Devotion Finds A Way I don’t like losing things. Usually, I deal with it pretty well - unless of course, it is something that makes me late, such as car keys. Though I am unusually spiritual, weighted down with the fruit of the Spirit, I have been known to grow impatient on occasion when someone else moves my keys form where I placed them. How else could my wife always be the one to find them?! I don’t care if they were in the pocket of the coat I wore yesterday, I certainly didn’t leave them there. Then there is the remote for the television - not that I ever watch it - I’m far too spiritual for that. How many places can there possibly be in one room to hide the thing? My kids are creative geniuses. There is no other explanation for such inventive concealment. We never did find one remote that disappeared! Then there was the science project we lost. Well, it wasn’t really lost. Ceci’s dogs ate it! Yeah, I know, but this time they really did. It was a project testing cheeses, trying to determine which kind molded the most and the fastest. We were finished with the project; all the ugly and smelly cheeses were glued beautifully on the poster board, the explanations scripted nicely by each moldy slice. Three glorious weeks of watching cheese mold, and it was finally finished. The display was carefully leaned against the wall, and off we went to a Wednesday night church service. When we walked into the house later that night, poster board was scattered everywhere. While we had been gone, the dogs had a party. I walked into the room and saw that my daughter Sarah was distraught and angry, my wife was distressed, the dogs were hiding, and my younger daughter Hannah was just trying to stay out of everyone’s way. I tried to bring some calmness to the situation, “They didn’t mean anything by it,” I said. “They were just doing what came naturally to them.” Not to be denied an opportunity to show I’m smarter than dogs, I tried again. A little humor is what we need, I thought. “I bet it was funny seeing the look on the dogs’ faces when they tasted that mold,” I said through a small chuckle. It always helps to see the humor in situations such as this. I told my daughter, “If you can laugh about it, you’ll feel better.” She cried even harder, mumbling something. She then gave me a look that was similar to the one she was giving the dogs. Ceci gave me a look that was a cross between sarcasm and pity. While rolling her eyes she said, “Brilliant! Now we all feel better. We’ll just tell the teacher the dogs were hungry and ate the science project - I’m sure he will believe us.” I went to the school the following morning, after having slept with the dogs, and explained to the principal what had happened. “Our dogs ate Sarah’s science project,” I said. You can imagine my relief when he laughed. “Finally,” I said, “someone else who sees the humor in it!” Later that day I was looking for the remote. “The dogs ate it,” Sarah informed me with a sarcastic smile. I don’t like losing things - glasses, keys, pens, phone. But I especially hate losing the anointing and keen awareness of God. I don’t like it when the fire goes out or the sensitivity to Holy Spirit wanes. I find it disconcerting when the cutting edge becomes the dull edge. What most of us discover is that this happens gradually, without us consciously realizing it. We who have within us the well of salvation, the river of life, sometimes fail to drink from it. Seeking and loving God with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength is often lost in the melee of doing life. Priorities sometimes need to be re-prioritized. We “court” many things in life: success, advancement, fame, other people, glory, money, favor, and a myriad of other goals we humans strive to reach. Gordon Dahl aptly said, “Most middle-class Americans tend to worship their work, to work at their play, and to play at their worship.”1 This is so true. We often forget to drink from the fountain filling our spirits. Growing thirsty, we take another drink. Sometimes I feel like the small child in the “Family Circus” cartoon who ran up to his mother exclaiming, “I need a hug, Mommy. I used up the last one.”2 God’s desire, however, is that we continuously drink from the fountain, live in His river, and abide in His wrap around presence. In an interview for Today’s Christian Woman, writer and speaker Carol Kent says: “One day when [my son] Jason was young, we were eating breakfast together. I had on an old pair of slacks and a fuzzy old sweater. He flashed his baby blues at me over his bowl of cereal and said, ‘Mommy, you look so pretty today.’ “I had not yet gotten ready for the day and didn’t even have makeup on. So I said, ‘Honey, why would you say I look pretty today? Normally I’m dressed up in heels and a dress.’ “And he said, ‘When you look like that, I know you’re going some place; but when you look like this, I know you’re all mine.’”3 I do much of my praying in the woods. I love to walk there for hours, communing with the Lord. I usually wear grubby jeans, old boots, t-shirts or sweatshirts - depending on the weather, hats and other worn-out, non-professional attire. When I go to the office, I change into my nicer clothes. I think God prefers me in my grungy uniform. When He sees me dressed that way, He knows I’m all His. My experience in the woods is often like that described by A.W. Tozer. “There are occasions when for hours I lay prostrate before God without saying a word of prayer or a word of praise - I just gaze on Him and worship.”4 Sometimes no words are needed. We just enjoy one another’s company. “Alvin Straight, age 73, lived in Laurens, Iowa. His estranged brother, Lyle, age 80, lived 240 miles away in Blue River, Wisconsin. According to the Associated Press, Alvin’s brother had suffered a stroke, and Alvin wanted to see him and make amends, He had a transportation problem, however. He didn’t have a driver’s license because his legs and eyesight were bad, and he apparently had an aversion to taking a plane, train, or bus. “But Alvin didn’t let that stop him. In 1994 he hitched a trailer to his 1966 John Deere tractor lawn mower, climbed aboard, and drove it - 5 mph - all the way to Blue River, Wisconsin. “Devotion finds a way.”5 Beginning Friday, May 7, we are going to spend time together, enjoying the pleasure of the Father’s company. We will drink from His fountain, drawing near to Him. In Israel’s history, Yahweh typically encouraged them to draw near to Him before He performed great redemptive acts. As preparation for the coming revival, He is saying the same to us. Let’s do it! Let’s make the journey - and enjoy the pleasure of His company together. Pray with me: Father, as we enter into a time of drawing near to You, we ask You to draw near to us. And we are confident You will. Prepare us for the next season of Holy Spirit outpouring. Change our wine skins. Make them fresh and pliable. Help us to refocus and become undistracted by life and it’s challenges. Where we have lost our cutting edge, please re-sharpen it. Where we have lost our hunger, please help us find it. Where we have lost our commitment, please help us find repentance. Our desire is to be rightly positioned with You so You can do the wondrous things You desire to do in our nation and the world. In Christ’s name we ask this, amen. Rowell, Quotes & Idea Starters for Preaching and Teaching, p 181. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, A Third Serving of Chicken Soup for the Coul (Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc., 1996), p 99. Craig Brian Larson. Contemporary Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996), p 70. Michael L. Brown, From Holy Laughter to Holy fire (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, Inc. 1996), p 186. Adapted from: Larson, Contemporary Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers, p 47.

A Prophetic Dream of a Founding Father In yesterday’s post, we said God was taking the prophetic anointing to a greater level of maturity and accuracy. We honor and appreciate this anointing of Christ - it is as important as the apostolic, evangelistic, pastoral, and teaching anointings. Christ, which means “anointed one,” broke His anointing down into these 5 functions and gave them as “gifts” to His church, in order that it might fully represent Him (Ephesians 4:7-13). We need all of them functioning in order to accurately and fully reveal Him. From time to time we have shared about prophetic dreams. Today’s post reveals how a prophetic dream enabled one of our Founding Fathers to assist in healing a serious rift between two other Founders. Our second and third presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, became alienated through strife, regarding political issues. The rift lasted about 10 years. When the Declaration of Independence was unanimously adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, there was cause for celebration among the 13 colonies. While Thomas Jefferson was the main writer, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and two others advised and edited as they compiled the document, separating the United States from the tyranny of Great Britain.1 Twenty years later, before the elections of 1796 and 1800, Jefferson and Adams still enjoyed a friendship. As mentioned, they had worked closely together to write the Declaration of Independence. They visited each other while serving as diplomats in Europe in the 1780s—Jefferson as minister to France and Adams as the nation’s first Ambassador to Great Britain. After Jefferson’s wife passed away in 1782, he regularly visited the Adams' home. In fact, John and Abigail Adams became like a surrogate family to Jefferson.2 “Jefferson revealed his affection for Adams to James Madison, writing that Adams ‘is so amiable, that I pronounce you will love him if ever you become acquainted with him.’ Mrs. Adams once called Jefferson ‘one of the choice ones of the earth,’ and Mr. Adams wrote Jefferson saying that ‘Correspondence with you…is one of the most agreeable events in my life.’”3 The rift began while Adams was serving as George Washington’s vice president in the 1790s. Then, Adams won the presidential election of 1796. Jefferson had run against Adams and received the second highest amount of votes, so according to the law at that time, Jefferson became vice president under Adams. How awkward would that be! Jefferson ran against Adams again in the presidential election of 1800, which turned into a bitter battle, with nasty attack ads and personal accusations. Adams was a staunch Federalist promoting centralized, national power, while Jefferson was a Democratic-Republican who sought a limited government with greater control given to the states. Jefferson won that election. Adams left Washington D.C., to avoid Jefferson’s inauguration, so strong was Adam’s feelings against him at the time.4 Communication between Jefferson and Adams ceased after this contentious and divisive presidential campaign. Their mutual friend, Dr. Benjamin Rush, was deeply troubled over the chasm between the two men. One night, after Jefferson left the presidency, Dr. Rush had a dream which he felt had a prophetic message. On October 17, 1809, Rush wrote the dream and sent it to Adams, urging him to write Jefferson. He sent several more requests over the next two years. Dr. Rush’s final attempt to get Adams to write Jefferson was on December 16, 1811. Jefferson had told Dr. Rush that he was open to reconciliation but needed Adams to write first. Rush wrote to Adams and said: “And now my dear friend - permit me again to suggest to you, to receive the olive branch which has thus been offered to you by the hand of a Man who still loves you. Fellow labourers in creating the great fabric of American Independence…Embrace, embrace each other. Bedew your letters of reconciliation with tears of affection and joy.”5 After more than a decade of silence they realized their friendship was more valuable than their differences, so they renewed their correspondence. Adams took the first step and wrote to Jefferson on New Year’s Day in 1812, concluding by saying, "I wish you, Sir, many happy new years and that you may enter the next and many succeeding years with as animating Prospects for the Public as those at present before us. I am, Sir, with a long and sincere esteem, your Friend and Servant.”6 Jefferson replied to Adams three weeks later on January 21, 1812: “A letter from you calls up recollections very dear to my mind. It carries me back to the times when, beset with difficulties & dangers, we were fellow laborers in the same cause, struggling for what is most valuable to man, his right of self-government.”7 The two men were regaining a level of trust. On July 15, 1813, Adams wrote Jefferson: “You and I, ought not to die before we have explained ourselves to each other.” 