Staying Informed Regarding Our Fight for Freedom The concept of government is from God. He told Adam to govern the earth for Him. Both Hebrew words used for ruling and dominion in Genesis 1:26-28, mashal and radah contain the concept of governing. If we were still in an unfallen world, governed by unfallen people, all government/authority would be characterized by a serving heart. Jesus demonstrated this pattern when He was on earth. As one not fallen, carrying more authority than any other human, He was also the ultimate servant of humankind. Loving parents govern their homes, yet are the ultimate servants of their children. This is what God had in mind. However, those in government with unredeemed hearts, and/or who are not controlled by the nature of Jesus, often become defiled by a political spirit (compromising, divisive, lust for power) and also by a spirit of control. They “use” rather than serve, “take” versus give. Welcome to Washington DC. One only need look at the national debt (over $20 trillion now), and the “pork” in the recent, laughably named “Covid Relief Bill” (only 9% of the $1.9 trillion is actually for Covid relief). These two outrageous figures have been produced primarily because of politicians’ cravings to stay in power. America’s only hope for righteous government is a sweeping revival that releases the spirit of Christ back into our nation, including those in authority. We, the church, must become active in the governmental process, yes, but we must also use our spiritual authority to pray righteous government back into America. When our Founding Fathers were forming our Constitution, one of the greatest struggles - almost keeping the United States from moving forward - was the battle over individual state’s rights. Many of them were concerned that more densely populated cities and states could control everyone else. This is why they insisted on the Electoral College (versus total number of votes) for the Presidency, and insisted that every state have 2 Senators, regardless of its size or population. They didn’t want smaller, less populated states to be controlled by the others. They also did not want a bunch of centralized bureaucrats in Washington, DC, to tell them how to live their lives. So they insisted on fair representation and certain state rights. Now we can see why. The United States of America is in a quiet revolution between those state rights and federal powers. We are tracking more and more legislation at the state level, specifically designed to protect the citizenry of the states from federal overreach. Bear in mind that state laws are subject to The U.S. Constitution, federal laws, and federal treaties under The Supremacy Clause in Article IV of the U.S. Constitution. However, they are not necessarily subject to Executive Orders, which define the way laws are interpreted and carried out. It is appropriate for states to fire back at Executive Orders with lawsuits challenging their constitutionality, and/or to counter them with state-level legislation. It is different in rural America than it is in big cities. What works for New York doesn’t work for South Dakota. That is one of the reasons it is better for power to be disseminated to the individual states versus concentrated at the federal level. The composition of the states is diverse. Mindsets vary by location, and states offer laws that are particularly attractive to its citizens in accordance with those mindsets. This is not the first time we have brought these state matters to you for prayer. We have focused in the past month or so on a number of pro-life issues. Today, we want to take a look at a few actions states are taking to keep the federal government from pushing unrighteous directives and far-left agendas into their lives. Some states, knowingly or not, are positioning themselves for a run to the Supreme Court. TEXAS Texas is working hard to institute safeguards for religious freedom, despite federal action to the contrary. On Monday, March 8th, the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee heard public testimony on the Freedom to Worship Act, SB 26, sponsored by Senator Angela Paxton. The bill, which has been named a priority bill by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, makes it clear that no government official can close churches or any place of worship during a pandemic. This is especially true when other businesses and establishments are allowed the right to remain open. This is a push-back against other states’ policies instituted last year where churches across the country were told to close, while grocery stores, liquor stores, strip clubs, and even casinos were allowed to remain open. See the full text of the bill here. Two other hearings were held Monday on the same topic. One was SB 247, sponsored by Senator Charles Perry is a bill protecting the religious liberty and freedom of association rights of attorneys. In other words, an attorney cannot be disbarred due to their deeply held religious beliefs. It literally reinforces a state bar member’s free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, and membership in a religious organization. It is hard to believe such laws are necessary when our U.S. Constitution protects such rights. These pieces of state legislation are indicative of the times in which we live. If you live in Texas, you can contact your Texas Senators here and Representatives here and let them know you support these legislative actions. ARIZONA In Arizona people are pushing back against corruption and wicked federal mandates. Here are a few examples: AZ is a state where election investigations are still ongoing. You might remember hearing in the news a few weeks ago, the AZ Senate subpoenaed Maricopa County ballots and voting machines in order to conduct the most detailed election audit in the nation. Maricopa County officials refused - so their Senate sued them. The Maricopa County Superior Court agreed with the Senate and that audit will now be conducted. Pray for the most integrous audit firm to be chosen and it will be the most comprehensive and transparent election audit ever completed, with everything hidden being revealed. Life in the womb is being protected in Arizona. Valuing all human life and despite strong opposition, the Arizona Senate passed SB1457 to prohibit abortions based on the preborn baby’s diagnosis of a genetic abnormality like Down Syndrome. This bill would also ensure the abortion pill can no longer be sent through the mail, ignoring many safety precautions (including doctor visits) and placing women at risk. Pray for its swift passage by the House. Young children’s innocence is being protected. Currently, sex education is being taught to kindergarteners through 4th graders in 23 of Arizona’s school districts. In a major breakthrough, SB1456 was introduced by Sen. Nancy Barto of Phoenix to stop sex-ed from being taught before 5th grade. It requires parental opt-in for instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, and would ensure parents have reasonable access to the sex-ed curricula in grades 5-12. It narrowly passed in the AZ Senate and is a huge win—both for protecting children from oversexualization, and putting parents back in the driver seat regarding the sensitive subject of sexuality. The bill now proceeds to the House. ALABAMA This state is actively standing against the expansion of transgenderism in the state. Last week, the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act was passed in the AL Senate. This bill will criminalize the performing of gender transition surgery and hormone therapy on minors to delay puberty or alter their sexual identity. It now goes to the House, and they are ready for it. They have already passed a similar bill making it a felony for doctors to perform sex change surgeries on minors or provide hormone treatments to them. They have also introduced HB 391 in the House, which will keep biological males from participating in women’s sporting events.1 GEORGIA Have you heard of sanctuary cities? Georgia is looking to make itself the first sanctuary state—specifically to protect religious freedom and people of faith from religious persecution. OTHER STATES’ CONCERNS: I won’t take the time right now to go over all the other actions other states are taking, but as examples, Florida is looking at legislation to protect 2nd amendment gun ownership rights, which the Biden administration is stating they plan to tighten. And 12 states are working together to combat Executive Orders on climate change, which are bringing devastating economic effects. God is the author of Freedom. We must pray and act to ensure that federal overreach through unrighteous federal laws and Executive Orders is stopped. "For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." (Deuteronomy 20:4 NIV) Pray with me: Lord, we thank You for righteous leaders in states who are actively standing against ungodly legislation and mandates coming from the federal government. We invite You - the author of government - into these situations where our constitutional rights are being threatened. Protect them, Lord. We ask for You to intervene. We pray in accordance with your word that truth would be revealed. We agree together now that truth cannot be concealed! We decree Luke 8:17 which says, “Nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light” (NKJV). We lift before You our state legislators, city council members, school board members, and all who are serving You in the governments of our states. We pray that they will not become discouraged by the daunting tasks they face. Cause them to mount up with wings as eagles, to run and not be weary, and to walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). Remind us, their constituents, to pray for them daily. We pray with boldness and expectation for a wind of refreshing from Your Holy Spirit to empower these public servants for their ministry of reformation! Give them the tools they need in order to carry out Your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Today’s decree: We declare that grace and wisdom is being released to the state and local government leaders in order to fight for our freedoms. 1 https://ifapray.org/blog/alabama-close-to-banning-trans-surgeries-puberty-blockers-for-children/

