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We will be taking communion together at the end of today's post. Holy Friday Good Friday, called this because of an ancient usage of the word “good” as a synonym for holy. (In the same way that the Holy Bible at times is called the “Good Book.”) Holy Friday, indeed. From Gethsemane, Messiah was led to a mock trial, after which He was beaten mercilessly with a cat-o-nine-tails. This procedure was so brutal that some recipients didn’t survive it. The leather cords, tipped with sharp metal, tore at the flesh of the victim, not only cutting, but ripping off pieces of flesh. The beating, with its nine cords, delivered 39 times, made a total of 351 lashes. This was barbaric and brutal, not only lacerating the back, but wrapping around to the front of the victim’s body, including the face. It is hard to describe this lashing without being too graphic for most readers. The depiction of the horrific damage in The Passion movie is no exaggeration. Suffice it to say that when finished, the victim was often unrecognizable. The soldiers also beat Christ with their fists and spat on His face. To mock Him as “the King of the Jews,” a crown made of thorns was placed on His head and pressed into His skin, causing great pain and more loss of blood. When the ordeal was finished, Messiah was so mangled and covered with spittle and blood that He literally was unrecognizable. Isaiah said, “Many people were shocked [astonished; appalled] when they saw Him. His appearance was so damaged [disfigured; marred] He did not look like a man; His form was so changed they could barely tell He was human” (Isaiah 52:14 The Expanded Bible). The added punishments and torture, much more than the average victim of crucifixion was afflicted with, can only be explained as the fury of hell, trying to snuff out the life of the Son of God. Yeshua received this for you and me. Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24 tell us it was through this beating that we are healed. Place your faith for healing in this substitutionary sacrifice today. Christ was then led to His crucifixion. There are several prophetic references or pictures in the Old Testament pointing to the Cross. One passage of extreme importance is Deuteronomy 21: 22-23, which references one who experienced death by hanging on a tree as being “cursed.” It is abundantly clear from Galatians 3:13 that this verse refers to Jesus hanging on the “tree,” taking our curse. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’” Yeshua’s crucifixion took place at Golgotha, “the place of the skull.” God, millennia before, had ordained that this would be the place and, with the forces of nature, carved the international symbol of death onto the hillside. This also was the location of Isaac’s interrupted sacrifice (Genesis 22), which pictured the Cross. Like Isaac, we were spared, and God Himself provided the sacrifice. “Then Abraham looked up [lifted his eyes] and saw a male sheep [ram] caught in a bush by its horns. So Abraham went and took the sheep, offering it as a whole burnt offering to God, and his son was saved [in the place of his son]. So Abraham named that place The Lord Provides [or Sees; Hebrew: Yahweh Yireh]. Even today, people say, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided [or seen]’” (Genesis 22:13-14; The Expanded Bible). In this chosen place, high on a hill so all could see the Passover Lamb bearing our sin, suffering, and shame, God provided the sacrifice for our sins. Jesus carried His own Cross, though He was able to carry it only part of the way. It was actually the crossbeam that He carried. When He arrived at the place of crucifixion, He was first tied and nailed with spikes to this crosspiece, which contained a hole in the center, enabling it to slide down onto the permanent upright post. After a victim was tied and nailed to this portion, it was lifted and placed onto the top of the vertical section, whereupon it would fall down and slam into place. This is often when dislocations would occur in the crucified person, as the crosspiece slammed down, and stopped. And indeed, we know this occurred with Christ, as was prophesied of Him in Psalm 22:14. The sliding down of the crosspiece is also why the spikes were placed at the bottom of the hands where they joined the wrist; this placement would sustain more weight. It’s also why the victim was tied to the crossbeam. If they were not secured in this way, they would often be torn loose. Yeshua hung on the Cross for six hours in this emaciated state. While there, He spoke seven times. Time does not permit me to comment on each of them, but they are all significant. Halfway through the ordeal, at noon, the sun disappeared, and the sky grew dark (Luke 23:44-45). This was a fulfillment of Amos 8:9-10: “‘It will come about in that day,’ declares the Lord God, ‘That I will make the sun go down at noon and make the earth dark in broad daylight. Then I will turn your festivals into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation, and I will bring sackcloth on everyone’s loins, And baldness on every head. And I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son, And the end of it will be like a bitter day.’” Surely this is a prophetic picture of the Light of the World being snuffed out for us. It was at the end of the three hours that Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46-47; Mark 15:34) He was quoting from Psalm 22, which is a detailed prophecy of the Cross. Christ was crying out in anguish because, for the first time in all of eternity, He was experiencing separation from His Father. It is also the only record we have of Him addressing God as anything other than Father. Christ had taken our sins upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53.5). Most scholars agree that when this occurred, He bore our separation from the Father, who could no longer look upon Him. Though Jesus no doubt knew this would occur, the actual experience was more than He could endure, and cried out in anguish. It is worth noting that Christ never cried out during the beatings, scourging, thorns, spikes, or dislocations - only when this separation occurred from His Father, as He bore our sin. Finally, it was enough. The price had been paid. Christ made His final two statements. The first, “It is finished,” I have written of before in the GH15 posts. This was not a quiet statement referencing His death, but a loud declaration by Christ, also a quote from Psalm 22:3. This decree was one word in Greek (tetelestai)(1) and also in the Hebrew of Psalm 22 (asah).(2) Using the literal meaning of these words, Christ was declaring that He had fully accomplished His assignment, paid our debt in full, and was bringing forth the new creation! Yeshua then released His spirit to the Father. Death did not take Him, He “yielded up His Spirit” (Matthew 27:50). It was 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The priests in the Temple were performing their customary duties when, at the very moment Jesus yielded up His Spirit, the veil in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45). The purpose of this veil had been to separate humans from the Holy of Holies, the dwelling place of God on earth. With this symbolic act, God was declaring that the separation caused by our sin was gone, and we could now draw near to Him, entering His presence once again! Why don’t you spend some time with Him today? He would like that. Pray with me: Thank You, Father, for the Cross. Thank You for sending Christ to be our substitute. Thank You for placing our sins upon Him in order to bring us back into Your family. Thank You for enduring the lashes, the wounds, the crown of thorns, and the separation, for surely it was agonizing for You, as well as for Yeshua. And thank You, Jesus, for Your heart of humility and love. You are the Son of Man and Son of God. Through Your sacrifice and our faith in it, You have made us sons and daughters of the Most High. We are so grateful. Now, by faith, we appropriate all of the cleansing power of Your shed blood, and the healing virtue that flows from every wound You suffered. By Your stripes, we are healed! As we prayed yesterday, we do again today: for the glory of Your name and the pleasure of Your heart, send revival to earth. Save a billion or more people in this great revival. Your Father promised You the nations of the earth as Your inheritance - reap them now. And in remembrance of You and what You did for us on Calvary, we partake of the Communion Meal. We take the bread, which was Your body, broken for us - a price paid so we could be healed. [Pause; eat the bread] We take the cup, a representation of Your blood, spilled for us, the price paid for our redemption from sin. We give You thanks today, Jesus. We give You thanks. [Drink the juice] Our decree: We decree that the Lamb who was slain has overcome and will forever reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. Click on the link below to watch the full video. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. No. 5055 Ibid. Ref. no. 6213

Last night on the Flashpoint program, I shared about a dream sent to me from a friend. In the dream, I was at the U.S. Capitol singing a line from our National Anthem. Those of us on the program found it more than coincidental that a week after this dream, the bridge bearing the name of the anthem’s author was destroyed. (The dream did not mention the bridge.) I will share a post regarding this dream and my overall thoughts concerning it next week. Though the dream is significant, I do not feel it is appropriate to deviate from our posts regarding Christ’s Passion Week in order to address it. Again, we will do so next week. __________________________________________________________________________________ Gethsemane “Leaving there, He went, as He so often did, to Mount Olives. The disciples followed Him. When they arrived at the place, He said, ‘Pray that you don’t give in to temptation.’” (Luke 22:39 MSG) “The place” spoken of by Luke was Gethsemane. It had become Christ’s favorite place of prayer; notice the phrase, “as He so often did.” This is how Judas, who had left the Last Supper early, knew where to take the soldiers to find Him. Christ would spend three hours there that night agonizing over the ordeal He was facing. During this time, He would wrestle with His natural, human desire for this cup of suffering to pass from Him: “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). The agony of these three hours was horrific, much worse than most people realize. Luke tells us Christ started this time of prayer on His knees. Matthew adds that He eventually fell on His face in agony. Mark added that He fell repeatedly. In other words, Christ would kneel, then eventually fall on His face. He would rise to His feet again, only to fall once more - first to His knees, then onto His face. At one point, the agony He was experiencing, as well as the knowledge of what was coming, became so intense that the capillaries in His face burst, and blood, mixed with sweat, oozed through the pores of His skin (Luke 22:44). This is a painful medical condition known as hematidrosis. “Doctors don't know exactly what triggers hematidrosis, in part because it's so rare. They think it could be related to the body's ‘fight or flight’ response… Sometimes, it seems to be caused by extreme distress or fear, such as facing death, torture, or severe ongoing abuse. It's probably where the term ‘sweating blood,’ meaning a great effort, comes from.”(1) “While the extent of blood loss generally is minimal, hematidrosis also results in the skin becoming extremely tender and fragile.”(2) I believe our redemption was actually beginning at this point when the first drop of Christ’s blood was shed, even before He reached the Cross. Through a blending of the Gospel accounts, and with more in-depth definitions of the words chosen by Holy Spirit, we can gain a more complete picture of what Jesus truly experienced in the garden. When He “withdrew” from the disciples to pray by Himself (Luke 22:41), Luke uses a stronger word than the other Gospel writers, apospao,  which means “to tear away.”(3) Wuest [New Testament] translates it accordingly, “He tore himself away from them.” Probably more than any time in His life, Christ wanted the comfort of being with friends, yet He knew He would have to face this ordeal alone. We are told by Matthew and Mark that Yeshua became “sore amazed, exceedingly sorrowful, and very heavy” (Matthew 26.37-38; Mark 14:33-34 KJV). More literal definitions of the Greek words used give us poignant descriptions of what He was feeling: Sore amazed - ekthambeisthai: “to be exceedingly astonished, either with wonder or fear; to be in the grip of a shuddering horror.”(4) Exceedingly sorrowful - perilupus: “to be very sad, environed or surrounded with deep grief.”(5) Very heavy - ademonein: “to be troubled and in anguish, to be in a state of great anxiety; used of one who is rendered helpless, disoriented, agitated, and anguished by the threat of an approaching event.”