We ARE the Worship In the “Command the Foreword” dream, the Lord descended upon thousands of intercessors and leaders with His fiery presence. Gina Gholston, who had this dream, shared in yesterday’s post that she feels Holy Spirit wants to literally send this “baptism of fire.” I agree that He wants to do so, preparing us for the future. How will this occur? Are there things we can do to prepare? I believe there are. First, as simple as it seems, we must choose to receive this impartation. Gina made this point yesterday, pointing out that the 120 people on the Day of Pentecost had to first make the choice to obey Christ (Acts 1:8), waiting in the Upper Room until Holy Spirit came with fire and power (Acts 2:1-4). Engage your will; make the decision that you will do whatever is necessary to receive the impartation God wants to give. This is the starting line. Secondly, position yourself. We cannot force, generate, or earn an encounter of this nature with the Lord. We can, however, prepare our hearts and minds to receive it. “Business as usual” produces the usual results, which is often good. There is certainly something to be said for consistency; discipline is one of the keys to success in our lives. At other times, however, adjustments are needed. When this is the case, routines can become ruts. When God was about to take Israel across the Jordan, He told them to prepare for this by consecrating themselves (Joshua 3:5). This Hebrew word (qadash)(1) means dedicated or set apart for a specific purpose; it is separation unto, not from. To be separate from, as in “don’t do this” or “don’t touch that,” is a different Hebrew word (nazir)(2). Nazir is about rules, qadash is about relationship; nazir relates to outward actions, qadash is related to inward purpose. To qadash ourselves is to draw near TO God, not separate ourselves FROM things or activities. We do this through worship, prayer, solitude, extended times in His Word, communion, fasting, etc. - any biblical method of seeking and drawing near to the Lord. Positioning ourselves properly should also include a spiritual checkup, making certain our hearts are pure. Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive” others (Matthew 6:12). Before Elijah asked for fire to fall on the altar, he first had to repair/rebuild the altar and prepare the sacrifice (1 Kings 18:30-35). We should ask the Holy Spirit periodically to show us anything in our lives that displeases Him, any part of the altar - our hearts - that needs repair. Don’t become overly introspective; just allow Holy Spirit to convict where necessary. And never accept condemnation; Holy Spirit doesn’t condemn, He convicts. Thirdly, ask Him for this impartation! Even though God knows our needs before we ask, He still requires us to ask (Matthew 6:8). We often “have not because we ask not!” (James 4:2). Why does He require us to ask? Because He wants communication with us. In Acts 4, the persecuted church asked God for boldness and power, something He no doubt knew they needed and already wanted to give them. God responded by sending Holy Spirit with a fresh outpouring, so strong that the building shook (4:23-35). In this season, ask Him for fresh fire - for another filling of Holy Spirit. Fourthly, worship. Remember, however, it isn’t the praise itself, that God needs or wants. He is not insecure, needing our affirmation. Nor is He arrogant or conceited, wanting to hear how great He is. John 4:23 tells us God is looking for, actually “seeking” worshippers, not worship. It’s the person, you and me - His kids! - that God loves and wants - not the song, but the singer. We ARE the worship. Quiet contemplation can be worship. Actions can be worship. Obedience is worship. Work, when done for His glory, is worship. Giving, reading God’s Word, serving another - all of these things can be considered as worship when done with worshipful hearts. Having said this, there is a magnifying of His presence, a multiplying of His power when we pray or worship together. Corporate worship gatherings are important. If I were pastoring a church now, I would turn some of my services primarily into drawing near to Him in corporate worship. If more pastors only understood the incredible power of this, it would happen much more frequently. Proclaiming the Word of God in our gatherings is very important. However, don’t assume that He only speaks through sermons. God can speak His words directly to the hearts of people in our worship gatherings, not just through our sermons! And He can more effectively draw close to individuals as His presence intensifies in our corporate gatherings, imparting directly to them. This happens through lingering, deeper worship, however, not 15 minutes of praise. Don’t forget, David’s Tabernacle contained 24/7 worship, not preaching. Fifthly and lastly, wait. The 120 in the Upper Room waited ten days for the outpouring of Holy Spirit’s fire and power to fall. We must patiently await God’s timing for all of His actions, not try to force Him into our schedule. However, there are other important aspects to biblical waiting. Several words are used in Scripture for waiting on the Lord, with different and important nuances of meaning. In chapter 10 of my book, The Pleasure of His Company, I teach on these words. After defining them, I combine their meanings into one succinct summary: “Quietly waiting with a strong, calm trust; longing for His presence and eagerly expecting Him, for you know He’ll come; and knowing that as He does, you and He will experience an increased oneness, a braiding together, as your hearts and lives become more entwined.”(3) “Waiting” on the Lord is drawing near to Him, through the activities mentioned above in the fourth point. The “oneness” that comes from this, the increased manifestation of His presence, prepares us to receive. Do this. “Learn to wait. In this hectic world of microwaves, bullet trains, and air travel - there are some things that still take time. Slow down. If only for a few minutes a day—slow down and find Him.”(4) I believe the Lord does want to bring a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit to us in this season. It may look different for each of us, but let’s ask for it, regardless of what it ends up looking like for you. Of one thing, I have absolutely no doubt - that doing these five things will be time well spent, drawing you closer to God. Let’s believe for this together. Pray with me: Father, You came near to us through the Cross of Christ. Now, through His shed blood and the covenant it produced for us, we can draw near to You. As we take extra time in this season to do so, with even more intentionality and regularity, we ask You to come to us in powerful ways. Come with Your presence, love, fire, power, gifts, healing, cleansing, and revelation. We have been made one with You through Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19), now cause that oneness to manifest in new ways. May our love and devotion toward You increase in this season, causing us to minister - not just from responsibility or our gifts - but from Your very heart and compassion within us. We want to be able to say, just as Paul did, that Your love constrains us. We want to say, as Jesus did, that You in us, do the works. We want to be so like Christ that it is said of us, as it was of the early church, “They have been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). We continue to release our faith and declarations that America is being saved. You are shaking loose and shaking down evil structures and strongholds. You are enabling us to destroy the giants that have ruled our land. You are freeing a generation from deception and evil, and coming to save millions upon millions of people here and around the world. The greatest-ever influx of young people, here and around the world, is beginning. This harvest will NOT be stopped. We ask and declare all of these things in the matchless name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We know that our heavenly Father loves us and wants us to draw near to Him. As we do so, He will draw near to us. 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. 6942. Ibid. Ref. no. 5139. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Bethany House Publishers, Grand Rapids, MI) p. 85. Ibid, p. 87.

Now, the Fire! Today’s post is a word from our friend, Gina Gholston, who had the “Command the Foreword” dream. Holy Spirit has given her further insight for us. Gina shares: “Exodus 3:1-4 and Acts 2:1-4 are accounts of people on the threshold of a major unfolding of God’s plan. They had been chosen by Him to carry out His purposes, impacting their nation and the world. Before being launched into their intended destiny, however, God first led them to a fiery encounter with Himself. Those encounters transformed their lives and set them on a course to impact history! “We, too, find ourselves in a major unfolding of God's plans. And just as occurred in those significant times, this history-making season will require today’s church to experience a transforming encounter with Him: Life-changing moments will be created by life-changing encounters with God. “Over the past few months, many have taken their place in the ‘Command the Foreword’ initiative/assignment. The response to that dream was nothing short of amazing. I am so thankful for every decree and prophetic act, every drop of oil that was distributed, and every prayer that was prayed for our nation. Everyone worked so diligently and quickly, following Holy Spirit’s leading, to get the assignment completed! How exciting it has been! “Recently, as I was reflecting on and thanking the Lord for all that has been done, He spoke to me, saying, ‘There is another aspect of the dream that must be fulfilled.’ I was shocked by that statement because I felt everything had been completed. I reread the dream, and Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see the unfulfilled part. “We have painted the borders and commanded the foreword for the nation, which was exactly what we were told to do in the dream. But now, God is calling us to command and experience His original foreword for the church. He said to me, ‘If I awaken and realign the nation without awakening and realigning the church, the harvest will be lost. I can’t have a harvest without harvesters. There must be the pure influence of anointed harvesters to reap the harvest, and there must be an established, functioning Ekklesia to tend the harvest that comes in! So now, I am “harvesting the harvesters.” I am bringing them into an encounter with Me that will transform, realign, and refocus them completely on Me.’ THE DREAM “The portion of the dream the Lord drew my attention to was this: “The place where we were gathered began to vibrate with what felt like an electrical current. A wind started to blow, and then it was as if fire dropped out of the heavens onto every one of us. It wasn’t a natural fire; this was the fiery presence of the Lord as He entered the room in a visible, tangible demonstration. When this happened, people began falling to the floor, overwhelmed by the presence of the Lord. Some fell on their knees and began to weep; others were running, lifting their hands with shouts of joy! “In the dream, the thought that came to my mind was, ‘This is a true baptism of fire!’ It came with great force, and no one in the room was exempt from it. No one questioned or debated it. No one was offended by the reactions to it! Everyone received it! Somehow, we all understood that we were being transformed by the fire of God.’ “The Lord wants us to encounter Him in this baptism of His fiery presence. This transformative baptism of fire is a preparation for what we are moving into. True encounters with God are not about a momentary touch, goosebumps, and casual ‘visitations’ that leave us unchanged. True encounters with God mark our lives, bringing total transformation. “We see this demonstrated in Acts 2. Those who experienced the upper room encounter were transformed and equipped with power to ‘turn the known world upside down.’ People took notice that they had been with God, and began calling them Christians because they modeled such Christ-likeness! They spoke truth with the same authority and operated with the same power Christ had demonstrated. The movement we have entered will also be one requiring a demonstration of Spirit and truth, manifesting Christ in word, power, and deeds! “To equip us for this, the Lord wants us to encounter Him, a true ‘baptism of fire,’ a reintroduction to Pentecost! Pentecost is the ‘foreword’ God wrote regarding the church; it pictures His original intentions: ‘You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses . . . even to the ends of the earth!’ (Acts 1:8). God did not create a people with only a form of godliness, but He birthed ignited demonstrators of His power and likeness! “The church has come a long way! We’ve grown and matured, and there is appropriate excitement for what we have seen and done. But we must know there is more, and the entrance to the ‘more’ is through the door of God’s transforming presence! DESTINY DECISIONS “We are in a destiny moment of time, and destiny moments require destiny decisions. “God offered Moses a destiny, but that destiny required a decision to say yes. To help Moses with his decision, God allowed a bush to burn and not be consumed! Then he spoke from the fire! “The 120 men and women on the day of Pentecost had been chosen by the Lord to continue what He began to do and teach. But each one had to decide whether to go to the Upper Room and wait for Holy Spirit. When they said yes, God drew them into a fiery encounter with Him that marked and changed their lives forever.” DUTCH’S COMMENTS I believe Gina’s dream and this word are accurate. Though we should all experience Holy Spirit’s presence on a regular basis, there are times when He does come to us more intensely in order to accomplish specific things. What would this “baptism of fire” look like for us today? How do we experience it? Obviously, ours won’t come through a “burning bush,” and there will not be an “Upper Room” we can all wait in until it occurs. “God encounters” of this nature are not something we can generate or force. However, when He speaks of wanting to manifest in a stronger way, there ARE things we can do to facilitate it. In tomorrow’s post, I am going to bring a teaching on how we can do this. Pray with me: Father, in the “Command the Foreword” dream, You came to us with holy Fire, preparing us to partner with You. Your fire consumes our “flesh,” our carnal desires, and replaces them with passion for You and YOUR desires. We ask for this fire that originates in Your presence, releases Your glory, and produces revival. Take us to a deeper understanding of You that will facilitate a deeper walk with You. Take us beyond our manageable ideas of You, beyond the “controlled” environments we’ve created in the church. Give us encounters with You that transform and mark us forever! May we all encounter YOU, and may the encounter produce in us a vicious hunger that compels us to pursue the depths of You. Consume us with the fire that is You! May we put on Christ and be hidden in Him, so that He might be seen through us. We join with the great revivalist, William Booth, in asking: please Sir, Send the Fire! Send the Fire (Public Domain) by William Booth (1894) “Thou Christ of burning, cleansing flame, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! Thy blood-bought gift today, we claim, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! Look down and see this waiting host, Give us the promised Holy Ghost; We want another Pentecost, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! “God of Elijah, hear our cry: Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! To make us fit to live or die, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! To burn up every trace of sin, To bring the light and glory in, The revolution now begin, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! “’Tis fire we want, for fire we plead, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! The fire will meet our every need, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! For strength to ever do the right, For grace to conquer in the fight, For pow’r to walk the world in white, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! “To make our weak hearts strong and brave, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! To live a dying world to save, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! Oh, see us on Thy altar lay Our lives, our all, this very day; To crown the off’ring now we pray, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!”(1) Our decree: As we draw near to God, He will draw near to us, empowering us to be the church (Ekklesia) He created us to be! Portions of today’s post were shared by Gina Gholston and were taken from her new book, Carry On. You can find out more about Gina at GinaGholstonMinistries.org Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Send_the_Fire/

First Things First For the past 50 years, I have been a diligent student of God’s Word. I have loved mining its treasures, whether that be directly from Scripture, or through the many anointed teachers I’ve been privileged to sit under. I’ve been known to dig into one word for days. I also love sharing the insights I’ve received. It is the nature of God to give and to share; He said it’s actually more blessed to give than receive. It is my joy to package some of what I’ve been given into bite-size portions and pass them on to you. That is why I write these posts, and it’s why I compile them into devotionals. Today I’m sharing a compilation of 4 posts from our new book, Give Him 15 - An Appeal to Heaven, Volume 2. I believe they’ll feed you. I’ve titled the post: First Things First. Day 2 - Simplicity We must learn to de-complicate life, but we must especially uncomplicate our relationship with Christ. Paul said to the church at Corinth: “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3; emphasis mine). Life can be very complicated; theology can as well. At times, if we’re not careful, both can get downright confusing. But the Lord impresses on my heart time and time again, “There is nothing complicated about a relationship with Me.” The great A. W. Tozer said: “Now, as always, God [discloses] Himself to ‘babes’ and hides Himself in thick darkness from the wise and the prudent. We must simplify our approach to Him. We must strip down to essentials (and they will be found to be blessedly few). We must put away all efforts to impress and come with the guileless candor of childhood. If we do this, without doubt, God will quickly respond.”(1) Tozer also said, “There are occasions when for hours I lay prostrate before God without saying a word of prayer or a word of praise – I just gaze on Him and worship.”(2) Sometimes no words are needed as we enjoy God’s company. In 2 Corinthians 11:3, “simplicity” is the Greek word haplotes. Its most literal meaning is “singleness, without dissimulation or duplicity;”(3) or “the opposite of duplicity.”(4)The verse is saying that in our devotion to Christ, we must not be double-minded. We must guard against anything causing dissimulation, division, or a watering down. It is okay to be multifaceted in our gifts and activity, and it is wise to be broad-based in our understanding, but in our approach to relationship with Jesus, we must be very single-minded. Allow no other person or activity to crowd Him out. To take Him for granted or allow Him to simply be one of many priorities will weaken us. Day 3 - First Things First “Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, ‘Moses My servant is dead; so now arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.’” (Joshua 1:1-2) Moses’s death had to have been very emotional for Joshua. Moses was gone. No memorial service, burial, time for grieving, or even knowledge of where he was buried. His emotions were probably raw, yet he would have to move into his new role immediately. In three days, you’re going into the land I promised Abraham centuries ago, God said. That meant – not a pleasant journey into a new homeland – but a challenging move for an entire nation. And it meant war. God’s instructions to Joshua at this point would have been incredibly important, perhaps the most important of his life. What were they? Only the basics of our walk with God: don’t be afraid; trust Me; listen to Me carefully and obey; meditate on My words; I’ll be with you. They were not theology. No battle plans, travel formations, or how to get across the Jordan – not yet. First, God instructed Joshua to keep the connection to Him strong. This will be your lifeline, Joshua. Do this, and you’ll have great success. Have your quiet time - your devotions - then go to war! When you’re about to go into a spiritual battle, transition into something new, or move forward into God’s plan for your life…first, go have your quiet time. Then, advance. Day 4 - Love’s Motivation There are five New Testament words for “servant” or “serving.” Two of these words are doulos and latris. A doulos was a bond slave.(5) Latris, however, from the verb form latreuo, means to serve not out of compulsion but from relationship.(6) A parent serves his or her family by providing and caring for them – not as a slave, but out of the motivation of love. This is latreuo. Romans 12:1 tells us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, “which is [our] reasonable service” (KJV). Other versions of Scripture translate the phrase differently, and appropriately so: “which is [our] spiritual service of worship” (NASB). They do so because the word used is latreuo, not doulos. This verse is not telling us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice because we are God’s slaves, but rather to do so because we love Him and want to please Him. He knows what is best for us, and we trust Him. And as we lovingly serve Him, He considers it worship, not just service. Yes, God owns us. But His heart is not to treat us as slaves “owned” by Him. He wants to relate to us as His children and friends (John 15:14-15). His desire is that we serve Him from hearts of love and worship, from relationship. When we move into this type of relationship with our Father, we become His co-laborers, working together with Him. We embrace His Great Commission as a co-mission. Our hearts mingle with His, and we want what He wants. We’re members of Abba’s household of faith. This motivation changes everything. Even though Paul referred to himself as a bondslave, he also said the love of God constrained him to minister as he did (2 Corinthians 5:14). As we pray and work toward God’s great harvest, we must establish in our minds that we will obey God fully. But our primary motivation must be that we are His partners, friends, and kids. As the Senior Partner, He will give direction, but He delights in involving us in the plan and process. Day 15 - God Meetings At the end of his life, Paul, the apostle who wrote more of Scripture than any other person, said he was endeavoring to “know” God (Philippians 3:10). One would think that if anyone knew Him, Paul certainly did. However, the Greek word he used in this verse (ginosko) has a threefold meaning,(7) which explains fully what Paul was saying: Ginosko is a relational knowledge. It is not generic knowledge, as in knowing about a place or person. This word suggests there is an intimate relationship with the object known. It is actually used of a husband and wife “knowing” one another sexually. Paul was saying, Even after all these years and all of this revelation, I want an even more intimate relationship with God. Ginosko is a progressive knowledge. It does not start as complete knowledge but grows as the relationship progresses. Paul stated, Even though I know God, I want to know Him more. Ginosko is an impactful knowledge. This type of knowing changes the knower: it impacts, affects, and transforms. Paul realized that although he had been conformed to the image of Christ, he could become even more like Him. Get to know your Abba. If you will draw near to God, He will draw near to you (James 4:8). If you desire to meet with Him, He WILL meet with you. And through the connection, He will meet with other people and situations. He will. Let’s do it now. Pray with me: Father, Your heart toward us is amazing. Though You are Almighty God, You want relationship with a human family. We are overwhelmed by Your incredible plan of the ages: creating us, redeeming us, and welcoming us into Your heavenly family. May we never take this for granted. We are reminded today that You are indeed our Lord and Master, the Most High God. But You are also Father, Abba, and You love us with an everlasting love. As we pray, may we always remember that we are working together with You, not just for You. As we intercede today, we remember that we are agreeing with You, not attempting to talk You into something. We extend the victory of the Cross, declaring that a spirit of deliverance is being released throughout the world. We call forth this great awakening and harvest in Your heart, and release it into the earth now, in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen. Our decree: We decree that we are co-laborers with God on the earth, and, as such, we move according to His plan and in His authority. You can find this book, as well as Volume 1, on our websites: DutchSheets.org or GiveHim15.com. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Rowell, Edward K., ed. Quotes and Idea Starters for Preaching and Teaching: From Leadership Journal. Baker Books, 1996, p. 181. Ibid., p. 181. Strong, James. New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, Thomas Nelson, 2003, Greek ref no. 572. Zodhiates, Spiros, ed. KJV Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible: Hardbound. AMG Publishers, 1991, p. 1808. “Strong’s Greek: 1401. (doulos). A slave, bond slave.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/1401.htm. Accessed 12 May 2023. “Strong’s Greek: 3000 (latreuó). To serve, service, worship.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/3000.htm. Accessed 12 May 2023. “Strong’s Greek: 314 (Anaginóskó). To know certainly, know again, read.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/314.htm. Accessed 12 May 2023.