8 “As accurately described in Rush’s dream, Adams and Jefferson did again become close friends, and there did indeed follow the ‘correspondence of several years’ described in the dream. Furthermore, the ‘world was favored with a sight of the letters’ as entire volumes were eventually published which contained the letters written between those two in their latter years.”9 Their letters, over the next 14 years, covered such subjects as government, liberty, religion, philosophy, agriculture, family news, disappointments, and happiness.10 Seventeen years after Dr. Rush’s 1809 dream, Adams and Jefferson did “sink into the grave nearly at the same time” also as the dream had indicated. Amazingly, they both died on July 4th, 1826 – the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence! Adams was 90 and Jefferson was 83. Once political opponents, John Adams’ last words were of his friend. Historians differ, but it was either: “Jefferson survives” or “Jefferson still lives.” He didn’t know, however, that Jefferson had died a few hours earlier.11 Most people aren’t aware that both Adams and Jefferson died on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Incredibly, it was as though both men willed themselves to live until that landmark day. Their passion to see the survival of this “holy experiment” - as many described America in that day - kept them alive until this milestone was reached. Adams, too weak to attend the national Fourth of July celebration, asked to be sat in a chair by his window in order to watch the festivities. While there, he drifted into unconsciousness and died later that night. Another of Adams’ last words spoken before he graduated to Heaven were “Independence forever.”12 Passionate in life; passionate in death. Who was Dr. Benjamin Rush? He, whose prophetic dream helped unite these two? He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He served as physician-general of the Continental Army. He was a professor of medicine at University of Pennsylvania. He helped establish five universities and colleges. He was a prolific antislavery writer. He helped start America’s first Bible Society. In 1791 he founded First Day Society, an early type of Sunday Schools. Rush died in 1813—known as one of America’s most notable founders.13 Peacemaker. Reconciler. Prophetic dreamer. Friend to two mutual statesmen who needed to reconcile. A man who believed in forgiveness. One who highly honored God. Although Adams and Jefferson were wounded by partisan politics and never saw eye-to-eye regarding government, as old men they re-evaluated their lives, chose to try and understand the other, and forgave them. Their letters give us a rich picture of America in their times. What a legacy. We can give thanks to a man who was determined that they mend their friendship...and who acted on a God-given dream! What a privilege to live in this America! Pray with me: Father, thank You for the brave men who wrote and adopted our Declaration of Independence, making us a free nation. We often forget their solemn sacrifices when many knew by signing that document they might be signing their own death warrants. Some did lose their homes, fortunes, loved ones. Thank You for all those who lay down their political differences for the sake of unity and freedom. Thank You for the lessons they taught us about forgiveness and reconciliation. May we be worthy of their sacrifices. Thank You for speaking to us, Holy Spirit, through Your word, dreams, visions, prophecy, and words of knowledge. Teach us to value Your voice, and to recognize it more quickly. We ask You to mature the prophetic giftings in the church, that we might enjoy and see the full fruit of this Christ-anointing. May listening to You become more than an exciting anomaly. May it be a daily pleasure. We ask this in the name of our worthy Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Our decree: We will do our part to help maintain our freedoms; and we will pray for God’s wisdom for our leaders, in order that we fulfill our nation’s destiny. References 1. www:johnadamsinfo.com/Thomas-Jefferson/7v 2. www:Johnadamsinfo.com/Thomas-jefferson7v 3.https://www.wkye.com/article/news/history/remembering-the-friendship-of-founding-fathers-john-adams-and-thomas-jefferson 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidency_of_Thomas_Jefferson#Election_of_1800 5-13. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/adams/99-02-02-5725 5. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/adams/99-02-02-5725 6.. http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/livingrev/religion/text3/adamsjeffersoncor.pdf 7. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-04-02-0334 8. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-04-02-0247 9. https://wallbuilders.com/benjamin-rush-dream-john-adams-thomas-jefferson 10. https://wjmi.blogspot.com/2013/10/thomas-jefferson-as-neighbor-and-friend.html 11. www:johnadamsinfo.com/Thomas-Jefferson/7v 12. Adams, John. July 4, 1826. 13. Toby Mac and Michael Tait, Under God, (Bloomington, Minnesota, Bethany House Publishers, 2004), 29-30

America's Return To Covenant In a recent service, I made the statement that prophets were going to a higher level of maturity and accuracy in their prophetic gifting. The anointing and revelation that restored this gift to the body of Christ, will now mature the gift to higher levels of hearing, discerning, and applying the information. I did not say this as an indictment toward those moving in the prophetic - the prophets I know and listen to already operate at a very mature level. Nor am I singling them out - all of the anointings of Christ listed in Ephesians 4:11 must mature to higher levels. I said it in my message simply because I saw it. We desperately need the prophetic gift operating at a very high level to accomplish all Holy Spirit intends in the coming season, and great grace is coming to facilitate this. My long-time friend and colleague, Bob Long, heard me say this and it jogged his memory regarding a prophecy he gave a while back. He immediately sent me the word, along with some thoughts. This prophecy is both enlightening and encouraging: A Call Back to Covenant “‘We do hereby dedicate this Land, and ourselves, to reach the People within these shores with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to raise up Godly generations after us, and with these generations take the Kingdom of God to all the earth. May this Covenant of Dedication remain to all generations, as long as this earth remains, and may this Land, along with England, be Evangelists to the World. May all who see this Cross, remember what we have done here, and may those who come here to inhabit, join us in this Covenant and in this most noble work that the Holy Scriptures may be fulfilled.’1 (Robert Hunt, Cape Henry, 1607) Bob says, “Most scholars agree this was the first Protestant prayer - and the first time an intentional corporate prayer of COVENANT - was offered to God on the soil of America. It was heartfelt, deliberate and offered with appropriate spiritual protocol. The embryonic nation was now in true covenant with God. The wooden cross, planted in the sand beside their kneeling prayer, witnessed their dedication of a land to God and the covenant oath with which they did it. “This foundational prophetic prayer is actually not well-known but its significance cannot be overstated. God has not forgotten this original covenant entered into with Him! Is He heartbroken with America? Yes. Angry? Perhaps. Is it too late for America to be saved? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Will there be an awakening in the hearts of the American people and a return to our original Covenant with God? YES! “I was attending an annual leadership conference where Dutch Sheets was speaking,” he says. “On one particular night, there was a strong prophetic flow and release of intercession for our nation and the church in America. The word of the Lord came to me clearly; here is a portion of what I prophesied: “‘I have not turned away from the covenant this nation made with Me, but this nation has turned away from it. The cry of a remnant in this generation has been heard, and I am raising up a new wave of prophets to call this nation back to America’s original covenant. You will see an increase in the number of trustworthy prophets arising in the land. You will see the level of the prophetic word released go to a higher level, and a nation will hear the word of the Lord calling it back to covenant! “‘I am also going to bring forth a new wave of evangelists in America. They will flow in apostolic understanding and an anointing for signs and wonders. There will be an increase in the number of true evangelists in this nation. There will be a company, even a wave of them, going after the hearts of a people. The call to redemption through My Son will be heard by many for the first time. “‘I am shaking all things. I am raising up more who will join the remnant. I am raising up more who will increase the volume of My call to this nation to return to Covenant. I am raising up more of those who will reveal My Son to the multitudes, that hearts may turn to Me. A remnant shall be strengthened and a nation shall be shaken, that it may be awakened!’ “In the days after releasing that word,” Bob continues, “I prayed over it, asking God for more clarity and strategy. He led me to the above prayer, Robert Hunt’s prayer of Covenant in 1607, at the Cape Henry. I have studied all the events and history of America’s early pilgrims and settlers many times. Somehow, however, I had missed the reality that they had solemnly entered into a covenant with God regarding this nation!” Bob challenges us, “Let each of us bring this covenant before the Lord individually! Let us also collectively use the covenant, along with this prophetic word of the Lord, and pray! God wants to send reinforcements so that together, WE HIS PEOPLE, might awaken a nation! We say yes, Lord!” Pray with me: Father, we are grateful for men like Bob Long who belong to You and hear Your voice clearly. We pray for a supernatural wave of apostles, prophets, and evangelists to be released in America. Sharpen their ability to hear You and operate in a higher level of these gifts than we’ve ever seen. We also pray for the prayer movement in America. Help us to shake off weariness and embrace Your call to pray. We join our faith together in asking boldly for an awakening to come to our great land. We pray that all hope deferred and hopelessness will be broken off of Your people. Sweep over us with a refreshing from Your presence. Help us receive encouragement that comes from spending time with You. We ask that You soften and prepare the hearts of the American people. Help us to have a great awareness of what You are doing and how You are moving in our land. We don’t want to miss what You’re doing but recognize and respond to the new move of Your Spirit that is sweeping our land. Lord, cause us to hear You clearly so we can cooperate and work with Holy Spirit as He moves across America, awakening a nation. Our decree: America is returning to covenant with God; we agree with His plans for America to be a blessing to all the nations of the earth! You can find out more about Bob Long here. 1 https://www.suffolknewsherald.com/2018/11/14/grow-a-covenant-community/

