As we move forward into this epochal year, it is vital that we hear and respond appropriately to Holy Spirit’s voice. My brother, Tim, received a strong word from Him about what we will see released in 2024. It will instruct and encourage you. The Reset Season by Tim Sheets Worldview is so important right now. Challenges to our Christian faith are rising, and our view needs to be set in alignment with God’s Word and His perspective. Psalm 31:15 reminds us that our times are in God’s hands. A few weeks ago during our Sunday service, Holy Spirit began to move in a different way, and prophetic words, declarations, and songs were released. The following is a word from that morning (December 3, 2023): “Holy Spirit says to the church of the King, look into the spirit realm, and you will now see the bringing forth of the reset you have asked for. For as the world declares and celebrates the birth of the King, I tell you this day, the birth of His Kingdom will rise in waves of glory. History was changed in Bethlehem during the times of the King’s birth. Those were desperate times, but heaven moved. Lucifer, though he tried, could not stop it. Governments also tried, but they could not stop it. The coming of the Deliverer could not be stopped. “The reset you have called for is being birthed in this season. You will hear the shout of the King rising from the land. It is the cry of the mighty Deliverer as He births the greatest move of His Kingdom. For as He came in infancy to birth a Kingdom, He now comes as the resurrected King of glory to activate another release of His Kingdom throughout the earth. “At the time of His birth, years of silence were broken by a prophetic unction that came forth, and joy came into the world, announced by angels. The Lord says, in this day also, the angels are announcing a new joy into the earth. Glory will begin to roll as billowing clouds, one after the other, to bring the reset you have called for. “And even as dreams came and instructed in the ancient times of the King’s birth, the atmosphere of the Kingdom will again spawn dreams throughout the land. Strategy dreams will now be downloaded as the reset begins to roll. Strategies from dreams will be activated and begin to reset, to change things supernaturally, and break the oppression of governments. “Holy Spirit says, just as the shepherds, Joseph, and those in the narrative of the King’s birth were anointed to dream, I will do so again. I will begin to release millions of dreams to prodigals. They will dream of destiny and purpose, dreaming the King’s dream. Your prodigals are going to dream dreams, and in those dreams, they will rise up and say, ‘This is what I must do, and this is where I must go.’ Dreams that unlock destinies, and change lives. Dreams that end addictions, and cancel demonic assignments on their lives, for I will activate within them dreams of their God. And as prodigals rise to take their place, you will see the birthing of that wave of the reset begin to roll through the land. “Evangelists are arising on college campuses. They will preach and declare the Word of Almighty God. The passionate ones will be powerfully anointed. I will confirm My Word with signs, wonders, and miracles. For I have a harvest that I will reach. I will put the ‘breaker anointing’ upon young men and women, and they will walk the campuses declaring, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’ With the drawing power, the conviction of My presence and Kingdom, that will invade campuses, I will reach into the hearts of those who are bound, lost, and drifting with aimless mindsets. I will draw them to their purpose. “For I say to you deep will call to deep within them. I will call to the deepest parts of their inner nature. I will call to the dreams and purpose I have put into them, which have been buried by lies and deception. Now, says the Lord, the anointing that breaks those yokes is being released. Revival will roll throughout college campuses. Great prophets will arise. You will begin to hear prophetic words coming from college campuses. You will understand that this is a day like no other. I said My young men would see visions, and I meant it. I said My handmaids will receive the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit to declare what I say, and I meant it. I said your old men would dream dreams and that I would fill all flesh with My Spirit. I meant it. “I am moving, says the Lord, in ways I have declared to you by prophetic utterance. My Word will not return to Me empty; the assignments in those words will activate. Even at this moment and throughout this season, beginning now and into 2024, says the Lord, those prophetic words and assignments will activate, creating their fullness. “I will supernaturally shift things in the earthly realm. Shifts I create in governments will cause the world to wonder and say, ‘I never saw this coming.’ You will see a great revival in Muslim communities. They too, will begin to dream from My Spirit. Sauls will become Pauls. You are moving into a new time, says the Lord, that I have ordained. “I call to My Ekklesia to rise in faith and begin to walk with Me at a new level, declaring what I say and moving into the new. For the shaking I promised has come. The fierce war season I promised has come. And now, the birthing of the reset will roll throughout your nation and the nations, for I am working to change and reset. “You will begin to see visible signs and workings of this, as I release a strategy within the Ekklesia. For the church will shift from declarations of ‘this will be,’ to declarations of ‘this is that.’ You will declare, ‘This is that which was spoken by Holy Spirit. This is that which was spoken by the King. This is that which was spoken by the Father.’ You WILL move into the ‘this is that’ moment, says the Lord. I am the God of eternity, and I am the God of now. My Word will not return void.” The Lord will be seen as the God of NOW! This is the time when the King rises in His rule, in His Kingdom’s jurisdiction, in all the world. His Kingdom has no end, and it will not be limited. The reset has begun. Pray with me: Lord, we align our faith with what You have said, with the shift You have announced. We ask You to move as You desire and in the ways You have ordained. Move at levels that amaze us. We will walk and work with You, in faith and confidence, and You will do exactly as You have said. We declare: “No limitations to this move of the King! Neither nations, governments, rulers, false religions, nor demonic principalities will stop it. The ideologies propagated on college campuses will not stop this move. Miracles, healings, and deliverances will occur throughout the land; the hand of God will be seen. Prodigals will receive dreams, hear Holy Spirit, return to God, and be transformed. They will be passionate lovers of God and His Word, filled with Holy Spirit, powerful evangelists, and prophetic voices. Deception, confusion, addictions, perversions, and disillusion will be broken off of them through powerful God-encounters. The glory of the Lord will roll in wave after wave. Revival, reset, freedom, signs, wonders, and great harvest will now come!” in Jesus’ Name, Amen. Our decree: We decree that the reset of Kingdom authority in our land now begins, and we are moving into an era of great harvest. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim. You can learn more about him at TimSheets.org.