Let's Finish This! My goal for the Give Him 15 posts is a 4-fold blend: Generate effective and informed prayer Speak prophetically into our times Train and equip you And lastly, keep you encouraged. In order to accomplish these goals, the posts have become my primary ministry focus. I try to listen very diligently for Holy Spirit’s guidance in determining what to release, as well as how to present truths to a broad audience. Sometime back, the Lord put in our hearts a plan to place some of the posts in book form - a series of devotionals. The truth in the teachings is timeless, and truth from God’s Word matures in us as we read it again and again. The first of the devotionals was related more to the prophetic destiny of America, along with the Ekklesia’s calling to see this restored and accomplished. We have now completed the second book of the eventual trilogy. While still maintaining a prophetic flavor, it is intended more for your personal spiritual growth and development. These are specially chosen teachings we feel will be helpful in expanding your ability to walk with and partner with God. My staff did a great job in compiling these teachings and placing them in a quality hardback book. Today, I am excited to read one of the devotionals from Give Him 15 - An Appeal to Heaven Devotional, Volume 2. Let’s Finish This! (Day 30) As the book of Ezra opens, Cyrus, king of Persia, allows a remnant of Israelites to return to Jerusalem for the purpose of rebuilding their Temple. Seventy years prior, God had allowed Israel to be taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, because of their apostasy. Later, they came under the rule of Cyrus when he conquered Babylon. God then moved upon the heart of Cyrus, a pagan and idolatrous king, to permit this return. He even stirred Cyrus’s heart to help the remnant raise the funds needed for rebuilding (Ezra 1:1-4) and returned to them all the vessels and utensils Nebuchadnezzar had plundered from the Temple. A remnant returned to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel’s leadership and began the work. Ezra tells us: “When the workers laid the foundation of the Temple of God, the priests in their robes stood up with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise God in the tradition of David…All the people boomed out hurrahs, praising God as the foundation of the Temple of God was laid. As many were noisily shouting with joy, many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first Temple, when they saw the foundations of this Temple laid, wept loudly… People couldn’t distinguish the shouting from the weeping. The sound of their voices reverberated for miles around” (Ezra 3:10-13 MSG). It has always intrigued me that many younger Israelites shouted for joy while some of the older ones wept. We are left to wonder why the older folks wept. Joy? Grieving lost years? Realizing just how far they had to go in rebuilding? One thing is certain: their perspective was different. There is one more certainty about the celebration that took place that day: it was a bit premature. Satan also had plans for the project. Daniel 7:25 tells us he attempts to alter “times” and “laws.” The Hebrew word used for “time” in this verse means an appointed time;(1) the word for “laws” means, among other things, the decree of a king.(2) God, our King, appoints our times and seasons; He also decrees His good plans and purposes for us, both in His written Word and prophetically. However, this verse tells us satan tries to alter those times and decrees. We know he can’t do so by overpowering or outwitting God; he attempts to do so by attacking us. Daniel 7:25 also reveals one of the ways satan tries to do so: by “wearing down” the saints. The Hebrew word this is taken from is never used in Scripture to describe physical fatigue, only mental and emotional weariness. Satan attempts to wear us down in our souls, causing us to “grow weary” (literally, “lose heart”) in our efforts (Galatians 6:9). Fear, discouragement, lack of endurance, hope-deferred, and other emotional responses attack our faith; and, if not guarded against, can cause us to lose heart. If this type of weariness occurs, it can alter our God-appointed times and decrees. This strategy succeeded against the remnant sent to rebuild the Temple of God. Satan’s method in that situation was to work through other people in the region: “So these people started beating down the morale of the people of Judah, harassing them as they built. They even hired propagandists to sap their resolve. They kept this up for about fifteen years, throughout the lifetime of Cyrus king of Persia and on into the reign of Darius, king of Persia” (Ezra 4:4-5 MSG). These “propagandists,” or “counselors,” as other translations refer to them, were basically lobbyists, individuals hired and sent to the king with accusations and misinformation. They succeeded in planting concerns in him that once the Israelites rebuilt their temple, they would rebel from his rule and cause great problems in his kingdom. The Israelites, rather than remaining strong and trusting God to help them overcome these accusations, yielded to fear and discouragement. The result? The rebuilding of the Temple stopped for sixteen years! All Israel had produced was a foundation. During this time, while abandoning God’s house, the Israelites began building their own homes and businesses, justifying it by saying the resistance meant it wasn’t yet God’s appointed time for the Temple to be rebuilt. The existence of opposition, however, should never determine what we believe to be God’s will, nor should it be used to judge whether it is His appointed time to do something. Eventually, God had enough of their complacency and raised up a prophet, Haggai, to deliver His message to them: “Shortly after that, God said more, and Haggai spoke it: ‘How is it that it’s the “right time” for you to live in your fine new homes while [Mine] is in ruins?’... “Then God said: ‘Here is what I want you to do: Climb into the hills and cut some timber. Bring it down and rebuild the Temple. Do it just for Me. Honor Me. You’ve had great ambitions for yourselves, but nothing has come of it. The little you have brought to My Temple, I’ve blown away – there was nothing to it. And why?... Because while you’ve run around, caught up with taking care of your own houses, My home is in ruins. That’s why. Because of your stinginess… “Then the governor, Zerubbabel, and the high priest, Joshua, and all the people with them listened, really listened, to the voice of their God.” (from Haggai 1:1-13 MSG) When the people responded appropriately to God’s words, He was quick to respond with grace and favor. Turns out those in opposition to God weren’t His problem; He was well able to deal with them. His people were the problem! What God needed was a people of faith who would not succumb to fear, discouragement, or self-centeredness. When they were able to shake off these things, God favored them once again and said, I am with you! Let’s go! A month later, Haggai encouraged them by prophesying again: “I’m living and breathing among you right now. Don’t be timid. Don’t hold back…Before you know it, I will shake up sky and earth, ocean and fields, and I’ll shake down all the godless nations. They’ll bring bushels of wealth, and I will fill this Temple with splendor. I own the silver, I own the gold…This Temple is going to end up far better than it started out, a glorious beginning but an even more glorious finish: a place in which I will hand out wholeness and holiness.” (Haggai 2:1-9 MSG) Like this remnant in Israel, many in the church of America have grown weary in their prayers for revival and the rebuilding of our nation. Lying lobbyists, media opposition, unrighteous laws, intimidating government agencies, elections that didn’t go our way, evil politicians – satan has used these and more, attempting to wear us down. Many have responded just as these Israelites did initially, deciding it must not be time for America’s turnaround. What God needs, however, is for us to persevere in our faith and prayers. We must not allow satan to alter our appointed times and God’s promised recovery by wearing us down. Don’t be intimidated. God will deal with His enemies, just as He did in Haggai’s day. Determine that nothing will stop us – wars, threats, fear, discouragement, setbacks, unbelief – nothing. Let’s finish this! Pray with me: Father, You have begun a good work in our nation. You’ve raised up a remnant determined to birth revival and see America accomplish all You destined for her. We are determined to see righteousness once again in our government, the young generation of Americans come to know You, and worldwide revival – at least a billion souls. We will not stop with just a foundation, yielding to opposition, fear, confusion, unbelief, discouragement, or selfishness. We will finish this reset! We WILL finish it! Raise up Haggais in our day who carry Your words. Stir the hearts of Your people. We ask for an infusion of strength and hope that all mental fatigue and emotional weariness be broken off the praying church. Send a wind of Holy Spirit to us now, we pray. Stir up believers, including pastors, whose hearts once burned with fire for revival and breakthrough but have now settled for less. Stir up intercessors who have allowed the fire to go out. Awaken us all to Your passion in this hour. May there be a roar of intercession released in this nation and the nations of the earth. We ask You, “Rend the heavens and come down!” We make these requests in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen. Our decree: We declare that God is with us; we will arise and build! You can find this book, as well as Volume 1, on our websites: DutchSheets.org or GiveHim15.com. Click on the link below to watch the full video. “Strong’s Hebrew: 2165. ןמָזְ (zeman) -- appointed time, occasion, season; time.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2165.htm. Accessed 12 May 2023. “Strong’s Hebrew: 1882. תדָּ (dath) -- decree, law.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1882.htm. Accessed 12 May 2023.

