Shed the Shell On Monday we talked about allowing Holy Spirit to reignite us, preparing us for the “new” that is coming. In the New Testament, two Greek words are translated “new,” and have different meanings. Understanding the difference is important. The word neos means numerically new, but not qualitatively different. For instance, if you buy a new car of a certain make and model, and like it so much you buy another one for your spouse, that would be neos. It’s new, but not different. I’ll give you a reference in a moment. The other Greek word for “new” is kainos, which also means numerically new, but includes qualitatively new, as well. For example, a new car manufactured today is obviously quite different from a new Model T in its day. Today’s version would be not only numerically new, but also qualitatively new (kainos). Distinguishing the difference between these two words—neos and kainos—is very important to our proper understanding of Scripture. For example, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says we are new (kainos) creations. We’re not just duplications or replicas of the former, which would be neos. We’re new in the sense of being different—kainos - qualitatively new. When we’re born again, God transforms us, gives us a different nature, and fills us with His Spirit. We’re not just forgiven, the same sinful people with a few changes; we are kainos, completely new on the inside. A very important passage in which these distinctions are significant is Matthew 9:17. Jesus used both Greek words in one statement when He referred to the importance of putting “new wine” into “new wineskins.” His choice of words was that new (neos - numerically new) wine had to be put into new (kainos - qualitatively new) wineskins. Wineskins, made of leather, become dry and hard between uses. Before being used again, they have to be soaked in water, then rubbed with oil to soften them. If this does not occur, the fermentation process expands the skin and it breaks. The application for us is that we must allow the water of the Word and oil of Holy Spirit to prepare us for new seasons of wine. The neos wine Jesus spoke of is another outpouring of Holy Spirit. He, the wine, won’t change. Holy Spirit can’t change - no improvement is possible or necessary. He simply pours more of Himself into us. However, we, the wineskin must change, progressively transformed (kainos) from glory to glory and faith to faith. In order to have another measure of Holy Spirit poured into us, we are renewed, changed, metamorphosed. If we do not allow and cooperate with this change, we won’t be able to contain the new wine He pours out in subsequent revivals. But if we do embrace the change in our lives, He can pour neos wine into our kainos wineskins. God has done an enormous amount of work in the church the past few years, preparing us for another move of His Spirit (more wine). Some of the change we all experience is obviously character related. We are consistently being transformed into the image of Christ (2 Corinthiand 3:18). Other changes, however, are in our thinking - both theologically and practically. Many in the church have gone through theological adjustments over the past few years regarding the 5-Fold ministry gifts of Ephesians 4:11, the meaning and calling of the church (ekklesia), understanding marketplace ministry (which we discussed yesterday), maturing in prayer and more. And yet, we must be willing to change more than just our theology. Our wineskins must become flexible in a practical sense. We all become comfortable with certain ways, methods, customs, traditions, etc. This is true in every area of life, both naturally and spiritually. Cultural “norms” are present in homes, businesses, age groups, society as a whole and, yes, churches. This isn’t wrong; it is normal. However, just as businesses must adapt to new products and tastes, innovating to succeed in a new season, we in the church must also. When Holy Spirit is poured out in a new season, He is ministering to a new generation with new tastes and styles, that experiences new and different problems, and that processes everything through a new set of paradigms. When Holy Spirit is poured out on this generation, He is wise enough to know what they need and how they need it delivered to them. The key for us is twofold: remain flexible enough to adapt our methods; and follow Holy Spirit’s guidance in doing so without compromising the message - innovate without ignoring or violating truth. Truth is sacred and unchanging; methods and preferences are not. “From time to time, lobsters have to shed their shells in order to grow. They need the shell to protect them from being torn apart; yet when they grow, the old shell must be abandoned - it can’t grow. If they did not abandon it, the old shell would soon become their prison and, finally, their casket. The precarious time for the lobster is the brief period between the discarding of the old shell and the forming of the new. During that terribly vulnerable period, the transition must be scary to the lobster. Ocean currents gleefully cartwheel them from coral to kelp. Hungry schools of fish are ready to make them a part of their food chain. For a while at least, that old shell must look pretty good. We are not so different from lobsters. To change and grow, we must sometimes shed our shells—a structure, a framework—that we’ve depended on.”(1) Becoming a new wineskin means shedding the old in order to embrace the new. It’s uncomfortable, but necessary. It’s worth pointing out that the two Greek words for “new” - neos and kainos - are also used to describe “renewal.” By adding the prefix ana to them, which is equivalent to the English prefix “re,” we have two different concepts of renewal. Ananeoo is being renewed to what we previously were or possessed; God restores to us something we once walked in. What He restores isn’t qualitatively new or different, yet there is renewal or refreshing. Perhaps He restores to us our joy, health, first love, or a state of faith we previously walked in. The other word, anakainoo, means that the renewal process has changed us. God has brought to us another stage of maturity; we are different. This type of renewal transforms us from glory to glory, into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). When finished, we are more mature, more knowledgable, more like Him. This is the word for renewing the mind (Romans 12:2), the way we think, enabling us to operate more in the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). God is doing new things on the earth, both in the sense of neos and kainos. He’s beginning to pour another round of wine, another rain of Holy Spirit. To prepare for this, He’s also making radical changes in the church. Ready yourself to receive these changes by being a kainos wineskin. Shed the shell! Pray with me: Father, we position ourselves before You, asking for the ability to change in whatever ways necessary to receive the new wine of Holy Spirit. We want to experience the ongoing transformation into the image of Christ, from glory to glory. We are expecting new wine and we intend to be new vessels. Show us any areas of our lives needing change or adjustment. Show us any way of thinking that would keep us from receiving the new wine. And grow us in our understanding of Your word and ways so that we can be used to reveal Christ as never before. You speak of the church coming to a place where we reveal the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). We want this! So transform us. Transform our minds. Move us into a greater understanding of You, which will release greater authority and power. Move us into a new expression of Your gifts and will in the earth. You said we would do the same works Christ did and greater works. We release our faith for this now. In His wonderful name we ask, amen. Our decree: We decree that we are becoming new, in order to receive the new! 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. _______________________________- Edward K. Rowell, Fersh Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Christianity Today, 1997), p 43.

An Oppressive and Inept Government Vaccine Mandates Are Violating Americans’ Personal Rights Up until this point, I’ve not said anything on GH15 about covid or the vaccines. But it is now time I did so. Never before in the history of America has our government forced us to comply with a mandate or not be allowed to work, attend school, travel, engage in entertainment, or eat in restaurants. Various state governors, legislators, and mayors, had already required masks to participate in public activities. Unsurprisingly, we have seen much pushback against those mandates, including lawsuits. Now Biden has gone farther and mandated COVID vaccinations for large groups of Americans. Many people, conservative and liberal alike, are expressing their disdain for these mandates. On September 9, Joe Biden announced his administration’s “Path Out of the Pandemic” Executive Order. In an outstanding article that addresses this, Intercessors for America (IFA) states: “The mandate has become reality. The federal vaccine mandate we were told would never be issued has actually just happened. The Biden Administration issued an Executive Order mandating the vaccination of virtually most of the nation, interfering in our private lives and intruding in private businesses. This mandate is a power grab of freedom. It is chilling how deep into our lives the federal government has burrowed. Just as shocking, a large portion of our nation is willingly giving up freedom for the promise of safety or convenience. Why force Americans to get this shot that is causing adverse affects and is not as effective as natural immunity after recovering from Covid? Let’s break down what has just happened. “What was in the Executive Order? Three actions are the bottom line mandating forced vaccines: All government employees MUST be vaccinated in 75 days with no option to test out. Religious exemptions are purportedly still in effect, however, in New York all religious exemptions have been removed as an option. All people who work with the federal government IN ANY WAY must be vaccinated. That means government contractors, those who service Medicare or Medicaid patients, those who receive any federal funding or touch the federal government in any way are mandated to be vaccinated. Companies with 100 or more employees must force employees to take the shot for a totally vaccinated workforce. “These mandates are said to affect about 100 million Americans. Ironically, Americans are being forced to take the shot but border crossers and refugees are not mandated. Members of Congress, their staff, and those who work for the federal court system are also not mandated. “‘We’ve been patient. But our patience is wearing thin…’ Those chilling words spoken by Biden at the White House press conference were an ominous threat of action against the freedom to choose to receive the Covid shot. “Can they do that? Many legal experts are debating the constitutional ability of the President’s office to issue an Executive Order mandating a medical procedure for every American. Some say that even if vaccines can be mandated, only the states could possibly do so. The sweeping new mandate has triggered a flurry of activity in law firms and state houses across the nation as lawyers are hustling to push back on this edict from the administration and protect freedom. There are several Christian legal organizations that are dedicated to protecting our constitutional rights. Liberty Counsel is one such group.” (The entire IFA special report entitled Mandating Government Control can be found by going to their website IFApray.org or by clicking here.)(1) Intercessors for America’s Camille Solberg, IFA Governmental Affairs Director, wrote an excellent article on September 18th discussing these mandates, in which she says: “The bottom line is this: will we be coerced into action or choose based on informed and freely derived consent? Today vital and needed healthcare professionals are being walked out the door and terminated from hospitals and clinics based solely on the fact that they refuse to receive a vaccine! As a result, there are reports of new rationing of healthcare services...Unconstitutional restrictions imposed on travel, gathering in churches, eating in restaurants without a vaccine passport, masks, and other mandates have generated an unprecedented number of confrontations and lawsuits. Liberty Counsel has been inundated with health care and other professionals seeking religious exemptions from the Covid-19 vaccine mandate. The same individuals who saved and risked their lives for over a year in hospitals serving those with Covid are now being forced to leave their roles if they refuse the vaccine. “In a big answer to our prayers, this week a New York Court granted health care workers relief against the vaccine mandate. Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, ‘This is a great victory for all healthcare workers in New York who have sincerely held religious objections to the COVID shots…”(2) On September 17th, The Epoch Times’ Kash Patel discussed a Trafalgar Group Survey done for The Convention of States. (The Trafalgar Group is a nonpartisan and well-respected political survey organization.) The poll showed “72% of Americans reject vaccine mandates in favor of personal choice.” Conservatives are the most likely to believe vaccines should not be mandated by government, however, even 59% of people identifying themselves as liberals agree. Kash says this does not mean most people are “anti-vaxers.” Many, like himself, may believe the vaccines are helpful, but still feel individuals should have the right to decide if they are right for themselves or their family members.(3) The Fiasco on the Southern Border Beginning around the 10th of September, a huge influx of migrants began to pour through the southern border at Del Rio, Texas. According to the Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition, the migrants are from Haiti, Venezuela, and Cuba. By Friday, September 17th, while Biden enjoyed his beach vacation, the number of individuals gathering under the international bridge at Del Rio increased from about 2,000 to over 15,000. This huge number of people finally prompted the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to close the international bridge there. “‘This is as bad as I’ve ever seen it. There is no southern border. It’s pure chaos,’ said U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, walking near the Rio Grande where the Border Patrol is containing the migrants prior to processing.”(4) This despicable situation caused by Biden and his administration is a true humanitarian crisis. By Sunday, there were up to 15,000 migrants trying to live under the bridge. Local law enforcement and humanitarian groups are overwhelmed, not equipped to manage this many people coming all at once. Over 400 Border Patrol agents have been sent there adding to the more than 1000 state troopers and National Guardsmen sent in by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Last Thursday, Governor Abbott took action when the federal government did not. In a news article by CNN He said, "The sheer negligence of the Biden Administration to do their job and secure the border is appalling. I have directed the Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to surge personnel and vehicles to shut down six points of entry along the southern border to stop these caravans from overrunning our state.”(5) He continues, "The border crisis is so dire that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is requesting our help as their agents are overwhelmed by the chaos. Unlike President Biden, the State of Texas remains committed to securing our border and protecting Americans."(6) The federal government did finally gather about 3,300 migrants from Haiti and return them back to their country on Sunday. They have plans to process about 3,000 more. But the New York Times reported Monday morning the Haiti government is asking the U.S. to please stop the deportation as they have no ability to care for all these people either.(7) One wonders if the MILLIONS of dollars our government spends DAILY on this problem might have been better spent helping the people in their country of Haiti, rather than in a tent camp on our southern border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently released data showing that federal officials so far this year have ‘encountered’ or apprehended 1.74 million unauthorized migrants in the United States so far this fiscal year.”(8) Pray with me: Father, it is painful to watch those who want to fundamentally transform America into a weak, globalist nation. The hypocrisy, lies, manipulation, lust for power and ungodly plans of so many in our government are beyond disgusting - they are evil. We weep as we watch the dismantling and disintegration of our nation. It is all because we rejected You and invited those who dishonor You and Your ways to rule us. We are now reaping the whirlwind. (see Hosea 8:7) But we still believe it works. Appealing to You, from hearts of humility and repentance, still works. We still believe Your mercy triumphs over judgment, that Your mercies endure forever. We believe Your heart is to redeem, not judge. And that when You find someone to stand in the gap You do not have to release the judgment deserved. (Ezekiel 22:30-31) Here we are. And we are asking for grace and mercy, not on the merits of our actions, but only on the merits of the blood of Your son, Jesus, the Savior of the world. We know You delight to honor His sacrifice. We know His blood on the mercy seat satisfies Your justice and releases Your love. For the sake of that love, for the sake of our destiny to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, for the sake of billions of people around the world, forgive and heal our land. We also pray for Governor Abbott, that You would give him wisdom from above as he navigates these unprecedented times. Protect our customs and patrol agents. Watch over the children and so many innocent ones (continue to pray as you are led). In Jesus’ name, amen. Our decree: Nothing but the blood of Jesus! “For my pardon, this I see, Nothing but the blood of Jesus, For my cleansing this my plea, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. “Oh precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”(9) Click on the link below to watch the full video. _____________________________________________ If you are a member of the clergy, Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish, here are some vaccine exemption sample letters. For additional questions, or to inquire whether Liberty Counsel can assist you further if your employer or institution rejects your request for an exemption, please contact them at www.lc.org/legal-help, via email at Liberty@lc.org; or via telephone at 407-875-1776. ______________________________ https://ifapray.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Mandating-Government-Control-SR.pdf https://ifapray.org/blog/are-new-pandemic-policies-eroding-the-bill-of-rights/ https://m.theepochtimes.com/kashs-corner-full-covid-19-origins-ica-report-and-intelligence-should-be-declassified_4003509.html?utm_source=News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=breaking-2021-09-18-3&est=QaJs9Dl4zqaKAYcpqpOVnc0NHoI8o27BjxhNIbB89OuJAEU82aYH4bOHQIkFJaZqcg3%2BnQ%3D%3D https://www.borderreport.com/hot-topics/immigration/8000-migrants-await-processing-under-international-bridge-in-del-rio-texas/ https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/06/politics/us-mexico-border-biden/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/16/politics/greg-abbott-six-points-of-entry-shut-down-mexico-border/index.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/19/world/americas/us-haitian-deportation.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20210920&instance_id=40834&nl=the-morning®i_id=110018759&segment_id=69388&te=1&user_id=5ff5a7a988b97d9ad0b6993a85501ce3 https://www.borderreport.com/hot-topics/immigration/8000-migrants-await-processing-under-international-bridge-in-del-rio-texas/ https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Nothing_but_the_Blood/

The Showdown I like to sprinkle in encouraging prophetic words and encounters on the GH15 posts. When I do so, please allow them to do more than just encourage you, however. Use them! Holy Spirit releases these words and promises so we can pray and decree them. Also, as we do, strategies are birthed in our hearts and minds. The following word is from my brother, Tim Sheets, and is very powerful. “Holy Spirit gave me a vision on August 11, 2021, four days before the impending collapse of Afghanistan started being revealed to the world. On that day, I suddenly became very alert in my spirit and had the feeling I was missing something. I pondered this prayerfully and asked Holy Spirit to reveal to me what it was. After a few moments, I began hearing from Holy Spirit, ‘It’s time for the showdown.’ “I knew Holy Spirit was referencing Elijah’s showdown with the 450 prophets of Baal and the wicked government of Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kings 18). An altar was built with a sacrifice placed upon it and the deity who answered by fire - Yahweh or Baal - would be proven as the true God. What a showdown! “The prophets of Baal started the contest pleading with their god all day to answer by fire. They danced, cut themselves to offer blood sacrifices, and begged. No fire was released. “Then came Elijah’s turn. First, he repaired the altar and, just to make a point, filled the trench around the altar with water. Then he prayed, ‘Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so that these people may know that You, Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back,’ (1 Kings 18:36-37). When he prayed, fire came from heaven and consumed not only the sacrifice, but also the water, dirt, and altar made of rocks! “Yahweh was declared the only God and the prophets of Baal were killed. Though it was not immediate, the destruction of Ahab’s (and Jezebel’s) wicked government was set in motion. A new government eventually came into the land, as Ahab and Jezebel lost their lives. “Holy Spirit reminded me of 1 Kings 16:33 (MSG), ‘Ahab made God angrier than all the previous kings put together.’ We see from this scripture God was paying attention. Ahab and Jezebel’s evil government was declared the worst in the nation’s history. The Message Bible calls them ‘Champions of evil.’ The mocking of God, persecution of His people, abuse of power, and breaking of His covenants made Him angry. “In the analogy Holy Spirit began giving me, Elijah pictures the apostolic and prophetic in our times. At one point in the struggle, God told him He had preserved 7,000 people that hadn’t bowed to Baal, declaring that Yahweh was their God. These faithful ones picture millions in today’s Ekklesia who will not bow to wicked governments or fake gods. They confess that there’s only one King - Jesus. “As I prayed into this, I began to see other similarities to today: the current showdown is about government changing and God returning to His rightful position. It’s also about the apostolic, the prophetic, and the King’s Ekklesia engaging to bring that to pass. Holy Spirit is anointing His Ekklesia with favor and people from across the nation will follow them in re-establishing God’s rightful place in the land. “I saw a consuming fire falling in answer to our prayers. Ahab and Jezebel-type governments are going to experience the fire of God. “Then God showed me a vast army of angel warriors I hadn’t seen before. [Because of his calling and assignments, God often allows Tim to see angels. His book on angels is THE best.] They appeared in long lines, arrayed for battle, wearing shiny breastplates and holding golden bows with bronze arrows. Their countenance was stern and fierce, determined and confident - their eyes were fixed in a stare that could look right through you. The lines of angels stretched as far as I could see in all directions. “At this point, the vision became more like a visitation. I told the Lord I had never seen these angels and He said, ‘They’ve rarely been seen on the earth, but I’m now releasing them in great numbers, in all the nations.’ “I asked the Lord what these particular angels do and He answered, ‘They guard My glory and honor. They are coming to defend My honor, and prepare the way for My Ekklesia to expand My Kingdom. Those who honor Me, I will honor. They will rise in governing authority to reign with Me. I will increase My Kingdom favor to them and My glory will rise upon them. Words of wisdom, words of knowledge, prophetic unction, My supernatural faith, spiritual discernment, healings, and miracles will increase through My joint-heirs. These angels will assist them in protecting My honor and glory on the earth, and in bringing Me the honor My Father promised Me from the nations. “‘You will now see the strong arm of the Lord. The aggression of heaven’s warriors will move on My behalf. You will experience the presence of My glory that advances My might to protect, save and strengthen. For I declare My people will now rise in My mightiness and strength. My power will be seen, My wind will be felt. You will feel the “breath wind” of Holy Spirit, the “breath wind” of My Kingdom. “‘My passion will now infuse My remnant with passion for My cause. I am calling forth My passionate warriors. They will stand and not be shaken. They will display a hope, a confidence, and a faith that does not shake. Passionate warriors of valor are mustering to their battle stations. They have heard My call, along with My angel armies, and are rising in the darkness to push against hell until it literally quakes under My power. “‘It is the season for demons to tremble, not My heirs. Arise and shine in My greatest glory hour. Arise and stand strong in the perilous time. Arise and challenge - with My authority - the abominations of the forever loser. Arise, and with My mightiness reinforcing you, destroy defilement. Dominate defilement and dominate evil. Hear My word, hear My prophetic word, listen to the message I’ve sent in resounding waves. Hear the prophetic assignments I’ve given that are now intersecting their moment. “‘Arise with Me to reign, says the Lord, for I am rising in this world as never before. I will not be an indifferent bystander. I will rise and thunder against iniquitous roots that mock Me, torching them. I will rise against sin and its destruction. I will rise against idolatry, shaking and removing it. I will rise against governments that disdain My words. I will not close My eyes but will look, see, and judge in fairness. I will not stand down. I won’t relent. I will torch evil. I will not be mocked and I will not be stopped. “‘My Kingdom’s army will now rise to march with confident valor. Prepared, armed, and backed by My wisdom, might, and resources. They will shift into covenant promises and inherit new territories. They won’t be stymied or stopped. For I will shake down that which blocks, freeing them. My Kingdom will NOT be shaken. Arise, pursue and recover all. For I have promised and I will keep My word. In the midst of turmoil, shakings, and perilous times, My grace will abound. My Kingdom will abound and will win this showdown, says the Lord.’ “In this time of shaking, good is happening. I was impacted by Yahweh’s interesting phrase, ‘breath wind.’ It’s time for the ‘breath wind’ of Holy Spirit to come to you. If you are feeling disjointed or perhaps broken, He knows how to put you back together, how to put you on your feet and make you a strong warrior again. A ‘breath wind’ is blowing all across the nations to revive.” Pray with me: “Father, we pray that Your fresh wind would come on Your Ekklesia around the world. Send revival winds, causing us to live again, to fight again. Make us strong, mighty warriors for Your Kingdom. We will stand - fierce, determined, and confident in the authority of our King Jesus. “We ask for the ‘breath wind.’ Come and breathe into Your people. Breathe life, anointing, and courage into them. Lord, give supernatural strength to rise up, overcome and dominate. We declare that the wind of the Holy Ghost will dominate our adversaries, the forces of hell that come against us. ‘Breath wind,’ come! Come to the boneyard, the graveyards. Breathe life into them. And activate a massive angel force to defend the glory and honor of our King. We ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.” Our decree: “There is a shift occurring and a fresh wind of Holy Spirit is beginning to forcefully blow. Wind of God, come, in Jesus’ name!” Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim Sheets. You can learn more about Tim here. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Stay The Course In this unsettling time, it is imperative that we stay the course. We are on a holy mission and we must not be distracted by the chaos. We are writing our history and diligence is required to ensure it is the history Holy Spirit wants. We’re an “Esther” people, called for this time. If we persevere, Haman will fail. Our friend and prophet Gina Gholston, received a strong word regarding staying the course. “On February 2, 2020, during a Sunday morning gathering, we experienced a powerful moment as the Spirit of God hovered heavily in our midst. After several moments of standing reverently in the presence of the Lord, the Senior Leader Randy Lopshire looked at me and said, ‘Do you have something to say?’ I did, but there was such awe and fear of the Lord present in the room, I wasn’t sure I should say anything. Then I felt the strong urging of Holy Spirit prompting me to release what I had seen and heard. God had something to reveal concerning the time we were about to enter as a people and nation. “So, I reluctantly left my seat and made my way onto the platform. I took the microphone and, while literally trembling, said, ‘I feel this word has to do with our nation, as well as for us individually. I hear the Lord saying: “In the days ahead, I’m going to remove the covering where evil has been hiding. Up from that will rise a stench. But I say to My church, stay the course, for I am giving beauty for the ashes. This is MY time. I will come, and I will make things right again, but you must stay the course.’” This word had come after I had seen a vision during the beginning of the gathering. “In the vision, I saw a fighter pilot in his jet and he had his helmet on. From directly ahead, a missile was flying toward him. He could see it and everything in him wanted to abort his path. But through the radio in his helmet, a voice was saying, ‘Don’t abort. Don’t you dare abort!’ “Suddenly, I saw the missile hit an invisible force that had been set into place. It wasn’t a physical structure, but more like some type of movement that the missile couldn’t penetrate. When the missile hit this movement, there was an explosion in front of the pilot. He would now have to fly through the debris. And the voice spoke again, saying, ‘Don’t abort. Don’t abort!’ “I continued to release more of the word of the Lord I was hearing: ‘What is coming in the days ahead, will cause a great temptation to abort the mission. But the Lord says, believe the love I have for you. My love will carry you through unscathed if you STAY THE COURSE. The danger is when you get off the course, says the Lord. My peace is on the course. My mercy is on the course. My grace is on the course. Do not focus on what you see in front of you in these days. “I cried out, ‘Near . . . NEAR!’ (I was declaring that this was not something way out in the future. This was something right in front of us.) “‘Stay the course! Don’t look at what you see. Some of you—in your own lives— it will seem that things explode in front of you, and everything inside of you will be saying, ‘Run away! Abort! It’s not worth it!’ But God says, ‘Press through because just on the other side, you will find the large place that I AM making for My Body to rise up into with My authority and My power to make things right again.’ “In this vision, the movement the missile hit wasn’t a sudden reaction from God to the devil’s plans. He was showing us His movement had already been set in place, and the attempt of evil to stop what God had already begun would be obliterated as it encountered His move. There would be an explosion. God was saying to us, ‘Don’t get focused on what the enemy launches in the days ahead. To focus on that will bring you to the point of veering off the course I have set for you. Focus on Me. Hear My voice. Stay the course! When it seems that you can’t see your way forward, and it seems that the attempts of hell have prevailed, do not focus on that. Don’t abort! Submit your mind, body, and spirit to My peace, and you will emerge as My Glory carriers, and I will bring things back into alignment with My original intentions.’ “Notice the words He spoke that morning to the church: ‘Believe the love I have for you. My love will carry you through unscathed.’ Believing the love God has for us was the basis of this vision and revelation. His love is the ‘jet’ that will encompass us and carry us through to the other side of the unfolding chaos. To believe the love He has for us is to fully trust Him as Father and Almighty. “Yes, God was showing that an explosion was coming, but He was emphasizing something more; He was revealing that on the other side of the explosion there is a ‘large place’ - a new dimension of authority and power - we will come into. If we stay the course, we will emerge from this chaos with an undeniable testimony that will have a great impact on the world around us. “Little did we know how relevant and timely these words were, for it was only a matter of days until the massive shutdown occurred and chaos swept our nation and world. But God knew and, ahead of time, was assuring us, ‘My plan is secured. Don’t allow fear to deter you. Follow My Spirit, and you will come out on the other side of this moment as vessels through whom I work to make things right again!’” What a great word. Stay the course! Pray with me: Father, You have prepared us for this moment. You have positioned us ahead of time with Your divine purpose. As Your governing Body, Your Ekklesia, we take our place to legislate Your intentions for this nation. We declare Your verdict that “America shall be saved!” You have set us on this course with a mission to turn our nation back to its Godly roots and heritage. And regardless of what seems to be exploding around us, we will not allow fear to dictate our trajectory. There is a purpose, this is our time, and in our time we will do our part! We keep our eyes focused on You. We hear and obey Your voice, and we will stay the course! We believe in the love You have for us. We believe Your love encompasses and enables us to come out on the other side of this moment as Your vessels through whom You will work to make things right again! In Jesus’ name. Amen! Our decree: We are securely placed within the powerful love of Christ. We will confidently stay the course of His intentions and do great exploits for His righteous cause in this nation and our world. Today’s post was contributed by Gina Gholston and taken from her book Awaken the Church to Awaken a Nation. You can find out more about Gina here. Click the link below to watch the full video.

Fire! This past weekend I was in California with our friends, Jim and Andrea Lafferty, and intercessors from around the state. God hasn’t given up on California. I was there in part to fulfill some of what Holy Spirit has shown me in recent dreams, one of which I’ll share in a moment. After a powerful service in Costa Mesa, I went to Azusa Street Sunday morning to immerse myself in what Holy Spirit poured out there in 1906, which launched a new era of Kingdom activity on earth. I honored what He did and those through whom He did it, asked Him to immerse me in the abiding power and glory, and soaked in the anointing of that amazing spiritual well. It was special, and it was an effort to release “the synergy of the ages.” Here is a portion of the dream I was fulfilling, given to Gina Gholston in March 2021: “In a dream, I first saw a runner positioned in starting blocks, and then he began to run. His “starting line” was on Interstate 40 at the North Carolina and Tennessee border. “The runner was moving at a supernatural pace. He was running across America going west on Interstate 40. He was running so fast that his feet were on fire, and he was leaving a trail of fire behind him—and the fire never went out. “He ran to the end of I-40. Once he reached California, he made a left turn and moved down into the city of Los Angeles. There, at a specific location, he turned around. It was then that I could see the runner was Dutch Sheets. He had the number 8 pinned on his chest.” [Dutch’s comment: 8 is the number representing new beginnings in scripture.] “The ‘specific’ location Dutch had reached was the site of the Azusa Street Revival. At this place, there was a ‘geyser’ of both fire and water shooting from the ground up into the air. (This reminded me of the Red River Meeting House Dream.) “Dutch literally stepped into the geyser, became saturated with the water, and was also carrying the fire all over him when he emerged. “When he came out of the geyser, Dutch bent over slightly, cupped his hands on either side of his mouth, and with all of his strength shouted one word very long and loudly: ‘FIRE!’ He was declaring this over the nation. “Instantly, the sound Dutch released was amplified and was rolling out in wave after wave of power that traveled all across the U.S. - all fifty states. (I didn’t see this in all of the states, but I knew it was happening!) “Dutch then made his way back to Interstate 40 and began to run back toward the east. I could see the fire was still burning where he had previously run on the westbound side of I-40. His feet were still burning, and he was again leaving a trail of fire behind him. He was now also leaving a trail of the water he had become saturated with at the Azusa Street location…” I will share the remainder of the dream when I fulfill it. And I WILL do so! The fires of revival have already begun to burn in America. Though small - they are just beginning - they are nonetheless beginning. In another recent dream, Holy Spirit said the revival would begin with prayer, then ignite leaders, spread to the nations, and become an unprecedented outpouring of Holy Spirit that included conversions, miracles, deliverances, and social transformation. All the earth will burn with this cleansing, reviving fire. Holy Spirit has clearly shown this is a synergistic convergence of past revivals now being released into the earth: Wales, the Hebrides, First Great Awakening, Haystack, Tennent, Red River, Fulton Street, Cane Ridge, Second Great Awakening, Azusa Street, and the Charismatic Movement. They are all being bundled into one great outpouring. FIRE is coming! “Think differently!” John the Baptist said in Matthew 3:3 (literal translation). “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” He said this because Jesus was walking on earth, here to redeem the planet from sin, the fall, and its resulting curses. Though we’re in a different phase of the plan, it’s the same redemptive process. Christ intends to release great redemption. We must think differently. Think revival. Think miracles. Think fire. Yes, demonic leaders and governments are trying to stop this, powers of darkness are frantically trying to resist it. But Christ WILL win. Calvary guarantees victory and will not be reversed. Another manifestation of its victory is in process. Get ready for fire! Go on the offense, prepare for harvest and breakthrough. Don’t be distracted by anything satan does or says. Don’t be intimidated by ungodly leaders - Psalm 2 is their decreed destiny. Let’s decree it together now. Why are the nations restless and the peoples plotting in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let’s tear their shackles apart and throw their ropes away from us!” He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.” “I will announce the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have fathered You. Ask it of Me, and I will certainly give the nations as Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, you shall shatter them like earthenware.’” Now then, you kings, use insight; Let yourselves be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way, for His wrath may be kindled quickly. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! (Psalm 2 NASB) Pray with me: Father, thank You for Christ’s victory. Thank You for Holy Spirit who is now working to manifest it in the earth. You are our victorious God! You are able to do what You said! You are never late, never outmaneuvered, and never overpowered. We now partner with You. We say what You say. As Your Ekklesia we use the keys of authority You gave us and enforce Your victory. We declare now that revival is beginning. The harvest You have spoken of is in process. You are passionate about this and You will not be stopped. You told us to ask for the rain of harvest when it is time for it (Zechariah 10:1). We are asking. Do it! Pour it out! Bare Your mighty arm and release Your great power. And we will partner with You, Almighty Savior. Our decree: We decree that the end has already been declared: Jesus wins! Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Remember...With Hope Tomorrow is September 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the day that changed the world. The attack against America on 9/11/01 by radical Islamist terrorists changed everything. It was traumatizing and demoralizing, with an estimated 70,000 people treated for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.(1) Almost 3000 people were killed and hundreds more wounded, as four hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. Hundreds more have perished since then from illnesses stemming from toxic dust and “thousands of first responders and local residents would seek treatment for cancer and other health conditions stemming from their exposure to ground zero.”(2) If you have watched some of the news this week, you have seen a good deal of reporting about this horrible day. Saturday, the actual anniversary, there will be many reports and commentaries about this evil attack. The pain and trauma to many Americans will be magnified by the fact that Biden just handed Afghanistan back to those responsible. Four of Afghanistan‘s new government leaders were actually part of the terrorist group that carried out the attack. They had been captured and imprisoned at Gitmo but were released by Obama in a trade to release an American deserter in Afghanistan. The four are now preparing to kill more Americans. Another terrorist leader (Haqqani) on the FBI’s Most Wanted list with a reward of $10 million offered, is now head of their Interior Ministry, making him the person in charge of who comes in and out of Afghanistan. According to Congressman Michael Waltz, this member of the Taliban has been a serial hostage-taker for 20 years, orchestrated a truck bombing in 2011 that killed dozens of American soldiers, and currently holds Navy veteran Mark Frerichs hostage.(3) While we mourn on Saturday, the Taliban in Afghanistan will celebrate, while brandishing our 85 billion dollars worth of left-behind military equipment and gloat over hundreds of hostage Americans, also left behind. I sometimes wonder when I will wake up from this bizarre dream. Timmerle Kelly, Executive Director of The Reformation Prayer Network, reminds us to “pray for the nation today and tomorrow. There is much fear in the nation, even among believers. The situation in Afghanistan has left us feeling vulnerable while enemies of this country feel emboldened. Above all, we must remember the Lord and His covenant with this land. Fixing our eyes on Jesus, we can proclaim our dependence on Him for all things, and ask Him for mercy to America.” She continues, “On 9/11, I encourage individuals to join me on a national prayer call event, open to all. Dai Sup Han, the founder of Transform USA, is hosting 9/11 Twenty Years Later. This is a national call on 9/11 from 9 A.M. to 11 A.M. EDT. He will have Alveda King, Allan Parker, John Robb, and many other national prayer leaders on the call interceding for America. Call 605-475-4797, Code 336718#, for access. You can find more information at prayersurgenow.net. “Also,” she says, “Sean Feucht is leading a worship event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on 9/11 at 6 P.M. You can find ticket information on this Day of Prayer for America here.” Thank you, Timmerle. As I prayed and processed with Holy Spirit what to share today regarding 9/11, I felt He wanted me to steer this post away from our trauma and toward hope. It is good and necessary to remember certain things in our past. What occurred on that day must never happen again. But it is also important to anchor ourselves to the power of hope for the future. As I meditated, Holy Spirit reminded me of a portion of my book with that title, The Power of Hope. May it bring you hope in this troubled time. “As I write this, I’m sitting on my back porch, drawing inspiration from an amazing picture of hope. It’s a tree in my backyard that I named The Hope Tree. I gave it that name because it used to be dead - or so the previous homeowners thought. “I remember talking with the former owner when we were considering purchasing the house. He told me that not only had the tree died, but he had cut it down. There was nothing left but a stump! It doesn’t get much deader than that! “‘Then I put in the sprinkler system,’ said the man. ‘I placed one of the sprinkler heads next to the stump, and the tree grew back.’ “I stood next to him looking at the tree. This was not a wannabe tree consisting of two or three small sprigs, mind you, but a complete tree. Immediately, I thought about a scripture where God talks about this never-say-die kind of tree: ‘For there is hope for a tree when it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its shoots will not fail. Though its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the dry soil, at the scent of water it will flourish and put forth sprigs like a plant.’ (Job 14:7-9) “Why had this passage from Job come to mind so quickly? Amazingly, in that season I had been encouraging myself with these exact verses as I prayed for America. You can revive America’s destiny and cause us to be great again, Lord, I prayed often. “You can imagine my shock and amazement as I looked at the tree before me, a perfect picture of the scriptures I had been standing on. ‘Sold!’ I said. I hope Ceci likes the house because I’m buying it, I thought. That tree is now my daily reminder of the validity and power of audacious hope. “Many people in this season are looking for hope. Life can be difficult, at times brutal. The struggling economy is stealing jobs and destroying the dreams of many; diseases seem to have multiplied, ravaging the health of some and taking the lives of others; our kids cut themselves and shoot their classmates; our government is broken and refuses to reform; and the entire world, it seems, is filled with unrest and war. “Stumps abound. “In 1965 during a family reunion in Florida, a grandmother woke everyone at 2:00 a.m., issuing orders to get empty soft drink bottles, corks, and paper. ‘I’ve received a message from God,’ she said. ‘People must hear His Word.’ She wrote verses on the paper while the grandchildren bottled and corked them. Then everyone deposited over two hundred bottles into the surf at Cocoa Beach. “People contacted and thanked her for the scriptures throughout the years. She died in November 1974. The next month the last letter arrived. Dear Mrs. Gause, I’m writing this letter by candlelight. We no longer have electricity on the farm. My husband was killed in the fall when the tractor overturned. He left eleven young children and myself behind. The bank is foreclosing, there’s one loaf of bread left, there’s snow on the ground, and Christmas is two weeks away. I prayed for forgiveness before I went to drown myself. The river has been frozen over for weeks, so I didn’t think it would take long. When I broke the ice, a bottle floated up. I opened it, and with tears and trembling hands, I read about hope from Ecclesiastes 9:4. ‘But for him who is joined to all the living, there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.’ You went on to reference other scriptures: Hebrews 7:19, 6:18; John 3:3. I came home and read my Bible and now I’m thanking God for the message. We’re going to make it now. Please pray for us, but we’re all right. May God bless you and yours. A Farm in Ohio.(4) “How did this life-saving bottle make a nine-year journey all the way from Cocoa Beach, Florida, to a river in Ohio? Not just any river, mind you, but the right river, near the right farm, at the right time. “I can almost hear the ‘Mrs. Gause Message Bottle Angel Patrol’ heaving a sigh of relief when the last message of hope was delivered nine years after it had been sent. And I can imagine God’s explanation to the angels: ‘This last one will be a Christmas present, much like the first one I delivered to hopeless humans two thousand years ago.’ “Soft drink bottles were transformed into hope bottles - three of the four verses in the bottle were about hope. Interesting. The bottles didn’t contain verses regarding faith, power, miracles, or even provision, all of which this lady desperately needed. Why? Because those things are produced after we hope. The demoralizing power of hopelessness paralyzes the soul; hopeless hearts can’t reach out in faith. “Hope is to the heart what seeds are to the earth. Without hope, life is sterile, unfruitful. Without it dreams won’t be conceived; destinies won’t be realized. Hope is essential because it is the starting line, the genesis, the launch pad. It is the incubator where faith is formed: ‘Faith is the substance of things HOPED for,’ God tells us in Hebrews 11:1. If there is no hope for the future, there will be no faith to face it - let alone shape it. “Never underestimate the power of hope! “The Old Testament word for hope has the connotation of a cord, used as an attachment; the New Testament calls it “an anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:19). Allow hope to become your lifeline, your stabilizer.” Pray with me: Father, in these troubled times we are determined to keep ourselves anchored to You. You are the anchor of our souls. You are also the wind in our sails and the rudder that guides us as we navigate these incredibly stressful times. The secret to victory is not in how hard we strive to overcome, it is in keeping our focus on You, the One who overcame for us. “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4) Today, as well as tomorrow, we pray for those whose lives were forever changed on 9/11. May they be comforted in their grief, but also aided in their determination to move forward. And may we as a nation do the same. And Father, we boldly ask You today for a radical change in our government. We pray that the mess made in Afghanistan, at our southern border, in our economy, through the handling of the C-19 virus and more, would cause the people of America to say, “We need God and God-fearing people leading this nation.” Deliver us from the evil one and deliver us from evil people. And we finish this prayer by saying, “We are confident You are going to do this.” We want you to know, gracious Father, we believe. We believe. Our decree: The Ekklesia of Jesus Christ on the earth decrees that evil will not win, terrorism will not win, the ungodly will not win. God has already declared the winner: Jesus Christ. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book The Power of Hope. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ________________________________ www.cbsnews.com/pictures/911-attacks-photos-aftermath/ Ibid. Info viewed on Fox News 9/8/2021 Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Barry Spilchuk, compilers, A Cup of Chicken Soup for the Soul (Deerfield Beach FL: Health Communications, Inc., 1996), p 209.

