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“We Cut the Coal” Jesus placed a very high emphasis on faithfulness. In a parable regarding the subject, He stated that this virtue would be part of our welcome into Heaven:​​ “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’” (Matthew 25:21) In today’s post, I want to honor, thank, and encourage the faithful intercessors and other front-liners who are working diligently to see the purposes of Christ accomplished in America. Most of you are never paid a penny for your labors, never receive glowing introductions, and will never stand on a stage. You’re the nameless, faceless heroes the prophets assured us were coming. Thank God you’re here. Your best days are ahead of you. The great leader, orator, and statesman Winston Churchill, was known for his ability to bolster the spirits and determination of the British people during the harsh days of World War II. I cannot match him, so I will quote him. On October 31, 1942, he was addressing a conference of coal mine operators and miners in Westminster’s Central Hall. Compared to some of Churchill’s speeches, this one seemed like nothing extraordinary, not until his ending, that is: “We shall not fail, and then someday, when children ask, ‘What did you do to win this inheritance for us, and to make our name so respected among men?’ One will say: ‘I was a fighter pilot’; another will say: ‘I was in the Submarine Service’; another: ‘I marched with the Eighth Army’; a fourth will say: ‘None of you could have lived without the convoys and the Merchant Seamen’; and you in your turn will say, with equal pride and with equal right: ‘We cut the coal.’”(1) With absolutely no fear of being sensationalistic or exaggerating the truth, I say to the intercessors and active “coal-cutters”: Thank you for furthering the cause of Christ and helping save the world from evil and tyranny. Helping to restore America back to her destiny IS essential to saving the nations. Ronald Reagan was accurate when he said of America: “You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children’s children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.”(2) Reagan had a good reason for stating this. Though we in America are not more loved or special to God than other nationalities, we do play a unique role. And we must not fail. As you know, our plight has become desperate. George Barna, in his book American Worldview Inventory 2020-21: The Annual Report on the State of Worldview in the United States, tells us “that only half of American adults (51%) believe in a traditional biblical view of God as the ‘all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect and just Creator of the universe who still rules the world today,’ down from 73% in 1991”.(3) “The largest declines in possession of an orthodox, biblical perspective on the nature of God since 1991 were among individuals who attend Pentecostal or charismatic Protestant churches (down 17 percentage points).”(4) Forty-four (44) percent of Americans believe that Jesus committed sin while on earth, and another 16% had no opinion. That would mean 60% of Americans aren’t convinced of Christ’s sinless life. “Americans are now more confident about the existence of satan than they are of God!”(5) And over half of the adults (52%) do not believe Holy Spirit is real; another 17% have no opinion. That is 69% who aren’t convinced in the reality of Holy Spirit.(6) Dr. Tracy Munsil tells us, “The fact that 4 out of 10 adults believe that Jesus Christ - who came to earth to save us from our sins - was Himself a sinner and therefore in need of salvation is mind-boggling. Add to that the fact that more people believe in the existence of satan than the God of Abraham, and you cannot miss the severity of the spiritual crisis in America today.”(7) The revival for which we contend is without doubt America’s only hope! I recently heard a quote implying that our yieldedness to God is more important than our actions or efforts. May I respectfully say that this is a half-truth. Our yieldedness is but one side of the coin. The converse side of the coin is the hard work side - the bended knee side - the “Go ye” side, the “coal-cutting” side. Without this half of the coin, it’s a counterfeit. In late 2020 and early 2021, I listened as effortless believers mocked, ridiculed, and criticized others who worked tirelessly for the ideals and principles - not for Trump or political party - in which they believed so passionately. Those ideals, of course, included the lives of millions of babies in the womb. I am not contending that they all did so perfectly, just that they “did so.” Some were like Eleazar in Scripture, one of David’s mighty men, who fought the enemies of Israel until his hand clung to the sword (2 Samuel 23: 9-10). They had to peel Eleazar’s fingers from the sword after the battle. When he could no longer hold on with his physical strength, he held on with his heart. I have watched intercessors weep through bloodshot eyes, pray through the night, fast for days on end, and spend thousands of their hard-earned dollars to see the purposes of God established in our nation. You are the Eleazars of the Kingdom, and your efforts do not go unnoticed in Heaven. You are today’s “mighty men and women.” I have watched others of you stand in the rain and snow for hours with a piece of red LIFE tape covering your mouths. Others of you have adopted unwanted babies or children, preserving their destinies and giving them families. Still, others have supported these actions financially. You are my heroes - I am humbled by your sacrifices and commitment. Thank you for your coal-stained faces. You all are important reasons we are the “post-Roe generation.” Had there been more of you, perhaps some of the other cataclysmic issues of our day would now be overcome. My prayer is that your ranks grow. In conclusion, I dedicate the following quote from Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt to the “doers.” Roosevelt’s statement was made on April 23, 1910, in a speech originally entitled “Citizenship In A Republic.” The speech is now best known as “The Man in the Arena.” A copy of it hangs in my studio next to me now. This incredible leader, who once gave a speech while bleeding from just having been shot in the chest, spoke of people like you: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”(8) To you, the coal cutters of the Kingdom, I say thank you. Pray with me: Father, You are not impressed with our gifts and talents. They came from You, after all. What You appreciate and need is our faithfulness. You equated greatness with servanthood, not with eloquence, large followings, money, notoriety, or influence. Prayer changes the world, and You said to do it in the secret place. We thank You for the faithful, hidden ones in the Kingdom - the doers, the givers, the goers. May the coming season in the church be known as “the believers' movement.” Deliver us from showbiz Christianity, platform-driven movements, and spiritual entertainment centers. Give us real Christianity, the book of Acts kind. It’s the only model You gave us. Light a fire in Your people. Release a call to action. Give us Eleazars, spiritual “coal-cutters,” doers. Deliver the church from selfishness, laziness, and “prayerlessness.” Make us lovers AND warriors. We pray this in Christ’s name. Amen Our decree: We declare that we will not fail in our assignment to see America saved. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ______________________________________ https://www.preaching.com/articles/preacher-get-it-right/ https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/301222-you-and-i-have-a-rendezvous-with-destiny-we-will George Barna, American Worldview Inventory 2020-21: The Annual Report on the State of Worldview in the United States, (Glendale, AZ: Arizona Christian University Press), p. 25. Ibid., p. 27. Ibid., p. 32. Ibid., p. 33. Ibid., p. 34. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/63389/roosevelts-man-arena

Declarations For Breakthrough Questions regarding declarations, decrees, and the confession of God’s Word over our lives are among the most asked questions I receive. Today, I want to share with you a clear explanation from our friend Jane Hamon on this subject taken from her great book, Declarations For Breakthrough. Tom and Jane Hamon are among the prophetic voices I trust most. They are also great teachers and writers, and also pastor in the Florida panhandle. Jane says... “Do you want to supercharge your prayer life? Do you need a greater strategy for what to do when you hear God speak? I believe that understanding the biblical concept of declarations and decrees will take each of us to a greater place of effectiveness in advancing the Kingdom of God and bringing awakening into our land. “I love the voice of God. When He speaks, things change. As a matter of fact, I believe one word from God can change anything and everything. When we agree with the voice of God and verbalize what He is saying, we are given the power to shift heaven and earth and change our very circumstances with prophetic declarations. These authoritative, spiritually empowered decrees have the capacity to bring breakthroughs and initiate change. “Decrees have been used for thousands of years by governments as a means to deliver judgments, laws, and orders with the expectation that they will be carried out. Esther, Ezra, and Daniel are books about decrees being issued that changed the course of history. Such is the governmental, Kingdom power God has put into the mouths of His people as we decree what He says! Decree the Abundance of Rain “My husband, Tom, and I were ministering in Edmonton, Canada, one August during a time when they were experiencing one of the most severe droughts in modern history. Because I always check the weather forecasts before arriving in a new city, I knew there were no weather patterns indicating they could expect any relief. But the first night of our conference, in the middle of my message, I suddenly heard the Lord tell me to decree that the heavens be opened, and release the sound of abundance of rain. I prophesied what I had heard the Lord say, directed the people to shout for joy in response to the word of the Lord, and we pointed our fingers toward the sky while decreeing an abundance of rain. “Fifteen minutes later, I noticed someone come in the back door and whisper to their family members. Those individuals got up and left the service. Soon, others came in and whispered to their friends and families; again, those individuals got up and left. This was becoming disruptive, so I paused in my ministry and asked what was causing people to leave the service. “With big smiles on their faces, people began to shout, ‘It’s raining! It’s raining!’ “We ran quickly to the doors and saw that all those who had left the service were in the parking lot dancing in the rain. Pretty soon, the whole congregation was dancing and declaring, ‘The drought is over! The drought is over!’ “When watching the weather report that night on the local news, we were amused to see that the meteorologists were perplexed, commenting that they had not seen the rain coming. It seemed to come out of nowhere. It rained the whole week we were there. “Clearly, God shifted the atmosphere over Edmonton and brought an open heaven through the power of the decree. Jesus Taught the Power of the Decree “Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrated the power of the spoken decree. He told His disciples, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you’ (Matthew 17:20). “When Christ ministered healing and breakthrough to people, He never actually prayed for them to be healed; rather, He released declarations of breakthrough, saying things like, ‘Stretch out your hand’; ‘Be made whole’; ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’ Jesus raised the dead by making decrees: ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ In the situation with Jairus’ daughter, He said, ‘Do not weep. She is not dead; only sleeping. . . . Child, get up.’ To the dead man at Nain, Jesus decreed, ‘Young man, I say to you arise.’ To one woman who had suffered from a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years, He decreed: ‘Woman, thou art loosed,’ and she was instantly delivered and healed. When He and His disciples were on a boat, and a ferocious storm broke, rather than pray, Jesus made a decree: ‘Peace, be still!’ The Early Church—Our Example “Jesus’ disciples learned how to use decrees to bring breakthrough to people, setting the example for all believers through the ages. When confronted by the lame man begging for alms at the Gate Beautiful, Peter made a decree that released healing: ‘I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk’ (see Acts 3:6). And the power behind that decree caused the lame man suddenly to jump to his feet, walking and leaping and praising God. These words rise up and walk are expressed in the imperative mood, not asking permission or making a suggestion, but giving a command. “In Acts chapter nine, we read the story of Dorcas, also called Tabitha, a follower of Christ from the city of Lydda, who became very sick and died. Peter went to her and got down on his knees to pray. After doing so, he turned to her dead body and decreed, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ Then she opened her eyes, looked at Peter, and sat up. “The apostle Paul also utilized decrees. In Acts 13:11, we read that Paul decreed blindness on Elymas the sorcerer who was hindering the Gospel from going forth. In Acts 14:10, he spoke to a lame man in a loud voice, ‘Stand up straight on your feet!’ And the man leaped up and immediately walked. “Prayer is actually the foundation for every decree we make, for through a constant flow of communication with the Father, we are able to more clearly hear the words He would have us speak. We pray, connecting to the Father, then we decree, shifting the earth. “We must marry the power of prayer and the authority of the decree. Prayer is our petitions, communication, and fellowship with God, while decrees are God’s words released through our voices into the earth realm to bring change. “Job 22:28 begins by saying, ‘You will decree a thing’—not just your pastor, not just a prophet, but you shall make decrees that cause things to be established and light to shine on your way. The Hebrew word for ‘thing’(omer)(1) means ‘the word’ or ‘the promise.’ What do we decree? We decree what God has spoken. “Today, God is looking for believers who will stay filled with the power of the Holy Spirit so they can boldly declare His life and divine purposes—and change history in a moment.” Pray with me: Father, thank You for releasing the power of Your prophetic voice into the earth today.  We pray that we will hear You clearly in order to more effectively decree what You are saying into the earth. You told us to release Your governmental authority. We will continue to release what You have already clearly spoken: America shall be saved Worldwide harvest is coming The earth shall be FILLED with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Miracles are on the increase Prodigals are coming home America shall be given a wise, God-honoring government once again And the hand of God is protecting America’s water supply, dams, and ports. We ask and declare these things in the mighty name of Jesus! Amen. Our decree: (Make it personal) We declare that we are anointed by Holy Spirit to release declarations of breakthrough. We have the power to shape our lives by speaking God’s Words! Click on the link below to watch the full video. Today’s post was taken from Jane Hamon’s book Declarations For Breakthrough. You can find out more about Jane at TomAndJaneHamon.com. James Strong, The New Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 562.

Is Truth the Absolute Standard? A tactic used by many people, and certainly one used by liberals and those on the left, is to mock and ridicule those with whom they disagree. The purpose of this is to try and humiliate or embarrass their opponents and, through that, silence them. This is one of many reasons we Christians must be confidently anchored in God’s unchanging truth, found in His Word. We must know what we believe, why we believe it, and stand steadfastly on it. Beliefs regarding God, salvation, morality, marriage, family, gender, etc., are fluid to many people, making their spirits and souls mooring-less, foundation-less, without a true north; for them, all truth is relative and, therefore, changing. Without truth’s common starting point, even common sense can be lost. Some national leaders and educators now say they do not know how to define a man or woman, that what it means to be male or female has changed. Others believe children should be mutilated in attempts to change their gender, contending that cutting off a body part can transform DNA and chromosomes. Many on the left believe a nation should not have borders, that people or nations can spend more money than they have without it becoming a problem, and that it is perfectly appropriate to take from hard-working people and give it to those who have not worked for it. Madness! Do not be intimidated or silenced by these misinformed people. Love and pray for them, but do not be intimidated or influenced by them. Stand for truth! In my book Becoming Who You Are, I write about the importance of truth. Here is a short excerpt: “There is no greater teacher in the universe than God, and He was Adam's instructor in the ways of life. Through their spiritual connection, the Creator taught the created about creation, imparting portions of His own divine wisdom into the soul of Adam. “Man's understanding and logic were intended to originate in God. Our Creator never intended for us to function intellectually apart from His influence. We were never to be ‘independent thinkers,’ never to have independent knowledge. Never! The reasoning process of our souls was not to be strictly human; it was always meant to have a supernatural element. All knowledge that traversed through people’s souls was to be influenced by the Spirit of God. HE would be the origin and builder of man's knowledge. Of course, the Fall changed this, but that was the plan. “Another word used to describe this God-based knowledge is truth (Greek: alétheia). Biblically speaking, truth isn't just factual, nuts-and-bolts information; facts aren't necessarily synonymous with truth. And knowledge in and of itself doesn't lead to biblical truth. One can learn volumes of facts and information, yet completely miss the truth. Many highly educated people are skeptics, when it comes to believing in God and spiritual truth. Satan will even use facts, but his facts will never lead one to truth. In fact (pun intended), they can even lead to deception—a distortion of truth. “Biblically, truth is not easy to define. Alétheia literally means ‘the reality that existed in the original norm’; the reality lying at the basis or essence of something; true and genuine reality!(1) With words such as reality, original, norm, and essence used to define truth, it becomes obvious that the Creator, God, is its Author. If truth is the ‘original norm,’ then there is an origin and an originator. There can be no truth without a creator. And if truth is defined by ‘norm or normal,’ then truth cannot be relative, always changing. It is absolute and unchanging, like its Creator, God. “Since fallen man doesn’t want a norm, a standard, an original, he must deny the existence of truth, which is defined by these things. But when the standard is denied, as it is when God and His absolute truth are denied, anarchy is inevitable; the bar is lowered to the point of insanity, and man can justify anything. “But truth does exist and can be summarized as the absolute standard found in God, from which all wisdom, logic, and knowledge proceed. It has always existed in God, and it never changes. “‘When Lloyd C. Douglas, author of The Robe and other novels, was a university student, he lived in a boardinghouse. Downstairs on the first floor was an elderly retired music teacher, now infirm and unable to leave the apartment. “‘Douglas said that every morning, they had a ritual. He would come down the steps, open the old man's door, and ask, “Well, what's the good news?” “‘The old man would pick up his tuning fork, tap it on the side of his wheelchair, and say, “That's middle C! It was Middle C yesterday; it will be Middle C tomorrow; it will be Middle C a thousand years from now. The tenor upstairs sings flat, and the piano across the hall is out of tune. But, my friend, that is Middle C!”’ “There is a Middle C. It exists today, and it always will. No refined data or trendy theories will eliminate it. “Likewise, there are absolutes. An absolute norm. An original. An alétheia. And ruling high above as the Creator of it all is God. The true God, who reigns in truth. This God-birthed truth— the only truth—was always intended to shape humankind's perspective. This is critical because Jesus said knowing the truth would make us free (see John 8:32). No truth, no freedom; know truth, know freedom. We must know that it exists and that the original plan was for us to live with it as a compass.” Hold fast! Pray with me: Father, we thank You for Your Word. Thank You for communicating Your ways to us - giving us guidelines to live by, truth to guide us. Thank You for Jesus, who came to embody truth for us, to show us exactly who You are, what You are like, and how to live as the people You intended us to be: walking in truth and in love. We are not arrogant and haughty regarding our efforts to walk in truth. YOU are the Truth; we are simply those endeavoring to learn and live by this truth, and none of us do so perfectly. But as You teach us, and as we increasingly understand Your truth, may we possess steadfast, immovable, uncompromising hearts and minds in order to model it. Yes, we want to see Your truth implemented in our society and world, but our hearts are not to condemn those who disagree with us. Instead, we will win them! We believe Your gospel, Your Word, and Your truth have the power to open their eyes, free them, save them, and transform their thinking. We ask for an awakening to the body of Christ in America. Many have been influenced by and conformed to the thinking of the world, causing them to depart from Scripture and compromise Your truth. Please bring a correction to this. Return a deep love for Your Word to the American church. We know there will be no sustained revival if this does not occur; certainly, there will be no reformation. So we ask for this, and we do so in the mighty name of Jesus! Amen. Our decree: We declare that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) and that His Word is truth (John 17:17). This will be our standard. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Becoming Who You Are, Embracing the Power of Your Identity in Christ, published by Baker Books. ______________________________ Dutch Sheets, Becoming Who You Are, (Bloomington, MN: Baker Publishing Group), pp. 45-46. This is a definition compiled from several different lexicons and dictionaries. The number in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible is 225.