Arrows and Eagles Three weeks ago I was sent an interesting gift. I thank those of you, by the way, who have sent encouraging emails and gifts to us here at Give Him 15. This gift was 300 Native American arrowheads. What an interesting and unusual gift, I thought. However, this amazing offering became very significant as I read the explanation. I will share that with you momentarily. On February 9, I posted a dream given to Gina Gholston, regarding the Red River Meeting House. It spoke of this and 3 other wells of revival being re-opened by Holy Spirit - Cane Ridge, Azusa, and Wales. God is going to merge the anointings and power of these world-impacting outpourings, giving us the synergy of the ages. The dream also spoke of 100 bald eagles, each having arrows in one talon and a scroll in the other. After having been drenched by water from the re-opened well of Red River Meeting House, they flew off to parts of the nation, with the water falling on people like a rain shower. Nothing else was said about the eagles in this dream. In the following day’s post, February 10, I shared a sequel Gina was given to this dream. In this dream she saw the 100 eagles again. As they were flying (in all directions) across America, suddenly they all began diving toward the ground. When near the ground they leveled off and began dropping their arrows onto the land. From the first dream, she knew there were 100 eagles. In the second dream, she could see that each carried three arrows. So, 300 arrows were released throughout the land. When each arrow hit the ground it ignited as though it had hit a gas pocket and a spiraling plume of fire shot up. Then she watched as the water the eagles were carrying and releasing was also being ignited by the fire. The water from the Red River Meeting House was extremely flammable and instantly caught fire. It seemed all of America was on fire with the flames of revival. Toward the end of the dream, Holy Spirit spoke to her and said, “The eagles are on assignment. They carry ‘Fire Power’; they carry glory. And at the precise moment, their arrows will be released, hit their targets, and the move of God will ignite and spread very quickly! Do not doubt it!” Now, back to the arrowheads gift. The brother who sent them to me offered the following explanation. “When I accepted the call of God to ministry in 1998 and moved my family back to North Carolina, my personal devotion time took a new direction. God promised me that if I would walk and pray, He would...lead me in my walks to the ancient artifacts left behind by the First Nations People. So, for over 20 years I have been walking and praying in the fields around my home in North Carolina...I have found a wonderful collection of Indian artifacts...I heard the dream about the eagles with the 300 arrows, and felt it would please the Lord if I would send you a tangible expression of the 300 places God set afire with revival.” I was very moved by this sacrificial gift. Last week, while ministering in Shreveport, Louisiana, Holy Spirit, through a series of prophetic words, made it clear that the timing of this gift was significant. He was announcing to me that the eagles have now released the arrows of revival fire. Five days later another person, in another city, gave me a beautiful replica of an arrowhead, made of pure silver. To my recollection, in 40 years of ministry, I have never been given an arrowhead - until now. Two gifts; five days apart. Surely, without a doubt, they are a confirmation that this revival has begun. I have begun hearing of pockets of outpouring. One of them is in Modesto, California, led by Mario Murillo. Thousands are coming to this tent meeting, and hundreds, if not thousands, are being saved. Many miracles are occurring. I will be showing you a short clip at the end of this post showing pictures of the revival. I plan to have Mario himself share what is happening on a post within the next few days. Rejoice! Our prayers are working! Please pray with me regarding this outpouring and others that are about to begin. Pray with me: Father, thank You for the arrows of Your deliverance coming to this nation. Thank You for the fires of revival that are beginning to burn. Thank You for re-opening the wells of revival from Red River Meeting House, Cane Ridge, Wales, Hebrides and elsewhere. This incredible outpouring of Your Spirit has begun. Thank You for what You are doing in Modesto, California, and elsewhere. We thank You for Mario Murillo and many like him who contend for souls and have persevered in their evangelistic callings. We know, of course, this is not about one man, but it’s about You using Your people scattered everywhere. We thank You for the miracles that are occurring and the hundreds and hundreds of people being saved. Please continue this revival. Give them great, great favor and let the anointing intensify. Let it spread throughout California and to other parts of the nation. We thank You for this. Bring more and more and more. Let America and the nations of the earth burn with holy fire! In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, amen. Our decree: We decree that the wells of past revivals have been opened, the eagles have flown, the arrows have been released, and the fires of revival are now beginning to burn in the land. You can watch the short clip of the Modesto Tent Revival by clicking here.

We Must Pray for Our Cities Nations, including America, are in turmoil. Numerous cities are in trouble. Many have written to us deeply concerned, wanting to know what to do. First, don’t panic. These are typically the times when people are most open to Christ. The nations could not be more ripe for harvest. As we pray for this, however, we must remember to start with our cities. Too often we focus on a nation, forgetting that it is comprised of cities. We’ll never get revival for the whole if we don’t get revival for the part. There are many apostolic leaders being raised up and mantled with passionate callings for their cities, but every believer must engage in this battle. As individuals we must pray for our city, and the corporate Ekklesia should gather together to push back the darkness and reclaim our cities for Christ. The following poignant quote from Andrew Murray is very pertinent to the need for prayer in this hour, “The great work of intercession is needed...It is here that the coming revival must find its strength. Let there be, with every minister and worker, ‘great searching of heart’ (Judges 5:16), as to whether they are ready to give as much time and strength to prayer as God desires. Let them...give themselves in secret to take their place in the front ranks of the great intercession host.”1 In his book, With Christ in the School of Prayer, Murray also states, “God rules the world through the prayers of His saints,...prayer is the power by which satan is conquered, and...the church distributes the powers of heaven.”2 Murray is right, of course. Prayer is among the essential disciplines of our faith and practice. Jon Bunn, a leader in Fort Worth Texas said, “One of the most critical prayer focuses we have is the harvest of souls residing within our city. People will step into eternity with Christ based on our prayer and witness. Jesus tells us in Luke 10:2 in the New Living Translation, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields.’ (Don’t be surprised if He sends you as an answer to that prayer.) Prayer shifts atmospheres and transforms culture.” Amos 9:13-14, again in the NLT, speaks of transforming cities. ‘The time will come,’ says the Lord, ‘when the grain and grapes will grow faster than they can be harvested. Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel will drip with sweet wine! I will bring my exiled people of Israel back from distant lands, and they will rebuild their ruined cities and live in them again. They will plant vineyards and gardens; they will eat their crops and drink their wine.’ George Otis, Jr., in his book Informed Intercession, speaks of the incredible transformation of Cali, Colombia several years ago. The Cali drug cartel was considered the largest, richest, and most well-organized criminal organization in history, exporting 500 million dollars worth of cocaine a month. The cartel owned as many as 12,000 properties in the city. Drug money controlled everything, including the banks, politicians, and law enforcement. Crime and murder were rampant with as many as 15 people a day killed by thugs. In the spiritual arena, the church was anemic and divided. Then God initiated a work of prayer and unity. In May 1995, over 25,000 people filled the civic auditorium and prayed all night for breakthrough in their city. Within 48 hours, Cali experienced its first 24-hour period with no homicides in as long as anyone could remember. The police force was purged of 900 cartel-linked officers. The Colombian government began to crack down on the drug lords and, with a force of 6500 commandos, captured most of the leaders. Through unity and much prayer, the believers in Cali finally experienced their breakthrough. For years after, they held all-night prayer rallies every 90 days with thousands of people in attendance. Great openness to the Gospel existed at every level of society. Across the board, church growth exploded due to new converts; one church grew to 35,000 members - and (at the time of this writing) is still growing! Denominational affiliation and location had little to do with it. By the year 2000, this marvelous revival had gone on for 36 consecutive months.3 Incredible! Jon Bunn continues to describe the need to pray for our cities. “Our prayers and declarations release His supernatural power, which flows into the city and touches every societal level. Many of us face cities filled with challenges and failures in education, city and county leadership, business, poverty, homelessness, violence, and fear. Without God, there is confusion and an aimless emptiness that, often by default, advances the agenda of evil. We must believe and pray that our cities will encounter God’s life and power. Only Jesus can change our cities and nation. Remember, as you pray for your city’s health and well-being, God will respond.” Intercessors for America gives us some ways to pray for our cities: "1) Pray for spiritual awakening in the churches of your city. Pray the Scriptural prayers found in Ephesians 1:15-21, 3:14-21; Philippians 1:9-11; Colossians 1:9-12, 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:10-13, 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, 2:16-17, 3:1-5; and Hebrews 13:20-21. Insert the name of congregations and assemblies in your city, asking God to bring the fullness of Jesus’ life into the church. 