How Can We Work If Our Cups Are Empty (Day 2) Yesterday, I began sharing a dream given to Greg Hood. It is the third dream given to him regarding Tennent’s Well. Rather than taking time and space here to summarize the first two, you can simply reference yesterday‘s post (11/8/2021-www.givehim15.com). If you have not heard or seen that post, please do so before listening to or reading today’s. THE DREAM CONTINUED “We then realized that the man serving us at the table was the same angel who had given us the note at the steps of the large church building. He began instructing us regarding this assignment: ‘Each of you has a truck outside in the parking lot. Each truck has equipment on it. Take your truck and equipment and go to the Valley Of the Streams. Dutch, you and Greg will share a truck.’” The Valley of the Streams obviously represents different streams/movements/tribes of the body of Christ. This is such an interesting name! Could it be a play on words? Are these streams also “dry bones?” “I could see that one truck had large pumps on it, another had platforms that hovered and a third had a dredging machine. The one I was in, with Dutch driving, had a large excavator on the trailer. Each of us went to our trucks and left for the streams.” “We drove onto a very large lot in the Valley of the Streams, which was filled with more dredging machines, large pumps and other kinds of equipment. We were met there many workers who began complaining about working conditions, having to work overtime and the stressful environment in which they had to work. One of the leaders stepped out from his 18-wheel rig and said to them, ‘You're all fired! We’ve had enough of whining laborers. This job requires backbone. Now, grow one or leave!’ “They all left! “We looked at him and thought, ‘What are we going to do now? There are no laborers to complete this mission.’ “Dutch said, ‘We have the scroll that says “Enlist Men.” Hang tight, we will be back soon!’” This is a critical point in the dream. Knowing the identity of the man who fired the “whiners,” I can almost hear him saying this, though he is in no way mean-spirited. He simply has a tenacity and righteous stubbornness about him that makes him a warrior. The body of Christ needs this type of backbone now. The antichrist forces in America have declared war on the church...and it’s “winner take all.” Those serving in ministry today must demonstrate a spirit of boldness and a committed warrior heart. In some arenas and for some causes, easy DOESN’T do it. But the cause of Christ is worth our all! We are writing history - let’s write something we can be proud of. Greg and I left to enlist laborers. As you will see, we found surprising candidates in a surprising place. “The charismatic Baptist leader spoke up and said, ‘We will have all the equipment in place by the time you return. We will not miss this outpouring.’ “There was an old bus sitting on the lot we were on which looked like it hadn't been driven in years. Written on the side of the bus, in faded paint was, ‘The Gospel of the Kingdom and on the back of the bus was a bumper sticker that read, ‘Honk if you love Jesus!’” The reference to the gospel of the kingdom is clear: we were on a Kingdom mission. We were not representing one church or denomination, but rather the entire Kingdom of God. The humorous bumper sticker has to be a reference to the last great worldwide outpouring of Holy Spirit, the Charismatic Movement, when that bumper sticker became famous. Perhaps this is indicating that the bus had not been used since then, or it could be saying that we are about to build and ride on the strength of what took place then. “We boarded the old bus and Dutch said, ‘Which way, Hood?’ “I said, ‘We are going toward Hebron.’ As we made our way down the road we passed many church buildings that were abandoned and/or dilapidated, then came to a city limit sign that read, ‘Hebron: Population Undetermined.’” This, too, is very enlightening. The meaning of the name Hebron can be summarized as covenantal friendship. Many of the early patriarchs, including Abraham, the friend of God, are buried there. Hebron, however, was later captured and ruled by Arba, the greatest of all the giants. He renamed the city after himself, calling it Kiriath-arba, which means “the city of Arba” (Joshua 14:15). Caleb eventually conquered Kiriath-arba and renamed it Hebron. In this dream, Hebron represents a place that has been taken over by spiritual giants. Churches were dilapidated and abandoned (weak and unfruitful), and as we shall see, the inhabitants had all been defeated by the enemy. God, however, does not cast away His kids as easily as many in the church do. I am a firm believer in high standards of integrity for leaders. Scripture affirms this. To believe, however, that those who are overcome by the enemy are forever disqualified from working for the Lord is to contradict the love and grace of the Father. One need look only at the father of the prodigal son in Scripture who pictures Father God, to see His redeeming and restoring heart. The wayward son was not only restored to the family, but also to his authority, signified by the new robe and ring. Repentance? Yes, Accountability? Absolutely. But to believe God cannot restore a fallen leader to service is simply not biblical. And in the coming harvest, they will be needed! “Just past the sign I said to Dutch, ‘turn right!’ He made a sharp, quick right turn down a narrow dirt road, which led us to a wooden building. The building’s sign read, Tennent’s Tavern & Well! Dutch and I walked into the building. We could see many men and women sitting at tables in this dimly lit room. All of them had empty cups in front of them. “Dutch shouted, ‘I NEED YOUR ATTENTION! We are here to enlist people for a new dredging and excavating project. It is the merging of the steams! It’s the Third Great Awakening and it is the opportunity of your lifetime!’ “A man spoke up from the back and said, ‘How can we work if our cups are empty? How can we be enlisted if we have been forsaken?’ “Dutch did not address this man's question. He stepped back and opened the door to let more light into the room, then decreed with a forceful voice, ‘I ACTIVATE THE MANTLE OF TENNENTS’ WELL! I DECREE YOUR CUPS ARE FULL! DRINK THIS NEW WINE AND MEET ME OUTSIDE!’ Dutch went on to say, ‘Bring your work gloves because this is going to be like nothing you have ever worked on in your entire life.’ Their cups filled. They drank. “Dutch and I walked outside. “While inside the building, we had not been able to clearly see who these people were. We actually did not know who we had just enlisted. As the people began to emerge from the building, we could see them more clearly and knew they were 5-fold ministers who had fallen or been rejected in their ministry. They were outcasts, driven away from the church for one reason or another. We recognized many of them who once had nationally known ministries. Others had served locally in their communities.” Those congregating in this “dimly lit” tavern picture former ministers, who had been overcome by spiritual darkness. Their cups were empty and they held no hope for the future. The name of the bar, Tennent’s Tavern and Well is amazing! This is obviously saying to us that God‘s fire and redemption is about to visit many who believe they are worthless castaways from His kingdom. Their tavern of despair is about to become a well of restoration! I opened the door to let in light, which overcame the darkness, then announced that we wanted to reenlist them for the Third Great Awakening and the merging of the streams. In response to their hopeless reply, I decreed, “I ACTIVATE THE MANTLE OF TENNENTS’ WELL! I DECREE YOUR CUPS ARE FULL! DRINK THIS NEW WINE AND MEET ME OUTSIDE! And bring your work gloves.” WOW!!! That should excite you! Greg and I are at the location of Tennent’s well today. We are going to decree this to America. And I believe prodigal leaders will begin to reenlist. “I said to Dutch, ‘Look at their gloves. Those are not work gloves; they’re boxing gloves.’ As we looked closely we could see that their gloves, like they themselves, were tattered, torn, dry, and cracked from age and weathering. Dutch and I began weeping. Then we saw that each pair of gloves had written on them: ‘evergreen’ and ‘everlast.’ There were hundreds of former leaders standing before us with smiles on their faces and fire in their eyes from the new wine they had just ingested.” This is so incredible! Everlast and evergreen were the words written on boxing gloves in a dream God gave a friend about me in 2007. In the dream, I boxed and knocked out 5 giants. I then said to the person having the dream, “If you want to take out the giants in this season, you are going to have to wear these two gloves.” Everlast refers to God’s name, Olam. In Abraham‘s life, it referred to the God who was bigger than his past failures, and who was well able to secure his future. Evergreen refers to an eternal covenant. It represents our God who keeps covenant and mercy to a thousand generations (Deuteronomy 7:9), as well as our covenant faithfulness to Him. This is what is on the Appeal To Heaven flag. (The entire ATH revelation can be read in its fullness in my book An Appeal To Heaven.) By placing this in the dream, Holy Spirit is saying that these former castaways will be part of God’s saving of America and of reaping the coming great harvest. “Dutch said to them, ‘LOAD UP, WE ARE GOING TO WORK!’” Pray with me: Father, thank You for the incredible service we had last night near Tennent’s Well of revival. Thank You for a fresh release of the fire it carried. We believe You are filling the dry cups of many laborers in Your Kingdom, and we thank You. Fill them once again with Your Spirit! We also ask for an increase of Holy Spirit’s outpouring in the earth. Turn up the fires of revival. We thank You for this and we are excited about participating. Bring signs, wonders, miracles, deliverance, and a billion salvations. We ask for this in Christ’s name, amen. Our decree: We decree that Tennent’s Well is now open and erupting! _______________________________________________________________________________ Operation Hidden Treasures September 27, 2021 (A dream given to Dr. Greg Hood) “The dream began with Dutch and I standing in front of a building in which we were to hold a meeting. It was a large, well-known church building. Things seemed odd as we stood there. There were no people and the sign was not lit. I ran up the steps of the church to check the doors and shouted back to Dutch, ‘They are locked. The doors are locked.’ “As I made my way back down the steps to where Dutch was, an angel approached us. He handed Dutch a folded note and said, ‘Go to the Anabaino Cafe. I have written the address on the note.’ We looked at the paper and the address was ‘4 Ephesians Street, Suite 4-7.’ “It was more of a truck stop than a cafe. We went inside and sat at a round table surrounded by five chairs. I can recall in the dream looking out the window and seeing many large flatbed trucks with heavy equipment loaded on them. Dutch commented to me, ‘Isn't that different, not one box truck in the yard. Every truck is carrying heavy equipment. There is going to be a lot of earth moving going on around here.’ “We were served breakfast and as we ate a man walked up to the table and said, ‘I see there are three more that will be joining you. I will go ahead and bring their meal out for them.’ “Dutch said to me, ‘Hood, who are we expecting to join us?’ “I replied, ‘It’s [Greg gave me the names of a Charismatic Baptist leader, a Word of Faith leader, and a prophetic teacher influential in marketplace ministry. I do not have their permission, so I won't share their names.] They are on their way, having received the same instructions we did.’ “The waiter arrived back at the table with our food, along with utensils for all, wrapped in an odd-looking napkin. “Looking up, we could see the other three men coming through the door of the Anabaino Truck Stop/Cafe. They came to the table, sat down and Dutch said, ‘Good to see you guys. Glad you made it. So, you got the same note we did!’ “One of them said, ‘We did and we are here! The time is here! All I have been prophesying for 50 plus years is upon us. I am as excited and full of fire as I have ever been. Let’s eat! We've got a lot of work before us.’ “The gentleman who brought the food to our table approached again and said, ‘I am glad you all are here. Unwrap your utensils.’ As we did, we could see that the utensils were wrapped in a scroll. Each scroll had words written on it, which I could read. “Every scroll had written across the top, ‘Operation Hidden Treasures/Convergence of the Streams.’ In addition to this: On one scroll was written, ‘Dredging Deeper.’ Another held the words, ‘Pentecost Hovering Platforms.’ A third read, ‘Sand to Rock.’ Dutch’s Scroll had written on it, ‘Excavate To the Foundations and Enlist Men.’ And the scroll I held read, ‘Navigate the Water.’ “We then realized that the man serving us at the table was the same angel who had given us the note at the steps of the large church building. He began instructing us regarding this assignment: ‘Each of you has a truck outside in the parking lot. Each truck has equipment on it. Take your truck and equipment and go to the Valley Of the Streams. Dutch, you and Greg will share a truck.’ “I could see that one truck had large pumps on it, another had platforms that hovered and a third had a dredging machine. The one I was in, with Dutch driving, had a large excavator on the trailer. Each of us went to our trucks and left for the streams.” “We drove onto a very large lot in the Valley of the Streams, which was filled with more dredging machines, large pumps and other kinds of equipment. We were met there by many workers who began complaining about working conditions, having to work overtime and the stressful environment in which they had to work. One of the leaders stepped out from his 18-wheel rig and said to them, ‘You're all fired! We’ve had enough of whining laborers. This job requires backbone. Now, grow one or leave!’ “They all left! “We looked at him and thought, ‘What are we going to do now? There are no laborers to complete this mission.’ “Dutch said, ‘We have the scroll that says “Enlist Men.” Hang tight, we will be back soon!’ “The charismatic Baptist leader spoke up and said, ‘We will have all the equipment in place by the time you return. We will not miss this outpouring.’ “There was an old bus sitting on the lot we were on which looked like it hadn't been driven in years. Written on the side of the bus, in faded paint was, ‘The Gospel of the Kingdom and on the back of the bus was a bumper sticker that read, ‘Honk if you love Jesus!’ “We boarded the old bus and Dutch said, ‘Which way, Hood?’ “I said, ‘We are going toward Hebron.’ As we made our way down the road we passed many church buildings that were abandoned and/or dilapidated, then came to a city limit sign that read, ‘Hebron: Population Undetermined.’ “Just past the sign I said to Dutch, ‘turn right!’ He made a sharp, quick right turn down a narrow dirt road, which led us to a wooden building. The building’s sign read, Tennent’s Tavern & Well! Dutch and I walked into the building. We could see many men and women sitting at tables in this dimly lit room. All of them had empty cups in front of them. “Dutch shouted, ‘I NEED YOUR ATTENTION! We are here to enlist people for a new dredging and excavating project. It is the merging of the steams! It’s the Third Great Awakening and it is the opportunity of your lifetime!’ “A man spoke up from the back and said, ‘How can we work if our cups are empty? How can we be enlisted if we have been forsaken?’ “Dutch did not address this man's question. He stepped back and opened the door to let more light into the room, then decreed with a forceful voice, ‘I ACTIVATE THE MANTLE OF TENNENTS’ WELL! I DECREE YOUR CUPS ARE FULL! DRINK THIS NEW WINE AND MEET ME OUTSIDE!’ Dutch went on to say, ‘Bring your work gloves because this is going to be like nothing you have ever worked on in your entire life.’ Their cups filled. They drank. “Dutch and I walked outside. “While inside the building, we had not been able to clearly see who these people were. We actually did not know who we had just enlisted. As the people began to emerge from the building, we could see them more clearly and knew they were 5-fold ministers who had fallen or been rejected in their ministry. They were outcasts, driven away from the church for one reason or another. We recognized many of them who once had nationally known ministries. Others had served locally in their communities. “I said to Dutch, ‘Look at their gloves. Those are not work gloves; they’re boxing gloves.’ As we looked closely we could see that their gloves, like they themselves, were tattered, torn, dry, and cracked from age and weathering. Dutch and I began weeping. Then we saw that each pair of gloves had written on them: ‘evergreen’ and ‘everlast.’ There were hundreds of former leaders standing before us with smiles on their faces and fire in their eyes from the new wine they had just ingested. “Dutch said to them, ‘LOAD UP, WE ARE GOING TO WORK!’ “We arrived back to the Valley of the Streams. Those who had been reenlisted unloaded and made their way to the equipment they were familiar with, then went to work. “The 3 leaders who had stayed at the work site approached us and said, ‘We have dredged deeper than ever before. We’ve gotten enough of the muck out of the streams to where they won’t pollute each other.’ “One of the leaders said to us, ‘We got set up and started working. Our pumps have removed the sand from the bottom of the streams and we've found rock. Solid rock! The water is clearer than it has ever been.’ “Another leader said, ‘Dutch, you guys will have to navigate your excavations from the water, not the land. I have the Pentecost Platforms ready. Actually, I had to rewrite the entire manual of operation because it was so cluttered with religion. The platforms will carry your excavators as you and your team remove the land between the streams to create the river. The Pentecost Platforms are ready to board and can handle the weight of your excavators.’ “Dutch then began to address the work crews that were on the excavators. We could see that each of them had on work shirts like those bearing company names and the workers’ names on them. The company name on these shirts was ‘Mamlakah,’ a Hebrew word meaning ‘kingdom’ (which Greg did not know), and the name of all the workers was the same on every shirt: ‘Hidden Treasure.’ “Dutch and I climbed aboard the first excavator and loaded it on the first Pentecost Platform. The workers, along with other leaders, also boarded excavators and drove them up on Pentecost Platforms. Another leader and a team of workers monitored the Pentecost Platforms. We began to remove the land between the streams. Once we started this portion of the work, it took twelve months to complete it, after which a great river burst forth that had never before been seen in the history of humankind. By the Spirit, I knew that the work was completed in the month of September.” End of Dream. __________________________ You can learn more about Dr. Greg Hood here. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Excavate to the Foundation (Day 1) My friend, Greg Hood, has now had 3 dreams involving Tennent’s Well of revival. The first one explained Tennent’s role in the First Great Awakening, which was bringing fresh fire/revival to the clergy of that day (you can read it here). The second one was about fresh fire coming to the church in Nashville (you can read it here). This latest dream (from September 27, 2021) is regarding fresh fire coming to restore ministers who have fallen into sin and feel disqualified. It also has to do with the different streams in the body of Christ being cleansed, becoming one river and working together. This is a lengthy dream, filled with important insights, so I will take 3 days to discuss and pray into it with you. I will not get to the portion that includes Tennent today, but am mentioning it because this evening and tomorrow I will actually be at the place where Rev. Tennent ministered. I am going because of these dreams, to pray and decree what Holy Spirit is saying to us, from the place where the well was dug. At times, I feel it is important to actually honor what Holy Spirit did by going to that very place. I will share insights as we go through the dream, rather than sharing all of it and then looking back at portions. My comments are in italics. (The dream in its entirety is at the end of today’s post. You can find it on our Give Him 15 website: www.givehim15.com) EXCAVATE TO THE FOUNDATION “The dream began with Dutch and I standing in front of a building in which we were to hold a meeting. It was a large, well-known church building. Things seemed odd as we stood there. There were no people and the sign was not lit. I ran up the steps of the church to check the doors and shouted back to Dutch, ‘They are locked. The doors are locked.’” Obviously, the dream begins by saying things are not right with the church (not just this one but the church at large). It is empty, dark, and the doors are locked, signifying inactivity and/or a lack of productivity. Arguably, the church in America has had little impact on the nation the past 3 or 4 decades. I’ve heard it said that we’ve become a subculture, not a counterculture, and I would agree. Yet, God is not finished with us. He has been working in the church and revival is coming to her. “As I made my way back down the steps to where Dutch was, an angel approached us. He handed Dutch a folded note and said, ‘Go to the Anabaino Cafe. I have written the address on the note.’ We looked at the paper and the address was ‘4 Ephesians Street, Suite 4-7.’” This address is obviously referring to Ephesians 4:4-7. This passage is where we would find our instructions. The passage says: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” The following verse, 8, says Christ gave “gifts” to us “when He ascended” to Heaven. Because of this, these gifts are sometimes called the “ascension gifts.” They are listed in verse 11: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher. These are giftings or anointings of Christ, whose name means “anointed one.” He apportioned His anointing into 5 gifts and gave them to the church. They are NOT positions or titles; they are functions. Greg did not know it, but the name of the cafe, Anabaino, is actually the Greek word for “ascended.” It was the Ascension Cafe, with the Ephesians 4 address! Obviously, the dream is saying that unity - honoring one another - and the full release/function of these five ascension gifts will unlock what the church needs and turn the lights on. Also, with Ascension being the name of a cafe, it seems Holy Spirit is telling us we must be “fed” by these ascension gifts. “It was more of a truck stop than a cafe. We went inside and sat at a round table surrounded by five chairs. I can recall in the dream looking out the window and seeing many large flatbed trucks with heavy equipment loaded on them. Dutch commented to me, ‘Isn't that different, not one box truck in the yard. Every truck is carrying heavy equipment. There is going to be a lot of earth moving going on around here.’ “We were served breakfast and as we ate a man walked up to the table and said, ‘I see there are three more that will be joining you. I will go ahead and bring their meal out for them.’ “Dutch said to me, ‘Hood, who are we expecting to join us?’ “I replied, ‘It’s [Greg gave me the names of a Charismatic Baptist leader, a Word of Faith leader, and a prophetic teacher influential in marketplace ministry. I do not have their permission, so I won't share their names.] They are on their way, having received the same instructions we did.’ “The waiter arrived back at the table with our food, along with utensils for all, wrapped in an odd-looking napkin. “Looking up, we could see the other three men coming through the door of the Anabaino Truck Stop/Cafe. They came to the table, sat down and Dutch said, ‘Good to see you guys. Glad you made it. So, you got the same note we did!’ “One of them said, ‘We did and we are here! The time is here! All I have been prophesying for 50 plus years is upon us. I am as excited and full of fire as I have ever been. Let’s eat! We've got a lot of work before us.’” All of the 5-Fold Ascension gifts of Christ are embodied in these 5 men. They also represent several different movements of Holy Spirit over the past 50 years: healing, Charismatic Movement, Jesus People Movement, teaching, faith, evangelism, prayer, apostolic, prophetic, 7 mountains of culture/society, and more. “The gentleman who brought the food to our table approached again and said, ‘I am glad you all are here. Unwrap your utensils.’ As we did, we could see that the utensils were wrapped in a scroll. Each scroll had words written on it, which I could read. “Every scroll had written across the top, ‘Operation Hidden Treasures/Convergence of the Streams.’ In addition to this: On one scroll was written, ‘Dredging Deeper.’ Another held the words, ‘Pentecost Hovering Platforms.’ A third read, ‘Sand to Rock.’ Dutch’s Scroll had written on it, ‘Excavate To the Foundations and Enlist Men.’ And the scroll I held read, ‘Navigate the Water.’” The headings are interesting, to say the least. I won’t go too deeply into them here, but will summarize them. We would obviously be going “deeper” in the Word and operations of Holy Spirit than we ever had before. There would be a hovering and outpouring of the Holy Spirit - a “Pentecost” - which would sustain and increase our ability to influence others (“platform”). We were going to be doers of the word (those who built on the rock - Matthew 7:24-27), not hearers only (those who built on the sand). The “foundations” of the church would be emphasized: Christ (and His Word) is the Chief Cornerstone; apostles and prophets are also a part of the foundation (Ephesians 2:20). We would obviously be “enlisting” more leaders/workers into the effort of the church. And we would have to be able to “navigate” the waters of the Spirit. Wow! We will understand more of this in tomorrow’s post. But let’s pray into this now. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for Your gifts to us. You have equipped us for the assignment You have given us. We embrace the anointing of our King, Jesus. We honor Him as our Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher. We receive from His anointing and through it, minister His salvation into the earth. We thank You for our family - Your family, Your kids. Please forgive us for the division and disunity we have allowed to plague us. Some of it is born of pride, some of religion, all of it is from satan, the accuser of the brethren. Deliver us from all that divides us. We ask You to take us deeper. We ask for a fresh Pentecost. We ask You to foundation us once again on the “rock” of doing what You say in Your Word. And we ask You to give us increased sensitivity to navigate deeper waters from Holy Spirit. We ask this in Christ’s name, amen. Our decree: We decree that the church will go from disunity and competition to the spirit of brotherly love and harmony. _______________________________________________________________________________ Here is the dream in its entirety: Operation Hidden Treasures September 27, 2021 (A dream given to Dr. Greg Hood) “The dream began with Dutch and I standing in front of a building in which we were to hold a meeting. It was a large, well-known church building. Things seemed odd as we stood there. There were no people and the sign was not lit. I ran up the steps of the church to check the doors and shouted back to Dutch, ‘They are locked. The doors are locked.’ “As I made my way back down the steps to where Dutch was, an angel approached us. He handed Dutch a folded note and said, ‘Go to the Anabaino Cafe. I have written the address on the note.’ We looked at the paper and the address was ‘4 Ephesians Street, Suite 4-7.’ “It was more of a truck stop than a cafe. We went inside and sat at a round table surrounded by five chairs. I can recall in the dream looking out the window and seeing many large flatbed trucks with heavy equipment loaded on them. Dutch commented to me, ‘Isn't that different, not one box truck in the yard. Every truck is carrying heavy equipment. There is going to be a lot of earth moving going on around here.’ “We were served breakfast and as we ate a man walked up to the table and said, ‘I see there are three more that will be joining you. I will go ahead and bring their meal out for them.’ “Dutch said to me, ‘Hood, who are we expecting to join us?’ “I replied, ‘It’s [Greg gave me the names of a Charismatic Baptist leader, a Word of Faith leader, and a prophetic teacher influential in marketplace ministry. I do not have their permission, so I won't share their names.] They are on their way, having received the same instructions we did.’ “The waiter arrived back at the table with our food, along with utensils for all, wrapped in an odd-looking napkin. “Looking up, we could see the other three men coming through the door of the Anabaino Truck Stop/Cafe. They came to the table, sat down and Dutch said, ‘Good to see you guys. Glad you made it. So, you got the same note we did!’ “One of them said, ‘We did and we are here! The time is here! All I have been prophesying for 50 plus years is upon us. I am as excited and full of fire as I have ever been. Let’s eat! We've got a lot of work before us.’ “The gentleman who brought the food to our table approached again and said, ‘I am glad you all are here. Unwrap your utensils.’ As we did, we could see that the utensils were wrapped in a scroll. Each scroll had words written on it, which I could read. “Every scroll had written across the top, ‘Operation Hidden Treasures/Convergence of the Streams.’ In addition to this: On one scroll was written, ‘Dredging Deeper.’ Another held the words, ‘Pentecost Hovering Platforms.’ A third read, ‘Sand to Rock.’ Dutch’s Scroll had written on it, ‘Excavate To the Foundations and Enlist Men.’ And the scroll I held read, ‘Navigate the Water.’ “We then realized that the man serving us at the table was the same angel who had given us the note at the steps of the large church building. He began instructing us regarding this assignment: ‘Each of you has a truck outside in the parking lot. Each truck has equipment on it. Take your truck and equipment and go to the Valley Of the Streams. Dutch, you and Greg will share a truck.’ “I could see that one truck had large pumps on it, another had platforms that hovered and a third had a dredging machine. The one I was in, with Dutch driving, had a large excavator on the trailer. Each of us went to our trucks and left for the streams.” “We drove onto a very large lot in the Valley of the Streams, which was filled with more dredging machines, large pumps and other kinds of equipment. We were met there by many workers who began complaining about working conditions, having to work overtime and the stressful environment in which they had to work. One of the leaders stepped out from his 18-wheel rig and said to them, ‘You're all fired! We’ve had enough of whining laborers. This job requires backbone. Now, grow one or leave!’ “They all left! “We looked at him and thought, ‘What are we going to do now? There are no laborers to complete this mission.’ “Dutch said, ‘We have the scroll that says “Enlist Men.” Hang tight, we will be back soon!’ “The charismatic Baptist leader spoke up and said, ‘We will have all the equipment in place by the time you return. We will not miss this outpouring.’ “There was an old bus sitting on the lot we were on which looked like it hadn't been driven in years. Written on the side of the bus, in faded paint was, ‘The Gospel of the Kingdom and on the back of the bus was a bumper sticker that read, ‘Honk if you love Jesus!’ “We boarded the old bus and Dutch said, ‘Which way, Hood?’ “I said, ‘We are going toward Hebron.’ As we made our way down the road we passed many church buildings that were abandoned and/or dilapidated, then came to a city limit sign that read, ‘Hebron: Population Undetermined.’ “Just past the sign I said to Dutch, ‘turn right!’ He made a sharp, quick right turn down a narrow dirt road, which led us to a wooden building. The building’s sign read, Tennent’s Tavern & Well! Dutch and I walked into the building. We could see many men and women sitting at tables in this dimly lit room. All of them had empty cups in front of them. “Dutch shouted, ‘I NEED YOUR ATTENTION! We are here to enlist people for a new dredging and excavating project. It is the merging of the steams! It’s the Third Great Awakening and it is the opportunity of your lifetime!’ “A man spoke up from the back and said, ‘How can we work if our cups are empty? How can we be enlisted if we have been forsaken?’ “Dutch did not address this man's question. He stepped back and opened the door to let more light into the room, then decreed with a forceful voice, ‘I ACTIVATE THE MANTLE OF TENNENTS’ WELL! I DECREE YOUR CUPS ARE FULL! DRINK THIS NEW WINE AND MEET ME OUTSIDE!’ Dutch went on to say, ‘Bring your work gloves because this is going to be like nothing you have ever worked on in your entire life.’ Their cups filled. They drank. “Dutch and I walked outside. “While inside the building, we had not been able to clearly see who these people were. We actually did not know who we had just enlisted. As the people began to emerge from the building, we could see them more clearly and knew they were 5-fold ministers who had fallen or been rejected in their ministry. They were outcasts, driven away from the church for one reason or another. We recognized many of them who once had nationally known ministries. Others had served locally in their communities. “I said to Dutch, ‘Look at their gloves. Those are not work gloves; they’re boxing gloves.’ As we looked closely we could see that their gloves, like they themselves, were tattered, torn, dry, and cracked from age and weathering. Dutch and I began weeping. Then we saw that each pair of gloves had written on them: ‘evergreen’ and ‘everlast.’ There were hundreds of former leaders standing before us with smiles on their faces and fire in their eyes from the new wine they had just ingested. “Dutch said to them, ‘LOAD UP, WE ARE GOING TO WORK!’ “We arrived back to the Valley of the Streams. Those who had been reenlisted unloaded and made their way to the equipment they were familiar with, then went to work. “The 3 leaders who had stayed at the work site approached us and said, ‘We have dredged deeper than ever before. We’ve gotten enough of the muck out of the streams to where they won’t pollute each other.’ “One of the leaders said to us, ‘We got set up and started working. Our pumps have removed the sand from the bottom of the streams and we've found rock. Solid rock! The water is clearer than it has ever been.’ “Another leader said, ‘Dutch, you guys will have to navigate your excavations from the water, not the land. I have the Pentecost Platforms ready. Actually, I had to rewrite the entire manual of operation because it was so cluttered with religion. The platforms will carry your excavators as you and your team remove the land between the streams to create the river. The Pentecost Platforms are ready to board and can handle the weight of your excavators.’ “Dutch then began to address the work crews that were on the excavators. We could see that each of them had on work shirts like those bearing company names and the workers’ names on them. The company name on these shirts was ‘Mamlakah,’ a Hebrew word meaning ‘kingdom’ (which Greg did not know), and the name of all the workers was the same on every shirt: ‘Hidden Treasure.’ “Dutch and I climbed aboard the first excavator and loaded it on the first Pentecost Platform. The workers, along with other leaders, also boarded excavators and drove them up on Pentecost Platforms. Another leader and a team of workers monitored the Pentecost Platforms. We began to remove the land between the streams. Once we started this portion of the work, it took twelve months to complete it, after which a great river burst forth that had never before been seen in the history of humankind. By the Spirit, I knew that the work was completed in the month of September.” End of Dream. __________________________ You can learn more about Dr. Greg Hood here. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Love Is A Many Splendored Thing Today’s post is from my dad, Dean Sheets. He is in heaven, but I dug out a devotional he wrote several years ago (that is now out of print). Dad was quite the orator. I think you’ll like, not only what he had to say, but how he said it. The message is consistent with the theme I have spoken on for the past two days: “Proverbs 18:24: ‘A man that has friends must show himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.’ “What a friend is Jesus! Believers love this friend so much because He first loved them - He instigated the friendship. Jesus said, concerning His friendship with you, I will take from My brow the crown of jewels and exchange it for one of thorns; I will cast away My mantle of glory for the state of poverty, that I may go and find My friends. “That’s what was required to establish the beauty of this friendship. We are friends with God, because He became a man! And as a man, Christ was ‘in all points tempted like as we are’ (Hebrews 4:15). It was C.S. Lewis who said, ‘Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, “What? You too? I thought I was the only one.’”(1) “Calvary echoes the love of Christ, our Friend. ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down His life for his friends,’ (John 15:13). When Jesus came knocking at your heart’s door it was with a nail-pierced hand. Yes, He’s the friend of sinners (see Matthew 11:19). “I heard of a Native American tribe that had no word for ‘friend.’ They used, instead, the phrase, ‘the one who carries my sorrows on his back.’ That sounds like Jesus! “If you want to know who your friends are, just make a mistake. But Jesus is no fair-weather friend. He didn’t begin loving us yesterday. He desired our friendship way back when the world was wrapped in the swaddling clothes of mist, and He’ll be a friend when that world has vanished with the same haze. “A friend is a person who comes in when the rest of the world goes out. Jesus said, ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,’ (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus is a certain friend in uncertain circumstances. We must follow His example of love and friendship. “Years ago the Salvation Army was holding an international convention and its founder, William Booth, could not attend because of physical weakness. Instead, he cabled his convention message to those in attendance. It was simply one word: Others. “The Master has sent you into His vineyard to love and serve others. Perhaps it is the ministry of intercession for Christian workers here in America or elsewhere. Or maybe it’s the ministry of comfort to sad hearts within your own circle: ‘Bear ye one another’s burdens’ (Galatians 6:2). ‘Lift up the hands which hang down,’ (Hebrews 12:12). There are many ways to serve others - begin today! Too many are waiting for the ‘big ministry’ to come along, yet someone needs you right now! “Dr. Leonard Cammer, who specialized in treating depressed people, once said, ‘The human being is the only species that cannot survive alone. Humans need another human being - otherwise, they’re dead! A telephone call to a depressed person can save a life. An occasional word, a ten-minute visit, can be more effective than 24 hours of nursing care. You can buy nursing care. You cannot buy love.’(2) “Paul told us to ‘Bear [not bare] ye one another’s burdens,’ (Galatians 6:2). Never put a finger on someone’s faults unless it’s part of a helping hand. “We need one another so much! The words ‘one accord’ are mentioned 11 times in the book of Acts. Remember, that’s when Christians together ‘turned the world upside down’ for Jesus (Acts 17:6). “Together we can do so much. “A threefold cord is not quickly broken,” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). One cord made up of three strands is 100 times stronger than just one strand.” Pray with me: Father, thank You for sending Christ to redeem the human race. Jesus, thank You for becoming human to save us. We cannot grasp this level of love. You will forever be the God-man. And thank You both for wanting our friendship this much. We press into Your nature in our hearts. We want to love the way You love. We want to serve the way You serve, experience the level of commitment to one another You modeled for us. The gospel is, in reality, a person. You are the good news! And we anchor our faith in this love. This is why the great awakening is coming - because You will not be denied Your inheritance. So we boldly ask for this revival now, a revival that will usher in 1 billion more hungry people into Your family. It will not be stopped! Demons will not stop it. Godless people will not stop it. Political parties won’t stop it. False religions won’t stop it. You are coming to save! America shall be saved. Other nations shall be saved. You are the Savior and You will win. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen. Our decree: We decree that love will win. Hands-down, no doubts, guaranteed, love will win. Click on the link below to watch the full video. _________________________ https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/10554-friendship-is-born-at-the-moment-when-one-man https://sermons.faithlife.com/sermons/104718-the-dark-night