Seize the Opportunity “But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost; for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” (1 Corinthians 16:8-9 NASB) Holy Spirit has been drawing me to this verse a good bit lately; I’ve actually quoted from it in a couple of posts. It came as still another confirmation when my spiritual dad and apostolic leader of the fellowship I’m aligned with, Jim Hodges, used it in his recent newsletter. Here is Jim’s exhortation, with a few slight additions to make it more applicable to a broader audience. Jim says: “The apostle Paul’s ministry often demonstrated that opportunities to advance the Gospel of Christ were accompanied by opposition. He stated this in our opening verse, 1 Corinthians 16:9. Count on it: opportunity is accompanied by opposition. This is amply illustrated throughout Paul’s ministry. Perhaps the most dramatic one is his dangerous trip to Rome, recorded in Acts 27 and 28. The open door at that time was for Paul, a Roman citizen, to stand before the Roman emperor and personally declare to him and his palace guards the Gospel of the Kingdom. “In this Corinthians verse, Paul describes an opportunity to advance the gospel as being great and effectual. Great is megas,(1) meaning ‘exceedingly large, wide, grand or great;’ we get our English word mega from this Greek word. Effectual is energes,(2) meaning ‘powerful, effective, and active’; it’s easy to see the words’ energy and energized in this word. Energes is power in action, power at work. The root word (ergon)(3) actually means ‘to work.’ “Paul called the opportunity a ‘door,’ which is a place of access. He was saying a door of great opportunity was wide open, affording great access, and that this mega opportunity would have divine power/energy to succeed in its mission! And it certainly did. Ephesus became a great beachhead for the gospel. “On another occasion, Dr. Luke records in Acts 14:27 how the Lord Himself had opened a door of faith for Paul and Barnabas to go to the Gentiles!” Then Jim says: “Great and effectual doors are open to the Ekklesia, the Church, in our day! Despite the opposition, we must walk through them, proclaiming and demonstrating the Gospel of the King and His Kingdom! Holy Spirit will empower us! At this time, we have been given great access to the following wide-open doors: The 3rd Great Awakening. (A great and transformative outpouring of the Holy Spirit here and around the world.) Revival and reformation. The recent outbreaks of the Holy Spirit at Asbury University and many other colleges across America are one of many signs that revival is here and very accessible!  And the church is now equipped to add reformation to this revival, discipling people groups and nations with the principles of Christ’s Kingdom. Global harvest. The Body of Christ is increasing on the earth faster than the world’s population. This includes Israel and a number of Muslim nations. (I recommend reading The Triumph of Christianity by Baylor University professor Rodney Stark). The turnaround and reset of the USA. There is an unrelenting remnant that refuses to come down off the wall of intercession, declarations, and decrees on behalf of our beloved, though beleaguered, nation. The release of the supernatural power of the Lord. We have entered a season of great signs and wonders. Don’t miss opportunities to demonstrate this! The increasing release of revelation through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Just as John ascended by the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, recorded in Revelation 4:1, we can go through the same open door he entered! This is truly a season of revelation! Accessing the doors of civil governments to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom. Paul’s mission to Rome was successful; Philippians 4:22 tells his effectual ministry resulted in the conversion of a number of Caesar’s ‘household.’” My Comments We should not be surprised or alarmed when great opposition arises against our attempts to go through spiritual doors and reap the fruit. Jesus Himself said, “If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you” (John 15:20). The key to victory is staying focused on Christ and the opportunities Holy Spirit gives us (Hebrews 12:2; Philippians 3:12), not the opposition. We have not only been invited into God’s family, but to join Him in His labors, partnering with Him in His great cause. If you are a regular reader/listener of Give Him15, you know this and have probably said “yes.” Mine and my spiritual father’s exhortation today is to persevere through all opposition and seize every opportunity. Our prayers are saving this nation and being used to reap the greatest spiritual harvest ever. Remain steadfast. When we finish our race, we’ll rejoice for eternity. Ignore the critics and naysayers. Reject all unbelief. Cast off all lethargy and complacency. Never, ever yield to discouragement. Resist the devil, submit to and draw near to God. Hate evil, love people. Repeat. I leave you with a passage from The Message: “I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.” Philippians 3:12-16 Pray with me: Father, we are not those who put their hand to the plow and turn back. As General Patton said, somewhat more colorfully, “Retreat? No, we’ll advance to the rear.” We say to You, Father, we will not retreat. We are advancing with You into greater glory, greater faith, greater opportunities, and greater fruitfulness. Thank You for the honor of partnering with You. We ask for razor-sharp focus in this hinge year. We ask for keen hearing, acute awareness, sharp vision, and heightened discernment. May we not miss an opportunity. Like Peter, who walked by the lame man at Beautiful Gate many times, but knew when the season had changed and it was time for this miracle. The gift of faith was activated, the miracle occurred, and thousands were saved. We want this level of sensitivity. We declare that this is a year of extraordinary miracles! And we turn our hearts to the warning You gave us for our water, dams, and ports. We decree by faith in You and Your word that every port, dam, waterway, and water supply in all of America is protected and shielded from evil. No evil plot planned or devised against them will succeed; every snare is broken. We will not fear, and terror will not come near us (Isaiah 54:14 AMP; Isaiah 54:17; Psalm 21:11; Psalm 124:7). Our decree: We decree that no opposition will deter us from Holy Spirit’s opportunities. Click on the link below to watch the full video. You can find out more about Jim Hodges at JimHodgesMinistries.com. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 3173 Ibid., ref. no. 1756. Ibid., ref. no. 2041.

Watchman Prayer in Action Our friends and prayer leaders, Hal and Cheryl Sacks in Arizona, sent me the following sobering information, affirming our concerns over America’s dams. “The consequences of a terrorist attack on a United States dam could be catastrophic, even the small earthen dams. Multiple attacks on two or three of these structures could create mass casualties on a scale greater than September 11, 2001! The potential devastation, loss, and associated chaos make dams and waterways a prime target for terrorism. “Take, for example, the Hoover Dam (Nevada/Arizona), the largest dam in the U.S. in terms of water capacity, which holds back 8.95 cubic miles of water at a time — a truly astonishing amount of weight. Hoover Dam is located on Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the U.S. when measured by water capacity. “In the event of a terrorist attack, roughly 25 million people in Arizona, Nevada, California, and parts of Mexico would be without water for drinking, plumbing, and irrigation. At least 1.3 million people in those states would be left to find alternative electricity supplies. The agriculture community would come to a screeching halt. There would be fatalities resulting from flooding and a loss of clean water. A few million people could be forced to move to other cities or states.”(1) I have received several communications from prophetic leaders around the country, stating that God has been talking to them about praying for America’s water supply, waterways, dams - and though I did not mention it in Monday’s post - ports. As we launch this week into praying for protection over these water supplies and facilities, I want to encourage you with a testimony from the incredible book INSPIRED STORIES: 50 Years of Answered Prayer, Volume 1, recently released by Intercessors For America. This book, containing 28 powerful testimonies of answers to prayer, is SO encouraging!!! Here is one regarding terrorism: Terrorist Plans Thwarted “In the years and months leading to July 4, 1976, Americans were planning a joyous celebration of the nation's bicentennial. At the same time, terrorist groups were planning to exploit the opportunity for purposes of their own. These terrorists were well organized and well armed, and their intentions were clear: to bomb, to burn, to destroy, and above all, to disrupt the July 4 bicentennial celebrations, the Democratic Convention in New York City (July 12-15, 1976), and the Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada (July 17-August 1, 1976). “Dr. William Kintner, a University of Pennsylvania political science professor, testified before Congress on June 18, 1976, in hopes that making these serious terrorist threats public would deter the terrorists from acting. Kintner told Congress: ‘... [T]here is reason to be concerned that the terrorist elements in our society will find the bicentennial an irresistible attraction - not only because the eyes of the world will be focused on the bicentennial festivities, but also because they regard the celebration itself with consuming hostility since it stands for everything they are opposed to: freedom.’ “‘Extremist groups that hate this country and what it stands for,’ Kintner said, ‘have been talking in terms of disrupting, or spoiling, the bicentennial.’ He gave examples of radical rhetoric that implied and could thus incite violence: ‘turning the bicentennial upside down.’ [Another group said] ‘When they light the candles on the 200th birthday cake, we will be there to blow them out.’ [And still another] talked about ‘bringing the fireworks,’ and this slogan has been repeated by some of those in charge of a planned mass demonstration in Philadelphia. "Radical domestic groups and communist leaders were identified as among those giving rise to the terror threat during the summer of 1976. “But God raised up His standard, and satan‘s plans were stopped cold. All three events went ahead, free from any terrorist interference. Prayer was the key here, and so the warfare that did take place was all in the spiritual realm. One example was Joy Dawson's prayer of intercession at a conference in Pittsburgh. As this leader of the Youth With A Mission ministry team began praying, thousands joined her in taking authority over the unseen forces in the heavenlies. Here are excerpts from that powerful prayer: ‘... [C]lothed in the armor of God now, we come to address satan, principalities, and demon powers, and we come to tell you, God the Holy Ghost has disclosed your plans for riots on July 4 in Philadelphia and on into Montreal. ... You will not win, and we come to do aggressive warfare against you in the name of the Lord Jesus and in the power of the Holy Ghost. ‘Tonight, I come and address the particular principalities that satan has allotted to be loosed on July 4. The Holy Ghost has named them to me. They are the principality of lawlessness, the principality of anarchy, and the principality of rebellion — and I tell you right now, you will not do anything to discredit the work of the Living God. I bind you right now. I resist you right now. I command you three principalities, in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus, to cease all plans right now. I command confusion in the committees of hell tonight through Jesus Christ. You will not work, you will not thwart the will of God, because it is written in the word of God: “I will work, says the Living God...” ‘And we now say to You, O God, as we take our place, having turned from the powers of darkness — we say thanks be unto God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, for we are more than conquerors through Him who washed us in His own precious blood. We praise You now in faith. King God, we worship You and praise You tonight for the sheer privilege of being on the winning side. We worship You because You're the mighty conquering king, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the wonderful Lord Jesus Christ. And we tell You tonight that it is a privilege to obey You. We will say “Yes, Sir!” to anything You ask us to do, and we thank You that Your truth is marching on because You are marching on. Hallelujah!’" (2) Pray with me: Father, we thank You for the watchmen You have raised up in our nation, those assigned to be sentries and guards and can sound the alarm when prayer is needed for a given situation. We thank You for the prophetic anointing, which brings discernment regarding the future, alerting us to the strategies of satan and his kingdom. You told us to “be alert” and pray at all kairos times (Ephesians 6:18), times of strategic, well-timed attacks from satan’s kingdom. We do so now. Father, You have assigned us to pray for protection over America’s water supply, waterways, ports, and dams. (From the prayer and decree written for this assignment [on our websites]) Your Word tells us that unless You keep or guard a city, the efforts of watchmen are in vain (Psalm 127:1). Therefore, we look to You for protection - You are our refuge, a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). When You are for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)? You save us from our enemies, men of bloodshed who do iniquity (Psalm 59:1-2). You are the Creator and Owner of the entire world - all of its inhabitants, as well as the seas and rivers. You are the King of glory, the Lord strong and mighty in battle, and the Lord of angel armies (Psalm 24:1,7,8,10). As a Master Workman, You set the boundaries for the seas and drew the tributaries of the earth (Proverbs 8:29-30), and still maintain ownership and authority over them. Contend with those who contend with us (Isaiah 49:25), cause evil to “bow down before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous” (Proverbs 14:19). We ask that Holy Spirit would hover over the dams, water supplies, waterways, and ports of our nation, just as He did the waters of the earth in Genesis 1:2, releasing life and blessing. Arise over us, God, and cause every enemy to be scattered (Psalm 68:1). In Jesus’ name, Amen! Our decree: We decree that the powerful and majestic voice of the Lord thunders upon America’s waters, blessing them with peace (Psalm 29:3-4,11). Click the link to watch today's video: You can find out more about IFA (Intercessors For America) at IFApray.org. ______________________________ https://a-z-animals.com/blog/discover-what-happens-if-the-hoover-dam-ever-breaks/ Dave Kubal and John D. Beckett, Inspired Stories - 50 Years of Answered Prayer, Vol. 1, (Plymouth: MA, Proclamation House Publishing), pp. 32-36.

Flashpoint of Revival In 2021, I began receiving clear words from the Lord, several of them, instructing me to be more intentional about partnering with other Christian movements. No one segment of Christ’s body can accomplish His purposes. These prophetic words and dreams stated unequivocally that working together would not simply add to, but would multiply the church’s effectiveness. I have always tried to honor other “streams” and movements, and have endeavored to be a unifier, not a divider, but realized this was not enough. Since receiving those words, I have attempted to diligently obey them by actually working with and supporting the efforts of others. One of those ministries has been Flashpoint. I appreciate Gene Bailey and his sincere efforts to turn our nation back to God and see worldwide harvest, as well as the excellence with which he does so. In today’s post I am sharing a segment from his great book, Flashpoint of Revival, to encourage you as we begin the assignment of praying over our waterways and dams in America. God is not finished with America!!! From Gene’s Book “On April 29, 1607, Robert Hunt and his team landed on the Virginia shore at Cape Henry and drove a cross into the ground, dedicating this nation to God. From that day to this, America has been blessed in many ways but has also seen her share of peril, trauma, and turmoil. For over four hundred years we've traveled a long and sometimes very difficult road. We've produced documents of faith and freedom like the Mayflower Compact and the Declaration of Independence, reiterating that we are a people who seek to follow God. Among ourselves we've battled economic injustices, stood up against slavery, and we've fought for what we've believed in. We haven't always been right-after all, we're human. At times we've been more divided than we’ve been united. We’ve shed rivers of our own people's blood. “But God has always had a remnant—a praying people whose hearts He has gripped, who have taken their place working with Holy Spirit to see that America stayed on track with His purposes. Reverence and honor for God have been a strong, noticeable thread woven throughout the years of America's existence. And though at times it's taken decades, even centuries, the Church has cried out in repentance and voiced regret for our past mistakes. We've cried out for revival. We've cried out to see our nation return to the Lord. “So here we stand today in the face of great opposition. Our nation's values have seemingly been usurped by the devil's own agenda. Chaos and contention are raging, and evil has raised its ugly head, seeking to silence, discredit, and dismantle the greatest threat to the accomplishment of his schemes-the awakened Church. We don't see anyone in the White House standing up and drafting a document like the Mayflower Compact. Quite the opposite. Those in positions of greatest power are using Machiavellian propaganda to promote a socialist, anti-God worldview that is bringing tremendous damage to this country and the godly principles upon which it was founded. While the Church's cries for revival may seem to be drowned out by the loud evil agendas of hatred and control, we know God heard Robert Hunt and his men on April 29, 1607, as they declared from that small beach in Virginia that this nation belonged to Him. And He took them seriously. And He hasn't forgotten. “Like so many times in our past, God has been gripping the hearts of people who are willing to work with Holy Spirit in this hour and follow Him into a tremendous last-days harvest. Know this, God is not in a panic, trying to come up with a response to the evil that has been unleashed in America. Long before this chaos began, He was already positioning His ‘Mordecais’ and His ‘Esthers’ for such a time as this. His redemptive plan for America is already set into motion, and as we respond to God and take our places, we will see His plan trump the enemy's schemes. “Remember, though, that Mordecai and Esther were in the right place at the right time and able to step up in great boldness because they were submitted to the Lord. We are no different. We have to allow God to prepare us; we have to fully submit to however, whenever, and whatever He chooses to do with us not just personally, but corporately… “As we've discussed, a lethargic spirit has lulled many believers to sleep and caused others to be drawn away from their posts as watchmen on America's walls. In the absence of these strong watchmen warriors, blatant ungodliness and lawlessness have crept into the Church and into our land. Hell has launched an all-out assault to overtake and overthrow America's God-given purposes and to change the destiny of our nation, “But God... ‘And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. For we were bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.’ (Ezra 9:8-9 KJV) “Each time I read these verses in the Book of Ezra, although they refer to the nation of Israel, these truths jump off the page as I believe God is using them to speak to our current situation in America: God is giving us a ‘space of grace.’ God has a remnant in America. God has given America a ‘nail’ —a secured place in His plan. We are entering an awakening that will enlighten our eyes. God is extending mercy that will revive America, restoring and repairing the House of God, and returning this nation to the foundation and structure of her godly heritage and destiny. “Though it sometimes seems like evil is winning, it's not too late for our country. God has not stopped paying attention to America - He is very much at work, so let's be sure we don't fall back to sleep and miss the opportunities He's setting before us!” My Conclusion Amen! The apostle, Paul, in 1 Corinthians 16:9 said that a great door of opportunity had opened up for him, and yet there was also great opposition. Likewise today, opposition to our cause of worldwide harvest is great, but our opportunities are greater! We will overcome the adversity and reap the harvest! Pray with me: Father, as we are diligent to listen to You and obey, we will eat the fruit You have prepared for us. That fruit, among other things, is worldwide harvest. This is Your passion, and it is ours. Give us strength and endurance, willing hearts, and the revelation needed to accomplish this. Give us insight and wise strategy as we pray against satan’s opposition, and protection from his attacks - “deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). We are in agreement that You will protect our borders and infrastructure in America, including our dams and waterways; we are not at the mercy of our enemies. We embrace Your discipline in our nation, but we will not accept the plans of satan. Turn America back to You and restore us to be the great “combine” You intended for us to be. We declare that the ripe harvest will become the reaped harvest! Sharpen our sickles, strengthen our gifts, and give us hearts to work together. Pour out Your spirit, just as You have promised, until the plowman overtakes the reaper (Amos 9:13). And from the “Prayers and Decrees for the Protection of America’s Waterways” “To You, Lord, nothing is hidden; You reveal and expose secret plans and agendas (Matthew 10:26; Luke 8:17). We ask that any foreign or domestic plans to harm our dams, waterways, and water supply will be revealed and thwarted before they are carried out. Expose every plot to restrict our supply lines, hinder our power sources, or tamper in any way with our water supplies, dams, or waterways. Prevent the theft of weapons, extortion, and all that would assist terrorist activities. Frustrate the plans of the crafty to keep their plans from succeeding (Job 5:12), and create disunity and confusion among them (Judges 7:22).” (Taken from the Prayers and Decrees for the Protection of America’s Waterways. You can find this on our websites: DutchSheets.org and GiveHim15.com.) In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. Our decree: We decree that the body of Christ will work together to reap this great harvest. Click the link to watch today's video: Today’s post was taken from Gene Bailey’s book Flashpoint of Revival, published by Harrison House and used by permission. You can find out more about Gene at GeneBailey.com.

