Connect the Dots I’m very excited about today’s post because I have a special guest, Pastor Clay Nash. Clay is not only a personal friend, but also a seasoned prophet, hearing from the Lord very clearly. Occasionally Clay sends amazing dreams for me personally, and also for the church at large. I’ve known Clay and Susan for many years and we have a great relationship. It’s been an incredible journey and I’m thrilled to have him on the program today. At the end of today’s post, you’ll find a link where you can find out more about Clay and his ministry. He also does a prayer call every afternoon at 2:22 PM EST, and every Tuesday night at 9 PM EST. Hundreds of people participate in the calls, agreeing in prayer together for our nation. You can find out how to join that call on Clay’s information provided at the end of today’s post. So, Clay, what’s on your heart today; what do you hear God saying? Clay begins to share: “Thank you, Dutch. I’m honored to be with you and all the people who are part of Give Him 15. Today I want to talk about the Ekklesia becoming one. Ezra 3:1 says, ‘And all of Israel came into Jerusalem as one man.’ “I’d like to share two dreams with you. This first dream came a couple of years ago and took place at Cape Henry where Robert Hunt erected a cross. I am moved to tears each time I read the prayer and the covenant he made there. “In the dream, there was a tsunami wave coming. Leaders were there as well as other followers of Christ. As we saw the tsunami was coming, a plane flew by and had a message behind it: ‘Help is on the way!’ It was interesting that the message was waving vertically, not horizontally. “I believe, as the dream indicated, that help is coming! I believe not only is God, through Holy Spirit, coming to help us, but help is also coming through the Ekklesia. There are many watchmen on the wall and I am grateful for every one of them. Back in 2018, the Lord told me to start praying for the next Supreme Court Justice. We didn't know at that time that it would be Justice Kavaunaugh. I started praying in 2018, and thought it would be an assignment for only a few months. However, God had other plans. We’ve now been holding daily prayer for our nation since that time. It’s been wonderful. I will tell you, it’s been challenging at times, especially when you are traveling. But there has been a grace on it. I receive many emails asking that we not stop this daily time of concerted prayer. “But let’s talk about ‘becoming one,’ as I mentioned earlier. Jesus spoke in John chapter 17 about us being one with the Father. I believe there is a new dimension of the body of Christ - the Ekklesia, the praying church - coming together. It excites me, Dutch, especially in light of a recent prophetic encounter I had. “I recently preached at CityGate Church in Southaven, MS, on a Friday night. Sometime the next morning, I had a dream. Then, I got up that day, filmed a couple of YouTube videos, and then headed to Coleman, Alabama - but I didn’t remember the dream which is not unusual for me. “I got into the service in Coleman, turned around, and looked at the second row behind me. To my surprise, there sat a lady who had been in the dream. Dutch interjects: “Wait a minute. I want to make sure we get this. You saw a lady in the crowd, and then Holy Spirit brought the dream back to you, and you started remembering it then?” Clay responds: “Yes!” Dutch asked: “ Did you know this lady?” Clay shares: “No, I did not know her. My dream life has shifted this year and I regularly see an angel that guards the Justice Gate. In this particular dream, the angel mentioned the name ‘Destiny’ to me. He actually said, ‘I want to give Coleman, Alabama, a miracle like I gave Destiny’s mother.’ “I had not been to Coleman, Alabama in nine or ten years. I didn’t know anyone there named Destiny. I asked the lady who was in the second row (whom I saw in the dream), ‘Do you know a Destiny that has significance to this city - Coleman?’ She said, ‘Well, I have a niece named Destiny but she doesn’t live in Coleman.’ Then the lady next to her said, ‘I just started a church named ‘Destiny.’’ Well, I knew that wasn’t it. So we moved on and I started preaching. “As I was speaking, I mentioned this story, and a minister whom I know was there. He said, ‘I know who Destiny is! It is Deborah Joe Billinger’s daughter. Her mother was a back up singer to Leonard Skinner and was one of the band members who survived the awful plane crash. “Pastor Garrett (the host pastor) said, ‘Oh my goodness, I met Destiny two weeks ago in a restaurant where she works. I saw her name tag and gave her a [prophetic] word!’ “God began to knit this together and I didn’t even notice that a young man named Michael went over and sat by the pastor (Michael used to traveled with Eddie James). As they talked with each other on the front row, I continued preaching and because of the dream, we stopped to have prayer for Destiny. “I asked the Lord, ‘What do you have for Destiny? We ask that You begin to touch her.’ “Unknown to me, after talking with the pastor, Michael left the service and went to where Destiny was working. Although he did not personally know her, he walked up and began telling her that there was a prophet in a service there in Coleman that night who had a dream about her. “Destiny then went to her supervisor and told him she had to leave. She came to the church and actually walked the front. We began ministering prophetically to her. She has been heart broken. Her mother - who was not killed in the plane crash - had a Christian background and had turned back to God, serving Him. However, sadly, her mother died of cancer in 2010. This had devastated Destiny. “What we found out that night was about a week prior to this, Destiny had told the Lord, ‘I can’t reach out to you - I’m just done. If you don’t reach out to me, I’m not going to make it.’ We poured in the love of God and ministered more to her prophetically. Holy Spirit put new wind in her sail. She has a song writing ability like her mother. I prophesied to her about this and asked Holy Spirit to awaken the gift that was dormant. I was able to connect her to a Christian country music artist who is willing to mentor her. What an amazing story. “God is fitly joining us together. There is a synergy in the earth right now like I’ve never seen before. Here's what I want to show you - think about how God put this all together: “I have the dream, the lady on the second row didn't even attend that church, but decided to visit that night. Had she not come, I would not have been reminded of the dream. She even said, ‘I just knew I had to be here tonight.’ “The pastor shared that he had recently spoken to Destiny and told her, ‘You know, God has something for you. He's going to draw you back to Him.’ “Michael knew where Destiny worked, goes there and talks with her. Destiny hears something in what Michael says - she's desperate for God, then leaves work to come to the service. We all gather around and minister to her, prophesing healing to her wounds, disappointment, and loss of hope. God then begins the healing process. Actually, part of the prophetic word He said to her was, ‘I'm going to put you on the road to “Wellsville”’ and He began to heal her. “After receiving ministry that night, Destiny changed. She actually looked 10 to 15 years younger by the end of that service. What a night of healing for this young lady. “I'm saying that I was a dot that night, pastor Garrett was a dot, the lady on the second row was a dot, Michael was a dot, Destiny was a dot, and then the other dot was a church coming together in agreement with all of this. “A life was changed. Just think about it. The word of the Lord came to Destiny that she was going to write songs and people would be healed when they heard them. That's another dot. “The body of Christ, the praying church, the Ekklesia, especially those that have recognized their legislative ability in the spirit, who have married their priestly anointing to their kingly authority - we're all joining together. “This thing is changing. “The media gives us a bunch of lies - it's a bunch of talking points - they tell us what they want us to believe. I believe the body of Christ is going to come together. The nation is turning. Salvation is coming. Healing is coming. Manifestations are coming. Signs and wonders are coming. The Mavericks are coming in - the unbranded ones. “Somebody listening today is probably ‘unbranded.’ You haven’t found your ‘tribe.’ You haven't found where you ‘fit.’ Let me tell you why many people are Mavericks: because strong-willed people, insecure leaders can't deal with them. Mavericks, we need you in the body of Christ. We need your anointing. We need your authority. We need your giftings. A true leader is someone who can take a group of people and cause them to discover they have purpose and destiny. It's easy to lead people where they want to go, but it's the true leader who can take them into purpose and destiny. “Dutch, I'm seeing that happen. On the weekly call that I lead, we regularly have people ask, ‘Can you recommend a church near where I live?’ It's being fitly joined together. I’m excited about it.” Dutch then shares, “What an awesome dream, awesome word, Clay. I agree with you - God is connecting the dots. He's connecting us. “I remember when Chuck and I went to all 50 states back in 2003-2004 [The 50 State Tour]. Chuck used to do something interesting. As I spoke, he would hear a clear word from heaven he felt he was to share with the gathering RIGHT THEN! The first time he interrupted my message - of course it wasn't a rude interruption and he knew I was okay with it. He came up during my message, and would begin to prophesy because something I said triggered a word in him that he felt needed to be shared right then. That started happening more and more frequently as we were on this tour. Chuck would just jump in and then I would pray into what he had prophesied, or I would have a follow-up to what Chuck had shared. Sometimes I'd continue the message, or sometimes the message would shift a little because of Chuck’s word, but that happened on numerous occasions. “You know, you and I have been in services where four, five, or six people had a part of what God wanted to say to us in the gathering - some would have a word to be shared, some prayers that need to be prayed. I think it's an incredible thing how God is breaking down people's fears, their preconceived ideas of how it's supposed to work. He's showing us ‘I really can do more through all of you than I can one of you. I really can do more through the body than I can just the finger, or the arm.’ What you shared regarding your night in Coleman is an amazing lesson. There were quite a few people who each had a piece of what God wanted to do. “I think more of this is coming - we're going to go to a higher level. I think our services are going to look more like the book of Corinthians where one would have a word to be shared, then another. They all would add pieces, jumping in and sharing what they had received from the Lord. (see 1 Corinthians 14:26-33) “You know, there's a way to do that. We've demonstrated and proven there's a way to do it decently and in order (see 1 Corinthians 14:40), without chaos, without interruption, without people fighting for the microphone. You and I have demonstrated it many times. I believe more of this is coming to the church. I think the fruit of it is going to be incredible. “Clay, I’d like for you to pray into this. Share with us anything you want to say as we close, and then pray into it. We're going to all release our faith right now and believe that this is going to another level.” Pastor Clay begins to share and then prays, “Amen, Dutch. I’d like to share one thing before I pray. Friends, you're a dot. Find where you connect. Amen? Lives will be changed. But you must allow God to connect the dots. Now is that time. “Father, I thank You for everyone agreeing with us on Give Him 15 today. I thank You, Father, for what Dutch and Ceci do. I thank You for how the impact of Give Him 15 is increasing. But Father, I declare over the Ekklesia, the watchmen on the wall, the praying church, let us become more sensitive to Holy Spirit that we can recognize when we're in that place where you want to connect us with others, so we can stand as the one new man. We desire to stand as a corporate man - the church - on the earth. Jesus, we ask that You stand tall through us. “Father, stir hearts right now. Stir them into a place of passion. We ask that they hunger and thirst for finding their place to become a dot you can connect. We ask that You do it, in Yeshua's name we pray. Amen.” Dutch shares, “What a great word, Clay. What a great prayer. Thank You so much for sharing with us today, and thank all of You for joining us. “Clay has some great books - a lot of good teachings. Go to the link below and find out more about them. Learn how to get on Clay’s weekly calls that we mentioned earlier. You'll be blessed if you do. God's using them in extraordinary ways. “Thank you so much for joining us today. I appreciate it so much.” Click on the link below to watch the full video. To learn more about Pastor Clay, check out his website: claynash.org.

What I Believe About Faith and Patriotism “Now when it was reported to…our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and that no breach remained in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, [they] sent a message to me, saying, ‘Come, let us meet together…’ But they were planning to harm me. So I sent messengers to them, saying, ‘I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?’” (Nehemiah 6:1-3) As you can imagine, I receive criticism at times regarding my stand for truth. I have made it my policy to never “take the bait” and become distracted by my critics, nor do I defend myself against lies and dishonest criticism; they simply are not worth my time. As with one recent attack, most are nothing but half-truths, misrepresentations, out-of-context quotes, and blatant lies. DSM has always maintained true accountability, operated at the highest level of integrity, and will continue to do so. However, since there are those who periodically try to misdefine and distort my beliefs, I have considered for a while sharing a post stating what I do and do not believe about the Bible, government, America’s founding, other faiths, etc. This is not written for critics but for those who follow me; you’ll never have to wonder where I stand on key issues. Obviously, there is not space here for lengthy explanations, only brief statements, and this list is not complete. Statement of Faith (I espouse the teachings and beliefs of the Federation of Ministers and Churches International, of which I am a member. This is led by my spiritual father, Jim Hodges, with whom I’ve walked for over 40 years. Their statement of beliefs is shared below.) The Five Ministry Gifts of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12) I believe all five ministry gifts Christ gave to the church - apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers - are to be used today and until Christ returns. (Regarding apostles, some are critical of and include me in an imaginary organization, NAR, which is an acronym standing for New Apostolic Reformation. In reality, this is not an organization or even an organized group. It was a phrase coined by Dr. C. Peter Wagner to describe what he believed would be the result of Holy Spirit’s restoration of apostles in the church. The true apostolic movement is led by no man, has no formal membership, and is not humanly organized in any way. However, may Dr. Wagner’s prediction prove true!) The Bible I believe the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God and must be the final authority for ALL of life. In other words, I maintain a biblical worldview. The Bible defines God, life, humans, marriage, righteousness, morality, sin, the way to experience a relationship with