The Story of A Little Girl Tied to a Tree To be delegated the authority to operate in someone else’s name is to “represent” them. But what does it actually mean to represent someone? The dictionary defines “representation” as “to present again.” Another way to say it might be “re-present” someone. A representative is one who re-presents the will of another. The dictionary also provided these meanings: “to exhibit the image and counterpart of; to speak and act with authority on the part of; to be a substitute or agent for.” 1 In 1976 I traveled with a team to a remote village in Guatemala, far from any modern city. There was no electrical power, no plumbing, no phones. Our purpose in being there was to build shelters for the villagers whose adobe homes had been destroyed in the devastating earthquake of 1976. It had killed 30,000 people and left 1,000,000 homeless. We had trucked in materials and were building small, one-room huts for them during the daylight hours that would keep them out of the rain and elements. In the evenings, we would hold services in the center of the village, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to them, explaining that His love was motivating us to spend our time, money, and energies helping them. The entire village would turn out. We had been ministering for one week with only one or two people coming to Christ. The people were listening, but not responding. I was to preach on the final night of our trip. Just as the service was about to begin a team member told me about a situation he and others had found on the far side of the village - a little girl, six or seven years old, tied to a tree. Shocked by what they were seeing, they asked the family who lived there, “Why is this small girl tied to that tree?” It was obvious she lived there, much like a dog, in the backyard - nasty, filthy, helpless, and alone. “She is crazy,” the parents replied. “We can’t control her. She hurts herself and others and runs away if we turn her loose. There is nothing else we can do for her, so we just have to tie her up.” My heart broke as the team member shared what he had seen. It was on my mind as we began the service. A few minutes into my message, standing on a folding table under the stars, Holy Spirit began speaking to me. “Tell them you are going to pray for the little insane girl across the village tied to the tree. Tell them you are going to do it in the name of this Jesus You’ve been preaching about. Tell them that through Him you are going to break the evil powers controlling her - that when she is free and normal, they can then know what you are preaching is true, that the Jesus you are preaching about is who you say He is.” I paused in my message and responded to the voice in my heart with fear and trembling. I believe the words were something like, WHAT DID YOU SAY??? Same instructions. Being the man of faith that I am, I replied, “What is plan B?” “Rebellion...and failure, came the response. Remember what I said to you before the trip began? Represent Jesus to the people in Guatemala. Be His hands, feet, voice. What you know He would do, you do, in His name.” Faith began to rise. “The focus is not on me in this situation,” I thought, “but on the One who sent me. I am simply His spokesman. I merely release what He has already done. He has finished the work of delivering this little girl; my prayers release the work, I’m only a distributor of what He has already produced. Be bold. Enforce the victory!” With new assurance, I began informing the people about what I was planning to do. They nodded in recognition as I mentioned the girl. Expressions of intrigue turned to astonishment as they listened to my plans. Then I prayed and in Christ’s name, broke the demonic powers controlling her. (I realize all mental disorders are not caused by demonic control. This one, however, was.) On a moonlit night in a tiny, remote village of Guatemala with a handful of people as my audience, my life changed forever. Jesus came out of hiding. He became alive: relevant . . . sufficient . . . available! A “hidden” Jesus emerged from the cobwebs of theology. A yesterday Jesus became a today and forever Jesus. A Galilee Jesus became a Guatemala Jesus. And a new plan unfolded to me. A new concept emerged - Jesus through me. For the first time, I really understood the heavenly pattern: Jesus is the Victor - we’re the enforcers; Jesus is the Redeemer - we’re the releasers; Jesus is the Head - we’re the body. Yes, He set the little girl free. Yes, the village turned to Christ. Yes, Jesus prevailed through one representing Him. This partnership is profound - God and humans. But the correct pattern is critical: Our prayers of intercession release Christ’s finished work of intercession. His work empowers our prayers - our prayers release His work. Ours extends His - His effectuates ours. Ours activates His - His validates ours. In Kingdom Enterprises we’re not in the production department. We’re in distribution . . . BIG difference. He’s the generator; we’re the distributors. There are many wounded and hurting individuals “tied to trees” around the world. You work with some, others live across the street. One of them probably just served you in a check-out line, seated you in a restaurant, or served you food. Their chains are alcohol, drugs, abuse, broken dreams, rejection, money, lust . . . well, you get the point. Plan A is for supernatural but ordinary people like you and me to: 1) wholeheartedly believe in the victory of Calvary - to be convinced that it was complete and final, and 2) to rise up in our role as sent ones, ambassadors, authorized representatives of the Victor. Our challenge is not so much to liberate as to believe in the Liberator; not so much to heal as to believe in the Healer. Plan B is to waste the Cross; to leave the tormented in their torment; to scream with our silence, “There is no hope”; to hear the Father say again, “I looked, but found no one”; to hear the Son cry once more, “The laborers! Where are the laborers?” Come on, church! Let’s untie some folks. Let’s tell them there is a God who cares. Let’s represent - let’s re-present Christ! Pray with me: Father, we have not done a great job representing/re-presenting You and Your will in our nation. Jesus clearly told us to command His kingdom rule into situations; to command His will to be done. He gave us His keys of authority and told us to bind and loose, forbid and allow (Matthew 16:18-19). We are maturing in our understanding of this and what it means to be Your Ekklesia (Your government in the earth). With this understanding, we re-present Your will today that no one perish spiritually: we ask for and decree revival into the earth - 1 billion souls into Your kingdom family. We re-present Your will that our children know and follow You; that all prodigals return to Your household of faith. We bind deception from them and break off all addictions in the name of Jesus. We re-present Your will that the sick are healed: we release miracles, signs and wonders into the earth. We ask for a new release of “gifts of healing” and the “workings of miracles” into and through the church - the gifts You spoke of in Corinthians. We re-present Your will that those oppressed by demons are set free: we command a new release of delivering power into the earth in Christ’s name. We re-present Your will that those who have been abused, wounded, rejected, and injured emotionally in other ways be healed. We release Your restorative power into this outpouring. And finally, we re-present Your will for America. We decree over this land that we will be a voice for the gospel to all nations. We will be a nation that models honoring You and Your ways. We will see revival. We will see a righteous government. We will see an end of abortion. We will see a return to morality. We release these things in the all-powerful name of Jesus! Our Decree: We decree that the church will receive a fresh revelation of their calling and authority re-presenting HIM into the earth. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Intercessory Prayer. 1 The Consolidated Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary (Chicago: Consolidated Book Publishers, 1954), p 615.

Defending Your House & Nation Power is the force, ability, strength, or energy needed to accomplish a task. The Greek word is dunamis, from which we get words like dynamite, dynamic, or dynamo. Authority is the legal right or jurisdiction to use the power (Greek: exousia). We sometimes use the two words interchangeably; we shouldn’t, however, A policeman’s badge represents his delegated authority, her gun represents her power. Satan gained authority at the Fall of Adam and Eve, not power. Adam forfeited his authority over earth, unwillingly transferring it to satan. Jesus came as the second and last Adam to regain the first Adam’s lost authority. He succeeded, of course, and now delegates the authority to us once again, in His name. Holy Spirit backs up/enforces this authority with His power. The more we understand our authority through Christ and His victory, the more Holy Spirit’s power is released and satan’s negated or bound. My good friend and writing mentor, Quin Sherrer, shares with us a powerful example illustrating this important teaching. “God provides us with weapons against every enemy attack. But, when fear tries to overpower our faith, head knowledge has to move to heart knowledge with the assurance from God’s Word. Jesus Himself said: ‘I have given you authority [exousia]…to overcome all the power [dunamis] of the enemy.’ (Luke 10:19 NIV) Some years ago my friend Carol learned this lesson in a dramatic way. “One night while she and her husband Dick were watching the late-night news, a masked intruder burst into their home, waving a handgun and brandishing a knife. ‘Give me all your money, I am sick and I want it now,’ he shouted. “It didn’t take Carol long to discern he was strung out on drugs. Fear gripped her heart. “Just that morning Carol had meditated on Psalm 91:9-10 ‘If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the Lord, who is my refuge—then no evil will befall you… no disaster will come near your tent,’ (NIV). Admitting her cowardice to the Lord, she had written in her prayer journal, ‘Lord, I am such a chicken. I don’t want to live in fear.’ “The intruder took Dick’s heirloom ring and marched them upstairs where Dick said his wallet was put away. When the robber opened it and found only eight dollars, he began cursing furiously. Suddenly Carol remembered where some gold coins were hidden. Pointing to the bureau she said, ‘You can have the gold coins in one of those drawers.’ “Still holding the gun on them, the thief dropped to his knees and pawed through the drawers. Carol knew the jittery man could shoot them at any moment. She was praying silently, ‘Help! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, help us.’ “As soon as he found the coins, Carol felt a surge of strength, boldness, and courage rising up within her. Looking the robber in the eye, she raised her voice and declared, “In the name of Jesus, this is our house.” “The results were immediate. ‘I didn’t want to hurt you,’ he whimpered apologetically. Still on his knees, he fell over to his side as if a giant hand had shoved him. Stumbling to his feet, he ran down the stairs and out into the night. “Carol didn’t know who was more surprised, she or the fleeing man. She had been emboldened to declare her property off-limits to a criminal. By speaking the name of Jesus with authority, her own courage increased and her initial fear dissipated. The Lord, her refuge, had protected her and her husband. “When Carol meditated on God’s word every morning, she often personalized it, repeating some Scriptures aloud to get them more securely embedded in her heart and mind. That helped her to be better prepared for the enemy’s sudden attack. She learned the importance of being battle-ready and armed with the Word of God, even though she admitted she often had to fight fear. “We resist the devil and his demonic plans through using the name of Jesus, declaring the power of His blood, and proclaiming the Word of God. We are empowered to do this because Jesus has invested us with His authority to see the enemy defeated. “In America today the thief of liberalism is robbing us of our freedoms. Swiftly they are being swept away. We must stand up to those pushing that agenda. “When Nehemiah and his band of Jewish refugees set out to rebuild the broken-down walls of Jerusalem, they were met by enemies who tried to frighten them, discourage them, and make them quit. They laughed, despised, and mocked. Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, had complete control of those coming into Jerusalem. As long as the Jews had no wall, no defenses, he could dominate them. “We, God’s praying believers, would do well to say to the enemy of liberalism what Nehemiah said to Sanballat: ‘The God of heaven will give us success. We, His servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem [or America] or any claim or historic right [authority] to it.’ (Nehemiah 2:20 NIV). We affirm that the enemy has no historic right to our nation which was founded on God’s principles. “As the enemy kept harassing Nehemiah’s wall-builders while they worked family by family, armed with tools and weapons, the Israelites grew extremely frightened. Nehemiah said to them, ‘Do not be afraid of them; fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.’ (Nehemiah 4:14 NASB) Did you get that? Fight for your houses! “The result? ‘And it happened when our enemies heard that it was known to us that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.’ (Neh. 4:15 NASB). Nehemiah desired to make Jerusalem a safe, happy city. With his encouragement, the people continued their work and finished their wall of protection in just 52 days. “Our ‘work’ right now is to pray with faith to our miracle-working Heavenly Father. We not only ask for His protection and direction for our individual families and homes, but also for our beloved homeland. When spiritual warfare is needed, we use the weapons God has provided in the Bible to defend it. Because this is our house, our neighborhood, our community, our state, and our nation! “We pray that righteousness reigns from America’s courthouses to the White House, from school board meetings to the halls of Congress. Writing letters and making phone calls to elected leaders may be the only way some of us can ‘defend’ it right now. But we can talk to our children and neighbors. We can get on prayer calls. We can vote for candidates with godly standards. We can put feet to our prayers. George Washington, once said, ‘It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible.’ “Let’s not give in to fear or apathy nor neglect to use our voices and pens to help save our house—the USA.” “But we prayed to our God, and because of them [enemy] we set up a guard against them day and night…And I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed people in families with their swords, spears, and bows.” (Nehemiah 4:9,13 NASB) Pray with me: Father, we pray for the demolishing of the enemy’s assignments that are aligned against Your purposes for this nation. Let those that are hidden be revealed and officials with malicious agendas be stopped and brought to justice. Lord, we pray for You to give all area and governmental leaders great wisdom concerning crucial decisions they will be making both in their public and private lives. Show them that being in a position of authority to represent the well-being of their constituents is a sacred trust. Thank You that our Founders honored You by establishing our constitutional republic on prayer and the Scriptures. May that foundation be reinforced. Help us not to give in to fear and hopelessness but to stand steadfast on Your precious promises. We pray for a powerful spiritual awakening that will cause many people in this nation to receive Jesus’ love and salvation. We pray also that this awakening releases a spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17), increasing the church’s understanding of our authority in Christ. Give us boldness to bind and forbid (Matthew 16:18-19) the works of darkness, enforcing the victory of Calvary. Bring revelation to Your people that when we do so, Holy Spirit’s power and angelic support are released. We declare Christ’s authority and victory even now over our nation. We decree once again, based on Your instructions and prophetic words to us: America shall be saved. We decree that the Valkyrie spirit and assignment to capture America and her destiny has fallen. We walk by faith, not by what we see naturally (2 Corinthians 5:7). Our faith agrees with You! The evil will be overcome in our nation, including in our government. Sin will not prevail! Evil will not triumph! The victory of the Cross and the power of Holy Spirit will prevail! We ask and declare these things in Christ’s name [authority] - the name above all names. Amen. Our decree: I decree that as God’s people are faithful to pray for the United States, righteousness will exalt our nation. (from Proverbs 14:34) Portions of today’s post were taken from the book Lord, I Need To Pray With Power and Warfare Prayers for Women, written by Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock. You can find out more about Quin Sherrer here and Ruthanne Garlock here.

Is The “For The People Act” Really For The People? “Elections are the heart of democracy. They are the instrument for the people to choose leaders and hold them accountable. At the same time, elections are a core public function upon which all other government responsibilities depend. If elections are defective, the entire democratic system is at risk.” President Jimmy Carter and James Baker, co-chairs of the bi-partisan Commission on Federal Election Reform, made these comments introducing the Commission's 2005 “Building Confidence in Federal Elections” report.1 Last week, H.R. 1, the “For the People Act” was passed through the U. S. House of Representatives, along strict party lines. One Democrat, Bennie Thompson of MS, joined all Republicans in voting against it. It has now been taken up by the Senate and will likely come up for a vote this week. H.R.1 is designed almost completely opposite of the 2005 Commission’s recommendations. Elections will never look the same if it passes into law. We’ll take a look at why I say this. I also want to mention the ways this piece of legislation can be stopped. And it MUST be stopped. On November 18, 2020, Kay Cole James, President of the conservative Heritage Foundation, said, “Our right to vote has been won and preserved by the lives, blood and sacrifice of the patriots of the American Revolution, our war veterans, the suffragists, civil rights marchers and so many others throughout our history. They risked everything so that you and I could freely exercise this sacred right and ensure the very survival of our republic. The least we can do is make sure their sacrifices weren’t in vain and work to ensure the integrity of our elections. James continues, “Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our constitutional republic, and every citizen, no matter their political persuasion, must be able to trust the voting process and its results, otherwise, our democratic system itself breaks down. “I was a member of the Commission on Federal Election Reform…” she states. “We investigated the problems and vulnerabilities in our election system and made an extensive series of recommendations for reforms. Some of those recommendations were: The commission recommended that states do electronic matching with their own death records, drivers’ licenses, local tax rolls and other records...to remove people who had moved out of state or died. The commission said states should implement a voter identification requirement to ensure that people presenting themselves at the polling place match the registration list. The commission also stressed the importance of verifying that only citizens are voting, recommending that states obtain proof of citizenship before registering voters. Yet, the left has consistently opposed such efforts. Because many states aren’t verifying, noncitizens can vote with little chance of being detected. Simple protections, like voter ID and updated voter registration lists, make perfect sense if we truly believe that every vote must count. Congress and the states have a duty to ensure that all eligible Americans are able to vote and that their votes aren’t stolen or diluted by fraud or administrative errors. Officials should look at the commission’s recommendations and ensure they’re doing everything possible to protect the integrity of our elections—one of the most sacred trusts of our republic.” 