Allow Him to Heal Us Psalm 139: 1-14, 23-24 (TPT): “Lord, You know everything there is to know about me. You perceive every movement of my heart and soul, and You understand my every thought before it even enters my mind. You are so intimately aware of me, Lord. You read my heart like an open book and You know all the words I’m about to speak before I even start a sentence! You know every step I will take before my journey even begins. You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness You follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past. You have laid Your hand on me! This is just too wonderful, deep, and incomprehensible! Your understanding of me brings me wonder and strength. Where could I go from Your Spirit? Where could I run and hide from Your face? If I go up to heaven, You’re there! If I go down to the realm of the dead, You’re there too! If I fly with wings into the shining dawn, You’re there! If I fly into the radiant sunset, You’re there waiting! Wherever I go, Your hand will guide me; Your strength will empower me. It’s impossible to disappear from You or to ask the darkness to hide me, for Your presence is everywhere, bringing light into my night. There is no such thing as darkness with You. The night, to You, is as bright as the day; there’s no difference between the two. You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother’s womb. I thank You, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything You do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly You know me, Lord! God, I invite Your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares. See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting way— the path that brings me back to You.” I was challenged recently to search my heart and see if I had a critical spirit toward another movement in the body of Christ, inappropriately judging their actions, teachings, and motives. Yesterday’s post dealt with the need for all of us to do so. It can be difficult at times to point out what we deem to be harmful beliefs, doctrines, and actions without crossing into inappropriate criticism. And frankly, some errors are propagated with pure motives, while others are to further ambitions and personal kingdom building. There is an appropriate time, place, and biblical protocol for confronting these self-serving activities. Appropriately challenging wrong beliefs and actions is not my purpose. My intent is to again challenge each of us to allow Holy Spirit’s exposure of any inappropriate criticism of fellow believers, especially other leaders. In this 139th Psalm, Holy Spirit clearly states that none of us fully know what is in our own hearts; only God knows what is truly there. We must all willingly allow Him to expose what is motivating us, then confront what He reveals as inappropriate. I have accepted this challenge. How can I encourage others to do what I am unwilling to do? The point of today’s post, however, is not to share what is being revealed to me, for I am not yet through that process. I don’t believe it typically happens in a day or two. Sometimes it takes a while for Holy Spirit to peel back the layers of our hearts and minds to show us what is really there. My purpose, again, is to encourage all of us to allow this process to occur. “According to the Associated Press, on a windy day in March 1997, a father and his son came to Valley Forge National Historical Park, where George Washington stationed the Revolutionary Army during the difficult winter of 1777-1778. The father and son had something much less historic in mind: they wanted to launch a model rocket. At first, they tried using electric ignition wires to light the fuse, but to no avail. So they tried lighting the fuse with a common sparkler, the kind seen on the Fourth of July. “That’s when the trouble began. Sparks ignited a grass fire, and the winds quickly spread the blaze, burning one field where Revolutionary War soldiers had trained, and coming within a half-mile of George Washington’s headquarters. Thirty units from twelve fire departments fought the blaze for an hour before bringing it under control. In the end, over thirty acres were charred. The man with the sparkler was charged with the destruction of government property and use of fireworks.”(1) Like the sparkler, a critical spirit never seems as dangerous as it really is. We are moving into an incredible season. The future will record of this season that it was one of the most significant in history. Our hearts - not just our gifts - will determine much of the role we play in it: Were our wineskins flexible enough to adapt to new ideas, ways and methods? Were we able to accept new scriptural interpretations/theological beliefs, or have we decided - consciously or unconsciously - that all of our beliefs and opinions are completely right? Did traditions outweigh truth? Were we humble enough to lay our “need to be right” on the altar? Did our theological beliefs trump the importance of love and unity? Did we drift too far in either direction from the fine line of judging content (prophecies, messages, doctrines, etc) and judging others’ hearts? Did we break free from our ambition, comfort, and personal desires adequately enough to selflessly strive for the cause of Christ and His kingdom? Were we passionate history “makers” or dispassionate observers? Were we bold in the face of tremendous opposition or fearful passivists? There are more questions to be answered, of course, but I believe the point is made. This is a season to allow Holy Spirit to probe a little deeper, showing us areas He wants to work on. If we allow Him, He will do so - not with a condemning voice - but with a surgeon’s scalpel. His desire is never to hurt us, but to help and heal us. When He points out a weakness, His heart is to shape us for destiny, not sentence us to destruction. Let Him have a look. Pray with me: Thank You, Father, for Your grace toward us. Thank You for not casting us aside when we make mistakes or errors. Thank You for demonstrating a merciful heart toward us, not a critical spirit. In Your perfection, You could easily belittle others, yet You are patient and gracious - good all the time. We ask for Your heart to be released to the church in this hour. May we find ourselves falling in love more and more with our brothers and sisters. Even those we disagree with. May we err on the side of love, not criticism. Give us hearts to always be looking for ways to bless, not curse. Make us more like You. We choose this day to align ourselves with the Redeemer of the brethren, not with “the accuser of the brethren.” We will live in Psalm 133, where the brothers dwell together in unity. We take the keys of the kingdom and bind the influence of the accuser off of us, in Jesus’ name! Amen. Our decree: We decree that the Ekklesia, the bride of Christ, is coming together in the unity of the faith. __________________________ Craig Brian Larson, Choice Contemporary Stories and Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers, and Writers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998), p. 104. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Go and Tell We must begin preparing our hearts to share Jesus. The harvest is ripe. Our dear friend and amazing author, Quin Sherrer, always seems to be so practical in her teachings and writings, as is, the following exhortation. It is also very powerful: “‘I am an ordinary Christian, not an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher,’ a woman wrote me. ‘When I couldn’t go to church during the pandemic, I was fed by sermons and posts like Dutch’s Give Him 15; they also gave me guidance on how to pray outside my comfort zone. But what else can I do to make a difference?’ “I immediately thought about my friend Suzanne. One day she asked God what her new role was now that all her children were gone from home. She felt He gave her a question, ‘What can you do for Me that no one else can do?’ She answered back, ‘Tell my story.’ And she began to do that. “Peter, the disciple, wrote to the early Christians: ‘But you are the ones chosen by God…God’s instruments to do His work and speak out for Him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference He made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted,’ (1 Peter 2: 9-10 The MESSAGE). “A testimony is ‘to tell something you know firsthand, or to authenticate a fact.’ When we share our testimony, we can testify to what Jesus has done for us and hopefully help influence others for Christ. “Think on this Scripture: ‘That which we have seen and heard we declare to you…that you may also fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ,’ (I John 1:3). “Being a witness for Christ doesn’t have to be complicated. We declare what we have seen, what we have heard! You never know who is listening when you tell a story, or what the results might be. “One afternoon my friend JoAnne and I were in a big city attending a Christian conference and decided to have some tea. As we sat at a counter in an old-fashioned drug store, she began telling me the story of a recent miracle she had heard on a Christian television program. I asked pertinent questions to get the full picture. A man sitting two seats down from us held a newspaper in front of his face. He was obviously not reading it, but was listening to JoAnne tell how Jesus is still doing miracles today. “Suddenly the man threw the newspaper across the counter and loudly shouted, ‘All right, already, I will get baptized. Sunday, I will.’ And he ran out of the drug store. JoAnne and I looked at each other in amazement. We offered a short prayer for the man who was obviously on his way back to the Lord. “There are more than 500 references in the Bible related to the word ‘tell’ including these: tell the people, tell your son, tell your brother, tell the good news, and many individuals who are instructed ‘to tell.’ Jesus often said, ‘I tell you the truth.’ The New Testament is full of instances about people who shared their stories. They looked for opportunities...and told! “A young junior pastor asked his Care Group audience a pertinent question one recent Wednesday night. Then he called to tell me their shocking reply. “‘How many of you have told your testimony or led someone to Christ in the past year?’ he asked. Only two raised their hands. “‘Well, teach them how,’ I responded. Then I shared with him what my pastor, Peter Lord, taught us years ago. “Pastor Lord challenged us to practice telling our story. The idea was to zero in on how we had changed after we made Jesus the Lord of our lives. He suggested we practice telling it in different reasonable time frames: ten minutes, five minutes, and just one minute. “Standing before a mirror and imagining we were speaking to just one person about our transformation, we practiced talking about the most important change we’d undergone. He cautioned us not to tell our whole life story in one bang-up speech. Instead, he suggested we stick to one theme -- whether it was freedom from an obvious sin, or perhaps a hidden one such as unforgiveness, judging others, occult involvement, pride, lying, or any number of issues that were displeasing to God. “‘Just tell what Christ did for you and the freedom you now enjoy. Make it so interesting others will want to know how Christ can impact them too. And they just might want you to share more of your testimony,’ he urged. “Ask yourself, ‘What is my story to tell? How can I speak it with such clarity that I hit the bullseye --- the intended target? What can I say from my own life’s change that might lead others to know Jesus personally?’ “Let’s look at some Biblical examples. “Jesus delivered a man possessed by legions of demons. The evil spirits ran into pigs, who then plunged off a steep slope and drowned. Herdsmen who saw what happened ran to tell those in nearby villages. The man, now clothed and in his right mind, begged to go with Jesus. But Jesus told him to go home and tell others how much He had done for him--- how God had shown him mercy. The man obeyed. He even went to Decapolis - a region of ten cities - to proclaim his deliverance. And the people marveled at his testimony (see Mark 5:18-20). “‘It is a wonder of grace that Jesus used a man who once had thousands of demons to bring God’s truth to thousands of people. He became a missionary evangelist,’ writes a Bible commentator. 1 “After a Samaritan woman had an encounter with Jesus at Jacob’s well, she ran to tell the townspeople. Scripture says, ‘Many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did,’” (John 4:39). Not only did they accept her story, but they also invited Jesus to their village. After two days with Him, many more believed He was the Messiah. Spiritual multiplication. “Philip sought and found Nathanael and told him that they had discovered the One whom the prophets wrote about--Jesus from Nazareth. ‘Come and see,’ he said (John 1:45-46). When Paul and Barnabas arrived in Jerusalem, they told the church, apostles, and elders all that God had accomplished through them (Acts 5:4). “On the morning when the women found Jesus’ tomb empty, they hurried to spread the news, and ‘were telling these things to the apostles.’ Their story appeared as nonsense until Peter ran to investigate for himself (Luke 24:11,12 NASB). “Amazed. Marveled. Astonished. That’s how the ‘hearers’ responded when they heard some of the testimonies recorded in the Bible. “God is still saving, delivering, and healing people. He is restoring families and rescuing lost loved ones. We just need to stay sensitive to what He wants us to share. And be open to doing it. “So, let’s rejoice over our own niche in life and look for ways to share our personal testimony. Let’s bring encouragement and hope to others by assuring them He can do something great for them, also! Let’s make a difference.”2 Pray with me: “Dear Father, forgive me for thinking I did not have value because I do not have the giftings I recognize in other people. Thank You for the way You have changed my life since I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Help me be bold to share my testimony when the opportunity comes—and not hold back because I don’t think what I have to say is important. Please bring the people into my life who can be blessed to hear my testimony. Thank You too for those in my past who did not hesitate to tell me about Jesus and His love for me. Amen.” Our decree: “I will tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love for us; and especially I’ll tell what He’s done for me.” Today’s post was contributed by our dear friend and author, Quin Sherrer. You can learn more about Quin here. Click on the link below to watch the full video. __________________________________ 1. Brian Simmons, The Passion Translation Bible, 2020 edition, (BroadStreet, commentary on Mark 5:20), p. 104. 2. Portions excerpted from “Cast Your Shadow: Influence on Purpose” by Quin Sherrer. Her website is QuinSherrer.com