“Hannah, We Were Right!” I want to encourage you today with an amazing account of God’s sovereign ability to work through us, in spite of our weaknesses. It was 2003, and the story begins with a dream sent to me by a friend. Lou Engle and Dutch were together, in a building used for banquets and other gatherings. Lou was talking to people around him about prayer and fasting and was growing frustrated that they were not listening to him, but instead were chattering and eating. Dutch, on the other hand, was being listened to by those around him. The scene changed, and Dutch approached Lou, handed him something I could not yet see in the dream, and said, "Here, Lou, if you will strike this, they will listen to you." Dutch also handed him a conductor's wand with which to strike the unseen object. Lou did as instructed, and a sound reverberated through the room. When the sound was heard, everyone began paying close attention to him. As Lou turned around to Dutch in the dream, what he struck could be seen - it was "the scales of justice." Dutch then looked at Lou and said, "This will crescendo on March the first." As I sought for insights concerning the dream, I knew the scales of justice referred to the judicial system. “Striking” them pictured intercession (the Hebrew word for intercession is paga, also translated as "strike the mark.")(1) The conductor's wand indicates agreement in prayer, since the Greek word for agreement is sunphoneo,(2) also the word for "symphony." That Lou and I were together and I handed him these items indicated a need for our partnership in the endeavor. In response to the dream, Lou and I launched a 40-day prayer initiative for the judicial system, focusing especially on the Supreme Court, leading up to March 1, Crescendo Day. Many people responded and joined us in prayer. Coinciding with the end of these forty days, I was scheduled to minister in England. Because of jetlag, my plan was to leave on February 28, rest on March 1, and begin the conference on March 2. The night before leaving (27th), I looked at the expiration date in my passport and realized I had been misreading it. The way it was written, in two different languages, had confused me. My passport had expired! I couldn't believe it. I felt foolish, embarrassed, angry, and panicky. Both Ceci and our 13-year-old (at the time) daughter Hannah had different reactions. They immediately felt that God was somehow behind this. I did not accept that and stated, "No, it's just my stupidity. I can't believe I did this. How could I have made such a mistake? I'm not a novice traveler. I should know how to read a passport. How could I have misread this date for the last couple of years?" "No," Hannah said adamantly, placing one hand on each of my cheeks and looking me in the eye. "God is in this. Be alert to what He may be doing." Early the next morning (the 28th), the day I was supposed to leave, I called the U.S. Passport Agency. "How can I get a passport renewed quickly?" I asked. This was in the day when everything was manual, and there was no internet or cell phones. "You will have to call one of the U.S. passport offices [the worker listed approximately ten cities], schedule an appointment, travel there, submit your application, and if there are no problems, they will issue you a new passport," she said. "But it is difficult to get an appointment on short notice. Most offices are booked up several days, sometimes even weeks, ahead.” Great, I thought. I knew I would be at least a day or two late for this overseas conference, if I made it at all. But since I wasn't scheduled to speak until the latter half, I realized it might be possible to get there for most of my teaching slots - IF I COULD GET AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE NEXT DAY IN ONE OF THE PASSPORT-ISSUING CITIES, SECURE THE NECESSARY FLIGHTS TO GET THERE, AND THEN REBOOK ALL NEW FLIGHTS TO ENGLAND! I then asked, "Of all of the passport office cities you have mentioned, which would you recommend I try?" She thought for a moment and said, "I think you should try Philadelphia." I hung up, and called the Philadelphia office; surprisingly, they had an opening at nine the next morning (March 1). I was able to get the last seat on the last flight into Philadelphia late that night, in order to be at the passport office early the next morning. I was also able to get new flights to England for the next afternoon, should I be successful in renewing the passport. On the way to the Philadelphia passport office the following morning, I noticed that it was only a block away from the Liberty Bell and Constitution Hall, where our government was formed. I had prayed there many times, and it was a special place for me. As I rode in the taxi, I found myself thinking, Wouldn't it be wonderful if I was here to pray? Then, while filling out my forms, I wrote the day's date, March 1. Only then did I make the connection: today was the last day of the forty days of prayer for the courts. Crescendo Day! What a shame, I thought. It’s Crescendo Day, and instead of praying, I'm distracted by this mess. I wish I were here to pray instead of dealing with this situation. Then I thought, what if I end up with time to go to Constitution Hall and pray? Were Hannah and Ceci right that God is involved in this? No, I won't have any time to pray. This will take all morning; then I have to rush from here to the airport to catch the flight to London - if I even get my passport in time. No, I wish I were here for that reason, but I’m not. After my forms were filled out and I was called to the counter, the agent looked over my information and then said, "You have approximately a 2-hour wait. Please return in two hours." "Don't I need to wait here?" I asked. "We prefer that you don’t," she said. "It gets too crowded; find something to do and return in two hours, at 11:00." As her words sank in, I began to sense God's presence, Holy Spirit's anointing. Suddenly, I knew in my heart all of this WAS arranged by God. He had caused me to misread the expiration date in order to get me to Philadelphia on Crescendo Day of this assignment. I did not yet know where or what to pray, but I knew God had orchestrated it. First, I walked to the Liberty Bell and decreed over America the verse written on it, Leviticus 25:10. Then I went to Constitution Hall and prayed through that building. When finished, however, I knew my assignment still wasn't accomplished. I kept asking the Lord, “Why am I here?” Finally, as I was about to leave the premises, my attention was drawn to an adjacent building. I had never been inside and didn’t know what it was. But I felt Holy Spirit's urgent prompting and heard, “Go in THERE.” I decided to obey, not even knowing if the building was open to the public. Inside, I found a guard and an old courtroom. Again I sensed a strong anointing of Holy Spirit. "What is this place?" I asked the guard. "This is where the Supreme Court met before moving to Washington, D.C." he said. I could not believe what I was hearing and replied in astonishment, "Are you telling me this was the home of America’s Supreme Court?" "Yes," he said, "in this very room." I was speechless. I knew that Lou Engle, my counterpart in the dream, was with a team in front of the Supreme Court in D.C., at that very moment, "striking the scales of justice" through intercession. And here I was, the other guy in the dream, standing at the birthplace, the root, of America’s government and the previous home of the Supreme Court - on Crescendo Day! In God's amazing sovereignty, He had orchestrated this entire series of events to get me to the very place of our nation’s birth, and the root of our judicial system. While Lou was decreeing in D.C., I was decreeing over the root, "striking" the Supreme Court of America in prayer. I decreed God’s Word, commanding a return of our judicial system to its original intent. I knew I was there to call it back “Under God,” to decree that the Supreme Court would honor life and morality. Quietly but boldly, I commanded God's Kingdom to come, His will to be done, and a rebirth of His purposes for the Supreme Court of America. Crescendo Day! God gave a young lady a dream, determined the expiration date of my passport, caused me to misread it, motivated a passport agent to direct me to Philadelphia, created an opening for me at just the right time, reserved me a seat on the last flight, and led me to a building I did not even know existed - all in order for His words to be decreed over the root of our government. And I never missed one of my sessions in England. What a God! I called home and excitedly told my 13-year-old, “Hannah, we were right…!” Pray with me: Father, we marvel at Your ability to orchestrate events. We are amazed at Your greatness and power. Our faith that America shall be saved is not in our prayers, abilities, or understanding. It is in You to whom we pray. It is in Your mercy, the blood of Jesus, and Your eternal Word. Our weaknesses make us stronger as they remind us of where our faith must remain. They remind us that our help comes from You, maker of heaven and earth. So, as we “strike” with our words of intercession, we believe fully that our prayers are effective. Our decrees establish things in the spirit realm. Our words are a sword, piercing darkness, and tearing down strongholds. We declare over America today that our government is being invaded by a force from heaven that cannot and will not be stopped. And we declare this, in the name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We decree that evil in the judicial system of America is being shaken down by the power of God. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Authority in Prayer (published by Baker Books). Click on the link below to watch the full video. 1. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 6293. 2. Ibid, ref. no. 4856.

Persevere, My Friend! I don’t know why some things happen to me. Like the time I was expertly postulating on the subject of mind renewal in Detroit, Michigan. Saturday morning was the final four hours of a 10-hour intensive, and about 3 hours into my riveting dissertation, a lady to my right could stand it no longer. My Greek words, in-depth revelation, and captivating presentation had finally nudged her into slumberland. My words do often have a calming effect. I don’t like to brag, but not everyone can produce such mind-numbing revelation and soul-tranquilizing truth. Profound peace, that’s what it was. It takes years of study and experience to reach this pinnacle of public speaking. To make the situation even more meaningful, this lady was a gifted snorer. Obviously a professional. The room wasn’t all that large - there were probably 100 people seated around tables accommodating 10 people each - which meant everyone was within earshot of this message - confirming endorsement. Her first snore wasn’t all that impressive, just a warm-up heard only by those of us within 20-30 feet of her. Thankfully, those seated next to her were wise enough not to awaken her, allowing this nasal “applause” to grow in intensity. Less discerning people would have foolishly roused her, robbing us of the full effect. But those seated around this lady were SHARP, and let it continue. The second snore was better, becoming more praiseworthy of my wonderful teaching, reaching two-thirds of the room. Those around her, appreciating the stunning effect these snorts of praise would produce, once again allowed her to continue. I was amazed - no one was rude enough to nudge her awake. The third snore reached full volume, the kind of zzzzzzzzzz’s dreams are made of - one for the record books - awakening everyone to the profundity of my deep and stirring words. All eyes were now on this peaceful woman. “This,” I shouted, seizing the moment, “is the kind of deep tranquility I’m speaking of. Let the power of my words so stir each of you. Hallelujah!” The lady, awakened by my shouting, sat up with a start and grunted a loud “Amen!” which added increased weight to my words. Savoring the sweetness of the moment, I decided it was a good time for a coffee break. I could tell, by the smiles and soft chuckles, that everyone agreed. A recording of this presentation, entitled “Sounds of Serenity,” can be ordered from my product department. SERMON SUPPORT Several years ago in Oklahoma, another lady helped me with one of my messages. I was teaching on the following verses: “That you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:12 NASB). “Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised” (Hebrews 10:35-36 NASB). Emphasizing the need for patience and endurance in order to receive answers to our prayers, I shared the following story. One night a man had a dream in which an angel gave him a guided tour of heaven. He saw the golden streets, beautiful mansions, and millions of saints in this celestial place. Then he saw a huge building, miles long, which looked out of place. “What is that?” he asked the angel. “That’s God’s warehouse,” was the response. “It’s where God stores items He had prepared to give people in answer to their prayers. Before He released them, however, the individuals gave up hope, lost their faith, and wavered. Their unbelief prohibited Him from giving them these things, so He stores them in this warehouse.” “Wow!” said the man, “Can I see inside?” “Sure,” replied the angel, and proceeded to show the man a building filled with money, houses, cars, boats, clothing, food - just about everything one could imagine. Just as I was about to make my powerful point - “Don’t give up, casting away your confidence. Stay the course; you don’t want your provision stored in God’s heavenly warehouse,” - a single lady on the front row spoke up. In a mischievous voice, she asked, “Were there any men there?” I never regained control of the meeting! I don’t actually know if God has a warehouse, and if He does I doubt there are any men in it. But I do believe it is possible to ask Him for something and fail to receive it because we wavered in the waiting period (James 1:6-7). We must allow perseverance to sustain our intercession, and we will! We will persevere through all waiting and any shaking until we get to the coming fruit. We will! There are several New Testament words used to describe the concept of perseverance. One of them is found in Hebrews 4:14: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” The words “hold fast” come from one Greek word: krateo.(1) The root word (kratos) has the meaning of power, strength, might and vigor. This word emphasizes the strength with which one holds onto something. The verse is telling us to hold strongly to our “confession,” a word meaning, “say the same thing,” (homologia)(2). Therefore, holding fast to our confession means: with all our strength we hold onto what God says! And we say it with Him! Another word related to perseverance is found in Hebrews 10:23 and is also translated as “hold fast”: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” In this verse, “hold fast” is a different word, katecho.(3) The root word here, echo, simply means “to have or hold.” The prefix kata is what strengthens the meaning to that of holding onto something intensely. Nothing too profound about that, but, other nuances of meaning are enlightening. This word became a nautical term meaning “to set one’s course” or “hold to a course” (Acts 27:40). Holding on strongly to what God says by saying and decreeing it, keeps us on course. Saying what He says keeps us from wavering, from being blown off course by adverse winds and adversity. This is why I repeat some things in my posts over and over. For example, “America shall be saved.” Every time we say it, we are maintaining course. Another meaningful nuance of echo is becoming pregnant. This is actually one of the Greek words for “being with child” (Matthew 1:18). Therefore, holding fast to what God says causes the power of the promise to grow in us - like a baby - until we finally give birth. “For years, William Wilberforce pushed Britain’s Parliament to abolish slavery. But he became discouraged and was about to give up. His elderly friend, John Wesley, heard of his discouragement and, from his deathbed, called for pen and paper. “With trembling hand, Wesley wrote: ‘Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them stronger than God? ‘“Oh, be not weary of well-doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of His might, ‘til even American slavery shall vanish away before it.’ “Wesley died six days later. But Wilberforce fought for forty-five more years and in 1833, three days before his own death, saw slavery abolished in Britain.”(4) Persevere, my friend! Pray with me: Father, thank You for Your promises. You cannot lie. Your Word is true. Your promises unfailing. They contain power. You said they always accomplish what You send them to do (Isaiah 55:11). You actually honor Your words above even Your name (Psalm 138:2). You have told us, “America shall be saved.” You’ve said the greatest revival in history is coming. You declared that You were building an Ekklesia the gates of hell could not prevail against. We hold fast to these words. The power they contain is growing in us; we are becoming pregnant with them, and through the strength of Holy Spirit, we will give birth to them! We ask for and decree again - 1 billion or more souls are coming into Your kingdom in this revival. We decree again that miracles are coming in great numbers. We decree that nations will be transformed. We decree that people from every tribe and tongue will be in Your family. We decree that no force can stop this. And we decree, according to the word of the prophets, that this has begun. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the words of God will never pass away; they are eternal and all-powerful. Through them, we will stay on course. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book, The Essential Guide to Prayer (published by Baker Books). 1. The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1977). Number 2902. 2. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 3671. 3. The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1977). Number 2722. 4. Edward K. Rowell, Fresh Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching: from Leadership Journal (Grand Rapids, MI: Christianity Today, Inc., and Baker Books, 1997), p. 46.