2) Pray against the spiritual strongholds of darkness over your city. Ephesians 6:12 teaches of the constant spiritual battle in the heavens where lies actual strongholds that the enemy has over geographic areas. (see also Daniel 10:10-13). 3) Pray for the leadership and authorities in your city. Such as the mayor, the city council, police chief, school board, etc. ( 1 Timothy 2:1-4). 4.) Ask God to bless your city. “Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted” Proverbs 11:11. The greatest blessing God can send is Jesus Christ, who will turn people from their wickedness, and bring them salvation Acts 3:26. 5) Pray for the welfare of your city. “…seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” Jeremiah 29:7 and Psalm 122:6,7. 6) Pray for the people of your city to turn to God. Remember that Nineveh (read John 3:1-10) and Samaria did (John 4:39-42). 7) Pray for your city to support righteousness and goodness. “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy” Proverbs 11:10.4" May we see revival among the nations as a result of our intercession for our cities! “...their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought in the other boats, and soon all the boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.” (Luke 5:6 NLT) Pray with me: “Father, we bless our cities in Jesus’ name. They are in great need of You. Open our eyes to see the reality of our cities, both good and bad. Forgive us for not paying closer attention to what is going on in them. We believe You have placed each of us exactly where You want us; You have a purpose for where we live and work. Grant us compassion for the needs in our communities. Give us Your plan for these cities. We call the governing structures of our cities into order. We ask for the right individuals to run for city councils and school boards. We decree peace over our cities - protect law enforcement, giving them wisdom to do their jobs of protecting us well and without fear. Let businesses thrive. We ask for answers to any systemic problems. Lord, show us where and what to pray to uproot enemy strongholds in our cities. We expect Your great end-time harvest and we ask You to send laborers into the fields which are white and ready for harvest. Use us in the coming revival. Release Your kingdom and power throughout each of our cities with signs, wonders, and miracles. Invade every area of our cities in every mountain of influence. Unite the churches - the size of the catch will be big enough for all houses of worship to participate. Prepare us to disciple these new believers. Strengthen us to see Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ Name we ask these things. Amen. Our decree: Transformational revival is coming to cities all over the world. America [Your nation] shall be saved! Pastor Jon Bunn contributed to today’s post. You can find out more about him here. 1 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/29296/29296-h/29296-h.htm 2 https://www.amazon.com/Christ-School-Prayer-Andrew-Murray/dp/1603865314 3 George Otis Jr., Informed Intercession (Ventura, Calif.: Regal, 1999) 4 https://ifapray.org/blog/prayer-points-for-your-city/

My brother, Tim Sheets, recently received a powerful word from the Lord. This will encourage you greatly. He says: “Recently, I have sensed there is a strategy that Holy Spirit wants to emphasize. He is doing something supernaturally that God has planned. The Ekklesia, His body through which He speaks and acts, is here to represent Christ’s base of power on the earth. Seated with Him in His kingdom’s government (as Ephesians 2:6 describes) it arises to affect society, culture, laws, and earth’s government. This is a spiritual kingdom, headquartered in heaven, where Jesus is enthroned to rule and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. His representatives on earth will now function at higher levels of efficiency. “We occupy the seats with Christ spiritually in heaven’s government, but we can also occupy the seats in the natural governments of the earth. This is a restoration of what He said in Genesis 1 and 2 we are to do as part of the dominion mandate. Holy Spirit is calling some of our sons and daughters to run for seats in government, representing Him without compromising. He is especially grooming the millennials to unseat antichrist rulers. Young Davids are going to replace some Sauls. “As I was praying into our times,” Tim says, “Holy Spirit said to me, ‘Redefine, Realign and Restore.’ I then began to hear the sound of bones cracking in the spirit realm. I heard the popping of bones and joints coming into place. Upon hearing this, I remembered a story from my childhood. “My dad, along with local pastors, often conducted healing services. At one of these meetings, a man was pushed into the church in a wheelchair. His body was twisted, misshapen, and slumped to one side. Dad and the other pastors gathered around him and began to pray (see Mark 16: 15-18). As they prayed, I started to hear popping, cracking sounds as the man began to twitch, move and shake. I watched him unwind in his wheelchair as his limbs straightened and his body realigned. I saw what appeared to be a hopeless condition suddenly change. A ‘no way’ became a ‘God way’ as hopelessness realigned. “After pondering this occurrence, the Lord said to me: “‘My Ekklesia kingdom hubs will now begin to see miracles of realignment in people’s lives, government, and culture. This will be an era of miraculous realignment. I have planned for My Ekklesia hubs to bring realignment to their regions through outpourings of increased power of Holy Spirit moving upon them and within them. I will realign the twisted, the disjointed, and the misshapen. I will realign government and culture through my power, erupting in My Ekklesia volcanic-like hubs. I will press, I will push, I will pull. I will realign as my Ekklesias activate governing decrees. I am activating angels of alignment to assist the supernatural alignment of regions, states, and nations. Angels of alignment are partnering with the prayers of My Ekklesia to accomplish the order of King Jesus. They are moving in unseen ways, to bring forth in seen ways, realignment with proper purpose, realignment with what I say, realignment with My kingdom’s government and My ways. “‘For the set time has come for the generation of young reformers to align with remnant reformers of all generations, to reform my purpose and revive My works. Reformers are being formed. Reformers are rising in Holy Spirit power to declare realignment. This will erupt suddenly. I will validate it with explosive energy flowing through the generations of My Ekklesia. There will now come a functioning church in the midst of the disfunction. Multiplied grace is being poured upon it. Bound, twisted souls will unwind. Bound, misshaped hearts will be reshaped, reborn, freed. Twisted destiny will be reformed and aligned with My purpose. Hearts bound in disillusion will awaken and beat with meaning. The blind and the aimless will see with focused vision clear pathways before them. They will be liberated from hell’s bondage as the revival of ingathering now leaps into being. “‘For the synergized generations, in sync with angel armies, will be soaked in the fresh rains of heaven and will leap forward into great revival. It will accelerate in power, passion, and purity. I will validate it with signs, wonders, and miracles. Notable miracles will leap into your families. Transformation will leap into prodigals. Notable miracles are leaping into your regions. The revival in the womb of My kingdom will leap into being. It’s leaping from those who have been in travail. Leap into your future. Forerunners, run! Run through the doors of opening and into the new era I have planned. Run to align your region with My Word. Generations, run into the outpourings of heaven. “‘For I am transforming and realigning the territorial domain of My Ekklesia hubs into opportunity zones of My kingdom. The name of their cities in their natural realms will be superseded by a new spirit name of My kingdom’s definition. Deliverance city. Healing city. Miracle city. Resource city. Restoration city. Grace city. Glory city. Mercy city. Revelation city. Resurrection city. Joy city. Compassion city. Wisdom city. Hope city. Redefinition will come to regions rooted with My Ekklesias and I will realign their territories to my defining purpose. I will bring a new identity and great blessings to the regions. The grace on my Ekklesia will now accelerate and it will validate that My kingdom is among them. My rule protects them and My power sustains them. My presence fills them and My glory surrounds them. Those who rule with Me will see their regions realign. They will participate in supernatural realignments that I have planned.’” Tim says, “Holy Spirit is resetting our way of thinking. We need to think with an authoritative, ruling, reigning, and governmental mindset. He wants us to think spiritually minded thoughts, functioning with wisdom in a natural world. “While our emphasis is on the nation’s realignment with our God, perhaps you need realignment in your own life today. This word also pertains to you. Souls that are bound and twisted with the lies of the enemy will unwind. Misshaped hearts will be reshaped, reborn, and freed. Twisted destiny will be reformed and aligned with His purpose. Hearts that are bound in disillusionment will awaken and beat with meaning. You will have a focused vision and clear pathways before you. You will see signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.” Pray with me: Father God, let your Ekklesia around this nation and world rise with great fire, passion, and purity. Realign us for a move of Holy Spirit on the earth like we’ve never seen before. Realign us for revival. Realign us to unseat the antichrist agendas and those who represent them, and replace them with the sons and daughters of God - locally, regionally, and nationally. Release Your power into the atmosphere of this nation and transform it. Realign culture and government through Your power. Release angel armies to accelerate Your kingdom. Restore geographical regions and territories to Your defining purpose. Bring new identity and great blessings to the regions. Father, accelerate Your grace on Your Ekklesia and validate that Your kingdom is among them. Let Your rule protect them and Your power sustain them. May Your presence fill them and Your glory surround them. We declare we will align and become who we are supposed to be. And Father, release miracles of realignment in our nation and in people’s lives throughout the earth. We decree realignment in the destiny of prodigals. Unwind twisted hearts and those who are bound in their souls. Let us see visible miracles and manifestations of Your power. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Our Decree: We decree that God is redefining, realigning, and restoring His people, His Ekklesia, and our nation! Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim Sheets. You can learn more about him here.