What If... “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is giving you rest, and will give you this land.’ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but you shall cross ahead of your brothers in battle formation, all your valiant warriors, and shall help them, until the Lord gives your brothers rest, as He is giving you, and they also possess the land which the Lord your God is giving them. Then you may return to your own land, and take possession of that which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise. “They answered Joshua, saying, ‘All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you; only may the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses. Anyone who rebels against your command and does not obey your words in all that you command him, shall be put to death; only be strong and courageous.’” (Joshua 1:13-18 NASB) In this first chapter of Joshua, God is giving incredibly important instructions to Joshua regarding the fulfillment of His covenantal promise to Abraham. This agreement with Abraham was not about a favored people whom God loved more than other humans. It was a covenant He initiated in order to use Abraham and his offspring to help Him save the world. The Messiah would come through them. The book of Joshua is another step in that process. It is not just about a special people receiving their extraordinary inheritance; it’s about a calling, an assignment, an inheritance needed to help save the world. That’s big stuff! And it makes the instructions God gave Joshua regarding this important next step very significant. As He lays out the important commands and encouragements, God mentions one that may seem a bit unusual. In the above verses, He reminds 3 of Israel’s 12 tribes of a promise they made Moses 40 years ago. Shortly after leaving Egypt, they came to a land that suited their ranching lifestyle, whereupon they asked Moses if that could be their inheritance, rather than a portion of land in Canaan, on the other side of the Jordan. It was agreed to, as long as the men promised to temporarily leave their homes and ranches to assist the remaining tribes possess their inheritance, when the time came. They wouldn’t be allowed to sit comfortably and enjoy their inheritance while their brothers and sisters warred for theirs. Though the promise had been made 40 years earlier, reminding them of it and insisting it be honored ranked toward the top of Joshua’s instructions. Though the book of Joshua can be read in a couple of hours, the conquest of Canaan took 7 years. The commitment these tribes had to keep was no simple task; it wasn’t just a couple of months or a few weekends here and there. It was 7 years! I’m not sure how they did this while protecting their families and possessions back home. Perhaps they alternated - a month on, a month off. Certainly, the women and kids had to pick up the slack and take over some of the responsibilities of caring for the livestock and land - for 7 years! Whatever the plan, it was a significant commitment. This was very important to God. Failing to fulfill the commitment was punishable by death. Since what occurred with Israel was written for our instruction (1 Corinthians 10:11), we can assume it is important for us, also. What if, rather than the demonic and disgusting competitive spirit existing in today’s American church, we took seriously the command to help one another? What if, rather than making great efforts to transfer sheep from another pasture (local church) to ours, we worked together to grow everyone’s congregation? What if, instead of attending Church Growth conferences (Sheep Transferring conferences), we attended “How Can I Help My Fellow Believer Take His/Her Inheritance” conferences? What if pastors and ministry leaders who have successful ministries, large facilities, good salaries, etc., decided to help their fellow “countrymen” possess their inheritance? I’m not talking about a pat on the back, or a hundred bucks once in a while. I’m talking about commitment, Joshua 1 stuff - fighting for them, sharing resources, building buildings, etc. What would it look like if every larger church in America paid the salary of a pastor pioneering a church - a church that isn’t in their network or carrying their name, by the way? What if they supplied them with a worship team? A children’s pastor? What would happen? Well fortunately, we don’t have to wonder. Jesus told us in John 17:21: “That they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” He also told us in Psalm 133: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, as on Aaron’s beard, the oil which ran down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for the Lord commanded the blessing there— life forever.” Interestingly, the word “good,” describing unity, is the exact same Hebrew word as the “precious” anointing oil of Aaron’s priesthood. God places unity on the same level as His anointing. And this unity included working together, by the way, not just well-wishing. The passage makes it clear that blessings were being exchanged - Mt Herman was watering Mt Zion. Maybe if we did more helping one another we’d see more anointing. Holy Spirit said in this passage He would be able to command more eternal life to be released. And according to Christ, the world would believe. Satan is not our biggest problem. We are. Pray with me: Father, please forgive us for our arrogance in thinking that what You want to do through us is more important than what You do through others. Forgive us for our divisive activities and ways of thinking. Forgive us for the place in our hearts that allows competition with our brothers and sisters to occur. We ask You to replace these attitudes, this sin, with hearts that are willing to prefer one another in love (Romans 12:10). Give us hearts that are willing to serve our brothers and sisters and war for their inheritance. Tear down every wall that has been built by religion and pride. Give us the heart of Jesus, who made of Himself no reputation, laying everything down for others. Bring the greatest revival of unity and love the church has ever experienced. May we take joy and rain down blessings on mountains/ministries which belong to others. Please tear down every man-made kingdom, until only Yours stands. As we move forward into this great awakening, may it be marked by a generation of believers that gloried in warring for others’ success and inheritance. We ask this in Christ’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that we will allow the unselfish heart of Jesus to rule and reign in ours! Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Grab the Baton God keeps His word. Joshua 1:6 states: “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them” (italics mine). Holy Spirit reminded Joshua of the promise He had made to Abraham and other forefathers. When we go through times of transition, it is imperative that we remember what God has spoken in the past. This will give us comfort, direction, and promises to which we can anchor. Paul told Timothy to wage a good warfare through the prophecies (plural) that had been spoken over him: “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight” (1 Timothy 1:18 NASB). During the difficult time Timothy was experiencing, Paul told him to recall what had been spoken over him prophetically, using those words as a weapon with which to fight discouragement and demonic attacks. God’s words contain power and life. Not just the Scriptures, but any word spoken by Holy Spirit. Of course, prophecy must be judged in the light of Scripture and with seasoned leaders’ discernment (1 Corinthians 14:29), but when it is deemed as truly originating from Holy Spirit, it can and should be used for strategy, encouragement and as a sword of the Spirit. Paul told Timothy to use the prophecies over him as weapons. He also reminded Timothy of the spiritual gifts given to him through prophetic ministry. “Use them!” he commanded (1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6). When we face opposition to the cause of Christ, and to the assignments He gives us, it is critical that we listen to Holy Spirit. This is why I pay attention to dreams, visions and prophecies once I have judged them as originating from Him. This brings encouragement and success (Ezra 5:2: 6:14; 2 Chronicles 20:20). I also honor what He has said to others in past generations. Some of what Holy Spirit does through us is because of promises He made to them (Hebrews 11:39-40). We in America today, are warring for what Holy Spirit began centuries ago. God told Joshua the same thing: what I’m about to give you is the fulfillment of a promise I made generations ago. This served to bring Joshua an important perspective: What was about to occur wasn’t only about them; it was also about Abraham and other people before them. When God blesses us with favor or success, we often think it is simply to bless us or reward our faithfulness. Much of the time, however, it is because of others’ faithfulness. And though not mentioned in this passage, the land they were about to possess was about future generations also. As outlandish as it may sound, it was even about us today! God was not only rewarding Joshua’s generation, He was also furthering the redemptive purposes of history. If you read my posts daily, you will recall that I have recently mentioned four ladies, ranging in age from 69 to 94, who are warring with a prophetic dream, as Paul instructed Joshua and Timothy to do. They are traveling I-40 from the east coast of our nation to the west coast, just as the dream stated. This journey was made in the dream - and now by them - to honor and build on what previous generations accomplished for Christ. In the dream, Holy Spirit said He was going to reopen the well of revival fire released in the Azusa Street revival, under the leadership of William Seymour. I have shared some of their reports; here is another report from these ladies: “Friday, October 22, 2021, we arrived at Bonnie Brae House in Los Angeles, CA, at 10:00 A.M. (PST). God had a parking space reserved for us right in front of the house. “Two gentlemen aided us in parking and then gave us the history of the house. One man took our picture in front of the ‘Bonnie Brae House’ sign. “The other man said, in Spanish, that many people come from around the world to pray there--some even pray all day and all night. “Jean was able to talk to the men in Spanish. The house is kept in very good condition. “We prayed at the gate leading up to the steps and on the front porch of the house. We thanked God for those who had gone before us with hearts hungry for more of God. “God answered their prayers for more of Himself, and that answer was the catalyst for the great Azusa Street revival. “May our hearts burn with the same fire to know God in a deeper, higher, more intimate way. May all who go there be touched by the anointing and presence of God. “We then drove the short distance to Azusa Street in Los Angeles, CA, and arrived at 10:30 A.M. (PST). “Once again, God had a parking spot reserved for us. We put money in the parking meter and walked across the street to the historical site. “At the entrance to an alley, situated between buildings, is a marker on a pole which states: ‘Site of the Azusa St. Revival from 1906 to 1931. Cradle of the Worldwide Pentecostal Movement’ “Although now it only appears to be a graffiti-scarred alley, the presence of God is still there. May the anointing of God touch the hearts of all who seek Him. “We declared that the Azusa Street well of revival is, indeed, re-opened and gushing fire and water upon all who will receive it...that God is getting ready to pour out His Spirit in a measure never before seen. “Lord, saturate us anew! Let the fire of God and the water of Holy Spirit flow out from us, igniting fires wherever we go! “God truly went before us, providing for every need of our mission across America on I-40 and to Azusa Street.” It pleases