(6) Wuest New Testament says Christ was “thoroughly alarmed” (Mark 14:33) and “entered a state of severe mental and emotional struggle to the point of death” (agonia) (Luke 22:44). Though Jesus knew in advance this trauma was coming, the intensity of it was even greater than what He had expected. Based on all of these definitions, the ordeal was alarming to Him, astonishing, disorienting, horrifying. Most of us don’t think of Christ as being capable of feeling these types of emotions. Yet, in His humanness, He could and did, allowing Himself to identify with us. Matthew also tells us Jesus was agonizing “to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). The word used demands that this be taken literally. Though death could never have overcome Christ before the time came for Him to “yield up” His spirit, nevertheless, His body was close to death. Again, I believe our redemption - specifically, taking the emotional wounds, rejections, and sorrows of the entire world upon Himself - began here in the garden of Gethsemane. Isaiah prophesied of Christ: “He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging, we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:3-5 NASB) Don’t waste a moment of Christ’s suffering for you. Everything He did was redemptive. Every second of suffering and abuse was for you and me, taking our place. Let it bring healing to every part of your soul that may be hurting. Jesus wants you healed from every form of abuse, rejection, betrayal, and loss. He paid for this! Receive it. After three hours of emotional agony, it was enough. God sent an angel to strengthen Him (Luke 22:43). Christ broke through into peace, and His spirit was now in complete control of every emotion. At this point, Judas came with soldiers and betrayed Christ with a kiss (kataphileo)(7). The word reveals that this was more than just the friendly kiss on the cheek (phileo),(8) a common greeting in many countries. The prefix kata(9) strengthens it, implying a stronger affection; perhaps he added a hug, or the kiss on the cheek lingered somewhat. That is why Jesus questioned Judas, “Are you betraying me with this type of affection, Judas?” (Luke 22:48). Christ then asks the soldiers, “Who are you seeking?” When they told Him, He simply said, “I AM” (John 18:4-5). Jesus did NOT say “I am He,” as most translations state. He spoke His God-name from throughout eternity: “I AM.” And the power of His words, of His name, knocked the soldiers backward onto the ground (verse 6). Christ is, indeed, Almighty God. At this point, Peter, perhaps emboldened by what happened to the soldiers, pulled out a sword and cut off the ear of Malchus, a servant of the High Priest. Jesus promptly touched Malchus and performed a creative miracle, healing his ear! (Luke 22:51) The great I AM, indeed! The Healer! The Great Physician! The Creator! And in this time of His suffering, the Savior is seen ministering to His enemies. At this point, Jesus was led away to be tried, beaten, and crucified. We will look at this tomorrow. Pray with me: Father, the agony You must have felt during Christ’s sufferings had to have been immeasurable. The temptation to answer His prayer, “Let this cup pass from Me,” must have been overwhelming. But You knew there was no other way to save us - our sins required a perfect, sinless substitute. You who spared not Your own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall You not also with Him, freely give us all things! (Romans 8:32). Thank You! And Jesus, words fail us. You, the Prince of Peace, suffered overwhelming mental anguish and emotional trauma for us. You allowed Yourself to feel the pressure until Your capillaries burst and Your skin oozed blood. Through this, You now give us unexplainable peace and unspeakable joy. We worship You today. We exalt You above all others. We love You from the depths of our hearts. May our incense of worship rise before You, bringing the pleasure You so deserve. As incredible as it sounds, we know we are the reward of Your suffering. Satisfy Your heart even more in this hour - send revival to the earth! Bring a billion souls into Your family in this coming revival. Your Father, who cannot lie, gave You the nations as Your inheritance. No one can take them from You. Holy Spirit, show the world just how wonderful this God-Man is. Open their eyes to His glory, His selfless love, His humility. Give them dreams about Him that awaken desire - a longing to know Him. Surely, there is no one like Him - give them a taste! Let not the wicked stop this. Ruin their plans, judge their strategies, thwart their efforts…and reveal this glorious Man. And in His name, we pray, Amen. Tomorrow, we will partake of communion together as we remember Good Friday, the day of Christ’s death. Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/hematidrosis-hematohidrosis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hematidrosis This is a combined definition from these sources:  Strong, James. The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990. Thayer, Joseph Henry. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1977. Vine, W.E. The Expanded Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1984. Zodhiates, Spiros, The Complete Word Study Dictionary. Iowa Falls, IA: Word Bible Publishers, 1992. Ibid Ibid Ibid Ibid Ibid Ibid

I want to thank my friends who filled in for me on the posts this past week while I was taking a few days off. I was able to get some much-needed rest. The Humanness of Christ Christ actually began experiencing the emotional pressure of the Cross several weeks before it occurred. Many people fail to consider the true human-ness of Jesus, that He possessed real emotions and the ability to feel pain. In His earthly life, Christ experienced grief, sorrow, anger, and disappointment; He enjoyed friendships, knew joy and laughter, felt hunger and thirst, and grew tired and sleepy. Though fully God, Jesus was also fully human, but without the Adamic fallen nature. He had to be human in order to represent us as our legal substitute. As one who was truly human, Christ didn’t shift over into “God-mode” when things got tough, in order to not feel the pain or trauma. Philippians 2:6-7 tells us that “Although He existed in the form of God, [He] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” Let Christ be human. As I stated above, weeks before the Cross, Christ began feeling the pressure. When He said, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62), Jesus was thinking of Himself. The passage begins by saying, “Jesus let nothing distract Him from departing for Jerusalem because the time for Him to be lifted up drew near, and He was full of passion to complete His mission there,” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭9:51‬ ‭TPT‬‬). Jesus knew that in Jerusalem, He would face arrest, torture, and agonizing death. But He set off firmly and unflinchingly, committed to finishing His mission. There would be no backing out; nothing would deter Him from accomplishing His purpose. Isaiah prophesied about this determination: “The Lord God has opened My ear; I was not disobedient, nor did I turn back. I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. For the Lord God helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed,” (Isaiah 50:5-7 NASB). Christ knew this passage was speaking of Him and realized He was entering the season of its fulfillment. So He set His face like flint, put His hand to the plow, and turning toward Jerusalem, began what would become His final trek to that city. Traveling by foot and stopping along the way to minister and rest, the journey would take several weeks. Luke, in his gospel, reveals the humanness of Christ more than the other Gospel writers. Under Holy Spirit’s guidance, each Gospel writer had a different goal in his version of Christ’s life. This is why each man shared different (not contradictory) accounts of Christ’s works and teachings. Matthew, for example, wrote his Gospel to reveal Christ as the King of God’s Kingdom. Mark presented Him as a man of action, filled with power and under authority. John revealed Christ as truly God. Luke presented the humanness of Christ. As a man, He was qualified to be our substitute at the Cross. In revealing Christ’s humanness, Luke wants us to know that Jesus felt the pressure; from this point onward, it was building in the Son of Man. Eleven times after the above verse (9:51), Luke reminds us that Christ was journeying toward Jerusalem and, therefore, the Cross. He was focused on His mission and refused to be deterred. In Chapter 12, Luke quotes Him as saying, “I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished” (verse 50). “Distressed” is the Greek word sunecho,(1) a very strong word meaning “to be held fast, like a prisoner.” It also means “to be confined, constrained, pressed together so as not to be able to move (like a city under siege);” figuratively, sunecho meant “to be in a mental state of anguish.” Kenneth Wuest’s expanded and very literal translation of the New Testament renders this verse: “I have an immersion by which I will be overwhelmed, and I am being hard pressed from every side until it be consummated.” In other words, though weeks out from the Cross at this point, the strain in Christ was already very intense! Jesus knew well of the coming suffering and was dreading it. The focus required in order to press onward to Jerusalem was so intense that it could be seen in His demeanor. In Luke 9:53, Christ was rejected by a Samaritan village “because His face was as though He would go to Jerusalem.” Although there was great friction between Jews and Samaritans, Christ had earlier been accepted by a village in Samaria after ministering to “the woman at the well” (see John 4). On this occasion, however, the Samaritans would not receive Him. Why? They were offended because He couldn’t seem to take His focus off of Jerusalem. What did this look like? There must have been many pensive gazes, perhaps even grimaces, as Christ repeatedly turned His face toward Jerusalem…and the Cross. This preoccupation became so obvious that the Samaritans - rejected and looked down upon by the Jews - had finally had enough. Of course, they didn’t understand the reasons for His focus on Jerusalem. No one did. This was something Christ was having to endure alone. And with His face set like flint, He journeyed on - moving toward His destiny. “And He was passing through from one village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem” (Luke 13:22). For several weeks the journey continued, the pressure building until Jesus rounded the last curve and crested the last hill. When the city at last came into view, He burst into tears. Christ’s emotions were now raw, sensitive, and bottled up. Like a pent-up dam that could take no more pressure, He released His emotions. Jesus loved this city; He loved the people. Yet, He knew Jerusalem would reject Him and be His place of death. In the future, it would also experience great devastation. As this mix of emotions erupted to the surface, Yeshua let it all out. And He did more than just cry. Again, quoting from Wuest’s New Testament, “...having caught sight of the city, He burst into tears, weeping audibly over it” (Luke 19:41). What a picture. And what must the disciples and those following Christ have thought as He “burst into tears” and sobbed? How often this man surprised and amazed them. Power, authority, humility, wisdom, intellect, love, and passion were all exhibited by the Son of Man. And they would soon see His anger. After composing Himself, Christ went directly to the Temple and drove out those who were selling their wares, making His “house of prayer...a robber’s den,” (Luke 19:45-46). This was indeed anger, but it was not a temporary loss of self-control. His actions were prophetic. The Temple was intended by God to picture us humans, created to be the dwelling place/temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). The defilement Jesus was seeing reminded Him of the defilement in us, which He was about to cleanse at the Cross, just days from then. He was demonstrating what He had come to do: cleanse His temple - US! And Christ was very intense about this. Spend some time this week reflecting on the passion of Christ. Journey through the week with Him. Thank Him for the price He paid. Worship Him not only as God the Creator, but also as Son of Man, the Redeemer. And please…let Him be human. Pray with me: Father, thank You for Your incredible love and commitment to us. Thank You for the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. You are amazing. We are deeply moved by being able to call You Abba, Papa. And Jesus, thank You for the incarnation - being willing to become one of us. Isaiah called You Immanuel, “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14). Daniel called You “son of man” (Daniel 7:13). Thank You for the tears. Thank You for the love. Thank You for the suffering and pain. Thank You for the Cross - thank You for dying. And, thank You for winning, for conquering death and the grave, for overcoming sin and its evil hold on us. Thank You for making Yahweh our Abba, for bringing us into the family, and for sharing Your throne with us. Manifest Yourself through us in this era, we pray. May the world see who You truly are, Yeshua, observing Your glory as the church You are building matures into the Ekklesia You envisioned. Continue to mature us into people worthy to bear Your name. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we have put our hand to the plow and will never look back. Click on the link below to watch the full video. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 4912.

