The Equality Act - Legitimizing Immorality Bill Donahue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, called House Bill 5, otherwise known as The Equality Bill, “the most comprehensive assault on Christianity ever written into law.” 1 He is not alone in that sentiment. All Bible-believing Christians must make themselves aware of HB5 and the effect it will have on society in general, and the Church specifically. We must pray! But we must also contact our Senators now to let them know they must not pass this bill into law. I hope you will gain a full understanding of why as we discuss it here. We are partnering today with Intercessors for America and FRCAction to bring you in-depth information on HB5 — voted on yesterday by the House. They had not yet voted by the time I had to record this, but the assumption has been that the House would pass it. The Senate will now take it up. Both of these organizations have been tracking this bill from its introduction and understand it well. Intercessors for America helps us understand the bill from a point of definition: HB5 is not really about “equality.” It is all about SOGI. What is “SOGI”? It stands for sexual orientation/gender identity. A well-funded, powerful movement is legalizing intimidation by attaching gender identity language to legislation and action of all kinds—even those that should have nothing to do with this concept. Pushing to make sexual orientation/gender identity an issue in much of our civic lives, and in the end, a protected class of citizens. It has become nationally championed. In the previous Congress, HB5 passed in the House but was not taken up by the Senate. Things have changed, however. HB5 has been reintroduced in the House, and with the shift of power in the Senate, it has a very real possibility of passing. SOGI language has been inserted in treaties, commerce regulations, education standards, housing acts, local laws, and ordinances. It is a strategy. SOGI language supports and validates LGBTQ lifestyles, and forces the overwhelming majority of the nation to treat this as a preferred and protected class. By creating this “protected class” they are also elevating SOGI beyond equal treatment to a civil right. Special protections for LGBTQ will trump the rights of other people. This means that Christian daycares or schools may be forced to hire LGBTQ employees. What Jack Philips endured as a cake baker would become the norm and have a different result if these SOGI language clauses are adopted. Parents may not be able to decline hormone treatments for gender-confused children. SOGI clauses are legislating to the exception and restricting constitutional freedoms in order to achieve a pro-LGBTQ society. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that there shall be no discrimination of a person based on their “race, color, national origin, sex, and religion.“ The first four of these are included largely because they are intrinsic to the individual, are bestowed involuntarily, and are unchangeable, immutable. (Religion is voluntary, and is protected by the First Amendment.) As Peter Sprigg of Family Research Council points out, “while sexual attractions may be involuntary, neither homosexual conduct nor transgender behavior meets any of the other criteria.” To elevate someone’s “felt” and potentially changing gender to the status of a civil right is incongruent—it doesn’t qualify and it is a dangerous slippery slope. Ryan T. Anderson of the Heritage Foundation makes a good point. “In the United States of America, people who identify as LGBT are free to live as they want. But SOGI laws, including FFA [Freedom for All], are not about freedom— they are about coercion. SOGI and FFA are about forcing all Americans to embrace—and live out—certain beliefs about human sexuality.” It is forcing all Americans to live under their beliefs, their choices and their reality. You can read more from Intercessors for America on this topic, download a special report, and share a message with your elected officials by clicking here. There is a chart on the Special Report showing the 24 states which have already passed some form of SOGI laws. This is another battle that may be waged at the state level. FRCAction gives us “an overview of some of the problems with the Equality Act”: The Equality Act jeopardizes women’s privacy and safety. The Equality Act’s expansion of the Title II “Public Accommodations” definition means that females would no longer have privacy in public bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, or even battered women’s shelters. State and local laws to this effect are already causing fallout: A kindergartener was assaulted by a boy in her school bathroom. A rape survivor was forced to quit her job when her employer began allowing men into women’s private facilities. A man was allowed residence in a women’s shelter, and nine women are suing because they were sexually harassed. The Equality Act unfairly penalizes female athletes by allowing biological men to compete in women’s sports. The Equality Act would undermine real civil rights gains women have made. The Equality Act would interfere with the medical profession. It would force doctors and others who provide legitimate hormone treatments and surgical procedures for patients with certain physical conditions to offer those treatments for individuals with gender dysphoria. Their moral or medical opinions about assisting individuals in physically altering their bodies would be disregarded. The Equality Act could erode parental rights. When Ohio parents declined hormone treatment for their child, the Children’s Hospital of Cincinnati involved child protective services, and the parents were ultimately stripped of their parental rights. The Equality Act would severely erode religious freedom. The Equality Act expressly exempts itself from the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), our flagship religious liberty law. The Equality Act’s expansion of public accommodations could require churches and houses of worship to violate their beliefs regarding how they use their facilities. Its changes to employment law would prohibit some houses of worship from ensuring their clergy and employees abide by their doctrines or beliefs about marriage, sexual behavior, and the distinction between the sexes. The Equality Act would inhibit faith-based charities’ ability to operate. The Equality Act could be the most pro-abortion legislation to pass the House in a decade. The changes would essentially create an abortion mandate...this also jeopardizes long-standing federal conscience laws that protect those opposed to abortion. The Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer funding for abortion, would also be in jeopardy. The Equality Act shamefully attempts to usurp the civil rights movement’s history and legacy. In no way are one’s sexual conduct and inclinations equivalent to skin color. Suggesting or implying as much diminishes the hard-fought gains of this movement. Indeed, scientific evidence shows that “sexual orientation” is quite fluid and that “gender identity” is not fixed. The Equality Act mandates an anti-life, anti-family, and anti-faith agenda upon all Americans. You can read FRC Action’s entire article and contact your U.S. Representative by clicking here. God knew what He was doing when He created us male and female. We should never mistreat anyone else, including those with whom we disagree on moral issues. Nevertheless, we cannot stand silently by and continue allowing immorality to become the law of the land. We must let our voices be heard, and we must pray. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NLT) Pray with me: Father, we come to Your throne of grace to obtain mercy. We want to do justice while also loving mercy. You take no pleasure in judgment, nor do we. You love to extend mercy, new and fresh every morning. When people repent, You quickly embrace them. You love it when nations turn away from their sinful ways. You pour out Your mercy and salvation upon them. We are in need of that mercy now, Lord. America is on the precipice of institutionalizing great sin. Lord, liberals see an opportunity to advance an agenda through HB5 that will have sweeping repercussions for this nation. It will turn hearts away from You. It will bring persecution to Your church. Send Your Spirit of revelation to us. Move on those in the church to pray and act, to quickly let their Senators know we do not want HB5 passed into law. Break off all fear of what our congressional leaders will think of us. Give us revelation of what this will mean to future generations of Americans, what it will mean regarding preserving this nation in Your will and destiny. Touch the hearts of Senators, we pray. Awaken their consciences. Let “the fear of the Lord” - fear of You - come upon our lawmakers. Grant America mercy, Lord Jesus. Amen. Today’s decree: We decree that God is coming to America with His saving grace! 1 Catholic League Calls Equality Act ‘Most Comprehensive Assault on Christianity Ever Written Into Law’. 2/23/21:https://www.theepochtimes.com/catholic-league-calls-equality-act-most-comprehensive-assault-on-christianity-ever-written-into-law_3707656.html?utm_source=pushengage

Arkansas and South Carolina are Standing for Life The fact that we are having to fight for the life of unborn babies is in and of itself mind-numbing. Yet, America has been making significant strides for life over the last few years. President Trump was a supporter of life and made that evident by his placement of 3 conservative, constitutional justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. He was the first and only president to march for life. He rolled back the Mexico City policy, which ended the provision of U.S. tax dollars supporting abortion providers and practices internationally, and defunded Planned Parenthood here in the U.S. In the years of his presidency, America chose LIFE! The religious leaders referencing we who fought spiritually for him in the election as a “Trump cult” should give these facts some thought. Biden, on the other hand, immediately reinstituted the Mexico City Policy and is working quickly to re-fund abortion providers domestically. In fact, Jay Sekulow’s ACLJ reported this week, “Biden has just nominated quite possibly the MOST PRO-ABORTION Secretary of Health and Human Services EVER. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has not only spent his entire career promoting pro-abortion laws, but he has also vindictively targeted pro-lifers. He’s not just pro-abortion, he’s anti-life… He sued Little Sisters of the Poor to force them to pay for abortion pills, fought to allow race- and gender-based selective abortions, tried to overturn pro-life laws – not only in California, but NATIONWIDE – and prosecuted pro-lifers.” And get this… he has no medical experience at all. You can click here to sign a petition to demand the Senate reject Mr. Becerra’s nomination. The battle for life is now going to have to be won at the state level. As I told you the other day, a number of states are positioning themselves to choose life when Roe v Wade is overturned at the Supreme Court. (This will not make abortion illegal natonwide; it simply returns it to the states to do as each chooses.) There is confidence now that the right case is going to come to the Court in the next few years, and Roe v Wade will be overturned. I am very proud to live in one of those states—South Carolina. Last Thursday, Governor Henry McMaster signed South Carolina’s Heartbeat Bill into law. This bill prohibits most abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. This is possible between 6 and 8 weeks gestation. Almost all babies will be protected under this law! It was immediately opposed in court by the usual crowd, led by Planned Parenthood. The state’s Attorney General Allan Wilson said of the opposition, “[We will] vigorously defend this law in court because there is nothing more important than protecting life.” 1 This week, Arkansas is considering a state Senate Bill to protect life in the womb. AR SB 6 is based on The Moral Outcry. Let me remind you what that is, then we’ll talk about the significance of this bill. Allan Parker is a constitutional attorney who spearheads The Moral Outcry. Allan represented Norma McCorvey, the woman who was Roe in Roe v. Wade. She is now deceased and sadly will not see her case overturned, as she so desired. Allan understands the case completely and is on our side – the Lord’s side! He explains the reason The Moral Outcry is necessary: “In the 1992 landmark case Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the US Supreme Court had an opportunity to reverse Roe v. Wade, and its companion Doe v. Bolton. In conference, the justices voted 5-4 to overturn Roe and Doe but at the 11th hour, before the opinion was released, a centrist coalition of moderate judges – including Justice Kennedy who switched his vote – was formed to write a compromise that would weaken the Roe and Doe decisions, but still leave abortion as the law of the land. What might have happened on that day if more pro-life voices had been heard? What if a massive moral outcry had emerged from the American people? The Moral Outcry petition will serve as a symbol of that moral outcry. It will wake up the nation and galvanize the national conscience to end the scourge of abortion in America. It will declare that, as a people, we do not accept the compromise that leads to the unnecessary death of millions of innocent babies.” Arkansas’s SB 6 is titled, “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 will be considered a landmark bill if passed and goes to the Supreme Court. You can go to the bottom of this page to find a link to the entire text of the Bill. For now, here are some highlights: 1) “It is time for the United States Supreme Court to redress and correct the grave injustice and the crime against humanity which is being perpetuated by its decisions in Roe v. Wade, Doe v. Bolton, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.” [You may want to read about the Supreme Court cases mentioned in the next few sentences if they are unfamiliar to you. We should all understand them.] 2) “The United States Supreme Court committed a grave injustice and a crime against humanity in the Dred Scott decision by denying personhood to a class of human beings, African Americans.” [This is stated in the context of the unborn being denied “personhood”.] 3) “The United States Supreme Court also committed a grave injustice and a crime against humanity by upholding the ‘separate but equal’ doctrine in Plessy v. Ferguson, which withdrew legal protection from a class of human beings who were persons under the United States Constitution, African Americans.” [This, of course, is stating that the unborn are also “persons” currently being denied legal protection.] 4) It goes on to note: a. The three abortion-related cases mentioned in #1 above have been the most continuously contested in history, speaking to their rejection by the American people. b. New scientific information confirms that life begins at conception and a child IS a person from that moment. c. All 50 states have “safe harbor” laws, meaning that a woman now has options if she does not want to care for a child she delivers. d. Many other supportive points are given. 5) There is clarification and definition of what an abortion is and is not. Spontaneous miscarriage, for example, is not the same as an elective ending of a pregnancy. Allan Parker goes on to say this about the Bill: “SB 6, proposed by Arkansas Senator Jason Rapert, Representative Mary Bentley, and other courageous legislators, is the first immediate statewide ban on abortion to be based on The Moral Outcry Petition. Thank you for your prayers. Keep praying!” It was approved by the Arkansas Senate yesterday. It will now go to the House and, if passed, to the Governor for his signature. Please contact the Governor and Representatives of Arkansas if you live in the state and want them to know you support SB 6: Arkansas Governor Arkansas House of Representatives “Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid. Tell my people of their sins!” (Isaiah 58:1 NLT) Pray with me: Lord, You have awakened Your Ekklesia to battle. We know You mean for us to experience victories in the battles we are engaged in. We are no longer merely intercessors crying out in intercession hour after endless hour. We are also Your Ekklesia - spiritual legislators, joining together in faith to form our nation’s future. We will partner with You until we see Your Kingdom advanced and established in our earthly systems. Acting on Your direction, we will discern the times and seasons, and act accordingly. We believe abortion in America will end under our watch. We know You have already provided for the victory, but we will lobby legislation after legislation after legislation from the states to the Supreme Court until we experience what pleases You. We will secure life for the unborn and protection for the mothers. We pray for the Arkansas Senate Bill 6 and other pieces of legislation being written. Lord, give them favor. Holy Spirit, may these bills become law. When they are challenged, get the best ones to the Supreme Court. Overturn Roe v. Wade, we pray; give states what they need to throw off the culture of death, abortion has brought to us. Arkansas Senator Jason Rapert, Rep. Mary Bentley, and other Arkansas legislators gathered and asked You for a strategy of life for their state. You sent Allan Parker and the concept of The Moral Outcry to them to give the constitutional framework needed. You have helped them. We acknowledge You as the Savior and the Giver of Life. We expect the very best to come from this! We expect a great victory for life. We ask You this in the name of our Lord Jesus, Amen. Today’s decree: The people of the United States of America are rising up and will seek justice for the unborn! 1https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/feb/18/south-carolina-governor-awaits-bill-banning-most-a/. 2/18/2021 NOTE: “Here is the link to the Press Conference which explains AR SB 6. Please note Senator Rapert's reading of the Moral Outcry Petition which are the Legislative findings in the Bill. Also, watch Operation Outcry's own Nona Ellington's testimony of the harm abortion causes women, even for victims of rape. You can read the full text of the Bill here.

Be On The Alert As we learn of and pray in accordance with the watchman concept of prayer, two New Testament verses are meaningful. The first is Ephesians 6:18: “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (emphasis added). The King James Version uses the word “watching” for the phrase “be on the alert.” The second verse is 1 Peter 5:8: “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (emphasis added). Again, other translations use the word “watchful.” Significantly, the context of both verses is spiritual warfare. Each mentions our adversary and challenges us to alertness or watchfulness, both for ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ. I want to draw four important conclusions from these two verses. Protection from the attacks of our enemy - even for believers - is not automatic. There is a part we play in receiving protection. Though God is sovereign, this does not mean He is literally in control of everything that happens on earth. He has left much to the decisions and actions of humankind. If God were going to protect or safeguard us from satan’s attacks regardless of what we did, these verses would be totally irrelevant for Christians. Somewhere in our theology, we must find a place for human responsibility. At some point, we must begin to believe that our decisions and actions matter, both for ourselves and for others. God’s plan is to warn or alert us to satan’s tactics. This is a simple deduction. If God says, “be on the alert” for satan’s attacks, He is obviously willing to make us aware of them. God would not ask of us something He was not going to enable us to accomplish. We must be alert - remain watchful - or we will not be aware of God’s attempts to warn us of satan’s attacks and plans. If these attacks were always going to be obvious, alertness would not be necessary. Isaiah 56:10 speaks of “blind watchmen.” What an amazing oxymoron! I am afraid it has been a fairly good description of many of us in our watching roles. We are too often like Christ’s disciples of old, whom He said had eyes but at times couldn’t see (see Mark 8:18). We must do more than glance; we must alertly watch! If we are not alert and watchful, and if we are ignorant of satan’s attacks, he will devour. As yesterday’s post stated, he will gain on us, taking advantage of our ignorance. Contrary to popular belief, we really can be destroyed due to ignorance or a lack of knowledge (see Hosea 4:6). We don’t like to admit it, but satan really has gained a lot of territory in America. Satan and demons are real. They seek to oppress, deceive, steal, kill and destroy. We must not deny the reality of, or ignore, spiritual conflict. Obviously, we are not to be preoccupied with satan; but neither are we to live in denial of him. The results of both can be disastrous. Don’t be like the desert nomad who awakened hungrily one night and decided he’d have a midnight snack. Lighting a candle, he grabbed a date and took a bite. Holding the date to the candle, he saw a worm, whereupon he threw the date out of the tent. Biting into the second date, he found another worm and threw it away, also. Deciding he might not get anything to eat if this continued, he blew out the candle and ate the dates. Sometimes we, too, prefer the darkness of denial to the light of truth. Though the truth does hurt at times, it is still truth. Denial does not change it. Where satan has made gains, let’s admit it and determine to take them back! “Remember to stay alert and hold firmly to all that you believe. Be mighty and full of courage” (1 Corinthians 16:13 TPT). Pray with me: Father, we are not in denial. We realize satan has made great gains in America. He has taken much ground and infiltrated pretty much every segment of our culture. He and his allies have programmed the minds of a generation. They have eroded hunger for You, even convincing many that You do not exist. And, as always, he thinks he has won. He has not! You have the power to awaken. Your spirit of revelation can peel back the covering that blinds the minds of unbelievers, causing them to see clearly who Jesus really is. Like the 3000 saved on the day of Pentecost, and the 5000 born again when the lame man at the gate called Beautiful was healed, You can lift the veil, open spiritually blind eyes and cause people to finally see You. Our prayers are creating and releasing this revelation. The appeal is working. As You instructed us, we command Your Kingdom rule to invade America - we say, Kingdom come! We command Your will to be done (Matthew 6:10), we decree that no government will stop this. No corruption in government will prevail, all deception and corruption will be exposed. Pride will be exposed. Dishonest motives will be exposed. And You will be shown to be King and Lord - You, the Creator and Savior of America. You are coming, and will not be stopped! We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen. Let’s decree together: We Decree that wave after wave of revival, a deluge of Holy Spirit outpouring, is coming to America - AND IT WILL NOT BE STOPPED! Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Watchman Prayer.