The Salty Church In what we call The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.” (Matthew 5:13) Christ continues in verses 14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” My friend, Dwain Miller, said regarding this passage: “We have lost our seasoning (saltiness) by not embracing our calling and responsibility as the Ekklesia. When we do embrace it, we prevent corruption in society, even as salt prevents corruption when it is used to preserve food. Each of us has a sphere of authority given to us by God, in which we must release our influence as the Ekklesia: our families, cities, and other areas of responsibility. However, the world has come to a place where they expect the church to function only in the realm of empathy and sympathy. They become nervous when we step out into our responsibility as the Ekklesia of God. The devil does not like us moving into the secular realm with Christ’s authority. That’s when things get stirred up, kingdom clashes occur. “If we simply feed the hungry and clothe the poor, we are accepted. The church needs to be doing those things, yes, but we also need to take authority over the dark structures holding people in that bondage of poverty. We need to release them spiritually, to become everything God created them to be. When we do so, however, we stir up conflict in both the spiritual and earthly realms.” Shockingly, the Pharisees didn’t approve of Jesus healing people and delivering sinners. He healed a blind man in John 9; they didn’t like it. He forgave a lady of adultery in John 8; they didn’t like this either. The disciples, now apostles, healed a lame man in Acts 3, which also drew their ire. Why would these kind, compassionate acts upset the antichrist crowd? Because the authority they moved in verified a message they didn’t like and caused the hearts of people to turn to Christ. It weakened them and strengthened the church. It will be no different today. When the Ekklesia fully moves into society, saving the lost, healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons, we’ll be persecuted by the religious and political. When we release kingdom strategies for systemic societal problems, we have been and will be attacked. We must prepare ourselves now for the confrontations we will face with the religious and political spirits operating in our time. When the Pharisees and Sadducees had seen to it that Jesus was crucified, they thought they had rid themselves of their problems. The people had been following Jesus and causing them no end of troubles. We can imagine the religious leaders brushing their hands together after Christ was sealed in the tomb, saying to one another, “Well, thank goodness that’s over!” It was far from over. In Acts 2, the outpouring of Holy Spirit occurred. In Acts 3, the new apostles were filled with power and glory. They had a holy boldness deposited in them by the Spirit of God, and were unstoppable! They knew they might be, and likely would be, jailed and beaten for telling others about Jesus. But they did it anyway, preaching an uncompromising message refusing to water it down, unafraid of who would be listening. The disciples began working miracles and preaching boldly. Acts 4:13 says, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Dwain Miller said of this, “The apostles were not illiterate, but they were not rabbis, schooled in the Torah. However, the rabbis listening to them were having to acknowledge these common people who, having been with Jesus, were carrying out the exact same manifestation of the Kingdom He had demonstrated. They didn’t have an explanation for that.” Dwain continues, “The religious leaders had told the people for hundreds of years, ‘You have to come to us to know God.’ They had control over the people having actually developed an antiChrist system in order to maintain control. They operated in power and wickedness. Now, their problem was exacerbated. There was not just one Jesus to deal with. There were increasing numbers carrying Christ within them and being baptized in the Holy Ghost. They were speaking a clear scriptural message and performing miracles. And the church was multiplying. “In Acts 5:12, it says, ‘And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.’ The response of the Pharisees and Sadducees to all this was to throw the apostles in prison. But the Lord sent an angel in the night to open the prison doors and delivered them. Nothing could stop them, because God was with them. The religious, political spirit wanted to shut the Christians up and shut them down. But those empowered by demonic spirits discovered a greater power was with the Christ-followers. And it could not be stopped.This is where the Lord has brought the Ekklesia today. We are in an Acts 4 and 5 season; we can see the anointing and authority growing in us. Holy Spirit is restoring our saltiness, our seasoning ability. The world is going to know once again that a people have been with Jesus. Christ is looking forward to the sound of the clashing of kingdoms, because it means we are advancing His kingdom in the earth. A wise Pharisee named Gamaliel said in Acts 5:38-39 (NKJV), “And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.” We want God’s power and glory to so manifest through us that the world and religious community won’t know what to do with us. Let it be said of us, “What should we do with these men? We can’t deny that they have performed miraculous signs, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it” (Acts 4:16; NLT). Pray with me: Father, You are “leavening” Your Ekklesia, causing Your power and glory to rise within us. We are not discouraged by what is happening around us, with society’s spiritual demise. Yes, we grieve, but we are not discouraged. We see what we need to see. You have increased our revelation and we know You are filling us with the fullness of Your authority, grace, and strength for this era. Lord, we thank You that the rising Ekklesia is maturing in greater and greater authority. We purpose to function with maturity in all You have created us to do. We loose this powerful identity shift on all those in the Church who will receive it. We will no longer allow the enemy to define us or our boundaries. We will do all You have called us to do. We’ll do it in love because that is Your nature, but we will do it. We know the purpose You have sent us forth to complete and we will do this. You will be glorified and made manifest through the activities of Your Ekklesia. We pray that the Ekklesia (the church) will go forth in dunamis power. We have been given the keys to all You have in heaven. We will use Your keys and declare, “Kingdom of God, Come! Will of God, be done in and through us.” We pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen. Today’s decree: God has and is gracing the Ekklesia in America to be a determined force, expanding His Kingdom in every dark place!

The Dress Rehearsal (Good Friday) In Genesis 12, God planted a great dream in Abraham’s heart. By the time we get to Genesis 22, his dream is alive and doing very well. God has given him land, livestock, a large staff, great wealth, and, most importantly, Isaac, through whom the promise of becoming a great nation would occur. The Lord and Abraham had walked together for many years and were close friends. But the strength of their relationship would be challenged one more time. The test would be a huge one and would become the pinnacle of their relationship, proving once and for all Abraham’s amazing confidence in and loyalty to God. This event proved to be far more than just a test, however. Hidden in it was one of the most amazing pictures of the cross the Lord ever painted. As we shall see, it demonstrated more than Abraham’s trust in God; it was also a heartwarming picture of Jehovah’s trust in Abraham. In Genesis 22, the Lord made a shocking request of Abraham. “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” (Genesis 22:2) Amazing! Ridiculous! Unbelievable! But He said it: Give me the dream, Abraham. Take that part of the dream which is the most precious to you and sacrifice it to Me. That would cause just a little bit of a hiccup in your morning devotions. Abraham must have felt like someone slugged him in the gut. One can only imagine the thoughts and questions that began to swirl through his mind: Do I really know God’s voice as well as I believe I do? Do I truly know Him as well as I think I do? I don’t believe He will make me go through with the sacrifice of Isaac. If He does, I’m confident He will raise him from the dead. With either scenario, what will Isaac think regarding my love for him? Could this so traumatize him that it wounds his psyche, maybe even permanently? It’s impossible to know Abraham’s thoughts, but we know he was a good father and loved Isaac very much. We also know there could be no greater test than this of anyone’s faith and trust. To say that Abraham passed the test would be the understatement of the millennium. He said “yes” to questions one and two, and trusted his Friend with number three. The challenge this presents us to emulate in our dreaming seems ridiculously small in comparison to what Abraham had to do.The principle, however, is the same and one we must always remember: When God asks for the dream, give it back to Him. Dreams are powerful. It is possible to so attach our emotions to them that a dream can become a taskmaster we serve, rather than an assignment or goal we steward. This is precisely what occurred with Adam and Eve, and all of us contracted the virus. Stewarding the dream wasn’t enough for them; they became convinced they could own it. At that point, rather than God remaining Lord of the dream, the dream became lord. Legitimate desires became cravings, even obsessions. We humans have been serving our dreams ever since. We kill for them, abandon family and friends to accomplish and keep them, and spend everything we own to buy them. Since the fall of humanity, God’s challenge has been keeping the dream a servant and a tool, rather than us allowing it to become the master. Whether the dream is a person, money, possessions, position, or status, the only hope for its purity is keeping it tethered to Him. It was, of course, never God’s intent to allow Abraham to go through with the sacrifice of Isaac. The only human offering He has ever sanctioned was that of Christ on the Cross. But at the time Abraham couldn’t be certain. He was certain, however, of his complete trust in God’s character and friendship. Yahweh would either provide a viable substitute for Isaac (see Genesis 22:8), or if He did require him to go through with the sacrifice, the Author and Giver of life would not leave Isaac dead—He would resurrect him (see Genesis 22:5 and Hebrews 11:17–19). What an incredible and genuine trust this demonstrated! Abraham actually saw his obedience as an act of worship. When addressing his servants he said, “I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you” (Genesis 22:5). This is almost mind-boggling. How many of us could consider a test of this magnitude as worship? When we worship God, we do so because of who He is - holy, true, trustworthy, and faithful. Abraham was proving beyond any doubt that He knew God. He was confident Yahweh was the Dream-giver, not the dream-stealer. I’m not yet sure what this is all about, Abraham must have reasoned, but God has something very important He is up to and it’s not the death of Isaac. Did He ever! The Dream-giver was Himself dreaming at Moriah. The path to the recovery of His dream would be painful and ugly, and He was about to give us a sneak preview. This entire episode was designed to paint a picture of the Cross, where God would one day recapture His dream of family. No one else knew His plan, not even the angels, but here on this very mountain He would sacrifice His Son and redemption’s song would one day be sung. Father God was well aware that the violence of this future day would be dreadful beyond description. Creation itself would hide its eyes (see Matthew 27:45) and the very foundations of the earth would shake (see Matthew 27:57). God’s heart would break, the angels would watch in shock and horror, and the Son of God Himself would cry out in anguish (see Matthew 27:46). But this violent death would also be love’s crowning act. When the day actually occurred, satan believed it would be the day of his ultimate victory. This could end God’s dream once and for all. Satan did not know the details of God’s redemptive plan, but he did know it was somehow wrapped up in His Son. Kill Him, he thought. He has become human, breakable, mortal. Kill Him and kill the dream! What satan didn’t know—no one but God knew it—was that the cross was written into the dream. Impossible! Insane, satan must have thought when the plan succeeded. Actually, it was brilliant. Painfully and devastatingly brilliant, yes, but brilliant nonetheless. And suddenly it all made sense. What looked like one dying Dreamer on a Cross was really a dream-seed. There were millions of dreams locked up in Him, waiting to be released. Until the Resurrection and Pentecost, Christ’s words in John 12:24 were still not fully understood: “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Christ was the grain of wheat; we are the “much fruit.” That the events on Moriah in Abraham’s day were a foreshadowing of Calvary can be seen by several things: First, Isaac was referred to as Abraham’s “only” or “only begotten son” no less than four times (see Genesis 22:2, 12, 16; Hebrews 11:17), descriptions that were no doubt meant to be prophetic of God’s later references to His “only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Moriah, the mountain on which Abraham was told to offer Isaac, was the very mountain where centuries later Christ would be offered as our sacrifice. How woefully fitting and strikingly prophetic that Isaac actually carried the wood for the sacrifice up the mountain (Genesis 22:6), just as Christ would one day carry His Cross! What must have gone through the Son of God’s mind as He watched this prophetic picture unfold! Perhaps the most telling proof of all was the name Abraham gave the place when the episode was finished. Predictably, the Lord didn’t allow him to go through with the sacrifice. At just the right moment, Yahweh stopped him and revealed a substitute ram God had provided, caught in a thicket. After sacrificing the ram, “Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide [Jehovah Jireh], as it is said to this day, ‘In the mount of the Lord it will be provided’” (Genesis 22:14). Though I am fairly certain Abraham didn’t know he was prophesying the place of the Cross, history confirms that he was. The poignancy of this dress rehearsal is impossible to overstate. Here was the Creator painting a picture, indecipherable and veiled to all but Himself, of His most cherished dream and horrible nightmare: recapturing His lost family through the death of His Son. And He is literally doing so on the stage where it will ultimately occur! Perhaps it was because of the pain of the plan that God wanted one of His best friends to be there with Him. The name of the mountain where this occurred was also significant. Moriah means “seen of God.” Yahweh had taken Abraham there to show him, though in a veiled form, what He was “seeing” in the future—the Cross and the death of His Son. God must have been deeply impacted as He envisioned the pain, agony and in earth’s ultimate irony, the joy of what would one day take place there. He was also moved by Abraham’s complete faith in Him, so much so that He reiterated to him His promise of forty years earlier, reminding Abraham of his dream, also. “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Genesis 22:16–18) God’s intentions seem fairly obvious. He didn’t want to dream alone. At this hideously evil, yet gloriously holy place, where He would eventually recapture His dream, Abba wanted Abraham to dream with Him. Two dreaming friends on a mountain, looking into the future and dreaming together. This had to have been one of earth’s most meaningful and heart-warming scenes. Wonderful. Moving. Devastating. The following paraphrase sums up the drama of this day: Remember My promise to you, Abraham. Go ahead, dream. Here at Moriah, the place where I am seeing My dream restored, I want you to see yours, as well. Gaze at the stars, envision the sand and see pictures of how I’m going to multiply you. And though you don’t yet realize it, Abraham, My dream is hidden in yours—in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Our dreams are completely intertwined, Abraham. Actually, your dream is really all about My dream. You see stars, I see sons and daughters. You see sand, I see a bride for My Son. You see an altar, I see a cross. You see a ram, I see My Son. I will bring Him here one day and I’ll build an altar. . . in the shape of a cross. Unlike you, I won’t be able to stay the knife, but through My Son’s death. . .I’ll have My dream! A day for the ages. A day for friends. And a day for dreamers everywhere. An incredibly close friendship must have been necessary for God to become this intimate with Abraham. Taking him to the place where His ultimate dream and ultimate pain would occur demonstrated their closeness. They watched the dress rehearsal together; and years later the consummation did, indeed, take place. I’m sure these two friends were together again on that day, watching the events unfold and sharing the pain as Isaac’s counterpart hung on the cross-shaped “altar.” But the pain, excruciating as it was, was temporary. They knew it would be. Three days later “Isaac” arose, proving once and for all that the dream was alive and well. Death lost; life won. And the power of dreaming was vindicated. I can’t prove it, but I think the heavenly choir broke out into Handel’s Messiah, not yet known on earth, but sung in heaven since earth’s creation. Pray with me: Father, thank You for showing us the strength of Your friendship with Abraham. We, too, want to build a relationship with You that exemplifies this type of intimacy. We want it to be strong enough that You are willing to share Your heart with us, to trust us with Your plans and desires. On this day during which we look back at the Cross, we want to again thank You for offering Your Son to die for us. It’s hard to fathom the depth of Your love. But we accept it and we embrace it. And Jesus, thank You for humbling Yourself to become one of us. Your love and humility are beyond words. We could never thank You enough, but we can thank You. As the song says, “You are beautiful beyond description, too marvelous for words...” We love You! And we recommit to You and Your cause. It is our great joy to partner with You. Thank You for bringing us into Your world. Amen. Our decree: We declare that the blood of Jesus will never lose its power! Portions of today’s post were taken from my book DREAM.