Happy New Year! People always want to know what spiritual leaders are sensing and seeing at the beginning of a new year. Due to the fact that today is a holiday, fewer people than normal will see the post. Therefore, I will begin addressing this topic tomorrow. Today, I’ll read one more devotional of Dad’s and share some thoughts from my book The Pleasure of His Company. Then, we’ll pray a strong New Year's Day prayer. Words Fail “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17 KJV) From Dad’s Devotional “Gifts that flow to us through nature and providence are ‘good,’ but those that come through the atoning work of Jesus are ‘perfect.’ Ever since you were born, God has touched you in His providence. Even the hairs on your head are numbered. “God is forever the same in His goodness, love, and care toward us. With Him is no ‘variableness.’ What a great word the Holy Spirit uses here. It is the Greek word parallage,(1) an astronomical term describing the different positions of the heavenly bodies that cause changes in the seasons of the year. This is where our word ‘parallax’ comes from. It is by the parallax that astronomers get the measure of heavenly bodies. “God has no parallax! You cannot measure how large He is or how far away He is. You can't find Him with telescopes. ‘He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him’ (Hebrews 11:6). “With Him, there is no shadow of turning. He's always right overhead. He doesn't change like the shadow on the sundial. “All He has committed Himself to in His Word, He will do - infallibly. He will bring us into full enjoyment of our promised inheritance. “From “A Mighty Fortress” by Martin Luther: ‘And though this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us, We will not fear, for God has willed His truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, for, lo! His doom is sure. One little word shall fell him.”’(2) Dutch Shares from The Pleasure of His Company “Words certainly are inadequate to describe Christ’s attributes, abilities, intellect, and accomplishments. He is breathtaking, yet calming. All-powerful but gentle, unsearchably wise though humble, and awe-inspiring while completely approachable. Perfection defines Him, intrigue surrounds Him, and eternity is in Him. He is boundless love, everlasting joy, and the Prince of Peace. Oxymorons are necessary to describe Jesus since He is the God-man, both human and divine. Incredibly, He’s the Ancient of Days, yet forever new, existing in a perpetual now. His nature contradicts every natural law of time, space, and physics. When Moses asked Him His name, He simply said, ‘I AM.’ Words fail. “Young and old, male and female, rich and poor, moral and immoral - they all found Jesus interesting. He was so magnetic and gentle in His personality that children loved and trusted Him, and sinners confessed to Him their sordid and painful pasts. But He was so overpowering in His masculinity and multifaceted in His gifts that both intellectual businessmen and coarse, tough fishermen left their careers at His simple invitation to ‘follow Me.’ “Grown men fell before Jesus in worship, and anointing oil worth thousands of dollars was poured upon His feet. A multitude of men, women, and children - yes, children - sat for days at a time listening to Him teach. Families loved having Him in their homes, men liked hiking and camping with Him, and scholars enjoyed picking His brain - when he was only twelve years old! Many more books have been written concerning Him than about any other person, and people sit for hours writing songs about Him. “My meager list barely scratches the surface. Consider the following: A fish brought Him a mouthful of money. Storms obeyed His commands. His spit healed blind eyes, and His touch cured leprosy. He walked on water…and through walls! He turned water into wine and multiplied by thousands a few fish and loaves of bread. He raised the dead. Insanity fled from Him; demons did, as well. Fire goes before Him and consumes His enemies. When He died, willingly, the sun refused to shine, and the earth shook. Death, however, couldn’t hold Him, and His resurrection was so powerful it spilled over onto other dead people, raising them from the dead! His eyes are like fire; His voice is like a waterfall. Angels worship Him; rulers cast their crowns at His feet. He created everything…with just His words. He keeps the universe operating in perfect order…yep, with just His words.”(3) Pray with me: Father, we approach You today in the name of Jesus. As we begin a new year, what a perfect time to consider Your greatness. You have no equal. You’re all powerful, all wise, always present - everywhere, always good. Sinless, flawless, changeless, and matchless. To know You is to love You. To think that You pursue a relationship with finite humans is beyond comprehension. Yet You stand at the door of our hearts and knock, wanting to dine with us. You found the despised tax collector Zacchaeus in a tree and interrupted Your trip to save him; You detoured to Samaria to interrupt the dead-end journey of an adulteress woman; You touched lepers, accepted a foot bath from a prostitute, and showed mercy to a depraved, naked man living in a cemetery. Yes, You are good. In this new year, we intend to partake of Your goodness and partner with Your goodness. We will feed on Christ’s salvation, and we will serve it to others. We will persevere in our intercession for people and nations, and we will see breakthrough after breakthrough. Our paths will grow brighter, our faith stronger, and our lives more productive. We are Yours, You are ours, and this will forever be. Amen. Our decree: We decree that 2024 will be our greatest year ever! Click on the link below to watch the full video. _______________________________ James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 3883. https://hymnary.org/text/a_mighty_fortress_is_our_god_a_bulwark Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2014), pp. 11-13.

We will be taking Communion at the end of today’s post. The Nails of Calvary “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His Cross” (Colossians 2:14). From Dad’s Devotional “Calvary’s nails are God’s way of uniting suffering with love. Oh how He loves you and me! His love for us was shouted out with every hammer blow that drove the nails through His hands and feet. Those same blows swung open the gates of glory, and now we have an entrance. When we get to heaven, we will likely stand in awe for a long time, gazing at the nail scars of Jesus. “There was another nailing at Calvary that I want you to rejoice in today. Jesus blotted out all the grievances filed against us, ‘nailing it to His Cross.’ “Oh, the price that was on our heads. The law screamed its curses at us as, one by one, our sins were listed. But Jesus took them all, and with His mighty hammer - the Word of His grace - He nailed them to His Cross. Glory to God! “I love to go back to Calvary often, not to see the Savior mangled and mutilated, but to see all my sins fastened to the Cross with His own nail-scarred hand. And that makes it a secure fastening! All the blasts of hell can never shake my sins loose. Hallelujah! “Praise God for Calvary’s nails - they are holding the old ship of Zion together. Look forward with me to the time when we will hang our old garments of the flesh on Calvary’s spikes and, as the old gospel song says, drop this robe of flesh ‘and rise to seize the everlasting prize.’” Dutch Shares from The Pleasure of His Company “At the end of Christ’s ministry, two of His followers had a revelatory encounter with Him. The meeting occurred just after the Cross and Resurrection; to say their world had turned topsy-turvy would be a gross understatement. To have discovered, lived with, and traveled with Jesus for three years, only to lose Him, would be life's cruelest injustice. “These two men had heard earlier in the day that Christ had risen from the dead. But, really, who would believe two grief-stricken ladies claiming to have been visited by angels? That’s quite a stretch. And these supposed angels informed the women that Christ rose from the dead? As they walked the seven-mile journey to Emmaus, they were discussing this too-good-to-be-true report and all that had transpired over the past few days. To say that they were discouraged, confused, and disillusioned would be an understatement. “That’s when He arrived. ‘And it came about that while they were conversing and discussing, Jesus Himself approached, and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him’ (Luke 24: 15-16). “‘What are you discussing?’ He wanted to know. “They gave Jesus a brief summary, expressing their surprise that He would even have to ask. ‘What else would we be discussing?’ was their inference. It seems everyone in Jerusalem could think of little else than what had transpired with Christ the last few days since so many of them had thought He might be the long-awaited Messiah. They spoke to Him of their devastation and also of the rumor that He had risen from the dead. “Jesus, His identity still hidden from them, ‘explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures’ (v. 27), including the fact that He needed to suffer and die. “Wouldn’t you like to hear that recording! “Though they still didn’t know it was Jesus, His words began impacting their hearts. ‘Were not our hearts burning within us as He was explaining the Scriptures to us?’ they stated (v. 32). “‘When they reached their destination, they pleaded with Jesus to spend the night. The Lord agreed to do so, and during dinner, ‘He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, he began giving it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him’ (v. 30-32). He disappeared from their sight at that moment, and they hurried back the seven miles to Jerusalem with the good news: Christ was indeed risen.! “I find it more than a coincidence that after initially hiding from these men who He was, Jesus chose to release the revelation of Himself ‘in the breaking of the bread’ (v. 35). After all, He was the ‘bread of life’ that had been ‘broken’ for them (John 6:33, 35, 48-51), and they could now receive the revelation of His redemption. The timing was His way of saying to them, ‘The life you need is now available. Sup with me, and revelation will come; I will reveal to you the fullness of who I am and what I have done for you. I also believe it is saying the same to us. We can partake of the bread of life. One of the ways we do so is by hearing His words, just as these two men did (Matthew 4:4). Eat them. As you do, revelation will flow to you, as well. Christ will unveil Himself, just as He did for these two men. “Spend some time with Jesus.”(1) Pray with me: Lord Jesus, You revealed Yourself to the two disciples in the breaking of the bread. As we break the bread of communion together today, sup with us. We want to know You more intimately. Reveal Yourself afresh and anew; let us see You more clearly and more completely. And we also ask You for a greater revelation of all that was provided for us through Your broken body. May we not waste anything You purchased for us. Open our eyes, just as You did for our two fellow believers that day long ago. (Eat the bread.) And Lord, as we drink this that represents Your cleansing blood, we take into our very body, our cells, our blood, Your life and nature. We declare that our faith is sustained because of the blood, we have no condemnation because of the blood, we are made righteous because of the blood, we are in covenant with You because of the blood, and we are now part of Your family because of the blood. We are staking our claim to these things today by this sacred act of covenant. (Drink the cup.) Click on the link below to watch the full video. _____________________________ Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group), pp. 178-180.