New Assignment: Protect America’s Waterways Recently, Holy Spirit gave Gina Gholston a dream regarding another prayer assignment for America. You may recall that it was Gina who released the “Painting the Borders” dream. This word has to do with America’s waterways. I have consulted with several leaders regarding this warning; all have felt it is accurate. As you can see by the date, she had the dream a few weeks ago; we’ve been waiting until we felt it was the right time to release it. Here’s the portion of the dream relevant to this assignment: “On November 24, 2023, I dreamed I was with a group of fifty people, a representative from each state. We had been called to an urgent meeting and were gathered in what appeared to be a military strategy room. On the walls were fifty maps, one of each state, highlighting the waterways and dams located in that state. “A four-star general and an admiral entered. They told us this was a confidential intelligence briefing, and the admiral began, ‘We have called you here because we need your help.’ “The general then pointed to the maps on the walls and said, ‘We need you to pray over the waterways in America, including two specific things regarding the dams.’ “The admiral said, ‘For the dams in your state: 1) Pray diligently against domestic and foreign terrorist attacks. 2) Pray diligently against any attempt to intentionally restrict the water flow in an effort to restrict and hinder the supply lines to America.’ “The general said, ‘There are other reasons why they are attempting to restrict the water supply, but primarily it is to restrict the supply lines that operate by way of the water. They want to restrict the ability of boats and barges to be able to deliver supplies via the waterways.’ They then rolled up the maps of each state and gave each of the 50 representatives the map of their state. “As we were exiting, they shook our hands and gave us each a gold coin and a lanyard containing a badge. On one side of both the coin and the badge was the United States Seal; on the other side of each was an arrowhead with a cross in the middle. At the top of both were the words ‘Official Pass.’ “I (Gina) was also given a message containing an address and the time I was to arrive there. I drove to the address, finding eleven others from the previous meeting also present. It was a small diner. There, we were given further instructions, including the admonition, ‘In your assignment, don’t forget the Plains and the Northwest.’ “The twelve of us sat down and wrote decrees, prayers, and Scriptures to be used as we fulfilled the assignment for the waterways and dams. We based them on the two things the officers had asked us to pray. The last thing we wrote was the complete text of Psalm 91. Someone said, ‘This must be declared!’ “We were also all given hand-carved staffs and were told, ‘You will need these as you go on your journey, and it’s time for you to go.’ “‘Strategy rooms were set up in each state. In them were hanging the maps we had been given, along with maps of each county, showing all of the waterways and dams. Meetings were being held in each state’s strategy room, with people being assigned specific areas in which to pray. Each person was given a copy of the decrees, prayers, and Scriptures the twelve leaders had previously written. Throughout the nation, we would all be praying and declaring the same things, along with other prayers, decrees, and prophetic acts Holy Spirit would give individuals for their specific state assignment. “For example, I saw one man use an old canteen to get water from the lake at the top of a dam, take that water and pour it into the river at the bottom of the dam, and declare that the water supply would remain consistent and could not be restricted or tampered with. “In another location, I saw a lady throw an arrowhead into the base of a dam, declaring that the dam and waterway were surrounded and guarded by the ‘warriors of Heaven.’ There were so many prophetic acts and Spirit-led prayers and decrees being made! “I knew that every state was significant and carried great importance in this assignment, but for some purpose, the Northwest and Plains states had been specifically highlighted. “At one point in the dream, I was with a team on one of the dams. I had the carved staff, the coin, and the lanyard containing the badge - all the items I had been given. These things had given us access to walk out onto the dam (I think it may have been the Hoover Dam). We walked onto it and made the decrees, offered the prayers, read the Scriptures, and declared Psalm 91, just as every other team was doing elsewhere. Then we began to do prophetic acts and make declarations as Holy Spirit was leading us. “As we did this, three aircraft arrived and began flying in a circular pattern overhead; at times, they just hovered over us. (Though they looked like airplanes, they flew like helicopters, with rotary blades on the tops.) They were white, with U.S. flags painted on the sides, but we knew they were not truly American. It seemed they were trying to intimidate and frighten us away, but we were not afraid! At one point, as they hovered over us. I took the carved staff, held it over my head, and looked right at one of the pilots. When I did this, all three of the planes flew away, and we completed our assignment.” End of Dream. My Comments This is obviously a very important dream. Numerous others have received warnings about America’s dams and waterways, as well as our water supply/water treatment plants. Knowing that terrorists - most likely many - have no doubt entered our open borders, we must take this assignment seriously. Others have felt that not only foreign terrorists, but also individuals from within our nation may be planning attacks. After prayer and consulting with various prayer leaders, all of us felt we should not try to organize this effort from a specific headquarters but allow it to be grassroots, just as the “Paint Your Borders” effort was. Nor would we coordinate the establishment of “strategy rooms” in each state. We feel these rooms communicate to us the need to be thorough, not necessarily that we need literal locations as existed in the dream, just as there hasn’t been a literal meeting of 50 representatives with military officers, or a meeting in a diner. These portions of the dream give us the assignment, its goals, and other details, not a model that must be followed. Having said this, the strategy rooms and maps are a good strategy, and I have no doubt that some states with well-organized prayer networks will do something similar. Be led by Holy Spirit. We do feel, however, that the prayers, decrees, and Scriptures written in the dream by leaders for all states to use were to be taken literally. The agreement it affords is important. We have done this, and you can find them on both our DutchSheets.org and GiveHim15.com websites. Look for the heading: PROTECT AMERICA’S WATERWAYS. As you release prayers and decrees given to you specifically for your state, the staffs given each state representative in the dream are no doubt significant. In Old Testament times, a man’s staff had his history carved on it in the form of symbols and pictures. Consider using some of your state’s godly history and constitution. I believe all of the state constitution preambles mention the Lord. Holy Spirit will lead you in this. Just as with the “Paint Your State” assignment, you can go to GiveHim15.com and find your state. There, you can add where you have prayed, so others will know which waterways, dams, water treatment plants, etc., have already had prayer. Our goal is for the waterways in each state to be covered. God has not yet given us an end date for this to take place. Let’s get this done, just as we did the “painting” of our borders and “anchoring” of the nation. Use caution when traveling and when near water and dams. Obey all laws and don’t go into restricted areas. Remember, access to prohibited areas given in the dream (from the lanyard badge, etc.) was obviously symbolic. Finally, “Be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Pray with me: Father, thank You for raising up watchmen to guard and protect our nation. We have allowed the enemy into our camp, and now find ourselves in need of Your miraculous protection. You told us in Psalm 127:1 that unless You keep or protect a city, the watchman wakes in vain. We need Your supernatural help to protect our cities and nation. Move on the hearts of men and women in every state to pray over their water supply, waterways, and dams. We ask You to coordinate this effort, to lead us as we pray and decree, and to protect all who participate. We also ask you to coordinate the timing of the efforts so that none of the prayer visits will be late. We commit this to You and Your sovereign directing of it. And Father, as we move into this hinge year, a critical year in the history of America and the world, we command Your Kingdom authority into every region and continent, and the establishing of Your will, according to Matthew 6:10. We decree that nothing will stop the great harvest You have planned - no shaking, no war, no unrest, nothing. It will all be used by You for Your purposes in the earth. We release this in the name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the protection of the Lord will be upon our dams, supply lines, and water supplies in America. Click the link to watch today's video: You can find out more about Gina Gholston at GinaGholstonMinistries.org.