God, and more. (For more on this, see the FMCI Statement of Faith at the end of today’s post.) The Ekklesia I believe that when Christ spoke of building His church (ekklesia) in Matthew 16:18-19, He was referring not to buildings, organizations, synagogues/congregations, or worship gatherings; He was referring to an Ekklesia, as the word was used in His day and culture: a legislative, governing body of people. Therefore, I believe the church is to govern spiritually through spiritual authority delegated by Christ. This spiritual governance dethrones/immobilizes satanic forces and frees the hearts and minds of people to understand and follow God‘s principles. I do NOT believe the church is to dictate naturally through force, coercion, or violence. Our weapons and warfare are spiritual, not physical, and violence should never be condoned, except to protect innocent people and in times of war. I believe the church is also called to not only evangelize (Mark 16:15-18) but to disciple individuals and nations to Christ’s ways and principles (Matthew 28:18-19). (For more on this, see FMCI’s Statement of Faith below.) Other Religions/Faiths I believe people of other faiths (that do not espouse violence, physical, mental, and emotional abuse, and follow the laws of America) have a right to exist in our nation and worship freely. They should never be harmed or treated prejudicially. However, I also believe Jesus Christ is the only way to experience salvation and a relationship with God as Father. Therefore, it is our responsibility/duty to peacefully evangelize unbelievers, according to Mark 16:15-18. America’s Founding and Purpose I believe America was founded on Judeo-Christian, biblical principles, and that these standards should be maintained. I believe God initiated the birth of America and did so for the purpose of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation. I believe this purpose is still valid and will be accomplished. The Separation of Church and State The phrase “separation of church and state” is not in America‘s Constitution. Our Founders were wise and careful to establish a Constitution that would not allow America to have a state religion, nor be ruled by one religious group. However, knowing that Jesus Christ is Creator and Lord over all the earth, they did so while also acknowledging God‘s sovereignty and imploring His continuous wisdom, protection, provision, and involvement. Patriotism I believe patriotism (“espousing the beliefs and vision of a father/s”) is appropriate and can be embraced without inappropriate emphases regarding one's nationality or birthplace. (Christian Nationalism is a phrase sometimes used to intimidate Christian patriots who become active governmentally. “Nationalism” is a word defined in dictionaries by both positive and negative definitions, most of them actually being positive, such as “loyalty or devotion to one's country; patriotism.” Negative meanings of the word generally speak of excessive or irrational patriotism, at the exclusion of other people and nations. Therefore, Christian Nationalism can be arrogant exclusivism on the part of Christians, or it can simply be born-again patriots. Since it can be defined both ways, it has become a meaningless phrase, used by deceptive and dishonest individuals to make ignorant, confusing, self-serving, and inaccurate accusations. Therefore, I reject the label. Biblically-based Christians and patriots understand that God loves all people and nations equally. Jesus died for the entire world. Though I believe He raised up America for world evangelization, as mentioned above, I do not believe this is an exclusive calling; all believers are called to this purpose.) I believe both faith and patriotism demand prayer for and involvement in government, at whatever level a nation allows. The freedoms we enjoy in America make it irresponsible to not be diligently involved in governmental policies and elections. REMINDER: We want to remind everyone about the September 12 deadline regarding Title Nine submissions. For more information regarding this, I refer you to our August 24th post entitled One of the Most Egregious Governmental Actions Yet. It’s important that we respond. Pray with me: Father, You told us that there would be persecution and false accusations as we represent You. You taught us to love, forgive, and pray for our enemies. We do so now, asking for their salvation. We know that our battle is with spiritual forces, not people. We continue to ask You for the exposure of evil in our nation, and the turning of America back to You. We also continue to pray against the assault on our children. We ask that they be delivered from indoctrination regarding their gender, and from evil attempts to transform their bodies. We stand in faith that You are sending a powerful revival that will break all confusion off of them, transform our schools, and bring millions into Your family. Please motivate many to respond to Congress before September 12 regarding the redefining of Title 9. Finally, we ask for the turning of America back to You through a great spiritual awakening. And we ask for a worldwide revival, nothing less than a billion soul harvest. All of this we ask for in Christ’s mighty name. Amen. Our decree: We declare that no weapon formed against us will prosper, and every tongue that rises against us in judgment will be condemned. _____________________ FMCI’s Statement of Faith SECTION 1: THE HOLY SCRIPTURES The Bible is the very word of God; it is inerrant, infallible. inspired, and the final revelation of God to man. Both the Old and New Testaments have been inspired by God through plenary and verbal inspiration, thus securing for man an infallible record of truth. The Bible is fully authoritative providing the terms by which all the created universe must be interpreted, granting man an infallible rule of faith and practice, and revealing God’s will to man. The Bible has, by God’s providential care, been kept pure in all ages. Note: For a fuller expression of our faith in the Bible, we recommend and affirm the following document: The Chicago Statement On Biblical Inerrancy. This is available from the Federation. SECTION 2: THE DOCTRINE OF GOD There is only one living and true God, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is self-existent, eternal, supreme, incomprehensible, almighty. God is Spirit in Whom all divine attributes or perfections inhere and from Whom they cannot be separated. God’s attributes are both incommunicable and communicable. These incommunicable attributes, of which man cannot partake and which emphasize God’s transcendence, are the independence or aseity* of God (God is sufficient unto Himself, dependent upon nothing besides His own being); the immutability of God (God does not and cannot change); the infinity of God (in relation to time, God is eternal, in relation to space, God is omnipresent); and the unity of God (God is singularly one and in no sense composed of parts or aspects that existed prior to Himself). The communicable attributes of God stress God’s immanence. God is light; God’s knowledge of Himself is self-contained, self-referential, and absolute. God is holy, internally and externally perfect. God is sovereign, omnipotent, working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and righteous will. God exists as a tri-personality, the Trinity, co-substantial without subordination, co-eternal, and co-equal; three distinct persons in unity whose diversity and unity are underived. SECTION 3: THE DOCTRINE OF MAN Man is created in God’s image, originally with moral attributes of true knowledge, true righteousness, and true holiness while, at the same time, possessing none of God’s incommunicable attributes. Man is like God, but on a creaturely scale. God is infinite, and man is finite. Man was created from the earth to have dominion over the earth. As a prophet, man was to interpret the world; as a priest, man was to guard the world and consecrate it to God’s glory; and