2 On last Thursday’s edition of SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Daily with host Alex Marlow, Congressman Mo Brooks said: “[H.R.1 is] going to be massive voter fraud.” “In short, the Democrats have ignored and undermined the Commission on the Federal Election Reform report done in 2005 — a bipartisan commission report by Jimmy Carter on the one hand and James Baker on the other hand — and have expanded the very worst of the things that the report said we needed to avoid.”3 The Boston Herald called the Bill, “A blatant power grab for Democrats.”4 The Heritage Foundation provides some insight and explanation on some of the more concerning matters in H.R.15: H.R.1 nationalizes voting laws. This may actually be unconstitutional. Voter registration will be automatic for anyone who obtains a driver’s license, applies for food stamps, Medicaid, or other public assistance, or enrolls in a public college. Non-citizens are supposed to identify themselves, but if they don’t speak up, they will be registered to vote. There is no penalty should this occur. Add to this that there will be a ban, yes, a ban, on requiring voter I.D. to vote. This is a Federal mandate and would override the states’ individual laws. Absentee and mail-in ballots will be mandatory, although individuals may choose to vote in person. Mail-in ballots were the problem in the 2020 election. Additionally, they can be received by states up to 10 days after election day, provided they are postmarked by election day. Ballot harvesting, or volunteers assisting other voters to properly complete their ballots, then making sure the ballots are turned in will be legalized.This is another practice that is being highly scrutinized in recent elections. This is currently illegal in a number of states and individuals participating in it have gone to prison over it. It’s that important. There are also limitations on freedom of speech regarding elections, complete with a 5 member panel tasked with monitoring ads for “wrong speech.” This panel will be appointed by and answer to the president. This is partisanship at its absolute worst. You can read more about freedom of speech violations in H.R. 1 here. Jumping back to the Commission’s report, Kay James further stated, “The ultimate test of an election system is its ability to withstand intense public scrutiny during a very close election.”5 It is very clear now that was not the case in the 2020 election. Scrutiny was actively blocked from the local level to the U. S. Supreme Court. Nevertheless, some states, such as Michigan, have continued their investigations into whether fraud was committed in the election. You can read about that here. While it may not reverse the 2020 results, state and local officials have been hopeful that reforms can be put in place to prevent the fiasco we had this past November. In this frontal attack against future free and fair elections, the Democratic party, through H.R.1, is now seeking to institutionalize some of the tactics used in this past election. The contents of this resolution fly directly in the face of the Commission’s findings and recommendations. State laws and efforts are also clearly being undermined. Since federal law trumps state laws, if this is made the law of the land, the voices of citizens in some states will no longer be heard. (Click here to learn about The Supremacy Clause and the Doctrine of Preemption, which explains how federal law is supreme.) So, what can be done? We will pray, of course. Contact your U.S. Senators. Click here to find them. Don’t worry about their political party. Let them know you are not okay with H.R.1 and you want them to vote no on it. If there is a deluge of voices against it, your Senators may listen, especially if they are in politically divided states. Conservative Senators can filibuster - encourage them to do this! Pray that Democrats do not eliminate the filibuster, which they have been threatening. Let your Senators also know you are not okay with that. Filibustering is a way to stall a vote or stop legislation from passing. It is sometimes used to gain concessions. In the case of H.R.1, we want it to kill this bill that is bad for America. A filibuster works by extending debate indefinitely on a bill or resolution, and requires a ⅗ vote of the Senate - 60 votes - to end the filibuster (versus a simple majority). We must not hand this nation over to the radical agenda of the left. Let’s do whatever we can to honor our godly heritage and stop these actions. “The Lord God has told us what is right and what he demands: ‘See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God.’” (Micah 6:8, CEV) Pray with me: God of justice and righteousness, we come to You today. We exalt Your holy Name over America. You who established this nation are worthy of all of our thanksgiving and praise. We will encourage ourselves in knowing that You care more about this country than we do. You have a plan and purpose. You said America will be saved, and we align ourselves with You in intercession for it. Father, flood America with Your grace and mercy! Our government is on a very quick and steady slide away from You politically. Those that are power hungry are on a warpath to make sure their plans are not thwarted. But we know You can stop them. You will deliver us. We are asking You to prevent this resolution from passing. There are some things we can recover from more quickly, others that take a while to turn around. This one would be hard to recover from. We are asking You to intervene. Save us from the political pride and arrogance, endeavoring to take over this nation. We agree with Kay James. From the American Revolution, through other wars we have fought, to the freedom marches for civil rights and votes for women, our freedom and right to vote has been costly. The sacred right to cast a vote and know our Republic is secure in the people’s choices is one of the bedrocks of our free society. Lord, let all of those sacrifices be honored today. We cry out to You for salvation in this matter, in Jesus’ Name. Amen. Today’s decree: God’s dream will be honored. America’s right to free and fair elections WILL BE preserved. 1 https://web.archive.org/web/20070609115256/http://www.american.edu/ia/cfer/report/full_report.pdf 2 https://www.heritage.org/election-integrity/commentary/the-federal-election-reform-commission-must-no-longer-be-ignored 3 https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/03/04/exclusive-rep-mo-brooks-h-r-1-would-make-american-elections-akin-to-old-soviet-union-cuba-north-korea/ 4 https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/03/07/pelosis-hr1-bill-a-blatant-power-grab-for-democrats/ 5 https://www.heritage.org/election-integrity/report/the-facts-about-hr-1-the-the-people-act-2021

Can Our Dry Bones Live? Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year-old boy whose next-door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry.” On Wednesday, October 4, 2000, God somehow powerfully touched my heart with His, and for three and a half hours, God allowed me to help Him cry over our nation. Though I have often asked God for His heart toward America, I was in no way ready for the intensity with which it came that night. As I felt God’s aching heart for America, I thought my own heart would break in two. I didn’t know it was possible to weep from so deep within. It was not from my head or my emotions; it was from deep in my heart. An important result of my experience was a fresh awareness of the incredible passion of the Lord to save. I already knew God desired to save America. He had been challenging me for the past few years to believe Him for the saving of this nation, for genuine revival and a great harvest of souls. But on this particular evening, it was different. I literally felt God’s breaking heart aching to save and heal America. In my prayers for our nation, the Lord has often led me to Ezekiel 37. In this passage He uses a graveyard of dry bones to reveal Israel’s spiritually dead condition to the prophet Ezekiel. As the prophet gazed upon these dry bones, the Lord asked him an interesting question: “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel, not knowing how to respond, simply said, “Oh Lord God, You know” (see Ezek 37:3). God’s response was to have Ezekiel prophesy to the bones, declare to them, and later to have the wind of Holy Spirit breathe life into the bones. In the vision, the bones came together, and the wind - or breath - of God’s Spirit came to them, bringing life. As I said, God has often led me to this passage. It seems I am prompted with the same question about America that God asked Ezekiel regarding Israel: Can these bones live? I have always tried to summon faith and believe America will indeed receive a revival resulting in Resurrection life. But I must admit, there have been times of wavering in which I’ve found it difficult to believe. However, on that aforementioned evening, something changed. I actually felt God’s passion to save our nation. I identified with His aching heart so strongly that my faith was lifted to a new level. I knew beyond any doubt that the dry bones of America could live, because God desperately wants to save this nation. I am fully persuaded that millions of people will be saved in America over the next several years. As God comes to bring salvation to our nation that salvation, however, will come one individual at a time. Those born again will be our fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, friends, neighbors, and leaders. They will have names and faces known personally by God. I want to encourage your faith that God really does want to save those dear to you. I want your faith to be lifted to a new level. I have found that where faith for the salvation of the lost is concerned, unbelief controls much of the church. We ask God to send revival and save people but deep in our hearts find it hard to believe. Perhaps it’s because we’ve prayed and waited so long we are no longer convinced God really will do it. I want you to be so convinced God will save the one for whom you pray that you would be shocked if they didn’t get saved. I want you to believe God is so passionately in love with people that when you cry for those you love, you realize you’re really helping Him cry. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for Your heart to save. You are gracious, so kind and it is not Your will for any to perish. You loved the world so much that You gave your Son to save us. And Jesus, You loved us so much that while we were still sinners, You died for us. Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. We pray for those who do not yet know You. We are certain You want to save and heal them. Even those who are enemies of Yours, You love them and want to save them. We ask You to send Holy Spirit, draw each of them and open their eyes. We ask that angels be sent to minister to them. We pray to the Lord of the harvest that He would send laborers to them, just as You instructed us. We refuse to believe that You cannot do this. We also refuse to believe that You cannot save our nation. We have already aligned ourselves with Your decree: America shall be saved. And now we ask You for signs, wonders, and miracles to begin in order to awaken this nation. Give us a great, great wave of supernatural manifestations of who You are. Demonstrate to the world the truth of who Jesus is by healing, working miracles in His name. We thank you for these things, Father, and we believe them. In Jesus’ name we pray them. Amen. “Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’” So I spoke the message as He commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army. (Ezekiel 37: 9-10) Our decree: We decree that God is coming to save millions of people in America, and a billion people around the world!