Introduction Much could be said of Jane Hamon. She and her husband, Tom, hear from Holy Spirit as clearly as anyone I know, and their words are filtered through a tremendous depth of biblical knowledge. As spiritual parents and apostolic leaders to many, their impact is huge, and they are in great demand around the world. Thank you, Jane, for being our friend and giving us your time today. Ceci and I thank you. You’ll enjoy hearing from Jane today. ______________________________________________________________________________ Victory Over Chaos It’s an honor to fill in for my dear friend, Dutch Sheets, as he takes a much-deserved break for his 70th birthday. Happy Birthday from the Hamon family, and may God refresh your body, soul, and spirit for all your future assignments. As I was seeking the Lord in this season, I heard Him say He is positioning the Ekklesia to experience victory over chaos and a time of recovery of all that has been stolen. It’s a time to focus on the victory ahead, not on the chaos that may be swirling around. It’s time to see the straight paths so we can speak to the crooked places and call the things that are not as though they are. It’s a time for fresh vision, to see the light that is invading darkness, to see how God sees, filled with hope and a future. We may not like the battle, but remember, there is no victory without a fight. Yes, I am afraid it’s going to be a wild ride: economic ups and downs, global instability, societal unrest, political manipulations, and a “the end justifies the means” mentality that skirts laws and defies principles. Yet in the midst of all this, there is an awakening taking place! People are waking up from their slumber, both in natural and spiritual things. Mindsets are changing, opening hearts to hear the gospel in a brand new way. The Kingdom of God will advance as revival continues to sweep college campuses, Hollywood, boardrooms, and yes, churches. Dark forces will try to inflame global conflict to stop this, but it’s not time for a World War III. It’s time for the church, the Ekklesia, to pray and decree God’s purposes. Back in August of 2020 the Lord gave me a word for the beginning years of this decade. He said, “Chaos is getting ready to increase.” (Yay! What an exciting word!). I knew Chaos was personified as a dragon named Rahab in Isaiah 51:9 which was an ancient god of chaos.(1) It represented evil of every kind at work in the earth, in people, and in the governments of nations. Chaos brings utter confusion, disorder, discord, and lawlessness. We have certainly seen chaos increase in the earth since 2020. The second thing God said was that He was going to use chaos to expose corruption, evil agendas, and secret deals being made to control the nations.  Basically, everything that can be shaken will be shaken so that which cannot be shaken will remain, but remember, we serve a Kingdom which cannot be shaken (see Hebrews 12:27-28). The shaking will be our making! Then the third thing He said was, “Then tell them: The God of Peace is rising.” He said this part three times for emphasis. Romans 16:20 declares, “The God of Peace will soon crush satan under your feet.” Isaiah 9:6-7 says one of the names of the coming Messiah would be Prince of Peace. The word peace is Shalom in Hebrew, which means peace, safety, prosperity, happiness, wholeness, favor, and rest.(2) Rabbinical scholars, however, look at the letters used to form this word and the pictures represented by those letters. In this case, the pictures give a deeper meaning to the word Shalom: Peace comes when you destroy the authority of chaos!(3) This is our assignment: to destroy the authority of every demonic force of chaos through the power of the victorious blood of Christ! We must pray against the evil agenda of the enemy to stir up chaos, however, God promises He will use the very things the enemy has meant for evil to turn for our good (see Genesis 50:20). For example, Joseph received prophetic dreams of leadership and government positioning then all hell broke loose against him. When this word came, he was just the son of a shepherd. His journey of trials, and yes, chaos, shaped him for his destiny. In Potiphar’s house, he learned leadership and agriculture. In the palace prison he learned government and how the palace operated. What was he going to need to assume his position as Pharaoh’s right hand? He would need knowledge of leadership, government, and agriculture. Your trials are actually preparing you for your destiny. Don’t waste the process with bitterness or anger.  Recognize God will cause all things to work for your good. Allow the peace of God to overthrow every kind of chaos in your life as the power of the God of Peace is made real. In Genesis 1:2, we are told in the beginning, the earth was without form and void.  The phrase without form indicates a state of chaos and confusion.(4) The enemy is trying to bring nations under the power of chaos, without form, by destroying societal norms regarding the nuclear family, gender, and by removing righteous foundations. How did God deal with this primordial chaos? He spoke into the chaos and said, “Let there be!” Let there be light. Let there be life. Let there be order. The Voice of the Lord confronts chaos. Divine Order confronts confusion. We are in a time when His voice is being released in power through the mouths of His people, to decree divine order into the chaos of this world. This year, God is concerned about things being set in order in His house. We recognize judgment begins in the house of God (see 1 Peter 4:17). While God is setting His house in order, we must also set our own houses in order. Reset your faith. Reset your vision. Renew your commitment to righteousness. This will be a time to not just set our house in order, but also set our mouths in order! When God spoke to Israel to cross in to take their promised land, all they could see were the giants. They spoke about the problem rather than the promise. But there were two, Joshua and Caleb, who saw the problem but chose instead to speak the promise. “We eat giants for our bread!” Speak the promise, not the problem! Interestingly, this is the Year of the Dragon on the Chinese lunar calendar. I believe it is a time to confront and defeat this demonic dragon of chaos, by releasing the Word of the Lord and His powerful decrees through our mouths.  Speak to the chaos and confusion, that which is out of order and lawless throughout the nations, and see this dragon, this leviathan, broken into pieces by the sword of the Lord that comes out of our mouths (see Isaiah 27:1). I hear the Lord say, “There a company of dragon slayers arising today. These are those who have looked death right in the eye and not given up, backed off, or been intimidated. They will operate with supernatural courage to confront chaos, confusion, and every emissary of lawlessness operating on the earth. Jesus, the ultimate dragon slayer, defeated death, hell, and the grave, paving the way for this new generation who will enforce his victory. Those who thought they would be broken by the harsh trials of the last season, yet held on to the Word of the Lord will prevail. I am waking up My people, reminding them of My prophetic promises and calling them to wage war by them, knowing My voice shatters the enemy every time (see Isaiah 30:31). So rise up, dragon slayers! Shake off all perceived defeat of the last season and rise into new authority and victory for the new day.” Pray with me: Lord, give me the courage of a dragon slayer. Fill my mouth with words of revelation and power and anoint me to confront chaos and confusion everywhere I go. Send an awakening in our land. Expose all corruption. Raise up your Ekklesia to release an increase of your government and peace by destroying the authority of chaos in our nation and in the earth. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Decree with me: The God of Peace is crushing satan under my feet! I decree divine order into every place of chaos, and crooked places are being made straight. I am a dragon slayer, in Jesus’ name! For more information, you might enjoy: Declarations for Breakthrough: Agreeing with the Voice of God, Chosen Books, Minneapolis, MN, 2021, or contact my website at JaneHamon.com. Click on the link below to watch the full video. __________________________________________________________________________ Got Questions, https://www.gotquestions.org/cut-Rahab-in-pieces.html. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, 7999. Discipleship Development, https://developdisciples.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/shalom-definition.pdf. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, Unabridged, Electronic Database, 8414, https://biblehub.com/hebrew/8414.htm.