Can a Christian Be An Agnostic? Satan takes advantage of us when the watchman concept of prayer is not operating, as is made clear in the following verse: “So that no advantage be taken of us by satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11). The context of the verse is forgiveness, but a general principle is also revealed, which is very applicable to our subject. Let’s analyze the verse more closely. The word “ignorant” is from the Greek word agnoeo, which means to be “without knowledge or understanding of.” Our English word “agnostic” is derived from it. Technically, an agnostic is not a person who is unsure if he or she believes in God, although we now use the word in this way. In actuality, however, an agnostic is a person who does not know or understand, regardless of the subject. We also get the word “ignore” from the same root. In this verse, we are urged not to ignore or be an agnostic - without understanding - where the devil is concerned. “Schemes” is from the word noema, which literally means “thought.” The verse is essentially saying, “Don’t be without understanding of the way satan thinks.” Noema came to also mean, “plans, schemes, plots, devices,” because these things are born in the thoughts of the mind. For greater insight, let’s insert all of these concepts into the verse: “Don’t be without understanding of the way your enemy thinks and operates - of his plans, plots, schemes, and devices.” There is also a subtle promise in this command. If God says we are not to be ignorant of satan’s schemes, obviously He is willing to reveal them to us. He doesn’t want us to be caught off guard. What happens if we ARE unaware of satan’s schemes? The verse says he will take advantage of us. The word “advantage” is derived from pleonekteo, which is a compound word meaning literally “to have or hold the greater portion” (pleon - “the greater part;” - echo - “to have or hold”). It is easy to see why this is a word for “covet.” It also means “overreach.” In boxing, the person who has the longer reach has the advantage and usually gets in more blows. The word pleonekteo is also translated “make a gain;” satan makes a lot of gains on those who are unaware of his ways. The Greek scholar, Bullinger, says pleonekteo means “to make a prey of, to defraud.” Let’s put all of these definitions together: “To the degree we are ignorant of the way our adversary thinks and operates - of his plans, plots, schemes and devices - to that degree he will gain on us, prey on us, defraud us of what is ours and have or hold the greater portion.” Wow! The next obvious question is, the greater portion of what? Whatever! Our jobs, marriages, families, communities, money, government, nation, and more. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Church in America was without an understanding of what satan was planning, and he got the greater portion of our schools. The same could be said of our arts and entertainment, our government, and many of our churches! Paul was taken advantage of in 1 Thessalonians 2:18. Satan “gained” on him in the ongoing war over spreading the Gospel: “For we wanted to come to you - I, Paul, more than once - and yet satan hindered us.” We know Paul won more battles than he lost. He was human, however, and at times satan succeeded in thwarting his plans. Please notice it does not say God changed His mind about where Paul was to go. It clearly says that satan hindered him. Those people who would have us think that satan can do nothing except what God allows and therefore, we can simply ignore him should reread these two verses. God does not ignore the devil, and neither should we. And satan certainly does a lot of things God does not “allow” him to do. The only sense in which it can be said that God allows everything which occurs on earth is that He created the laws and principles governing the earth - sowing and reaping, cause and effect, and the free will of humans. We, humans, however, implement these principles and in so doing, determine what we reap and experience. As we stated yesterday, in the 1960s the Church in America was not watching - she was asleep. Unaware of what satan was doing, he grabbed the bigger portion of American society and culture. The demise has been shocking. But watchmen on the wall are sounding the alarm - “There is a serpent in our garden! And it’s time to run him out.” And we shall! Through the blood of the Lamb, the victory of the Cross, and the name of the Creator and Owner of the earth - Jesus - we shall overcome and expel the serpent. “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11). Pray with me: Father, our ignorance of satan and his thinking, schemes, and plans, has been costly. He has certainly taken advantage of us and gained the bigger portion of America. He has outmaneuvered the church and overpowered unbelievers. It looks as though a generation has been lost. Yet, You are the God of resurrection power. You are the God of grace and the Giver of mercy. Your mercy triumphs over judgment, and Your love and grace triumphs over the serpent. You love to redeem and restore. You’re the Great Physician, the Giver and Sustainer of life, the Friend of sinners and Lover of humankind. And You are coming to America! So, we boldly ask for this appearance. Come with strength and power, come like a rushing mighty wind, come like the rain, flow like a river. Come to the poor and the rich, to black and white and yellow and brown, to the city and the country, to the young and the old. Come and heal this nation of the serpent’s bite. Free us from his deception and blindness, his lust and perversions, his hatred and murder. Come to this nation - come quickly and come with a hurricane-force wind! In Jesus’ name, we pray this...Amen! Today’s decree: The serpent has bruised America’s heel; but through the victory of Calvary, we shall crush his head! Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Watchman Prayer.

A Serpent In The Garden Why couldn’t God have made women to like normal things, such as sitting in the woods for days in sub-zero weather waiting for a deer or elk to walk by? Now that is my idea of exciting watching. Or watching a college football game! Ceci does not always understand me in this area, but she is kind about it. “Who are you rooting for?” she sometimes asks. “I don’t care who wins,” I often reply. “Are these any of your favorite teams?” “No, not really.” “A favorite player or two, perhaps?” “Naw, I don’t know much about these guys at all.” “Then why are you watching the game?” she asks with a quizzical expression. “Because it’s football,” I reply as patiently as I possibly can. Sometimes people cannot figure out the obvious. I will tell you what puzzles me: why she and our two daughters like to watch stuff that makes them cry. Go figure! Many kinds of watching take place: TV watching, parade watching, watching the clock, stock market watching, bird watching, and a thousand other things. I like to watch kids laugh. I hate to watch people cry. I have watched individuals be born; I have watched others die. I watched a lady in San Pedro, Guatemala, look for a watch. It was her husband’s - he was killed in the earthquake of 1976. So were three of her children. All she and her surviving infant had left were the clothes on their backs. Their small adobe home was a mound of dirt. When our interpreter asked her what she was digging for, she replied, “A bag of beans we had and my husband’s watch. He was sleeping about here when he was killed,” she said, pointing at an area of approximately ten square feet. “It would mean so much to me if I could find his watch.” We started digging. Although it was like looking for a needle in a haystack, we asked God to help us and waded into the three-feet-deep dirt. Right then I would have charged hell for that watch. We found it an hour or so later. “Muchas gracias,” she repeated through tears as she clutched the inexpensive watch to her breast. Treasure is such a relative term, I thought as I wiped my eyes. I wish the world could see this. Maybe some priorities would change. I watched another quake victim, holding her three-year-old daughter, walk away from a food line in which I was serving. She was the last in line for the soup. As she held out the jar she had found, we looked at her and said, “No mảs” (No more). Then through blurry eyes, I watched her walk away, holding her hungry child. Things got all messed up at that point in my life. Neat little lists of needs disappeared. Certain important goals became strangely irrelevant. Things that mattered suddenly didn’t. Bank accounts were looked at differently; success was redefined. Funny how one glance into four eyes can bring such chaos. In many ways, order has never been restored. Be careful what you watch. Today’s post is about being a watchman (or watchwoman - for continuity’s sake, we will refer to the watchman which will mean either or both). It is an extremely important aspect of prayer, taken from the secular concept of a sentry, guard, or watchman. God wants you to be one spiritually. Students of scripture speak of a principle called “the law of first mention.” It simply states that the first time an important subject is mentioned in scripture is significant: God “introduces” it. He gives us important details or facts regarding the subject, which will, of course, help us understand the person or thing introduced, much like we do when “introducing” a guest lecturer, for example. The first mention of a watchman in the Bible is in Genesis 2:15 where God told Adam to “keep” the garden. “Keep” is the Hebrew word shamar, which is one of the three Old Testament words used for a watchman. The main concept of the word shamar involves protection and preservation. Adam was told to protect the garden, watching for attacks from the evil one, the serpent. Why do I assert this? Because first of all, it is much in keeping with the nature of God to have warned him. To have done otherwise would not have been consistent with God’s character. Second, neither Adam nor Eve seemed shocked when a snake talked to them! It evidently did not come as a total surprise. Third, what else could there have been before the Fall to guard, keep, or protect themselves and the garden from? Only the serpent. In keeping with the law of first mention, the first responsibility of watchmen is to keep the serpent out of their God-given gardens: home, family, city, schools, government, nation - our “garden” can be many things. The watchmen in America (the church) were asleep in the 1960s and the serpent wreaked havoc in our garden. He spewed his poisonous venom in our government, schools, courts, media, families, entertainment, and even our churches. America bought it as surely as Adam and Eve did 6000 years ago. How bad is the venom? We believe we evolved from monkeys...or a big bang. We kill our babies. We mock those who fight for them. We don’t know the difference between males and females. Truth no longer matters - only the results. In fact, to many, truth no longer exists. They’ve embraced relativism, the doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute. We