Let It Pass Through the Fire “His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.” (Daniel 10:6 KJV) "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." (Matthew 3:11 KJV) From Dad’s Devotional “Fire is a purifying element. The chosen sign of God’s approval is the sacred flame. Spiritual baptism kindles the fires of Christ in the souls of men; they receive, realize, and reproduce His mind and His heart. The fire kindles a fervent devotion to God, a passion for righteousness, and a consuming desire for soul-winning. Let the chosen symbol of Christianity be a tongue of fire. The heavenly current is brought down, making you a living witness for the living Christ. “Fire is also a purifier, the best defense against corruption. Whatever you place between yourself and God, whatever you rest on apart from God, or what you make the aim and center of your life apart from Him, is harmful and must pass through the fire. Count all things lost to know Him (Philippians 3:8). Until those toys of the senses are consumed, everything you do will be a mixture of good and bad. Your ‘humility’ will actually strengthen your pride. Your charity to others will give nourishment to your own self-love. ‘Our God is a consuming fire’ (Hebrews 12:29). Go on through the fire of God, permit Him to consume all the dross, and discover the purity that sees God. “Revelation 8:3-5 tells us, ‘Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth, and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.’ “The fire that cleanses our hearts also empowers our prayers. Angels mix them with fire from the golden altar before making them heaven’s missiles. The purity and power of God go forth like lightning, shaking and quaking until earth’s strongholds fall. “A newspaper story out of Iowa a few years ago told of an amazing occurrence in a storm. An awful bolt of lightning produced a loud rumble that activated the chimes in a church steeple. For the next several minutes, while the lightning flashed and the thunder rolled, the chimes rang out the majestic song, ‘How Great Thou Art.’ “Indeed!” Dutch Shares from Intercessory Prayer “This was the coolest thing I had discovered since baseball. I was in the fourth grade, in that ornery but not mean, can’t stand baths, all girls have cooties stage of life. And I had recently procured my first magnifying glass. “I'm not sure how I discovered I could hold it at just the right angle to the sun and light something on fire. Tim probably taught me. I had just burned a piece of paper on the playground. Then, a brilliant idea leaped up from my fallen Adamic psyche. I called my friends over, assuring them I had something really cool to show them. “Looking at Duncan, the class bully, I said to him,  ‘You're the lucky guy, Duncan. Hold out your hand, I want to show you something.’ Duncan loved being the center of attention, so he obliged. But he didn't leave his hand there very long! He chased me all around that playground - feet, don’t fail me now. Some guys just can't take a joke. “Is there a picture of intercession hidden somewhere in this? Yes! Paga, the Hebrew word for intercession, means ‘to strike the mark.’ (1) The reference is Job 36:32: ‘He covers His hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark.’ Intercession releases God’s glory, His light. We’re not the light. We, like the magnifying glass, allow it to flow through us. It flashes forth from God’s presence like lightning, flows through us, is magnified by Holy Spirit, and strikes the desired target.”(2) Pray with me: Father, thank You for the fire of Holy Spirit that reproduces Your passion in us. We don’t want to be lukewarm; we want to burn with passion for You and to see Christ’s redemption ministered to others. Bring to the church today the fire and passion demonstrated by the church in Acts. We also ask to be touched by the fire from Your altar, the same fire that cleansed Isaiah, preparing him to partner with You. And what a partner he was; His prophecies still inflame our hearts! Do this for us. And as we offer up intercession, partnering with You to pluck up and tear down, plant and build, save and deliver, we ask for the fire of Heaven to empower our prayers. Let the lightnings of Your glory be released, bringing revelation throughout the earth of just “How Great Thou Art.” We ask for this in Yeshua’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the greatness of God is being released through the prayers of the saints, to deliver, save and heal. At the end of tomorrow’s post, we will be taking Communion together. Click on the link below to watch the full video. _________________________________ James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 6293. Dutch Sheets, Intercessory Prayer, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group), pp. 201-202.

Persistent Faith "For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed." (Mark 7:25-30 KJV) From Dad’s Devotional “Nowhere in the gospels do we have a grander example of persistent, yet humble, faith which secures God's blessings. This woman had naked faith—faith stripped of all emotion. She persisted, even though there was no inrush of excitement, having come to Christ on behalf of a demon-possessed daughter. And she turned four obstacles into stepping stones. “Silence: What a paradox. Jesus stated that the woman had great faith, yet according to Matthew’s account of this story, He initially answered her with not a word. It is so important that we keep believing, that we persevere with patience. God has heard, and faith forces are at work. Too often, His answer comes but finds us gone. Our ship comes in, but there is no one to unload it! “Lack of Sympathy: Also in Matthew's account, we’re told the Lord's disciples came to Him, saying, ‘Send her away’ (Matthew 15:23). This calloused response would be enough to discourage most. “Race: This woman was a Gentile and, at this time, had no claim on Jesus. She met this obstacle with the cry, ‘Lord, help me’ (Matthew 15:25). What faith! She worshipped Jesus and called Him Lord. Thus, we are given proof that neither race nor nationality can keep a person from God. Her appeal became one for mercy and grace. “Open Rebuff: Jesus essentially said to her, ‘It wouldn't be right to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs.’ Again, she had the right answer: ‘Just give me some crumbs.’ That was enough for Jesus. The whole encounter suddenly exploded into her miracle! “Please see that the prayer of faith is not compelling a reluctant Lord but laying hold of His willingness. Great faith sees a light at the end of the tunnel yet to be built. It is also the impetus for our miracle - not the reverse. ‘By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down’ (Hebrews 11:30). Not by the shout - the shout was the result of the faith.” Dutch Shares from How to Pray For Lost Loved Ones "If there is not a deep, settled faith in you for the salvation of the one for whom you are praying - or anything else for that matter - please don't be intimidated. Your faith simply needs to grow. The Bible compares faith to a mustard seed. However, Jesus did not tell us we need faith the size of a mustard seed, though some translations mistakenly do so, but like a mustard seed. The point of Jesus' mustard seed parable is that faith begins as a tiny seed but grows into a tree."(1) Pray with me: Father, thank You for including this story of the Syrophenician woman in Your great Book. Her persistent faith and ability to see through the tests thrown her way are beyond inspiring; they are instructing. Somehow, she knew. She knew this Man was not a racist or mean-spirited. She understood that she was not compelling a reluctant Lord, but laying hold of His willingness. Teach us not to be moved when You have not yet spoken. Your Word speaks loudly, and we will wait for further instruction from Holy Spirit, as long as it takes. We know that through faith and patience, we inherit the promises. We will not be deterred by callous words, religious actions, or unbiblical attitudes of others. We will persevere, knowing that You are not ruled by such carnal mindsets. We will never bow to racism, for we are lovers of all people everywhere. Our faith is growing from the size you measured to each of us, into a strong and fruit-bearing tree. We are feeding it daily on Your Word, and our faith is continuously growing. We will not waiver; we will never give up. Our nation will be saved, earthshaking revival has already begun, and its full manifestation is imminent. Earth’s greatest harvest will not be stopped. Our decree: We decree that just like this faith-filled lady in Scripture, we will persevere and receive our promised breakthrough. Click on the link below to watch the full video. _______________________________ Dutch Sheets, How to Pray for Lost Loved Ones, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group), p. 20.