The 7 Influencers of Culture Decades ago, Bill Bright of Campus Crusade For Christ and Loren Cunningham of Youth With A Mission, released a teaching about the 7 “influencers” of society, calling them the “pillars” a culture is built on. They were, in random order: Religion, Family, Arts and Entertainment, Government, Business, Media, and Education. Bright and Cunningham contended that whoever controls these 7 influencers will shape and control a nation. In Matthew 28: 18-20, Jesus called this process of shaping a nation, “discipling” it. The biblical word “disciple” (mathetes) means more than a student, it is a follower of the teacher and his teachings. Bright and Cunningham realized that much of the discipling process would take place outside the confines of a religious gathering or the religion mountain. Does anyone seriously believe a church or religious organization can exert as much influence on the shaping of a culture/society as the combined efforts of these other 6 influencers? In the past 50 years, a combined effort of humanists and antichrist forces have literally reshaped - discipled - our nation. Sadly, the teaching regarding these 7 pillars did not gain the traction it should have in the 70s because the church at the time had no paradigm for discipling a nation, only for winning souls and discipling an individual. Our goal was to prepare the individual for heaven, not bring heaven’s influence to earth. God used Lance Wallnau and others to resurrect the teaching 15-20 years ago, in which they refer to the pillars as “mountains,” and the teaching gained much traction, if only with a remnant. This teaching is an important forerunning message for what God is about to do. The coming revival/awakening will bring to life the consciences of millions of people. The breaking of demonic influence will occur, God’s laws will be written in people’s hearts, a love and respect for Him will be in their regenerated spirits, and a desire to know Him will be strong. This will produce a hunger for God’s word, in order to know what He thinks, a hunger for truth (His Word). This fruit of revival - and only this - will give us the momentum and opportunity to reform and disciple our nation through impacting these 7 mountains. God is preparing for this in many ways now. The exposure of corruption in our government is creating a passion for change in that mountain. The lack of integrity, lust for power, and overall ineptitude is shocking, causing many godly, patriotic Americans to vote, become active in the governmental process and run for government offices. Things are changing. But revival will give us the needed momentum to reform it. Concern over the dishonesty of our media mountain, one of the backbones of a free nation, is now at the forefront of many Americans’ thinking. Most of our ideological and agenda-driven media simply can’t be trusted. Americans are aware of this and many have lost trust in them. In response to this, new platforms, networks, and publications are being created. Millions are listening to these new voices. The exposing of this propaganda arm of the Left is also a preparation for overall change. There is movement in all of these 7 mountains of culture. Businesses are supporting righteous causes and realizing they must use their influence for good. Education is being scrutinized and challenged by many. Parents are realizing schools have become indoctrination centers for liberal and far left social agendas. A renewed understanding of the importance of family is growing in our land, along with an awareness that the family unit is under attack. And the church is being prepared in several ways to release its influence and disciple nations. Another mountain which Holy Spirit is certainly preparing for this new season of reformation is Arts and Entertainment. Individuals in the movie and TV industry are coming to Christ and beginning to vocalize their faith, as well as making wholesome movies and TV shows. Mark Burnett and Roma Downey Burnett are just two examples. The gospel does not have to be shared in a movie or TV program in order for it to promote Kingdom ideals. This understanding is impacting the industry. Many in the music industry are also being prepared for this new season. Several are coming to Christ, others are experiencing a revitalization of their faith. Some are writing songs promoting the importance of family, faith, and yes, patriotism. The worship medley by Carrie Underwood and Cece Wynans at the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) is a good example. The powerful performance ended with a standing ovation. Entertainers are realizing they don’t have to be offensive and “in your face” to demonstrate their faith and release wholesome entertainment. They are also discovering that many Americans respect and honor God, decency, and our nation. I have come to believe that a great move of Holy Spirit is coming to this industry, especially to Nashville. Many in the Country Music field will come to Christ, others will return to an active walk with Him. (I will be doing a post on Nashville, which I believe pictures the coming revival, next week.) One family that is making a great impact in the Country and Bluegrass Music field is The Isaacs, new friends of Ceci’s and mine. Though predominantly a gospel music group, they will be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday, September 14; one of the highest honors given to an entertainer in the Country Music field. It is even more significant that this honor is being presented to a family known for Gospel Music. The Isaacs demonstrate the highest level of skill and professionalism and do so with great integrity and love for God. Their genuine love for people and strong passion for God and country has won the hearts of millions. Check out their music and read the gripping autobiography of matriarch Lily Isaacs, You Don’t Cry Out Loud. Her parents, survivors of Holocaust prison camps, came to America when Lily was 2 years old. I couldn’t put the book down. And if you’re close enough to Nashville, join Ceci and me in honoring them at the Grand Ole Opry next Tuesday. You’ll have a GREAT time, hear incredible music and unmatched harmony, and perhaps as importantly, support those making a difference in one of these 7 mountains of our culture. (You can get tickets to this event by going to www.opry.com or clicking here.) Pray for those God is raising up in these mountains. Many of them have very challenging assignments and are in difficult fields. We all witnessed the abuse President Trump and his family received. The battle will only intensify. But Holy Spirit is preparing strong believers to make a great impact. Many will make it to the top of their mountain and have incredible influence. Shield them with prayer! Pray with me: Father, we see You at work, preparing for an incredible visitation in the earth. This outpouring of Your wonderful Holy Spirit will be unlike any other. A billion souls, yes, but the reforming of nations, also. Entire nations will be healed of poverty, disease, and despair as we fulfill Your command of Matthew 18:18-20. Make us ready! Prepare those needed to lead this in the cultural mountain You’ve called them to. Give them revelation and understanding of how to shift and shape it. Cause them to be intentional in this process. And keep the intercessors on the wall. We commit to the appealing process. Our greatest joy is partnering with You. We pray these things in the name of Christ. Amen. Our decree: We declare Micah 4:1-2: “And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, ‘Come and let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob, so that He may teach us about His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.’ For from Zion will go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (NASB) Click on the link below to watch the full video.

A Win for Life; A Loss in Afghanistan Roe v. Wade began in a courtroom in Dallas, TX. Now, abortion in America has begun to be unraveled from that very state. May 19, 2021 was a significant day in Texas. Governor Greg Abbott signed into law legislation prohibiting abortions once a fetal heartbeat could be detected—at about 6 weeks into a pregnancy. This “heartbeat bill” would effectively end most abortions in Texas and cause the closing of many abortion clinics. It was a tremendous victory for those of us on the side of Life.(1) The law, however, was immediately challenged by those supporting abortion, who took the case all the way to the Supreme Court. In a 5-4 vote, with Chief Justice John Roberts siding with the abortionists, the Court decided to let the Texas law take effect. Texas has chosen Life. Mississippi’s statute for life is also coming up at the Supreme Court this Fall. The MS law addresses viability and bans abortion at 15 weeks. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization will ask the Court to honor a baby’s ability to feel pain in the womb even though it is not possible for the baby to survive outside the womb. The SCOTUS decision on the Texas law to ban abortion at 6 weeks seems to bode well for the Mississippi case. It is considered to be the case which can reverse Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which currently allow abortion to exist nationwide. It is thought the Court may eliminate the national right to abortion and allow states to make this important life decision for themselves. [Many other states with Heartbeat Bills are watching and waiting to move forward, such as Mississippi, Arkansas, Ohio, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, South Carolina, and Tennessee.](2) Here and here are a couple of very good articles to help you pray on this. Biden and Pelosi Vow to Stop Texas’ Life Law Two of those making a swift denouncement of the Supreme Court’s positive decision on Texas’ abortion ban were Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden. No surprise there. Pelosi immediately threatened to institute a national abortion bill which would override any state rights on this matter.(3) Joe Biden had this to say: “The Supreme Court’s ruling overnight is an unprecedented assault on a woman’s constitutional rights under Roe v. Wade, which has been the law of the land for almost fifty years….I am directing [the Gender Policy Council] and the Office of the White House Counsel to launch a whole-of-government effort to respond to this decision...”(4) [You can read the entire statement here.] Biden, Pelosi and others promoting a death culture worship at the altars of Baal, Molech, and Mammon. The prayer movement and Life movement have worked for decades to tear those altars down, choosing Life for America. The Lord is hearing our prayers, watching our actions, and releasing us from the spiritual bondage those demonic gods have held us in for so long. The blood of 65 million babies is crying out for justice. We have joined that appeal and we will see the answer! Afghanistan It has been a week since the end of the shameful American fiasco in Afghanistan. We now know that the chaos surrounding the “every contingency planned for,” and “well executed” operation resulted in criminals and some on the terrorist watchlist being evacuated to the U.S. and elsewhere. No one yet knows for sure how many of the 100,000 plus we air-lifted truly worked for and with America. It is certain, however, that the chaos resulted in tens of thousands of individuals who did work for and with the U.S. being left behind, while thousands of others were allowed to leave. Such amazing planning. One unnamed White House official stated that little to nothing was being said in the White House about those left behind. According to Jack Posobiec, Sr. Editor of HumanEvents.com, the person said, “They’re acting like they aren’t even there.” Is anyone surprised? As Republicans try to gain hard to come by facts and information, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas called the situation “an acute human rights crisis. Every Biden-Harris official linked to this disgrace should and must be held accountable.”(5) Marc Thiessen, weekly columnist for the Washington Post and former speechwriter for George W. Bush said in a recent interview on Fox News (9/7/2021), “Joe Biden is the President that surrendered to the enemies that attacked us on 9/11/2001. He not only surrendered, he surrendered with dishonor, leaving thousands behind…” Meanwhile, the Taliban is refusing to allow the planes of Americans and green card holders to leave. They sit at the airport. It is effectively a hostage situation. The speculation is that they are being held, trying to get more information out of the Americans and money from the U.S. The Daily Wire says there are conflicting reports as to who is holding up the departure of these planes. “Individuals associated with an organization handling the flights said that the State Department is the only obstacle to the charter planes leaving the airport.” (6) They continued, “A State Department official, however, told the Washington Free Beacon that the State Department’s hands are tied and that they have no resources on the ground to assist or even to provide reliable information on the passengers. ‘We do not have personnel on the ground, we do not have air assets in the country, we do not control the airspace - whether over Afghanistan or elsewhere in the region,’ the official told the Free Beacon.”(7) Representative Michael McCaul from Texas weighed in on the situation saying he has received classified briefings and that the Taliban do want something in exchange for allowing the people to leave. The Free Beacon stated, “McCaul has been tracking the situation and says the State Department cleared these flights to leave, but that the Taliban is responsible for stopping them. The State Department reportedly confirmed to Congress that flights from Mazar-i-Sharif are being held until the Taliban gives its approval.” One source told the Daily Wire that the Taliban wants tens of millions of dollars ransom.(8) Oh well, “the best laid plans of mice and men…” as they say. Regardless of how well Biden and his administration planned this, it seems some things have, indeed, gone wrong. One wonders how they sleep at night. It will be challenging for all of us to keep Afghanistan in our thinking and pray faithfully regarding it, while not obsessing over it. We must, however. We must pray and we must NEVER forget what this administration has done. Pray for the Afghans, pray for the church there, pray for the region… and pray that we continue to see the evil in our government exposed and replaced. Pray with me: Father, first we thank You for the ruling by our Supreme Court. Thank You for hearing our repentance and prayers regarding the shameful acts of killing babies. We know there is more ground to take and giants to take out, but we are grateful for even the small wins. Please move on the hearts of five or more Justices to uphold life in the Mississippi case. And we pray for the people of Afghanistan. May the evil and cruelty of the Taliban cause millions to turn to Jesus. Please release supernatural revelations of Christ and the gospel. We ask for Your mercy to the Afghanistan people, especially the women and children. We pray that the church there experiences Acts 4:29-33 and is infused with power and strength, is fearless, bold, and fruitful. May they honor You even in the face of death. Use them incredibly in this season, we pray. Amen. Our decree: We decree that those responsible for the unrighteous and inhumane actions of our government will be held accountable. We decree that the coming great worldwide revival will greatly impact Afghanistan and the Muslim people around the world with the love of Christ. Click the link below to watch the full prayer. ____________________________ 1 https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/18/texas-heartbeat-bill-abortions-law/ 2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartbeat_bill 3 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/09/02/pelosi-house-vote-abortion-bill-after-supreme-court-decision/5697169001/ 4 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/09/02/statement-by-president-joe-biden-on-supreme-court-ruling-on-texas-law-sb8/ 5 https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/sep/5/andy-biggs-demands-answers-over-afghan-evacuee-scr/ 6 https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-state-dept-says-it-has-no-resources-to-rescue-trapped-flights-in-afghanistan-no-reliable-means-to-confirm-details-report?utm_campaign=dw_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=housefile&utm_content=member 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid.