now have a government whose political party boo’s God and won’t say His name in our pledge of allegiance. We have churches that won’t preach the Cross and don’t believe the Bible. We could go on, of course, but we need not. The point is obvious: there is a serpent in our garden - and it’s time to expel him. That’s why we appeal, and it’s why we must function as the ekklesia, enforcing God’s will on the earth. The blood of Christ is the only antidote for the serpent’s poison, and the name of Jesus is the only force that can expel him. We must use both - this we shall do! “Then the sentry cries out, ‘I continually stand on this watchtower day after day for you, O Lord. I’m stationed at my post throughout the night.’” Isaiah 21:8 Pray with me: Father, just as Adam did, we have allowed the serpent into our garden. He has spewed his poisonous venom into every part of our nation. Our government is defiled; they call evil, good and good, evil. They have eliminated You from their function and expelled You from their gatherings. Many of them want to expel You from this nation You founded and called according to Your purpose. Our universities and colleges teach beliefs and philosophies that ignore You, mock You, and propagate doctrines of demons. Our entertainment industry promotes filth, perversion, and violence; our media is the voice of leviathan, promoting lies and suppressing truth. Much of the Church has become lukewarm, biblically ignorant, and powerless. Yet, You have the antidote for this poison - the blood of Jesus and the gospel of the Kingdom. You are coming to bring the greatest revival America has ever experienced. America shall live and not die! And the coming revival is not only for America, it is to benefit many nations of the earth. And even now Your angels are preparing to distribute this healing serum. Holy Spirit is overseeing the endeavor and preparing to make it available to a billion people around the world. Millions in America will receive it and be saved. And though many hate this and will try to stop it, they fight against You in vain. You are coming and You will not be stopped! In Jesus’ name, Amen. Our decree: We decree that the poison of the serpent will not be lethal for America! Jesus is coming to save her! Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Watchman Prayer.

Honoring Three American Pioneers Holy Spirit tells us in Acts 13:36 that King David fulfilled the purposes of God for his generation. This verse speaks loudly to so many who read it, seeming to “jump off the page.” Who among us would not be thrilled to hear those words from the Lord? I want to share the stories of two of the first African American Congressmen. These men hold a unique role in history and definitely fulfilled God’s purpose for them in their generation. They were pioneers, stepping into governmental positions no black man had ever navigated. These forerunners decided they were going to live out their newly won freedom in every sense of the word, and help all other African Americans live free, as well. They were not thinking of themselves when they ran for office, nor only of those in the districts they would represent. Hiram and Joseph knew they would be representing every black American living in their era, as well as the generations to come. They were navigating new ground, standing against long-held social mindsets and setting precedents. Both were selfless and brave – the hallmarks of every great leader. Hiram Rhodes Revels was the first black member of the U.S. Senate. He was elected by the Mississippi State Senate to fill one of two seats vacated when they seceded from the Union in 1863. The remainder of the term was only a year, but Senator Revels filled it well. Hiram had been born free in North Carolina in 1827; he had later become a pastor. Senator Revels knew God had called him to the Senate, however, and had a unique purpose in doing so. Once in office, the Senator realized he could not represent only Mississippi. He began receiving letters requesting assistance from black men and women across the United States. Jim Crow laws forcing segregation began being passed in 1870 and he fought valiantly against them. As one who knew God, he rightly determined America would not be blessed if racism continued, and certainly not if it was encouraged at the level of the federal government. Mr. Revels stood directly in the middle of the racial battle, favoring neither segregation nor forced integration - he called people to an even higher standard, that of love. Senator Revels once said, “I find that the prejudice in this country to color is very great, and I sometimes fear that it is on the increase….If the nation should take a step toward the encouragement of this prejudice against the colored race, can they have any grounds upon which to predicate a hope that Heaven will smile upon them and prosper them?” Following his successful year in the U.S. Senate, this American pioneer served as the first president of Alcorn University in Mississippi. Revels then returned to his first passion – serving the Lord in full-time vocational ministry. Hiram Rhodes Revels served the Lord well in his generation. Joseph Hayne Rainey was the first African American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, also coming into office in 1870. During his 8 years in Congress, Rainey realized he, too, was a representative of more than just his constituents. He was a representative of black men and women across the nation trying to navigate their transition from slavery and the era of reconstruction after the Civil War. Rep. Rainey, who had been born into slavery, said, “I can only raise my voice, and I would do it if it were the last time I ever did it, in defense of my rights and in the interests of my oppressed people.” He worked on legislation guaranteeing equal rights under the law for African Americans. He also had a love for Native Americans and immigrants of all races. Mr. Rainey’s biography at house.gov tells us he had “vision for human rights, including not only civil and political rights, but economic rights for working people, immigrants, formerly enslaved people and others. He supported the sovereignty of Native American tribes and called on the United States government to respect existing treaties. He praised immigrants and opposed legislation that tried to limit the rights of Chinese laborers in the workplace.” Representative Rainey truly understood the value of all men and women. Representative Joseph Rainey was a businessman who applied his skill and knowledge to help rebuild America after it was nearly torn apart. Set free from slavery following the great Civil War, he recognized that true freedom would not be seen until laws ensuring equality and justice for all were put in place. Congressman Rainey gave 8 years of his life to be certain it happened. We have no documentation of Mr. Rainey being a believer, but it appears that the Lord chose him to serve our country at a critical time in its history. He did that well, and we applaud him for it. Despite the triumphs these men won for America, African Americans and other people of color, no blacks would be elected to the U.S. Congress from 1901 until 1928 – nearly three decades! The spirit of racism taking root through the “Jim Crow Laws” prevailed for a season. However, God in His great grace did not leave America during those years. In that 27-year gap, America would see one of the greatest revivals ever occurring on U.S. soil – the Azusa Street Revival – led by William Seymour, a black man. The Azusa Street Revival was attended by African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Caucasians. It also transcended gender bias, led by both men and women. The government of man shut out African Americans for a season. God honored them, however, and entrusted a season of great Kingdom advancement to them. The Azusa Street Revival became the headwaters of a stream of Pentecostalism that touched millions of lives, including mine. We honor them. May we, like these great black leaders, fulfill God’s purposes in our generation. “May He equip you with all you need for doing His will. May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to Him. All glory to Him forever and ever! Amen.” (Hebrews 13:21 NLT) Pray with me: Father, You place a very high value on honor. We honor You, of course, but we also honor the men and women in history who have given us examples to emulate. Some have pioneered paths for us to follow, others have paid great prices for that which we freely enjoy. We are grateful for the legacy they handed us. It is honorable and right for us to give tribute to Congressmen Revels and Rainey. They were forerunners in one of the most tumultuous times in our nation’s history. We thank You for giving leaders like Lincoln the courage to end slavery, and for the thousands who were willing to fight for that cause. But we also thank You for the brave black women and men who overcame the prejudices of their day and forged ahead with dignity and strength. They are heroes and part of what makes America great. And Lord, thank You for William Seymour and the grace You poured out at the Azusa Street Revival. Where would we be without that marvelous outpouring which became the spiritual bedrock for many of our lives? It was a great revival, yes, but it was also a movement of freedom within the Christian community. We honor this man. And Father, we now ask You for a wave of supernatural healing to invade our nation through the coming revival. Tear down walls of racism and prejudice, and heal wounds from the past. We do as You instructed us in Matthew 16, and bind the evil powers of darkness that feed hatred and racism in America. We use the keys of authority You gave us and close that door; we forbid it to remain open. We ask You to raise up healers - leaders with strong anointings to address this issue. Give them wisdom, revelation, and great authority. Cause their words to be so powerfully anointed that hearts are deeply stirred when they speak and write. Silence the voices that stir up division and strife, that keep wounds open and stir up violence. Take from them their influence. Let a literal movement of racial healing sweep this nation. Cause every race to drink deeply from the coming outpouring of Holy Spirit. Transform lives and communities. May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done - on earth! - just as it is in heaven. We know our prayers enable You to do these things; they even activate angels. We ask for that now. You are well able to do this and we believe You will! In Jesus’ name. Amen. Today’s decree: We decree that racial healing is coming to America and that all races will be loved and honored in our land. 1 Congressional Globe, Senate, 41st Cong., 3rd sess. (8 February 1871): 1059–1060. 2 "Joseph Hayne Rainey," Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774–Present, http://bioguide.congress.gov/; “The Legislature,” 23 September 1868, Charleston Daily Courier: 4; “The Negro Representative—How He Looks, Etc.,” 14 December 1870, Cleveland Plain Dealer: 2.