as a king, man was to rule over the world as God’s vice-regent. As a creature, man was to live in accordance with the laws which God had placed in His creation, being both responsible and accountable to God. Adam and Eve, being tempted by Satan, sought to interpret the universe without reference to God. By this sin, they fell from their original communion with God. Defiled in all parts and faculties, man now inherits the guilt of sin, the corrupted nature, and the death of sin which passed to all Adam’s posterity. SECTION 4: THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, the second person in the Trinity (Godhead), existing from all eternity with the Father, fully equal with the Father; Who in the incarnation assumed a human nature. In Christ, the human and divine natures are so related that they are two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation. (Creed of Chalcedon). God, in His eternal purpose, chose His Son to be the mediator between God and man. Christ, as true Prophet, did reveal to man the will and word of God; as true Priest, did reconcile this world unto God by offering up Himself as the propitiatory sacrifice; and, as true King, did subdue, restrain, and conquer His people and all His enemies. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, was made under the law, did perfectly fulfill the law, suffered, was crucified, and died. He was buried, yet saw no corruption; and on the third day, He arose from the dead. He ascended into heaven where He lives to make intercession and from where He rules from the throne of David until all His enemies are made His footstool. SECTION 5: THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION By his fall, Adam not only corrupted himself and all his posterity, but also made necessary the infliction of the prescribed penalty of death. Man was morally polluted, guilty, and incapable of paying the incurred debt. God chose to accept the unmerited sufferings of Christ as just equivalent for the suffering due to sinners. Jesus, discharging the penalty due man through His vicarious suffering and death, has fully satisfied the justice of His Father and has purchased reconciliation and an everlasting inheritance for His people. Jesus restores man to holiness and life through His perfect obedience; the merits of Christ’s obedience are imputed to His people as their righteousness. Salvation is by grace; is wholly the gift of God received by faith. Good works are not meritorious ground but rather the fruit and proof of salvation. Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, Who proceeded from the Father and The Son and Who is co-equal with the Father and The Son, does apply to us the redemption Christ purchased for us. The Spirit, working conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and revealing the person and work of Jesus Christ, is the Agent of regeneration, sanctification, and preservation. SECTION 6: THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH The universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of God’s people, from all ages, gathered into one body under Christ’s headship. Endued with the power of the Holy Spirit, and commissioned to make disciples of all nations (ethnic groupings), the Church, God’s holy nation, is the steward of the Kingdom of God, proclaiming the Word, administering the sacraments (baptism and communion), and exercising discipline in terms of the Scripture. The local church, which is also the body of Christ, is called to represent and embody God’s will and purpose in a community and minister Christ’s life to all who will respond to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. SECTION 7: THE DOCTRINE OF LAST THINGS God has appointed a day wherein He will judge all men by His Son and destroy the last enemy, i.e., death, at the return of His Son. The Bible teaches an optimistic eschatology. We believe that the Triune God has reigned sovereignly as King of all creation throughout all time and that Jesus is the present King of kings and Lord of lords. We affirm that God’s active reign through Christ will increase until it is consummated at the actual, physical, and bodily second coming of Christ. Millennial views will not be used as a test for orthodoxy. SECTION 8: SOME DOCTRINAL EMPHASES AND DISTINCTIVES We emphasize a covenantal approach to Biblical interpretation rather than a dispensational approach. We affirm the validity of spiritual (charismatic) gifts continuing until the consummation of the age. We believe that the Ascension gifts of Christ listed in Ephesians 4:11 continue until the church is glorified at the second coming. We also believe that these “Ascension Apostolic Teams” minister in, through, and beyond the local church. We believe that the Kingdom of God is present and eternal. We affirm that the Kingdom has come definitively in the Christ-Event (His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension); we believe that the Kingdom is coming progressively in history (like leaven in the lump and seed growing in the ground); and we believe that the Kingdom will come consummatively at the return of Christ. We believe marriage is between a man and a woman. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Let’s Find Out You would have to look long and hard to find anyone more passionate about seeing America reform than my brother, Tim Sheets. He seeks God diligently regarding what He is saying to the church and what is necessary in order for a reformation to occur. As you will see from this word, Tim is on fire for these things. “Current events must be defined using God’s truth. Demonic visuals and messages must be forbidden and resisted. We are to be a people who discern the times. Thomas Aquinas, a thirteenth century Italian priest, philosopher and theologian made this statement, ‘He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger is immoral. Why? Because anger looks to the good of justice and if you can live amid injustice without anger, you are immoral as well as unjust.’[1] “It’s possible to be angry and sin not (Ephesians 4:26). Anger at injustice is righteous anger. It is not love to wink at injustice; it is love to resist it. We are in an idealogical war for this nation. Ours is a call to spiritual warfare and it is a call to cultural battles. It is an ideological war against government and societal tyranny. It’s a call to speak truth to abusive, lying power. The call of the Ekklesia is to arise and make a stand against evil. The weapons God gave us are mighty through Him to the pulling down of strongholds. We are called to partner with Him and stop corruption. It is time to stand against injustice. “Recently, a shameful act of bullying by our government took place against a former president. This atrocity has never been done before in our nation. When I heard the news, I was reminded of things the Lord impressed upon me just prior to the event, ‘Leaders of some governmental agencies are about to panic. They will begin doing crazy things that will further expose their motives. In sheer desperation, they will lash out, but it will only reveal more of their own wickedness and evil. And though they are too deceived to know it, their dictatorial actions and communist tactics will have been further exposed.’ “Many in governmental positions of authority are trying to cover up their actions and lies. God, however, spoke to me in a previous prophecy, ‘I will pull the covers off of you. I will bury your plans. I will write with my own finger: “vanquished.’” As Jesus said in Matthew 15:14, concerning the arrogant authority among Pharisees, ‘They are blind, but if the blind lead the blind, both fall in the ditch.’ “There are arrogant, self-righteous leaders in America currently who are going to lead other blind and arrogant people into a ditch. When fools lead fools, wrecks happen. These leaders are too blind to see they have just tipped a domino that will result in a cascade of falling dominoes. The serpent’s head is coming off. “1 Kings 18 speaks of Ahab’s and Jezebel’s confrontation with the prophet, Elijah. King Ahab and Elijah met and Elijah proposed a challenge. An altar would be built and a sacrifice placed upon it; however, neither of them would light a fire. Each would ask for supernatural fire to fall on the sacrifice - Ahab’s prophets praying to their god, Baal; Elijah praying to Yahweh. The challenge would prove whose god was truly God. “The followers of Baal went first, praying from morning until afternoon with no results. Then it was Elijah’s turn. Immediately, the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed the offering. The challenge was over. The Baal workers supporting Jezebel were removed. “This passage of Scripture reveals that God has removed Baal’s influence from governments before. I believe He’s going to do so again. The day of reckoning is here. The hand of God is about to interrupt their party. The desecration of God’s laws and statutes will not stand unopposed. The Almighty King is going to stomp the head of Leviathan that is slithering through government departments. His days in our government are numbered. “As I have prayed into current events, the Lord spoke to me, ‘The Ekklesia must partner with Holy Spirit, allowing Him to lead in an aggressive battle plan. This plan will end in great deliverance, great reversals and great victories, and will begin the discipling of nations.’ We must embrace this assignment. In many ways, our nation and way of life depends on it. Clearly, doctrines of demons are prevalent in our land. Antichrist culture is being actively promoted. Christians are being persecuted and our values are being vilified. The church has been described by some government leaders as ‘non-essential.’ “The war against Christ’s Kingdom and Ekklesia is real and is intensifying. But we are not without hope! We have everything we need to prevail and turn this nation around. I believe the glorious Ekklesia is rising just as God’s Word said it would. The Kingdom of God is amping up like I’ve never seen before, in order that Christ’s purpose on the earth can be accomplished. “To achieve this, we must do things God’s way, following the patterns and principles of Scripture. Sadly, we have too often seen nominal churches and shallow Christianity being promoted by scared leaders. Obviously, this will not work; it is actually part of the problem. Nowhere in the Bible does it say to run from our adversaries, nor to be silent. We must not compromise, bow to fear or cower to any challenge of our faith. “As Christ’s Ekklesia, we must raise our voices, make a visible stand without compromise, and be strong in the Lord. We must bring clarity and proper definition to culture. Challenged by an ‘in your face’ attack from hell, we must respond by being real Christians, not religious pacifists, trembling in fear from loud-mouthed devils. “There is a remnant in the church that has heard Ahab’s defiance long enough. They are ready to rise up and do things God’s way, declaring ‘Let the God who answers by fire be our God. If Baal is god, we’ll serve him. If Yahweh is God, we’ll serve Him. Let’s find out! Let’s find out who the real God is’ (1 Kings 18:24). “Jesus said hell’s government would not prevail. Let’s find out if Christ is big enough to back that up. I am confident that He can! God said He would watch over His Word to perform it. He said He would cause us to triumph. Let’s find out! Let’s find out if the name of Jesus is greater than any other name. I’m confident that it is!” Pray with me: Lord, break the darkness, break diabolical structures and send Your supernatural light. We decree this is Your nation and the recent schemes of our government will backfire in historic proportions. In the name of King Jesus, treacherous strategies will backfire, misfire, and boomerang! Battering ram angels are knocking the props of Baal out from under those who oppose You. Cause Your power to rise in this nation. Motivate the Ekklesia to raise her voice. Grant that boldness would be upon us to speak the Name of Jesus and the words He gives us. Give us signs and wonders. Show Your mightiness! Close the mouths of the prophets of Baal. Let righteous rulers arise, declaring You are God. Answer with fire! May the entire world see who the true God is. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, in Jesus Name! Amen! Our decree: Baal will be exposed in the government of America. God will answer by fire. Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim Sheets. You can learn more about Tim here. __________________________________ 1. https://graciousquotes.com/thomas-aquinas/ Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Ceci and I are taking a day off, and have asked Cheryl Sacks to write and deliver today’s post. Cheryl is not only a respected author and prayer leader, but also a dear friend. In this post, she does a tremendous job of highlighting the importance of praying for leaders. And though we did not ask her to do so, Cheryl asks you to pray for Ceci and me, we appreciate her doing so. Pray for the spiritual leaders in your life! Here’s Cheryl. Raising Up a Prayer Shield for Leaders Today’s post is an urgent call to prayer for Christian leaders who are out on the spiritual front lines, day in and day out, and who are under great stress. The warfare to take back territory from the enemy is intense! I’m sure you know many such leaders (and may even be one yourself). Specifically, though, this post is to issue a call to pray for the leaders of this ministry, Dutch and Ceci Sheets. They would likely not issue such a call for themselves. But since they’ve asked me to fill in today while they take a much-needed day off, I will take my liberty to do that. I don’t have to tell you that Dutch and Ceci’s influence is massive. Dutch’s messages and books have transformed the prayer lives of millions of people around the world. Since the launching of Give Him 15, Dutch’s influence has exploded. To get right to the point, satan hates what leaders who are advancing the Kingdom are doing. Add to this the day-to-day demands of the ministry. Dutch and Ceci rarely mention these trials. They stand valiantly. They are determined to move forward. Yet satan is doing everything in his power to hinder Christian leaders right now, including Dutch and Ceci. Quite honestly, they need our prayers for healing, wisdom, and satan-defeating strategies. I’m reminded of the late Dr. C. Peter Wagner’s book, Prayer Shield, in which Dr. Wagner talks about what happens in the spirit realm when a leader becomes an increasing threat to satan. Dr. Wagner says: “The higher one goes in Christian leadership, the higher one goes on satan’s hit list.”[1] In Acts 12, we find that King Herod put two leaders on his hit list, Peter and James. He succeeded in killing one of them, but not the other. What made the difference? We don't know all the reasons. But Scripture does say something about Peter that it does not say about James. When Peter was in prison, the Word says "…the church made intercession for Peter without ceasing" (v. 5). Prayer made all the difference. Every leader needs a prayer shield, and the more people a leader influences, the more prayer he or she needs. Ceci shared with me recently that their office hears from hundreds daily who say that Give Him 15 is a lifeline for them. Many of these testimonies come from influential people (leaders themselves) from a wide range of backgrounds: politicians, authors, newscasters, doctors, attorneys, and university professors. During the height of the elections, Give Him 15 had 175,000 to 250,000 YouTube and Rumble daily viewers, with an additional 75,000 reading the post on the Give Him 15 Facebook pages, website, and app. Even as things have calmed down in that respect, Give Him 15 currently has 170,000 people joining in each day (via written post plus video). This wide reach has produced an opportunity not only to increase prayer but also to shape the next era of prayer in America—the Ekklesia era. The