God’s heart when we honor those who have gone before us. He is proud of His kids, past and present. When those of us alive and running redemption’s race today acknowledge that the baton was given to us by faithful brothers and sisters, Abba beams. He demands humility, and He rewards honor by releasing the synergy of the ages. I was mocked a few years ago by ignorant believers for praying at the grave of Charles Finney. I believe the name they used to describe me (and others) was “grave sucker,” their description of what they thought I was attempting: pull up and receive some of Finney’s anointing. Though I did ask God to give us many more evangelists with successful exploits like Finney’s, I did not ask for his mantle or anointing. Nor did I try to converse with him. I did honor his memory, however, just as I do at the graves of family members on occasion. I thanked God for leaders like Finney and Father Nash, his intercessor. I thanked Him for what they accomplished, for the Second Great Awakening they helped fuel, and asked God to do it again. I’ve done the same at the graves of other leaders, and no doubt will again. Honor...it’s a big deal. Someone - not just Christ - paid a huge price for the blessings you enjoy. Be grateful, grab the baton, and run. Pray with me: Thank You, Father, for our brothers and sisters who have gone before us. Thank You for the price they paid, the blood they shed and sacrifices they made. Thank You for the privilege of continuing their great legacy. Thank You for the blessing of being used to fulfill promises You made to them. What a great family You have, Abba! And we thank You for the prophecies, dreams and promises You have given to us. We war with them, just as You instructed Timothy to do. We war with Your promise that You will one day return to lead a glorious church, not a weak and tarnished one (Ephesians 5:27). We war with the promise that this church will be one the gates of hell cannot prevail against (Matthew 16). We war with Your promise that the leaders of earth who take counsel together against Christ and His authority will fail (Psalm 2). We thank You for an engaged prayer army today on the earth. They are conducting many assignments, some similar to these four ladies. Prayer journeys are taking place everywhere: people are walking and praying; driving and praying; old wells of revival are being visited. Honor is being given and faith is being released for another outpouring of the same revival fire. We thank You for this. Continue to stir us, Holy Spirit - You are such a great leader! We pray all of this in Christ’s name, amen. Our decree: We decree that the destiny God spoke to the forefathers of this nation will be accomplished! Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Be His Fire It is important in our lives to periodically do a heart check, making sure we are not working for the Lord, but truly being carriers of His presence. With the daily pressures of what each of us face, we find ourselves being caught up in life and being pushed by it. We must stop the swirling, and pause to hear Him clearly. This isn’t negotiable. We aren’t His workers, we are His children. And our good Father desires to spend time with us, to share His heart, to hear ours, and hang out with his kids. Today our friend Gina Gholston is going to be sharing with us. She begins the post by sharing one of her own experiences when she was spending time with Jesus: “At the beginning of this year, I spent some time alone with God at a cabin in the middle of the woods. I went there just to spend time with Yahweh; I needed to hear from Him. Because I am a minister, my desire was to hear fresh revelation for the year ahead. ‘Where are we, Lord? What do we do now? What are You saying concerning today and the days ahead?’ I asked Him each of these questions everyday. Four days passed, and I heard nothing. However, each day I was met with an unmistakable awareness of His sweet presence in that secluded place. “The day before I was to leave, it snowed and was very cold. I was sitting next to a roaring fire in the fireplace, snuggled up in a blanket while drinking a hot cup of coffee, when I heard that familiar voice responding to my sincere questions. His answer wasn’t what I expected, but it was definitely Him. He said, ‘Rekindle the fire that is to always be burning on My altar and build My house!’ His words were firm and full of passion. “At first, I didn’t understand His response. I soon came to realize He was telling me that the urgency of our time requires an awakened Ekklesia, one built to be a habitation of God and burning with the undeniable and unquenchable fire from His presence. “The move of God we have entered into is requiring more from us than some expected; it’s a movement of Spirit and truth. The Ekklesia must encounter God and be ignited with fresh fire, wisdom, and revelation while moving deeper in their relationship with Jesus. This will produce a demonstration of His exceeding, great power resulting in signs and wonders. “God is powerful and when in His presence, His power can transform us and shine through us in unmistakable ways. God desires to fill us with Holy Spirit, causing us to burn with His fire. His light will then shine brightly through us, enabling us to know Him and make Him known. “Leviticus 6:13 tell us that God instructed the priests who attended the altar of the Tabernacle, to tend the fire so it would never go out. Then in Leviticus 9:24 (NIV) we read: “‘Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.’ “The fire came from God’s presence - He Himself started it. His command to the priests was not just to make sure the fire never went out, but that it burned intensely, because it had come directly from Him, His presence. As the fire came from the presence of the Lord, it consumed the burnt offering. That demonstration captured the people’s attention and the response was one of joy, reverence, and awe of God. All who saw it were impacted. This was a result of the priests fulfilling their assignment in keeping the fire of God burning continuously. “Just as the priests were faithful with the their calling, God is challenging us to do the same. His desire is that we steward well what He has done for us and begun in us. “The degree of fervency released through our daily lives and our churches is determined by the proximity of His presence. He is the fire, and the closer we come to Him, the closer He comes to us. And where He is, there is power and fire that will ignite us. The church began in the fire and demonstration of the presence of God (see Acts chapter 2), and we must never allow that fire to go out. Though at times, it has seemed to dwindle, the wind is blowing, and the fire is beginning to burn again. Get ready because God’s fire in us will capture the attention of those around us.” Gina then begins to prophesy: “I heard the Spirit of the Lord say, ‘The wind is blowing! Hear it and know that I will blow My breath into this nation—resurrection and Pentecost, all rolled up into one unprecedented move of My Spirit. It will be an undeniable, gushing blast of the wind of My Spirit. It will not be a momentary stirring, but it will be a transforming habitation of My fiery glory, even My manifest presence.’ “God has not forgotten the seeds of prophetic promises that He gave the church in the book of Acts. He has not forgotten the seeds of prophetic promises that He has spoken concerning this nation. He has not forgotten the seeds of prophetic promises He has spoken concerning you—and He has not forgotten one word that He spoke through the pioneers and revivalists of days gone by concerning another great awakening! He remembers and He declares, ‘My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips’ (Psalm 89:34, NKJV). Those seeds have been waiting for their moment, and this is that moment. Awakening has begun. The wind is blowing, reigniting the fire, and the knowledge of the glory of God will once again cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habbakuk 2:14). Will you be one of the faithful who carries His Spirit and burns with the fire of His presence?” Gina shares: “I have always been impacted by this amazing quote by Jim Elliot: ‘He makes His ministers a flame of fire. Am I ignitable? God deliver me from the dread asbestos of ‘other things.’ Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that I may be a flame. Make me Thy fuel, flame of God.’(1) “May this be our sincere prayer as we take our place on the timeline of history: ‘Make us Your flame, O God!’ May our generation shout to the next generation regarding the goodness of God - not using words, but with power and demonstration of the undeniable works of the Spirit of God.” Pray with me: Father, take us to a deeper place in You, beyond just the surface benefits and understandings of Your kingdom. Take us to that deep place within You that produces fresh, new fire in us. We must experience this to be all You desire in this time. May we be touched by the fire of Your glory. We ask that Your touch would cause us to abandon our comfort in order to pursue the depths of who You are. Our desire is that we lose ourselves as You consume us with Your fire! May we be those who burn with Your power and manifested presence. Show us Your glory, and mark us with Your fire! And Lord, help us to BE Your fire - to represent You, to be Your ekklesia on the earth. Mark us with your fire and cause us to burn for You, carrying Your likeness, Your authority, and Your healing touch to those who need Your touch today. In Jesus’ name. Amen! Our Decree: We are clothed in the righteous robes of glory-fire, hidden in Christ. It is no longer we who are living, but Christ living in and through us. We WILL be His representatives on the earth. Today’s post was contributed by Gina Gholston and came from her book Awaken the Church to Awaken a Nation. You can find out more about Gina here Click on the link below to watch the full video. ________________________________ https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=Make+me+thy+fuel&commit=Search

Strike the Target While speaking in Indiana a few weeks ago, I was interrupted by a strong presence of the Lord. This was not a sweet presence of the Lord, it was a weighty presence, representing His warrior heart and nature. A fear of the Lord came into the room. I then had a vision of Him staring intensely in another direction. As I looked, I saw a principality that I knew was ruling a significant portion of the earth. Then I heard Christ say, “I am now going to deal with this spirit.” I wrote about this in a previous post. A week and a half ago I was with Chuck Pierce in Tennessee. He, too, had a vision, which I also shared in one of my previous posts. Here is a portion of his word: “All of a sudden I was able to see into the spirit realm and saw a word of knowledge blazed across the heavenly realms over us. It was the word ‘circuit.’ Suddenly, I saw the Lord reach down inside each of us and pull out a circuit. Then, with His hand He began to re-circuit individuals, followed by re-circuiting this region, and finally, re-circuiting our nation. “Through Chuck, the Lord said, ‘I’m going to make My people so in line with My purposes, so thinking the way I’m thinking, they will have no choice but to start walking in a new way…’ For this nation, when He was re-circuiting it, I saw a date come in on that circuit. All of a sudden the computer - which had been turned off when he pulled the circuit out - came back up on October the 18th. Beginning October the 18th, get ready. “The Lord said, ‘You will know, beginning October the 18th, in this nation, that things have come full circle. You will also know that I have pulled the plug on things you’ve been asking me to pull the plug on…’” (Link to that GH15 is here.) October 18, of course, was Monday of this week. I believe God initiated something on that day that will radically shift our nation. He is answering our prayers. On that same day, our friend Gina Gholston had the following dream: “I dreamed I was inside a bowling alley, standing just behind the bowling ball return machine, watching a large ball making its way down the lane toward the pins. The ball carried weight, and I could feel the floor trembling beneath me as it rolled down the lane. “About halfway down the lane, a force came from the left side, trying to push the ball into the gutter on the right. Almost simultaneously, another force came from the right side to keep the ball on track. These two forces were fiercely operating, one trying to push the ball off its course, and the other seeking to keep it on the course. Finally, the ball hit the pins, and made a strike! “There was a large screen over the lanes, spanning the entire width of the building. When the ball hit the pins, I saw a small white light moving on the screen. The light was growing as it moved forward, then burst into many lights spelling the word “STRIKE!” with lights flashing all around it. “Then the word “STRIKE!” went away, and this phrase popped up on the screen: ‘The King-pin has fallen!’ and little bursts of light began falling all around these words, resembling fireworks after they have burst in the sky and begin to fall and fade. “At that time, I noticed two men standing in front of me. There was a strong presence about them, and I remember thinking, ‘these are warring angels.’ They were having a conversation, and I overheard one say to the other, very emphatically, ‘A strike will be made, and the kingpin will fall. It’s time!’ “At that moment on the big screen, the phrase began flashing: ‘America Shall Be Saved.’ Then the words burst into a fireworks display that formed into the American flag.” WOW!!! Here are a few interpretations: The “weighty” bowling ball represents the glory of God. The Hebrew word for glory means heavy or weighty. The concept includes authority. The forces from the left and right represent the powers of darkness trying to stop God’s glory and authority from accomplishing what He wants them to accomplish in our nation, and the prayers of the church attempting to keep things on target. The strike represents successful intercession. The Hebrew word for intercession, paga, among other things means “to strike the target.” It is used this way in Job 36:32: “He covers His hands with the lightning, And commands it to strike the target.” Our intercession is causing the authority and glory of God to move toward the target. It will strike exactly where He intends for it to hit. This is going to cause a kingpin of satan to fall in this nation. I do not know if this is the principality ruling our nation, or a person satan is using, or both. I do know that God has made it clear recently that giants are about to fall. This is that. The statement “America Shall Be Saved” is self-explanatory! I believe these visions and dreams are all referring to the same thing. We have reached a point of breakthrough. God is about to act. This is incredibly encouraging but also instructional. Holy Spirit tells us these things not just so we can rejoice or be encouraged, but also to show us how to pray. We must issue our prayers and decrees, allowing them to “strike the target.” I am sitting in my backyard while writing this post. At the exact moment I was writing the previous sentence, halfway through it, two bald eagles flew directly over me! Not one. TWO! Just now! You may not believe in signs, but I do. Bald eagles are the national emblem of America. I believe Holy Spirit was confirming, even as I write this post, that this is the word of the Lord! I am also reminded of the dream about Red River Meeting House. This dream was about God re-opening wells of revival from that place, Cane Ridge, Azuza street, and Wales. In the dream, 100 bald eagles flew from there to all parts of the nation releasing arrows that released the fire of God. Holy Spirit said in the dream, “My seers are on the move.” There is just no doubt in my mind: these eagles today, when I was writing this, are another confirmation. Principalities are coming down. The plug is being pulled on evil in our nation - we are being re-circuited. The kingpin is being taken out. And America shall be saved! Pray with me: Thank You, Father, for these encouraging words. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for the confirmations. We believe your verdict has been rendered: America shall be saved. The kingpin is being taken out. You are re-circuiting, resetting, and restoring our nation. We also understand that these dreams and visions are not just for encouragement. They are showing us how to pray. So, we pray now that Your weight of glory and authority will strike the mark. We ask You to pull the plug on evil in our land. We ask You to re-circuit our nation, the church, individuals. We ask that principalities ruling America be brought down. Cause them to experience Your wrath. Strike them with Your glory and lightning, just as You did when You expelled them from heaven (Luke 10:18). And as You do this, we ask for a great unveiling to occur in our land, the spirit of revelation being released. Open the eyes of millions, freeing them from deception and darkness. Lord, do this also in the nations of the earth. Cause the light of the gospel to be seen clearly and enlighten the nations of the earth. We ask for this in the name of Christ. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the eagles are on the move, the glory of the Lord will strike the target, and the kingpin has fallen. Click on the link below watch the full video.

We Have A Part to Play The first chapter of Joshua marked a new season in Israel. A divine shift was about to occur; God was changing the time and season (Daniel 2:20-21), just as He is in America. And the chapter holds several insights for us. A short review of some things we’ve said recently would be beneficial. Scripture speaks of general time/s and seasons (chronos). Spiritually speaking (and often naturally, as well), these are the routine, mundane times of plowing ground, sowing and tending seeds, waiting, etc. They would include extended seasons of prayer, standing in faith and persevering. The season could be days, weeks, months, or years, depending on the subject. When faithfully managed and navigated, chronos seasons will eventually result in strategic, opportune times (kairos) of reaping. At this point, we have an opportunity to reap the fruit of our labors. God has changed the time and season. An example of this would be when He told Joshua that in 3 days, after 40 years of waiting, they were crossing into Canaan to possess the land. The fruit isn’t guaranteed at this stage, but the opportunity to reap has arrived. If we persevere in faith and implement the necessary principles, we will arrive at the fullness of time (pleroo). This speaks of a finished process. The money is in the bank, the harvest is in the barn. For Joshua and Israel, the land had been possessed. For our generation, it will mean we’re in full scale revival. We have a part to play in each phase if we are to get to the next. As we said, in the first chapter of Joshua, God changed the season to a kairos. Israel now had the opportunity to possess. In preparation, God gave Joshua several key principles to guide him through this kairos season. In yesterday’s post we talked about Him showing Joshua this would require faith. Another principle God made clear early on was that Israel would have to fight - their inheritance would not just fall in their lap. This would not be like leaving Eqypt. God will always faithfully do what only He can do; however, there will always be actions He requires of us. As we said on a recent post, don’t make the mistake of overemphasizing the sovereignty of God. It is deception to believe God will make certain that we reap, regardless of our involvement. The generation of Israelites who perished in the wilderness is proof that receiving the fulfillment of what God offers is not guaranteed. Joshua 1:2 states: “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.” Moses had gone away by himself, and God took him to heaven without anyone being there to witness it. Yahweh was indeed informing Joshua of this but was also announcing to him, “It’s your time now, Joshua. You can no longer look to the man who mentored you and led the nation. You have been trained and equipped; now you’re the one. Accept the responsibility! Rise up into your place of leadership and lead these people into their inheritance.” Not only was Joshua facing new responsibilities, however, but all of Israel was also. The word “giving” in the above verse is translated from the Hebrew word nathan, which means more than giving in the sense of bestowing something upon another. Nathan also means to give in the sense of an assignment. This is the word used in Psalm115:16: “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth He has given to the sons of men.” In this Psalm, God wasn’t saying He gave ownership of the earth to Adam and Eve, He did not. He was saying He had blessed them with the bounty of earth, but also that He had assigned to them responsibility and authority to manage it. God’s gifts are often His assignments. He was gifting the land to Israel, yes, but He was also assigning them the responsibility of possessing and managing it. Another picture of this can be found in the word “possess.” God told Joshua in verse 11 He was giving them the land to “possess.” This Hebrew word means “legally an heir” but also “military invasion for the purpose of conquering and settling in the land.” “This is your inheritance,” He was saying. “Now go take it.” Still another word in this chapter confirmed this. The word “tread” in verse three - “every place on which the sole of your foot treads I will give to you” - is a warfare word. It means “to march forth; to tread a winepress.” It also means to “bend a bow,” from the concept of treading on it to bend it. From this concept it came to mean “archers” or as one lexicon said, “bow-benders.” It is still the word today in Israel for loading a gun. When the commander is ready to lead his troops into battle he says, “Darak.” God was telling Joshua, “If you are willing to take your weapons and fight, I will give you victory.” These lessons are all true for us today. God has given us this nation to reap and enjoy its amazing bounty. But with that comes an assignment to manage, govern, and protect it. We are responsible to guard it against those who would try and overrule God’s purposes. We must not allow this rebelion to succeed. America is our inheritance - we must yaresh it. We must be willing to use the spiritual weapons of our warfare and take back what God has entrusted to us. The church must not yield to those who would try and abort God’s purposes. He has brought us to an incredible opportunity to repossess this land. God has changed the times and seasons and has brought us to the brink of incredible revival and breakthrough. We must now seize this. This will require darak. Load your weapons, spiritual bow-benders. Fight the good fight of faith. Take the sword of the spirit and the weapon of prayer. God has promised us victory, IF we are willing to fight. Of course, we are talking about spiritual warfare, not hurting people. We love people, but we do not love the spiritual powers of darkness that have invaded this nation, nor do we love what many people are trying to do. There is no contradiction between loving them and not accepting their actions. We are not to be spiritual pacifists. This is a deception satan uses frequently, convincing Christians that “loving” their enemies, or those who oppose the plans of God, is to sit back and allow them to do whatever they want, that God will deal with their plans and actions when He chooses. This is NOT biblical. We are to hate evil (Proverbs 8:13, Psalm 97:10; Romans 12:9; Revelation 2:6); at times we are to announce judgment (Acts 8:20, 13:11; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Timothy 4:14). And we are most certainly to resist the spiritual powers motivating and empowering evil doers. If these things were a contradiction of love, God would be violating His own nature - love - at times! Church, this can be our finest hour. This is our generation’s time to cross over into Canaan and drive out giants. Let’s do this. Pray with me: Father, You are giving us an opportunity to repossess our inheritance. You have changed the time and season, telling us, “It’s time!” We will now do as Joshua and Israel did: go into the land and remove spiritual giants. As your Ekklesia, we will bind and loose, pull down strongholds and free people from the clutches of the enemy. We, Your people in America, will be what You called us to be: a light to the nations, a voice of the gospel of the kingdom to all nations. Teach us what it means to love Your way, loving unbelievers while not accepting their actions. Give us Your hatred of evil AND Your love for the sinner. Your love is unconditional, yet Your judgments are true and righteous altogether (Psalm 19:9). Awaken the church. Give us a backbone of steel and hearts of love. Put Your warrior heart in us, causing us to fight for justice and truth. Give us Caleb hearts that look at a stronghold and say, “Give me my mountain!” Break off of us complacency, apathy, lukewarmness, selfishness, and fear. Free us from distractions and activities that cause us to miss opportunities and/or feel we are too busy to get involved. We ask You in Jesus’ name to do these things. Our decree: Let God arise and his enemies be scattered! Portions of today’s post were taken from my book God’s Timing for Your Life. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Spiraling Upward with Hope The enemy is currently attempting an attack to wear down the saints. The kingdom of darkness wants us to become so overcome with exhaustion and discouragement that we back off. He wants us to be occupied with worry and fear. He also desires for us to be so tired that we won’t pursue what God has put in our hearts. Daniel 7:25 (NASB) tells us, “And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Highest One…” The two words “wear out” is one Hebrew word, bela, which means a “mental or emotional attack”(1) This references attacks against our soul, which is our mind, will, and emotions. The oppression of the soul is a compressed, squeezing feeling, even a feeling of constantly being overwhelmed. The picture in the Hebrew language is that of a snake that wraps itself around its prey and squeezes until there is no longer breath. The enemy’s agenda is to put the squeeze on the saints until we are exhausted. Hell’s plan is to wear us out until we throw up our hands in utter frustration and walk away in a shroud of hopelessness. People are fighting against each other fulfilling the enemy’s strategy. There is a stirring of old pots of social misery and a picking of old wounds. It is darkness fueled by wokeism and liberalism, which is fired by hell. Its result is unrest, despair, fear, and worry. This is a clear tactic of hell in our times. The division, lies, deception, and constant turmoil in our nation is testament to that. A feeling of hopelessness seems to grip our nation. If we are not careful, this can cause us to wonder if things will ever change. The Ekklesia (God’s people) must confront the lies with truth. Sometimes the battles are long, but that doesn’t mean we can’t win them. Jesus said, (John 16:33, NKJV) “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!” There is no doubt that at times we fall prey to deep discouragement, an ancient tactic of hell’s kingdom. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. By placing our eyes on Jesus and giving Him our heavy burdens, life’s journey will be met with much less exhaustion and much more joy. My daughter, Rachel Shafer, shares an important truth in her book, Expect God. She writes: “Several years ago, our youngest daughter Lily had major surgery. It was almost 12 hours long, extremely complicated and included a long recovery time. We were a couple of weeks into this recovery process and trying to adjust to all that was happening, when in a moment of weakness, I said to God, “I feel like my life is spiraling out of control,” to which He replied, “Look up the word spiral.” “The meaning of spiral relates the advancement to higher levels through a series of circular movements. I was very intrigued by this definition. When I made the statement that I felt my life was spiraling out of control, I was thinking of spiraling downward, but that’s not what it actually means. I began to study more and came across this quote by Frances E. Willard: ‘This seems to be the law of progress in everything we do; it moves along a spiral rather than perpendicular; we seem to be actually going out of the way, and yet it turns out that we were really moving upward all the time.’ “When I read this quote, the words leapt off the page! At times I may feel life is crazy, out of control, and going in the wrong directions, but His Word tells us that He works ALL for our good (Romans 8:28). All means all! “I realized that by looking upwards and keeping my gaze on Him, I was also moving up. I was going to higher levels in my walk with Him. I was accessing greater trust, deeper faith, and had an expectant heart that He was going to fulfill His promises. “So while I felt I was in a downward spiral, after studying the Word, my perspective changed. I realized that yes, I was spiraling, but I was spiraling to higher levels. I was looking up and moving up. I was learning to press into the waiting. God met me in my darkest pain and taught me to hope again. God can take even the bad things and, in the proper season, turn them around and use them for good in the way He intends.”(2) God desires for us not to live in an atmosphere of weariness and frustration, but instead, an atmosphere of hope. We need to confront the appalling, dark atmosphere by binding it in the name of Jesus (Mark 3:27). We must refuse to live under a cloud of confusion, fear, hopelessness, and despair. We are not to be distracted, but wholly fix our eyes upon Jesus. His eyes are like flames of fire (Revelation 1:14). He is offering us an invitation to encounter Him in deeper ways - more than we ever have. We are being invited into the deepest parts of His heart, His ways, and His plans for us. He desires for His kingdom and government to be established on the earth like never before. Holy Spirit has not been preparing us to lose. Like Daniel, we must pray until Holy Spirit comes with angel armies and begins to dethrone princes (Daniel 10:10-21). We decree that the time of our confinement is up. It’s time for breakthrough and for King Jesus and His everlasting Kingdom to see the powers of darkness bow to Him. We are people who refuse to have our hearts dampened by the world’s darkness. We can live in a life of God’s overcoming victory because hope from above has been provided for us. Victory after victory is our right and there is no need to live below that privilege. We need to show the world there exists an Ekklesia that lives in a different realm. One that looks at the tactics of hell, the world, oppressive governments, and darkness, but chooses to say, “None of that moves us.” I want to encourage you with this thought, “You can win. Your life and your future will turn for good.” It’s time to go on the offense, use your authority and press into the presence of God. God’s presence is greater than the attack of our adversary. Your tomorrows are going to be better than your yesterdays. Your future will be far better than your past. The God you served yesterday is still God today, and He’s God of tomorrow. Pray with me: Lord, we love You and give thanks for the strength You’ve given us. Together, we come against the oppressive attack of hell that is directed at us and our nation. We come against darkness and discouragement that have dared to oppress to wear out Your saints. Greater One, we ask that You rise up within Your Ekklesia today. We exercise and release the authority of Your kingdom into the atmosphere. Let great liberty and freedom come in Jesus Name. In You we live, move, and have our being. No weapon or oppression formed against us will prosper. We tap into a different realm, heaven’s realm and put the enemy under our feet. Lord, we thank You that the enemy does not have any authority over us. Lord Jesus, we thank You that with the tools You have given us, we can forbid the adversary’s dark tactics to affect our souls. We choose to live in the atmosphere of Your kingdom - the place where there is peace, hope, joy, faith, confidence, and love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Our decree: My life is not spiraling out of control. I’m spiraling upward into God’s presence, connected with Him. Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim Sheets and Tim’s daughter Rachel Shafer. You can learn more about Tim Sheets at www.timsheets.org You can learn more about Rachel Shafer at www.rachelshafer.com Click on the link below to watch the full video. _____________________________ 1. Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, ref. no. 1080. 2. Rachel Shafer, Expect God (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 2019), p. 85-86.

It’s Time to Think Differently I have been speaking much recently on changing the way we think. I’ve probably mentioned it 8-10 times in messages over the past few months. Obviously, different seasons require different ways of thinking. Not conforming to this principle can be costly. In a cold season, one dresses differently than in a warm season. On vacation, hopefully, one thinks differently than while at work. In harvest season one thinks differently than in the planting season. Seasons change, and so must we. John the Baptist was called a forerunner, because he “ran before” Christ, preparing the way for His coming (Isaiah 40:1-5; Luke 3:1-6). One of the ways in which he prepared the people for Christ’s entrance was by telling them to change their thinking. The actual meaning of the word “repent,” one of John’s main commands, is “to think differently” (metanoeo). It does not actually mean “to go a different direction” as most people think. Going a different direction (epistrepho) is the end result of repentance. When we receive a revelation or enlightenment - a new way of thinking - from Holy Spirit, we can turn and go His way. We can do what He says to do, and we can do it in the way He says to do it. Sure enough, when Jesus appeared on the scene He started doing things differently. He taught differently. He corrected wrong doctrine and theology. He denounced the evolved religious traditions in Judaism that were not in line with scripture or God‘s heart. He worked miracles of healing. He overrode the laws of nature with His faith, authority, and power. He cast out demons. Those who followed Him had to think differently. No revival in past history has looked like the previous revival. This is due to several factors: Holy Spirit is building on what He did in the previous revival; therefore, He is obviously doing different things; He is doing it in a different time, therefore a different culture; and more. This is why He tells us to keep ourselves flexible, comparing us to a wineskin. What might He do differently in the coming outpouring of the Holy Spirit? We will see the full expression of Christ’s five ministry-gift anointings: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. We will see how He intended for them to work together, multiplying power and effectiveness. We will see how this mixes with the new level of worship Holy Spirit has produced in the body of Christ in the last 20 to 30 years. We will see the dramatic impact of 21st century technology on revival. We will see how all of this enables the church to disciple individuals and nations more effectively. This brings me to my final statement regarding what we might see: we will not only see Christ’s commission of Mark 16:15-18 fulfilled, we will also see that of Matthew 28:18-20 fulfilled. The Mark 16 passage is about revival or awakening. It speaks of preaching the gospel and getting people saved, baptized, filled with the spirit, delivered, and healed. The Matthew 28 passage is about reformation. It speaks of discipling or reforming nations, teaching them God’s ways, principles, and commandments. It is teaching people - entire nations - to live by the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven. Seeing these two activities of the Kingdom working in tandem will be something to behold. Much of the fruit produced by the charismatic movement and Jesus people movement of the late 60s, 70s, and early 80s was lost over the next decade or two. This is because the movement was about Mark 16 only - getting people saved - but neglected the discipling of nations, Matthew 28. While the church did Mark 16, humanists, secularists and atheists did Matthew 28, discipling our nation to their “doctrines” and beliefs. They did so through government, education, media, entertainment, and other systems - all while the church was content to leave those areas alone and practice our religion. This flawed paradigm of the church is how you have one of the greatest outpourings of Holy Spirit in history and yet, when that era of history is over, have lost ground. This will not happen in the coming move of Holy Spirit. We will think differently and do both commissions. This will be a game changer. I was with my friend, Chuck Pierce, in Tennessee last weekend. During the worship he had a vision about God re-circuiting the church and nation, which would obviously involve thinking differently. Here are a few definitions of circuit before sharing the vision: “a circular journey; the complete path of an electric current; a means of transmitting communication signals or messages.” Chuck said, “All of a sudden, I saw a word of knowledge blazed across the heavenly realms over us. It was the word “circuit.” Suddenly, I saw the Lord reach down inside of us and pull out a circuit. Then, with His hand He began to re-circuit individuals, followed by re-circuiting this region and, finally, re-circuiting our nation.” Chuck continued, “You know what happens when you really ‘kill’ a computer - that’s the easiest way to say it. You see, a computer stores all sorts of trash within it, and just turning it off and back on doesn’t get rid of the trash and garbage that has been stored in various parts of it. You have to go in and ‘kill’ that circuit, then bring it back up again” He then prophesied, “The Lord says, ‘I’m going to make My people so in line with My purposes, so thinking the way I’m thinking, they will have no choice but to start walking in a new way.’” Elaborating, he said, “In this vision the word ‘circuit,’ I believe, means a line, a message, a current that’s gone out. It went out, then it came full circle back in. For this nation, as He was re-circuiting it, I saw a date that came in on His circuit, and all of a sudden the computer popped back up on October the 18th. Beginning October the 18th, get ready. “The Lord said, ‘You will know, beginning October the 18th, in this nation, that things have come full circle. You will also know that I have pulled the plug on [‘killing’] things you’ve been asking me to pull the plug on. “‘I say, when I pull these plugs - I’ll do it one by one - the messages that have gone out in the past, will not be the same messages I allow to go out in the future. “‘Know this, My circuit is going out from the heavens and as My voice goes out on that circuit, I say to you, it will NOT return void. What begins tonight, in Tennessee, will cause a nation to be circuited again with My message.’” Chuck told me later that what he felt Holy Spirit was saying about “pulling the plug” and re-circuiting the nation was in reference to what has been happening in our nation since late 2019, that a confrontation is coming. Just as we are now seeing resistance, such as walkouts, etc. when inappropriate things are said and done in our nation, these things will continue to be confronted one by one. The layers of lies and confusion that have covered us in our nation are going to come off, one by one. This means the church will think differently...and the nation will begin to think differently. Get ready for this shift! Pray with me: Father, thank You for this encouraging word. You are re-circuiting the church and this nation. We are saying “yes” to this. We want to be in sync with You, both in our actions and our thoughts. We repent - we change our thinking and will move with You! We are moving from the forerunning stage to fulfillment, from preparation to performance. Re-circuit us and re-circuit our nation. Pull the plug on evil circuitry. Pull the plug on lies, deception, evil strategies and plans, and on everything that has been launched by people to destroy Your plan for America. Bring every plan down violently - kill it. We are well aware that in this coming revival, some who now oppose You will fall in love with You. THEY will be re-circuited. Do it! We will rejoice over their salvation. And whatever You have planned for October 18, do it! We’re all in! Our decree: We decree that each of us, and our nation, ARE being re-circuited! Click on the link below to watch the full video.