Faith for the Impossible Galatians 6:9 (KJV) states: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” If we are not able to persevere, there will be times when we will not receive what we have asked. Jesus said, “All things are possible for the one who believes.” (Mark 9:23 NASB). It is imperative that we ask in faith when we pray for the salvation of the people we love. We must be convinced God will answer our prayers, or we will not be sufficiently motivated to ask with persevering faith. And it is also true that unbelief can block the power of God from being released to answer our prayers. I am certain some of you feel intimidated, questioning whether you have, or could ever have, enough faith to pray your loved one or friend into the family of God. The answer to your question is an emphatic yes! Don’t allow satan, the accuser of the brethren, to defeat you before you ever get started. You are in the household of faith. Holy Spirit, the author of faith, is in you; you can and will be able to believe. Deep within your spirit, it is your nature to walk in faith. One of my favorite stories in the Bible is that of Abraham and Sarah believing God’s promise for a son. What most people don’t realize, however, is that they didn’t always walk in great faith during the 25 years they waited for Isaac. Their faith wavered regarding receiving a son through Sarah - so much so that they conceived a plan to try and fulfill the promise through Hagar, Sarah’s maid. Ishmael was the result. The aged couple was still in doubt when God came again and told Abraham Sarah would conceive and bear him a son “at this season next year” (Genesis 17:21). Abraham was 99 years old and Sarah was 90. Abraham laughed at God, and so did Sarah. I probably would have laughed, too. Abraham’s “faith-filled” response was, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!” (Genesis 17:18). I, too, have asked God to accept a few of my Ishmaels! However, in a seeming contradiction, the New Testament clearly states that it was because of Abraham’s and Sarah’s great faith that God was able to fulfill the promise (see Romans 4:17-22; Hebrews 11:11-12). Does the New Testament contradict the Old Testament? Absolutely not. Romans 4:20 tells us that they “grew strong in faith.” And here’s the good news: They grew into this incredibly strong faith in three short months, at which time Isaac was conceived. Twenty-four years of unbelief was overcome in just three months! From the final announcement until Isaac’s conception, three months later, something transpired to transform them from unbelief to the great faith spoken of in the New Testament. If God could do this for them, He can do it for you! Abraham and Sarah were not yet born again, as you are. They didn’t have Holy Spirit dwelling in them. Surely we who live on this side of the Cross, with a “better covenant” and “better promises” (Hebrews 8:6), can rise to a level of faith as quickly, or perhaps even more so. Don’t underestimate the Christ in you (see Colossians 1:27)! You can be as confident as Sam and Jed, who epitomized faith. Hearing that a $5,000 bounty had been offered for the capture or killing of wolves, they became bounty hunters. Waking up one night, Sam saw that they were surrounded by 50 pairs of gleaming eyes - ravenous wolves licking hungry chops. “Jed, wake up,” he whispered to his sleeping friend. “We’re rich!” When the wolves of unbelief and opposition endeavor to erode your faith, and when the circumstances around you scream that you will never receive the Lord’s promise, follow the admonition of the prophet Joel: “Let the weak say, I am strong” (Joel 3:10). Pray with me: Thank you, Father, for the example You gave us through Abraham and Sarah. Thank You for showing us that our faith can grow quickly as we begin to meditate on and declare Your promises. This is not beyond our reach. You have given us the mind of Christ in order for us to know You and Your ways. We ask you now for a spirit of wisdom, revelation, and enlightenment according to Ephesians 1:17-18. Lift any barrier from our minds so we can receive a revelation of who You are and of Your will for us. We ask You now to save our friends and family members. We know your power is greater than the darkness controlling them. We know the weapons of our warfare are mighty through Holy Spirit to free them (see 2 Corinthians 10:4). So, we break off deception, strongholds of the enemy, and the pride that came to the human race at the Fall causing us to rebel against You. We ask You to do whatever it takes - signs and wonders, dreams, hearing or seeing the right things - do whatever is necessary, Father, to bring them to You. We lay hold of these things by faith, in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that our faith is rising, and we shall see many of our friends and family members come to Christ.

Before I begin today’s reading, I’d like to give you a quick alert. Some of you read and/or watch Give Him15 with your small children. Today I will be talking about a recent Executive Order Biden issued involving sexual issues. I recommend that you read and/or watch the post before including your children. We Must Protect America’s Children Children are gifts from God. They are also our most vulnerable citizens, meant to be cherished and protected by us adults. Yet over the last month, we have seen government decisions that can seriously damage the lives of our children. Joe Biden immediately signed a couple of Executive Orders that threaten the future of our little ones. We can’t take these policies at face value, just simply the titles or listen to the news reports about them; we must examine them carefully. One almost has to go to the documents themselves, and even then they can be deceptive. Some very ungodly decisions are currently being made which will affect our children until we can elect another president. Laws and Executive Orders like the one below are why I voted for Trump and fought to see the election discrepancies properly examined. They are why I haven’t congratulated Biden. More babies are dying, my tax dollars are funding Planned Parenthood, morality is being mocked, and cartels are killing tens of thousands of our teenagers with their drugs coming across a now porous border. I cannot congratulate this. Joe Biden signed an Executive Order titled, Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation. This policy states in part, “Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports.” Half truths and deceptive statements such as these are common ploys in the world of politics. However, there are multiple ethical and moral issues with this Executive Order. Childhood should be carefree and not confusing. It is a simple thing to understand we are born as boys and girls, and that they are fundamentally different from one another. Children are aware of this at a very young age. I cannot think of one little boy or girl who worries about access to the restroom with their God-given gender posted on the door. It is only when senseless and agenda-driven adults, promoting alternative sexual lifestyles, enter the debate that it becomes a confusing problem for them. Sexuality is very important to God. He knew what He was doing when He created us male and female. We are perfect counterparts to walk through life together and carry on the human race. This should be obvious; for most cultures throughout history, it has been. Our nation started down this slope several years ago and things have only gotten worse. The Bible tells us that sex outside of marriage (between one man and one woman) is sin. The Supreme Court may disagree, but we must agree with scripture. We love and pray for those who struggle with any sin, but we cannot compromise scripture. And we should especially not be making choices such as these for children! Yet, that is what’s happening with this Executive Order. This attempt to normalize gender choices causes many problems: It reinforces resistance to the love and salvation of God, making it harder for individuals to see that they need a savior. As with any codified sin, such as legalized abortion and sex outside of marriage, people assume it must be okay with God if it's okay with the government. In order to force accommodation for a few, other children are placed in awkward, if not dangerous, positions. Ask any young woman how safe she feels in a restroom if a man walks in. Consider the embarrassment a young lady feels when a strange young man is changing clothes in the same locker room with her. This is abuse - mental and emotional abuse - and could lead to sexual assault. It is, by the way, primarily an attack against our young girls. There is an intentional desensitization to these issues. when these actions are legalized. Generations growing up under these orders and laws begin thinking it is “normal” for men and women to share private facilities. The goal is to take the sexual revolution farther and remove godliness, purity, and modesty from our culture. School sports are also mentioned in the same executive order. This is another area where our young women are being directly attacked. The Executive Order acts as a reversal of Title IX, enacted in 1972 to provide equal opportunities for women in education and sports. Transgendered biological men competing against women in sports dramatically lowers the chances for a woman to win. Maureen Collins with Alliance Defending Freedom wrote, “Imagine how it would feel to show up to the starting line of a race, knowing you were going to lose. Think of the discipline it would take to push yourself to do your best in a race that you know is rigged against you.” You can read here about this exact thing happening to high school women in CT. Teen women WILL lose college scholarships and the potential for a successful future in women’s sports as a result of this ridiculous EO. Meanwhile, in California last week, three men were given permission by a CA court to be listed as legal parents on two children’s birth certificates. These men describe themselves as a “throuple”. They are in a three-way homosexual relationship and are now 3 dads to a little boy and a little girl. You can read the story in The Christian Post here. Court decisions like this harm our children in many ways. Children should never be allowed to be used as guinea pigs on the whims of adults living alternative lifestyles. Is this the beginning of the “normalization” of another immoral lifestyle? Of course it is! Should a handful of judges have the right to alter our society’s norms to this degree? Where is the protection of our young? Despite these and other foolish actions, our battle is not lost. We must pray and act. Our children are our heritage. They are worth all of our efforts. We must elect God-fearing leaders, and we must pray. Write and call governmental leaders, telling them what you think about actions taken or being considered that could harm our children. Do some research and find out what is happening in your state. And . . . give your little ones an extra hug today. “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” (Psalm 127:3-5 ESV) Pray with me: Lord, our hearts break over the condition of our nation. We are also moved with compassion for those who do not know You. You love them all, Lord, and we do, as well. We have allowed such deception and darkness into our land and it is causing much pain and destruction. For this, we ask You for mercy. Father, our children are Your gift to us. They will carry on our heritage. We ask for an awakening in our nation that reverses laws legitimizing sinful practices. Expose the intent and effects of these edicts. Cause parents and grandparents to rise up against the darkness pouring in through ungodly proclamations, judicial decisions, and legislation. We pray for the salvation of the lost and the misguided. We ask not only that You uncover and expose agendas, but that You move on the hardest of hearts. Let them find themselves in face-to-face encounters with You. Save them, heal them, and deliver them - spirit, soul, and body. Transform them by Your power and glory. Save them and save our kids. Reverse these ungodly directives. Kingdom rule of God, come to America! Will of God for America, be done! Amen. Today’s decree: We will see the innocence and safety of America’s children preserved. God will help us do this.