I hope you had a nice Christmas yesterday. When I was 17 years old, my father, who was a pastor, fell into adultery, left our home and his ministry, and remarried. It was very painful for my entire family. Though I have spoken of this a few times in GH15 posts, I didn’t say much about it publicly until he went to heaven; I didn’t want to embarrass or uncover him. Dad repented a few years after his fall, and was wonderfully restored to the Lord. We had a great relationship for the final 30 years of his life. Several years ago, he wrote a wonderful devotional entitled The Gold That Washed Ashore (now out of print). In the book, I contributed a short quote from one of my books for each day. Dad was old school in his sermonizing, building masterpieces of homiletic eloquence. Each day this week, I’ll read one of his great devotionals, and then augment it with something from my writings. After Friday’s reading entitled The Nails of Calvary, we’ll take communion together. These devotionals are more traditional in size, a little shorter than our normal Give Him 15 posts - this week, you may be Giving Him 10 - but they’re incredibly poignant, and our prayers of agreement will release great power. The title of today’s devotional is: What Does He Look Like? “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle, His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars; and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength" (Revelation 1:13-16 KJV). Dad Shares “It is not the valley of sorrows that pictures the Lord; it is the eternal mountains that rise on either side. Preexistent before creation and coexistent with the Father, when the dateless ages were but a drift of foam on the mighty sea of time, Jesus Christ was royal and reigning Lord. “We read Revelation 1:13-16 for a scriptural and spiritual description of Christ. It is deeply significant that there is not a sentence in the Gospels or Epistles describing the physical appearance of Jesus. The writers' thoughts were not centered on His human stature but on the mission, authority, accomplishments, and words of the eternal King. “When John, the writer of Revelation, saw Jesus, he fell at His feet as if dead. This glorious Redeemer responded by laying His right hand on him saying, ‘Fear not; I am the first and the last’ (v. 17). “Banished to the Isle of Patmos, John needed this heavenly disclosure. The razor fangs of persecution had stolen earthly support, and the tight fingers of despair were crushing his heart. In the midst of his pain, this dazzling sight broke upon him, and he entered the glimmering halls of revelation. “It was John who earlier recorded Christ's words, ‘Before Abraham was, I Am’ (John 8:58). The sun over Patmos dimmed in the splendors of that great I Am, whose brightness like a thousand suns rolled into one. No wonder John fell like a dead man. “So, Christian friend, do not permit the trials of life to overcome you and drain you of your spiritual joy. Rather, let the misfortunes of time accentuate the fortunes of the forevers. Let these words change your heart as they did the grand old warrior on the barren Isle of Patmos: ‘Fear not; I am the first and the last."’(1) Dutch Shares from The Power of Hope: “Hope deferred. . .produces fear and makes us uncertain of ourselves, our faith, and yes, sometimes our God.... At times, we find ourselves operating in fear and timidity, fleeing from the obstacles, adversities, and giants in our lives... as confidence erodes, often we magnify our enemies’ power above our strengths and abilities, and, though we wouldn’t want to admit it, even above that of God’s. “Hope deferred distorts our vision. Looking at our enemies through hope deferred is like looking at them through a magnifying glass. ‘We became like grasshoppers in our own sight,’ the Israeli spies said (Numbers 13:33). “Overreaction is usually next. Mark Twain once said, ‘I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them have never happened.’” Pray with me: Father, this Christmas season is a great time to refocus and remind ourselves of Your greatness. “Son of Man,” Christ was still being called in John’s Revelation. But He who became and remains one of us is now, once again, also clothed in His undimmed glory, shining like the sun in its strength. His flaming eyes blaze with love for us, His voice like many waters calls our names, each one of us. Our majestic King, white horse Rider, and Lion King, is also our Redeemer, Husband, and Protector. We are confident under His shadow, secure in His everlasting arms. We know, Lord Jesus, You have also called us to reign with You, giving us Your scepter, Your keys of authority, Your name. In Your name, Yeshua, we call for the revival You so desire. This is why You came - to seek and save. You’re not a detached bystander; You involved Yourself! You showed up! And we know You’re going to do so again. Now, great King of all the earth: demonstrate it! Show Your power, Your love, Your kindness. And show Your hatred of that which oppresses and wounds. Annihilate evil strongholds and free millions. We release this in Your name, from Your provision, and with Your authority. So be it! Our decree: We decree that the redeeming power of the great I Am is filling earth’s atmosphere, and freeing earth’s lost ones! Click on the link below to watch the full video. __________________________________ https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/78239-i-am-an-old-man-and-have-known-a-great

Merry Christmas! When I was 17 years old, my father, who was a pastor, fell into adultery, left our home and his ministry, and remarried. It was very painful for my entire family. Though I have spoken of this a few times in GH15 posts, I didn’t say much about it publicly until he went to heaven; I didn’t want to embarrass or uncover him. Dad repented a few years after his fall, and was wonderfully restored to the Lord. We had a great relationship for the final 30 years of his life. Several years ago, he wrote a wonderful devotional entitled The Gold That Washed Ashore (now out of print). In the book, I contributed a short quote from one of my books for each day. Dad was old school in his sermonizing, building masterpieces of homiletic eloquence. Each day this week, I’ll read one of his great devotionals, and then augment it with something from my writings. After Friday’s reading entitled The Nails of Calvary, we’ll take communion together. These devotionals are more traditional in size, and a little shorter than our normal Give Him 15 posts. This week, you may be Giving Him 10 - but they’re incredibly poignant, and our prayers of agreement will release great power. The title of today’s devotional is: He Came “For today in the city of David, there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11 NASB) “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10 NASB) Dad Shares “From Genesis to Revelation, there is a great scarlet thread of truth calling our attention to a coming Redeemer. This hope of a coming Redeemer was the secret of Abel offering a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. It was the only light that gleamed in the ark as it rolled over the waves of an ocean world. This hope guided the patriarchs and gladdened the prophets.” Dutch Shares And yet, when Christ came to earth, it was not as most expected. The religious world had overlooked the prophecy regarding a virgin conceiving (Isaiah 7:14); perhaps they simply had a different interpretation of the verse, since what it said was a total impossibility. At any rate, the birth of Christ through a poor, teenage virgin - from the other side of the tracks, Nazareth, of all places - wasn’t on the list of Messianic expectations. Nor was a manger (a feeding trough) for a crib, in a smelly, dung-filled stable. The scribes, Pharisees, and religious elite were confident the Messiah would be regal, wealthy, and come from their ranks, of course. Something about God becoming a microscopic seed placed in the womb of a teenage girl, fed by a cord from her placenta, and entering the world through a narrow birth canal is a bit unsettling, if not unbelievable. We prefer sterile