Introduction I don’t need to tell you how much I love and respect today’s guest. His passion, integrity, wisdom, and revelation are unsurpassed. No one lives the messages he preaches more than my brother, Tim Sheets. A man after God’s heart, his pursuit of the Lord has given him a very weighty mantle. You will be inspired, encouraged, and enriched by Tim’s word today. Thanks, Tim, for sharing with us. _______________________________________________________________________________ The Covenant Healing Room Recently, Holy Spirit has given me several words, visions and dreams that will help us discern our times. We are moving into a supernatural, transformational and reformational era where the glory and power of the Lord is being amped up at much higher levels. Prophetic dreams, visions, prophecies and scriptures we have been decreeing are now accelerating. The Holy Spirit has consistently emphasized that healings and notable miracles are to be part of this era. They are coming in greater measure than at any other time in church history. This has occupied my spirit because the divine healing ministry is a part of my personal heritage. My roots go back to what is called “The Voice of Healing Movement,” a time when healing evangelists held healing and miracle meetings across our nation and many other nations. It was an amazing time, an inspirational time. All manner of sicknesses and diseases were healed, even incurable diseases where man is concerned, were healed by the power of God. Well-known ministers of that time were A.A. Allen, William Branham, Jack Coe, Kathryn Kuhlman, Oral Roberts, and many, many others. When I was a boy, my dad also began to be used greatly in the healing ministry, conducting healing services. My brother Dutch and I regularly worked at the altars, and we saw the power of God manifest time after time. I have seen many miracles happen with my own eyes, including incurable diseases healed, blind eyes opened, and deaf ears restored. I have also seen a man, crippled and twisted in a wheelchair, unwind and his body completely realigned and restored. Over the years, I have received many prophetic words about releasing the healing and miracle heritage from my childhood, and I believe Holy Spirit is now accelerating this assignment. It is time for supernatural events to happen on the earth as was seen throughout the Scriptures. Notable miracles will now help change history as was seen in the Book of Acts. It is God’s will to heal. We are moving into days when notable miracles will accelerate through Kingdom Ekklesias. They will flow into towns, cities, regions, states and nations. It is time to believe for supernatural power of the living God to come into our churches. Believe for God possibilities. Believe for God action to start being released all around us. Believe for God manifestations. Believe for signs, wonders, miracles, and thousands and thousands of healings. In light of these recent words and visions that I have received, Holy Spirit has prompted me to pray for healings and miracles quite often. I asked the Lord one day to give me prophetic understanding concerning these dreams and visions and He gave me a very unique dream and a word that connects to notable miracles. In the dream I was in a very large room with what looked to be around a hundred people. All age groups were represented from young children to the elderly. I could see each individual very clearly. I looked over to one side, and I saw a blind man standing, holding a white cane. I looked around the room and saw people who were obviously deaf because they were using sign language. I saw other people with sores all over their bodies. The sores looked infected, and I knew it was some kind of skin disease or cancer. I saw others who were extremely sick and in the last stages of a deadly disease. I saw some who appeared to be stroke victims. They were paralyzed and dragging their leg or couldn’t use an arm. I saw a few others in wheelchairs. It was as if I was in a sick ward with people experiencing all sorts of sickness and diseases. I could see the hollow look in their eyes, the fear and the hopelessness that was written on their faces. I remember in the dream, I was feeling so bad and sad for them that I wanted to get out of the room because I didn’t want them to see me cry. I didn’t want to make it about me. At this point in the dream, I knew I was to walk across the hall to a room on the other side. When I walked into this room, it also had a hundred people or so inside of it. However, these people were completely different from the others. They were happy, they were joyous, laughing, and the absolute picture of health. They were energetic, filled with life, and interacting with one another. I obviously noticed the contrast between the two rooms. I stood there for a moment and a man walked up to me that I’ve never met before, but I instantly recognized him. (It was T.L. Osborn, who is now in heaven. He was one of the famous healing evangelists who moved in the healing and miracle ministry during the days of “The Voice of Healing Movement.” I’ve seen videos of his healing crusades where dozens of wheelchairs and crutches were left behind at the altar. Notable miracles happened through this great man.) The dream continued: He and another person walked up to me. T.L. Osborn asked me if I recognized the other man. I replied, “No sir, I don’t think I do.” Then, he brought someone else over to me and asked if I recognized him. Again I said, “No, Dr. Osborn, I don’t think I know him.” He continued bringing people to me and asking if I knew them, and I continued to reply that I did not. Then, Dr. Osborn beamed at me with his broad smile and asked me to look very closely at each person. So I did, but again, I said that I did not recognize them. He then said to me, “You were just in the room across the hall with these very same people.” He pointed to one person and said, “This is the one who had sores all over their body, and a part of their face was disfigured. He gestured to another person and said, “This person was the one in the wheelchair over against the wall.” He continued pointing out others, “This one was the stroke victim who could not move her arm. These people were the ones in the last stages of cancer who could barely stand. And remember this man? He said, he was the blind man with the white cane. Here are the children that you saw that were so sick and in such pain they could hardly move, let alone try to play.” One after the other he began to introduce me to these people so healthy and transformed that I did not recognize they were the same ones I had seen across the hall in desperate conditions. Then Dr. Osborn asked me if I knew what room I was in. To which I replied, “No, I just wanted out of the other room, so I came into this one.” He smiled broadly again and said, “This is the covenant healing room.” He pointed to a sign on the wall that read, “By Whose stripes we were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) End of Dream. We are now in a season of great, notable miracles. King Jesus is stepping to center stage, with His Ekklesia by His side, to magnify His magnificent healing covenant. He went to the whipping post, took stripes upon His back, and purchased a covenant right to our healing. Holy Spirit is clearly saying it is time to press into the miraculous healing realm and believe for notable miracles. Pray with me: Father God, activate the gift of the workings of miracles and the gift of healing across this world in Jesus’ Name. We decree the King is rising to release notable miracles. Loose healings and miracles throughout all 50 states and around the earth. Loose them in our homes. Loose them in our families. Show us how big and how great You are. Holy Spirit, pour out power from heaven to activate miracles in our midst. We agree with heaven’s plan. We believe whatever the need, You can take care of it. Release Your healing power in Jesus’ Name, Amen. Our decree: All of the words, visions, dreams, and prophecies will accomplish their assignment concerning God’s healing power in the earth realm! The breaker anointing is rising and we will see notable miracles, signs, and wonders manifested. Today’s post was contributed by Tim Sheets. You can learn more about Tim at  TimSheets.org. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Introduction There is no ministry in America more significant than Intercessors for America, and they’ve had no better leader than David Kubal. Kingdom-hearted to the core, Dave lives to see Christ glorified in our nation. Like his namesake, King David of old, Dave is giving his life to see God’s purposes fulfilled in our generation. Thank you, Dave; we appreciate you and your labors, and for giving of your valuable time to Give Him 15 today. _______________________________________________________________________________ Global Crescendo of Freedom: Will It Continue? The year 2024 is like no other year in human history; it is a year where there is a historic crescendo of global freedom. As we consider the upcoming U.S. Presidential Election, I believe we need to understand its importance in light of what God is doing around the globe. What do I mean? Fewer than 300 years ago, not a single country in the world allowed people the opportunity to elect those in authority over them. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States created the first nation ever to use a democratic process to choose the country’s leaders. Slowly, over time, this idea of freedom that our Founders championed crept across the globe. America is founded on the fact that God gives us our rights which impacted the way we choose leaders; the process of freedom was infectious, and it spread. By 1900, 25% of the world’s people were able to participate in selecting their leaders. One hundred years later, that percentage had grown to 50%. And over the last 20 years, even more growth has happened. Now, two-thirds — or 6 billion — of the world's 8 billion people help choose their leaders. Sixty-six countries will hold elections this year. Half of the world's population — that’s 4.1 billion people — will have an opportunity to participate in an election in their country thanks to the freedoms established by our Founding Fathers. This has never happened before in human history. It’s as if a global reset button is about to be pushed on half of the world’s population —a global freedom reboot. Will this global growth of freedom increase, or will global freedoms decrease? How should we focus our prayers for both the U.S. and the global elections? What are the three most important cultural elements to pray for? Secular research confirms what the Bible teaches. (CLICK this link https://ifapray.org/promo/world-elections-2024/ to download Intercessors for America’s Special Report “Unprecedented Shift in Global Power.”) GOOD GOVERNMENT Studies by the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and Statista agree:  nations thrive when governments focus on reducing corruption, emphasizing the rule of law, and ensuring a trustworthy electoral process that generates the most satisfied and economically productive inhabitants. Good government is essential if nations are to thrive. THRIVING CHURCHES What is the single most important element for people to find fulfillment in their lives? Let’s look at a Pew Research study of over 25 nations. Actively religious people are 50% more likely to describe themselves as “very happy.” Do you catch that? Secular researchers are saying that people find the most fulfillment when they’re part of a faith community! That means that nations with religious liberty will necessarily thrive. Like Jesus said, He will build His Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. So, as we consider praying for the increase of freedom worldwide, good government and religious liberty are important. One last consideration: TWO-PARENT FAMILIES What produces the most well-adjusted and economically successful people? The answer is found in numerous studies, including one by the American Enterprise Institute that concluded this: Children who grow up in a two-parent home are the most behaviorally adjusted and have the greatest economic success as adults. It’s not that children growing up in a one-parent home are doomed, but if a nation has a choice, it should always encourage two-parent households.(1) Good government; thriving faith communities; healthy two-parent families: For men and women of faith, this is no surprise. These studies illustrate truths found in God’s Word that have been known for centuries. In fact, good government, thriving faith communities, and healthy two-parent families sum up the three institutions God created to care for us. The biblical pattern of God’s design for government is first found in Exodus 18, when Moses set up a representative republic based upon law. Each tribe had leaders and judges, with Moses judging the most difficult issues. This is the genesis of the global freedoms we see today; the United States was the first representative republic after Israel, and it is patterned after Old Testament government. God created government to care for our civil lives. God created the Church to care for our spiritual lives. God created the family to care for our personal lives. Government, the Church, the family: At the core of every election across the globe this year, these will be on the ballot, one way or another. But some say, “Jesus is coming back. So, why should I care about my nation?