Troubling Executive Actions The Democrats and Republican RINOs failed to convict Trump for the second time. Their misuse of the Constitution, including the altering of evidence, demonstrates not only their utter hatred of Trump and the policies he pursued, but also their complete confidence they can now do whatever they choose without reprisal. Though they do indeed hold the upper hand temporarily, they do not factor in “the appeal” - it still works. Just as our Founders, we are basing our hope on THE Upper Hand; He will have the final say. Mr. Biden issued several executive actions beginning on his first day in office. There have been 42 to date – more than any other president has issued in their first month. Some of these orders were aimed at reversing Trump’s Executive Orders; others were executed to fulfill campaign promises. Some are very concerning. Executive actions include Executive Orders, memorandums, and proclamations. According to a U.S. government website, “Executive Orders state mandatory requirements for the Executive Branch, and have the effect of law. They are issued in relation to a law passed by Congress or based on powers granted to the President in the Constitution and must be consistent with those authorities.” Congress can propose legislation to slow down the implementation of executive orders, or it can defund them. States have been known to sue the federal government over executive actions that may adversely affect their populations and economies. Six state Attorneys General recently sent Mr. Biden a letter warning of potential legal action against his executive actions. Here are some examples: Texas sued and won a case in response to a presidential memorandum freezing deportation of immigrants for 100 days. The court agreed that the policy could limit law enforcement’s ability to protect the citizens of the state. You can read more here. The South Dakota House of Representatives has proposed legislation giving their Attorney General the ability to nullify any Executive Orders they deem unconstitutional and which could adversely affect their citizens. 14 state Attorneys General sent a letter in response to the Executive Order canceling the Keystone XL pipeline. This action caused tens of thousands of individuals to lose their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. While Executive Orders and memorandums are clearly political decrees, some involve spiritual dynamics. These require our prayers and our action. Here are a few we can be praying about [from IFA]: “Memorandum on Protecting Women’s Health at Home and Abroad.” Forces U.S. taxpayers to fund abortion. The advancement of abortion clearly breaks the heart of God. Abortion opens a nation to sin and removes the blessing of the Lord. In this case, we would not only be funding abortion within the United States, but also in other nations. “Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” Supports the premise that America was founded in 1619 by slaves. Dissolves the 1776 Commission President Trump established to promote patriotic education and the true story of the founding of America. We maintain that America was founded by God for His divine purposes. Our Founders sought Him in intercession, and He answered with wisdom from above. No one should be able to abolish that heritage with the stroke of a pen. We say that God will be honored and not removed from the history of America. “Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation.” Promotes transgenderism. Allows biological males to compete in women’s sports and to use bathroom and locker room facilities of their choice. In Genesis 1:26-31, the Bible tells us that God created mankind in His image as male and female. This executive order violates God’s biological law and lifts protection from the women of America. Additionally, it causes an unequal playing field for women in competitive sports, potentially affecting scholarships and future careers. While liberals say they want equal rights for women, this order denies that to them. We will not stop telling the true and correct stories of God’s relationship with the people of this land. We will correct history in every way we can. We will stand against laws and statutes that remove God and His ways from our society. We and our children will honor the Lord in America. “There is no one holy like the Lord, indeed, there is no one besides You, nor is there any rock like our God. Do not go on boasting so very proudly, do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and with Him actions are weighed.” 1 Samuel 2: 2-3 Pray with me: Father, America was founded by You for Your purposes. We acknowledge that fact and desire to see You honored in the law of the land. Our hearts break with Yours over some of the political decisions being made by executive action. We ask You to forgive our nation for its arrogance against You and Your ways. Your laws are being ignored and broken. You are being rejected. Your word speaks of those who do not honor You or give You thanks, but “became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:21-22). Thank You for the state legislatures and state Attorneys General who are fighting for us at the state level. We bless them and pray that they will have wisdom and boldness. Grant them divine strategies to know how to push back against unjust executive actions. Help them develop cases to protect the citizens of their states. Protect our livelihoods. Protect our babies in the womb. Protect our women. Protect our nation’s heritage and history honoring You. Father, we are confident that prayer - “the appeal” - still works. Our faith is not in government. As President Ronald Reagan wisely said, “government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem.” We ask You to turn this nation around, to restore it fully. We thank You that satan’s plan to take over our nation - Valkyrie - has now fallen and will not succeed. You are exposing the hideous evil pervading many of our leaders, and You are going to send a GREAT revival, giving America a Reset and fresh start. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ name...Amen. Today’s decree: We honor the Lord and His Word, His history, and His heritage in this nation.

The Day the Music Stopped David, the great psalmist, giant slayer and eventual king of Israel is one of my favorite Bible characters. Jesus must have liked him also; He accepted the title “Son of David.” David’s ultimate success, in spite of his colossal failures, should bring hope to all of us. The “man after God’s heart” also went after another man’s wife; and the famous giant-killer also caused the death of a loyal soldier - the woman’s husband - in order to cover the affair. It doesn’t get much worse than that. But forgiveness and cleansing are for sinners, not perfect people, and we all qualify. Someone once said, “The only perfect people are in heaven.” Indeed. I thank God for His amazing grace. I love to sing the song and, as I do, think often of its writer, John Newton, a former slave-trader. It’s hard for me to imagine a more despicable activity than slave trading. Truth and justice finally broke through the fog of Newton’s deception and, after his conversion, Newton would eventually become a significant voice for the abolition of the slave trade. Later he penned the famous words: Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found, Was blind but now I see. Thank God for His amazing grace - and for the song. Some historians actually believe Newton took the melody of “Amazing Grace” from the singing of slaves aboard one of his ships. Whether true or not, the fact that the song sang more than any other in the history of the world was written by a former slave trader is, like the song itself, amazing. Such an irony. The song could not have carried us to such heights had not the man sank to such depths. When all was said and done, the greatness of his sin was no match for the greatness of God’s grace. David would one day need - and find - this grace. When He became king, however, David was living a holy life of passion and purity, and decided that his first order of business would be to move the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. God’s presence and glory dwelled over the Ark, and David, lover of God that he was, wanted this presence right next to the palace so he could make regular visits. He also wanted God’s presence to be the focal point of the nation. “Then David consulted with the captains of thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader. David said to all the assembly of Israel, ‘If it seems good to you, and if it is from the Lord our God, let us send everywhere to our kinsmen who remain in all the land of Israel, also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities with pasture lands, that they may meet with us; and let us bring back the Ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.’ Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. “So David assembled all Israel together...to bring the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. David and all Israel went up to Kiriath-jearim...to bring up from there the Ark of God, the Lord who is enthroned above the cherubim, where His name is called. They carried the Ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart“ (1 Chronicles 13: 1-7). This was quite an undertaking. Samuel’s version of the endeavor says David gathered thirty thousand specially chosen men of Israel to be part of this procession (2 Samuel 6:1). Thirty thousand! He and the entourage were “celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, and lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals” (v.5). It was a spectacular celebration! Though David is about to make a serious mistake with the Ark, give him credit. The Ark and the presence of God were important enough to him that He wanted this to be a BIG deal. “After all, this is Yahweh, God Almighty, we’re talking about,” was probably the reasoning. “Nothing is too much or too good for Him. In fact, make a new cart on which to transport it.” And that’s where the problems started. Because the Ark was transported on a cart, pulled by oxen, it wasn’t stable. When they hit a rough spot the cart shifted, and it looked like the Ark might fall off. One of the drivers, Uzzah, reached out and touched the Ark in order to steady it. And the power in it killed him. The music and dancing stopped, as did the procession. Laughter turned to sorrow, and joy to mourning. A celebration became a funeral. Uncertain of what to do, David put the transporting of the Ark on hold, housing it at the nearby home of Obed-edom for 3 months while he researched what to do next. The problem, David eventually discovered, was the mode of transportation - the new cart. The Ark wasn’t supposed to be transported in this manner, but rather carried by poles running through rings on the sides of the Ark. This wasn’t easy but it was secure and didn’t have to be touched. And though the process would be much more difficult, priests were supposed to carry the Ark on their shoulders. Their entire process was spelled out clearly in Numbers the fourth chapter. We are left to wonder what the motivation was behind David’s use of the cart. I believe it very likely boiled down to convenience. Carrying the Ark on shoulders for ten miles would have been hard work. Splinters, sore muscles, chafed shoulders, blisters on the feet - all would have been the painful result. The long hard miles up and down hills through the desert, in the heat - “let’s just let the oxen do it.” David learned the hard way that, contrary to human preference, ignorance isn’t bliss, easy doesn’t do it, and it’s not just the thought that counts. The three idiomatic expressions from which I took these statements may be witty, but often they’re simply not true. In fact, they can be deadly. David and his followers discovered that it’s more than the thought that counts. Obedience matters. And they learned that experiencing the Lord’s presence and glory wouldn’t be easy or convenient. As my friend Damon Thompson said, “If Christianity was intended to be convenient, it wouldn’t have been built on crosses and martyrs.” God’s presence and glory aren’t stumbled onto by happenstance, nor are they found by the casual seeker. They’re discovered when sought after, with passion and intentionality. Pray with me: Father, thank You for Your desire to be with us. We thank You we now have access to You through the shed blood of Jesus, and we can dwell in Your presence as much and as often as we desire. Thank You for Your amazing grace. We ask You for greater hunger. We ask You to increase our spiritual appetite for You. May we experience Your presence at ever-increasing levels, for doing so increases our longing for more. We want to be like David, people who are passionate for Your heart. We ask that You please increase the presence of Holy Spirit in our nation. Bring a presence movement to America. We want such hearts for You that no sin or earthly pleasure can crowd You out. In the Scriptures, You speak of different levels of Your amazing grace. In Acts 4:33 You speak of “great” grace. The Greek word is megas, from which we get the English word mega. I pray for mega grace to come to America. We need Your incredible, mega grace to save our nation. We believe America shall be saved and this grace will be poured out. We thank You for it in the mighty name of Jesus...Amen. Decree: We decree that Your grace is sufficient, and is being poured out on America. Portions of this post were taken from my book, The Pleasure of His Company.

