Step Into the Ring Yesterday I shared an insight from my book An Appeal to Heaven. It explains one of the reasons I am confident God will save and restore America. The insight was linked to a dream given to a friend, which pointed me to a revelation from the life of Abraham. You can see the post here. Here is the dream once again: “In the dream, you (Dutch) were a boxer. You faced five giants in five rounds and knocked each of them out - one per round. You knocked each one out with one punch; and with each giant, you alternated fists. The first giant was K.O.’d with a right, the second with a left; back and forth you went until they were all down for the count. Five giants, five rounds, five punches, alternating fists. “After you knocked out the fifth giant,” he continued, “you walked out of the ring and directly up to me. Holding up your gloved fists, you declared, ‘If you’re going to take out the giants in this season, you’re going to have to wear these two gloves.’ One of the gloves had the word ‘Everlast’ on it; the other read ‘Evergreen.’” End of dream. The meaning of “Everlast” comes from Genesis 21:3, where Abraham called on Olam El, the Everlasting God who had preserved his destiny - in spite of his sins and failures. In the dream, God told me to wear this “glove” to knock out giants. In other words, believe His Olam El nature is able and willing to restore and use America, in spite of our failures, just as He did Abraham. The “Evergreen” Glove But what did the other boxing glove, “Evergreen” represent? As I relate in my book An Appeal to Heaven, it would be a while before this understanding came. When it did, beginning with the Appeal To Heaven flag, I realized it was connected to America’s roots and to prayer. To knock out the giants, America would have to return to/tap into/draw on - her God-given roots and the power of prayer. This is explained in the Appeal To Heaven book, and also in a previous post entitled, It's Time to Put on the Gloves. However, I also came to understand that the Evergreen glove, like Everlast, was connected to Abraham! In Genesis 21:33, before calling on Everlast, Abraham planted an evergreen! In this one verse, he wore both “gloves!” Obviously, I had read this verse often, and knew that Abraham planted a “tamarisk” tree before calling on Olam, Everlasting God. I just didn’t know a tamarisk tree was an evergreen! Abraham planted an evergreen tree and called on Everlasting God. Amazing. I still didn’t know what the tree represented to Abraham, but I knew it was important; why did he plant an evergreen tree? Here is what I discovered. First, in his day, trees were sometimes planted as memorials, used to remind people and nations of significant events. Secondly, because of their “undying” needles, evergreen trees symbolize covenant and its “forever” nature. When Abraham planted the evergreen tamarisk tree, he was establishing a witness or memorial to his undying, forever covenant relationship with Everlasting God. The message was: “Olam has proven Himself faithful to His covenant with me time and time again. I now declare my faithfulness to the covenant. I will forever honor my covenant with Everlasting God.” This particular type of evergreen, the tamarisk tree, is also significant. Tamarisks are slow-growing, long-living, and when fully grown, produce cool shade. In fact, because they grow so slowly, no one plants a tamarisk tree for him or herself; he or she will never personally benefit from it. When planting this particular type of evergreen, Abraham was thinking of future generations, the descendants Olam had promised him, and was making a powerful declaration to them: “I am in covenant with Everlasting God, and you will sit under the shade of my covenant with Him.” Wow! Covenant with God blesses not only us but our children and grandchildren, as well. Yahweh keeps covenant to a thousand generations (Deuteronomy 7:9)! This certainly has proven to be true with Abraham and his descendants, and it has been the case with America. We have been extremely blessed by the God-connections of the generations before us. When Holy Spirit spoke of “Evergreen” in the boxing dream, then revealed the connection to Abraham, He was pointing to covenant. And when He connected it to the Appeal To Heaven flag under which America was born, He was pointing America back to our roots, our covenant with Him, and to prayer. Different Types of Covenant There are different types and levels of covenant. Most Christians think of this word only in reference to God's covenant with Abraham and his offspring, or when referring to the New Covenant we partake of through Christ. Because of this, many shy away from believing America is in a covenant relationship with God. The word used in Scripture, however, has a much broader range of meanings. The Hebrew word is beriyth. It means "a compact, covenant, alliance, pledge, promise, treaty, agreement, league; a constitution, ordinance." (1) These usages can refer to an agreement between individuals, (as in a marriage or friendship), organizations, or nations. Israel even made a covenant with death (Isaiah 28:15, 18)! And, of course, it is used to describe covenants made with God. Simply stated, a covenant is a sacred and binding agreement or promise between two or more parties. When I state that America is in covenant with God, I am NOT saying the Lord entered into the type of covenant with us that He did with Abraham. And I'm certainly not implying that it is on the level of our covenant with God through Christ. Nor am I implying that it is based on a blood sacrifice. America’s Covenant I AM saying that early Pilgrims, settlers, and Founders in America entered into sacred alliances and agreements with God. They did so through prayers, promises, and written documents - including our founding documents, which made the agreements legally binding. Our Founders made sacred, covenantal promises to function under God's government and care, to serve His purposes, and to honor Him. This was accepted by God because they based it on Christ's sacrifice and the Scriptures. It was also accepted because God Himself inspired and motivated the actions! America absolutely has covenant agreements with God, and covenant promises from God! He still honors them, and as we "intercessorily" declare them, they are powerful. We can agree with and decree Hunt's Cape Henry Declaration that the gospel will go from these shores to all the nations of the earth. We can declare and decree with Congress that we are a nation under God. We can decree with Franklin and the Continental Congress that the God of providence founded us and will finish what He started. AND WE CAN TAKE OUT GIANTS WITH THESE DECLARATIONS! Wear the Evergreen glove! Appeal to heaven based on covenant, just as Washington and the early patriots did. Decree the promises, the covenants made to Him, and His decreed purposes for us. This is the “Foreword” Holy Spirit has told us to “command” [Work While You Celebrate (Part 2)], and doing so will preserve us by taking out the spiritual giants of our day. Put on the gloves and step into the ring. Pray with me: Father, just as our Founders placed an evergreen tree on the flag under which America was born, and just as Abraham planted an evergreen tree when he called upon You, we honor our covenant with You today. In our intercessory role, we wear the covenant glove and declare on behalf of the United States of America, “We are a nation under God.” We were raised up as a nation to represent You, to bless the nations of the earth for You, just as Abraham’s descendants were. We also wear the Everlast glove, calling on You, the Everlasting God, who is greater than all of our failures and sins. You knew they would occur when You called and appointed us, just as You did Abraham, yet You knew Your grace and power to redeem were greater. Your faith is in Your power and perfection, not ours. Cleanse and restore us, just as You did Abraham, and empower our “gloves” to take out the giants of our day. We ask for and receive this in Christ’s mighty name, amen. Our decree: Just as America was born under the banner of a prayer movement, in covenant with God, we shall be reborn under the same: an appeal to the God of covenant. 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. 1285.

I feel led by Holy Spirit to share an insight from my book An Appeal to Heaven. It explains one of the reasons I am confident God will save and restore America. I believe this will strengthen your faith and fuel your prayers. When I Boxed Five Giants Back in 2007, God gave a friend of mine an important dream. In the dream, I was a boxer and fought five giants, knocking out each of them—one per round over five rounds. I floored each giant with one punch; and with each opponent, I alternated fists. After I knocked out the fifth giant, I walked from the ring and addressed the young man having the dream. Holding up my gloved fists, I declared, “If you’re going to take out the giants in this season, you’re going to have to wear these two gloves.” One of the gloves had the word “Everlast” on it; the other, “Evergreen.” The Weapon of Everlast When the dream occurred, I had been studying the life of Abraham and his journey with God. In Genesis 21:33, Scripture tells us that at Beersheba, Abraham called on “the Everlasting God.” The Hebrew words are Olam El, and this is the first time in Scripture anyone referenced God as Olam El. The meaning of the word olam, “everlasting,” is not our typical concept of eternity, which is basically an endless future. The concept of olam is eternity extending both directions in time. One lexicon described it as the most distant times in both directions—past and future. Even such an amazing description as that falls short, however, because the word “times” in the definition violates the very concept of olam, which is timelessness. Olam cannot be defined by a timeline. This is why the word was applied to God. Olam El, Everlasting God, created time and exists outside of its boundaries and limitations. (1) For our finite, human minds—and in order for us to understand why Abraham chose this phrase to glorify God—suffice it to say that Olam El is the strong and mighty God (El), who is Lord over eternity past, present, and future (Olam). He can completely forgive and heal the past; He can see the future. For example, God doesn’t see a born-again, former thief as “a former thief”; He doesn’t see the redeemed murderer as “a former murderer.” When He forgives, He eradicates past sins and separates them from us “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12), which is an immeasurable distance. He cleanses us and remembers our sins no more (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17). Olam, through the Cross, eradicates all record of our former sins. Therefore, Olam doesn’t speak of our future based on who or what we’ve been, nor does He limit it to our current state of being. He references it through the lens of what and who He will transform us into. Yahweh knows what He can do in us and is confident of the future He predicts. Abraham’s Failures Consider Abraham’s situation when he calls on the Lord as Olam El, Everlasting God. He has been on a twenty-five-year journey of attempting to follow God, and as he looks back over his life, Abraham remembers occasions where he failed miserably. Humanly speaking, his timeline contained blotches, torn places, and embarrassing failures. Most believers rightly think of Abraham as “the father of faith,” a description of him taken from Romans 4:16. Likewise, Hebrews 11 refers to him as a great man of faith. We forget, however, that Abraham wasn’t always a man of great faith. There were significant deviations from that path, which could have disqualified him. Actually, Abraham and Sarah both wavered at times in their attempts to believe God would give them a son. The Lord had promised this, but when no child