“ To that objection, I say that every generation is entrusted with spreading the news of Christ’s kingdom. Let’s consider Matthew 24:12-14: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Jesus himself tells His disciples that their generation will not pass until the unfolding of His second coming. This set in the hearts of His disciples that the second coming was imminent, and could even be in their lifetime. But really, we are watching His second coming unfold as He uses His church to spread His Kingdom. The disciples believed Christ’s second coming was imminent and so they shared the gospel with urgency. Most of the New Testament epistles record Paul’s journey sharing God’s Kingdom even with the governmental leaders of his day. If they had stopped spreading the gospel, or if any other generation had stopped, where would humanity be now? What if the Lord tarries another 10 years, 100 years, or 1,000 years, and it is said of our generation that the gospel died because we thought Christ was returning? We must have faith in Christ’s return and at the same time be salt and light to our generation. Some quote Matthew 24:12, which suggests the rise of evil will be unstoppable. So why try to influence the world or government? Let’s go back to Matthew 24:12: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Jesus says evil will increase as time goes on, but between that increase of evil and His physical second coming, the gospel will be preached to all nations. Evil will increase; the gospel will spread; then He comes back. That’s the pattern. The rise of evil is not the time to give up! Just the opposite: Now is the time for the good news of His kingdom to go to all nations. Salvation and freedom come through Christ. In a way, the rise of evil should encourage us. This is the environment where the goodness of God becomes clearest. For example, LGBTQ activists have fought for their right to legalize immorality. This has progressed to the point where states like California have passed laws protecting homosexual activity with minors — legalizing pedophilia. Evil becomes so gruesome that it highlights the goodness of God. The contrast between darkness and light brings into focus the need for God and for those moral absolutes of the timeless principles in the Bible. So, we return to Jesus' words to the disciples: Evil will increase, and then the gospel goes to the nations. This is the period we are in. I believe we’re in a critical time of God’s plan for the church that’s greater than any other in history. So, we go back to where we started. This year darkness has never been darker. Globalists have never been as well positioned to control nations. Yet, the freedom set in motion by our Founding Fathers — because of their understanding of biblical principles — is being seen this year in the greatest number of elections ever in the history of mankind. Now is not the time to stop praying. Now is not the time to stop acting. Just the opposite: Now is the time to assist God in this greatest period of the Church in history. We’re on the verge of seeing some incredible supernatural activity! Let’s pray: Father, we thank You for the increase of freedom across the world over the last nearly 250 years. We thank You that so many citizens of nations around the world will have the opportunity to participate in elections in 2024. We pray for a global shift of power in accordance with Your will and Your plan for each of the 66 nations holding elections this year. We pray for the three institutions that You created to care for us. We pray for good government that will enable us to live peaceful and godly lives and to share the gospel. We pray for the Church to be holy and bold and to be used by You to bring about Your purposes. We pray for strong, two-parent families that will raise children to become stable citizens of free nations. We pray, Lord, that You would stir up in us fervent prayer and faith for what You are planning to do across the world in 2024. Our decree: We decree that we are not those whose love will grow cold, but we are those who will stand firm to the end and will see the gospel go to all nations. Today’s post was shared by Dave Kubal from Intercessors for America. You can find out more about Dave at IFApray.org Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://www.aei.org/articles/it-takes-two/

Introduction No individuals have impacted their state (AZ) more than Hal and Cheryl Sacks. Their depth, revelation, incredible insights, and practical wisdom, ministered through sincere hearts and gentle spirits, make them irresistible to all they meet. Ceci and I love and admire them. Today, Cheryl is bringing a word of faith, encouragement, and instruction to us. Listen, apply it, and watch things change. _______________________________________________________________________________ The Power of Two or More How many believers does it take to ignite a revival? Maybe fewer than you think.  In fact, almost every revival recorded in history started with as few as two or three people praying together! From these humble beginnings, the seeds of revival multiplied into dozens and even hundreds of clusters of praying believers, until entire cities and nations were ablaze with the presence and power of God. Don’t get me wrong: massive prayer gatherings are vital and powerful! My husband, Hal, and I have participated in many of these. The most memorable was “The Call DC” in 2000 when more than 600,000 (mostly young people) gathered at the Washington, D.C., mall to pray for America. Hal once participated in an all-night prayer meeting in Kampala, Uganda, where intercessors filled 18 sports arenas throughout the city, calling out to God with one voice to send revival. In one coliseum alone, 20,000 people were praying. Hal described the sound of intercession as like the roar of a freight train. But how did these massive prayer gatherings and other historic, large-scale revivals begin? They started with “two or more” believers united in prayer, such as: The First Great Awakening (1727–1742), which was marked by multiple small clusters praying in cities, towns, and regions; The “Haystack Prayer Meeting” in the USA in 1806, which started with five Williams College students praying for revival—contributing significantly to the Second Great Awakening; The Businessman’s Revival (1857–1863), began with six men praying in a church in New York City and grew to 30, 60, then 300, then 2,500. News spread, and prayer groups sprang up from city to city, and country to country. Within a year, one million people were saved! What’s remarkable about these groups is how quickly they multiplied: In 1905, when American evangelist R.A. Torrey visited Australia, he witnessed 2,100 prayer cells with 20,000 people praying in homes. The meetings had an atmosphere of revival, and there was a remarkable harvest. The Hebrides Revival in Scotland (1949–1953), also known as the “Cottage Revival,” began with two sisters, Peggy and Christine Smith, ages 84 and 82, praying every night in their little cottage for revival to come to their island. At the time, churches were dead and practically empty. Not one young person attended church. It wasn’t long before others on the island joined Peggy and Christine in prayer each night from their cottages. The revival lasted four years, and 90 percent of the island was saved—especially the teenagers and young adults under 40. This pattern holds true in modern-day revivals as well. In our book, Fire on the Family Altar, Hal and I tell the story of our friend Chris, who traveled to Uganda to document stories of how revival began there. He had seen large stadium events attended by multiple thousands who gathered to worship and pray for their nation. At one gathering, President Yoweri Museveni proclaimed Uganda to be a Christian nation. When Chris interviewed Christians who had participated, they talked about how the revival had actually started in their homes. It became clear that family units praying together were the real foundation of the revival. People shared stories of how marriages were healed, prodigals came home, and family members were delivered from addictions. From their homes, the Ugandan Christians expanded their prayer clusters and invited Holy Spirit into their schools, workplaces, and every sector of life—even to the Bank of Uganda, the President’s office, and Parliament. And Now…It’s Happening Again! We are entering the beginning of a God-breathed, worldwide Great Awakening like never seen before—marked by a growing societal awakening and a desperation for the healing of our nation and the brokenness of her people. Already we are seeing believers responding to the call of God’s Spirit to pray for lost friends, colleagues, and fellow students. They are gathering in homes, churches, schools, and workplaces, crying out for Him to send conviction, healing, and transformation. This sense of calling is driven by Holy Spirit, not by any human. No one is organizing this. There is no template or formula for how these clusters of believers are forming—though it’s extraordinary how closely they resemble the practice of the early Church in the book of Acts, who worshiped, prayed, and fellowshipped from “house to house”! Believers emerged to share the gospel with boldness and in demonstration of Holy Spirit’s power to heal, save, and deliver. We see the same emphases developing in prayer clusters forming today: Families Praying “House to House” Praying with family and friends for revival in their households and nation, Opening their homes for other believers to join in fellowship, teaching, sharing meals, and prayer (Acts 2:42). Praying for Holy Spirit’s Power Praying to share the gospel with power, evidenced by healings, miracles, and deliverances, Praying by name for friends, family, and colleagues to know Christ and be set free. Becoming Watchmen and Gatekeepers Serving as spiritual gatekeepers for families, schools, cities, and the nation, Occupying and transforming the spheres for which they are praying. Clusters are forming in neighborhoods everywhere. Christians are intentionally getting to know their neighbors, reaching out to help elderly neighbors and single moms with home improvement projects, taking meals, and praying for those who are sick. Many who are being befriended, prayed for, and ministered to are accepting the Lord. For example, our friends Guy and Teri Chadwick began sharing a weekly “Taco Tuesday” meal with four other couples. The couples challenged one another to pray for revival in their individual homes every night at 8:00 p.m. Then, on Sunday afternoons, they all meet together to pray for revival in their city of Manhattan Beach and for the nation, often prayer-walking the neighborhood. Guy and Teri always include in their prayers that “not one family member or friend will miss the revival—they will all be saved and fervently serve the Lord.” One professor we know encourages her students to form clusters to pray for one another and for revival on the university campus. We heard of a city official who formed a cluster with her fitness trainer. They pray together every time she goes to the gym. The New Wine Is in “the Cluster!” You might notice that these prayer groups are unconventional. That’s why, rather than more familiar terms like “prayer groups” or “prayer cells,” I like the term “revival prayer clusters” when referring to the new thing the Lord is doing. The prophet Isaiah speaks of this when he declares, “‘Thus,’ says the Lord… ‘the new wine is in the cluster…’” (Isaiah 65:8 KJV). The emphasis here is on the cluster, not individual grapes. The grapes are not plucked individually, but must remain together to produce the new wine. New wine speaks of the Holy Spirit’s anointing. The Spirit of God is doing a new thing! No one needs to sit on the sidelines in this next great move of His Spirit. We can all actively PRAY FOR and BE THE REVIVAL! We can be part of producing the “new wine.” It’s as easy as calling a friend to start praying together or inviting your neighbor to coffee and seeing if there is a need you can meet or something for which you can pray. Remember Jesus’ words “…if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:19–20). What a powerful promise! Pray with me: Lord, let not one of Your disciples be found sitting on the sidelines of this emerging revival. We declare we will obey Your command to “go” share the gospel (Mark 16:15–20), and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18–20). We pray that we, Your Ecclesia, will be activated like the church in the book of Acts—to share the gospel in power and that thousands will be added to the church daily. Our decree: We decree that Your light in us will shine brightly so the world will see and give You glory! Cheryl Sacks is the author of six books, including Fire on the Family Altar, a guide to igniting revival in your home and nation (Amazon). You can learn more about Cheryl and Hal Sacks’ ministry at BridgeBuilders.net. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Introduction There are some people God brings into your life who are integral in helping you accomplish your destiny. Chuck Pierce is one of those individuals in my world. Without his influence, I would not be who I am today. And, Chuck is always there for me - he was quick to say yes when asked to cover a day of GiveHim15. Thanks, Chuck. You’ll be blessed by his post today. Here’s Chuck. ______________________________________________________________________________ The Power of Redemptive Prophecy Blessings to all of you on Give Him 15. I always love the opportunity to be with Dutch Sheets Ministries. Dutch and Ceci are wonderful friends, and we have a very long history, starting in 1990. Dutch and I are as different as night and day, but our gifts synergize when we work together, meaning that there's a greater strength. I love to be a part of what Dutch Sheets Ministries is doing because it causes my gift to be stronger. I received a prophetic word in 1977 that I had both an evil inheritance and a godly inheritance. That's how I see our nation. We've done so many bad things, but we're a nation that the goodness of the Lord has developed within. We are at a critical point in this new historic era that we're living in – an era of war over the voice that will rule. We are living in a very chaotic world, and I see the Lord calling us to stir the winds of God, transform the chaos of our past and present, and gain new access to our future. We have a future, and what is happening right now is a revival of prophecy. The first place we find the word revive used in Scripture is in the life of Jacob (Genesis 45:27). Years earlier, Jacob thought his future had died when his sons brought back Joseph's mantle and said, “Joseph is dead.” When they came back years later and said, “Joseph is alive, and he's ruling Egypt,” that was very hard for Jacob. It was hard for Jacob to accept the truth because his heart was filled with grief and unbelief for the future. In this revival of prophecy, God is removing layers of grief, layers of hope deferred and unbelief, and causing His Word to come alive again. We prophesy according to our faith. Faith will come alive this year, and we will decree! Prophecy is expressing the heart and mind of God in a new way. It's not just about truth; it's about how God feels and thinks about a situation. The Word activates hope and produces a gift of faith in us. Faith will give us strength to turn this battle at the gate of this nation. It will give you the strength to turn the battle you're part of. The real war you're in is a war for your hopes and expectations. Expect God to move for you in a whole new way! There is a door of hope for your future. God gave Israel that promise while they were in Babylonian captivity – captivity was their door of hope. Even in that difficult situation, God made Himself available to them. The same thing is happening with us today. We should see our difficulties as doors of hope into a greater grace and miracle power from God to transform troubles into triumph. Remember that God has an order for recovery, restoration, prosperity, and breakthrough. God has an order for your life, an order for this nation, and for every state. We must find that order and get in that process to see recovery, restoration, prosperity, and breakthrough occur. We are living in the Hebrew decade of the 5780s (which corresponds to the 2020s). The number eighty in Hebrew is represented by the Hebrew letter pey.  This letter pey is also a pictorial symbol of “mouth,” “breath,” or “voice.”(1) In the pey decade of this new era, without prophetic utterance from redemptive revelation, we won’t find His order. God has redemptive revelation for every situation. That is what produces vision. Where there is no prophetic utterance from redemptive revelation, people perish. That means they go backward and, eventually, are “no more” in the plan of what God determined for their ultimate destiny. Without the Word creating the boundaries of our life new and fresh during this era, we will stray. In the prophetic realm, we're coming into a power of redemptive prophecy that we have never experienced. There are five levels of prophecy to understand: comfort, encouragement, exhortation (which means tearing down as well as building up because God does not just tear down without having a word to rebuild), directed prophecy, and redemptive prophecy, the highest level. What is redemption? Redemption means ransoming, cutting loose, rescuing, delivering, and preserving someone’s future. Redemption is us enforcing what God paid the price to bring about. We are called to ransom the captives. God’s ultimate desire is to free people. No matter what they've done and no matter what shame they're carrying, His desire is to see them free. Even when we miss the mark, that doesn't change God's heart to free a people or a person and set them back on His path. Redemption means that when something has been lost, you can buy it back. Even if it’s no longer there, a price has been paid to get it back in place in a new way. Redemption requires a deliverer/redeemer, someone stronger and in a better position to levy freedom for someone else. We are coming into a place in our nation to ask, “What is God’s redemptive plan?” When we prophesy His plan, it will enter the atmosphere and begin to manifest. When we prophesy redemption, we suddenly get positioned at the gate of access for our future and are ready to go through that door of hope and enter a better place. Redemption is like taking a yoke off someone. Shame is probably the worst yoke we find. At the Fall, man and woman immediately knew shame and tried to cover it. But God already had Plan B: redemption for them. When we make mistakes, He has a plan B, C, D, E, and so on, but we must take the opportunity to get in that plan for redemption. God has given us the ability to repurchase, avenge, rectify, and restore. In doing that, we'll forget our shame. Remember that repentance is a privilege; it's not shame-oriented. Repentance says, “Oh my, I see clearly! I'm going to change my mind and go down a different path.” When you see that, you start prophesying by faith that you can get on and stay on that path and see a manifestation of God's ultimate will in the earth. We prophesy and move according to faith. See, revelation is a great blessing for us because it uncovers what the enemy has tried to cover over. Redemptive prophecy uncovers the path for our future. Ask the Lord to stir up that gift of prophecy within you. We're not all prophets; we do not all stand in that office, but we all prophesy. Let Holy Spirit in you stir up prophecy. See the best and prophesy the best. Prophesy for this nation that it will find and uncover the path of redemption so we can walk into the future with hope. God is ready to activate the gift of faith in His people in a new way so His plan of redemption can operate in their lives. Pray with me: Father, thank You for the power of redemptive prophecy and how You are reviving it in Your people! Let the prophetic utterance rise up out of us that is necessary for this season, all that must be decreed for the fullness of Your redemptive purposes to come to pass. Thank You that, as we open our mouths in this “Pey” decade and prophesy from a place of faith, we can see this nation shift into its destiny according to Your original intent; thank You. We can see the same thing happen in our individual lives as we move through each door of opportunity that You set before us. Open our eyes to those doors and our spirits to Your voice so we will know what to speak and when to speak it to move into our promise of victory. Father, we ask You right now to stir up Holy Spirit, stir up the anointing that is in us, and cause the gift of prophecy to come alive and activate the faith within us to redeem what's been lost. Our decree: We decree that we are God’s remnant people who move in the power of faith, hope, and expectation produced by His Word. We are a people who rise up in redemptive prophecy and agree with Him over our future and the future of our nation! Click on the link below to watch the full video. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 6310.

Introduction As I begin my R n R today, YOU are going to blessed by my friend Gene Bailey, whom you know from his very significant program on the Victory Network, Flashpoint. I don’t have to tell you that Gene is making a huge impact in our nation, and it is a true honor to have him fill in for me today. Thanks, Gene. ________________________________________________________ Transitional Moments Hello, I’m Gene Bailey, and I’m honored Dutch and Ceci asked me to fill in for Dutch today. In thinking and praying about this post, I was reminded of something I wrote a while back about “Transitional Moments.” Right now, this nation is certainly in a transitional moment. We are wanting to see a turnaround in our leaders, yes. But I believe you and I are also in a transition. Let’s look at the first book of Joshua. “Moses, my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them” (Joshua 1:2). Imagine how Joshua must have felt when God spoke these words to him. He’d walked closely and faithfully with Moses for years. He’d witnessed miracles by Moses’ hand and had watched him struggle through periods of sin. He was well acquainted with the quirks of the Israelites and had seen Moses intercede for them. And one day, out of nowhere, it happened. Moses was dead. “Moses is dead? I’m in charge? Now?” Gulp. I wonder if anyone was more surprised than Joshua that it was time for him to take God’s people into the Promised Land. Joshua had been thrust into a transitional moment. That’s how transitional moments happen—we don’t expect them, and we often don’t realize we’re in one until we’re really in one. Transitional moments take us from where we are into what God has next. I think it’s safe to say that we’re in a worldwide transitional moment. Everything we knew previously, or everything we thought we knew, has been shaken away. But remember, when things get shaken, God promises that there is always something that remains. As a believer in Jesus Christ, that “something” is you! Christ in you is the hope of glory (see Colossians 1:27). There are some things to consider as we stand in this very uncomfortable time of transition. Remember that a little farther down in Joshua 1, the Lord spends some time encouraging Joshua with several things: that He would be with him, just as He was with Moses; that He would be strong and courageous; and that He would keep the Word before him, constantly meditating on it. Most of us are aware that the things we did in the last season no longer work, but we haven’t yet figured out what to do in the season we’re heading into. We would do well to heed the Lord’s encouragement to Joshua, rather than trying to wiggle our way out of this uncomfortable transition. We must wake up and take seriously what is happening around us. Evil forces are threatening to destroy our country, and we cannot afford to sit idly by as we try to ignore our discomfort and go on with “life as usual.” There is no more life as usual—that’s the point. But God has great plans for us, just as He had for Joshua and the Israelites. Israel had tried for years to cross into the Promised Land. After many years of walking around the desert with Moses, they still hadn’t gotten there. Their hearts weren’t ready for what God had for them. But when God raised up Joshua to lead them, Joshua became the power relationship that Israel needed to get them through the transition and into their promise. When they got into agreement with the right guy, they were able to cross over into the Promised Land! This same principle also rings true for us—we cannot pass through transition and into the new season unless we have the right connection. When we are aligned with “the right guy,” the one who is our power relationship—in our case, Jesus—we are well able to cross over into what God has for us! Immediately after the Lord commissioned Joshua, he stepped into Moses’ shoes and assumed his leadership role. That was a huge shift, not just for Joshua but for all of Israel, who were now looking to him for guidance. He led them through the Jordan, and just a few chapters later, they came to Jericho. When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?” “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?” The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did as he was told (Joshua 5:13-15). Joshua was now leading his army and they’d arrived close to Jericho. I’m sure he felt no pressure, right? Ha! Can you imagine how he must have felt? I think he knew his best bet was to listen to what the Lord had instructed him—so the first thing Joshua did was pray. When he did, an angel came and told him exactly what to do. Good advice. It’s easy for us to try to come up with our own solutions when we’re thrown into a new season. Sometimes, we don’t take the time to seek the Lord for instruction because we react out of fear, frustration, or uncertainty. We know that all these things have been rampant in our country and across the world for well over several years now. We would do well to follow Joshua’s example and pray— expecting that the Lord will show up and give us specific instructions on how to move forward. God only lights the step we’re on. Faith takes the next step. We usually can’t see very far down the path. We may only get instructions for one move at a time, but as we continue to follow Him, He will continue to reveal the next steps! Another thing to notice about Joshua—his first question to the angel was, “Which side are you on?” Sound familiar? Surely there are only two sides in every battle, right? We all want the Lord to be on our side, to champion our cause, and back our opinions and our limited understanding. We should always be firm in our stand for righteousness, but we must be careful not to view life as one big contest with two opposing sides, political or otherwise, or to view people through the lens of “friend or foe.” When we do this, we are like Joshua—wanting God to be on our side, rather than aligning ourselves with what He is doing. In the battle where Joshua saw two sides, friend or foe, the angel didn’t have a side—he was aligned with the Lord. Once Joshua understood this, he submitted to the angel’s authority and instruction. Let’s pay attention and learn this lesson from Joshua. It’s a great reminder that God doesn’t take sides— He has His own plan and agenda. We can choose to respond, “I am at Your command,” or we can get caught up in the “us vs. them” mentality and miss our true enemy—the one who is always working to steal, kill, and destroy. Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, lead us today in our life choices, no matter how insignificant they may seem. We choose to rest in You and Your plan. Forgive us when we get ahead of You and implement our own plans or worry about the plan itself. We roll that care over on You. We are indeed Yours to command. Our decree: We decree we are equipped and positioned where God needs us to be. We pray, stay in Christ, and are guided by Holy Spirit through transitional moments. Our strength and courage come through standing for Christ’s righteous causes. We are confident we will win and that “America shall be saved!” Thank you for joining me today. Portions of today’s post come from my book, Flashpoint of Revival. You can find out more about it at GeneBailey.com. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