In honor of Black History Month, our dear friend Will Ford, III, tells part of his family’s story. History Makers The first time I heard Dutch speak was at a conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He shared about the time when he spoke at Christ for the Nations, agreed in prayer with past generations, and learned about the synergy of the ages. He said, “Not only can we agree in prayer with the person next to us, but we can also agree with the prayers of generations behind us. The prayers of Abraham and the other patriarchs are still alive before God’s throne. The same is true of the prayers of those who make up the godly heritage in this nation.” I wept the entire time he spoke. I was reminded of a cast-iron kettle that has been passed down in my family for generations. It is believed to be more than 200 years old. Christian slaves on my father’s side of the family in Lake Providence, Louisiana, used the kettle for cooking and for washing clothes. But I also learned that they used the kettle for prayer. A very wicked slave owner owned my ancestors. He would beat his slaves for any minor offense. A story has been passed down about my Great Uncle Willie who went fishing without permission. The master decided to use Uncle Willie as an example. When Willie returned from fishing, he was tied to a tree. His face, chest, and stomach were pressed up against the tree. The slave master then beat Willie with a shredded leather strap that had pieces of rocks, glass, and iron attached to it. When his beating was finally over, his back bled profusely. Family members placed lard on a sheet to keep this bandage from sticking to his skin and wrapped it around his body. In spite of their efforts, however, Willie bled to death because of the inhumane treatment of his master. This same slave master would also beat my ancestors for praying. Slaves were not allowed to pray on his plantation. He assumed they were praying for freedom, and he didn’t want them even to consider the possibility of hope for this. Ironically, he wanted his slaves to be Christians feeling this made them more committed to him and better workers. In part, this was because of what he taught them. He and other slave masters would pervert the gospel and teach, “If you slaves want to go to Heaven, you better obey your master. That is what this Bible says.” While we now know that is not what Scripture teaches, it was easy to tell this to slaves back then, since it was against the law for slaves to read, or for anyone to teach them to read. If the slave master heard the slaves praying, he would beat them, but they prayed anyway. In spite of this danger, they would sneak into a barn late at night while everyone else was asleep, making sure their prayer meeting was never seen or heard. As they carefully opened the door, they eased into the barn carrying this black cast-iron kettle. Once inside, they turned the kettle upside down so the opening was on the dirt floor; then they placed four rocks under the rim of the kettle to prop it up and create an opening. They laid on the dirt floor around the kettle, with their mouths close to the opening. The kettle muffled their voices as they prayed through the night. Revelation 5:8 speaks of “bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” before the throne of God. Revelation 8:3-5 says that at some future point, no doubt when God determines the time is right, He adds His incense and fire to those prayers and throws them to earth in the form of judgments and power. My family’s kettle literally became a bowl of intercession. One of my family members, who was present in those prayer meetings, passed down the following information along with the kettle: “These slaves were not praying for their freedom at all. They didn’t think they would see freedom for themselves, so they prayed for the freedom of their children and their children’s children.” That absolutely amazes me. They risked their lives to pray for the freedom of their children and the ensuing generations! One day, freedom did come. While many of those who prayed did not live to see freedom, their prayers were answered for the next generation. The young girl who passed down these stories attended these prayer meetings until slavery was abolished. As a teenager, she was set free from slavery. Can you imagine being the one who freedom fell upon, having for many years listened to others pray for your freedom? I believe this teenage girl saw fit to pass down this kettle because she knew that not only was she standing on the sacrifice of others’ devotion to Christ, but so was everyone in our family born after her. She was careful to preserve and pass on both the kettle and its history. She passed it to her daughter, Harriet Locket, who passed it to Nora Locket, who passed it to William Ford, Sr., who passed it to William Ford, Jr., who gave it to me, William Ford, III. As Dutch spoke about agreeing in prayer with past generations and the synergy of the ages, he pointed out that many promises made to Abraham and other biblical patriarchs were not fulfilled within their lifetimes. The individuals were helping God make history, but the history they were making would not be complete without the work of future generations. Hebrews 11:39-40 speaks of these heroes of faith: “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect” (emphasis added). God sees the generations as being much more connected than we do. He may promise a person something and do it through his or her grandchildren, for in His mind, doing it through a person’s descendants is doing it for or through him or her. And He doesn’t always choose to announce His future timing in advance! I have begun to see that I am the recipient of answered prayers from centuries ago! This is humbling. But more than that, I also have come to realize that the benefits aren’t supposed to end with me. I have become part of an amazing historical chain - a generational connection - through which benefits are passed on, but so is the calling. I’m reaching back to possess, but I’m also pressing on to propagate and perpetuate the process for today and for the future. I’m connecting with history, and through the connection, I’m making history. I’m a recipient, but hopefully, I also become a resource. I’m the answer to yesterday’s prayers, but I’m also a question: Will I move the link forward? This is what Isaac and Jacob did. They connected with Abraham’s promises to and from God, reaped the benefits, and accepted the responsibility of moving the entire process into the future. As I began to meditate on these concepts, I thought about the passion God has given me for revival and His heart for young people. It dawned on me that I could agree with the prayers made underneath my family’s kettle by those who had gone before me; not only their prayers but also the prayers of revivalists and abolitionists who risked their lives to set a nation free. I thought, Lord, I can agree with the prayers of our forefathers, for the spiritual freedom of today’s generation and future generations, as well. What an amazing truth that as Christians, we have a powerful legacy of prayer, and unfinished business to intercede for America. Join me as we pray: Father, John Quincy Adams said it best when he wrote, “Posterity—you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you make good use of it.” Help us to make good use of what You started in America. Thank You for those who sacrificed yesterday so that we can have freedom today. Thank You for the sacrifice of Your Son, who died and rose again and who ever lives to make intercession for us. We thank You that the same God who broke the power of slavery can break the power of every stronghold in our nation today. Connect us with the past revival power that moves the link forward for future generations. Unite Your Church! Make us repairers of the breach, the restorers of many generations. Teach us to pray. In Jesus’ name, amen. Decree with me: We decree that God is breaking the power of strongholds in our nation and WILL send revival! Today’s post was taken from the book HISTORY MAKERS, written by Will Ford, III.