Watered Down Wine For the past two days, I have been sharing on Proverbs 29:25, which refers to “the fear of man” as a snare. The Passion Translation says, “Intimidation is a trap that holds you back,” and The Message Bible reads, “The fear of human opinion disables.” Indeed, the fear of human opinion leads to people-pleasing, compromised values, yielding to peer pressure, and bowing to political correctness. A desire in the church to be viewed by the world as progressive and tolerant is a snare Satan has used to conform people into his way of thinking. The need to be liked and accepted outweighs the Word of God to many believers, causing compromise, lukewarmness, and a lack of fruit. The damage has been catastrophic to our nation, causing the spiritual decay of three generations. I was ready to move on from this subject but felt the Lord prompting me to do one more post on it. Today, I’m going to share three references that give us pictures and further insights into this trap called: “the fear of man.” AARON The first is in Exodus 32. Moses had been on Mount Sinai for several weeks, receiving the laws and ordinances of God for Israel. After being gone so long, the people began to think he might never return (verse 1). Perhaps we need another god to help us, since Moses, who represented Yahweh, is evidently not coming back, they thought. Aaron, whom Moses had left in charge, was then persuaded to fashion a golden calf for the people to worship (verses 2-6). Pathetic! God was understandably angry and sent Moses down the mountain to deal with it. Upon arrival, Moses’ choice of words to Aaron made it clear that God was holding him responsible for this sin: “Moses said to Aaron, ‘What on Earth did these people ever do to you that you involved them in this huge sin?’ Aaron said, ‘Master, don’t be angry. You know this people and how set on evil they are. They said to me, “Make us gods who will lead us. This Moses, the man who brought us out of Egypt, we don’t know what’s happened to him.”’” (Verses 21-23 The Message) God’s summary statement in verse 25 is VERY telling: “…Aaron had let them run wild disgracing themselves before their enemies” (The Message Bible). Another translation says, “…Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies.” (NASB) Aaron was intimidated by the uprising of the people, which caused him to compromise. The language of verse 25 - “Aaron let them get out of control” - makes clear that had he stood his ground, God would’ve backed him up. Leaders in the church must refuse to be intimidated by rebellious people; giving them what they want will never be an acceptable excuse to God. KING SAUL Another example of an Israelite leader yielding to the fear of man is in First Samuel 13. King Saul had been instructed to wait seven days for Samuel, a prophet and priest, to arrive and offer the necessary sacrifices for securing a military victory (1 Samuel 10:8). In that day, only priests, not kings, were permitted to offer these sacrifices. Israel’s enemies, the Philistines, made their move, amassing a great army with which to attack them (1 Samuel 13:5). Without God’s help, things weren’t looking good, and without the sacrifices, they wouldn’t have this help. Saul waited almost the entire seven days for Samuel to arrive, but at the end of the 7th day, with his army “scattering from him,” he disobeyed and “offered the burnt offering” himself (verses 8-9). And who showed up just as he was finishing the sacrifice? The prophet and priest, Samuel. The delay had been a test from God, and Saul, snared by fear of the Philistines and the scattering of his people, had failed. God's response to him through the prophet was essentially, “I need someone to rule as king who will obey Me, regardless of what circumstances, enemies, and the people dictate. I need a man after My heart,” (Verses 13-14). A couple of chapters later, God said to Saul, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of Rams… Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being King.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23 NASB) How many leaders in the church have compromised God’s Word in attempts to prevent people from scattering? THE JEWISH LEADERS There is one final passage I want to mention. As Jesus taught and performed miracles on one occasion, many people - including Jewish leaders - believed He was the Messiah. Yet, because of their fear of man, they would not acknowledge their belief in Him: “These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke about Him. Nevertheless many, even of the rulers, believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees, they were not confessing Him, so that they would not be excommunicated from the synagogue; for they loved the approval of people rather than the approval of God.” (John 12:41-43 NASB) What an indictment - loving the approval of men more than the approval of God! Interestingly, the Greek word translated “approval” (doxa)(1) is also the New Testament word for “glory” and is translated as such in this very passage (verse 41): “Isaiah…saw His glory.” Therefore, the indictment against these leaders could be translated, “They loved the glory of men more than the glory of God.” What a striking contrast! Isaiah saw God’s glory and prophecied of His greatness. To these leaders, however, the glory they were receiving from man outweighed the glory of God. Sadly, this could be said of many leaders in the church today: popularity, approval from people, and large crowds - these mean more to them than the glory of God. And sadly, Holy Spirit has written Ichabod (“the glory has departed”) over the doors of many churches in our land. However, God is about to change this. Many leaders have found that the praise of men no longer satisfies. They’re also realizing that “powerless Christianity” is a contradiction of the Bible. They are awakening to the fact that we have lowered the standard and watered down the wine. We traded the glory of God for men’s applause, sound doctrine for storytelling, the power of Holy Spirit for personal comfort, and prayer for innovative ideas. Three lost generations and an apostate nation later, we have realized it isn’t working. It’s time to go back to the pattern found in the book of Acts. Our prayer comes from there today. Pray with me: “And now, Lord, look at their threats, and enable Your bond-servants to speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great [megas - mega](2) power, the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant [megas - mega](3) grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:29-33 NASB) Our decree: We decree that Jesus is building a church the gates of hell cannot overcome. 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. 1391. Ibid. Ref no. 3173. Ibid.

Don’t Allow Your Enemy to Define You “Fear and intimidation is a trap that holds you back. But when you place your confidence in the Lord, you will be seated in the high place.” (Proverbs‬ ‭29‬:‭25‬ ‭TPT‬‬) “The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.” (Proverbs 29:25 MSG) “The fear of man brings a snare, But one who trusts in the Lord will be protected.” (Proverbs 29:25 NASB) Yesterday, we talked about the devastating effects of “the fear of man.” Other descriptive words and phrases for this snare are the fear of human opinion, intimidation, people pleasing, and political correctness. Yielding to this desire for social acceptance and lack of conflict has produced compromise and cost the American church immeasurably. Here in America, we have lost 3 generations to humanism and progressivism. Details and statistics were given in yesterday's post. Today, let’s take a look at some of the ways those on the left use “the fear of man” to “trap” and silence their opposition. Some of the more obvious tactics are: Threats of force: These threats are made to individuals, businesses, the police, judges, legislators, lawyers, voters, private citizens, and more. Violence: This includes riots, burning and damaging buildings and cars, vandalizing churches and pro-life organizations, etc. “Lawfare”: the weaponization of law enforcement, the courts, the IRS, and other government agencies (against those who oppose election fraud, parents who object to the grooming of their children, and others who oppose leftist ideologies. Censorship: a ploy used by the Biden administration, governors, other government agencies, social media platforms, schools, and others to silence those who disagree with them. Boycotts: used against businesses, states with conservative values, sports teams that don’t support liberal causes, and others. Rejection: used especially toward youth, causing peer pressure and compromise; it is also used in subtle ways against the church - “If you preach or teach certain portions of Scripture, I won’t attend your church or accept your gospel.” This list could be expanded or broken down into more categories, but you get the point. The left is skilled and clever at these forms of control and manipulation. They are vicious; their cause is more important than the well-being of those they damage or destroy. And lying is not a deterrent to them - truth lost all relevance when humanism was espoused in the '60s and '70s. The “golden rule,” kindness, civility, and other values once honored, have also been sacrificed in their desire for control. If we are to restore America, we must resist the fear and intimidation intended by these and other methods. Another successful method used by the left to intimidate and control the right is dishonest “labels.” They apply negative terms and phrases to us, “branding” us in ways that simply aren’t true. No one wants the stigma of these labels, and many conservatives back down in order to avoid it. The liberal media assists in this, of course. There are numerous examples: Homophobe: Those who agree with the Bible’s teaching that homosexuality is a sin are now labeled as “afraid” of it, as “fear-mongers” and “hate-mongers.” Nothing could be further from the truth, yet many have embraced this lie, especially those who hear it at school/college. Transphobe: Ditto. Xenophobe: The “fear of foreigners” is now ludicrously used to label those who want only legal immigration into America. Misogynist: Those who are pro-life are now called “women-haters.” Mean-spirited/Bigot/Intolerant: All of those labeled by the above terms are also referred to with these terms. In reality, however, the most giving, loving, kind people I know are Bible-believing Christians. Racist: Anyone who disagrees with or criticizes a person of another ethnicity, regardless of the reason, is called a racist by the left. Religious zealot/Extremist/National terrorist: those who believe the Bible are now considered extremists, as are true patriots, and considered threats to freedom. The military now considers the Appeal To Heaven flag as a symbol of national terrorism. These are lies, and they know it. American nationalist; Dominionist: those who believe God raised up and created America for His purposes are called heretics by many inside and outside the church. They’re considered arrogant and accused of believing God loves