The Price of Ignorance Satan takes advantage of our ignorance, which the following verse reveals: “So that no advantage be taken of us by satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11 NASB). The context of the verse is forgiveness, but a general and very important principle is also revealed. Let’s analyze the verse more closely. The word “ignorant” is from the Greek word agnoeo, which means to be “without knowledge or understanding of.”(1) Our English word “agnostic” is derived from it. Technically, an agnostic is not a person unsure if they believe in God, though we now use the word primarily in this way. Actually, an agnostic is one who is ignorant or without understanding of any given subject. We also get our word “ignore” from the same root. In this verse, we are urged not to ignore or be an agnostic - without understanding - where the devil is concerned. “Schemes” is from the word noema,(2) which literally means “a thought.” The verse is saying, “Don’t be without understanding of the way satan thinks.” However, noema also came to mean “plans, schemes, plots, devices” because these things originate in our thoughts. For greater insight, let’s insert all of these concepts into the verse: “Don’t be without understanding of the way satan thinks and operates - his plans, plots, schemes, and devices.” There is also a subtle promise in this command. Since God says we are not to be ignorant of satan’s plans and schemes, He is obviously willing to teach us how satan operates and, when necessary, even supernaturally reveal His plans to us. God doesn’t want us to be caught off guard. What happens if we ARE unaware of satan’s schemes? The verse tells us he will take advantage of us. “Advantage” is derived from pleonekteo, which is a compound word meaning literally “to have or hold the greater portion” (pleon - “the greater part;” echo - “to have or hold”).(3) It is easy to see why this is a word for “covet.” It also means “overreach.”(4) In boxing, the person who has the longer reach holds the advantage and usually gets in more blows. The word pleonekteo is also translated as “make a gain”; satan makes a lot of gains on those who are unaware of his ways. The Greek scholar Bullinger says pleonekteo means “to make a prey of, to defraud.”(5) Let’s put all of these definitions together: “To the degree we are ignorant of the way our adversary thinks and operates - of his plans, plots, schemes, and devices - to that degree he will gain on us, prey on us, defraud us of what is ours, and have or hold the greater portion.” Wow! Ignorance ain’t good! An obvious question is, “He will gain the greater portion of what? The answer would include many things: our jobs, marriages, families, communities, money, government, nation, and more. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Church in America was without an understanding of satan’s plans, and he took the greater portion of our educational system. The same could be said of our government and much more in our nation! The church was asleep, unaware of what satan was doing, and he grabbed the bigger portion of American society and culture. The demise has been shocking. Paul was taken advantage of in 1 Thessalonians 2:18. Satan “made a “gain” on him in the ongoing war over spreading the Gospel: “For we wanted to come to you - I, Paul, more than once - and yet satan hindered us.” We know Paul won more battles than he lost. He was human, however, and at times satan succeeded in thwarting his plans. The verse does NOT say God changed His mind about where He wanted Paul to travel. It clearly says satan hindered him. Those who believe satan can do nothing except what God allows and, therefore, we can simply ignore him should rethink their position. God does not ignore the devil, and neither should we. And satan certainly does a lot of things God does not directly “allow” him to do. The Lord established the laws and principles governing the earth - sowing and reaping, cause and effect, the free will of humans, etc. - and we humans implement those principles. Ignorance of them can be costly (Hosea 4:6). The good news is that God created a movement - also in the 60s and 70s - in which He restored the 5-fold ministry gift of teachers to the church (Ephesians 4:11). Simultaneously, the outpouring of Holy Spirit taking place created a great hunger for God’s Word. The two met, and the results were explosive. Churches moved from preaching only, to also teaching the Word of God. Revelation increased in the teacher and the student. Bible schools sprang up, the Word began to be taught on television and radio, training conferences were birthed, and Bible studies took place in homes, scores of teaching books were written, and thousands of messages were listened to by millions of people on cassette tapes! The body of Christ isn’t fully mature by any stretch of the imagination, but the hungry have grown tremendously in the last 50 years. Many believers are now well armed with spiritual weapons, and dangerous to the powers of darkness. We will not be taken advantage of and duped as easily as we once were. God is about to put what He has taught us to work. We will disciple people and nations, teaching the principles of God’s Kingdom. We will walk in His ways at levels not seen in centuries. We will reveal the “fulness of Christ” in the earth (Ephesians 4:13). All the earth is waiting anxiously for this manifestation of the mature sons and daughters of God. Get ready - it’s coming! Pray with me: Father, just as you warned, our ignorance of satan and his thinking, schemes, and plans has been very costly. He has certainly taken advantage of us and gained the bigger portion of America. He outmaneuvered the church and overpowered unbelievers. A generation of Americans has been swept into darkness. Yet, You are the God of resurrection power, the God of grace, and the Giver of mercy. Your mercy triumphs over judgment, and Your power triumphs over the serpent. You love to redeem and restore. You’re the Great Physician, the Giver and Sustainer of life, the Friend of sinners and Lover of humankind. And You, as all of these, are coming to America! So, we boldly appeal to You for this. Come with strength and power, blow like a rushing mighty wind, fall like the rain, flow like a river. Do this for the poor and the rich, for all races, in the cities and in the country, among the young and the old. Come and heal this nation of the serpent’s bite. Free us from his deception and blindness, his lust and perversions, his hatred and murder. Come to this nation - quickly! And come with awesome power! In Jesus’ name, we pray this...Amen! Our decree: The serpent has bruised America’s heel, but through the victory of Calvary, we shall crush his head! Click on the link below to watch the full video. Today’s post was taken from my book Watchman Prayer. ________________________________________ Dutch Sheets, Watchman Prayer (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group), pp. 17-19. Ethelbert W. Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1975), 400. Spiros Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible - New American Standard, rev. ed. (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1990), 1797. Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary (Iowa Falls: Word Bible Publishers, 1992), 1,173. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), s.v. 4122. Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance, 28.

Mount Up Above the Storm Stephen Covey, the author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, coined the phrase, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”(1) There are times when staying focused on what matters most becomes more difficult. This is one of those times. Distractions abound, disagreements seem to rule the day, turmoil appears to be winning over order, and one can almost feel the confusion permeating the atmosphere. The earth is groaning under: Two major wars, Ukraine and Israel/Gaza. The potential for these wars, evil leaders elsewhere, and wrong decisions to lead us into World War 3. Human trafficking, hunger, poverty, injustice, and violence ravaging much of the world. America’s stabilizing voice and deterrence having now become ineffective. Regarding the final statement - America’s ineffectiveness and inability - we are plagued by: A silenced, weak church that lost her saltiness and light. A cognitively deficient leader, fraudulently placed in his position to allow the rule of a traitorous, globalist shadow government unencumbered by transparency and accountability, A Democratic Party that is against biblical principles and morals, our Christian heritage, and has been taken over by woke ideology. Foolish decisions making us dependent on our enemies for oil and essential products. A weak economy from overspending (and foolish spending). An open border allowing millions of illegals to enter the nation, some of them terrorists, others trafficking in humans and drugs. Just yesterday, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the threat of terror attacks in America has escalated to a “whole new level.”(2) No surprise there. A lying media and an uninformed populace. A corrupt justice system An education system that doesn’t educate, but instead indoctrinates, producing Marxism, atheism, amorality, and hatred of America. A depleted military with weak leaders. Moral depravity, . . . and more. The danger exists for Americans to become overwhelmed by the magnitude of these realities and simply withdraw, hoping others will fix the mess; or, for many Christians, to believe God will sovereignly correct the problems without our involvement. (For some Christians, it is simply to sit back and hope for the rapture, as the church did in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, believing societal problems are simply leading to this.) How do we remain full of faith and perseverance in times like these? The first answer is to keep first things first, as God counseled Joshua in chapter one of the book bearing his name. You might find it helpful to reread the first nine verses of this chapter; they speak of staying in and obeying God’s Word, resisting fear, and trusting Him. Another great verse on the basics is 2 Corinthians 11:3, which speaks of the purity and simplicity of devotion to Christ. Draw near - and stay near - to the Lord in these troubling times (James 4:8). Also, when things get overly complicated and complex, I find it helpful to remind myself of the following: God hasn’t been caught off guard by satan’s or men’s plans. He declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10) and ALWAYS has a plan to win. God can and will do the impossible if we believe and obey. God uses the desperation of people to prepare for His outpourings and solutions. God wants and intends to save millions of people, including entire nations, in this hour. We are God’s methods: His voice, hands, and feet. This is not only a responsibility; it is an incredible privilege. We don’t have to defeat satan; he has already been defeated by Christ. We enforce the victory of Calvary through the name of Jesus, the guidance of Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and our faith. Holy Spirit has no problem working through a remnant, and there IS an effective, praying remnant in the world. Also, this remnant is growing! Do not grow weary in doing what is needed (Galatians 6:9.) A lack of perseverance has caused more loss of God’s provision and blessing than most people would ever dream of. I remind you today that the warrior spirit of Christ is in you (1 Corinthians 6:17), that you are more than a conqueror through Him (Romans 8:37), and that you can do all things through His strength infused into you (Phillippians 4:13; AMP). HE will prevail in this hour, and we will prevail with Him. I leave you with Isaiah 40:22-31 from the Amplified Version: “It is God Who sits above the circle (the horizon) of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; it is He Who stretches out the heavens like [gauze] curtains and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in, Who brings dignitaries to nothing, Who makes the judges and rulers of the earth as chaos (emptiness, falsity, and futility). Yes, these men are scarcely planted, scarcely are they sown, scarcely does their stock take root in the earth, when [the Lord] blows upon them and they wither, and the whirlwind or tempest takes them away like stubble. To whom then will you liken Me, that I should be equal to him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see! Who has created these? He Who brings out their host by number and calls them all by name; through the greatness of His might and because He is strong in power, not one is missing or lacks anything. Why, O Jacob, do you say and declare, O Israel, My way and my lot are hidden from the