Eagles on Assignment Yesterday, I shared a dream given to Gina Gholston in January of 2020. It spoke of four separate wells of revival being reopened by Holy Spirit. God is going to merge the anointings and power of these world-impacting outpourings, giving us the synergy of the ages. Get ready! My spirit leaped as I read the following sequel to that dream. Sequels to dreams are fascinating and amazing. For Holy Spirit to give us this word, confirming and adding to the first dream, is a profound expression of His heart. He wants us to be encouraged, to know He has good plans for us, plans to give us a “future” (that word means destiny) and a “hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). (February 2, 2021) “I dreamed I was standing with someone I did not know on a deck-like structure in the heavens. From this place, we were looking down, observing the United States of America. Though I did not know who the man was, I could feel a strong anointing coming from him. What I felt emanating from him was causing me to have an indescribable hope for the nation! “As we were looking down, we saw what first appeared to be warplanes flying over the United States. The gentleman said to me, ‘Oh my, I wonder what is happening in America? What do all these warplanes mean?’ He said this, not with concern, but almost as though he was wanting me to see something that wasn’t obvious. He looked at me as if I should know the right answer to his questions. “I knew the answer to this one. ‘Those are not warplanes; those are eagles!’ I replied. ‘I have seen them before in a dream. There are 100 of them and they’re carrying water from the reopened well of revival at the Red River Meeting House. It has been unlocked and is now gushing forth into the nation.’ “I could clearly see that just as in the previous dream, the eagles were carrying arrows in one of their talons and a rolled-up piece of paper in the other. Also, they were still wet and dripping water from the geyser that drenched them at the Red River Meeting House. “As the eagles flew throughout America, they all simultaneously began diving. When nearing the ground, they leveled off and began dropping their arrows into the land. I knew there were 100 eagles, each carrying three arrows; 300 arrows were released throughout America. As each arrow hit the ground, it ignited as though it had hit a gas pocket and a spiraling plume of fire shot up. We watched as the water the eagles were releasing was also ignited by the fire! This ‘revival water’ from the Red River Meeting House was extremely flammable and instantly caught fire! It seemed as though all of America was on fire (fire of revival). “As the dream continued, I became VERY aware of the power and presence of God. It was so strong I fell to my knees and began to sob uncontrollably! The gentleman with me began speaking under an incredibly heavy anointing. (It was then that I noticed he had a very strong accent.) He said, ‘You have seen correctly! This is how America will be saved! Do NOT doubt it! There is coming a sweeping move of the Spirit of God that will ignite America with the fire of His presence. This will bring a swift, undeniable awareness of God and an awakening. “‘What seems to be one thing, is about to be revealed as another,’ he continued. ‘Some are in fear because of how things appear, but others SEE - with holy awe and expectation! The eagles are on assignment. They carry ‘Fire Power;’ they carry His glory. At precisely the right moment their arrows will be released, will hit their targets, and the move of God will ignite and spread very quickly!’ Then he said again, ‘Do NOT doubt it!’ “Still on my knees, I looked up at the man and suddenly knew he was Duncan Campbell, one of the leaders of the great Hebrides revival.” End of the dream. God has NOT been outwitted by demons - or by those who oppose His rule. Like a master chess player, He is leading His opponents into His trap, allowing them to think they’ve outmaneuvered Him, just as He did at the Cross. Please believe me when I say the strategies of hell are about to break down...and Heaven is about to break in. Just as He did 2000 years ago, God is about to declare “checkmate!” Get ready to see Psalm 2 lived out before our eyes: evil strategies of rebellion toward Christ; God’s mocking laugh, fury and promise to His Son; the Son’s acceptance; and two options given to Christ’s enemies - kiss the Son or be shattered by His rod of authority. Listen to me, all you rebel-kings and all you upstart judges of the earth. Learn your lesson while there’s still time. Serve and worship the awe-inspiring God. Recognize His greatness and bow before Him, trembling with reverence in His presence. Fall face down before Him and kiss the Son before His anger is roused against you. Remember that His wrath can be quickly kindled! But many blessings are waiting for all who turn aside to hide themselves in Him! Listen to me, all you rebel-kings and all you upstart judges of the earth. Learn your lesson while there’s still time. (Psalm 2:10-12 TPT) Another “turn the world upside down” era is now being launched. Eagles are flying, “fire power” is being released, and combustible “revival water” is gushing. America shall be saved! Do NOT doubt it! And do not judge what God is doing by what you see and hear in the natural realm, certainly not by the media. Justice is coming...the appeal still works...and Christ still owns all of America! Even Washington, D.C. Let’s pray together: Father, give us greater revelation of “Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.” We remind ourselves of this and stir up our hearts to believe You are well able to send a sweeping revival that will transform America. You said, “when it’s time for the rain, ask for it,” (Zechariah 10:1). We do so now. Send forth the ignition arrows. Let Your angels carry them now across this nation. You know where to strike. You know where the gas pockets are; cause fires of revival to break forth from those places now. Let the river that flows from the Lamb on His throne (Revelation 22:1) make its way once again through the wells of Red River Meeting House, Cane Ridge, Azusa Street, and Wales. Combine their flow to form the most powerful “revival water” earth has ever received. Then send it EVERYWHERE! As Your Hebrides Revival messenger admonished us, we do NOT doubt this. We do NOT doubt this! We are the “well able” company. We are the “whosoever will” followers. We’re the “more than conquerors” army. We’re the offspring of the Lion, the ambassadors of the King and the “all things are possible” crowd. All because of Christ, and all FOR His glory. So...bring it, Lord. Do it now, we pray, in Christ’s name, amen. Our Decree: The wells of revival are opening, the eagles are ready to fly, and the fire of Pentecost is coming. To find out more about Gina Gholston, click here.

The Wells of Revival Are About to be Uncapped One of the important benefits of understanding the synergy of the ages (honoring and connecting spiritually with previous generations’ assignments and promises which multiplies power) is asking for and receiving the strength and power of past revivals, today. God doesn’t want us to start over in our Kingdom advancement efforts. He wants us to drink from past revival wells, allowing the spiritual “nutrients” from them to mix with today’s revelations and anointings. The world is about to experience its greatest revival ever, and one of the reasons for its strength will be the efforts of those in yesteryears. The generational God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the God of The First Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening, and Azusa Street - is about to do it again. In America, many think they have stopped God, which is laughable. They have topped off their “iniquity bowls” these last few months, then began tipping them with their heinous decisions to glorify and increase baby sacrifices, snubbing their noses at God’s moral laws/code, and trying to silence His Church. We, the Ekklesia, now tip them further through our prayers and decrees. We pray as God commanded, “Kingdom of God (His rule), come! Will of God, be done!” God’s enemies are laughing now; what they don’t know is that He is, as well: “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.” (Psalm 2:1-5) Of course, mercy and grace is available. God’s first choice is ALWAYS to redeem those who oppose Him. He is gracious, longsuffering, and motivated by love. When they repent, salvation flows. Sadly, many reject this. The following dream by Gina Gholston addresses this love and the coming revival; and it shows the multi-generational dimension it will manifest. Tomorrow’s post will be a follow-up dream, given to Gina a year later. (Yes, some of the prophets are now moving into “series dreaming.”): “On January 14, 2020, I dreamed I was at the Red River Meeting House in Russellville, Kentucky. I had gone through the gate and started walking up the driveway toward the Meeting House, when I noticed 100 bald eagles on the grounds. I was captivated by the sight of so many eagles. “Hearing a noise behind me, I turned and saw an older well-drilling rig coming through the gate toward the Meeting House. It stopped about halfway up the driveway and parked under the walnut trees; it then began drilling. No sooner had the bit been set when, whoosh, the water gushed out in very high, massive amounts! “I thought, ‘This looks like Old Faithful.’ I have seen Old Faithful, and this reminded me of that famous geyser, only it was MUCH larger! In the dream, I thought about how Old Faithful is very predictable and it erupts in a rhythm of time. Then I heard an audible voice speaking about this geyser ‘It is set on the rhythm of Heaven’s time clock. And it’s time!’ (In the dream I understood that to mean, ‘It’s blown before, a gushing move of the Spirit of God, but it’s set for another, greater gusher! And it’s time!’) “Next, I saw two hands come down and clap one time. It was a very loud sound which was a signal to the eagles. They weren’t scared by the noise of the clap or by the spraying of the water; they calmly rose up, hovering like a helicopter, ready to fly. As they rose, I saw that each eagle had arrows in one of their talons and a rolled-up paper in the other. Then I heard the same audible voice say, ‘Rapid eye movement: My seers are on the move.’ “As soon as I heard those words, the eagles flew off in every direction, each heading purposefully toward their assignment. As they left, each one flew through the supernatural water, becoming drenched. Incredibly, their feathers never dried as they flew. Wherever they traveled, the water would fall off of them - like a rain shower - onto the dry ground where they flew. “Back at the Red River Meeting House, the water continued gushing and I also became soaked with it. I went into the Meeting House, which I realized had been set up to be a command center. There were seven drafting tables with ‘architects’ sitting at them, drawing up blueprints, plans, strategies, revelations. People were coming in, one after the other, soaked with the water from the geyser. They would approach one of the architects, who would roll up a set of plans and hand it to them. Immediately, the architects had another one drawn up and would hand it off to the next soaked person walking in. I was amazed at the speed with which the architects worked: draw it, roll it up, hand it off; draw it, roll it up, hand it off! This sequence didn’t stop. “When the people received their blueprints, they were supernaturally transported to their assignments in America and around the world. And just as occurred with the eagles, the revival water soaking them was being flung onto people everywhere they went. I heard the audible voice again saying, ‘Rapid Response Teams.’ Then I noticed a sign on the wall behind the pulpit that read, ‘Rapid Response Command Center.’ “Suddenly, the dream shifted, and I knew by the Spirit that what was happening at the Red River Meeting House was also taking place at Cane Ridge, Kentucky, and Azusa Street in California! I was then lifted up and could see a line running north and south, connecting Cane Ridge and the Red River Meeting House. Another line from each of them went west to Azusa. I could see that these lines formed the shape of a spearhead. From the line drawn between Cane Ridge and the Red River Meeting House was yet another, coming from the nation of Wales to the east. It was forming the shaft of the spear. “This picture was depicting that all four of those places—Wales, Cane Ridge, Red River Meeting House, and Azusa—were connected; and also that what I saw happening at Red River was simultaneously happening at all of them. I was being shown that all of those past moves of God were now being brought together to ‘spearhead’ another greater and more powerful move of God in our time.” End of the dream. God is about to synergistically mix past revivals with a fresh outpouring of Holy Spirit. The four outpourings mentioned in the dream were tremendous demonstrations of His love and power. Red River Meeting House led to Cane Ridge, which birthed the Second Great Awakening and saved America in the mid 1800’s. The Welsh and Azusa Street Revivals rocked nations and influenced the world to this day. Those wells are about to reopen and spread across this nation and the nations. Let’s pray into this. A prayer you can pray: Father, we thank You for Your mercy and grace. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You for loving people, even when they are still running from You, even opposing You. Your mercy endures forever. Your love is immeasurable. Your power is also without equal. You hold the world in the palm of Your hand, a world You created with the words of Your mouth. You have no equal. You demonstrated and released both - Your love and power - at the cross. Your love reached down to us and pulled us back up to You. Your power overwhelmed forces of darkness and the effects of sin. You conquered death and the grave. You are, indeed, the perfect mix of love and power. We are now asking for an outpouring of both. Come and save; come and demolish. Save people; destroy wicked strongholds, systems, and the influence of false gods (evil spirits) who keep people blinded and unable to truly see. We ask You to save millions in this outpouring, Father. Rescue them. And lastly, we thank You for saving America. For, without doubt, America shall be saved. The greatest revival in America’s story has not yet occurred. We are moving into it now. So, in advance, thank You for pouring out Your Spirit in this land. We thank You for a righteous, life-honoring, moral government in America. We thank You for schools that are on fire with revival. We thank You for millions coming to You. We know this is going to happen and we thank You for it in advance. Bring it, Lord! In Christ’s name, we approach You and ask for these things...Amen. Decree: We decree that the greatest outpouring of Holy Spirit in human history is beginning. To find out more about Gina Gholston, click here.

God Always Has a Plan Ceci and I have a Treeing Walker Coonhound. Not in a pen or running around the farm we don’t have - in our house, in a quiet neighborhood. She was found in a cage at the local PetSmart, needing a home. My sweet wife, who it seems has the God-given destiny of seeing how many dogs one couple can own in a lifetime, swears she was providentially led to Gracie Mae. (All of Ceci’s dogs have middle names.) In fairness to Ceci, she texted me and asked if I was okay with her bringing home a puppy to join our other two spoiled dogs - while on her way home with Gracie! I was beginning my texting dialogue with her as they walked in. Ceci was grinning; Gracie Mae, of course, was peeing. And so, another canine entered the Sheets “kennel.” I’ve nicknamed our house The Ark. We didn’t know Gracie was a coon dog at first, just that she was a hound (“with a cute heart-shaped freckle on her nose” - Ceci says). About two weeks into her adoption she found her bark. Correction: She doesn’t bark - our other two dogs bark. Gracie howls or bays (Not being a coonhound expert, I looked up the word bay to make certain it was accurate: “A deep prolonged howl, as of a hound on a scent.” Perfect.) When she made her first attempt at it, I said to Ceci, “That sounded like a coon dog.” A couple of weeks later the vet confirmed it - a Treeing Walker Coonhound. Now that Gracie is fully grown. So is her howl. I’ve tried to come up with a spelling for how it sounds but can’t. Just try to imagine Scooby-Doo with a bullhorn. And when she talks - yes, she talks - it’s simply a howl at a conversational volume. Sometimes she tries it with a bone in her mouth. She knows if she drops it one of the other two dogs might snatch it up, so she simply greets me with it in her mouth. Sounds like Scooby-Doo with the croup. We love Gracie Mae. We even like her howls and language. She was born and bred to do it. It doesn’t matter to Gracie that she’s not in the woods treeing a coon; she was born to howl so she does it anyway. When God wove us in our mothers’ wombs He gave us our “howl.” He placed certain bents, motivations, gifts, and abilities in us. Ephesians 2:10 tells us: “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” This verse is using the same symbolism as Psalm 139:19 which says God “wove” us in our mother’s womb. We are pieces of clothing, designed by God, that He intends to wear! Consistent with this symbolism, the phrase “prepared beforehand” in the verse from Ephesians comes from a sewing term meaning “to measure or fit in advance.” Like any good tailor, before God “wove” us in our mother’s womb, He “measured” us. As our Creator and Destiny-giver, He made sure our gifts, abilities, personality, and motivations would fit our purpose. With these things in mind, qualities matching calling, He tailored us as the garment He would need to wear - He does live inside of us - in order to accomplish His purposes in and through us. You have the gifts, talents, and bents you have because of the person God shaped you to be. What if Winston Churchill had believed his critics and had chosen a different path? Would England have survived the onslaught of the Nazis without him? More than a century earlier, would the United States have survived and defeated the British if George Washington hadn’t answered the call? Would there have been revivalists like John and Charles Wesley if Susanna, their mother, had adopted a different view of motherhood? God made you with a purpose and inscribed it into your DNA. If you don’t know what that purpose is, you could end up teaching school when your Designer needed and wove you to be an accountant. You might end up trapped in an office when the Writer needed and wanted a stay-at-home mom to help Him shape a child into a world-changer! Or perhaps you would pastor a congregation instead of being the CEO He created you to be. Just as God made a purpose for you to fulfill, He also did so for our great America. God wove a plan and destiny for her. Just as we can take a detour in our personal journey, nations can do the same. Wrong decisions can cause us to digress, as I believe occurred in the recent election. We then have to swerve and dodge roadblocks and deal with the setbacks. However, we are Americans and this we can do. And we will do it well. However, it’s important that we do not relinquish our dreams and the promises we hold so dear. Look deep inside and ask yourself what dreams God hid in you. What makes you come alive? What strengths have lain dormant while you’ve pursued goals that could never fulfill you? Make a determination now to pursue the dreams God has for you - being the person He created you to be. What were you born to do? What did your Tailor measure you for? Are your dreams consistent with this? Is someone trying to make you act like a Yorkshire Terrier when you’re a bona fide Treeing Walker Coonhound? You will never be truly fulfilled until your dreams, goals, pursuits, and activities match what your Creator dreamed for you. Like our canine friend, find your howl and be who you are meant to be. The first step is to believe God has a destiny for you. He has placed His pioneering nature within you. “So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are His lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose.” Romans 8:28 TPT A prayer you can pray: We thank you, Father, that You always have a plan. You wove that blueprint together and placed it inside the womb of our mothers, and inside the womb of a nation. We are grateful that even when we cannot see all the steps in front of us, as we seek You, You guide our feet along Your path. We thank You for this journey and all the stops along the way. You teach us lessons we didn’t expect or even know we needed. We thank you for putting dreams inside of us - Your dreams that cause us to reach for what is up ahead, to always move forward and find a new path, a better way. You are the Great Creator and Giver of life. And Father we thank you for Your design for America, this great nation You planned and built. Your purpose for us is to be a light for You, both here on our own soil and to the nations of the earth. We agree with Your plans, Lord. We say Yes and Amen to your destiny for America. We ask You to continue to bring about Your plans for our great land. We thank You that no person or principality can change your intentions for us personally or for America. You are omnipotent and nothing can stand against You. So we bless our great country today. We say, “America, come into your destiny - you will fulfill God’s plans.” And nothing will stop it. In Jesus’ name we pray...Amen. Decree: We are navigating the road-blocks and America’s destiny will be fulfilled. Portions of today’s post are taken from my book Dream.