came, their unbelief caused them to introduce Hagar into the family, resulting in the birth of Ishmael, another sin that could have disqualified them. Later, they actually laughed a cynical laugh at God’s final re-stating of the promise. And why not? Abraham was 99 years old, and Sarah was 90 (Genesis 17:1,17). This wasn’t Abraham’s only failure of faith, however. On two different occasions when Abraham and Sarah were younger, he was afraid that foreign kings might kill him in order to marry her. His solution for these fears included the despicable acts of pretending Sarah was his sister, rather than his wife. She was taken into the harem of both kings, two more incidents that could have stolen their destinies had God not supernaturally intervened! These deceptions and fabrications were horrible breaches of the marriage covenant and bold-faced lies. Olam Overcomes Our Unrighteous Past Having committed such sins, why does the Bible call Abraham a father of faith and a friend of God? Because even though he did not fulfill these descriptive phrases at every phase of his journey, they are accurate descriptions of what Abraham became and how he finished. Abraham “grew strong in faith” (Romans 4:20, italics added), and in his walk with God. And having been cleansed by Olam of his sinful past, Abraham isn’t remembered as “the covenant breaker,” “the liar,” or “the double-minded man.” He is known as God’s friend and our faith example - Isaac was, indeed, born! Abraham was grateful his past actions were not allowed to define his present situation. Olam El had navigated him through every season—even the embarrassing and sinful ones—transformed him and preserved his destiny. As He does for all of us, He had reached back in time and cleansed Abraham’s wrongs. With that in mind, one can almost see Abraham in Genesis 21:33 searching for a name of God that described this facet of His nature. Elohim? Adonai? Yahweh? None seemed to satisfy him, so he came up with a new one that described God as He who controls time—past, present, and future! In Abraham’s mind, the thought process may have been something similar to this: “You are more than Yahweh, Adonai, and Elohim. You are the infinite and powerful God of the Ages—Olam El. You are outside of time and Lord over time! As Ruler over the past, present, and future, you forgave and eradicated my sins and kept my destiny intact. When I was unfaithful, You were faithful; when I doubted, You overcame my unbelief; when I lied, You were able—not only to forgive me—but to cleanse me and keep my marriage intact. And even when our bodies were too old to conceive and reproduce—99 and 90 years of age—You placed some of Your timeless, olam nature in Sarah and me, and we drank from the fountain of youth! Truly, You are the creator of and ruler over time - Olam El - Everlasting God!” Abraham had entered a new phase in his walk with God. He recognized that the Sovereign Lord over his past could be fully trusted with his future. And Abraham boldly declared this faith in Olam El, the Lord over time! Wearing the Glove for America When I pray for revival in America, I boldly and confidently wear the glove God told me to wear: Everlast. I know the breaches in America’s history well—the injustices, the evil acts, our many sins. Like Abraham, we have failed, sometimes egregiously. But I also know Olam El and what He can do through the blood of the Cross. Yes, our nation has a flawed past and present. But I’m not asking for a merit-based revival. Obviously, the Lord isn’t going to award America with a revival simply because He’s impressed with our actions. But isn’t that the point of revival? If we were “good enough,” we wouldn’t need one! I’m asking for awakening because covenant-keeping Olam El lives up to His name. I have faith for revival because I know the timeless God can reach back and heal America’s breaches. I make declarations that Everlasting God can cancel our bad fruit, repairing the wrongs we today are responsible for, as well as those we’ve inherited. Forgiveness and cleansing are Yahweh’s specialties. He does not simply whitewash over our sins; Olam makes us new creations in Christ! When we wear this glove, placing our faith fully in God’s grace and the blood of Jesus alone, blessings can and will flow through America’s timeline once again, and giants can be defeated. Much “identificational repentance” has occurred for America, just as occurred for Israel in the Scriptures (Nehemiah 1:4-11; Daniel 9:1-19; Ezekiel 22:30-31 speaks of God forgiving nations through the prayers of one intercessor). This includes repentance for our sins against the First Nations people, slavery, abortion, and much more. Granted, ongoing sins must also be repented of; but this too, is occurring. Believe in the power of Christ’s cleansing! In the dream, God said we must wear Abraham’s “Olam glove,” believing He can do for us what He did for him. Olam knew America would fail at times when He called and destined us, just as He did Abraham. He also knew repentance would occur, however, allowing Him to cleanse and restore. Wear the glove! Pray with me: Father, Your mercy endures forever; it triumphs over judgment. The “better” sacrifice of Christ’s blood now stains the Mercy Seat of Heaven, shouting loudly through the corridors of time: Finished! We anchor our faith to this, Olam, wearing the glove You told us to wear; our faith is in Christ and His blood, nothing else. We arm ourselves with this provision and strike the giants of unrighteous government, false religion, abortion, pride, and other strongholds in the name of Christ, our Everlasting Redeemer. And with faith in Him, we use this same provision to move forward into our restored destiny. America exists to partner with the Lord Jesus Christ and proclaim His message throughout the earth. You have given Christ the nations as His inheritance, and the ends of the earth as His possession. With a rod of iron, He will break those who oppose Him, and shatter them like earthenware (Psalm 2:6-9). You have declared it, and it is so! Our decree: We, the Ekklesia of Christ Jesus, decree that Olam has won the fight, and salvation will be visited on the nations of the earth. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book An Appeal to Heaven. 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. 5769.

Kiss the Son The first thing I want to say today is that when writing and recording yesterday’s post, the indictment of Trump, in connection with January 6, had not yet occurred and was nowhere in my thinking. Actually, I left my studio after recording the post, and only then heard the news. This does not mean the timing is unrelated. I believe Holy Spirit led me to do so yesterday, and very few things could have confirmed what I stated more effectively than this indictment. We have all heard the phrase, “It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to understand…” However, when afforded the opportunity to glean insights from such a brainiac - pun intended - why not do so? Here is what the incredibly brilliant and level-headed brain surgeon, Dr. Ben Carson, had to say about the indictment: “The political persecution of President Trump continues. If this THIRD indictment isn't a reason to drain the swamp, I don't know what is.” (1) Then there is the incredibly wise, articulate, and also level-headed Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, who said the following: “On Jan 6 @realDonaldTrump tells crowd to peacefully protest. He gets indicted by Biden's DOJ. Joe skims millions from Ukraine and Communist China. Nothing. Yes, Americans see it for what it is. I will work harder than ever to reelect Trump.” (2) Boom. Having commented on President Trump’s indictment, it is important to reiterate that yesterday’s post was not about him. My calling is NOT to defend Donald Trump, support Republicans, or impugn Democrats. It IS to speak truth, teach Scripture, promote biblical principles (values), and be a prophetic voice of what I believe Holy Spirit is saying today. If you did not see yesterday’s post, consider reading or listening to it (America's "Pharaohs"). I believe it is a word from Holy Spirit. Here is a brief portion: “Just as He did with Pharaoh, God used the Left’s lust for power and control, their pride, and the hardness of their hearts as the fuse. Their anger and hatred of outsider Donald Trump - along with his obvious threat to their power - was the match that lit the fuse. God allowed them enough success to believe they were now firmly and irreversibly in control. Thus, there was no longer a need to hide their intentions. What were once covert and subtle attempts to control, became brazen abuses of power. Hidden and disguised strategies became full-on, in-your-face, ‘we don’t have to hide it anymore – we are taking over your country,’ actions. They took the bait, and now, like Pharaoh, they and their hardened hearts are speeding pell-mell toward the Red Sea.” (3) When thinking of those in our day who arrogantly rise up against God and feel they can mock Him, twist laws, implement double standards of justice, lie with impunity, groom kindergartners for immoral lifestyles, kill innocent babies, and mutilate confused children, some words of the Ancient of Days to Job come to mind: “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you instruct Me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?’” (Job 38:1-7 NASB) “Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm and said, ‘Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified? Or do you have an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like His?’” (Job 40:6-9 NASB) Isaiah’s words from Yahweh also come to mind, when the Almighty spoke of His omnipotence and omniscience: “To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him? He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. Scarcely have they been planted, scarcely have they been sown, scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, but He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the storm carries them away like stubble. ‘To whom then will you liken Me that I would be his equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing.” (Isaiah 40:18, 23-26 NASB) God was not intimidated by Job and his counselors, Israelites in Isaiah’s day, nor Pharaoh; and He is certainly not intimidated by the chariot riders of our day. Psalm 2 is the final passage that comes to mind when considering those in America who arrogantly oppose God. Yahweh overhears kings and rulers conniving about overthrowing His and His Son’s rule (Psalm 2:1-3). His first response is mocking laughter (verse 4), after which He speaks to these rebellious leaders and “TERRIFIES THEM IN HIS FURY” (verse 5). The Almighty then assures us that His Son’s reign over Earth is secure (verses 6-9). The ever-kind and gracious God then ends the chapter with an offer of mercy; even in His wrath, Yahweh remembers mercy (Habakkuk 3:2). “Listen to me, all you rebel kings and all you upstart judges of the earth. Learn your lesson while there’s still time. Serve and worship the awe-inspiring God. Recognize His greatness and bow before Him, trembling with reverence in His presence. Fall facedown before Him and kiss the Son before His anger is roused against you. Remember that His wrath can be quickly kindled! But many blessings are waiting for all who turn aside to hide themselves in Him!” (Psalm 2:10-12 TPT) Pray with me: Father, Your infinite wisdom and knowledge are beyond our finite ability to grasp; Your power knows no bounds. We are forever grateful that Your nature is also love; You’re always gracious and kind. Thank You for offering salvation, even to those who conspire against You, if they will repent and “kiss” Your Son. So, we ask for salvation to come to those in America who oppose You and partner with evil. Open their eyes to truth and the gospel. You know for whom this is still possible; for them, we request deliverance and salvation. The blood of Jesus still cleanses from ALL sin and unrighteousness. We glory in this salvation, both for ourselves and for all who will receive it. And yet, we ask You to overthrow the plans and strategies of darkness being implemented by people in our nation. Bring down their strongholds, frustrate their plans, empty their bank accounts, confuse their efforts, and continue to expose evil. Lead Pharaohs to the Red Sea, while at the same time opening the eyes and transforming the hearts of millions, turning them into lovers of truth and worshippers of Your Son. We ask for and decree the coming of Your Kingdom ways here on earth, just as they operate in heaven. And we do so in Yeshua’s name. Our decree: We decree that the Son of righteousness is rising with a sword in His hand and healing in His wings. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ________________________ Dr. Ben & Candy Carson, Instagram @realbencarson, 8/1/2023. Gov. Mike Huckabee, Twitter @govmikehuckabee, 8/1/2023. https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-2-2023 or https://youtu.be/4LTGPxS08Y0