Americans more than other people, which is preposterous. The “dominionist” term is used to accuse Christians of wanting to force their beliefs on others. Of course, it is the left that actually does this. Christians and conservatives must stop allowing these lies to influence us. When we yield to them, we weaken our cause. We must NEVER allow the left to define us. No one likes to be criticized, but it is impossible to stand for truth without being persecuted - period. Many leaders in the church today will not mention certain sins due to the fear of man. We should never use a condemning, accusatory approach when addressing sin. But if God - who is love personified - condemns an action in His Word, shouldn’t it be appropriate to discuss it in our church services? The argument that the church should only preach about salvation, endeavoring to get people saved, is beyond ludicrous. That would mean we must ignore 90% of the Bible. Probably more. This fear-of-man-induced cherry-picking of God’s Word has produced three generations of Americans who do not believe all of Scripture. And why should they - their pastors don’t? Not only do many pastors shy away from moral issues, but they also steer clear of governmental issues and elections. Never mind the fact that: God began speaking about government in the first chapter of Genesis (Genesis 1:26-28); He IS government (Isaiah 33:22); The war which began in Genesis is all about who will rule the earth (Genesis 3:1-7); Jesus referred to His body as His Ekklesia (Matthew 16:18-19). Bowing to this heretical view that government shouldn’t be discussed at church, produced by a fear of the IRS and of offending people who may not want to hear it, has robbed America of her salt and light. The soul of our nation has spoiled, and we are wandering in darkness, led by evil men and women. (For more info about the separation of church and state, see this previous post.) Scripture calls the gospel, “The gospel of the Kingdom,” which is the “Good news of Christ’s Kingdom rule and reign” (see Mark 1:15). It is the good news that Jesus conquered satan, delivered us from his dominion, restored us to God’s family, recovered the dominion on earth that Adam lost, and delegates it to us once again in His name. That is the gospel. Yes, a more complete manifestation of this victory will one day occur, but this does not mean the only part of His victory relevant for today is being forgiven of our sins and one day going to heaven. It is time for the church to reject the fear of man. We must make the decision that God’s Word will always be our final authority, that we will never be ashamed of it, nor will we be intimidated by those who don’t believe it. Pray with me: Father, we often fall prey to the strategies of those who oppose You. One of those strategies is to allow our self-worth to be determined by what they think of us. How absurd. This has conformed us to their ways, defiled our message, and weakened our resolve. And it has no doubt offended You, as we have refused to honor Your Word and ways. Like Saul’s Israel, we allow the giants to intimidate us. We ask You to break this spirit of intimidation and its fruit of compromise off the church. Align us with Your plumbline of truth, which never has and never will change. Cause leaders in the church to fall in love with Your Word again, to have a renewed allegiance to it. Give us integrity enough to acknowledge how our neglect of Your Word has helped destroy our nation. Awaken us! Whatever it takes, awaken us. Shake, convict, release holy fire, pour out Holy Spirit. We need a course correction, a reset. Bring this, we pray. You have said America will be saved. We believe it, we decree it, and we thank You for it. In Yeshua’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that in the church, the fear of man is being transformed into a fear of the Lord, bringing the promised wisdom. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

The Disabled Church I recently read a very concerning article regarding millennials (born between 1980 and 1995). According to George Barna, only 2 of every 100 from this group (2%) have a biblical worldview.(1) To possess a biblical worldview means a person believes the Bible is the infallible Word of God, and they consider it the ultimate authority for all of life. Just let that sink in: basically, an entire generation of Americans believe the Bible is irrelevant. How can anyone argue that it will not take a great awakening and a reformation to save America? It also makes one wonder how so many churches can simply continue with “business as usual.” In another article, Larry Tomczak shared more sobering stats: 80% of America’s churches are either stagnant or in decline. And of the 20% that are growing, most (95%) of the growth is from transfers or births, not conversions.(2) Don’t be deceived into thinking that the existence of mega-churches means we have been reaching our nation for Christ. These large churches grew to that size by sheep relocation, not through winning the lost to Christ. The sad reality is that the lukewarm, complacent, get-along-with-everyone, watered-down, entertainment-oriented, story-telling, prayerless American church has lost most of Gen X, the Millenials, and Gen Z to humanism and progressivism. Yes, this can be reversed - and I believe it will be - but only through a massive two-pronged revival. Salvation will awaken the hearts and consciences, turning them to God and His Word; this MUST come first. Reformation can then restore and rebuild our government, education, and other aspects of our society. There is a debilitating weakness we in the body of Christ will have to overcome in order to experience these divine solutions. This weakness has allowed, if not caused, many of the failures mentioned above. Because this problem is rarely taught on - or even mentioned - in the church, it is poorly understood by most believers. Yet, it is one of satan’s greatest weapons. Holy Spirit, through Solomon, referred to this tendency and weakness as a “trap.” The Hebrew word can refer to any method used to trap, snare, capture, and control. One usage of the word is to lead around by a ring in the nose.(3) Ouch! Here is the verse that refers to this “snare” in 3 different translations: “Fear and intimidation is a trap that holds you back. But when you place your confidence in the Lord, you will be seated in the high place.” (Proverbs‬ ‭29‬:‭25‬ ‭TPT‬‬) “The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.” (Proverbs 29:25 MSG) And the phraseology most of us have heard and will recognize: “The fear of man brings a snare, But one who trusts in the Lord will be protected.” (Proverbs 29:25 NASB) Intimidation, the fear of human opinion, the fear of man, as this weapon of the enemy is referred to in these verses, truly is a snare. One of my numerous searches regarding this verse turned up the following clear explanation of this trap: “This fear is an anxious need to receive affirmation from those around us. The fear of man manifests as people-pleasing, compromised values, peer pressure, and a choice not to share our faith. The fear of man can be a snare when we allow it to influence our decisions. Rather than obey the voice of the Holy Spirit (John 10:27), we opt to avoid unpleasant interactions. It’s easier to heed the fear of man than to invite the possibility of consequences. “The fear of man is a snare in that it supplants the fear of God in our lives. Since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10), the fear of man sets us on the road to foolishness. “The fear of man has replaced biblical conviction in some so-called Christian circles today. Public opinion has overridden the clear teaching of Scripture on many social issues. Entire denominations are caving to the fear of man, and it has become a snare to them. The desire to be viewed by the world as progressive, enlightened, tolerant, or politically correct is a snare Satan has used to reel people into his way of thinking. The need to be liked and accepted has become more important than the Word of God to many professing believers, thus proving the truth of Proverbs 29:25.”(4) I once heard Abby Johnson share that when she was clinic director of a Planned Parenthood abortion center, she was also a regular church attender. However, her pastor never mentioned sin, or that abortion was a sin - not one time. Can you imagine? It wasn’t until she watched an abortion on an ultrasound that she realized the procedure was actually killing a live child. Christians want to be accepted and loved just as much as non-believers. No one likes rejection and criticism. The reality, however, is that Christ said we would be rejected and persecuted for our Christian faith (John 15:18-19; 16:33; 17:14). He told us to be salty, and to be lights (Matthew 5:13-14). Salt flavors food, which is pleasant, but it also preserves food by destroying bacteria and fighting against decay. Light gives direction and comfort, but it also exposes evil and corruption. Refusing to warn of the horrible consequences of sin and darkness, by shining the light of truth, is not love; it is cruel neglect. Refusing to confront evil with the burning salt of truth is not kindness; it is the empowerment of infectious evils to steal, kill, and destroy. Our desire to not be offensive, along with our insatiable longing to be accepted, has allowed the infecting, poisoning, and spiritual death of millions of Americans. We wonder how Americans could elect antichrist fools, liars, mentally debilitated individuals, race-baiting proponents of division, and haters of the nation they “serve”; how we could have become a nation unable to define male and female, a people that mutilates its children, kills its babies, and merchandises their body parts? The answer is simple: the salt lost its savor, allowing the gangrenous infection of sin and depravity to consume our souls. The light went out, allowing evil and corruption to remain hidden, working behind the scenes, and mooring-less people to drift in darkness, blown further and further from the lighthouse of truth. And one of the reasons this loss of salt and light occurred was because, as the above verse says, “The fear of human opinion disables.” Through this fear, satan embedded his nose ring in the American church and led us into the maze of peer pressure, political correctness, fear of offending, the ignoring and/or rejection of biblical truth, a watered-down and powerless gospel, dim churches, stale preaching, compromising Christians and THREE LOST GENERATIONS! God, in His mercy, is about to turn the light back on. Pray with me: Father, we have failed to take heed to Your warning, and the results have been catastrophic. The greatest nation on earth has become a byword and a laughing stock among the nations. We have played the fool. We embrace the humility and desperation this is producing, yet we mourn the spiritual destruction our arrogance and rebellion have caused. We pray today for Gen X, the Millennials, and Gen Z. We introduced them to an incomplete and inaccurate version of You. Most of them were offered only religion, watered-down messages, and rituals. Predictably, they walked away from this as soon as possible. We are asking for a great rescue. We declare the word of the Lord into the atmosphere of America: God is coming to save them! Prodigals will come home, the confused will have a clear mind, the fatherless will find acceptance and identity in God. A great presence movement is coming, one that will introduce millions here in America and around the world, to a person, not a religion. That person is Jesus. And we pray for the church. We pray that the fear of man will be broken off of the body of Christ. All people-pleasing mindsets, performance tendencies, political correctness, and a desire to fit in with the world around us. We pray that we would once again be salt and light - preservers, flavorers, lights in the darkness, and compassionate voices of truth. We know we are called to demonstrate both - Your love and Your truth. We pray all of these things in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that a remnant of believers is arising that will not bow to the fear of man. Click on the link below to watch the full video. https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/what-going-on-with-millenials-heres-what-the-research-says?utm_source=theblaze-7DayTrendingTest&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign+Afternoon%20Auto%20Trending%207%20Day%20Engaged%202023-08-29&utm_term=ACTIVE%20LIST%20-%207%20Da%20Engagement https://www.larrytomczak.com/4-years-in-seminary-or-4-minutes-in-hell/ James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 4170. https://www.gotquestions.org/fear-of-man.html