Lord, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding. He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might, He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted; But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. Pray with me: Father, we live in troubling times, but we are not the first generation to face times such as these. And Jesus, when He was walking the Earth in His human body, experienced a troubled soul (John 12:27). He overcame this, plowing through Gethsemane, the Cross, and everything in between. He knows how to give us peace and calm our troubled emotions. He is the prince of peace, Jehovah Shalom. We ask You to help the praying church in this hour keep all focus on You, not the waves or the storm. Through Your strength, we can walk on any wave and rise above any level of storm. We are like the eagle, using the wind; we do not fear it. We heed the words of the prophet and declare that our ways are not hidden from You, and the justice we need has not escaped Your notice. We are family members of the Godhead, ambassadors of Jesus Christ, led by Holy Spirit, and part of an unshakable, ever-increasing Kingdom. We are commissioned to preach the gospel of this Kingdom, and reap a worldwide harvest; this we shall do. In the name of Jesus, we bind the attempts of satan’s kingdom to stop the spiritual harvest in the Middle East, causing it to be lost through war and violence. We ask for a miraculous end to the influence of violent principalities, and the destruction of the terrorist organizations that serve him. We ask for salvation to come to the people under this horrible control and influence. We ask You to bring revival throughout the Middle East. And we ask for a miraculous recovery in America. Even in this time of inept and corrupt leadership, and the bitter fruit we’re experiencing from foolish decisions, work miracles to preserve and restore us. Send the rain, the wind of Your Spirit to save us, and use us in this great harvest. That is Your plan. We ask for it to be manifested. Your Word tells us that You love to save, and our faith is solid that this shall be done! We ask and declare these things in the name of Yeshua. Amen. Our decree: We declare that the Ekklesia will rise above the current storm and partner with the victorious Lord, Jesus Christ. Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/stephen_covey_110198 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbi-director-wray-warns-terror-threat-americans-whole-other-level-after-hamas-israel-attack

Understanding Your Sphere of Authority “For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another. But he who boasts is to boast in the Lord. For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.”  (2 Corinthians 10:12-18 NASB) In this passage, Paul speaks of the measure of his God-given authority in Corinth, and also references spheres of authority. The word used for “measure” is metron (Strongs 3358). You can easily see the English word “meter” in this word, which is a measurement, or an instrument used to measure, such as a parking meter. It is also used in the context of “metering out” a measured portion of something. In this context, Paul was speaking of the authority metered out to him, the measure he had been given by God at Corinth. “Sphere” is from the Greek word kanon (Strongs 2583), which means “a sphere of rule or activity; a boundary.” Paul recognized not only his measure of authority, but also the places where he had been assigned this authority. He knew there were boundaries or limits to it, but he was also very aware that he absolutely did possess God-given authority in his God-given spheres. Certainly, this passage was referencing Paul’s authority to deal with error and rebellion as an apostle and father in the Corinthian church. However, it also included authority to war over them in the spirit, breaking strongholds and demonic influence. This is clear from the verses preceding this: “Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” (2 Corinthians 10:1-6 NASB) These verses make clear the assertion that Paul’s authority at Corinth was not only a right to correct them practically and doctrinally, but also included authority to deal with spiritual strongholds in the community through prayer and spiritual warfare. The principle at play here is that: 1) God gives us authority within the “sphere” He has assigned us. Our authority level will be different in other spheres. And 2) this authority not only gives us the spiritual right to bring correction, but it also affords us great authority to pray and war spiritually for the freedom and well-being of those within this sphere. I realize most of you will not be given apostolic authority over a region. The principle is true elsewhere, however. Each of us has a personal sphere: ourself, our family, home, business, etc. No one has more authority to govern your life than you do. You have the right and the responsibility to do so. Also, no one can lay claim to God’s promises or declare His Word over your life as effectively as you. YOU have the right to do this, and no one can take it from you. We also have a higher level of authority to pray for our immediate family members - this is a part of our sphere. Where God assigns responsibility to guard, protect, or cover someone, He also gives us the authority to carry it out. Even if a family member is an adult, though I do not have authority to rule their life, but I still have a very high level of authority to pray for them. I can break strongholds over their life and appeal to heaven on their behalf, just as Paul did for the Corinthians. If they are a child I have even greater authority to pray for and impart to them. In Mark 5:22-43, a man named Jairus asked Jesus to come and heal his daughter. Jesus did so. He did not require an invitation from the daughter, nor was faith required of her. Her dad asking for her was enough. Patriarchs in the Old Testament understood this principle. They had great authority to decree blessings, even destiny, over their children - even adult children. The entire 49th chapter of Genesis gives us multiple examples of this, as Jacob blessed and decreed over his sons. In an upcoming post, we will look at shared authority, as in praying for nations. Today, however, I want to encourage you regarding your God-given right to pray for yourself and your family. We are about to see many prodigals come back to the Father; you play a role in this. Your prayers for them have great authority. You can break strongholds in their lives and free them from deception and demonic control. You cannot control the prodigal child’s will, but you can deal with strongholds that do! Let’s look at three of the above verses Paul gave us from the Living Bible: “It is true that I am an ordinary, weak human being, but I don’t use human plans and methods to win my battles. I use God’s mighty weapons, not those made by men, to knock down the devil’s strongholds. These weapons can break down every proud argument against God and every wall that can be built to keep men from finding him. With these weapons I can capture rebels and bring them back to God and change them into men whose hearts’ desire is obedience to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 TLB) If Paul could do this for the Corinthians, you can do it for your family! Let’s pray. Pray with me: Father, we are not at the mercy of what demons and the world around us throws our way. You have given us great authority through Christ. He conquered FOR US and delegated TO US the right to lay hold of this victory. Faith, the power of Holy Spirit, authority - these things work in harmony to give us victories in life. Today we rise up in that authority and pray for those in our God-given spheres. We know that as we do so, Holy Spirit will release His power to back up this authority. We declare over ourselves that we will walk in health, victory, provision, freedom from sin, peace, and a sound mind. We bind every assignment against us and declare that we are clothed in the armor of God and protected from evil. We pray also for those You have assigned us the privilege of covering, those in our personal spheres of authority. We pray for our spouses that they too will experience Your blessing, health, well-being, prosperity - we declare over them that every promise You have made to Your family is “yes” and “amen.” And we pray for our children. We decree over every prodigal that the strongholds of deception and rebellion are broken off of them. We release the power of Holy Spirit to go to them now and hover over them, releasing life and freedom. We decree that they will come to their senses just as the prodigal in Scripture did. We bind every demon that has attached itself to them, in the name of Jesus. And we decree according to Your Word that all of our children are blessed by You. We cover them with protection from the many strategies of the evil one to influence and control them. We declare that they will know and serve You, that all of our family shall be saved! We pray all of these things through the authority we have in Christ. Our decree: We declare that we will exercise our God-given right to cover those in our God-given spheres. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Today we are sharing a GH15 post that you have read before. We are having bad weather in our area with power outages, but did not want to be without a Wednesday post. Therefore, we are sharing one of our favorites from two years ago. Unity is always on God’s heart. Here is a great teaching regarding this subject. We Must Have Unity The Charismatic Movement was a move of Holy Spirit that resulted in tens of millions of conversions around the world. There have been other outpourings of the Spirit in the last 60 years - some called them revivals - which touched individual nations. Then, of course, there have been movements of Holy Spirit which were primarily to restore truth to the church, rather than being evangelism-centered, such as the healing revival (of 1947-1958), the prayer movement, prophetic movement, apostolic movement, etc. I have been blessed to observe and be part of all these activities of Holy Spirit. Having been raised in church - in a ministry family, then in ministry myself - I have had a front-row seat, allowing the observation of restorations, revivals, trends, and movements. While observing all of this, I have never seen a group of people discover fresh truth, shift in theology, implement new ideas, raise up new ministries, and do so perfectly. There is ALWAYS a learning curve as knowledge grows and methods change. Those who began moving in the gifts of the Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12), including gifts of healing and the workings of miracles, made mistakes as they launched out in faith. Yet, much good was accomplished with many people being healed. Those of us who began teaching new understandings of prayer made some errors, but incredible progress has been made. Deliverance ministries experienced some extremes, yet many people were set free. The Word of Faith movement experienced a few imbalances and extremes, yet through this movement, many people began to understand the importance of faith, our authority as believers and that God really does want to free people from poverty. Groups that emphasized discipleship struggled with control issues, yet an important truth was restored to the church’s understanding. As prophets and prophecy began to re-emerge in the church, mistakes, of course, were made. But one of the most important gifts of Christ to the church has been restored, bringing immeasurable fruit. As apostles and apostolic ministry were restored, extremes came, and errors were made. However, an incredibly important function of Christ in the church re-emerged. It is somewhat ridiculous to think that as principles and understandings - which were previously unknown or had been lost - are gained/regained, this will begin with full maturity. Knowledge grows. Truth unfolds. These things will always be a process. When change regarding spiritual restorations and growth occurs, over time Holy Spirit brings things into balance and maturity. What is disheartening is the criticism, strife, and division generated by believers who don’t understand this process. Forerunners, pathfinders, and pioneers do not always find the right path on the first attempt. That’s why the process is called “finding.” Forerunners prepare the way because the way doesn’t yet exist. Does anyone really think this occurs without some messes, false starts, backing up, and adjusting course? What is wrong with us that we allow a critical spirit to attack and divide us when this process is happening? What is it that motivates us to judge and slander fellow believers who attempt to move us forward in our thinking, yet make some mistakes along the way? This is none other than a pharisaical spirit. And it is a spirit that God does not like. Proverbs 6:16-19 lists seven things He hates. Many things that normally make the list of detestable things