America’s “Pharaohs” Holy Spirit told us nineteen times in chapters 4-14 of Exodus that Pharaoh’s heart was “hardened.” It is rare for God to repeat Himself that frequently in Scripture; obviously, it means He’s making an important point. Several of the verses clearly indicate that Pharaoh hardened his own heart, but many of the references state that God also did so. Since He neither forces nor tempts anyone to sin (James 1:13-14), what does this mean? Holy Spirit is informing us Pharaoh hardened his heart to an irredeemable level, at which time God chose to harden it further to serve His purposes. Yahweh not only delivered Israel, He also used Pharaoh’s pride, stubbornness and obstinacy to expose the false gods of Egypt (Numbers 33:3-4), and reveal Himself as the true God to the people of Egypt (Exodus 10:1; 14:4). The hardening of one’s heart to the point of exhausting God’s mercy and redeeming grace, as Pharaoh did, is a fearful thing to consider; only a high level of evil could do so. God is long-suffering and kind. He identified Himself to Moses as, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in faithfulness and truth;” (Exodus 34:6; NASB). But Pharaoh’s pride and wickedness had caused him to reach this point. He actually said in Exodus 5:2: “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go.” (NASB) I fear that some leaders in America have hardened their hearts to this level of evil. I realize that only Yahweh, the Supreme Judge, has the right and ability to determine this. Yet, the justification of killing babies, even after their birth; trafficking in children (and ridiculing movies exposing it); mutilating the bodies of confused children - all for the love of money - is an incredibly high level of evil! Fomenting racial hatred, division and violence in order to gain or protect power is an indicator of very hardened hearts. Arrogantly mocking God and His Word, while promoting idolatry, immorality, lies, and injustice is a shockingly high level of pride, deception, and rebellion. God said He hates these things, that they are an abomination to Him (Proverbs 6:16-19). Abomination is toebah, which means “disgusting, abhorrent, abominable.” (1) The root word means “to loathe, detest, or abhor.” (2) Strong words regarding how God feels about these things. Without question, many arrogant leaders and voices of influence in America are saying with Pharaoh, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” As they continue to harden their hearts, they run further and further from the grace of God. And though we cannot be sure of who has crossed that awful finish line, of this I am confident: God is using their hard, evil hearts and actions to awaken the American people, just as He used Pharaoh’s hardened heart. Many Americans, far more than in 2016 or 2020, now see the evil in America’s government - lying, corruption, two-tiered justice, dishonest elections, weaponization of agencies against citizens, corrupt judges, censorship, White House drag shows, hatred of our God-given roots, and more. Far more of our citizens now see the level of corruption and dishonesty in the media. And the wickedness of our education department, not to mention its ineptness, is disgusting to most Americans. Millions more people are now aware of just how far America has fallen, and are seeing the need for radical transformation. This had to occur. Just as He did with Pharaoh, God used the Left’s lust for power and control, their pride, and the hardness of their hearts as the fuse. Their anger and hatred of outsider Donald Trump - along with his obvious threat to their power - was the match that lit the fuse. God allowed them enough success to believe they were now firmly and irreversibly in control. Thus, there was no longer a need to hide their intentions. What were once covert and subtle attempts to control became brazen abuses of power. Hidden and disguised strategies became full-on, in your face, “we don’t have to hide it anymore – we are taking over your country,” actions. They took the bait and now, like Pharaoh, they and their hardened hearts are speeding pell-mell toward the Red Sea. God is making a mockery of them, just as He did Pharaoh. In Exodus 10:1-2, God stated His plans: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, so that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, and that you may tell in the presence of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, so that you may know that I am the Lord.’” (NASB) The word translated “mockery” could also be translated “fools” - God made fools of the Egyptians. Many American leaders have looked like fools for quite a long time; now they are leaving no doubt! History will not be kind to them. In First Samuel 2:30, the Lord said, “those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be insignificant.” (NASB) The primary meaning of qalal, the Hebrew word translated insignificant, is “cursed.” (3) Those who despise and dishonor the Lord will be cursed and become insignificant. History will, indeed, remember them as fools, just as it does Pharaoh. Moses wrote a song about the Red Sea deliverance of Israel and judgment of Pharaoh; you can find it in Exodus 15. In the Jesus People Movement of the 70s, we sang several choruses taken from the words of this great chapter. One of my favorites - though it would likely be too graphic for many “sensitive” charismatic churches today - was taken from verses one and two: “I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him a habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him.” (KJV) Perhaps Bible-believing churches should start singing it again. I will include a link at the end of today’s post, for any who are interested. We also sang another great chorus from this chapter, verse three, which unabashedly declares: “The Lord is a warrior…” (NASB) He is, indeed. Do not doubt it. Pray with me: God of power and might, You take no pleasure in judging Your enemies, but instead delight in mercy. Yet, when it becomes necessary, You do judge them. Our prayer today is that for all of Your enemies who can and will receive it, show them Your salvation. Open their eyes to the evil of the god they serve, deliver and cleanse them from his influence. Reveal Christ to them, and His great offer of mercy and salvation. Yet, because we are confident that You are a perfect, all-wise Judge, we also pray Psalm 68:1-2: “Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish before God.” (NASB) Deal strongly with the hard-hearted oppressors of the weak and vulnerable. May the Pharaohs of the earth be removed from their places of power. Deliver the children, protect the babies, rescue our sons and daughters, Father. Reap the great harvest! Show Yourself both merciful and strong, loving and powerful. You are Savior and Judge, Lover and Warrior. Allow nothing and no one to stop the coming outpouring of Your glorious Holy Spirit. Let no mocking Pharaoh stop the great 21st century Exodus; allow no Herod to stop our generation’s book of Acts. We confidently bring these biblical requests before You on the basis of Christ’s victory and authority; therefore we are certain they are received by You with pleasure. Amen. Our decree: We boldly decree that the Red Sea victory was a picture of the Cross, and therefore cycles throughout all of history. We shall see it again!!! Click on the link below to watch the full video. Listen to the song “I Will Sing Unto the Lord (Horse and Rider)”. 1. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2990), ref no. 8441. 2. Ibid. Ref no. 8581. 3. Ibid. Ref no. 7043.

Prepare For Revival Larry Sparks has written one of the best books on revival I have read in years. The title, Pentecostal Fire, is taken from the outpouring of Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Books such as this assure me of the coming revival, as do the young revivalists I see being prepared. I am also encouraged by the strategies and plans God is giving to many of His leaders, preparing them for the coming move of His Spirit. And then, of course, there are the prophecies being released regarding Holy Spirit’s amazing plans. These are just a few of the reasons I do not fear any shaking that may occur to restore America. It will prepare us, not destroy us. Though Larry’s powerful and stirring book is filled with principles about preparing for and entering into revival, in the final chapter he challenges us regarding three idols we must address. Here is a portion of that chapter: “I believe there are three idols that need to be identified, confronted, and demolished in order for us to make room for Pentecostal fire to manifest. It’s available now, but as it was in the days of Jesus’ birth, there is no room at the inn. We have not made room for the wild move of Pentecostal fire because, like with the inn of the Christmas story, we have filled our modern inns with other things. Simply stated, there is no space for Pentecost because we have filled God’s space with things He never asked for. “No. 1: The Idol of Reputation [Quoting revivalist Vance Havner] “‘I believe with all my soul that when we quit depending on our gadgets and gimmicks and stand on nothing but the promises of God, risking our reputation and future on it, staking everything on a miracle instead of on men and machinery and mere money, the fire will fall.’ (1) “…We are living in an era when the possibility of having a popular reputation, being followed by millions of people, and thus, financially benefiting from said reputation is unlike any other moment in history. We have entered the day of the celebrity pastor. The great revivalists of old, Jonathan Edwards, Smith Wigglesworth, Evan Roberts, even down to A. W. Tozer, Leonard Ravenhill, and Kathryn Kuhlman, have left an imprint on history, preaching uncompromised truth without having any social media status or high-yield email list. [emphasis Dutch’s] “…If you decide to lay down preaching truth or trade welcoming the wild move of the Holy Spirit in order to be popular and polished, your efforts may result in temporary superficial success, but make no mistake, the truly spiritual will discern a lack of weight on what you share and speak. We need to heed and follow the words of the Apostle Paul: ‘For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ’ (Gal. 1:10). “No. 2: The Idol of Religion [Quoting C. Peter Wagner] “‘The spirit of religion is an agent of Satan assigned to prevent change and to maintain the status quo by using religious devices.’ (2) “The spirit of religion is not restrained to churches that feature pews, stained-glass windows, holy water, and organ music. In fact, I find this spirit to be more prevalent and insidious, working destructively and covertly, in contemporary sanctuaries - especially Charismatic churches. Often, those who claim a more Charismatic or Pentecostal theology accuse the more traditional churches of being religious, when in fact, those who know the things of the Spirit and have tasted of the ‘powers of the age to come’ can be the ones who actually miss God. They have, perhaps, fallen into the greatest snare of the serpent: they value concepts, conferences, events, receiving prophetic words, falling on the ground, speaking in tongues, and even prophesying about the new moves of the Holy Spirit more than demonstration and movement. Bottom line: the spirit of religion resists any forward movement for the Kingdom of God, seeking to influence honest believers into embracing the present state of Christianity as a ceiling or lid that cannot be moved. “The spirit of religion especially loves First Corinthians 14:40. Earlier in the book, I wrote a whole chapter on the idea of ‘decently and in order’ and how God has a vision of Holy Spirit order that is often different from our comfort zone’s spiritual preferences. The spirit of religion will preach this verse out of context with great volume, insisting that anything that looks unusual, uncomfortable, or wild is certainly not the orderly, gentlemanly operation of the Holy Spirit. “No. 3: The Idol of Rigidity “Are we willing to be disrupted by God? Outbreaks of Pentecostal fire are released by breaker people who partner with Heaven’s divine interruptions. Duncan Campbell, the evangelist who was catalytic in the Hebrides Revival, described one of the key events that broke open the region for Holy Spirit outpouring: ‘Here is a scene witnessed during the first days of the movement: a crowded church, the service is over. The congregation, reluctant to disperse, stands outside the church in a silence that is tense. Suddenly a cry is heard within: a young man, burdened for the souls of his fellow men, is pouring out his soul in intercession. He prays until he falls into a trance and lies prostrate on the floor of the church. But Heaven had heard, and the congregation, moved by a power that they could not resist, came back into the church, and a wave of conviction of sin swept over the gathering, moving strong men to cry to God for mercy. This service continued until the small hours of the morning.’ (3) “Note what happened: the cry was heard from the young man, pouring out his soul in intercession. In the modern Church, such would be observed as a distraction or interruption. Yes, there are fleshly responses that are not Holy Spirit motivated. But I am concerned that we have become so hard of spiritually seeing and hearing, as the priest Eli was in the days of Hannah and Samuel, that we automatically assume that all interruptions are the flesh. Rigidity shuts down divine interruption because there is no time in the meeting, no space in the schedule, or we simply assume all interruptions are fleshly. “The Welsh Revival of 1904 had Evan Roberts boldly praying, ‘Bend me, O Lord.’ Azusa Street in 1906 saw William Seymour baptized in the Holy Spirit, speaking in other tongues - inviting the nations to enter into that same experience. The Toronto Blessing saw Randy Clark ministering on January 20, 1994, at the Airport Vineyard Church, Toronto, Canada, simply sharing his testimony and then giving the church an opportunity to come forward and receive a touch from God (like Randy had received on his quest for personal revival); that invitation broke open the revival. The Brownsville Revival was largely catalyzed by Pastor John Kilpatrick being dynamically overwhelmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit on Father's Day 1995. These invasions of Heaven were birthed into the earth by a person boldly welcoming the Holy Spirit's move and making room for His interruption in their midst. There is no room for rigidity when we claim to truly desire the authentic move of the Holy Spirit.” We must prepare our hearts for what God is about to do, for regardless of what any future shaking might be, or how severe it is, I assure you it will be followed by incredible revival. Corrective actions and discipline from God are to mature and prepare us, not destroy us (Hebrews 12:4-13). Verse 10 tells us they are “for our good.” Prepare yourself for Holy Spirit’s great outpouring - it is coming! Pray with me: Father, You are determined to reap a harvest of unprecedented proportions. Your love demands it, Christ paid for it, and Holy Spirit will generate it. As we prepare to partner with You in this, we are not afraid of any work You must do to prepare us. We know Your heart is merciful, and You discipline as a Father, to prepare us for greater fruitfulness. As we prepare, we choose to operate in the mind of Christ, who emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant (Philippians 2:5-8). We renounce and lay down the idols we’ve made of our reputations. In the future, we will seek to please You, not men (Galatians 1:10). Many in the church have chosen popularity over speaking truth; deliver us from this and replace it with a spirit of humility and boldness. And we ask You to show us any places in our lives where we have tolerated a religious spirit, turning to “form without power,” or have prioritized religious actions and works over intimacy with You. Forgive us for protecting our “comfort zones” with a false interpretation of “decently and in order.” We want Your order, which is sometimes shocking in its intensity and uncomfortable to our flesh. And we choose to become more flexible, rejecting the absurdity of putting You in man-made boxes. We determine to be pliable wineskins that can handle new wine. We do not care what revival looks like, as long as it comes from You. We also choose humility, acknowledging that we don’t know what Your actions will look like, only that they are good - always. We pray all of these things in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our Decree: We declare that we are flexible wineskins, that we trust our Father, and that He does all things well. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Much of today’s post was taken from the book, Pentecostal Fire, by Larry Sparks, published by Destiny Image. You can find out more about Larry at Larry Sparks Ministries. Vance, Haver. When God Breaks Through, ed. Dennis J. Hester (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2003). p. 58. Wagner, C. Peter. Changing Church (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2004). p. 19. Campbell, Duncan. Revival in the Hebrides. (N.p.: Kraus House Digital, 2015).

The God of the Impossible In seasons such as this, it is easy to lose hope if we take our eyes off of God’s Word and promises. Yes, our government is a mess and America is in desperate need. Yes, many prophets believe a shaking is coming to our nation. BUT God has said the shaking is to restore and reset us, not destroy us; it is redemptive in nature. We are obeying His instructions to cover our nation with prayer, and we can expect God to do what He said: America shall be saved! And revival is coming! I was with my good friend Gene Bailey last night in Fort Worth, joining him for a Flashpoint Live. It is only appropriate that I use a portion from his great book, Flashpoint of Revival, for today’s post. I love his statement in the first chapter of the book: “God does His best work in impossible situations.” Listen to what Gene says about this: “Historically when national issues don't go the way we think they should, we've turned on each other instead of the enemy of our faith. May that not be the way we move forward in this season. If we look above our circumstances and to the Lord, we are set to respond from a posture of faith and not fear. We must remember this fundamental truth: God does His best work in impossible situations. Let's look at a couple stories that highlight God's faithfulness in times of adversity. “When an angel appeared to Zechariah and prophesied the birth of John the Baptist, Zechariah had a hard time believing this. After all, he was old, and Elizabeth had been barren. Even getting pregnant seemed impossible - much less with someone like John the Baptist who would have such a powerful influence as a forerunner for Jesus Himself. Sure, they'd prayed for a child, but would God really answer? And was God answering like this? “The angel's description of Zechariah and Elizabeth's son-to-be was more than Zechariah could believe. He did what many of us would probably do - he looked at his circumstance, and he questioned the angel. Zechariah asked the angel, “How do you expect me to believe this? I'm an old man and my wife is too old to give me a child. What sign can you give me to prove this will happen?" Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel. I stand beside God himself. He has sent me to announce to you this good news. But now, since you did not believe my words, you will be stricken silent and unable to speak until the day my words have been fulfilled at their appointed time and a child is born to you. That will be your sign!" Meanwhile, the crowds outside kept expecting him to come out. They were amazed over Zechariah’s delay, wondering what had could have happened inside the sanctuary. When he finally did come out, he tried to talk, but he couldn’t speak a word, and they realized from his gestures that he had seen a vision while in the Holy Place. He remained mute as he finished his days of priestly ministry in the temple and then went back to his own home. Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for the next five months. With joy she exclaimed, "See how kind it is of God to gaze upon me and take away the disgrace of my barrenness!" (Luke 1:18-25 TPT) “What a great example of God performing the impossible. Did you notice that God had to silence Zechariah so he wouldn't speak his negativity and unbelief? If that happened nowadays every time there was unbelief, well...you know. But God had heard Zechariah and Elizabeth’s prayers and He didn’t allow the old man’s unbelief to stop His promise from coming to pass. He does for us what He did for Zechariah - He always works on our behalf - sometimes with us, and sometimes in spite of us! “We serve a God who is full of surprises. Take that one step further - He's especially good at doing the impossible. Often, we expect Him to do one thing and He does another. We anticipate Him moving in one direction, but He moves in a completely different way. Sometimes when we trust Him to handle something right away, God waits - for what seems like forever. At other times, we pray and prepare for a long wait, and almost immediately He answers the prayer for what we thought might never come to pass. “What we call impossible, God sees as no problem at all. “Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26 NIV) “‘For no word from God will ever fail’ (Luke 1:37 NIV). Nothing, not even the most overwhelming problem, is impossible to conquer with God. The truth is, His solutions are always much better than anything we could come up with on our own. “Many times, Christians are convinced that there is no way even God could intervene in their life. Because of this flawed thinking, they miss out on some of God's best work. God prefers to work in that problem you have relegated to the ‘impossible’ file. When we throw up our hands and say, ‘There is no way,’ God loves to prove He is who He says He is - God. “The story of Daniel and the lions' den is a perfect picture of the promises and faithfulness of God. King Darius was the ruler of Babylon, and he had appointed many men to assist him in governing and leading the city. These men advised King Darius to enforce a new law specifying that people should only worship and pray to the king, and anyone who worshiped or prayed to other gods would be thrown into the lions' den. Even in the midst of what seemed like certain death, God spared Daniel and then used him to save an entire nation. “I'm sure Daniel