Tenacity In 1977 I heard my first sermon by John Garlock, the greatest communicator I’ve had the privilege of listening to. John, now in heaven, was one of my professors at Christ For the Nations Institute. The message was on the subject of tenacity and had 3 points, which I remember to this day, 46 years later. John was that good. Today’s post is taken from that message. Tenacity, of course, is the quality of persevering, refusing to quit, and holding fast - like a bulldog on a bone. I found the following synonyms in my good ole phone dictionary: courage, determination, grit, heart, resoluteness, and resolve. On the less formal, slang side of the synonym list, I found gutsiness, intestinal fortitude, stick-to-itiveness, and true grit. Pick your word or phrase, but tenacity is the determination to hang in there when the hangin’ ain’t easy. (Brother Garlock, as we called him in the day, would probably cringe at my choice of words!) This great wordsmith illustrated tenacity, and the lack thereof, with the following poem: “Two frogs fell into a can of cream, or so it has been told. The sides of the can were shiny and steep; the cream was deep and cold. ‘Oh, what’s the use?’ said number one. ‘It’s plain no help’s around. Goodbye, my friend, goodbye, sad world.’ And weeping still, he drowned. “But number two, of sterner stuff, dog paddled in surprise, The while he licked his creamy lips and blinked his creamy eyes. ‘I’ll swim at least a while,’ he thought. Not once, he stopped to mutter. Then hopped out from the island he had made of freshly churned butter.” (Author unknown) Point # 1 Professor Garlock took his text that day from 2 Samuel 23:8-12, a passage about David’s Mighty Men. The first warrior mentioned is Adino the Eznite, “Who killed 800 men at one time” (verse 8). Garlock said Adino pictured “Tenacity in the face of impossible odds.” This feat is difficult to imagine, killing 800 enemy soldiers in one battle. We are not told how Adino did it, but obviously, Yahweh made up for that which his tenacious nature couldn’t supply. He does that. Perhaps Adino backed himself against a large rock or wall, where only one or two enemies at a time could get to him, and fought them with his spear. He killed one, then a dozen…twenty…fifty…and still they came. But this warrior was tenacious and fought on. But come on - 800? Impossible! Not if God is on your side, and you refuse to give up. The odds against us become irrelevant when Yahweh fights for us. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) Gideon defeated 135,000 Midianites (Judges 8:10) with 300 warriors (Judges 7:6). He was facing 400 to 1 odds, but heaven fought for him. If you have the tenacity to stand for truth, even in the face of overwhelming odds, God will show up and fight for you. Point # 2 Then there was Eleazar, son of Dodo the Ahohite. “He rose up and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and it clung to the sword, and the Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder the dead” (Verse 10). Eleazar pictured “Tenacity in the face of overwhelming fatigue,” said Garlock. True warriors sometimes have to dig a little deeper. One of the synonyms above was “heart,” and Eleazar had this second heart, located in his soul. When he could no longer hold his sword with physical strength, he held on with his heart! When the battle ended, they had to peel Eleazar’s fingers off the sword. Sustained prayer requires this level of “stick-to-itiveness.” Warriors of intercession only quit when they’ve won. George Müller was a tenacious prayer warrior. One example of his persistence is related by Dick Eastman in his book, No Easy Road. He quotes Müller as saying: “‘The great point is never to give up until the answer comes. I have been praying for sixty-three years and eight months for one man’s conversion. He is not saved yet, but he will be. How can it be otherwise . . . I am praying.’”(1) Eastman continues, “The day came when Müller’s friend received Christ. It did not come until Müller’s casket was lowered into the ground. There, near an open grave, this friend gave his heart to God. Prayers of perseverance had won another battle. Müller’s success may be summarized in four powerful words: He did not quit.”(2) Success in life, and certainly in faith and intercession, requires this intangible quality of tenacity. Without it, you cannot win; but with it, you cannot lose. POINT #3 Last but not least in Garlock’s message was Shammah. He risked his life for a plot of peas. “Now after him was Shammah, the son of Agee, a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into an army where there was a plot of land full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it, and struck the Philistines; and the Lord brought about a great victory” (Verses 11-12). Professor Garlock called this “Tenacity in the face of a humble assignment.” One can almost envision the assignments being handed out for the battle that day. “Tom, you guard our leader, David. Protect him with your life! Joe, you protect the women and children. Their lives depend on you, your skill, and bravery.” Shammah waits anxiously for his noble assignment. What will he risk his life to save? The ark of the covenant? David’s abode? Perhaps all of the livestock? Then it comes: “Shammah! Protect that pea patch over there!” “Huh? You gotta be kidding!” would have been the response of many warriors. But not Shammah. “Yes, sir! Only over my dead body will anyone get to the peas!” God loved it so much He put it in His book! Three thousand years later, we are still reading about Shammah. And I suspect he has a prominent place in heaven, though he obviously won’t care where he is positioned. Tenacity in the face of a humble assignment! We live in a world filled with people looking for success, fame, fortune, prestige, advancement, power, and glory; they are a dime a dozen, trying to make a name for themselves. Servants, not so much. But you WILL find many of them in the prayer movement. They are fine with closets, back rooms, small groups, lonely trails, and back roads. Nameless and faceless, you’ll recognize these praying servants by their broken hearts, calloused knees, red eyes, and perhaps sword imprints on their hands - not by their faces or names. Heaven knows them well, however, as does hell. Counterparts of David’s Mighty Men, are Christ’s Mighty Women and Men, tenacious warriors and freedom fighters…in the face of impossible odds, overwhelming fatigue, and humble assignments. Next time you see one, thank them for their service. Pray with me: Father, I thank You once again for the Ekklesia company of intercessors here in America and around the world. Those who know how to partner with You to accomplish Your Kingdom projects and enterprises. You have trained them well, and they are ready for such a time as this. They are the Simeon’s, Anna’s, Epaphras’s, and Cornelius’s of our day. We pray, now, that You keep them strong and tenacious, full of faith and endurance. May they not grow weary in their doing of good, but become stronger and stronger, just as You describe in Isaiah 40:30-31. Teach them to ride the wind; remind them to wait upon You, drawing Your very strength into their souls and bodies, just as their spirits are renewed every day. Give them great focus and laser accuracy. May each one grow to the same level Paul walked in when he said, regarding the persecution he experienced, “None of these things move me” (Acts 20:24). And, Father, we continue to make our declarations and decrees over America: America shall be saved. America’s covenant of trumpeting the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the Earth is alive and well. America shall be divinely reset. The Kingdom of God in America will survive any shaking. The evil forces, systems, agencies, and leaders in our government will be dealt with by God Himself, who rules over the nations. Righteousness will return to our White House, Capitol, Supreme Court, and the agencies they control. The fear of the Lord will return to our land. Justice will be restored. Corrupt prosecutors will be exposed and removed. The innocent will be vindicated. Racism will be removed from our land, as will the people and organizations who foment it. Revival will come to the children and youth of America. They will be saved from the evil trying to destroy them. Revival will come to all ethnicities and age groups. Revival will erupt in the nations of the earth. The strength of all past revivals will be combined and released into the earth, destroying millennia-old strongholds, and saving 1 billion souls. This will not be stopped. We ask for and decree all of these things in the name of Jesus, the Almighty God, whom America has declared herself under. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we, the Ekklesia of Christ, have tenacious hearts infused with God’s strength. We never quit, and will not waver. Our dear friend Ruthanne Garlock, John Garlock’s lovely wife, is a prolific author. You can find more information about Ruthanne as well as books by both of them, at GarlockMinistries.org. One of Ceci’s all-time favorite books is there, entitled Before We Kill and Eat You. It’s the story of John’s father, a fearless missionary, who served God in dark Liberia, where facing death by cannibals left no possible retreat. The only protection was his faith in God. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Dick Eastman, No Easy Road (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1971), pp. 96-97. Ibid. pp. 97-98.