surroundings, and heavenly, serene depictions of baby Jesus. It seems almost sacrilegious to mention dirty diapers, burps and cries for Mama. The One who walked on water could never have fallen when learning to walk; He who fed the 5000 would not have smeared food all over His face when learning to feed Himself. He was, after all, God. But to keep Christ from being truly human is to miss God’s heart and message. Our Lord’s most common name for Himself was Son of Man. He chose to experience our humanness, feel our pain and hunger, wrestle with the wound of rejection, and know the disappointment of loss. His calloused hands knew hard work, His feet walked hundreds of miles, and He slept many nights on the ground. Jesus had to be human in order to bleed, die, and redeem us, and He became such in every sense of the word. Let Him into the muck and mire of our world. The Savior But He didn’t remain a baby in Bethlehem’s manger. He was born to be the Savior. In his devotional, Dad masterfully describes Christ’s ministry: From Dad “He came - and was a great preacher. All the preachers of the centuries look small when we line them alongside the Man whose hands were calloused by a carpenter's plane and who wore the peasant smock of Galilee. He came - and was the greatest physician the world has ever seen. He was the world's sympathetic friend in a world of pain. He came - and was the perfect example. “Yet, He came to be more than a great preacher, physician, or pattern. He came to be our Savior. He came to deal with the thing that drenched the world with blood, that bleached it with bones, and that filled the air with moans and groans. He came to put a bridge over the gulf that separates humanity from God. He came to shut the very jaws of damnation and throw open the gates of gold. He came to fix us so we could appear as if the archer of hell never shot us through. “All the sins of all His people were gathered upon His shoulders. The heart of Christ became like a reservoir in the mountains, and all the tributary streams of iniquity ran down and gathered into that vast lake. Sin wrote its vicious history with the scourge, thorns, nails, spear, and throbbing agony - our sins, yours and mine. At Calvary, we see the wrath of God against sin inscribed in characters of blood, and we see sin's absolution: ‘Father, forgive them’ (Luke 23:34). Oh, Now I See the Crimson Wave “‘Oh, now I see the crimson wave, the fountain deep and wide; Jesus, my Lord, mighty to save, points to His wounded side. ‘I see the new creation rise, I hear the speaking blood; It speaks! Polluted nature dies! Sinks 'neath the cleansing flood. ‘The cleansing stream I see, I see! I plunge and, oh, it cleanseth me! Oh, praise the Lord, it cleanseth me! It cleanseth me, yes, cleanseth me!’ (1) “Thank You, Jesus, for coming, seeking, and saving.” Pray with me: Father, we thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, as Heaven’s great gift. Thank You for the incarnation, Christ’s humble birth, and His substitutionary death. Thank You for the cleansing stream that flows from Him still. Jesus, You came. As we celebrate Your birth, we thank You for the humbling journey You made…for the sacrifices, the miles, the sleepless nights, and the tears. Thank You for the blood You shed, the stripes You bore, the crown, the nails, and the spear. Holy Spirit, as many gather today with family and friends, remind all to celebrate the Prince of Peace as He should be celebrated, and love Him as He should be loved. Amen. Our decree: We decree that He came, and the cleansing stream of Christ still flows today. Again, have a great Christmas celebrating Him! Click on the link below to watch the full video. ____________________________ https://hymnary.org/text/o_now_i_see_the_crimson_wave

Holy Night, Indeed Do you have any guesses about what may have been the first song broadcast from space? The crew of Gemini 6 snuck bells and a harmonica onboard. On December 16, 1965, after reporting a “strange object” moving in the skies from north to south, they played a few lines of Jingle Bells. You can click here to hear the astronauts. (1) And does anyone know the story behind “The Twelve Days of Christmas”? “Though a host of modern internet sites and some magazine articles have tried to reduce “The Twelve Days of Christmas” to a little more than a silly Christmas carol, most scholars of the Catholic Church deem it a very important surviving example of a time when that denomination used codes to disguise their teachings in order to avoid persecution. “Originally a poem written by Catholic clerics, this song was transformed into a carol at a time when celebrating the twelve days of Christmas was one of the most important holiday customs.” (2) The complete explanation of why each day’s “gift code” was chosen to represent the spiritual truth it pictures, can be found through this link, but here is what each gift represented: (3) The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus. Two turtle doves represent the Old and New Testaments. Three French hens represent faith, hope, and love, and also the Holy Trinity: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The four calling birds are the four gospels. The five golden rings represent the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch. Each egg of the six geese a-laying is a day in creation when God “hatched” or formed the world. Hidden in the seven swans-a-swimming are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (as the Catholics count them). The eight maids-a-milking represent the eight Beatitudes (from Matthew 5:3-10). Nine ladies dancing were the fruits of the Spirit. Ten lords-a-leaping were code for the Ten Commandments. The eleven pipers piping signify the eleven faithful disciples. The twelve drummers drumming are the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed. I’m not sure this can be proven, but it’s so good I’m just gonna go with it! O Holy Night And then there is my all-time favorite Christmas song, “O Holy Night.” Can there be more poignant words than these? “Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!” (4) And the moving third stanza, with the stirring words of love and freedom, reaches deep into the human soul: “Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love, and His gospel is peace. Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother; And in His name, all oppression shall cease.” (5) Here are the words of this wonderful song in their entirety, followed by a link to “The Nativity Story” with Josh Groban’s classic version of “O Holy Night.” Do yourself a favor: find a time when you can stop everything you’re doing, and both watch and listen to this five-minute video. It is NOT just him singing. You will be glad you did. Merry Christmas. O Holy Night “O holy night! the stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn! Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born! O night, O holy night, O night divine! Led by the light of faith serenely beaming, With glowing hearts by His cradle, we stand. So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming, Here came the Wise Men from Orient land. The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our Friend. He knows our need— to our weakness is no stranger. Behold your King, before Him lowly bend! Behold your King, before Him lowly bend! Truly, He taught us to love one another; His law is love, and His gospel is peace. Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother, And in His name, all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we; Let all within us praise His holy name. Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever! His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim! His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!” (6) Josh Groban and The Nativity Story Click on the link below to watch the full video. _________________________________ https://youtu.be/RmsOmqf7Hso?si=0Bh8q2VG4_-czcdj https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/the-12-days-of-christmas-lyrics-meaning.html Ibid. https://hymnary.org/text/o_holy_night_the_stars_are_brightly_shin Ibid. Ibid.