must have wondered (like us) if everything had been lost, but he refused to bow to a man and his self-imposed rules. With his windows open, Daniel prayed three times a day. The king was devastated when his men came to him with their allegations against Daniel. King Darius had supported Daniel, but when he realized he couldn't change the rules, Daniel was thrown into the lions' den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! My God sent His angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in His sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty." The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. (Daniel 6:20-23 NIV) “Don't lose hope. God has not forsaken this country. Let's learn from Zechariah the importance of silencing our unbelief. Let's look at our nation's situation through Daniel's eyes and keep our focus on God, no matter what's happening around us. America is not lost, but we are in a war for the very soul of our nation. And souls are what we are all about! Luke 19:10 states, "The Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost" (HCSB). Remember, God does His best work in impossible situations.” Pray with me: Father, thank You for Your encouragement to us. You truly are the God of the impossible, and do your best work in impossible situations. America’s condition does indeed look impossible. What a great opportunity for You to show just how powerful and merciful You are! You have sent Your forerunners in our day, just as You did in Christ’s. Prophetic voices have prepared the way, speaking of Your salvation and deliverance, just as the angel Gabriel and John did. We refuse to give any place to fear or unbelief. You will do as you have said, and You will NOT be stopped. You not only closed Zechariah‘s mouth for a season, You also closed the mouths of lions for Daniel! You are still closing mouths today, silencing Baal’s voice and silencing those through whom he speaks. Like Daniel, we have refused to bow the knee to him and his false gods, but have instead chosen to honor You. Now we will see You demonstrate Your great power. As Gene said in his book, You have not forsaken this country. And we have and will look at our nation’s situation through Daniel’s eyes, keeping our focus on You. We ask and declare these things in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen. Our Decree: We declare that our God, the God of the impossible, is demonstrating His great ability once again. Gene Bailey serves as Senior Executive Pastor of Eagle Mountain Church International and hosts Flashpoint and Revival Radio TV on the Victory Channel. Gene’s “revival man” calling continues to inspire and spark revival around the world. You can learn more about Gene Bailey at genebailey.com. Bailey, Gene. Flashpoint of Revival. (Shippensburg: Harrison House Publishers, 2021). pp. 10-17. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Front Line Volunteers “For the leaders leading in Israel, For the people volunteering, Bless the Lord!” (Judges 5:2 NASB) “Your people will volunteer freely on the day of Your power; In holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn, Your youth are to You as the dew.” (Psalm 110:3 NASB) The words “volunteer/volunteering” in these great verses come from a Hebrew word meaning not only to volunteer, but also carries the idea of spontaneity (nadab (1)/nedabah (2)). This word is used most often to describe freewill (voluntary) offerings and volunteer soldiers. It is also translated as “willing” or “willingly.” The verse in Judges was sung by the great prophet and judge, Deborah, after Israel’s victory over Sisera. The verse from Psalm 110 is a prophecy about you and me, the “Melchizedek Order” of priesthood under King/Priest Jesus. The chapter tells us that Yahweh will make Yeshua’s enemies His footstool by stretching forth His scepter of authority from us, His volunteer army. This is now occurring. Volunteer members of Christ’s Ekklesia are responding to His instructions by “painting” their state borders and “commanding the foreword” He wrote for America. I don’t believe I’ve seen anything like it before. Surely, heaven is rejoicing. Satan has tried to curse America and bring about her destruction. Were it not for God’s grace and mercy through Christ, he would have succeeded. But just as Balak failed in his attempt to destroy Israel by having Balaam prophesy/declare curses over them, satan will fail today to destroy America (Numbers 22-24). Balaam said he heard blessing from God over Israel, not curses, and added the great phrase, “The shout of a king is among them” (Numbers 23:21). The Complete Jewish Bible translated the verse, “Adonai their God is with them and acclaimed as king among them.” And the Amplified Bible says, “The Lord their God is with Israel, and the shout of their King is among the people.” God is releasing the shout of King Jesus over America through His volunteer army. We will survive, recover, and return to God and His destiny for us. Here are several encouraging reports from volunteers: From Tennessee The Lord and I were in the car for 10.5 hours, covering the TN/KY border along middle TN. We painted and closed the door to evil, including human trafficking & slavery in all of its forms. I prayed Psalm 91 over Fort Campbell and for revival fire to fall there. I used Psalm 110 and the various declarations posted on the website (Declaration by Robert Hunt, Declaration of Dependence, and Anoint the Borders Decree) as the Lord led. I worshipped, praised, and declared. Eight counties were covered. Praise the Lord for the privilege of traveling with Him throughout the day. Tennessee and America will be saved and is grafted into the Lord’s anchors and cables/guidelines for the coming season. Another from Tennessee Two other ladies and I met at the TN Map embedded at the North end of Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, near the Nashville Farmer's Market. We met at the Visitor's Center to paint/anoint all of the TN borders via the embedded TN Map (this map includes all the counties, county seats, and the capital). We prayed and declared the Declaration by Robert Hunt, the Declaration of Dependence, and the Anoint the Borders Decree. We also prayed for the State Capitol, Governor, and our Legislators. From Texas I spent the last two Saturdays anointing the borders of Fort Bend County, TX. I covered all the road and rail crossings on the northeast and southeast side, praying for the glory of the Lord to be revealed in this county and declaring the Foreword by Robert Hunt. I also decreed an end to child, human and sex trafficking. I prayed and anointed the flag poles at the Sugar Land police station & courthouse for protection and justice. Colorado and Utah We prayed for Utah and Colorado on July 17 and 18 as we flew [over them], anointing our states with oil - from the plane! Utah is my home state, I was grateful to be able to Command the Foreword, praying much from the state motto. We also prayed for the counties on the Utah border. Blessings and favor to all of you stepping up for this call to Paint Your States. Another from Utah July 2022, Salt Lake City, Utah The Lord gave a friend of mine an assignment to drive the perimeter of The Salt Lake City Valley 7 times, just as Joshua marched around Jericho. When she shared the assignment with me, I knew I was to be the driver [others joined them]. We began to drive the perimeter of the valley. We soon discovered how large it was; each drive took 4 to 6 hours, depending on how many stops we made. It took several months to complete all 7 trips. We made many declarations from Give Him 15, declarations the Lord gave to each of us, as well as declarations from Tim Sheets. It was the most powerful and transforming experience I have ever participated in. Plans for painting the borders are in process. From the Western part of the U.S. My husband Ed and I will embark on a 4500+ mile trip starting in Amarillo, Texas. We are going to Mt. Rushmore, Jackson Hole, over to the Grand Tetons, to the Olympic Peninsula, and down the coastline of California. We will spend 10 days in CA, then head home on Route 66. We will be gone 48 days and travel through 11 states, pouring out new wine and painting the borders with oil by reading the Declaration and Hunt’s decree. We had friends come over last night and pray, anointing us, our truck, and RV for the trip. Yellowstone July 24, 2023 We went through Yellowstone and came to the Continental Divide. We stopped and anointed the ground with oil, poured out new wine, and declared that the United States would not be divided by the enemy. We decreed that Holy Spirit was moving across the Continental Divide, bringing His remnant into unity, and sending them out into the harvest. Kansas Too much to share all of it, but yesterday a team from Kansas went to the geographic center of the U.S. in Lebanon, KS. There they reenacted Gina’s dream with the 8 anchors, cables, and steel rings. They laid it out at the exact center and made decrees, complete with flying the Appeal To Heaven and American flags. The Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina Border We took on Dutch’s prayer assignment today to pray over our state borders. It was an amazing 6.4-mile hike to Ellicott’s Rock! In 1811, Andrew Ellicot marked the borders of GA, SC, and NC [by carving into a large rock]. The only reason we found it (like a needle in a haystack) is because one of the women dropped her water bottle down the ridge, and when we climbed down to retrieve it, there was the rock! There are no trail markers! God is in the details. Mission accomplished! Your Workplace ​​Recently we received a report from some friends who work in government buildings. They have taken the Paint Your State/Command the Foreword assignment into the areas where God has assigned them to work. As they walk the halls and touch the doors, they discreetly anoint, pray, and command the foreword. Because of the united prayer taking place, they felt they were to take advantage of the “window of opportunity” during this season and pray over the government buildings where they spend much of their time. What a great opportunity this is! Such amazing reports - thanks to the thousands of you who are praying. And thanks to those who are keeping track of their states on maps, posting what counties/borders have been covered and which ones still need prayer. This was so needed. And as an aid to your prayers, we have posted on the website all the state Constitution preambles. These are powerful, stating faith in God and/or asking for His assistance. Some are decreeing them over their state; you might consider this, also. Pray with me: Father, thank You for raising up a volunteer army of intercessors in our land. Thank You for the strategy You have given to protect and secure our nation. We find ourselves rejoicing, much like Deborah, who said, “The leaders led, the people volunteered, bless the Lord!” We bless You for the plan, Your great people for volunteering, and give thanks for Your mercy to this nation. We are now releasing the shout of King Jesus over America. He said “America shall be saved.” We are decreeing His words, saying the same thing. He said the destiny of America was to preach the gospel of Your Kingdom to the ends of the Earth. We are decreeing and commanding those words over every state in America. They will not return void or empty, but will accomplish the assignment He gave them. We decree now - together - over this nation: Your kingdom come! Your will be done! On earth, as in heaven! The Earth - including all of America - is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof! Christ’s name seals this prayer, and His authority guarantees it. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the volunteer army of King-Priest, Jesus, is making His enemies His footstool. 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. 5068. Ibid. Ref. no. 5071.