God Put Me In His River Rivers can be peaceful, violent, lots of fun and sometimes destructive. I’ve had several interesting river experiences. I remember floating down the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. At that time, the country was named Rhodesia, and embroiled in a great internal conflict. Due to the constant threat of attack, an army patrol boat continually circled us, watching for terrorists; a nice, relaxing cruise! Then there was my trip down the Passion River in Guatemala, where an army of voracious ants crawled onto me as I lay sleeping in the boat. They had been hidden in the lumber we were transporting. When they were all in position, the ants began to bite all at once and with incredible precision. Actually, gnaw would be more accurate. Fifteen screams, one boat-rearranging conniption fit, and several dozen dead ants later, I regained my peace like the unflappable man I am and went back to sleep. Just like Jesus, sleeping through the storm. On one occasion, I went skiing on the Ohio River near Cincinnati. I was in the water, not yet up on my skis, when my friend at the helm decided a barge was getting a mite too close. My buddy screamed, “Grab the rope!” and he hit the throttle. I did grab the rope, leaving my skis behind, and was dragged headfirst across the Ohio River out of harm’s way. It was a real drag. On March 9, 1997, God put me in His river. Though interesting, even exciting, my previous river adventures pale in comparison to what happened to me on this particular Sunday. Along with several others, I was praying for people during our regular morning service. Suddenly, someone laid their hands on me and began to pray. I ended up on the floor receiving a vision from God. I lay there for 45 minutes, sometimes laughing and, at other times, weeping as God took me on a spiritual journey. Not being a person particularly given to this sort of thing, it took me completely by surprise. I’m rather reserved and somewhat cerebral. I’m a teacher. I study, do word studies, run references. I think didactically; figure things out. I have to know why and how. My little cerebral, didactic mind wasn’t prepared for what occurred. Maybe this surprise invasion of my cranial disposition didn't blow my mind, but it sure stretched it out of shape. Does it bother you when God does something you can’t quite explain or understand? If asked, I’d be the first to say I don’t have God or His ways completely figured out. This doesn’t bother me. It’s when He demonstrates it that I get a little weirded out. Just like you, I have my comfort zones. What happened while I was on the floor was nothing less than amazing to me. In this vision, I found myself in a river about waist-deep and perhaps 30 feet wide, frolicking with Jesus! This might offend your concept of the Lord, but He was in a very playful mood. We swam, we splashed, we laughed. He even dunked me! (I tried to dunk Him.) We did all the things people do when they play in the water. At one point, Jesus put His head under the water, then came up shaking His head from side to side, throwing water all over me. Intending to do the same to Him, I put my head underneath the water but was distracted by what happened. As I put my head under the water and began to shake it, impurities were washed off me and began to float downstream. Each time I was immersed in it, the river brought cleansing to me! Just as Naaman the leper was healed by dipping in the Jordan River (see 2 Kings 5:1-14), God’s river was purifying me of my uncleanness. Another thing I found quite interesting was that I couldn’t drown in this water. When my head went under and I accidentally breathed in, the water didn’t choke me as water typically does. Instead of going into my lungs, causing me to gag and choke, it flowed throughout my entire body, bringing refreshment and vitality. It was, indeed, the river of life (see Revelation 22:1). We continued to frolic for a while, just having fun. I can’t overemphasize how much Jesus was enjoying Himself. Psalm 46:4 became a reality to me: “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High” (emphasis mine). Throughout the vision, no matter what we did, Jesus was having fun. Imagine that - God having fun. Until this experience, I don’t recall the thought of God having fun ever entering my mind. I guess I thought He was too cerebral and didactic. A group of people on the shore were watching us. For reasons unknown to me at the time, they were hesitant to get in the water, seemingly afraid of it. I realize now that this group represents those who are somewhat cautious or even fearful of the manifestations of Holy Spirit. As these people stood on the shore watching us, trying to decide whether or not to get in the water, the Lord looked at me and said, “Let’s splash them!” We began to do so, and, without exception, when the water touched those on the bank, they instantly wanted to get into the river. The water was infectious. Then they, too, began having fun with us. The water not only quenched thirst, but also created it. What a paradox! At one point, I asked Jesus why the water was only waist-deep. I recalled from Ezekiel’s vision of God’s river in Ezekiel 47 that the river became progressively deeper, “trickling…ankles…knees…loins…enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded” (Ezekiel 47:2-5). He replied to me that this level was for the Church—for cleansing, refreshing, and renewal. “The deeper water,” He said, “is when the river flows to the nations.” Instantly, the water rose until it became a deep, swift current that swept us away. Though it was strong and overpowered me, I was not afraid. After this demonstration, we were brought back to the original place and water level. As people were moving in and out of the water, I saw a lady diseased with cancer. Jesus looked at me, smiling. He said rather matter-of-factly, “Well, go heal her.” I walked over and put my hand on her. As I did, the Lord moved behind me and placed His hand on the middle of my back. When He did, the power went from Him, through me, and into this lady, healing her. We then went back to playing in the river. Throughout the vision, Jesus took me in the spirit to several places throughout the world. The river was present everywhere we went, and we ministered to many. Then the Lord said, “Let’s go.” “Where?” I asked. “You’ll see,” He again responded, and off we went once more. This time, we landed on a beach. It was similar to a public beach with places to play, relax, or rest. “What are we doing here?” I inquired. “It’s time for some rest and relaxation,” He replied. “But who will go to all the other places and tell them the good news?” I asked Him. “Oh, I have lots of others who’ll go,” He responded. “It’s time for you to rest.” And I did. Rest is good. My sweet wife has arranged for 6 national leaders to cover the GH15 posts for the next few days, starting tomorrow, giving me a week of rest and prayer for my 70th birthday. I will introduce each one (via a recording), and they will bring a strong word to you. You will be very blessed by these voices, beginning with Gene Bailey of Flashpoint. Pray with me: Father, thank You for the river of living water that flows from Your throne. It is a river of life, a river of joy, and a river of refreshment. As I take a week to be refreshed and relax with You, I pray that You will speak clearly to me. I also pray that You will refresh Your people, allowing them to drink deeply of Your presence, and hear clearly from You through these voices that are so graciously blessing me for the next week. We also ask You for the river of revival to flow in our land, going to a much deeper level this year. Your river carries refreshing, healing, salvation, and revelation. Cause it to flow powerfully in our land and throughout the world, cleansing and transforming. We ask for this in the name of Christ. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the river of God is rising, and will flow powerfully throughout the Earth. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

God Never Lies, and He Never Loses Nehemiah, Chapter 6: “When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that there were no more breaks in it—even though I hadn’t yet installed the gates—Sanballat and Geshem sent this message: “Come and meet with us at Kephirim in the valley of Ono.” “I knew they were scheming to hurt me, so I sent messengers back with this: ‘I’m doing a great work; I can’t come down. Why should the work come to a standstill just so I can come down to see you?’ “Four times they sent this message and four times I gave them my answer. “The fifth time—same messenger, same message—Sanballat sent an unsealed letter with this message: “‘The word is out among the nations—and Geshem says it’s true—that you and the Jews are planning to rebel. That’s why you are rebuilding the wall. The word is that you want to be king and that you have appointed prophets to announce in Jerusalem, ‘There’s a king in Judah!’ The king is going to be told all this—don’t you think we should sit down and have a talk?’ ‘I sent him back this: ‘There’s nothing to what you’re saying. You’ve made it all up.’ “They were trying to intimidate us into quitting. They thought, ‘They’ll give up; they’ll never finish it.’ “I prayed, ‘Give me strength.’ “Then I met secretly with Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, at his house. He said: “‘Let’s meet at the house of God, inside The Temple; Let’s find safety behind locked doors because they’re coming to kill you, Yes, coming by night to kill you.’ “I said, ‘Why would a man like me run for cover? And why would a man like me use The Temple as a hideout? I won’t do it.’ “I sensed that God hadn’t sent this man. The so-called prophecy he spoke to me was the work of Tobiah and Sanballat; they had hired him. He had been hired to scare me off—trick me—a layman, into desecrating The Temple and ruining my good reputation so they could accuse me. “‘O my God, don’t let Tobiah and Sanballat get by with all the mischief they’ve done. And the same goes for the prophetess Noadiah and the other prophets who have been trying to undermine my confidence.’ “The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul. It had taken fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard the news and all the surrounding nations saw it, our enemies totally lost their nerve. They knew that God was behind this work. “All during this time letters were going back and forth constantly between the nobles of Judah and Tobiah. Many of the nobles had ties to him because he was son-in-law to Shecaniah, son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. They kept telling me all the good things he did and then would report back to him anything I would say. And then Tobiah would send letters to intimidate me.” (Nehemiah 6:1-19 The Message) PARALLELS TO TODAY This account of Nehemiah and the remnant working with him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem is in many ways a parallel to our efforts in restoring America. The enemies of God, led by Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, were trying desperately to keep them from succeeding, and the remnant had to be very diligent in order to succeed. Who were these enemies? “The Horonites (Sanballat) and Ammonites (Tobiah) were two of the people groups God had driven from the Promised Land for the Israelites. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem were regional governors serving under the king of Persia [present-day Iran]. Sanballat, called a Horonite, was probably from Horonaim, a city of Moab. Tobiah the Ammonite was governing an area east of the Jordan River. Geshem the Arab was most likely from the region south of Judah. Generations after Israel had first possessed the Promised Land, some of their old enemies were back, seeking to keep Jerusalem in ruins.”