A Lesson from Gethsemane (Passion Week) Several years ago I was observing a small herd of elk one evening just before dark. The wind was just right, blowing my scent away from them, and I had just enough cover between the herd and myself to creep within twenty yards or so. Eventually, just to see if I could do it, I crawled very slowly, out into the open and watched them. They never saw me. One of the things that intrigued me most was the twitching of their ears. Ever vigilant, each time they heard a sound, their ears would prick up in order to hear it even better. Whether eating, drinking or taking a step, they were always diligent to listen for a potential threat - their lives depended on it. As I watched them, the pricking up of their ears reminded me of a word I had studied. I recalled that this was the literal meaning of one of the Hebrew words for “listening.” Qashab means “to prick up the ears like an animal coming to alertness.” This live picture, painted by the elk, was indeed worth a thousand words. One of the places qashab is used is in Proverbs 4:20-22, a fairly well-known passage of scripture: “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to their whole body.” (Italics mine) My understanding of “giving attention to” the Lord’s words went to a whole new level as I watched the ever-vigilant ears of the elk. Always listen diligently for His voice, as though your life depends on it, is what came to mind. No matter what else you happen to be doing, remain tuned in to Him. Spending time with God through prayer, worship, and quiet meditation tunes in the soul and awakens the heart, enabling us to hear Him. Life is loud - make it quiet down once in a while. Everything else will scream for your attention, but not the Lord. Holy Spirit refuses to shout above the clamor and dissonance created by other voices and activities. For those who have grown to love the pleasure of His company enough to make time for Him, however, the still small voice of Holy Spirit becomes easily discernible. Life gets fast. Too fast. The Economist contributor Dan Montano writes: “Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”1 How true, and it’s true of us, as well. It should describe the business world, however, not your devotional life. Speed has its place, and at times is necessary. But when listening for Holy Spirit, listen slowly. He is patient but won’t be trivialized by casual glances and cursory conversation. Like any lover, He wants to be valued. Turn aside and listen for His voice. This is one of the meanings of the word “incline” (natah) in Proverbs 4:20. Moses saw a bush on fire while not being consumed, and decided to “turn aside” and see it (Exodus 3:3). When he did, the Lord spoke to Him. If we’ll turn aside, He will speak to us, as well. But He won’t speak until we are captivated enough to turn aside. This word natah literally means “to stretch toward, as in craning the neck in order to see or hear better.” The long-necked bird we call a crane provides the genesis for this colloquialism. “Stretch” your neck toward God in order to easily and clearly hear His sayings. Show Him worth; assign Him value; demonstrate interest in His words. If you do so, He will speak. My friend Tom Schlueter, whom God has used tremendously to coordinate prayer for the state of Texas, talks of God challenging him to be a better listener. “On one particular night in the Lord’s presence, my whole concept of prayer changed. I was reading the story of Jesus regarding the night he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. I have read this story many, many times. “I was by myself around 2AM and had just finished reading the story again when the Lord spoke quietly and told me He wanted me to understand this story. I made the crucial mistake of telling Him I knew all about it. I had preached it, taught it, mentored it, and practiced it. As far as I was concerned there was nothing new to see in it. Wrong answer! He firmly told me to read it again and I did. Then He told me to read it again and again and again. ‘Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’ “Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, ‘What! Could you not watch with Me for one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ “Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.’ And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. “So, He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to His disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.’” (Matthew 26:36-46 NKJV) “As the story unfolds, Jesus enters the garden with the eleven disciples. He gives a simple command to simply sit while He goes further into the garden to pray. The command is simple. In Greek the word ‘sit’ has a profound meaning: ‘to sit.’ He then took Peter, James, and John further into the garden. The command He gives them is also simple. He invited them to ‘stay here and watch with me.’ The Greek word for watch is grēgoreō and it simply means ‘to watch’ or ‘to give strict attention to.’ When Jesus returns to them, He asked, ‘Could you not watch with me one hour?’ The key revelation the Lord was showing me that night after reading and meditating on this passage for over an hour was simple – He was not first asking them to pray for an hour. He had asked them to watch Him pray. Whoa! That’s a new twist on the passage. After that revelation, He then informed them that it was now time for them to watch and pray, so that they would not enter into temptation. Tom continues, “The effect of this revelation on my personal prayer life, the prayer life of my congregation, and the prayer life of the Texas Apostolic Prayer Network was profound. As I further studied the gospels, I noticed one simple fact. Many times, the Lord had gone off to pray, but He had always done it alone. This was the one time He had invited three of His disciples to come into that personal place where He would be talking one on one with His Father. He literally wanted them to watch and listen to Him pray. “And they fell asleep. “Perhaps the Lord is still inviting us to watch and listen to Him. What a novel idea! I’m not trying to be mystical and I know we’ll never hear all that occurs in heaven, but as we are seeking direction for our personal lives, our businesses, the members of our family, or the direction of our state and nation, how profound it would be if we would first ask the Lord, ‘What are you saying, Lord? What is on your heart? What are Your strategies? What is my destiny, or the destiny of my state, or my nation?’ “How often do we pray prayers that flow solely from our personal desires, paradigms, ideas, or biases? Let’s turn our eyes and ears on Jesus and allow Him to direct, not only our steps, but also our prayers, especially as we pray for the United States of America.” Our prayer times are not intended by God to be when we present Him with our daily wish list. He intends them to be when He and His partners collaborate about one another’s plans, hopes, and dreams - just like any good parent and his/her kids. After all, that’s what Gethsemane and the Cross were all about - Dad connecting with His kids. Pray with me: Lord Jesus, teach us how to pray. And primarily teach us by allowing us to hear Your heart from Your throne in heaven. Please forgive us for our long lists of requests that may not even line up with Your purist desires for our lives. What are You saying, Lord, for our nation, my state, my life, family, and job? Help us to listen to You then we can come into agreement with You. Give ears to hear, Lord, for as we listen, You will allow us to hear. I pray that for myself and for those listening to You today. We desire to hear You. Our decree: We decree that the Ekklesia will open their eyes, ears, and heart to hear the heart of Jesus. We will then decree what we have heard from heavenly places. And we will decree that which we have heard Him decree: American Shall Be Saved! Portions of today’s post were contributed by Tom Schlueter and taken from his book Wielding the Axe. You can find out more about Tom here. _____________________________ 1 African folklore, as told by Dan Montano, “Lions or Gazelles?” The Economist, 1985, p37.