Say What God Says Yesterday, we talked about the power of decreeing and declaring what God has said in the past, and also of relating his past works. Testimonies are powerful. We said there is power in His words, and the power remains (Tuesday's post). Today I want to develop this a little further to encourage you, as you “command the foreword” over our nation. Many Greek words simply cannot be fully translated into one English word. The Greeks used to brag that with their intricate language, they could say more in one word than any other could in an entire sentence. The pictorial Hebrew language is much the same - how do you describe the details and nuances of a picture in one word? This is why I do biblical word studies, and it’s why amplified and expanded translations are helpful. At times, one English word is used to translate several Greek words. We have written and spoken often of “time,” for instance, which is used to translate several Greek words, all with different meanings. Without knowing which Greek word was used - kairos? chronos? horaios? - it is often impossible to fully understand what Holy Spirit is saying. This is the case when discussing “God’s Word.” Four different Greek nouns are translated as a “word,” all having different nuances of meaning. Three of the four are used to describe the Word/s of God. One refers to written words (graphe) (1) and is also translated as “Scripture/s,” the written Word of God. Another is rhema,(2) which refers to spoken words. The words many of you are reading along with me are graphe; the words you are hearing me speak are rhemas. The third word is logos,(3) which means word/s, as well, but includes the message they are communicating. This is why we get our English words “logic” and “logical” from logos - because it includes the message, the understanding, the reasoning. Obviously, one can read or hear words and not truly understand them. When this occurs, the words are not yet logos, but are still only graphe or rhema. With this meaning, it is easy to see why Jesus was called “the Logos of God” (John 1:1). He did not merely speak words about God, life, truth, etc.; He WAS the message, embodying and revealing God, life, truth, etc., to us. He IS the message, He IS God revealed! This brings me to an important biblical word I want to define today, which describes what we are doing as we “command the foreword.” The word is homologia. (4) The first half comes from homou, (5) which means “same” or “together.” The second part of the word comes from logos. Homologia is usually translated as “confession” or “profession,” but neither of these words does it justice. A better translation would be either “say the same words,” or “say the same thing.” Yet, this still isn’t enough to fully understand homologia. In order to do so, we need to amplify it to “understand, agree with, and say the same thing.” Our “confession” of faith in God’s Word (Hebrews 10:23), and our “confession” of faith in Christ’s redemptive work when we were born again (Romans 10:10), literally mean “understanding, agreeing with, and saying what God says.” When we do so, His power is released! Many thousands of intercessors believe and are saying the same thing God said about America, both about our original purpose and our restoration of this. They are commanding the foreword, and decreeing that “America shall be saved.” A growing remnant of the Ekklesia - the church - now understands our authority in Christ, as well as our responsibility to use it. They have sharpened their swords and are ready to agree with Him, saying the same logos He has said. Here is still another principle that will encourage you as you “command the foreword.” For most of my life, I wondered why the Old Testament said, "God remembered…" I’ve always thought, He never forgets anything, so how could He remember? And why would He tell us in Isaiah 43:26: "Put Me in remembrance...” Why would we need to remind God? Then I studied the Hebrew word for "remember." My lexicon said the Hebrew word "remember" doesn't just mean "to recall." It said, “Remembering is not merely a recalling of the past but is also a call to action.” (6) Finally, the concept made sense. Of course, God doesn’t need us to help Him by pulling something out of His memory, as though He forgot about it. He wants US to recall His promises and ask HIM to do them. For example, this Hebrew concept of remembering would be like a person building their dream home. They have dreamed, planned, and promised themselves for years that they would one day do so, saved their money, and waited for the right time. He or she hasn’t “forgotten” about it; it’s always there in “the back of their mind.” The timing, however, for various reasons, just hasn’t been right. Then they realize it’s time, and begin thinking about it, “remembering” the house, not because they had forgotten about it, but because it is now time to build. They buy the land, if they haven’t already done so, have the plans drawn, get the permits, hire the builder, and build the house! That is “remember”! The Lord “remembered” Hannah, barrenness was broken off her, and she conceived (1 Samuel 1:19). Samson repented; God then said He “remembered” him, and his strength returned (Judges 16:28). God said He “remembered” His promise to Abraham, and the exodus process began (Exodus 2:24). When it’s the right time, and yes, sometimes that timing hinges upon our actions, God “remembers,” engaging His creative mind and power, and releases His great power and ability. In fact, one of the Hebrew words for “create” actually comes from the word for “think or imagine.” Individuals, including God, think about, dream of, or imagine something, then create it (Hebrew yetser and yatsar). As we “command the foreword” over America, saying what God said regarding our destiny and purpose, we are asking Him to remember and do it. We’ve heard Him saying it’s time for restoration and a heavenly reset of HIS decreed purposes. We’re declaring that we understand what He said about our nation, that we agree with it, and we will say the same thing. Pray with me: ​​Father, You have given us Your Word, the Scriptures, to reveal Your will, nature, and ways. You have given us Holy Spirit to instruct us in Your word, revealing its meanings and bringing it to life. This produces revelation and faith in us, and reproduces Your life. And when we agree with You, saying what You have said, it releases the power of Your words in our decrees and prayers. It also honors and pleases You when we believe and say Your words. You also give us prophetic insight and words through Holy Spirit. He enables us to discern the times and seasons; He guides and directs us in our lives, prayers, and decisions. He has shown us that we must cover our borders with prayer and command the foreword You wrote for America. We are doing so. Now we ask You to remember and do! Use our decrees, which carry Your power, to release life, protect our land, stave off evil, and overthrow wickedness. Restore, rebuild, and reset until America is ablaze with holy fire. Do so until America burns with passion to carry the gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the Earth. Overthrow evil. Remove corruption in our government, whatever it takes. Save America, as You have said You will. We ask these things in Christ’s all-powerful name. Amen. Our decree: We declare that as we understand and say what God says, His infinite power is released to accomplish His purposes. Therefore, the foreword will survive and prosper. 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. 1124. Ibid. Ref. no. 4487. Ibid. Ref. no. 3056. Ibid. Ref. no 3671. Ibid. Ref. no 3674. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), p. 129.

Full Circle, Higher Level Several years ago, I had an interesting experience with the Lord that led to new insights. While in worship, I heard Him say, “I am bringing you full circle.” As I contemplated this, I was convinced the "you" was plural - not just me, but we, the body of Christ. As I continued meditating on this, Holy Spirit gave me a vision; I was looking down from heaven to earth and could see what appeared to be a circle being drawn on the ground. I was then moved from above to a side view. From this perspective, I could now see that it wasn’t actually a flat circle on the ground, but a spiral upward, like a giant coil. Using this visual as a picture, the Lord said to me, “Full circle, higher level. I have now taken the church to a new level. She will do things she has done before, but at higher levels of effectiveness. Authority and power will be released, but at higher levels. Another season of miracles will be released…revelation will be imparted…revival is coming…all at higher levels. Full circle, higher level.” I mentioned this in a message a short time later, and a man approached me after the service. "I am a Spirit-filled, Messianic Jewish rabbi,” he said. “I found your picture and comments regarding the circle interesting. This is very similar to what we Jews believe regarding time, and a related word in the Hebrew language." Continuing, he said, "Do you know what the word ‘testimony’ means in Hebrew?” I answered, "No, I have never actually studied that." "Well,” he said, “the root word for 'testimony' means, 'to repeat; to do again,’ or 'do time again.' It does not mean only to 'tell about or give witness of something.’” As clearly as I can recall, he continued by saying, “It’s like time is pregnant with God’s words and power. The Everlasting God places the power to do or accomplish something into time, and it is forever there. His words are eternal, alive, and powerful (Psalm 119:89; Hebrews 4:12). Through His laws, principles, and Word, we can tap into this power. Declaring what He has done in the past is one of the ways we do so. “So, we believe that when one declares God’s Word or shares what He did in the past, a testimony, the same power is released to ‘do it again’ today. That's why we believe it's so important to tell our children what God did in the past, and why God was angry with Israel when they neglected to teach them Israel’s history. For example, we believe that when we tell our children about the exodus - how God delivered Israel from Egypt at Passover through great signs and wonders - the same power is released again. Our children receive the power of Passover and deliverance. We believe this power can be released again, and again, and again, and again.” And I was just, well, speechless. But he wasn’t finished. "We have actually begun acting on this by sending people who have been supernaturally healed to other sick people - repeatedly; all they do is share their testimony of healing. And people are being healed!” My head was spinning. But he STILL wasn’t finished! He then spoke of time in relationship to this. “We don’t measure time in a linear fashion as Westerners do, as in a timeline. We see time as cyclical, like the circle you saw, and we believe God does things in cycles. We actually believe that as time cycles annually, and we reach the time of year when God did something in history, it’s easier to tap into the power again. During the time of Israel's feasts, for example, we believe it’s easier to tap into what God ‘placed’ in that feast-time.” To say he set me on a quest would be an understatement. I set out to discover if these things were true. I’m still not certain I understand all of it, but I have at least been able to confirm some of what he said. I studied the Hebrew word for testimony, eduwth/eduth, and sure enough, the root word (ud or uwd) means, “repeat or do again.” The lexicon said It refers to “the continuance of a past event.” For this reason, the Arabic words for “return” and “habit” come from this same root. (1) As I considered all of this, I realized we have had elements of this concept in our Christian faith, but haven't fully understood it. We preach the gospel, which is “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16). We know power is released when we re-tell the gospel story - the same power to save, deliver, and heal that was generated at Calvary 2000 years ago. The power is there, just waiting to be released. Many believe, and I am one of them, that when we eat the bread and drink the cup of Communion, the same power that came forth at Calvary should be released to us again. We are to “partake of” it, which is what the word for communion actually means (koinonia) (2). Sadly, many have not been taught this, and therefore, do not activate their faith to receive it. I believe the power remains in this covenantal act, however, and when we “testify” of Christ’s sacrifice, mixed with faith, power is released. I found myself wondering: maybe this is why the Bible says, “We overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of our TESTIMONY!” (Revelation 12:11). Perhaps this is why it is important that "The redeemed of the Lord SAY SO!" (Psalm 107:2). Command the Foreword Could this be why God told us to “command the foreword?” I believe it is. When we testify of His past works and words in our nation (or our lives, of course), the power is released again. Paul told Timothy when he was facing great opposition and discouragement: “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that BY THEM you fight the good fight” (I Timothy 1:18, emphasis mine). Fascinating. Use the prophecies spoken over you with which to war spiritually. Isaiah 55:11 tells us prophecies from God have “assignments” in them: ”So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them” (The Message). “Do the work” is the word asah in Hebrew, one of the primary Old Testament words for create. (3) “My words have creative power,” God is saying. “And they will do what I have assigned them to do.” When we with faith read Robert Hunt’s God-given prophecy over America, it releases God’s power and the assignment His words carry. When we read the inspired covenantal words of America’s Founders - in the Declaration, the Constitution, the State Constitutions, their prayers, etc - we are releasing God’s power and the synergy of the ages. Why else would satan fight to distort and rob us of our godly history? Why else would he fight the principle of decreeing God’s written Word and prophetic words? If this did nothing, he would want us to waste our time doing so. Stay the course! Pray with me: Forever, oh Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89). Your words are just as powerful today as they were when You first spoke them. They are alive and powerful (Hebrews 4:12), spirit and life, (John 6:63). They never return void, empty, or fruitless, but always accomplish their assignments (Isaiah 55:11). They are seeds, containing reproductive, multiplicative power (Matthew 13:37; 1 Peter 1:23). Your words produce faith (Romans 10:17), multiplied fruit (Matthew 13:23), and victory in battle (I Timothy 1:18; Ephesians 6:17). When we speak them, we are not demanding from You, but honoring You, demonstrating our trust. Therefore, we commit ourselves to command Your Word in order to produce life, to defeat satan and his plans against our lives, families, states, and nations. We will release them to accomplish the victory of Calvary: We declare that the gospel will go forth from these shores to every tribe, tongue, and nation on earth. We declare that America exists to preach the gospel of the Kingdom to all nations - and will do so. We declare that as all other kingdoms, systems, anti-Christ plans and activities are shaken down, Your Kingdom will stand. We know that the coming shaking is Your mercy to turn America back to You and Your purposes, in order that hundreds of millions of people here and around the world be saved. We declare that America’s borders are protected from every satanic plan to destroy this nation. All of these things we say, ask, and seal in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We declare that the millions of prayers and decrees released over America (and over other nations) are alive, and will NOT fail to produce God’s will and purposes. Click on the link below watch the full video. _______________________________ R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1980), p. 648. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 2842. Ibid. Ref. no. 6213.