(1) Their “schemes” (verse 2) were significant and diverse, but all were intended to intimidate (verses 9, 14, 19). The phrase “trying to undermine my confidence,” (verse 14) is key to what satan, through these men, was trying to accomplish, just as he does today. Satan cannot overpower God’s people; his strength is his ability to deceive. He uses this method to attack our faith. In this scenario, satan used: Mocking: (They did so here in chapter 6, but this is especially emphasized in chapter 4.) False prophets: They were used in attempts to try and trap Nehemiah into moving presumptuously;  and also to erode his confidence by causing him to question whether or not he had truly heard from God. Spies and traitors: Nehemiah's enemies planted individuals who pretended to be friends, but were actually trying to get information in order to use it against him. A read of the entire book of Nehemiah, which is a fascinating and easy read, will reveal other tactics the enemy used. REQUIRED FOR SUCCESS What was required of Nehemiah and the remnant in order to succeed? Faith: The workers had to keep themselves focused on what God had said, which is the way in which faith comes and is sustained. Faith is not positive thinking, the absence of negative thoughts; that can be accomplished without God or His Word. Biblical faith comes when we allow Holy Spirit to bring God‘s words alive in us. They grow until fully developed, at which time we are confident that He will do as He says. This produces not only confidence, but boldness and fearlessness. Hard work: What God wanted to accomplish, would not occur simply because of His sovereignty. Nehemiah and the remnant would have to do their part, which included hard work. The same is true for us today. To say that God will send revival and reformation, healing and restoring our nation, without His people doing their part, is untrue. I have quoted the great Jack Hayford before, but do so again now, “The quest of Jesus Christ on the Earth is greatly crippled by wrong notions of the sovereignty of God.” Determination: Call it perseverance, tenacity, or steadfastness, it doesn’t matter the term. Churchill had it right, one of the most important keys to victory is refusing to quit. Nehemiah and the remnant had to persevere. Satan and his allies will always attempt to wear believers down through relentless attacks (Daniel 7:25). One of the men who mentored me through his teachings and messages, Norvel Hayes, once said, “You have to be more stubborn than the devil.” That revelation may not be eloquently stated, but it will get you through a lot of “stuff”! Inconvenience and sacrifice: Nehemiah and his workers had to pay a price. Most Americans, including Christians, don’t want to be bothered with hearing about the true condition of our nation or challenged to be a part of the answer. When they gather, they want to fellowship and party, not war. So, God uses the few who are willing to be inconvenienced, and to sacrifice their time and energies for His cause. My advice to the remnant: get over it, and keep working. Discernment: False prophets, spies, traps - all were used to try and deceive Nehemiah. He had to stay focused on what God was saying and rely on Holy Spirit’s discernment to shield him from these attacks. We must do the same. Our enemies accuse us of wrong motives, of wanting to end democracy, of being racists and bigots, of wanting to control everyone else, of being religious fanatics, yada, yada. They even find allies in the church. Don’t allow these lies to intimidate or distract you. Nehemiah said, “I’m doing a great work. Why should I waste my time meeting with you or listening to you?” (verse 3). Anyone who tells you God does not want to send revival and restore America is ultimately maligning His heart, character, love, and mercy, not yours. He loves to save even his enemies. Love them and let God do the rest. Prayer: Nehemiah had to pray. “Give me strength,” he asked the Lord (verse 9). “Don’t let them get away with it,” he prayed (verse 14). We must continue to appeal to heaven. Our requests are used by God. Our voices of declaration, of saying what He says, are the swords He wields. The authority of Christ is released through our mouths and actions, as is the power of Holy Spirit. We are His access to the Earth; we are His methods. Don’t back up, and don’t back down. He is using our prayers to save millions. Finally, Nehemiah and the team finished the task of rebuilding the walls and hanging the gates. And God was glorified: “When all our enemies heard the news and all the surrounding nations saw it, our enemies totally lost their nerve. They knew that God was behind this work” (Verse 16). America, too, will one day know that God has prevailed and healed our land. We will not gloat, but we will rejoice. And we will invite them into the family. Millions will say yes. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for our brothers and sisters led by Nehemiah who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. They inspire and instruct us. Thank You for their sacrifices, their love for You, their faith, and their perseverance. As obedience to You always does, You used these actions to generate Your will. You never lie, and You never lose. We are determined to follow their example. We pledge to You that we will not quit; we will not yield in our faith and perseverance. We have put our hand to the plow, and will not look back. Our love for You, and for the lost and hurting will keep us motivated. Your cause is our cause; Your mission is our mission. We will persevere until we hear “Well done.” We will run the race and finish our course, always pressing toward the end line You have given us. We decree that Christ will have His harvest; He will reap the reward of His suffering. Your promises to Him will not go unfulfilled. And we pledge to You that we will not be a generation You have to skip over in order to give this to Him. Like David, we will serve Your purpose in our generation. And we will never stop declaring, “Kingdom of Jesus Christ, come! Will of Jesus Christ, be done on the Earth!” May the sword do its work! Our decree: “A mighty fortress is our God…and He will win the battle!”(2) Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://www.gotquestions.org/Sanballat-Tobiah-Geshem.html https://hymnary.org/text/a_mighty_fortress_is_our_god_a_bulwark

Remember “I lie awake each night thinking of you and reflecting on how you help me like a father. I sing through the night under your splendor-shadow, offering up to you my songs of delight and joy! With passion, I pursue and cling to you. Because I feel your grip on my life, I keep my soul close to your heart.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭63‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭TPT‬‬) There is perhaps no force on earth more powerful than music. It can soothe, agitate, bring joy, trigger sadness, arouse passion, stir energy, awaken memories, connect us to others, and more. I believe the primary purpose for its creation by God was worship, though I enjoy other expressions of music, as well. Another powerful creation the Lord gave us is the memory. Used appropriately, it can serve us in incredible ways. Periodically, I revisit worship songs that have been especially meaningful to me over the years. I have found that as I do so, I often experience the same impact in my heart, spirit, and emotions as I did when the song first impacted me. Our memories are more than file cabinets; they are alive, capable of “reliving” events and feelings. Scripture tells us to remember, to rehearse what God has done for and in us. There is power in doing so; it keeps the fruit of what He did in the past alive today. In the Hebrew language, the words testify and remember actually contain the concept of “doing again.” I remember well in 2008 when I was instructed by Holy Spirit to stop EVERYTHING in the church we were leading in Colorado Springs, and do nothing but 24/7 worship for 90 days. As we obeyed, we didn’t do typical worship “sessions” with a variety of styles and songs, but only vertical, worshipful songs directed to the Lord. The purpose was simply to lavish love and adoration on Him. It was life-changing, and I remember many stories from those 90 Days. I remember walking into the sanctuary one evening - I spent several hours each day and night there - and found my friend and spiritual son, Jeremy Burk, standing in a puddle of tears, singing the words “This is no ordinary love.” After worshipping for several hours, Jeremy had become overwhelmed with the Father’s love for us, and these words flowed up from his spirit. The song he wrote from that experience is entitled “Jealous Jealousy.” Here are a few of the words: “This is pure love This is holy fire This is the real thing; it’s righteous desire This is no ordinary love.”(1) It’s a classic and still rekindles what I felt during those 90 days. I teared up today as I remembered them. I remember the first time I heard Klaus Kuhn lead worship. I was already overwhelmed with the presence of the Lord; then he sang his song “When I’m With You.” It wrecked me. If you can’t tell, Klaus is another of my all-time favorite worship leaders. His passion for God, released through his unsurpassed talent, stirs me at deep levels. Here are some of the words to the above song: “When I’m with You, my heart is satisfied, When I’m with You, my spirit can fly, When I’m with You, all the cares of my life just fade away, ‘Til all I want, ‘til all I need, is You.”(2) (Here come the tears again.) I remember when I first heard Klaus and Kari Jobe singing “Wonderful, Merciful Savior.” This wasn’t live, but from a recorded worship set. The hymn has 3 verses - one each for Jesus, Holy Spirit, and the Father - and a chorus. Here is the first verse: “Wonderful, merciful Savior,
Precious Redeemer, and Friend Who would have thought that a Lamb Could rescue the souls of men Oh, You rescue the souls of men”(3) As I listened, I was smitten by the phrase, “Who would have thought that a lamb could rescue the souls of men?” Yes, the tears flowed. (I know, I’m a wuss.) When I listen to this song, it always moves me. We’re soon coming up on the Easter weekend, or as I prefer to call it, Resurrection Sunday. Though not the exact days on which the Cross and Resurrection occurred - and they should be celebrated daily - Christ’s death and resurrection are especially remembered on those particular days. I still remember my second Resurrection Sunday after I was restored to the Lord; it was March 30, 1975. I was so filled with revelation of the risen Christ that early, around daylight, I grabbed my “boom box,” opened my back door, and played “The Easter Song,”(4) sung by the group, Second Chapter of Acts, FOR THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD! (I realize some of you have no idea what a “boom box” is, and thought the second chapter of Acts was only a portion of Scripture. You should get informed!) For most people, the song’s most climactic line is, “Joy to the world, He is risen!” This classic song was written by Annie Herring and recorded by Second Chapter of Acts in 1974. I’m not sure if the neighbors appreciated my announcement, but I wanted the whole world to know Jesus was alive. I recall times of worship during my two years as a student at Christ For the Nations. In fact, I remember my very first worship experience there in 1977. The student body started each day with 30 minutes of worship, and also had services every Tuesday night and Sunday afternoon, which included longer worship sessions. My first time of worship there was Sunday, January 2, the opening service of my first term. That day, the worship team led us in the song, “Sing Alleluia to the Lord.”(5) As 1200 radical Jesus lovers sang, played, and worshipped with this song - and for some reason, as the violin began being heard more clearly - I distinctly remember thinking: this is what heaven will sound like. I will never forget it. Moments like these have no expiration date; their shelf life is eternal. Pull them down once in a while and feed your spirit and soul with their rich nutrients. Take some time to reflect on experiences with the Lord that have deeply impacted you. Listen to songs that have been meaningful in the past. If you do so, Holy Spirit will visit you again. You may want to linger there. For those interested, below are links for the songs I mentioned. Give ‘em a listen. But more importantly, don’t forget to remember. Pray with me: Father, thank You for the pleasure of meeting with You in worship. We’re so glad You’re a relational God who loves to experience our company. Thank You for the powerful minds You gave us, including our memories. Remind us to remember. In fact, please bring to our remembrance times we should recall and reflect on. As we do so, cause the benefit in them to be re-experienced. We choose hunger, and we ask for Holy Spirit to make us more hungry. We ask also for a new and higher level of intimacy with You. As Paul said, we want to know and understand You more. Release a greater understanding of worship in the body of Christ, and increase the anointing and revelation of worship leaders. More than any other spiritual gift or dynamic, we want this next great revival to be a “presence movement.” Moses said the only thing that distinguished Your people from other nations was Your presence (Exodus 33:16). Come to our homes, our schools, our parks, our streets, and our businesses. Come to the cities and the rural areas. Infiltrate our government and our education system. You are what all people hunger for, though many don’t know this. When they taste of You, they will know. Hover over this and other nations, releasing Your thick weighty presence. You have said through prophets that revival and reformation begin this year. Your presence will release it. Bring it. In Yeshua’s name, we ask. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we will remember, and we will relive our past experiences with the Lord. Click on the link below to watch the full video. _____________________________ Jealous Jealousy (Words and music by Jeremy Burk, ©2008 Jeremy Burk Music, JeremyBurk.net) Sung by Jeremy Burk: https://youtu.be/-dLu28RFeYE?si=8lG8SxPSNv56Tyzr When I’m With You (Words and music by Klaus Kuhn, ©2003 Gateway Create Publishing, KlausMusic.com) Sung by Klaus Kuhn: https://youtu.be/gqxsGswt6n0?si=YbbSqg1LV7Bai5y7 The Easter Song (composer: Annie Herring, ©1974 Latter Rain Music) Sung by Second Chapter of Acts: https://youtu.be/8ClwvRJMmZY?si=FmJ8KfHQrJ2eLG06 Wonderful, Merciful Savior (Written by Dawn Rodgers, Eric Wyse, ©Word Music, LLC/Dayspring Music LLC) Sung by Kari Jobe: https://youtu.be/Wl2Lcd5d_uM?si=5aOQmFHl4evJ5w0T Sing Alleluia to the Lord (Written by Linda Stassen, ©1974 The Song of One) Sung by Maranatha Music: https://youtu.be/bkImsExajgQ?si=yWv5aA8yGUXxKnTi