Debunking the “Separation of Church and State” Myth God honors the concept of government. More than simply believing in it, He tells us in Isaiah 33:22 that He IS government: Lawgiver, Judge, and King. Our government, with its 3 branches - Legislative, Judicial, and Executive - was formed after this pattern. He, as the Author of government, was to funnel His wisdom, will, and ways into earth’s realm through righteous government. I have often said, “God endorses and blesses the concept of government, but He despises the “political spirit.” The political spirit is to government what the religious spirit is to relationship with God. Both are perversions of the real. They are evil. These spirits partnered to crucify Jesus. In America, the political spirit has so defiled our government that deception, a lust for control and power, antichrist ideals/agendas, and greed control much of Washington, D.C. This rebellion and rejection of God eventually opens the door to depravity, such as killing babies. One of the most important statements in America’s founding documents is found in the first sentence of the Bill of Rights, Amendment I: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This Amendment was written to keep our nation from favoring any denominational or religious group, and from forming a state Church or religion, as had occurred in England. There the king was the overseer of the Church of England and the combined power of church and state in that situation was very oppressive to the people. The First Amendment also ensured individuals could relate to God as they desired without the intrusion of government. It was meant to keep government control out of the church, not keep God or His influence out of government. The rotunda of the Capitol was actually used for church services every Sunday morning for decades. Presidents, including Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln, and others regularly attended. Jefferson actually did so just two days after penning his now famous letter to the Danbury Baptists, in which he used the phrase “wall of separation between church and state.” This statement, “a wall of separation between church and state,” does not exist in the First Amendment - or any other place - in the Constitution. Jefferson was answering a question posed to him from the Danbury Baptist Association of Danbury, CT who were concerned about the government forming a state religion. Here is what Jefferson, one of the authors of the U. S. Constitution, actually said in his response on October 17, 1801: “Gentlemen - Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God; that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship; that the legislative powers of government reach actions only and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.” David Barton, considered an expert on the intent of our nation’s founders, said this: “Thomas Jefferson had no intention of allowing the government to limit, restrict, regulate, or interfere with public religious practices. He believed, along with the other Founders, that the First Amendment had been enacted only to prevent the federal establishment of a national denomination.” 1 Over time, the overall effect of the false doctrine regarding “The Separation of Church and State” concluded that neither the church nor God should have any influence in government. And the true meaning, government not controlling or favoring certain religious groups, has been completely ignored. Let me give you a few examples: The Little Sisters of the Poor won a Supreme Court case on July 8, 2020, after a 10-year long battle regarding the Obamacare mandate requiring them to provide contraceptive coverage to their employees. This is against their religious beliefs. While “churches” were exempt, other religious organizations were not. President Trump’s “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” made all religious organizations exempt, as they should be. It took an Executive Order to finally get this basic First Amendment right granted to them. COVID-19 saw the shutdown of almost all businesses and places of worship. On re-opening, some states tried to keep churches and synagogues locked down, while opening bars, casinos, malls, and the like. This made no sense and was an obvious discrimination against Christians and Jews. Churches went on the offense. Some chose civil disobedience, opening anyway, while complying with the same laws similar businesses were following. They also sued their states and cities. Pastor Mike McClure and Apostle Che Ahn, both in California, were on the frontlines of that battle. Pastor McClure was fined millions of dollars for keeping his church open. He spearheaded a case representing the Christians of Santa Clara County against the state of California and the County. Che Ahn’s case for Harvest Rock Church was returned by SCOTUS back to the lower court decision, giving them a victory. On 2/6/21, the Supreme Court ruled in McClure’s favor. (Click here to read FRC’s report on the case.) The Deseret News warned in January that the incoming Biden Administration was considering “restoring” the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” to its “original intent.” They quoted Maggie Garrett, V.P. for public policy at Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, “The Do No Harm Act would ‘preserve the law’s power to protect religious freedom, but also clarify that it can’t be used to cause harm.’” [Italics mine.] Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Well, that last phrase means that anything government decides is hurtful to someone, such as not hiring individuals who do not adhere to a church or organization’s statements of faith, will fit the definition of “cause harm.” With this Act, they could shut churches and Christian businesses down. The humanistic Interfaith Alliance said this, “In recent years, bad faith interpretations [meaning, “the Trump Administration’s interpretation”] have distorted RFRA’s protections to justify discrimination and grant individuals and businesses the authority to impose their religious beliefs on others.” [italics mine.] The Do No Harm Act was reintroduced into the U. S. House of Representatives on 2/25/21. Click here to learn about the bill – HR 1450. There are several more examples of these discriminatory actions. Click here for a list from the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation, which helps track court cases and legislation nationally and at the state level. We currently have an administration that is anti-Christian. Therefore, we will see boldness in advancing the restrictions of religious freedom in the next few years. We must stand strongly and bravely against those attempts. We will pray, we will act, and we will never allow any tyrannical government to restrict our freedom to worship as we believe is right. This is not only a political or philosophical battle; it is a spiritual battle. We will fight and we will win. “For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and He will give you victory!” (Deuteronomy 20:4 NLT) Pray with me: Lord, we exalt Your holy name and proclaim that YOU are God over America. This reality is something no government entity can ever take away from us. Some people in their foolishness, are trying to convince the world there is no God, or that You are irrelevant. Whether because they believe the Church is unimportant, or see us as a threat, they are actively trying to silence us. Our courts have been attempting to interpret our Constitution in progressive, humanistic ways for over 50 years. We have sat back in compliance giving the enemy a foothold. Now we must reverse the damage. Help us to watch carefully and teach us to intercede with wisdom and understanding. Also, give us skill and sound ideas as we take action. We appeal to You, Lord. We ask You to grace us with a holy boldness to push back against the darkness. We will not allow the government to say we can’t have a voice in governmental matters, nor will we comply with laws and judicial decisions that are contrary to Your word and ways. We want Your influence in every aspect of government, so that we and our offspring may live in peace and prosperity. Be glorified in us, Father, and may this nation glorify You. We welcome You into every area of our lives, including government. We pray this in Christ’s name. Amen. Today’s decree: We decree that God is restoring righteous, God-honoring government in America! 1 https://wallbuilders.com/separation-church-state/#FN9