The Power of Love We are told in scripture: “There are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love—yet love surpasses them all. So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run.” (1 Corinthians 13:13 TPT) My friend, Clay Nash, offers the following insights on the subject of relationships. “When I began teaching on relational authority and turned those teachings into my book, Relational Authority – Authentic Leadership, my focus was on leaders in the church. I offered biblical principles for strengthening the leadership of the body of Christ, so people could be led by competent, relational leadership. Little did I realize the relevance this teaching would have on our nation today. “We are a nation fractured to its core. People groups are rising against people groups. We no longer listen to each other. Instead, we rail at one another, scream through megaphones, call each other names, and fight anything we perceive as a threat to our point of view. Believers who do so hinder the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ. “The journey we are on—the manifestation of God’s Kingdom on the earth—should arrive at the human heart. All our prophecy, declarations, convocations, and conventions should lead to the redemption of the hearts of men and women for the glory of God. Everything we build must include this. “The way to a person’s heart is through love. I can attack his deeds with a megaphone or a Twitter account or a flaming email. I can even freeze his liberty with legislation. But I’m not going to convert him through Holy Spirit apart from the power of love. “What does this look like? I’m glad you asked: It looks like sharing our lives. It looks like common meals. It looks like listening without judgment, and caring without condemnation. It looks like overcoming our revulsion as we enter into realms unknown to us. It looks like eschewing labels as we rebuild the bridges that sin has burned to ashes. It looks like gazing into the eyes of an enemy, past his rage, to his damaged soul, acknowledging his pain, healing his wounds, and answering his cry with the Word of God. “In my book, Relational Authority I state that: ‘A person’s most powerful, life-shaping experiences come from their relationships.’ Indeed, the work involved in a relationship is the hardest thing we will ever do, for it takes us out of our comfort zones, even if those zones are spiritual battlefields. Some are more adept at battling our opponents than reaching their lives of darkness. “The gospel of Jesus Christ can be plastered on billboards, printed on tracts, spewed on street corners, but until it reaches the heart, its effectiveness is nil. “The people we need to reach may not live attractive lives. They construct barriers designed to repel anyone who embodies the life of Christ. We will not be welcomed…not at first. That’s a given. But get past the barriers, the lies, the spiritual minefields, and napalm, and you will find a heart in need, one desperate for the truth. “Indeed, the times have never been better for the outpouring of God’s Spirit. “Think about it. Would people—misguided though they are—be taking to streets, smashing buildings, and burning neighborhoods if they were not hungry for change? Would gender-confused people mutilate their bodies if they were not desperate for fulfillment? Their answer will never come from a doctor’s scalpel. “For us, the key is perspective. Separate your heart from them and you will see a riotous mob and a sick populace. But get closer and you will see heart-afflictions common to all mankind: confusion, doubt, fear, lies. . .and a lack of love. People take to extremes when they are desperate. When the enemy exploits the wounds of a sin-fed heart, chaos reigns. But their needs are also exposed—and their hearts are as open to the word of God as they are to the enemy. “Flood a valley and there is destruction, but it leaves behind fertile soil. Likewise, explode the searing consciousness of an oppressed people and there is fertile ground for planting. The question is: Plant what? The enemy wants to sow discord through deception. Jesus wants to sow the gospel of peace. “My friends, it is time to sow into fertile heart. . .one heart at a time. “In John 4, Jesus’ disciples were shocked to find Him speaking intimately to a Samaritan woman. In fact, He had just revealed Himself to her as the Messiah. The disciples were shocked that He spoke to A) a woman, B) a Samaritan, and C) a loose or immoral woman—three labels that kept them apart from her and her kind. At least they had the good sense not to challenge Jesus. (Though I suspect John had his hand firmly clamped over Peter’s mouth.) “Jesus, sensing their disquiet, however, spoke to their disfunction. ‘Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!’ “My friends, the fields today are white for harvest but they are not white with purity. They are a mess. As such, they are ready for Jesus’ ministry to be carried forth by His sons and daughters. “Yes, we are called to the pulpits, the stages, the media, but we are also called to the wells—the places of watering where thirsty souls seek sustenance. What will we give them? Will we throw the gospel message over a wall? Inscribe it on a brick and toss it through a window? Or will we seek out the neediest, open our hearts, and deposit the love of God into those who desperately need it. “The announcement of the resurrection of Jesus—the powerful force to transform all of mankind—began with a single person. “Quoting again from my book Relational Authority: ‘When Jesus arose from the grave, He first met a woman who had been close to Him—not one of the crowds or the group of 70 or even the 12 disciples. Instead, He greeted Mary and passed on to her words of relational covenant bought with His blood and sealed with His spirit: “‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God (John 20:17 NAS).’” There could be no closer bond, no greater relationship, no deeper covenant, or more profound peace. All had been fulfilled. . .at great price. “Just as Jesus started with one, let us go and do likewise.” Pray with me: Father, we repent of judging the masses, and we confess to retreating to the company of those who are like us. We acknowledge Your desire to reach those in greatest need, and we ask that you show us their hearts—their true hearts—even as they oppose us. Lord, we declare that hearts will be open and that the schemes of the enemy will not divide us from those who need You the most. We call forth light into the darkness. We call forth laborers who will not shrink from the onslaught of deceived people. Lord, we declare the gospel shall go into all the world, on earth as it is in heaven. We will be those who will carry Your love and Your truth. In Jesus’ name! Amen. Our decree: We decree that the power of love will heal our land and produce a GREAT HARVEST! Clay Nash contributed to today’s post. You can find out more about Clay and how to purchase his book Relational Authority – Authentic Leadership here.

The Running of the Sheep Several weeks ago I posted a portion of a dream regarding Holy Spirit bringing together different streams of the body of Christ. The dream also included an impartation from past leaders of the church to present-day leaders. You can read the February 6th GH15 post entitled The Boardroom. I changed the name of some individuals in the dream, focusing only on what they represent. Holy Spirit has given another significant dream to the same prophet, this one also addressing the streams coming together, resulting in a great harvest. As with the previous post, I have changed some of the names. “The dream begins with Dutch, myself, and others at a large, log cabin-type lodge. It was located on the top of a massive plateau overlooking the heart of America. I knew this place - the lodge and plateau - belonged to Dutch. Many leaders close to Dutch were there enjoying fellowship and eating. We were discussing what we felt was coming quickly - a great outpouring of Holy Spirit in our nation. The Great Awakening! “We all had U.S. Marshal’s type badges inscribed ‘Kingdom Ambassador - U.S. Ekklesia.’ We could see down below us, just at the bottom of the plateau, a large river running very swiftly and powerfully. The current was strong and looked as though impassable; it was a mighty river of power. I said to Dutch, ‘What is that just beyond our river? Is it another river?’ “Dutch grabbed a telescoping spyglass, raised it to his eye, and was able to look across our river. On the other side was a very long island, so long you could barely see the end of it. This island had caused one river to temporarily become two, as it separated to flow on both sides of the island. “Dutch began describing what he saw, ‘You are right, it’s another river! And I can see across it. There are lots of tents on a vast open plain. I see a fire on the far bank of the river with men sitting around it. I think I recognize them; I believe it’s Joe Thompson sitting around the fire with several other prominent ministers from his stream.’ Turning to all of us, Dutch then said, ‘Let’s go where they are and see them.’ “We all began making our way from the plateau to where they were. When we arrived at the base of the plateau, our river’s edge, we had to board a barge to cross the rivers, like the old barges used during the mid-1800’s. We boarded and began pulling the rope attached to a pulley on the other side of the river. Even though the river was swift and fierce, we had no problem crossing our river. It was as if there was no current. “When we reached the other side of our river, we arrived at the island separating the rivers. Walking approximately three hundred yards, we were almost to the bank of their river. There, we met Joe and the men who had sat around the fire with him. They had crossed their river, as well, to join us on the island. We were meeting on the land between the two rivers. “Joe said to Dutch, ‘We saw you coming from the plateau and figured you were headed to our base camp. We decided we would meet you half-way so you wouldn’t have to cross two rivers.’ He then said to us, ‘If you could cross your river, we could cross ours.’ “I noticed that Joe and those with him were carrying large shepherd staffs and wearing vests made of camel hide. I also noticed their river was not as fierce as ours. It was calmer and seemed to be more passable for the large and small vessels moving up and down their river. There were no boats on our river, just a powerful current and our barge used for crossing. “As we stood on the land between the two rivers, we could hear what sounded like thunder coming up from the land; it was loud and forceful. We could also feel the ground shaking beneath our feet. Dutch looked at Joe, with excitement in his eyes, and said, ‘Do you hear that, Joe? It sounds like a stampede of buffalo coming our way. Can you hear it? I have been praying to see an event like this all my life.’ “Joe replied, ‘They do sound like buffalo, Dutch. This has been approaching for years. Their running is bringing a shaking to the earth like never before. The number could be a billion or more from the sound of it. But it isn’t buffalo, Dutch, it’s sheep; and they’ll be here quicker than you think. This is going to be amazing.’ “When he finished speaking, Dutch said, ‘You and your men should come with us back to my lodge on the plateau. Let’s go there so we can observe this marvelous event about to take place. We’ll have communion, eat, pray and fellowship together. We’ll even assist these sheep on their run!’ “(We began making our way back to the plateau and lodge. It was as if we were translated there. We did not cross our river - we were just there, back at the lodge.) “Upon arrival at the lodge, we all postured ourselves toward the two rivers, then took communion together. As we did so, Dutch and Joe made a covenant with one another. “When they did this, the thunder of the approaching sheep became almost deafening. We all turned toward the two rivers, each grabbing a telescoping spyglass. Raising them to our eyes, we saw the most incredible sight. Sheep! Millions of them running on the island between the two rivers. They ran for what seemed a long time but was actually only minutes. As they did, the land between the two rivers was being beaten into mud; then it was trampled into thinner mud. Soon, the island between the two rivers had been so trampled down that it completely disappeared, and the two rivers merged into one. The sheep were now swimming! “As the rivers merged into one, the flow of the water changed. For example, the calmness of Joe’s side of the river caused the swiftness and power of Sheets’ side to become passable. “As the sheep swam down the river, millions of them passing by us, we could see a barge coming from upriver. As it came closer, we could see it was a simple wooden barge. It had no rudder, no motor, not even a sail on it. We wondered how it was navigating the river without these important components. Then we noticed two large angels in the air behind the barge waving their wings. The air generated from their wings was powering and navigating the wooden barge downstream. “To our amazement, we saw a large lion standing on the bow of the barge, tall and proud with His mane blowing in the wind. He was herding the sheep downriver. We all realized this was the Great Harvest and the lion was the Lion of Judah. As we watched this marvel unfold, we could hear Joe and Dutch speaking of how it happened. They were encouraging one another that each had a missing piece to the running of the sheep and the Great Harvest. “Dutch then said to Joe, ‘I am glad you came, Joe. You are welcome here anytime my house is your house.’ “We all sat down to eat and fellowship in celebration of the running of the sheep.” End of dream. It is normal in life to gravitate toward those with whom we have the most in common. Relationships form, bringing strength and encouragement to those involved. The church is no different in this regard. It would be inappropriate and illogical to suggest this is wrong and needs to change. However, it seems obvious Holy Spirit is saying there does need to be intentionality at the present time for different streams in the body of Christ to work together as much as possible. The dream suggests that when this occurs, it will greatly impact the release of the coming harvest. Let’s pray that this occurs in the body of Christ in whatever ways Holy Spirit intends. Pray with me: Father, in John chapter 17, You connect the winning of souls to the unity of the body of Christ. We believe You are highlighting this at the present time, in order to facilitate the great coming revival. We repent for any pride or narrowmindedness that has kept us from walking in harmony and working together with other streams and individuals. We choose to honor the gifts and anointings of other members of the Body. We acknowledge that You give different emphases and callings to your people. You use those distinctives to do different things You desire to do. Again, please forgive us for allowing those distinctives to divide us. And we especially repent for allowing theology to divide us in the way it has. We ask that Holy Spirit would now show us how to work together. Whatever you are saying to the different streams of Your river, help us to hear You clearly and respond appropriately. I pray for all my brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. I pray You would bless them with insight, revelation, and great fruitfulness in this hour. I pray they would experience Your presence in incredible ways, and that all would be part of the coming Great Awakening. We ask you, Father for this billion sheep harvest coming to the earth. Bring it quickly, we pray. And we ask this in the authority of Christ. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the walls of division are coming down in the body of Christ, and that streams will join forces in the coming harvest.