Engage and Win It Today’s post was written by my brother, Tim Sheets. Here’s what he says: “I awakened recently, burdened by the Holy Spirit to pray for our nation. He told me that the months of June, July, and August would lead to a time of shaking in September and beyond, which would lead us into a reset. He then reminded me of a prophetic dream I had in June of 2022 that I believe is now in its moment. “In the dream, which I will share momentarily, I had gone to pray in Washington, D.C. on July 4th and was in Lafayette Park, which is across the street from the White House. I have actually prayed there before in real life. In the dream, I felt led to go to a spot where I had actually prayed with Dutch and Ken Malone, 7 years ago (2016). On that literal prayer journey in 2016, Chuck Pierce had given us a golden vav, a stake, and prophesied, ‘Use this as a symbol. Go to Washington, D.C., drive it into the ground, and decree that we are re-staking claim to America. God will show you where to place it.’” “We had been praying for over an hour about where to place the stake and had backed up into the park, about 50 yards or so from the front fence of the White House, when we saw a guy coming towards us. As he got closer, I said, ‘Guys, that’s an angel! “He kept coming but didn't make eye contact. He simply walked in front of us, 2 or 3 feet away, and said six times: ‘Mercy, mercy, mercy, mercy, mercy, mercy.’ And kept walking. “Dutch said, ‘We gotta talk to him!’ We looked for him, but he was gone. Well, it didn’t take a genius to know what we were gonna pray. We started asking God for His mercy!” “So, back to the June 2022 dream. In the dream, I’m thinking, I’m going to stand where that angel spoke to us. And I went to that spot. As I stood there praying (again, in the dream), looking at the White House, I saw a guy, maybe 100 yards or so away. He was carrying a tree trunk about a foot and a half in diameter and around 12 feet long! And I'm thinking in the dream, He’s carrying a tree trunk! There's no way a human can carry a 12 foot long tree trunk. That can't be…he can’t be a human! This has to be an angel. “As he came closer and closer to me, I could see that it was, indeed, an angel. He was a very, very big angel with muscles rippling all over, and he carried the log under one arm as he approached. Stopping directly in front of me, he stood still, staring at me. “In the dream, I finally asked the obvious, ‘Why are you carrying that tree trunk?’ “And he answered me in the language and demeanor of a soldier, which was very telling. ‘Sir, it’s not a tree trunk. It’s a battering ram.’ “‘Well,’ I said, ‘What are you going to do with it, soldier?’ I knew to call him ‘soldier’ because of the way he spoke. “He responded, ‘There are four of us surrounding the White House. We’re here to break down Lucifer's barriers that protect Baal’s roots.’ “I said to him, ‘Well, why did you…why did you come and reveal that to me?’ “Then he said, ‘Sir, permission to proceed?’ I responded, ‘Soldier, proceed.’” (End of dream.) “Since this dream, the seraphim order of angels has been revealed to me. Seraphim are the most powerful angels, and recently I realized that the angel carrying the battering ram was a seraph. These angels are being led by Holy Spirit, fueled by millions of prayers, decrees and proclamations of God’s Word, and are now hearkening to bring these prayers and decrees to pass. In this dream, I was representing the body of Christ, the Ekklesia. It is time for the Ekklesia to declare, ‘proceed.’ “After some time spent praying into this, Holy Spirit reminded me of the following prophecy which I also believe is in its moment: “The Lord says, ‘I am releasing my Mighty ones to break up entrenched evils. They will strike the forever loser and his protections of diabolical root systems in America’s capital and in the state capitals. Michael will release, in sufficient numbers, war angels to unlock this nation and break barrier walls. Cover-ups will be uncovered. Taunting giants who oppose God will fall. Strongholds of darkness will be battered and their influence shattered. My angels are merging with My people to break the forces of evil in Washington, D.C. My unshakable Kingdom will rise in waves of ‘power strategies’ that will bring My covenant roots into alignment. Hear the sound of My Kingdom battering rams resounding against wicked strategies of Baal’s systems. The abominations will not stand,’ says the Lord. ‘For overwhelming might will come to bear upon covenant-breakers seeking to destroy My purpose for the land. “‘A war season, very fierce, will soon begin. Engage and win it with My power, released through prayer, decrees of faith, and worship warfare. Know that an agitated spirit realm will stir violence in the natural realm. But I will send fresh power from heaven to resource My remnant, and fresh fire will be seen in the King’s glorious presence upon their altars. My glory will hover over them, manifesting My support. In this war season, the functioning Ekklesia, My glorious church, will rise to operate in higher levels of authority. Its advance will be rapid. Rapid strikes will be released against hindering spirits, government tyranny, and cultural systemic evils. “‘The world will see the deployment of heaven’s Kingdom Ekklesias and heaven’s angel armies. This will suddenly and aggressively be revealed. The world will see the fierceness of hell’s battle against My Kingdom, superseded by the fierceness of My wrath against their allegiance to Baal. My fierce deployment of 5-fold ministries and the saints - My church - will now engage. My intercessors will deploy on strike missions against hell’s dominion in ways and numbers not seen before. Angels of glory will deploy on their strike missions. Yes, the striking power of My Kingdom will activate in My war season. Do not fear the war season, anticipate the victories! Iniquitous roots will wither under this deployment as power and authority elevates in the King’s remnant and justice is ministered righteously. The withering of hell’s kingdom will be seen in indisputable ways, for the heirs of Kingdom authority are being seated in their places of influence, and their angels are aligning with their assignments. “‘For the Lord of hosts makes this immutable promise, I will answer hell’s challenge. I will answer the world’s mocking. A new breed of eager champions are hearing the sound of marching. The battle will be engaged and great victories will be wrought. ‘For know,’ says the Lord of Hosts, ‘in this war season, the influence of My Kingdom is amping up. I will amplify My voice on the earth. I will amplify the voice of My church and My heirs. My gospel and truth will be amplified. My angels are working to amplify the efforts of My Kingdom. I have issued the order, “Amp it up.”’ “In the next month and a half leading up to September, at which time a great shaking will lead to a reset, be strong and declare your confidence in God’s guaranteed promises. A move of God is now in process and it will not be stopped.” Pray with me: Lord, we declare our confidence in You and we stand strong upon Your promises. Open the door of heaven for angels to ascend and descend, mobilize Your angels across the land. Let the corruption that is hidden in government be exposed. Let it be battered, shattered, and scattered by the Kingdom of Almighty God. Accelerate confusion into the camp of the adversary. We declare a boldness will rise upon us to say what You say without fear or intimidation. We declare the will of the Lord will be done. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. Our decree: Angels, proceed! In the name of Jesus, tear down satan‘s strongholds over Washington, D.C. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim. You can learn more about him at TimSheets.org

Be Brave It’s good to be with you today. It’s been a while since I’ve shared with you, so I asked Dutch if I could take a day to spend some time with you. He’s in the office working on a wonderful teaching you’ll be hearing next week - it’s one of my favorites. I want to share from my heart today. Here we find ourselves in 2023, after having lived through a worldwide pandemic, and for me, I spent 2022 dealing with the greatest health challenge I’ve ever experienced. I don’t think there was anyone who wasn’t touched by the pandemic in one way or another. We are now all on the other side of these situations, getting reacquainted with life - going to restaurants, taking vacations, and such. Although we have weathered the non-stop hand sanitizer, the constant wearing of masks, and all the other extenuating circumstances, the thing I missed the most during those years, was gathering together with other believers. Our church stayed closed much longer than we had hoped, and to be honest, nothing was the same afterward. Personally, I have been pretty dry, even starved, as it were, for presence-driven worship and fellowship with like-minded believers. So, last week I did something about it. I went to a conference led by our friend, Cindy Jacobs - The Deborah Company Conference, in Dallas, TX. Because of my illness in 2022 and the pandemic, I hadn’t been to a conference or attended anything like it in quite a few years. I know there are other great conferences and churches I could visit, but I felt that Holy Spirit had something for me in Dallas, and He did. Some of my friends whom I’d not seen in years also attended this particular conference, so there were lots of hugs as well as amazing speakers. For me, there’s nothing like worshipping - being in God’s presence with other believers. The room roared as like-minded hearts worshipped Jesus together. It ministered to my soul. Hebrews 10:25 in the Passion Translation says: “This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward…” I came home with my cup full. I also came home with my heart challenged. Through the speakers, I heard about women who are involved in helping young girls (and children) get out of human trafficking. The movie, The Sound of Freedom, is in theaters right now. It’s the story of Tim Ballard, a man who was gripped by the need to help those imprisoned in human trafficking. Sad to say, this is an epidemic, not just in the world but in our country, as well. Although these situations make us feel helpless, there are things we can do to help people get free. I also met a lovely woman who is the wife of the president of one of the African nations. This dear lady, who is a strong believer, shared her story about going to every state in her nation, having a local meeting, and praying for her people. This first lady wasn’t concerned about her social standing or even her safety. Her heart was broken for their people, wanting to do whatever she could to help them. However, she knew that help begins in the spirit realm. We don’t have to look very far to see the dire needs within our own country. It’s not the same place it was even five years ago. Dutch, my favorite teacher, does a masterful job of teaching us that we are in a spiritual war and have tools - spiritual tools with which to battle the enemy. Even though the needs in some places within our country are dire, we must encourage ourselves and tell ourselves the truth: we are not without hope. While the news outlets want us to believe evil has won, that’s just not true. John 16:33 (TPT) tells us: “And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in Me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in Me. For in this unbelieving world, you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!”” Romans 8:37 (TPT): “Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and His demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything!” And one of my favorite verses: “Never let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good” Romans 12:21 (TPT). There are ways we can help with human trafficking. This has gripped many of our hearts, and it should. Give to a ministry that IS on the front lines helping rescue these women and men - they need funds to do what they do, and they must have your prayers. Pray for them - pray that evil will be uncovered and exposed. And pray for their protection. My challenge to all of us today is not to stand still. Do something. The pandemic seemed to paralyze us, making us want to stay at home and not get involved in anything! We have been taunted by fear if we get involved in anything. But today, I’m issuing a call - even a summons. We are good at praying - and we definitely need prayer - but we must also DO. Ask Holy Spirit where you are to serve. We all feel comfortable serving in our local church. Without us realizing it, however, we have formed a subconscious response. If the needy come to church, we will be there for them - help in any way we can. But let’s be real. They are not coming to the church. Jesus went to them, and so should we. It’s time to get uncomfortable. Tell yourself the truth - You (me/we) are all part of the solution; now, let’s do it. We are already dissatisfied with what we see - the needs are great. But maybe He is asking you to really get uncomfortable, possibly even to run for the local school board (which, by the way, is one of the easiest places to get elected). You don’t have to currently have children in school to be on these boards. Maybe you can help out at a food bank, a clothing distribution center, or a local ministry that helps within your city or county. We have one in our area - run by a single mom - who helps the migrant workers in our area, making sure their children have backpacks and school supplies, as well as a gift at Christmas. They help in many other ways, as well. These ministries are in your cities - and the needs are endless. When you ask Him, Holy Spirit will show you where and how to help. We are His hands; we are His feet - every single day - maybe through just a hug or a kind word. As Holy Spirit leads, ask if you can pray with those you come in contact with - He can give you a word of knowledge (1 Corinthians 12:8-11) that will open the door to you being able to share Christ and His love with them. Years ago, we moved into a new neighborhood. I baked loaves of banana bread, cut them in half, wrapped them nicely, and tied each one with a lovely ribbon. Dutch and I went door to door to each house on our street, introduced ourselves, told them where we lived, and extended our friendship. One lady almost didn’t open the door when we knocked. She said, “I’ve heard about people doing this, but I’ve never seen it done before.” There are many ways we can extend our friendship, our knowledge and wisdom, our service, and our prayers. Allow Holy Spirit to strengthen you while in your quiet times with Him. Ask Him how and where He would like for you to represent Him. Maybe He is asking you to get involved in your local government. Perhaps it is praying over a map of your city, county, region, or nation while at your kitchen table. We must have prayers because they fuel everything else we do. Today, God is asking some of you to be courageous and obedient - our time of sitting in our homes is over. It’s time to use what God has given us, and be brave. Pray with me: Father, I thank You for my friends who are here with me today. Thank You for their desire to know and serve You. We are all on the same team - fighting for our families, our cities, and our nation. We link arms today and agree together for Your Spirit to sweep over our land. Lord, these areas You’ve given us - the things You ask us to pray for, the places where You ask us to go, the assignments where You ask us to serve - we do it with Your strength, and boldly ask for Your wisdom. Fill us with Your Spirit. Help us to represent You well. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen. Our decree: We decree that we will be courageous and obedient, getting out of our own little worlds to represent Him! Click on the link below to watch the full video.