We Will Never Retreat Yesterday, friend and colleague, Pastor Timothy Carscadden, sent me a YouTube link. After listening to our GH15 post, YouTube went to a clip from the 2017 movie Darkest Hour, which includes one of Winston Churchill’s famous World War II speeches (link). Timothy sent it because he remembered a previous GH15 post where I shared a dream and portions of the same speech back in December. As I went back and read that previous post, I was prompted by Holy Spirit to share it with you once again. I don’t recall ever repeating a GH15 post, but I am doing so now because I am convinced Holy Spirit wants this message planted deep within our souls. Here is a portion of that December post: My friend, Dwain Miller, dreamed about me on December 1. In the dream, Winston Churchill came to me and gave me portions of two of his speeches. In the dream, he said to me, “Release the spirit of these words and you will prevail.” The words come from speeches Churchill made during the trying days of WWII: 1) ”...never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. “Do not let us speak of darker days: let us speak rather of sterner days. These are not dark days; these are great days - the greatest days our country has ever lived; and we must all thank God that we have been allowed, each of us according to our stations, to play a part in making these days memorable in the history of our race.”1 2) “We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.”2 I am praying today that the spirit of those words enter you. George Patton, a contemporary of Churchill’s once said, “It is the unconquerable soul of man and not the nature of the weapon he uses which ensures victory.” So true. In one difficult battle, when told by his officers of the need to retreat, Patton is quoted as saying, “Retreat hell, we’ll advance to the rear.” Gotta love it. I’m asking Holy Spirit to raise up spiritual warriors in America, men and women with hearts aflame for the purposes of God. Human torches. Passionate warriors. Committed warriors. And yes, patriot warriors. We will never stop in our spiritual war to save America. “America shall be saved” is more than simply a phrase to bring hope; it is the word of the Lord! When we declare it, it is a sword of the Spirit, penetrating darkness and releasing light. Say it several times today. At least once, turn toward Washington, D.C. and decree it over those who believe they have succeeded in aborting the purposes of God for America. Never stop - it still works! “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:62) Pray with me: Father, we ask You for the fulfillment of the dream You gave Dwain Miller. We ask for a tenacious spirit to be imparted to the Ekklesia in America. Give us fervent passion to see Your kingdom come, Your will be done in this nation. May we fight for Your purposes as we would fight to save our lives. Bring fresh revelation of Your plan to use America as a strong voice on earth for the gospel of the kingdom. We pray that this would be revived in our day. We are not of those who turn back. We have put our hand to the plow and we will persevere until we see the total restoration of America. We will plow, Father, until we see the fires of revival burning across this nation and other nations of the earth. We decree over Washington D.C. that the evil strategies of darkness will not prevail. Those who do not want us to be a Christian nation, a nation that follows God and His Word, the Bible, will not succeed in stealing America’s destiny. We ask You, Father, for a complete overhaul of our nation’s capital. We ask for righteous leaders who boldly honor You and Your ways, who love life and protect the babies. We ask for leaders who honor Your definition of marriage and covenant keeping. And we petition You for government leaders who believe in and speak truth. We pray these things in Christ’s name. Amen. “God’s Word is perfect in every way; how it revives our souls! His laws lead us to truth, and His ways change the simple into wise. His teachings make us joyful and radiate His light; His precepts are so pure! His commands, how they challenge us to keep close to His heart! The revelation-light of His word makes my spirit shine radiant. Every one of the Lord’s commands is right; following them brings cheer. Nothing He says ever needs to be changed.” (Psalm 19: 7-9 TPT) Today’s decree: We decree that America shall be saved! You can find out more about Dwain Miller here. You can find out more about Timothy Carscadden here. 1 https://www.nationalchurchillmuseum.org/never-give-in-never-never-never.html 2 https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1940-the-finest-hour/we-shall-fight-on-the-beaches/

The Scapegoat A scapegoat takes someone else’s blame and resulting consequences. My older brother, Tim, who is now an author and apostolic leader in Ohio, was an expert at diverting blame to me when we were kids. I was always perfectly innocent never doing anything wrong. He was always the troublemaker. Mom and Dad were forever taking his side - it seems they could never see through his manipulation and recognize my total innocence. My entire childhood was one of enduring those false accusations - being Tim’s scapegoat. I’ve spent the last 40 years as an adult seeking inner healing for this injustice. Of course, you know this isn’t entirely true - I was only almost perfect! But it does allow me to take a shot at Tim, of which he is well deserving. And it also illustrates my subject. In the Old Testament, two animals were used on the Day of Atonement. One was sacrificed; the other was used for the scapegoat. The high priest placed his hands on the scapegoat’s head, confessed the sins of the nation, then the animal was released into the wilderness never to be seen again. It symbolized Christ, our scapegoat, crucified outside the city, carrying away our curse. Christ, our scapegoat, bearing away our curse, is well illustrated by a story in the book What It Will Take to Change the World by S.D. Gordon. The following is my paraphrase of this story about a couple who discovered that their 14-year-old son had lied to them. The young boy, whom we’ll refer to as Steven, had skipped school three consecutive days. He was found out when his teacher called his parents to inquire about his well-being. The parents were more upset by Steven’s lies than his missing school. After praying with him about what he had done, they decided on a very unusual and severe form of punishment. I’m not endorsing their decision, but the story is powerful. Their conversation with him went something like this: “Steven, do you know how important it is that we be able to trust one another?” “Yes.” “How can we ever trust each other if we don’t always tell the truth? That’s why lying is such a terrible thing. Not only is it sin, but it also destroys our ability to trust one another. Do you understand that?” “Yes sir.” “Your mother and I must make you understand the seriousness, not so much of skipping school, but of the lies you told. Your discipline will be that for the next three days, one for each day of your sin, you must go to the attic and stay there by yourself. You will even eat and sleep there.” So young Steven headed off to the attic and the bed prepared for him there. It was a long evening for Steven and perhaps longer for Mom and Dad. Neither could eat, and for some reason when Dad tried to read the paper, the words seemed blurry. Mom tried to sew, but couldn’t see to thread the needle. Finally, it was bedtime. About midnight, as the father lay in bed thinking about how lonely and afraid Steven must be, he finally spoke to his wife. “Are you awake?” “Yes, I can’t sleep for thinking about Steven.” “Neither can I,” answered Dad. An hour later he queried again, “Are you asleep yet?” “No,” answered Mom, “I just can’t sleep for thinking about Steven all alone up in the attic.” “Me either.” Another hour passed. It was now 2:00 A.M. “I can’t stand this any longer!” murmured Dad as he climbed out of bed grabbing his pillow and a blanket. “I’m going to the attic.” He found Steven much as he expected: wide awake with tears in his eyes. “Steven,” said his father, “I can’t take away the punishment for your lies because you must be shown the seriousness of what you’ve done. You must realize that sin, especially lying, has severe consequences. But your mother and I can’t bear the thought of you being all alone here in the attic, so I’m going to share your punishment with you.” Father lay down next to his son and the two put their arms around each other’s necks. The tears on their cheeks mingled as they shared the same pillow and the same punishment . . . for three nights. What a picture! Two thousand years ago God crawled out of bed with His blanket and pillow - actually three spikes and a cross of crucifixion - placed His tear-stained cheek next to ours and bore our punishment for sin. His attic was a tomb, His bed a slab of rock and the cheek next to His was yours - yours and mine. That’s right. Christ was not alone on the Cross - we were with Him. He was actually there to join us in our sentence of death. We weren’t there physically, of course, but we were spiritually (see Romans 6:4-6), as He bore our sin, shame, and punishment. That’s why I’m so confident God hears our prayers for America’s cleansing and restoration. The blood of Christ, His identification with us, and His substitutionary sacrifice are still speaking in Heaven - and they are louder than our sin. God loves America. He loves ALL sinners, everywhere. That’s who He was, is, and will always be: the Great Lover! Pray with me: Father, we thank You for sending Christ to identify with our human condition, ultimately to the point of embracing our guilt and shame. He became our Scapegoat. Thank You for allowing our sin to be put on Him in order that we might receive forgiveness, cleansing, and Your righteousness. Such a merciful and compassionate plan is beyond kind, it is truly immeasurable love. We ask You now for this abundant and unfathomable love to be poured out once again in our land. We ask You for an enlightenment to people regarding their need of salvation, and for a revelation of who You are. May the light of the gospel penetrate the darkness covering our nation. It is not Your will that any should perish. We come into agreement with Your desires and release Your power into America to bring these things to pass. We ask for this in other nations, as well. We ask You for powerful signs, wonders and miracles to begin across this land. Extraordinary miracles. We need these signposts that can point people to You. We need wonderment to be created in people, causing them to realize You are real - and You care about them. Heal the sick, deliver those who are bound and, yes, even raise the dead. Let history write that the greatest awakening in world history broke out in 2021. We ask for these things in the authority of Christ. Amen. Decree: We declare that the mercies of the Lord endure forever!