Lord is using the Give Him 15 posts to help shape a remnant movement. This comes with a weighty responsibility. I know many of you already pray for Dutch and Ceci and their spiritual assignment. But my husband, Hal, and I hear the Lord saying that we, their friends and partners, need to raise up a stronger intercessory prayer shield for them in this season. The idea of personal intercessory prayer teams for Christian leaders is not new. Moses, Aaron, and Hur served as an intercessory prayer team for Joshua in the battle with Amalek (see Exodus 17). In this passage, Israel was in a battle with the Amalekites. Joshua, the ministry leader, was down in the valley in the heat of combat while Moses, Aaron, and Hur were interceding on the hilltop overlooking the battlefield. Scripture tells us that as long as Moses’ arms and hands were up, touching God in intercession, Israel was winning the battle. However, when his arms were down, Israel was losing the battle. So Aaron and Hur came alongside Moses and held up his arms until the sun set. History records that Joshua defeated Amalek with the sword. An intercessory prayer team made the difference between victory and defeat for Joshua and for the nation of Israel.[2] Many other scriptures reference the power of intercessory prayer for leaders. We find in the New Testament that Jesus prayed for Simon Peter. Jesus said, “Simon, Simon, satan has desired to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31-32, emphasis added). Today satan still desires to sift Christian leaders like wheat. As Jesus did, we must pray for our leaders, and I might add that we have a special responsibility to pray for those who minister to us personally. Satan knows if he can strike a leader and slow him down (or stop him altogether), exponential damage is done to the kingdom of God. As Marine Lt. Col. Tom Hemingway, who served in Vietnam, pointed out, “The front lines (officers, corporals, and sergeants) make up 18% of the total army but suffer 54% of the casualties.” He said that the enemy is told, “If you see a man giving directions, take aim, and shoot him.” Our enemy—satan—is out to destroy the one who is giving needed directions and instructions: THE GOD-ORDAINED SPIRITUAL LEADER. Because of this, it is vitally important to saturate in prayer every area of a leader’s life, including: Personal and family protection: spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and financially Wisdom and discernment in making decisions For their ministry or area of influence to be God-honoring and to thrive unhindered The ability to recognize spiritual attacks and an understanding of how to confront the powers of darkness An intercessory prayer team to hold up the arms of the leader so spiritual battles can be won. When we pray this way for Christian leaders like Dutch and Ceci, we raise up a shield that protects them from the attacks of the enemy. Our warfare prayers can quench the devil’s fiery darts before they reach their intended targets. We can call upon the Lord to open the heavens over them so they can hear and receive direction and strategy. In the power of Jesus’ name, we can release spiritual and physical health, vitality, and power to accomplish the assignment the Lord has given them. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, we lift up to You today our pastors and Christian leaders, especially those like Dutch and Ceci Sheets who pour into our lives daily. Thank You for Dutch and Ceci’s powerful impact in our lives and on the body of Christ. We thank You that You take hold of them with Your mighty righteous right hand—a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation. Give them a spirit of wisdom, revelation, and discernment in every decision they make. Send Your Word and heal them and give them victory in every place where the enemy is resisting or attacking them. Fill them anew with Your Spirit. Refresh them. Strengthen them with Your incomparably great power according to Your glorious might, so they will have great endurance and patience, bearing fruit in every good work and joyfully giving thanks to You. Our decree: We declare that no weapon formed against Dutch and Ceci Sheets (their health, their family, or their ministry) will prosper. In the authority of Jesus’ name, we bind every scheme and attack of the enemy sent against them. We decree, according to Your Word, that Dutch and Ceci walk in health, healing, and victory. Lord, thank You that You loose Your warrior angels to surround them right now and encircle them with a wall of fire as in Zechariah 2:5. We bless them with Your peace that passes understanding, and an overwhelming sense of Your love, strength, and presence. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Cheryl Sacks is the best-selling author of The Prayer Saturated book series: The Prayer Saturated Church, Prayer-Saturated Kids, and The Prayer Saturated Family—How to Change the Atmosphere in Your Home through Prayer. Her newest book, Reclaim a Generation, 21 Days of Prayer for Schools, will be available soon at ReclaimAGeneration.com You can learn more about Cheryl and her husband Hal’s work at PrayerSaturated.life and BridgeBuilders.net [1] C. Peter Wagner, Prayer Shield (Ventura, Calif.: Regal, 1992), pp. 66-73. [2] Cheryl Sacks, The Prayer Saturated Church (Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 2004) p 126.

Don’t Waste the Trials - Keep Moving Forward While vacationing in the Smoky Mountains years ago, I demonstrated a divine shift. Ceci and I were enjoying the serenity and majesty of a mountain stream. As young, carefree people will sometimes do, we began to hop from rock to rock, crossing the stream at various places. Hand-holding, laughter, pictures flashing - it was exhilarating! Until...no, I didn’t fall into the stream, but I did fall. Playing the macho role, taking the more difficult routes brought me to a span of about three feet between two large rocks. It was either leap from one to the other or use the perfectly situated stump wedged between them. As fate would have it, I chose the stump, which as it turned out was NOT perfectly wedged. It only looked perfectly wedged, made to look that way by demons assigned to harass macho husbands. When my weight descended on it, it began to rock violently back and forth. Not to be outsmarted by a stump, I seized the moment to do my rendition of the funky chicken. For those of you unfamiliar with this dance from the 70s, picture a chicken with its head recently removed. As gravity was taking its final toll, I spun perfectly, catching myself on the two boulders, one hand on each. Staring into this no longer peaceful stream that was now six inches from my nose, and listening to my shrieking wife, I was trying to decide how to continue to look macho, while at the same time favoring my now sprained right shoulder. One quick push-up with my muscular body, a twisting spring upward, and I was on one of the rocks, looking young and fit - all without taking a dip. My shift from rock to rock and overall performance was divine. I said something about strength and agility while Ceci mumbled something about “acting your age” and “a spastic, decapitated chicken.” How we handle transitions and cross over obstacles is important. Let’s continue our discussion of God changing the times and seasons, creating divine shifts. There are four verses in Scripture highlighting seasonal changes that have always been meaningful to me. They are transition verses, mentioning our journey from one level of maturity to another. Let’s glean from them. (I’ll be covering all four of these in the next few days of posts.) God’s Wisdom Brightens Our Way Proverbs 4:18 says we go from brighter to brighter paths: “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” In Scripture, light often represents revelation. One of the synonyms for revelation is enlightenment, which actually comes from the Greek word phos - light. Ephesians 1:17-18 mentions both words. Enlightenment literally means to