God Always Outwits the Crafty One One of the important aspects of prophetic intercession is to serve as watchmen. The praying church is maturing in this understanding. Adam was actually assigned to be a watchman. He was told in Genesis 2:15 to “keep” (Hebrew: shamar)(1) - guard, protect, preserve - the garden of Eden. Shamar is one of the primary words for watchman in Scripture. Adam’s assignment to protect the garden had to be related to the serpent. Before the Fall, the only possible thing Adam could have needed to protect it from was the serpent. There were no other threats or enemies. The first mention of satan in Scripture (Genesis 3:1) describes him as being more “crafty” than any other creature. The word used (arum),(2) comes from a Hebrew word (aram),(3) meaning smooth or bare. God was telling Adam that satan was slick, smooth, cunning, wily. Watch him! Applying this to all of us, our biblical assignment as watchmen is to protect our “gardens” from the crafty serpent. Adam failed in this assignment. Israel also failed at times to guard against satan’s craftiness; yesterday I highlighted one of those occasions. I chose this incident with the Gibeonites because the same word used to describe satan’s craftiness was used to describe this people. Israel was deceived by the crafty Gibeonites into entering a covenant relationship with them (Joshua 9:4). Though they were a local people, they dressed in old, worn clothes, making it appear that they had come from a distant land, wanting to make a covenant with them [the Israelites] (Joshua 9:3-15). This incident clearly symbolizes or pictures all humankind being deceived by the craftiness of the serpent, thereby aligning with him. (You can learn more about this in Wednesday's post.) Covenants were sacred in those days, an agreement Israel could not just back out of or ignore. This covenant, in fact, was so binding that a short time later Joshua and Israel honored it by defending the Gibeonites in war! (Joshua10). Another proof of its sacredness can be seen many years later during David’s reign over Israel. His generation was experiencing a severe curse of famine (2 Samuel 21). When David asked the Lord about the root or cause of this curse, he was told it was because his predecessor, King Saul, had broken the covenant with the Gibeonites. David had to make amends. That…was the strength of covenant! Although the deceptive covenant with the cunning Gibeonites could not be broken, God decided to use it to paint an important picture. Through this crafty scheme, He would demonstrate that His infinite wisdom far exceeds satan’s craftiness; He would use it to picture 1 Corinthians 3:19: “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: ‘He is the one who catches the wise by their craftiness’” (NASB). As you will see, God’s play on words here is amazing. “Catches” is the Greek word drassomai,(4) which means “to entrap or capture.” No surprise there. It comes from drakon,(5) which means “a dragon or great serpent,” because that’s what dragons and serpents do to their prey: they catch, entrap, or capture them. Still no surprise. But drakon is also one of satan’s names, used of him twelve times in the book of Revelation (12:3, 4, 7, 9, 13, 16, 17; 13:2, 4, 11; 16:13 and 20:2). God actually uses one of satan’s own names, “serpent,” the very name associated with his craftiness, when describing how He outwits and traps him! “My wisdom is so great,” God is saying in this verse, “that I entrap the crafty serpent using his own craftiness!” Now, back to Joshua. God decided to illustrate this and hide a picture of the Cross in the Gibeonite situation. The “crafty” Gibeonites would picture the “crafty” serpent. Joshua was instructed by the Lord to make them, “Hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord” (Joshua 9:27). Use them to make preparations for the atoning sacrifices, Joshua. The altar of the Lord, where the blood of atonement was shed, symbolized the Cross. By using the “crafty” Gibeonites to prepare the wood and altar for the atoning sacrifices, God was demonstrating what He would one day do with “crafty” satan: use him to make preparations for the ultimate atoning sacrifice: Christ’s crucifixion. Get the whip ready, satan. Gather the spikes, weave the crown, hew the wooden cross. The all-wise God would use satan’s “craftiness” to orchestrate his own demise! ONLY GOD! This Old Testament occurrence is an incredible assurance that God can reverse the subtleties of our adversary - the dragon, the serpent - and use them against him. Through God's amazing grace and wisdom, which always supersedes Satan's subtlety, even our mistakes can be used to bless us, to work for our good (Romans 8.28). Today The serpent’s crafty enslavement of America will backfire on him. A generation of young people will be shown that they are being robbed of their destiny through lies about God and truth. They will be shown that their pain, disillusionment, loss of identity and purpose, have actually come from satan and his lying voices. Events will be orchestrated by Yahweh that allow them to taste of His goodness and love. This will forever “ruin” them to all other sources of fulfillment. The destructive lies and deception they were fed will fill them with righteous indignation, fuel the flames of holy passion, and make them the most devastating generation to the kingdom of darkness the world has ever seen. Others will also taste and see God’s goodness, then turn on satan. Drug addicts and dealers will become powerful deliverers of the bound. Terrorists, like Paul, will become apostles and evangelists. Slave traders like John Newton(6) will become pastors of abolitionists - as he became for William Wilberforce,(7) the greatest abolitionist in history; they’ll write anthems like Newton’s Amazing Grace, the most often sung testimony in history. Do not doubt it: for every venomous bite of the serpent, God has the antidote. For every crafty plan, He has a redemptive strategy. The Cross oozes the anti-venom, life-giving blood of Christ. It cleanses from ALL sin and unrighteousness - former sins cannot even be seen through it. It changes natures and eradicates sinful DNA, replacing it with God’s divine nature. The blood of Jesus heals every wound, restores dreaming natures, and puts new songs in hearts. The power of the Cross exposes every serpentine plan and releases God’s wise, pre-planned victory strategies. Prayer, offered through faith in Christ’s sacrifice, releases this. Humble appeals, offered from repentant and faith-filled hearts, releases the very salvation of God. Watchmen have been awakened, the sleeping giant has been roused, and the ambassadorial representatives of Christ are beginning to release His authority. The borders of homes, cities, states, and nations are being painted, restoring the garden. The foreword is being commanded, releasing God-given destinies from the archives of heaven…and the great Dragon-Slayer is taking action. As Founder Samuel Adams stated, “We have appealed to Heaven for the justice of our cause, and in Heaven we have placed our trust.”(8) Keep appealing and decreeing, church. It worked then, and it will work now. Pray with me: Father, You are great and greatly to be praised. You perform wondrous works, Your wisdom is without measure, Your love is boundless - truly there is no one like You. Thank You for loving us unconditionally, even while we were Your enemies. We love You because You first loved us. The Cross is the ultimate proof that You are able to capture the serpent with his own craftiness. We appeal for this regarding our nation/s, asking You to once again turn the tables on the crafty serpent. Break America’s covenant with death through the power of the Cross. Use satan’s plans, oppression, lies, addictions, deceptions - all of his actions - as part of the awakening. Expose him for who he is: a vicious hater, thief, killer, and destroyer. Raise up more watchmen to cover, decree and appeal. Give us greater understanding, discernment and revelation of our authority to do this. May a functioning Ekklesia swell to hundreds of millions around the world, those who know how to keep the serpent out of their gardens. Use their prayers to release truth, deliverance, salvation, and revival. Use them to raise up revivalists, deliverers, reformers, nation-changers and culture-reformers. This is Your will, we ask in Christ’s name, therefore it will occur. Amen - so be it. Our decree: We decree that the all-wise God of redemption, the God of the Cross and Resurrection, is reversing the fortunes of people and nations. Click on the 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. 8104. Ibid. Ref. no. 6175. Ibid. Ref. no. 6191. Ibid. Ref. no. 1405. Ibid. Ref. no. 1404. https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Newton https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Wilberforce https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/samuel-adams-quotes