blamed it on the people; God blamed it on Aaron. “Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control—for Aaron had let them get out of control to the point of being an object of ridicule among their enemies...”(verse 25). The only possible interpretation is that if Aaron had stood his ground and exercised godly leadership and authority, the Lord would have backed him up and stopped this rebellion and idolatry. The leaders of the American church must repent for the anarchy of our nation. Then we must continue to cry out for righteous and wise leaders! Pray with me: Father, I repent on behalf of leaders in the American church. Our lack of passion, wisdom, prayer, sound teaching, and Spirit-led leadership has caused anarchy in our land. We in the church of America have no right to point the finger at corruption in our nation and blame others. We are the problem. We humble ourselves before You, asking for cleansing. We lost our savor and turned out the light. You gave us the greatest nation in history - great in purpose, liberty, government, resources, and favor. Like the prodigal in Scripture, we have squandered it. We are asking for mercy. We are asking for a sweeping move of Your Spirit that restores first love, wisdom, and Your heart to the church. And we ask for sanity in our nation, a shake-up of America’s ungodly leaders who literally empower human trafficking, the shedding of blood, drug addiction, gang violence, and many other evils, all from a lust for power. Give us a revived, on-fire church, and an honest, wise servant-hearted government. Do this in order that we can once again represent You in this great nation, and participate in Your greatest Kingdom enterprise in the history of the world. We are not without hope; we have faith that You will do this. Therefore, we do as You instructed us and command the coming of Your Kingdom authority, and the creating of Your will. In Yeshua’s name, amen. Our decree: We decree that God is cleansing our nation, and healing America of anarchy and evil rule. Click on the link below to watch the full video. __________________________________ https://www.theblaze.com/news/30000-migrants-with-possible-ties-to-terrorism-or-other-nefarious-activity-released-into-us-report https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/02/08/gangs-all-here-thanks-bidens-open-border-borderline/ https://www.theblaze.com/news/hawaii-gun-spirit-aloha-ruling Ibid. https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN29V2GQ/ Dictionary.com, version 11.6.0.27 (11.7.0), “anarchy.” Ibid. This statement is routinely and widely attributed to Alex de Tocqueville and has been quoted by U.S. Presidents and leaders as such, though no exact quote can be found.

Our friend Gina Gholston, felt the need to break weariness, discouragement, hope-deferred, the pain of past wounds, and other weights hindering believers at this time. And I’m glad she did! We need YOU free and healthy to run the race! You’ll find her words encouraging and powerful. The title is: Free to Run Many within the Body of Christ are experiencing a deepening passion for God. There’s an unshakeable feeling that we have crossed into the unfolding of a history-making moment, provoking a deep longing to know and walk with God. There is a clarion call from the Lord, piercing the hearts of all who have ears to hear. Christ is calling His Body to rise and shine with the light of His glory (Isaiah 60: 1-2). Recently, the Lord spoke to me that 2024 will be a year of His revealed glory. This means the Church, must be alert and move in high levels of wisdom, authority, and boldness, enabling Christ to work through us. Undaunted faith in God is required at this time! I have said many times: real faith takes real courage. And we are in a real faith and real courage season! Faith comes from knowing God and His Word. As we spend time with Him, focusing on Him and His Word, faith arises within us. That faith gives us the courage and confidence to advance. It’s an urgent, yet exciting time, the moment we have longed and prayed for. However, some are finding themselves hesitant in their response to His calling. This hesitation could be for many different reasons. Some fear what is ahead. Grief and trauma from past wounds control some. Many have grown weary in well-doing, while others have become shrouded in hope deferred. Though some of our reasons seem justifiable, it is critically important that we overcome all that is detrimental to our focus forward, and refocus back onto God. Our love for and trust in Him must outweigh and overpower all fear or uncertainty of the future. Our desire for His glory must outweigh and overpower any shroud that seeks to confine us to emotional entanglements from past experiences. We must awaken passion, set our eyes on Him, cast our cares onto Him, disallow fear, and by faith, move forward! To some, America may seem too far gone for recovery. The advancement of evil agendas may seem to have prevailed against the prophetic destiny of God for our nation, but things are not always as they appear in the natural. There is another portion of the story that has yet to be told. Through past dreams and prophetic words, God has declared that He is NOT late, and that America SHALL be saved! This is the time, and the Lord has need of us in order to produce a national and international revival! Jesus is calling us to see and hear beyond the chaos and noise surrounding us. He’s calling us to draw near to Him, seeing and hearing from His perspective and with unhindered clarity. This breaks us free from the strongholds of doubt, fear, and the confining grip of anxiety and uncertainty. Recently the Lord reminded me of a vision I had several years ago in which I saw a man sitting in a chair, his elbows on his knees and his head propped up in his hands. He was weeping. His tears were dropping onto some type of white dust covering his legs and feet. As the tears mingled with the dust, they formed into blocks of cement. The man wanted to stand and walk, but was completely confined by the cement blocks. Then, suddenly, I saw a hand swinging a large hammer. As the hammer hit the cement blocks, they were broken into pieces, instantly freeing the man to stand and walk. I believe this pictures what is happening with many in the church today through spiritual awakening. When we hear and believe God’s Word, truth comes like a hammer (Jeremiah 23:29) to break us free from that which has been confining us to fear and other crippling emotions! Our journey is unfinished, and the Lord wants to free us to run without encumbrances and weariness. When He speaks, we must respond and obey. God’s plan is progressing. The path ahead is formed, and we must choose to take our place on that path so His glory can be revealed. It’s time. An increase is coming to those who respond in faith and obedience to the Lord—an increase of strength, vision, wisdom, and strategy. God is taking us to another level of seeing and hearing in the Spirit. He is increasing our awareness of the authority we have in our speaking and praying. Our confidence in Him is increasing, as is our boldness. And as we remain steadfast, Holy Spirit will work powerfully through our obedience. I hear a clarion call echoing from the throne room of God to the heart of His true warriors, “Shake off distractions and disappointments. Set your face like a flint toward Me. Do not be moved by what you see happening around you! It’s temporary. There is a turning in the works. I have told you ahead of time, and now is the time! I have called you for this moment. Believe My promises. Remember My Word! DO NOT DOUBT IT, and do not fear.” Pray with me: Father, thank You for this history-making time. We hear You, and we will follow You forward. We refuse to allow our enemy to talk us into surrendering our posts. We receive and believe Your Word. Like a hammer, it is breaking off all emotional entanglements of the last season. Thank You for healing many - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually - so that with renewed focus and strength, they can rise to finish what You have started in and through them! We trust You, and we will not be afraid. You are our strength and defense, and our salvation. Your favor is upon us, and You will work through us to fully establish all of Your intentions for our time. We breathe in Your awakening breath, and we shout with steadfast resolve, “Weariness will not rob us of our due season!” We are free, we will run, and we will BE all You have called us to be! We continue to pray for our waterways, water resources, dams, and ports. We ask for protection over them and for strength and strategy for those obeying this assignment We know a shaking has begun and will intensify. But You said America will survive and be restored to her destiny. We do not fear, we believe Your promise, and we will partner with You in all You have planned for our future, including revival and reformation. We thank You for Your faithfulness and mercy. And we pray all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We set our faces like a flint toward Yahweh. We are not moved by what we see happening around us! We remember and believe God’s Word, never doubting it, and we shall see the performance of that which He has said. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Portions of today’s post were taken from Gina’s book Carry On! You can find out more about Gina at GinaGholstonMinistries.org.