Using History As Our Weapon I disliked history class in school. I must have had boring teachers—it couldn’t have been my shallow thinking. I’m not sure when this changed for me but it most certainly did. And if you suffer from the same issue I was plagued with back in my high school days, well, I’m about to help you! In previous posts, we have studied the question David asked before he faced Goliath, the giant of his day: “Is there not a cause?” We’ve discovered that the Hebrew word translated “cause,” also means “history.” Therefore, David was very possibly asking his brother and fellow Israelites, “Is there not a history [to write]?” But David may also have been referring to past history. “Don’t we have enough history with God to give us confidence in His faithfulness? And are there not promises from Him in our history that we can stand on?” Roots are essential; foundations are critical. Can we actually win today’s battle through the power of our yesterday? We can. In fact, we must use history to fight our battles and take out today’s Goliaths. As we will see in a later post, David’s most powerful weapon when facing Goliath was, in fact, his history. I can almost hear the shock in some of your cynical, history-adverse minds. Nonetheless, it is true. Before exploring this, however, let’s find out what makes history so powerful. This will make David’s story much more meaningful. In my book An Appeal to Heaven, I mention an important phrase spoken to me several years ago by Holy Spirit: “the synergy of the ages.” This phrase was shared with me during a season when Holy Spirit was emphasizing the importance of connecting with past generations. In short, the synergy of the ages is multiplied power through generational agreement and honor. Scriptures clearly teach that the generations are connected, with both blessings and curses flowing from one generation to the next (see Deuteronomy 5:9, 7:9). Like it or not, Adam’s sin—and resulting sin nature—was, in fact, passed on to you. God sees the generational connection so literally that He routinely makes a promise to one generation, knowing it won’t be fulfilled until a future generation (see Hebrews 11:39-40)! Bloodlines are so connected spiritually that the tithe Abraham paid to Melchizedek was credited to his great grandson, Levi: “...through Abraham even Levi...paid tithes,” (Hebrews 7:9). What my ancestors have done—my family history—affects me, and what I do impacts those who come after me. That is staggering in its ramifications! On the negative side, this is why we must understand identificational repentance, which we spoke of in yesterday’s post. It disconnects us from yesterday’s sins. Put Yourself In The Storyline The power and importance of understanding this connection to history can be seen through a stirring dream given to Julie Meyer, an internationally known worship leader and seasoned intercessor. Julie, in fact, gave me the word from Holy Spirit that resulted in Give Him 15 (see the April 19, 2021 Give Him 15 post for the whole story). As the dream began, Julie saw 7 ambulances lined up, each with lights flashing. Growing very concerned, she looked into the back of one of the ambulances and saw a non-responsive person on a gurney. Next to the patient was an attendant working feverishly to revive him. Julie immediately knew the attendant was an angel, who looked at her and said, “I can’t find a heartbeat.” She went from one ambulance to the next, finding the same scenario—patients on gurneys with angels attending them, trying to restart their hearts. Suddenly, one of the angels looked directly at Julie and confided, “It’s the intercessors.” Many intercessors have prayed years for revival, but revival hasn’t materialized, and some of them have experienced what Proverbs 13:12 refers to as “hope deferred.” And as this verse teaches, hope deferred has made their hearts sick. Traveling across America, I can attest to the truthfulness of the dream. As Julie’s dream continued, suddenly one of the angels shouted, “I found a heartbeat, but it’s very faint!” The other angels grew excited and inquired, “What did you do?” The first angel’s response was surprising. “Tell the old stories. When I started telling her stories of what God did in the past, her heart began to beat.” With that, these heavenly attendants began speaking to the intercessors about the First Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening, and other Holy Spirit outpourings—right up through the healing revivals and tent meetings of the 1940s, 50s, and ’60s. As they did so, the hearts of all the intercessors started to beat again. At this point in the dream, an angel looked at Julie and insisted, “Tell the old stories of what God has done in the past.” This was powerful to me. The angelic messenger then added instructions that stirred my heart even more: “Tell the intercessors to put themselves in the storyline, because the old stories are also their stories.” What a profound and intriguing thought. Who among us really thinks this way? But we should. God has one overarching plan for humankind; we’re all part of the same unfolding drama. Our generation’s role in history is simply another act of yesterday’s play; our battles are conflicts in one ongoing war. Every revival in history is but a sequel in Holy Spirit’s ongoing series of outpourings, and every soul saved enters the same spiritual family. Our stories, though many, are one. Put yourself in the storyline, because the old stories are actually your stories! Synergy, Not Segmentation For too long, we Christians—even those who are students of church history—have viewed accounts of past moves of God as, well, history. We love those old stories, but we certainly haven’t thought of them as something we can agree with in prayer, connect to, or draw power from. And we’ve certainly never thought of them as our stories. They are past tense, a dead history. I had never thought of Wesley and his Methodists as my movement. Finney’s awakening certainly hadn’t been my awakening, and William Seymour’s Azusa Street outpouring wasn’t claimed as mine. Most of us simply don’t think that way. Our shortsighted reasoning has stolen from us the synergy of the ages. We’ve not put ourselves in the storyline. Since we don’t typically align with past movements or agree with past prayers, this has all too often led to the segmentation of the ages, forcing each generation’s intercession and effort to stand on its own. Actually, the results are more devastating than that: God says that when the generations disconnect, it creates a curse (Malachi 4:6). However, putting ourselves into the storyline God is writing allows us to tap into the strength and life flowing from what He did years ago. We begin to understand the eternal purposes of God, not just the purposes we feel are for our present time. When we do this, He then can continue through our generation what He began with previous generations. And according to Hebrews 11:40, those who came before us, now watching from the balcony of Heaven, can finally see their promises fulfilled. Reinforced by Julie’s dream, this revelation opened my heart to a myriad of storylines we, as a generation, needed to identify with. History came alive. I knew we could insert ourselves into the storyline of Charles Finney, believing that city-changing revivals would be rekindled in our day. We could agree with the powerful prayers of Rees Howells for revivals that would shake nations. We could join the efforts of Martin Luther King, Jr., and see his dream of racial healing in America reach its intended goal. The great cloud of witnesses had finally become more than mere spectators and cheerleaders to me; they were an earlier leg of a relay race, waiting for someone to grasp their baton. This truth pierced my conscience. God began the process of connecting my heart and actions with those who had lived before me. My life began expanding, being defined not just by an eighty or ninety-year destiny, but also by an inter-generational purpose. I realized I was part of a historical chain, planned by God and built with human lives. “Back to the future” took on a new meaning: Like Elijah’s servant, Elisha, I would need to connect with the past in order to find my future. The power Elisha needed today was hidden in his yesterday (2 Kings 2:14- 15). Reaching back would not only bring added significance to my life, but also to the lives of those who had lived before me (Hebrews 11:39-40). And God’s love of relational connection would find fulfillment, causing Him to release an entirely new level of spiritual power—the synergy of the ages. Incredible. Putting Myself Into America’s Storyline I immediately began processing this revelation in the context of my calling to America. It was obviously relevant to praying for nations. I now could connect with America’s story more personally, joining my heart to the prayers and dreams of pilgrims, colonists, pioneers, and every other generation who helped write our story. Whatever the cost, I determined to do my part in keeping the dream alive. When David said, “Is there not a history?” he was doing more than remembering; he was referring to more than preserving historical roots. David was reaching back, putting himself in the storyline. He was declaring that promises made by God hundreds of years earlier were his guarantee of victory today. David was staking his faith on the synergy of the ages... and he knew the stone would find its mark. Stay with me. In Monday’s post, I’ll prove it. Pray with me: Father, to our harm we have not understood the power of connecting with those who ran the race before us. The costly result is that each generation starts over in its pursuit of spiritual power and authority, rather than experiencing generational momentum. But revelation has come. And we understand how important it is to You that we honor, connect with and build on the efforts of those gone before us. Their stories are our stories. And this day, we put ourselves in the storyline, we agree with their decrees: “In God we trust!” “One nation under God.” “For the propagation of the gospel to all the nations of the earth.” We now understand why satan and his partners try to steal our history. They lie about it, distort it and rewrite it. Satan tries to steal our history with You because he knows there is power in it - power in the destiny You gave us, power in the covenants and promises our founders made to You and You to them. But we agree with the great Winston Churchill, “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”(1) And we pledge to You this day, we will war for - and with - our righteous history. Our Decree: We decree as the Ekklesia of Jesus Christ in America, we are now in the storyline. We are connected to the evangelism well of Cape Henry, the ringing of the Leviticus 25:10 Bell of Liberty in Philadelphia, and the Appeal To Heaven flag of 1776. With these and other weapons from our past, we WILL take out the giants trying to destroy this nation. Today’s post was taken from my book Giants Will Fall. Click on the link below to watch today's full prayer: ___________________________________ https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/winston_churchill_129864