let in light. God wants to shine His light of revelation on our paths so we can enjoy more and more success in our representation of Him and in our personal endeavors. Part of the divine shifting of times and seasons involves Holy Spirit changing us. We must change before we can be His “change agents.” The church plays a role in all God does on earth. To facilitate this, Holy Spirit moves us from revelation to revelation - understanding to understanding - as He transitions us from assignment to assignment. Yesterday’s revelation isn’t sufficient for today’s task. New levels of fruitfulness require new levels of knowledge and insight. We must have fresh bread - transition bread. Not only must we have increasing enlightenment concerning God’s Word and ways, but we also need His light to “direct our paths” (see Proverbs 3:6 KJV). We face countless decisions on our journey, many of which will determine whether or not we continue to move forward. If we do not hear Holy Spirit’s leading, we will miss the path He has chosen for us and suffer setbacks. Kairos opportunities can be missed if the light of God’s revelation is not consistently shining on our path. Joshua and the Israelites suffered two serious setbacks in their campaign to take Canaan, one at the town of Ai and one with the Gibeonite people (see Joshua 7 and 9). Both setbacks were due to their failure to receive direction from God. Often the insight - light - we receive in current situations is actually meant to help us in the future stages for which God is preparing us. David learned this on his path to the throne of Israel. His declaration before facing Goliath - which certainly marked a divine shift from chronos to kairos in his life - was that the God who delivered him from the lion and bear would also deliver him from the giant (see 1 Samuel 17:37-37). Many times when we find ourselves isolated, seemingly in a mundane, hidden place (chronos) - as David was when he tended sheep - God is training us for a future stage of victory and leadership. Though no one saw David kill the lion and the bear, the entire army of Israel saw him kill Goliath. Because the future is unknown to us, we frequently find ourselves asking, What is the purpose of this trial or battle? Why am I facing this distraction? Why am I being allowed to face this obstacle? What is the purpose of this lesson? The answers may not be known for years, but be assured that God isn’t wasting this season. The light of revelation that comes to you during this chronos time will be needed when you move further into your destiny. In His grace and wisdom, Holy Spirit moves us progressively, sometimes slowly, toward fullness. At the right time, your shift will occur. Learn the lessons well. Remember, life’s phases are connected, yesterday feeds today. Joseph did not realize the light of revelation he was gleaning in prison was to prepare him for ruling Egypt and saving the nation of Israel. Paul did not realize the revelation he was receiving in the 12-14 years between his incredible conversion and release into apostolic ministry would one day enable him to write much of the New Testament. And finally, please realize that light begets light. The revelation you receive today will not only shift you into more fruitfulness, but will also position you to receive more revelation. Just as learning the alphabet in school positioned you for learning to write, and learning your numbers positioned you to learn arithmetic, today’s spiritual lessons are preparing you for tomorrow’s revelation and assignments. So keep shifting, and continue moving forward. Do not despise the mundane chronos season, it is preparing you for kairos. And in the chronos season America has been in, God has been preparing us for kairos and fullness. Every lie our government tells the American people will strengthen their desire for a new government. Everything the left does to harm America creates greater desperation in people, which will open their hearts to the gospel. All of the foolish ways and crazy new ideas they promote demonstrate their socialism and will ultimately push people back to their roots. America will have a fullness of time revival and WILL BE SAVED. Pray with me: Father, Your promise to us is that we will go from light to light, revelation to revelation. We should be expecting fresh insight from You on a regular basis to order our steps and empower us for service. We release our faith now, asking for wisdom and revelation to increase. And we pray that this will include revelation to many believers regarding how to participate with You in the great harvest. Also, we ask for revelation regarding reforming the seven mountains of society: family, religion, government, business, education, arts and entertainment, and media. We ask for creativity, brilliant ideas, money to pay for the plans, and discernment regarding the timing. Position Your people to seize the opportunity. Lord, make us ready. And bring the divine shift. In Christ’s name, amen. Our decree: We decree that we, the church, are moving into a higher level of preparation and revelation. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book God’s Timing for Your Life. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Be a Hebrew There is no greater example than Abraham of shifting into new seasons with God. In his first major shift, he had to change everything. God told him to leave the land of his father and relocate to the place He would show him. Abraham obeyed this monumental challenge. God was so impressed that He gave Abraham a new title: “the Hebrew” (Genesis 14:13). The root word is abar and it means “to cross over, out of or into; pass through; penetrate.” Abraham was called “the Hebrew” because he had crossed out of his homeland and into a new region, when instructed by the Lord to do so. Holy Spirit reminded me of this word, abar, and the insights associated with it, last weekend as I ministered in Tennessee. I feel strongly He wants me to emphasize its importance in this season. Although abar is often used in the generic sense of transitioning from one place to another, it is also used at times to denote very significant “crossings” that became landmark events in people’s lives, as was referenced in Abraham. Here are 4 examples: The word was involved in cutting covenant. The Lord “passed between” (abar) the pieces of the covenantal sacrifice Abram offered to God (Genesis 15:17). It is as though God was saying, “You have, in obedience, crossed over to Me, Abram; now I’m crossing over to you in covenantal alignment.” When God “crosses over” or comes to us, facets of His nature and character are revealed: God “passed by” (abar) Moses in Exodus 33:19-22, showing him His goodness and glory. Each generation must have its own “crossing over.” The Israelites were not true Hebrews just because their forefathers were - and neither are we: A new generation “crossed” (abar) into their inheritance in Joshua chapters 1-4. In Joshua 3:4, the Lord instructed Israel to watch or follow the ark of the covenant “for you have not passed [abar] this way before.” Crossing over or “passing through” pictures the release of God’s breath: The air passing through the jubilee trumpet was described as abar. Let’s apply these 4 meanings to America. God needs for us as a nation to “cross” back into a meaningful and covenantal relationship with Him. When we do, we receive the benefit of Him honoring covenant with us. Like Israel, we cannot rely only on what our forefathers have done to dedicate this nation to God; we must have our own crossing over in our day. As we do, Christ will breathe on us again, bringing true freedom and restoration. Finally, there is one other usage of abar that is significant and needs highlighting. Ezekiel chapter 47 describes a vision of the increasing levels of God’s river of life flowing out of the temple. The passage is filled with symbolism - the river flows into desert regions and brings life; everything it touches is healed; it generates many