for the average believer aren’t on the list. Pride, however, which is certainly involved in believing one has the right to critique another’s performance, and “one who sows discord among brethren” is on the list. To be sure, it is appropriate to confront heresy or error, but it is possible to do so in love and with a spirit of humility. Our good friend, Barbara Yoder, shares some insightful thoughts regarding this problem. Please read and/or listen prayerfully. “First of all, I want to say I know many leaders. Why am I saying that? From my direct experience with them, I believe most leaders have pure hearts toward God. They are seeking to do and be the right thing. “The church is already entering into a time of revival and awakening. It has started, but we are only ankle-deep at this time. There’s coming a time shortly when we will dive into full revival, the deep end, over our heads (see Ezekiel 47). “However, if we enter this time without becoming of one heart, one mind, one spirit, we will be blown apart. What is needed right now is a massive cleansing of each of our hearts, mine included, of anything that would cause this move of God to be hindered or possibly aborted. “I believe we are in a season where one of the main things God is dealing with is a spirit of accusation which causes division. In recent years, the spirit of Jezebel has overtaken the nation and the church, which, among other things, discredits people and ministries through wrong accusations. Jezebel and Ahab wanted land that was owned by a man named Naboth (see 1 Kings 21). Therefore, she raised up false accusers to discredit Naboth in order to steal his inheritance (vineyard). And she was successful. “To express anything to others that discredits another person, without ever going to the person directly, is operating in a spirit of accusation and division. It is prevalent in the body of Christ and has brought great hurt and wounding. God is beginning to deal with this spirit. “Everything in God‘s kingdom is grounded in sound, healthy relationships. To allow a spirit of accusation and division to proliferate is totally antithetical to biblical truth. “A worthless person, a wicked man, is the one who walks with a perverse mouth, who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who points with his fingers; who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, who spreads strife/discord” ‭‭(Proverbs‬ ‭6:12-14‬). ‭‬‬ “To sow discord is to say and do things that cause distrust among people, which results in arguments and fights. It’s time to turn from anything that would divide the body of Christ. We need genuine, authentic, healthy relationships built on truthfulness and trust. Acts 3:19-21 says before revival/refreshing can come, repentance must occur. Let us turn fully back to God with our whole hearts.” I’m grateful for Barbara’s words and challenge to us all. It’s time for us to have a heart check. Let’s ask Holy Spirit to help us walk before God with pure hearts. “Who, then, is allowed to ascend the mountain of Yahweh? And who has the privilege of entering into God’s Holy Place? Those who are clean—whose works and ways are pure, whose hearts are true and sealed by the truth, those who never deceive, whose words are sure. They will receive Yahweh’s blessing and righteousness given by the Savior God. They will stand before God, for they seek the pleasure of God’s face” (Psalm 24: 3-5 TPT). Pray with me: Father, we are grateful that You are faithful to check our hearts. We do not want to give place to the enemy, allowing discord or offense to occur. Lord, we ask that You shine Your spotlight of conviction to any unswept corners of our hearts. We desire to have clean hands and pure hearts, being tools of unity and truth. We want to walk in the light - so shine Your light upon us, exposing our hearts and motives. Help us to always be willing to admit when we are wrong, allowing You to bring hope, harmony, and restoration to Your body. Show us our hearts Lord, and help us always to be instruments of Your healing and love. We especially ask Your forgiveness for inappropriately speaking against other streams and movements in the church. Teach us to express our differences, even bring correction, without embracing a critical spirit. May we always remember that of all the characteristics of Your kingdom we are to walk in, the greatest will always be love. In Christ’s name, we pray, Amen. Our decree: We decree that we will be instruments of love and peace, not giving place to the enemy and his evil tactics. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Barbara Yoder is the senior leader of Shekinah Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan. You can find out more about Barbara here.

We Must Have Unity The Charismatic Movement was a move of Holy Spirit which resulted in tens of millions of conversions around the world. There have been other outpourings of the Spirit in the last 60 years - some called them revivals - which touched individual nations. Then, of course, there have been movements of Holy Spirit which were primarily to restore truth to the church, rather than being evangelism-centered, such as the healing revival (of 1947-1958), the prayer movement, prophetic movement, apostolic movement, etc. I have been blessed to observe and be part of all these activities of Holy Spirit. Having been raised in church - in a ministry family, then in ministry myself - I have had a front row seat, allowing the observation of restorations, revivals, trends and movements. While observing all of this, I have never seen a group of people discover fresh truth, shift in theology, implement new ideas, raise up new ministries, and do so perfectly. There is ALWAYS a learning curve, as knowledge grows and methods change. Those who began moving in the gifts of the Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12), including gifts of healing and the workings of miracles, made mistakes as they launched out in faith. Yet, much good was accomplished with many people being healed. Those of us who began teaching new understandings of prayer made some errors, but incredible progress has been made. Deliverance ministries experienced some extremes, yet many people were set free. The Word of Faith movement experienced a few imbalances and extremes, yet through this movement, many people began to understand the importance of faith, our authority as believers and that God really does want to free people from poverty. Groups that emphasized discipleship struggled with control issues, yet an important truth was restored to the church’s understanding. As prophets and prophecy began to re-emerge in the church, mistakes, of course, were made. But one of the most important gifts of Christ to the church has been restored, bringing immeasurable fruit. As apostles and apostolic ministry was restored, extremes came and errors were made. However, an incredibly important function of Christ in the church re-emerged. It is somewhat ridiculous to think that as principles and understandings - which were previously unknown or had been lost - are gained/regained, this will begin with full maturity. Knowledge grows. Truth unfolds. These things will always be a process. When change regarding spiritual restorations and growth is occuring, over time Holy Spirit brings things into balance and maturity. What is disheartening is the criticism, strife and division generated by believers who don’t understand this process. Forerunners, pathfinders and pioneers do not always find the right path on the first attempt. That’s why the process is called “finding.” Forerunners prepare the way because the way doesn’t yet exist. Does anyone really think this occurs without some messes, false starts, backing up and adjusting course? What is wrong with us that we allow a critical spirit to attack and divide us when this process is happening? What is it that motivates us to judge and slander fellow believers who attempt to move us forward in our thinking, yet make some mistakes along the way? This is none other than a pharisaical spirit. And it is a spirit that God does not like. Proverbs 6:16-19 lists 7 things He hates. Many things that normally make the list of detestable things for the average believer aren’t on the list. Pride, however, which is certainly involved in believing one has the right to critique another’s performance, and “one who sows discord among brethren” are on the list. To be sure, it is appropriate to confront heresy or error, but it is possible to do so in love and with a spirit of humility. Our good friend, Barbara Yoder, shares some insightful thoughts regarding this problem. Please read and/or listen prayerfully. “First of all, I want to say I know many leaders. Why am I saying that? Because from my direct experience with them, I believe most leaders have pure hearts toward God. They are seeking to do and be the right thing. “The church is already entering into a time of revival and awakening. It has started, but we are only ankle-deep at this time. There’s coming a time shortly when we will dive into full revival, the deep end, over our heads (see Ezekiel 47). “However, if we enter this time without becoming of one heart, one mind, one spirit, we will be blown apart. What is needed right now is a massive cleansing of each of our hearts, mine included, of anything that would cause this move of God to be hindered or possibly aborted. “I believe we are in a season where one of the main things God is dealing with is a spirit of accusation which causes division. In recent years, the spirit of Jezebel has overtaken the nation and the church, which among other things, discredits people and ministries through wrong accusations. Jezebel and Ahab wanted land that was owned by a man named Naboth (see 1 Kings 21). Therefore, she raised up false accusers to discredit Naboth in order to steal his inheritance (vineyard). And she was successful. “To express anything to others that discredits another person, without ever going to the person directly, is operating in a spirit of accusation and division. It is prevalent in the body of Christ and has brought great hurt and wounding. God is beginning to deal with this spirit. “Everything in God‘s kingdom is grounded in sound, healthy relationships. To allow a spirit of accusation and division to proliferate is totally antithetical to biblical truth. “A worthless person, a wicked man, is the one who walks with a perverse mouth, who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who points with his fingers; who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil, who spreads strife/discord” ‭‭(Proverbs‬ ‭6:12-14‬). ‭‬‬ “To sow discord is to say and do things that cause distrust among people which results in arguments and fights. It’s time to turn from anything that would divide the body of Christ. We need genuine, authentic, healthy relationships built on truthfulness and trust. Acts 3:19-21 says before revival/refreshing can come, repentance must occur. Let us turn fully back to God with our whole hearts.” I’m grateful for Barbara’s words and challenge to us all. It’s time for us to have a heart check. Let’s ask Holy Spirit to help us walk before God with pure hearts. “Who, then, is allowed to ascend the mountain of Yahweh? And who has the privilege of entering into God’s Holy Place? Those who are clean—whose works and ways are pure, whose hearts are true and sealed by the truth, those who never deceive, whose words are sure. They will receive Yahweh’s blessing and righteousness given by the Savior-God. They will stand before God, for they seek the pleasure of God’s face” (Psalm 24: 3-5 TPT). Pray with me: Father, we are grateful that You are faithful to check our hearts. We do not want to give place to the enemy, allowing discord or offense to occur. Lord, we ask that You shine Your spotlight of conviction to any unswept corners of our hearts. We desire to have clean hands and pure hearts, being tools of unity and truth. We want to walk in the light - so shine Your light upon us, exposing our hearts and motives. Help us to always be willing to admit when we are wrong, allowing You to bring hope, harmony, and restoration to Your body. Show us our hearts Lord, and help us to always be instruments of Your healing and love. We especially ask Your forgiveness for inappropriately speaking against other streams and movements in the church. Teach us to express our differences, even bring correction, without embracing a critical spirit. May we always remember that of all the characteristics of Your kingdom we are to walk in, the greatest will always be love. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen. Our decree: We decree that we will be instruments of love and peace, not giving place to the enemy and his evil tactics. Barbara Yoder is the senior leader of Shekinah Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan. You can find out more about Barbara here. Click on the link below to watch the full video.