Having the Right Leaders is Crucial We are at a point in history where we must make a strong stand for Christ. Arkansas Senator Jason Rapert and Representative Mary Bentley are two who are doing so. Last week we prayed over AR SB 6 co-sponsored by Representative Mary Bentley - To Create the Arkansas Unborn Child Protection Act; to Abolish Abortion in Arkansas and Protect the Lives of Unborn Children; And to Protect All Human Life. It passed the Arkansas Senate and will be heard in the House tomorrow (Wednesday) at noon CT . It is expected to pass in the House, and then will go to Governor Asa Hutchinson to be signed into law. Those of you who live in Arkansas, please write and ask him to sign SB 6. Be strong in your request. Click here to do that. (Let me remind you, even though it is signed, this is one of those laws that will not actually be active until Roe v. Wade is overturned at the federal level. We are positioning ourselves for that day.) This bill has encountered great opposition, and not only from leaders in the Democratic party in Arkansas. Attacks have come against it nationally through the media and from many anti-life groups, as well. I’m sure we are all aware by now that the enemy will not sit quietly by while we remove his death structure from America. But the armies of heaven and earth are mobilizing together and we will remove it! When asked what inspired him to draft this bill, Senator Rapert replied, “One of the primary things I believe in is the sanctity of life. The Arkansas Republican Party platform lists as its first principle, ‘The belief in Almighty God.’ The second is, 'The belief in the sanctity of life.’ So, I have been consistent in voting for and sponsoring pro-life legislation through my time in office and I will continue to do that. “We have been able to curb abortion in Arkansas over the last 10 years, but we still have over 62 million innocent babies who have been aborted in this country. We must weigh the humanity and morality of this. . .We should not be okay with the taking of human life at this level – innocent babies. I believe it [abortion] is a crime against humanity just as dreadful as the 87 years from 1776 to 1863 – when slavery was legal in the United States of America. 62 million babies dead is a problem America has to deal with.” Senator Rapert, himself, has come under tremendous attack – politically and personally. It has not shifted his resolve, however, to do the right thing for God and the people he represents. He recently said, “We are entering a time in America right now that might be called a season of one of the greatest delusions in our country’s history. We have been lied to for years, and now that is being ratcheted up. There are many trying to silence the truth wherever it is.”1 The Senator further stated the importance of 1 Timothy, chapter 3, and the first part of chapter 4, to see fully what the Lord is saying about the condition of America today. Here are some excerpts from that passage: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! As Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth.” We must pray, and we must also choose righteous leaders at every level to represent us. We cannot be casual in this. If we’re going to win the war for this nation, we need Christian leaders with the character that Senator Rapert and Representative Bentley possess. We must vote them to office, then support them in prayer and encouragement once they’re in office. Rapert recently quoted John Jay, America’s first U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers. It’s the duty as well as the privilege of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” It is imperative that we have God-fearing leadership in office from the local to the federal level. We need godly city council members, school board members, county commissioners, and judges. We need Christians in our state houses and senates. We, of course, need Christian Governors, Lieutenant Governors, and Attorneys General. We need those filling these positions to be men and women of prayer and character. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32 NKJV) Pray with me: Father, we thank You for noble and honorable leaders like Senator Rapert and Representative Bentley. We know there are many like them across our nation and we are grateful. We stand with and support them in prayer. We ask You to give them great wisdom and understanding. We ask You to protect them from the onslaught of threats, lawsuits and other types of attacks. Be a shield around them spiritually, physically, and emotionally. We continue to pray for the right strategies and plans to end abortion in America. We ask for the eyes of people to be opened to truth and for deception to be broken off of them. We pray for the brainwashing that has occurred over time to somehow be changed. Let the horrific nature of the sin of abortion be revealed to America. We ask You to help us reverse every law that has been written in favor of killing babies. And we ask You for forgiveness and healing. Forgive us as a nation for this sin, and please forgive and heal those who have been part of it. We especially pray for those who have been emotionally wounded by abortion and ask for Your healing to come to them through Your grace and forgiveness. May they find peace and freedom from the condemnation and guilt. Finally, we ask You to come to this nation with a great and sweeping revival that delivers us from evil and saves millions. Cleanse us from sin and corruption, and bring us into Your abundant life and blessing. We ask all of this in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen. Today’s decree: We decree that righteous leaders are being raised up in our nation who will honor God and His ways. 1 Statements from Senator Jason Rapert were made at The Bridge Church. Thank you to Apostle Steve McCuin for sharing them with us. If you or someone you know needs healing and hope restored, listen to my recent podcast Broken No More, here or watch it here.

Who Will Write the Next Chapter God wants to fully restore America’s spiritual purpose and destiny. Our purpose as a nation is to partner with Christ, just as Israel did, shining as a light to the nations. Our divine calling is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ from these shores to the ends of the earth; and also, to be an example of what Yahweh will do for a nation “whose God is the Lord” (Psalms 33:12). With America’s deterioration of the past 40-50 years, this calling has been in jeopardy. Rather than exporting the gospel, we are now the leading exporter of pornography, as well as other forms of depravity through film and music. America is literally trafficking in filth! Portions of the shocking history we are writing today will one day shame us. We experiment on aborted babies and sell their body parts without shame, referring to them as “fetal tissue.” Transferring babies from the womb to the organ bank or dumpster is now a deplorable shocking part of American history. The madness must stop! We’re writing a nauseating history, one over which our children and grandchildren will weep. Jesus said to Jerusalem, “You did not recognize the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:44). Unfortunately, the word “visitation” does not clearly communicate what Christ had offered them. He was not simply referencing a “visit.” The Greek word is episcope, from which we get the words “bishop,” “overseer,” and “superintendent.” Jesus was actually saying to Jerusalem, “I came to cover you, to be your Shepherd and Protector. I wanted to take you as a mother hen would her chicks and hide you under My wings, covering and protecting you. But you did not recognize this” (see Luke 13:34). We in America are currently receiving the same offer Christ initially made to Jerusalem. God is giving us an opportunity to return to Him and the blessing of His loving care. His desire is to demonstrate that righteousness - not money, power, or pleasure - exalts a nation (see Proverbs 14:34). Jesus is knocking at America’s door, asking, “Will you receive Me back into this nation as your Shepherd and Bishop, allowing Me to cover, protect, and lead you? Will you once more become a nation under God?” Ultimately, it will be the Church that answers those questions. “If my people,” has always been the deciding factor regarding whether or not a nation is healed and blessed (see 2 Chronicles 7:14). We, the Church, must refuse to surrender this nation to humanists, atheists, liberal politicians, and individuals who want the influence of God and the Bible removed from America. Though much ground has been lost to these ungodly forces, it is not too late. All the earth belongs to God (see Psalm 24:1), and we must appeal to Him for change. Of course, we must always walk in tolerance and love. But to love people doesn’t equate to giving them everything they want, nor should tolerance be confused with abdication. The giants of sin and godlessness in our nation can absolutely be conquered and the hearts of people can most certainly be won. Though the taunting titans may mock us in the name of their gods, just as Goliath did Israel’s army, we can daily and fervently decree biblical promises such as, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound,” (Romans 5:20, KJV). And the great promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 is still true today, “If my people who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land.” I believe this with all of my heart, and live for this hope. We in America are not at the mercy of spiritual giants. Though the past several years have been devastating, we can write a new and glorious chapter for our nation. Let’s do it! Let’s humble ourselves, call upon God, and go on the offense through prayer. If we do so, confessing the sins of America and appealing to God for mercy, He will answer our prayers and pour out His Spirit on this land once again. The giants wrote America’s last chapter; let us - the praying church - write the next one. Pray with me: Father, we are acutely aware of our demise as a nation. We have accepted a culture of death; we kill our babies and sell their body parts; we have become very immoral, and we accept corruption and lack of integrity at the highest levels of our government. You are insulted every day in our schools, mocked in our media, and Your ways are rejected in our culture. And yet, who is like You in Your mercy? Your grace and love are amazing. Your redemption is greater than our sin. So, we are asking You for another visitation. Not a short visit, but as You meant in Luke 19, a reconnection with You as our overseer, our caretaker, and our covering. Come and shepherd this nation again, please. Pour out your Spirit, and let it happen very soon. And Lord, please expel those who continue to oppose You. Pull them down from their places of authority and give us righteous leaders. Do this in the courts, Congress, and the White House. Do it at the state level, and the city level. We bind the plans and activities of the powers of darkness as they attempt to destroy our nation. We pray as You said, let Your kingdom come and Your will be done in this nation. In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the great Shepherd is coming to rescue America! Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Giants Will Fall.