The Patriot’s Field Manual While it is important on this Patriot Day, the anniversary of 9/11, to look back and remember those we lost, it is also appropriate to look ahead. In order to do so, I am taking today’s post from Major (Ret.) William Ostan’s incredible new book, The Patriot's Field Manual (FM 1776). This book, if read and applied by enough patriots, has the potential to change America. I am going to read excerpts from the Foreword by Mary Jean Eisenhower, the granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, from Will’s Prologue, and from Chapter 1. Thank you, Will, and the Ostan family, for the great sacrifices you have made for our nation. The price has been great. And thank you for giving us this incredible manual on how to see America restored. It is my honor to call you friends. FROM THE FOREWORD “I know my Grandad would love what Major (Ret.) William J. Ostan has written in The Patriot's Field Manual (FM 1776). This succinct but powerful book fully captures the ethos of the American founding and provides a practical roadmap for local engagement. “…Field manuals show Soldiers how to fight and win. “That's exactly what FM 1776 does. [Part 1] provides a philosophical ‘why’ for the defense of America because, unlike during the World War II epoch when everyone was proud to be an American, our country is under attack with various revised ideologies. Part 1 is necessary. Then, Part 2 shows local citizens how to use the tools provided in our democratic republic to non-violently ‘fight’ and win back their communities. “I hope FM 1776 is read by millions of Americans. More importantly, I hope they heed the clarion call to action Major Ostan has given. “When I am around Will, and especially when I've heard him speak to young leaders at the Presidential Leadership Institute, I am reminded of my Grandad because Major Ostan shares all the qualities of the tender warrior I described above. Will's heart is aflame with love for our beautiful country. His passion is contagious and imbues the words in this book. My sincere hope is that this field manual will light a fire in your heart to join us in doing our duty to defend Western Civilization in our time. “As Will boldly proclaims, if we do our duty, then America shall be saved!” Mary Jean Eisenhower May 5th, 2023 FROM THE PROLOGUE - The Fragile Flame of Liberty “I love America. “I am an unapologetically ardent patriot. I bleed red, white, and blue. “I believe America is the greatest country in the history of mankind. “I also believe she is sick and in need of saving. “…our freedom is at stake. “Ideological barbarians are beating down the gates of liberty. They seek to destroy everything that Western Civilization has been founded upon. “If they win, no quarter will be given. Anarchy will swiftly replace the rule of law. Our children and our children's children will be forced to live in a totalitarian nightmare. “The blessings born of ‘ordered liberty’ will not only be long forgotten, but they'll also never be known. Our way of life will be no more than a faded memory. “We are the last line of defense. “You and I: Taking action as concerned citizens on the local level. Doing our duty. Following in the footsteps of the Founders. “We must resolve to self-rescue. “Make no mistake, you are the hero in this storyline! “The following philosophy and action plan is the answer for what will restore and save America. DREAM HEROIC DREAMS “Before we get into the boots-on-the-ground practical action plan, this chapter is the necessary aforementioned adrenaline shot of hope. “We all know America has been through a shaking over the past few years. I'm not just referring to the Coronavirus. The outcome of the 2020 national election was a great disappointment. “Why? For a variety of reasons, but personally, January 20th, 2021, felt like the death of dreams as an extreme leftist career politician, masquerading as a bridge-building moderate, was officially inaugurated president and occupied the highest place of political power. “I've experienced extreme feelings of despair as the consequences of the 2020 national election have adversely impacted our daily lives on the local level. I am especially disheartened by the devastating blows that the business community took from interminable government-mandated lockdowns and the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. But if I've learned one thing from over 12 years of active-duty service in the Army, it is that leaders should never operate primarily out of feelings, especially when facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles and impossible circumstances... “Yes, it is healthy to process loss emotionally, and I have allowed myself time to mourn the results of the election. But once that period of time ended, I quickly moved on to see how I could, ‘Wade into uncertainty... and prevail.’ (1) That's a powerful and practical aphorism pulled directly from U.S. Army Special Forces' doctrine. We, as American citizens, have a duty to refuse the counsel of despair and fight discouragement to find the proper prescription for securing ordered liberty for our progeny. “The beginning of the answer is simple: It is time, once again, to dream heroic dreams for America's providential destiny to be fulfilled. “When Ronald Reagan burst onto the national stage while running for President against Jimmy Carter, the Great Communicator quickly dispelled the prevailing zeitgeist that greatness and heroism were now anachronistic relics of a bygone era. In many ways, the late 1970s were very similar to the early 2020s. The country was in a malaise. Discouragement and depression were rampant. The past looked far better than the future. Hope was in scarce supply. But then, suddenly, a happy warrior turned the tide of history by rousing the nation out of its prolonged stupor. “In his first inaugural address, President Reagan proclaimed, ‘We have every right to dream heroic dreams.’ He went on to say, “‘Those who say that we are in a time when there are no heroes just don't know where to look. You can see heroes every day going in and out of factory gates. Others, a handful in number, produce enough food to feed all of us and then the world beyond... There are entrepreneurs with faith in themselves and faith in an idea who create new jobs, new wealth, and opportunity. Their patriotism is quiet, but deep. Their values sustain our national life. Now, I have used the words "they” and "their" in speaking of these heroes. I could say "you" and "your," because I'm addressing the heroes of whom I speak - you, the citizens of this blessed land.’(2) “Great Communicator indeed! Aristotle summed up political greatness as the ability to translate wisdom into action on behalf of the public good.(3) That's exactly what Reagan did in this speech. There is so much inspiration to be found within that quote, but I want to focus on these three truths: Heroes still exist today. You are one of those heroes. Heroes must continue to dream heroic dreams. “The culture of the coastal elites, much of the mainstream corporate media, and other extreme leftist factions will rage against all of the above while orchestrating difficult circumstances. They use intimidation tactics, like those espoused in Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals, to make us disengage and stay silent. Their bullying will make us feel like the heroic is unattainable, only for a select few, and impossible to fathom, much less live daily. But, fellow patriot, you must not give in to those feelings or thoughts. They are lies! The truth is that America has been redeemed from dark days before, and it can happen again. You still have a role to play. A critical, essential role! “May we all, as President Reagan exhorted us, continue to dream heroic dreams! This is an essential philosophical foundation for saving America. “Now that you've been administered the adrenaline shot of hope using great leaders from the past, let's address our calling as concerned local citizens by exploring why we are living in a critical moment in time for the preservation of freedom.” Pray with me: Father, we take time on this Patriot Day to remember those we lost on 9/11. We also pray for the family members as they think back to that traumatic day. Give them peace and comfort. As we look to the future, we believe the words of our friend, Will Ostan. We know America can and will be saved. You are raising up a new breed of patriot warriors, determined to rebuild this land according to Your purposes. We ask You to breathe on this book, getting it into the hands of millions of Americans, giving them “how to’s” regarding their involvement. We continue to pray for our leaders who are fighting to save our nation. Give them wisdom and wise strategies. Continue to awaken the American people, both spiritually and naturally. Expose evil, shake it down, dismantle it. Break the attacks off of those who are being unjustly persecuted by corrupt prosecutors. Give those representing them wisdom. Supply their financial needs. And we pray these things, in the holy name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We decree that millions of Americans are awakening to our true condition, and will take their place in the restoring and rebuilding of our nation. Click on the link below to watch the full video. William J. Ostan is a retired Army Major and the recipient of two Bronze Stars. He is the Founder and CEO of Arc of Justice, a nonprofit organization that advocates for active-duty wounded warriors. Will is the co-author of the Wounded Warrior Bill of Rights, which is bipartisan legislation being considered in Congress. You can find out more about Will and how to purchase this amazing Field Manual by going to WillOstan.com US Army, United States Government. Army Doctrine Publication ADP 3-05 Army Special Operations. July 2019. Amazon Digital Services LLC - KDP Print US, 2019, Section 5-1. Hayward, Steven F. Greatness: Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders. Crown Forum, 2006, pp. 162-163. Ibid. 17.

A Job Well Done Today’s post is a thank you and “well done” to the thousands of you who participated in the amazing prayer effort of the last three months. In all my years of involvement with the prayer movement in America, this is the broadest, Holy Spirit-initiated and orchestrated prayer effort I have seen. Hundreds of thousands participated. I am absolutely confident we have fulfilled the assignment of the Lord. Tears filled my eyes while reading your reports and of the incredible ways Holy Spirit has led you in this effort. THANK YOU for miles of walking, hundreds of miles of biking, thousands of miles of driving, flying over states and regions, many hours of interceding over maps, and praying by yourselves as well as in teams. THANK YOU for driving stakes in the ground, anointing borders with oil, burying Scriptures and arrowheads, waving flags, traipsing through woods, standing on Capitol steps praying, altering your services, taking communion, giving up vacations and days off - you are amazing! I feel the pleasure of Holy Spirit on all that you have done. It would be utterly impossible to share all the reports. And although many sent pictures, we decided not to post on the website where the arrowheads were being buried, in order not to allow tampering with them. I am going to share just a few testimonies of supernatural occurrences, without mentioning the state or person involved. In no way do I want comparisons made regarding one state versus another. What these few reports do accomplish, however, is confirm Holy Spirit’s involvement. One brother shared that after planting the first arrowhead, he was struggling to hear where to place the other five. While praying over the five remaining arrowheads in their pouch, Holy Spirit directed him to First Samuel 17, where David faced Goliath. He was sovereignly led to verse 40, which says, “Then he took his staff in his hand and chose for himself FIVE SMOOTH STONES from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, that is, IN HIS SHEPHERD’S POUCH and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.” At that moment, Holy Spirit told this brother what to do with the five smooth arrowheads in his pouch! Numerous testimonies came of rainbows, appearing before, during, or after the burying of an arrowhead. One team sent me a picture of them standing in a circle, praying around the point where they buried the arrowhead. In the photo, a shaft of light came from above them, ending on the spot where they buried it. Many were led to places in our nation where significant covenants were entered into, powerful revivals occurred, treaties were made or broken, laws were enacted, cities were established, colleges were founded, saints of old were buried, and more. A person bicycled through all the boroughs of New York. One couple, who had been sent the arrowheads, went to a new doctor for the first time. While conversing with this doctor, who happened to be an intercessor, she mentioned praying for something. The couple asked if she followed Give Him 15, and she responded, “Yes. Just after listening this morning, I asked the Lord, ‘Who has the arrowheads for New York?’” The brother asked if she really knew how much God loved her and answered her prayers. She gave him a puzzled look and said, “Yes.” He responded that three months ago, when he made this appointment, the assignment had not yet even existed. But just yesterday, HE had received the six arrowheads. She was ecstatic. Testimony after testimony has poured in. Mary Glazier, our dear native friend from Alaska who prayed over all of the arrowheads, sent us pictures of where the 6 we sent back to her were buried. At one burial spot Holy Spirit led them to, as they dug the hole, they found another arrowhead IN THE VERY HOLE THEY WERE DIGGING.“ There are now two arrowheads in the hole!” she said. In a state twice the size of Texas, they were led to an exact spot, only a foot or so in diameter, that had another arrowhead in it. Try to make that one up! Another team had already buried their six arrowheads, and a team member said, “It is too bad we don’t have another arrowhead to bury in [a particular place].” Another team member replied, “Maybe the Lord will provide one.” When they arrived at this location and were walking on the beach praying, they looked down and there was another arrowhead! They planted the seventh one there! On and on the testimonies go. Please trust me when I say every single one of your stories and reports touched my heart immensely. You may not have found a second arrowhead, or seen a rainbow, but I am absolutely confident you were led by Holy Spirit in fulfilling the assignment. My spirit leaps over and over as I read the reports. Thank you! America has been secured, regardless of what the shaking may involve. I conclude with one of my favorite quotes from the great Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. It hangs on the wall of my studio. “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.” (1) Thank you for climbing into the arena! The prayer today is for you. Just receive! Father, thank You for the wonderful brothers and sisters You have given me. They are bold, full of faith, filled with Holy Spirit, and determined to see America saved. They are also determined that nothing will stop the billion soul harvest You have planned. They don’t care who receives the credit, and do not care if their names are known. But You know who they are - every single one of them. They are doers of Your word, not hearers only. They’re men and women of action, of hard work, and who are willing to sacrifice. They serve Your purposes, not their own. They know Your Word, believe Your promises, and walk in Your ways. They are Your family…and Your Ekklesia. I pray a special blessing over them today. Strengthen them, encourage them, heal their bodies, renew their youth like the eagle, save their families, and bring their prodigals home. Bless them financially, and may they drink from the cup of Your faithfulness all of their days. I speak over them now: “The Lord bless you, and keep you; the Lord cause His face to shine on you, And be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His face to you, And give you peace.’” (Numbers 6:24-26 NASB) In Jesus’ name, Amen. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ______________________________ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/63389/roosevelts-man-arena