DSM has been blessed with a wonderful, hard-working, and loyal team. Ceci and I are going to do a staff retreat with them, then she and I will take a much-needed vacation. I have asked some of my close friends and associates - many being regular contributors to the Give Him 15 posts - to fill in during this time. You will recognize most of the names; and I’ve thrown in one or two whom perhaps you haven’t heard from. You’re going to love the insights from all of them - this will be a wonderful smorgasbord! Enjoy! The Ascending Ekklesia - Rodney Lord Hello, I am Pastor Rodney, and it is an honor to be with you. I want to highlight an Old Testament prophetic decree that I believe is very fitting for today. I have titled what I am sharing The Ascending Ekklesia. Dutch and his brother Pastor Tim have done a great job explaining that the Ekklesia is the called-out church that is authorized and commissioned by Jesus to serve and govern through prayer, decrees, and Spirit-led activity. In 2019, I went to Israel with a group of pastors. We traveled from the Sea of Galilee region in the north down along the Jordan River going south to Jericho. We stopped along the way to do the Christian-tourism thing of being baptized in the Jordan River. I am not sure why thirty pastors needed another baptism, but it just seemed like the thing to do. From Jericho, the city of Jerusalem is about 3300 ft higher in elevation, and it was there where we started our upward trek to Zion. As we turned toward Jerusalem, it was evident we were now ascending. I remember the feeling. There was something inside of me stirring, some excitement, anticipation, and perhaps I felt just a little of what the early worshipers going to the City of The Great King may have felt. This was the place of priestly worship, celebration, and the throne. There are 15 Psalms written specifically for this part of the journey. In most translations, they are called “A Song of Ascents.” These were Psalms that were sung as the worshipers would make their way up the hill of God during Israel’s feast days to bring their sacrifice to the temple. With joyful anticipation, they would soon be in close proximity to the ark of the covenant, the very abiding presence of God, and would humbly bring their sacrifice of worship. This is King David’s commentary in song (a Psalm) about ascending. Psalm 122 from the Passion Translation: “I was overjoyed when they said, ‘Let’s go up to the house of the Lord.’ And now at last we stand here, inside the very gates of Jerusalem! O Jerusalem, you were built as a city of praise, where God and man mingle together.” While in Jerusalem, the other pastors and I were taken on a private tour of a recent archaeological discovery. We went underground into a tunnel near the old city. There we were, standing on the very stairway of stones that ascended from the Pool of Siloam (where Jesus healed the blind man) upwards seven hundred yards to the Western Wall of the old city. Here is the picture of that ancient pathway of ascending.(1) Researchers have wondered how the millions of Jewish pilgrims made their way up to the Temple to worship. Now they know, after uncovering this massive stairway that lay buried underground for 2,000 years. It seems that God put an “ascending” nature in our spiritual DNA. When we gather as a corporate Ekklesia to worship and minister to the Lord, there is this awareness that our worship and our intercession ascends before the throne of God. In a real spiritual sense, God calls up to be “seated in heavenly places” to see what He sees and to speak what He speaks. As sons and daughters of the Most High, from this place we are to make throne room decrees that legislate spiritually and extend His kingdom rule over the earth. Today we are seeing an awakened, arising, and ascending ekklesia come forth. I like to say it like this…they are a Jacob-like generation that will not let go until they have been transformed by the power of God and they see their nation transformed. They are relentless and fearless. They are those who know their God and will be strong and do exploits. Hold that ascension thought for a moment…it’s time for Obadiah the prophet, who wrote the shortest book of the Old Testament, to speak. He was given the assignment to speak a prophetic word over Israel’s perpetual enemy the Edomites, the descendants of Jacob's brother Esau. In his opening words, Obadiah declares a change is coming that will be the unraveling of the evil forces that have been bent on the destruction of God’s covenant people. The prophetic word begins with this decree: An envoy has been sent. The envoy is a messenger, an ambassador, a prophetic voice with the power and influence to turn the tide. The word for envoy is also the word in Hebrew for "hinge," that which is pressed for turning. An ambassador is like that; he is sent to swing things in favor of his nation. You may have heard this expression before, “We are at a hinge moment.” Queen Esther was in a hinge moment when Haman made the decree that the Jews were to be killed. King David had many of these hinge moments when battles or circumstances needed to turn in his favor. Jesus, Himself, experienced this, especially in the week of His passion. From the Mount of Olives, Jesus wept over the City of Jerusalem because they missed their opportune time of visitation. They did not turn in the direction of salvation. Over the past 245 years, America has had many “hinge moments.” General George Washinton during the Revolutionary War had lost battle after battle and was now facing a long cold winter at Valley Forge. His men were in a desperate situation… lacking clothing, food, and hope. Washington realized that without decisive action, the Continental Army was likely doomed. He planned a daring assault on the Hessian garrison at Trenton.(2) During Christmas of 1776, 2400 weary worn men marched to New Jersey. They crossed the Delaware River in stormy weather and won a decisive victory. It was a turning point; it was a hinge moment. In America today, we see evil forces that are aggressively working to destroy life, liberty, and anything that represents the Kingdom of God. They push for the killing of the unborn; they are lawless and corrupt in their leadership; and they reject the very Christian heritage and foundation of this nation. They are globalists who want America to be assimilated into their one-world vision, and religious freedom is a threat to their plans. Dutch said it a few days ago… they are now out in the open, no longer hiding their agenda. Their arrogant pride is on display. In this hinge moment we are facing today, the Ekklesia must be awakened and engaged. Thank you for your anointed prayers and bold decrees you have been making over the past months. Now to Obadiah’s powerful concluding decree in verse 21. “The deliverers will ascend Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom will be the Lord’s.” Obadiah 1:21 The word for “deliverers” is yasha. It means to save, be delivered, give victory and open things up to bring freedom. When the crowds cried out to Jesus at His triumphal entry they shouted out the word “Hosanna,” which is directly traceable to this word “yasha,” deliverer, savior, and the One who brings freedom. As well, the personal name of our Savior derives from this same root. Obadiah goes on to say these ascending deliverers will “govern the mountains of Esau.” Governing is the very nature of God that He instills and empowers the Ekklesia to do on His behalf. I love this final word that the prophet speaks: “...and the kingdom will be the Lord’s.” What a prophetic picture. The Ekklesia who are ready and able to release Christ’s freedom and victory are ascending Mount Zion, the place of His presence. They are being commissioned from there and sent with governing authority in the spirit realm. They become an envoy of kingdom ambassadors moving with heaven’s authority into every situation in our broken world that needs to be turned. Into every hinge moment, we are declaring, “Come, Kingdom of God, be done will of God, on earth as it is in heaven.” Pray with me: Father, thank You for the church today that is awakening, arising, and ascending to be the true Ekklesia that the very gates of hell will not prevail against. I thank You that there's a fresh hunger and passion for Your presence and power in this generation. I thank You, Lord, that we are stepping into this hinge moment in history with a greater understanding and revelation of who we are in Christ. We see a great turning on the horizon. We decree You are shifting the courts in favor of life. The unrelenting attacks on the children of this generation will be halted. Lord, anoint the Ekklesia to move into its full stature and let the fresh wind of revival sweep across America and the nations. In Jesus' name, Amen. Our decree: The Ekklesia is ascending the hill of God and descending to govern in the earth...and the kingdom will be the Lord's. Today’s post was contributed by Pastor Rodney Lord. You can find out more about Rodney here. Click on the link below to watch the full video. 1. Pilgrim's Road up the Temple Mount Uncovered | Patterns of Evidence (The Pilgrimage Road, dating to the Second Temple period. (Credit: Kobi Harati, City of David)), Steve Law | August 16, 2019 | Evidence p1 2. https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/battles-of-trenton-and-princeton The American Story by David Barton and Tim Barton, ISBN 978-947501-24-9, Wallbuilder Press, p185