The Power Is in the Glove Back in 2007, a friend of mine had an important dream regarding me. In the dream, I was a boxer and fought five giants, knocking out each of them—one per round over five rounds. I floored each giant with one punch; and with each opponent, I alternated fists. After I knocked out the fifth giant, I walked from the ring and addressed the young man having the dream. Holding up my gloved fists, I declared, “If you’re going to take out the giants in this season, you’re going to have to wear these two gloves.” One of the gloves had the word “Everlast” on it; the other, “Evergreen.” The Weapon of Everlast When the dream occurred, I had been studying the life of Abraham and his journey with God. In Genesis 21:33, scripture tells us that at Beersheba, Abraham called on “the Everlasting God.” The Hebrew words are Olam El, and this is the first time in scripture anyone referenced God as Olam El. The meaning of the word olam, “everlasting,” is not our typical concept of eternity, which is basically an endless future. The concept of olam, however, is eternity extending both directions in time. One lexicon described it as the most distant times in both directions—past and future. Even such an amazing description as that falls short, however, because the word “times” in the definition violates the very concept of olam, which is timelessness. Olam cannot be defined by a timeline. This is why the word was applied to God. Olam El, Everlasting God, created time and exists outside of its boundaries and limitations.(1) Mind boggling, I know. For our finite, human minds—and in order for us to understand why Abraham chose this phrase to glorify God—suffice it to say that Olam El is the strong and mighty God, who is Lord over the eternal past, present, and future. He can reach back and completely forgive and heal the past; He can predict the future with 1,000 percent accuracy. For example, God doesn’t see a born-again, former thief as “a former thief;” He doesn’t see the redeemed murderer as “a former murderer.” When He forgives, He eradicates past sins and separates them from us “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12), which is an immeasurable distance. He cleanses us and remembers our sins no more (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17). Olam, through the cross, eradicates all record of our former sins. Olam doesn’t speak of our future based on who we’ve been, nor does He limit it to our current state of being. He references it through the lens of what He will transform us into. Yahweh knows what He can do in us and is confident of the future He predicts. Abraham’s Failures Consider Abraham’s situation when he calls on the Lord as Olam El, Everlasting God. He has been on a twenty-five-year journey of attempting to follow God, and as he looks back over his life, Abraham remembers occasions where he failed miserably. There were blotches, torn places, and embarrassing failures on his timeline. Most believers rightly think of Abraham as “the father of faith,” a description of him taken from Romans 4:16. Likewise, Hebrews 11 refers to him as a great man of faith. We forget, however, that Abraham wasn’t a man of great faith in portions of his life. There were significant deviations from that path, which could have disqualified him. Actually, Abraham and Sarah both wavered at times in their attempt to believe God would give them a son, and through the son bring forth a nation. The Lord had promised this, but when no child came, their lack of faith in God’s promise caused them to introduce Hagar into the family, resulting in the birth of Ishmael, another sin that could have disqualified them. Later, they actually laughed a cynical laugh at God’s final re-stating of the promise. And why not? Abraham was 99 years old and Sarah was 90 (Genesis 17:1,17). This wasn’t Abraham’s only failure of faith, however. On two different occasions when Abraham and Sarah were younger, he was afraid that foreign kings might kill him in order to marry her. His solution for these predicaments included the despicable acts of pretending Sarah was his sister rather than his wife. In essence, he threw Sarah to the wolves in order to save his own life. She was, indeed, taken into the harem of both kings, two more incidents that could have stolen their destinies! God, however, supernaturally intervened before physical unions occurred and restored her to Abraham. These deceptions and fabrications were horrible breaches of the marriage covenant and bold-faced lies—ones I’m sure necessitated awkward conversations with the kings when Abraham had to set the record straight. He and Sarah probably had a few things to work out, as well. Olam Overcomes Our Unrighteous Past Having committed such despicable acts, why does the Bible call Abraham a father of faith and a friend of God? Because even though he may not have fulfilled these descriptive phrases at every phase of his journey, they are accurate descriptions of how he finished. Abraham “grew strong in faith” (Romans 4:20, italics added), and in his walk with God. And having been cleansed by Olam of his sinful past, Abraham isn’t remembered as “the covenant breaker,” “the liar,” or “the double-minded man.” He is known as God’s friend and our faith example! Abraham was grateful his past actions were not allowed to define his present situation. Olam El had navigated him through every season—even the embarrassing and wicked ones—transformed him and preserved his destiny. And as He does for all of us, He reached back in time and cleansed Abraham’s wrongs, once and for all. With that in mind, one can almost see Abraham as he searches for the right name to use in thanking and glorifying God. Elohim? Adonai? Yahweh? None described the God who controls time—past, present, and future. Finally, exhausting all known possibilities, he had to coin a new name. In Abraham’s mind, the process may have been something similar to this: You are more than Yahweh, Adonai, and Elohim. You are the infinite and powerful God of the Ages—Olam El. You are outside of time and Lord over time! As Ruler over the past, present, and future, you forgave and eradicated my sins and kept my destiny intact. When I was unfaithful, You were faithful; when I doubted, You overcame my unbelief; when I lied, You were able—not only to forgive me—but to cleanse me and keep my marriage intact. And even when our bodies were too old to conceive and reproduce—99 and 90 years of age—You placed some of Your timeless nature in Sarah and me, and we drank from the fountain of youth. Truly, You are the creator of and ruler over time—Olam El, Everlasting God! With that declaration, Abraham entered a new phase in his walk with God. He recognized that the Sovereign who was bigger than his past, could be fully trusted with his future. Abraham placed his faith in Olam El, the God who could bring his fractured past into alignment and chart the right course for his destined future. Wearing the Glove for America When I pray for revival in America, I boldly and confidently wear the Everlast glove. I know the breaches in America’s history well—the injustices, the evil acts, and our many sins. Like Abraham, we have failed, sometimes egregiously. But I also know Olam El and what He can do through the blood of the cross. No giant is too big for Him, including those empowered by our sin. Yes, our nation has a flawed past and present. But I’m not asking for a merit-based revival where God gives us tokens of His goodness in response to our excellent behavior. Obviously, the Lord isn’t going to award America with a revival simply because He’s impressed with our actions. But isn’t that the point of revival? If we were “good enough,” we wouldn’t need one! I’m asking for awakening because covenant-keeping Olam El lives up to His name. I have faith for revival because I know the timeless God can reach back and heal our breaches. I declare that Everlasting God can cancel the bad fruit, repairing the wrongs we’re responsible for and also the ones we’ve inherited. For- giveness and cleansing—redemption—are His specialties. When we wear this glove and place our faith fully in God’s grace and the blood of Jesus alone, blessings can and will flow through America’s timeline once again. Much “identificational repentance” has occurred for America just as occurred for Israel in the scriptures. Nehemiah repented for the sins of Israel and it was accepted (Nehemiah 1:4-11), as did Daniel (Daniel 9:1-19). Ezekiel 22:30-31 speaks of God forgiving nations through the prayers of one intercessor. The national sins of America have been repented over by hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of Americans. This includes our sins against the First Nations people, slavery, abortion, rebellion against God, and much more. Many prophets and national spiritual leaders, myself included, believe God is saying this repentance has been accepted allowing Him to forgive, heal and send revival to America. In the dream, God said we must wear Abraham’s Olam glove. We must believe that for us, like Abraham, Everlast can reach back, forgive and cleanse. Olam heals history! He knew America would fail when He called and destined us, just as He knew Abraham would. But He also knew there would be repentance, allowing Him to restore. Our faith is in Christ alone, not our goodness. Wear the glove! Pray with me: Father, Your mercy endures forever. It triumphs over judgment. The “better” sacrifice of Christ’s blood now stains the Mercy Seat of Heaven, making this mercy much more available than it was through old covenant sacrifices. We praise and thank You for delighting in showing mercy. We anchor our faith to this now, Olam. We wear the glove You said to wear. We would be powerless against the giants of our day if we had to rely on our performance to earn forgiveness, cleansing, and breakthrough. But our faith is in Christ and His blood. We arm ourselves with this provision now and strike the giants of unrighteous government, false religion, abortion, pride, and other strongholds. In the name of Christ, our Everlasting Redeemer, we take them out. And Everlasting God of mercy and grace, we use Your name now against the principality/ruling spirit over Afghanistan. We say over that giant who enslaves, deceives, murders, rapes, and oppresses, as the scriptures state in Jude 9, “The Lord rebuke you!” We declare that the blood of Jesus is against this stronghold. We use the sword of the Spirit from Psalm 2 and decree that Yahweh has installed His King upon Zion, His holy mountain. He has given Him the nations as His inheritance, and the ends of the earth as His possession. He will break those who oppose Him with a rod of iron, and shatter them like earthenware (Verses 6-9). The salvation of Yeshua will be visited upon the people of Afghanistan! Our decree: We, the Ekklesia of Christ Jesus, decree that Olam will win the fight! Some of today’s post was taken from my book Giants Will Fall. Click on the link below to watch today's full prayer. __________________________ Strong, James. The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Red-Letter Edition. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001), Reference no. 5769.