The Unintended Christmas Carol As we wind down our work schedules leading up to Christmas and the holidays, and perhaps wind up our last-minute shopping, I thought a change of pace might be good for our daily posts. Today, I’ll be sharing interesting facts about three of the most popular Christmas hymns of all time, along with the complete lyrics of each. We’ll end with a short prayer and a link to one of these beautiful songs. You’ll enjoy this. Tomorrow, I’ll do the same, sharing some information I’m quite certain most of you won’t know, and ending with my all-time favorite Christmas song. The video link I’ll send will move you to tears. You’ll thank me. Joy to the World “Joy to the World,” written in 1719 by Isaac Watts, has been the most-published Christmas hymn in North America. It was not written as a Christmas carol but as a poem about the reigning King, based on Psalm 98. “Stanza three…alludes to Genesis 3:17-19…speaks of Christ's blessings extending victoriously over the realm of sin…Stanza four celebrates Christ's rule over the nations…called to celebrate because God's faithfulness to the house of Israel has brought salvation to the world.”(1) Here are the words to this famous hymn: Joy to the World “Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let Earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare him room, And heaven and nature sing, And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing. Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains; Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat the sounding joy. No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as the curse is found. He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love.” (1) O Little Town of Bethlehem “Phillip Brooks was a distinguished man of faith and intellect. A Boston-born Episcopalian preacher, he'd earned a Doctorate of Divinity from the University of Oxford, taught at Yale University, and publicly advocated against slavery during the Civil War. But he's best known for penning "O Little Town of Bethlehem" after a life-changing journey. In 1865, Brooks rode on horseback from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, where he participated in the Church of the Nativity's five-hour-long Christmas Eve celebration, complete with hymns. Returning home, this experience proved so profound that he channeled it into the song sung in churches to this day. Its first public performance was held three years later, performed by the children's choir of his church [The Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia] on December 27.”(2) Until then, this musical, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” was still only a poem. Brooks asked his organist, Lewis Redner, to write the music. Here is Redner’s interesting explanation of how the music came to him: “As Christmas of 1868 approached, Mr. Brooks told me that he had written a simple little carol for the Christmas Sunday School service, and he asked me to write the tune to it. The simple music was written in great haste and under great pressure. We were to practice it on the following Sunday. Mr. Brooks came to me on Friday, and said, ‘Redner, have you ground out that music yet to “O Little Town of Bethlehem”?’ I replied, ‘No,’ but that he should have it by Sunday. On the Saturday night previous, my brain was all confused about the tune. I thought more about my Sunday school lesson than I did about the music. But I was roused from sleep late in the night hearing an angel-strain whispering in my ear, and seizing a piece of music paper, I jotted down the treble of the tune as we now have it, and on Sunday morning before going to church, I filled in the harmony. Neither Mr. Brooks nor I ever thought the carol or the music to it would live beyond that Christmas of 1868.”(3) How wrong they were! O Little Town of Bethlehem “O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. For Christ is born of Mary; and, gathered all above, while mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wond'ring love. O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth, and praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth. How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is giv'n! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heav'n. No ear may hear His coming but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in. O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin and enter in; be born in us today. We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!”(4) Silent Night “Silent Night” is the world’s most-recorded Christmas song, with more than 137,000 known recordings.(5) In 1818, “Father Joseph Mohr, in Austria, is preparing the music for [Christmas Eve] midnight mass and asks his friend Franz Gruber, a schoolteacher, to write a guitar accompaniment for a poem that he had written two years earlier. That night, the two men sang their brand new song at St. Nicholas church, and one of our best-loved Christmas carols was born. “A commonly held myth is that this was because the church organ was broken – possibly because of flooding from a nearby river. However, nobody knows the true reason why it came to be composed on guitar – perhaps it was because Joseph Mohr also played the guitar. A version of “Silent Night” recorded by Bing Crosby in 1935 sold a whopping 30 million copies.”(6) "Silent Night" is about a calm and bright silent night, and the wonder of a tender and mild newborn child, words written in 1816…not long after the Napoleonic wars had taken their toll. The priest went for a walk before he wrote it, and he looked out over a very quiet, winter-laden town. He was inspired...the town was at peace.”(7) And this provoked the classic, “Silent Night.” Silent Night “Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child, Holy Infant, so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night, holy night, Shepherds quake at the sight Glories stream from heaven afar Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born. Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from Thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace Jesus Lord, at Thy birth, Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.”(8) Pray with me: Thank You, Lord, for coming to earth and making Your blessings flow, far as the curse is found. Your right hand has gained the victory for You (Psalm 98:1), and You have made known Your salvation and revealed Your righteousness to the nations (verse 2). You tell us to “shout joyfully,” breaking forth with praise (verse 4); that the seas roar, the rivers clap, and the mountains sing for joy (verses 7-8) because Christ is coming to judge the earth with righteousness and equity (verse 9). As we ponder the wonder of Your great gift to us, Father, we thank You, along with Phillip Brooks, for the everlasting light that shone in the dark streets of Bethlehem. In that quiet town, on that night so long ago, the hopes and fears of all the years met in the birth of our Savior. Thank You for this great gift. Link to: Silent Night, sung by Chris Tomlin Click on the link below to watch the full video. __________________________________ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_to_the_World https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/60596/origins-10-popular-christmas-carols https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/o-little-town-of-bethlehem https://hymnary.org/text/o_little_town_of_bethlehem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1xW4JCVM4y33tbZBycYmYqG/5-facts-about-silent-night#:~:text=A%20commonly%20held%20myth%20is,Mohr%20also%20played%20the%20guitar. https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/lists/7-beloved-christmas-carols-their-origins https://hymnary.org/text/silent_night_holy_night_all_is_calm_all

The Dance of Passover In 1 Kings 18, Elijah assembled Israelites on Mount Carmel in what was to be an epic showdown between Yahweh and Baal, whom Israel was following at the time. Ahab and Jezebel had led Israel into deep Baal worship, much like America’s ungodly, immoral leaders have done. The Democratic Convention in 2012 literally booed God “off the stage” and out of their platform. Why not? They had already expelled Him from their schools. The homosexual movement in America mocked God, using His symbol of covenant, the rainbow (Genesis 9:13-16), as their symbol. Obama followed suit, again mocking God’s covenant - marriage, this time - by lighting the White House in the colors of the rainbow when the Supreme Court made homosexual “marriage” the law of the land. Biden hung their rainbow flag front and center at the White House, pushing aside Old Glory to do so, as transvestites bared their “breasts” on the White House lawn. Ahab and Jezebel would have been proud. In Elijah’s day, Israel was experiencing judgment for their idolatry and accompanying perversions, a three-year drought that was ravaging the land. America’s troubles, too, are from our rejection of God and His Word. Israel’s judgment was doing its work, and a turning was now possible. Thus, the showdown on Mount Carmel. I’m confident America’s shaking will turn us, as well. Elijah prophesied that rain was coming (18:1) and then called for the contest. As preparations were being made, he challenged Israel, “How long will you halt between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him” (18:21; KJV). But the people said nothing. They still couldn’t decide between Yahweh and Baal. The word for “halt” (pasach)(1) is fascinating. The Hebrew language is pictorial. A word or number presents a picture that can represent several things; the meaning and/or application of the picture is determined by the context. For example, picture the up and down movement of someone jumping or hopping; that is pasach. Therefore, it is the word for hop, skip, or dance. At other times, the up and down movement may not be celebratory, but painful, Thus, it is the word for limping, lame, halt (a synonym for limp), or hesitate (because to hesitate is to move backward and forward, mentally or physically, while trying to decide something). Pasach is also the word for “pass over”(Exodus 12:13, 23, 27), “When I see the blood I will pass over you.” The spirit of death “leapt” or “passed over” the Israelite homes that had the blood of lambs on the lintels of the doors. And a derivative, pesach, (2) is the word for “Passover.” Putting this back into Elijah’s question to Israel, the Lord was asking them in 1 Kings 18:21, “Why are you hesitating, halting about who you honor, serve, and trust? You could and should be dancing the dance of covenant with Me, the dance of Passover. Instead, you are limping the limp of Baal.” The Complete Jewish Bible translates verse 21: "Elijah stepped forward before all the people and said, ‘How long are you going to jump back and forth between two positions? If Adonai is God, follow Him; but if it’s Baal, follow him!’ The people answered him not a word.” Then the showdown began; Baal’s prophets went first. They tried to get him to answer by fire, but God had paralyzed the demons behind Baal. They couldn’t perform. His followers tried many things to get him to respond, including leaping and dancing (pasach). Don't miss the revealing irony that Holy Spirit is bringing by using the same word for their dancing worship of Baal as He uses for Israel’s limp. The dance of Baal always becomes the limp of Baal. Then, they cut themselves until blood “gushed” forth. Baal demands pain; he craves and demands bloodshed. Meet America. We in America danced the dance of Passover for many years. As a result, We were protected, given wealth and prosperity, and made the envy of the world. Then, we traded partners. We’ve been dancing with Baal for years now, mocking Adonai and His covenant, partying away. But like the Pied Piper, His “services” aren’t free. Baal required a price for the party, demanding the sacrifice of our children; now, he also wants their mutilation. He provoked our children to cut themselves, seeking peace they could not find. He then unleashed further violence and death in our land - murder, rape, riots, child abuse and more. We now stumble along with Baal’s painful limp, as he plays his bloody songs. God is saying to America, just as He did Israel, “How long will you hesitate between opinions, limping Baal’s limp? Return to Me. We’ll celebrate the Passover Lamb again, dancing together in the joyous dance of freedom and victory. I’ll heal your wounds, restore your families, revive the land, and reinstate your destiny. We’ll run together, taking My salvation to the nations of the earth, healing the broken, freeing the oppressed.” May 2024 be the breakthrough year for this! Join me, please, in asking. Pray with me: Father, we in America have sown the wind, and are now reaping the whirlwind. Like Israel, we traded the Passover dance for the limp of Baal. The death toll from this is in the tens of millions, and were it not for Your redemptive power and love, would ultimately be total annihilation. Mercy is being offered to us, however, not because we deserve it, but through the only appeal You accept, the blood of Your Son, Jesus. Forgive us for spurning You for demons. Forgive us for sacrificing our children and families on the altar of pleasure and depravity. Forgive us for mocking You and Your covenant of marriage. We ask for the salvation of all who have been deceived into turning away from You and rejecting Your ways. Lord, You broke the power of Baal off Israel, and You can do so for America. We ask for a reviving of America’s heart and soul, a deliverance from evil, and a return to good. You told us to ask for spiritual rain when we discerned it was possible (Zechariah 10:1). We are asking, and the rain is coming. We believe 2024 can be a breakthrough year. We ask You for this, and all we have prayed for today, in Christ’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that in 2024, America will choose the dance of Passover, rejecting the limp of Baal. ____________________________ James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 6452. Ibid., ref. no. 6453. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Once Broken, Now Beautiful Our Review Proverbs 13:12 (NASB): “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words. Knowing this, God sculpted and shaped a vivid picture of failure, loss, heartbreak, disappointment, etc., in the form of a mountain - Horeb. The very name means "desolation, a waste place, barrenness, dryness" - all, not coincidentally, are also results of unchecked hope deferred. Then He placed Moses, whose life now pictured all of the above, on this mountain to live out his hope-deferred years. Or so it seemed. Moses worked and lived on and around Horeb during his forty-year exile, tending sheep and shoveling dung, instead of bathing in royal hot tubs (Exodus 3:1). There can be no more severe case of hope-deferred-heart-disease than what Moses experienced, having lost his royal inheritance and his destiny. I realize "it ain't over 'til it's over," but let’s face it, after being dead and buried for forty years, a dream can be considered over. Left unchecked, hope deferred produces heart disease, as the opening verse tells us. And just as physical heart disease kills the body, spiritual and emotional heart disease kills the soul. Hope evaporates, faith is lost, we no longer dream, and in many ways, our lives become sterile. We exist, but don’t really live. Our faith in God can help us overcome life’s disappointments before they lead to this state. But even if you have already progressed to the level of emotional heart disease, as Moses had, He can heal - and yes, if necessary, even resurrect - your spiritual and emotional heart. Christ, the great heart specialist, actually included this as part of His mission statement: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18 KJV). After all those seemingly barren years, Moses discovered that Horeb had become something else. This barren piece of rock that pictured his exile-induced heart disease began morphing into something much different. Could this really be? It could … and it was. God began revealing the diamonds he had formed from the coal of Horeb: character, authority, scepters, rivers, even pictures of Christ. When He was finished, it had become a glorious example of conquered hope deferred and healed heart disease. In fact, the transformation of Horeb became so complete for Moses and Israel, its power so harnessed by the hand of God, that this mountain became known as "the mountain of God" (Exodus 3:1) - Sinai!! His plans are for your complete victory: "I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope,"' (Jeremiah 29:11 NASB). A Holy Place God actually began calling this mountain a holy place, just as the inner sanctum of the Temple would one day be called, and as the presence of the Holy One is always referenced. Why did He do so? Because He had made it His! At Mount Horeb, Moses was told (my translation): “I've been transforming this horrible, dead place, Moses, forming scepters out of tree branches, rocks into rivers, and the greatest leader the world will ever know. Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground," (Exodus 3:5). Later, the Lord told Moses this mountain - now flashing and shaking from His power - was so infused with His holy presence that if any person or animal touched it, they would have to be destroyed. Not wanting that to occur, He said: “You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death…whether beast or man, he shall not live.’” (Exodus 19:12-13) The "Horeb-ble" place became the holy place. God had assured Moses that he would come back to this very mountain and worship (Exod. 3:12). Not, "this awful place," not, "You shall come back to this mountain and curse it." No. Horeb was now conquered and transformed. God’s goodness had leeched into it like leaven in flour, overcoming its power of desolation and barrenness. It would now picture the never-ending, ever-increasing Kingdom Daniel saw (Daniel 7:13-14), the leavening Kingdom of God Jesus preached of (Matthew 13:33), and “Kingdom Mountain” spoken of in Hebrews (12:25-29), the one that can never be shaken. Yes, God now called it His mountain, “the mountain of God" (1 Kings 19:8). And Moses would indeed lead the entire nation of Israel back to this holy place and worship. Worship aligns us with Him…and His mountain. It enables us to conquer our mountain and bring it under His dominion. Beauty Out of Brokenness I know that in the dark night of the soul, hope can seem impossible. But God wins over the impossible. He takes the difficult events that brought about your hope deferred, and through His incredible wisdom and power, makes them produce something good. So good, in fact, that when your memory returns to them later, you’ll worship Him: "God, I don't know how, but in that difficult place, You proved Yourself faithful, bringing me new strength, renewed life, and restored destiny. I worship You." Moses must have thought, "For forty years, I thought this place was horrible. Now I realize it is holy." Some of the most dramatic encounters and visitations ever experienced with God occurred on this mountain once called "Desolation." God will do this for you. Out of your brokenness, your place of pain, He knows how to bring healing and make your Horeb season a holy place of worship. “At the Royal Palace of Tehran, in Iran, you can see one of the most beautiful mosaic works in the world. The ceilings and walls flash like diamonds in multifaceted reflections. “Originally, when the palace was designed, the architect specified huge sheets of mirrors on the walls. When the first shipment arrived from Paris, they found - to their horror - that the mirrors were shattered. The contractor threw them in the trash and brought the sad news to the architect. “Amazingly, the architect ordered all of the broken pieces collected, then smashed them into tiny pieces and glued them to the walls, creating a mosaic of silvery, shimmering, mirrored bits of glass. “Broken… to become beautiful! “It's possible to turn your shattered image into a shimmering testimony of beauty. It is possible to be better because of yesterday’s brokenness. It is extremely rare to find in the great museums of the world objects of antiquity that are unbroken. Indeed, some of the most precious items in the world are only broken pieces -  broken, but beautiful.”(1) You may feel that your life has been hopelessly destroyed, but God, the great architect of heaven, knows better. He knows He can form the broken pieces of your soul into something exquisitely wonderful. Never underestimate His power to repair and restore. Don't run from Horeb. Stare it in the face and tell it you will win. Tell it your God will prevail, and the two of you will commune together on top of it - not under it. Then start hoping. Hope again. Believe again. Dream again. Live again. I know you can; I believe you will. Pray with me: Father, what a reason for hope You have provided. You gave us Yeshua: the seed of the woman, the crusher of the serpent’s head, the wave over Pharaoh’s army. He’s Horeb’s conqueror, Sinai’s fire, the rock of ages, the river in the desert, and Canaan’s milk and honey. He was the widow’s oil, Elijah’s rain, David’s giant-killing stone, and Isaiah’s Wonderful Counselor. Then He became Lazarus’ resurrection, Bartimaeus’ eyes, the leper’s new skin, and our hope within the veil. When life throws us a curve, You make it straight. When it gives us rain You give us water to drink. And when it brings a storm, You cause us to soar on the wings of the wind. Through Christ, You brought life from death, blessings from the curse, and restored purpose to lost humanity. Bring another wave of the Redeemer’s salvation. Do so here in America and around the world. Do it for young and old, poor and rich, every race and creed. We call forth Your life and power into our world, in Yeshua’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that every Horeb in our lives will be conquered and transformed, serving God’s redemptive purpose. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ____________________________ Alice Gray, More Stories for the Heart (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 1997), p. 220.