It’s Okay to be Angry I do not think it appropriate today to release a post that ignores the events of the past couple of weeks. Like many of you, my emotions are pretty raw. Though my faith is strong, still, I’m a mix of anger, grief, sadness, shame, and embarrassment. Faith and hope do not insulate against grief, nor do they demand denial. I’m angry that my nation is led by weak, unprincipled liars. I’m angry that the innocent have and will suffer - mercilessly. I’m angry that brave young women and men pay for the stupidity, arrogance, and selfish ambition of spineless bureaucrats, lying politicians, senile puppets, and woke, incompetent, military leaders. I grieve, realizing the horror experienced by 80-year-old Americans in Afghanistan who were heartlessly abandoned by their government. I grieve over mothers and small children beaten by demonized animals as they tried to get to the Kabul airport. I grieve over busloads of them who were stopped and turned away by the “new and different” Taliban. I grieve for the pregnant woman kicked in her stomach for trying to flee from our government’s “trusted” new partners. I grieve over those who made it to the airport gates only to be turned away by our “honorable” military leaders. I grieve for the 13 young Americans and their families who needlessly lost their lives, as well as for the 150 or so innocent Afghans who were blown to pieces. I am saddened by all of the above. I am saddened because I know the suffering isn’t over. I am saddened because I know none of it was necessary. And I am saddened that some of my brothers and sisters will be martyred. I am ashamed and embarrassed for my country. I am ashamed because we have unprincipled leaders. I am embarrassed that Americans would give a senile, incompetent liar the most powerful position in the world. I am embarrassed as our shameless government and military leaders, those responsible for all of this, pat themselves on the back with disgusting self-adulation and sycophancy while the torture and beheadings begin. (We’re not surprised that a nation with our wealth, resources, and a military as dedicated and well-trained as ours can evacuate as many people as they did from Afghanistan in 2 weeks. Stop back-slapping yourselves over this. We’re surprised that you wouldn’t allow this well-trained force to go outside the walls and get the rest! And that you took orders from terrorists.) I am ashamed and embarrassed that we turned our backs on friends, fellow warriors (then called them cowards), allies, and helpless women and children. I am embarrassed that many of our leaders who wept and ran in fear on January 6th while their desks were overturned and windows broken - and won’t stop talking about it - can smile and boast as they talk about Afghanistan. Having dumped my all-too-human emotion on you, I want to leave you with a dose of faith and hope...because I still believe! It is imperative that we not give up or grow cynical. Go ahead and grieve - just as I am - but get up and march on! Use the anger; don’t let it use you. We WILL win. I believe God is good and will infuse redemption into this evil. I believe principalities are being judged and will be dislodged by Christ and His church. I believe many Afghans will turn from Islam and to Christ because of the tragic suffering. I believe this will spread to other people and nations in the region. I believe the Arab World, the Middle East, and other Muslim nations will receive an earth-shaking revival. I believe America, too, will experience revival. I believe the EKKLESIA will accomplish everything Jesus said she would accomplish. I believe the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 says, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the extraordinary greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (NASB) “We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious treasure within so that this immeasurable power will be seen as God’s, not ours. Though we experience every kind of pressure, we’re not crushed. At times we don’t know what to do, but quitting is not an option. We are persecuted by others, but God has not forsaken us. We may be knocked down, but not out.” (TPT) Pray with me: Father, once again we appeal to You for mercy. We are not asking for what we deserve, we are asking for Your lovingkindness and mercy, which You love to bestow. We plead the precious blood of Jesus over America, asking You to forgive her and restore her fully to your ways and precepts. Revive us; give us Your mercy. We also ask You for a wind of Your Spirit to blow all across the earth. We ask for this wind to destroy Your enemies and redeem those who are willing to respond to You. Rescue billions of people from sin and darkness. We ask for dreams and visions to be given to those who don’t know You. We ask that angels be sent to show them the truth about Jesus and who He really is. We ask for Jesus to literally appear to many, also. And we pray for the precious people of Afghanistan. We pray for comfort, deliverance, protection, salvation, and the breaking of the hold of this evil regime. Work miracles to reverse what has occurred there. And for those who are relocated to other nations, may they find Jesus there. We pray these things in Christ’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that great revival is coming to the people of Afghanistan, and to many others in the Muslim world. Tomorrow I will continue to discuss and pray about taking out giants. Be sure to join me. Click on the link below to watch the full prayer.

The Crisis of Afghanistan As Americans pulled out of Afghanistan yesterday, leaving hundreds - some estimates are as high as 1000 - Americans behind, many could do nothing but weep. It did not have to be this way. Perhaps some of the quotes from the British Parliament, shared by The Daily Wire News, best sum up what has occurred. “Members blamed Biden for the situation and shamed him for trying to cast blame on others, including the Afghan military. Many of the members said that America’s image was seriously damaged around the world and the West could suffer greatly in the years to come because nations may no longer trust the West to keep its promises. “‘First, notwithstanding his attempted explanation on Monday, the manner and timing of the Afghan collapse is the direct result of President Biden’s decision to withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of 9/11. At a stroke, he has undermined the patient and painstaking work of the last five, 10, 15 years to build up governance in Afghanistan, develop its economy, transform its civil society and build up its security forces. The people had a glimpse of a better life, but that has been torn away. With US forces withdrawing, other NATO allies, including ourselves, had no option but to leave too, denying the Afghan national army the technical and training support that it needed and the moral support of friends who encouraged them to take the fight to the Taliban. Until a few weeks ago, the Taliban was being contained and may even have been persuaded over time that a military victory was impossible and a negotiated settlement was the better course. Those possibilities are now a closed chapter of history, an opportunity lost, and the world’s western superpower is looking enfeebled. The only glimmer of hope today is that the Taliban of 2021 is not the Taliban of 2001,’ said Lord Dannatt. “‘My Lords, all my life I have been pro-American and favourably disposed to the United States, but not any more at this moment. What Biden has done in Afghanistan will go down in ignominy as one of the most shameful and despicable acts of betrayal by any American President. Tens of thousands of men will be slaughtered, thousands of young girls forced to marry these Taliban brutes and 14 million women driven back into slavery. Afghanistan was emerging into the light with freedoms for women and children, who will now be ruled with 500-year-old barbaric religious laws. That is Biden’s legacy. He cannot blame it on Trump,’ stated Lord Blencathra.”(1) Though our brave military men and women would’ve gladly gone into Kabul to help our citizens and others get to the airport, they were forbidden to do so. Many of our retired special forces, however, did quickly organize and helped hundreds of them escape. According to Emily Zanotti from The Daily Wire, “Retired Green Beret commander Scott Mann, who led the ‘Task Force Pineapple’ mission, [which rescued at least 500 people] disputed the Biden administration’s claims that all Americans who want to get out of Afghanistan are able to leave. “‘The Pineapple volunteers – these are all special ops volunteers and civilian supporters. We’re doing this remote. We’re doing this from the US, but we’re building on our relationship and trust that we’ve had with our Afghan partners for 20 years. So we’ve got the ground truth on the outside of the gate,’ Mann told the network. “He added that, as recently as yesterday, during a period in which the Biden administration should have been doing everything possible to extract the remaining Americans, a bus full of 50 individuals was turned back. “‘Here’s the deal,’ Mann told Fox. ‘There are hundreds of American citizens right now who are not able to get in. Yesterday, there was a bus of up to 50 American citizens with many small children within sight of the gate. The Taliban were not only not letting them in, they were firing over their heads, firing around the bus with these little kids on there. Imagine sitting on that bus with your kids, enduring that for hours at a time, never got in.’ “‘This is happening all over the city,’ he said. ‘We’re going to have American citizens and Afghan allies behind enemy lines within a few hours.’”(2) And it happened just as he said. In searching for the best way to pray today, I don’t believe any better instruction could be given than that of Intercessors for America. This ministry, on the front lines of prayer for our nation for decades, shared the following comments and prayer points. They do a wonderful job of mixing faith into this horrible situation. Intercessors for America shares: “The world is watching as the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan is a growing tragedy. Thirteen U.S. Servicemen dead at the hands of ISIS-K. It's a humanitarian crisis, a power vacuum, a chaotic withdrawal, a modern-day martyrdom, all of which needs prayer. There is so much going on that secular news isn't revealing to us, but IFA has received insider intel and spiritual direction. Let's all come into agreement, speak God's Word, and believe that He is hearing, He is seeing, and He will act. Prayer and action are needed.” We will use their guide as our prayer today. “Here’s how you can pray: “1) Safe Evacuation and Relocation Ask the Lord to continue to make a way of escape for people. They need divine intervention. And as those who are evacuated are relocated to other countries, pray for their transition and safety. Missionaries who are in Afghanistan are seeing firsthand what is going on and are in clear danger, as are stranded technology workers, farmers, aid workers, contractors, and U.S. citizens. Throughout the Bible, wherever God's people looked outnumbered, God intervened in miraculous ways. ‘Remember the great terrors the LORD your God sent against them. You saw it all with your own eyes! And remember the miraculous signs and wonders, and the strong hand and powerful arm with which he brought you out of Egypt. The LORD your God will use this same power against all the people you fear’ (Deuteronomy 7:19). “2) Pray for angelic intervention and a hedge of protection for those left behind in Afghanistan. As there are those who are still in Afghanistan either as rescuers, missionaries, contractors, Afghani Christians, or allies, pray for their protection. Pray for supernatural help and hope. ‘My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; You save me from violence. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies (2 Samuel 22:3-4). ‘Don't be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha’ (2 Kings 6:16-17). “3) Deliverance for the innocent children and families who are trapped, being attacked, and even kidnapped. Pray for the Lord to reveal His mighty right arm of deliverance. Many Afghani people--especially women and children--are being caught in the crosshairs or are a target of violence by the heavy hand of the Taliban or ISIS-K. Pray for them as they endure the harsh and evil new regime. Keep believing God for miracles. ‘Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me’ (Psalm 138:7). ‘See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven’ (Matthew 18:10). “4) Pray for the Taliban and ISIS-K to be neutralized. In the Bible, there are several stories when God's people were in fear of being attacked by enemies and God caused the enemies to retreat by supernatural means. He can do it again (Read 2 Kings 7:5-7). Pray that the Taliban and their actions would be recognized for what they are by the international community. Pray that ISIS-K would be disorganized and ineffective in their terror plots. ‘The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven’ (Deuteronomy 28:7). “5) Pray for our nation's military leadership. Our nation's military leadership seems to lack an effective evacuation plan and clearly has not protected Americans. Pray that God would guide and direct U.S. servicemen and women at all levels to make the right decisions. Pray for the families of military members who gave their lives for the cause and their country. ‘When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan’ (Proverbs 29:2). “6) Pray that Jesus would reveal Himself to the Muslim people. Pray for the Muslim people in Afghanistan to have dreams and visions and to hear the audible voice of Jesus Christ. May God point them to Jesus Christ as Lord through miraculous healings and deliverance. Although we do not hear much about it, many Muslim people are receiving Jesus Christ after seeing Him in dreams and visions. Even the Taliban can be saved and forgiven because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. ‘Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do’ (Acts 9:1-4).”(3) Intercessors for America is a wonderful organization offering many tools to help you learn how to pray more effectively. Visit ifapray.org or call 800-USA-PRAY. Click on the link below to watch the full prayer. ___________________________ https://www.dailywire.com/news/british-parliament-unloads-on-biden-biden-may-have-condemned-the-world-to-chinese-domination-in-future https://www.dailywire.com/news/retired-green-beret-who-ran-kabul-rescue-missions-americans-trapped-behind-enemy-lines-turned-back-and-fired-at-by-taliban https://ifapray.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/UPDATED-Afghanistan-Prayer-Guide-.pdf