I was planning to end the posts on the subject of overcoming disappointment and hope deferred with last Friday’s post, moving onto another topic this week. But I have received such positive feedback, and so many are being encouraged, I have decided to do a couple more posts on this theme before moving on. The title of today’s post is: Rock of Ages Our Review Proverbs 13:12 (NASB): “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words. Knowing this, God sculpted and shaped a vivid picture of hope deferred, loss, heartbreak, disappointment, etc., in the form of a mountain - Horeb. The very name means "desolation, a waste place, barrenness, dryness" - all perfect synonyms of hope deferred. This is the place where Moses ended up for much of his forty-year exile, shoveling dung instead of bathing in royal hot tubs (Exodus 3:1). There can be no more severe case of hope deferred than what Moses experienced, having lost his royal inheritance and, it seemed, his destiny. I realize "it ain't over 'til it's over," but after disappearing for forty years, a dream is usually over. Left unchecked, hope deferred produces heart disease, as the opening verse tells us. And just as physical heart disease kills the body, spiritual and emotional heart disease kills the soul. Hope evaporates, faith is lost, we no longer dream, and in many ways, our lives become sterile. We exist, but don’t really live. God can help us overcome life’s disappointments - hope deferred - before they lead to this state. However, if you have already progressed to this level of spiritual heart disease, as Moses had, He also knows how to heal and restore your spiritual heart. Christ actually included it as part of His mission statement: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18 KJV). Moses eventually discovered that Horeb had treasure hidden within it. Not only would this barren piece of rock be a picture of exile-induced heart disease, but it would also become a glorious example of conquered hope deferred and healed heart disease. In fact, the transformation of Horeb became so complete for Moses and Israel, its power so harnessed by the hand of God, that this mountain became known as "the mountain of God" (Exodus 3:1) Sinai!! His plans are for your complete victory: "I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope"' (Jeremiah 29:11 NASB). Water From the Rock One of the more spectacular events associated with Horeb occurred in Exodus 17. After leaving Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, and journeying for a few days, Israel had now arrived at Horeb. In desperate need of water, Moses implored God for provision, and the Lord said (my amplified version), “Take your scepter, Moses—the old, weather-beaten staff I fashioned for you on Desolation Mountain—and strike this rock, ‘the rock in Horeb” (Exodus 17:6). Moses, by now, accustomed to Yahweh’s outlandish use of this staff and His unlimited power, did so. He smote the rock and, sure enough, water began gushing forth, a great enough flow to satisfy tens of thousands of people! An underground river must have surfaced. You never know what surprises God has buried on this mountain until you need them. A River of Life First Corinthians 10:4 tells us this rock represents Christ, who was smitten for us. The water that flowed from Horeb’s rock pictures the river of life that flowed from Jesus, the Rock of Ages, at Calvary. Just take a moment and ponder that. The forgiveness of sin, the healing of broken hearts, eternal life - all of the benefits of our salvation are pictured by this event on Horeb. It is fair to say that not just in spite of Horeb, not just when we leave Horeb, but out of Horeb itself, a river of life will flow. God redeemed this barren, dry place and transformed it into one from which a life-saving river flowed. He did this to give us a picture of how He would one day transform the "horrible" Cross into the most powerful symbol of hope in all of history. Our hope-deferred pain is no match for Him. He will conquer it, just as He did sin and death on the cross. Isaiah speaks of rivers in the desert (Isa.43:19-20). Wanting a river in the desert seems almost foolish, like Abraham and Sarah hoping against hope for a child when they are in their nineties. But go ahead and hope, because we serve a miracle-working God, and Isaac was born! You can leave Hope Deferred Mountain with a greater dimension of the power and anointing of Holy Spirit, as shown in the following miracle: “Poor health haunted Dr. A. B. Simpson, and a physician told him he would never live to be forty. This diagnosis underscored the physical helplessness the minister knew all too well. Preaching was an agonizing effort. Walking was painful, and climbing even a slight elevation brought on a suffocating agony of breathlessness. “In desperation, sick in body and despairing in spirit, Dr. Simpson went to his Bible. As he studied, he became convinced that Jesus intended healing to be part of the redemption of humankind's total being. He prayed, asking Christ to fulfill all the needs of his body, until his life's work was done. Every fiber in him tingled with the sense of God's presence. “During the first three years after this healing, he preached more than a thousand sermons, conducting sometimes as many as twenty meetings in one week. For the rest of his life, he was noted for the amazing volume of his sermonic, pastoral, and literary work. “Simpson lived to be seventy-six, but his work has lived after him. The Christian and Missionary Alliance, which he founded, is still a potent spiritual force today; his books are still being published and blessing millions of people.”(1) At his place of desolation, Dr. Simpson grabbed the “scepter” of authority found in God’s Word, and it opened for him the river of life. Not only was he healed, but the spigot he opened is still flowing and impacting lives today. Whatever may be the source of your despair or discouragement, I assure you God has overcoming power available for you. He can still bring water from the rock. Drink from His provision through Christ, the Healer of broken hearts. Pray with me: Father, thank You for transforming Moses’ “Failure Mountain” into a picture of Calvary. Thank You for using a rock found thereon to symbolize Christ and the water that flowed from the rock to picture Your river of life. Our devastation is no match for You! You conquered it at the Cross, using pain to conquer pain, loss to conquer loss, and death to conquer death. Who is like You!!!! We have placed our faith in the Rock of Ages. From His wounds flowed all that was needed to transform every Horeb into victory, every loss into gain. We ask for this now for those needing healing. We speak to diseased hearts: be healed through Christ’s provision! Hope again! Believe again! Dream again! And we have staked our faith also on the fact that this river heals nations. Your mercy at Calvary, still seen on the Mercy Seat of Heaven, forever established victory over judgment. We believe and release that faith now with our words, declaring that cleansing, healing, and restoration are coming to America. The river of life will flow, and millions will find truth, life, and liberty. Government will be cleansed from the stench of its sin; education will be delivered from ignorance and lunacy, the church will be cleansed from her complacency and religious anemia. Other nations and groups will also experience this merciful flow. The Middle East will experience it, Asia will drink from it, as will Europe, Africa, South America, Australia - all the earth will experience Your glory, as the waters cover the sea. Open the spigot of heaven, flowing from the Lamb on the throne, with full force! Flood the earth with Calvary’s flow. In Jesus’ name! Our decree: We decree that a flood of mercy is coming from heaven’s smitten rock! Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee; let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure.”(2) Click on the link below to watch the full video. _____________________________________ Adapted from The Best of Catherine Marshall, ed. By Leonard E. LeSourd (Ada, MI: Chosen Books, 1993). https://hymnary.org/text/rock_of_ages_cleft_for_me_let_me_hide