fish (souls). But another interesting point of the vision is that, the prophet had to pass through/cross over (abar) each new level of the river. Many have speculated as to why this was required. One interesting explanation relates to the fact that between each level there were 1000 cubits, then came the next level and another crossing. The number 1000, being a multiple of ten, is the biblical number of divine order and government. This would suggest that for every new level of God’s river of life, healing, and restoration to occur, there must be an acceptance of God’s order and government. In other words, His plan and rule must be followed. In America, this has not yet occurred. We have not yet been able to experience spiritual recovery and restoration back into the fullness of God’s blessing, though many have asked Him for it. This is because we must do more than ask; there is an order and pattern that must be followed. As this occurs, humbling ourselves, praying, seeking His face, repenting ( 2 Chronicles 7:14), we are then positioned (katartizo) for more of God’s healing river to flow. It is clear that God is realigning and repositioning America so we can “cross over” into a new era of revival and blessing. He is adjusting us, bringing healing to our broken places and dislocations. America is about to “cross over” into another great awakening, which will result in many salvations and the turning of a nation back to its God and its destiny. Curses will be broken, blessings released, and our God-given voice restored. What a privilege to partner with Him. Be a Hebrew! God is calling us, just as He did Abraham, to partner with Him for the salvation of the world. Obviously, our role is different from his - the flesh and blood Messiah will not come through our lineage; that appearance has already occurred. But He WILL come to earth spiritually through us. We are commissioned to carry Christ to the ends of the earth, planting His spiritual seed - the gospel - in people all over the world. Become His shofar! Allow His breath to pass through you (abar) and fill the earth with His presence. You’re a carrier of His Spirit, now release His Spirit. Be a Hebrew! Adapt! Change! Cross over! Be a Hebrew! Shift into the new season - it’s time! Pray with us: Father, we are spiritual descendants of Abraham. We have inherited his faith and his Hebrew nature: We are those who cross over. We are those who go out and come in. Like him, we are blessed in both directions - going out and coming in. When You say, “shift,” we do so. When You say, “it is a new season,” we move into it. When You say, “change,” we change. You have told us there is a significant merging of angelic and Ekklesia activity, energized with Your glory. You have said, we are shifting into a season of fulfilled promises and prophecies. You have said, “it is time,” and we are listening. As we now become Your shofars, releasing Your covenant breath into the earth, we ask You to fill it with unprecedented power and resurrection life. As we trumpet Your gospel, we are releasing Your jubilee life. We are announcing the good news that people can go free, have all of their debts forgiven, and receive back their lost inheritance. Fill us once more with Your river and send us into the earth to release abundant life! In the name of Yeshua, we ask this. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we are Hebrews, crossing over, going in, partnering with Yahweh in His great cause of redeeming the human race. Portions of todays post were taken from my book Releasing the Prophetic Destiny of a Nation. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Adjust! We’ve been looking at principles involved in shifting into new seasons created by Holy Spirit. We have talked about the need to recognize the shift, then move forward in faith. Today I want to challenge us to make the necessary adjustments to shift into the new season. I’ve grown comfortable with the word “adjustment.” For many years people have adjusted me. In fact, I’ve been adjusted so many times - I’ve had adjustments to my adjustments - that I sometimes think I may finally be fully adjusted. My dad adjusted my attitude when I was growing up. He used a belt, menacing looks, strong words, the loss of privileges, and monetary deprivation. Ceci and our two daughters have adjusted my thinking more than once. They use looks and words, also. Because of them, I have adjusted my thinking towards the art of communication, the importance of remembering certain dates, the number of shoes a woman needs in order to function, and the broad-ranging effects of hormones. My dentist has adjusted my bite so my teeth will last longer and my jaws feel better. He also took a bite out of my wallet. My chiropractor has adjusted my back and neck so I will feel better. He once told me I had a subluxation. “Is that good or bad?” I asked. “Bad.” “Can you take it out?” I said, trying not to show my alarm. “No, You don’t extract subluxations - where have you been, the dentist? But if you’ll come in 50 times, I can adjust it,” he assured me. I don’t know if I still have the subluxation, but I’m adjusted. So is my bank balance. On one occasion in Colorado (where we lived at the time), my insurance adjuster did his thing. I always wondered why they called them adjusters; but when the pipes froze and burst in the ceiling of my garage, he adjusted my thinking, explaining to me what the insurance company was and wasn’t going to give me to fix the pipes, the sheetrock, and my car, which had been scratched from falling debris. By explaining to me what all the clauses, exceptions, and deductions meant, it seems that most of what I had been paying for was the peace of mind that comes from knowing he would be there to personally explain to me what he couldn’t do. I certainly felt adjusted. The policeman adjusted my thinking toward speed, my jeweler toward the value of rocks, and Starbucks toward the price of a cup of coffee…as you can see, I’m pretty well-adjusted. God adjusts us also. He has adjusted me many times - my heart, my thinking, my direction, even my hopes and dreams. He also adjusts nations. There is a fascinating word in the New Testament, katartizo, that relates to this. We’ve discussed the word before. It means “to adjust; to put a thing in its appropriate position.”(1) The word is used in the context of mending nets (Matthew 4:21), repairing schisms or relational breaks (1 Corinthians 1:10), and even restoring broken lives (Galatians 6:1). The word has also been used to describe the restoration of a dislocated joint or broken bone. So, as you can see, the concept of this word involves proper alignment. This includes realignment, resulting in healing or restoration. Would it surprise you, however, that God uses this word to describe the proper alignment of the seasons of time? He declared in advance His plans for the future of nations and people. Hebrews 11:3 says, in its more literal and accurate rendering, that the “ages” (Greek - aions) were “properly aligned or connected” (Greek - katartizo) by the word or decree of the Lord. In other words, God decreed the end from the beginning - and the ages in between. This doesn’t mean that He planned and determined every event that occurs in individuals and nations - personal free-will and human decision making must be factored into this. It means that He decreed the flow of history, from age to age, and has determined the final outcome. At times, breaches occur that cause the need for corrections in this flow of history. This occurs in nations, just as it does in individuals. Simply stated, history needs to be healed. Whether it be on a corporate level, such as the Fall of humanity, wars, racial division, etc., or on a more individual level in the sense of broken relationships, loss, etc., the fact is that history often needs healing. This corporate level of healing is what is referred to in verses like Isaiah 58:12 (NAS): “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will raise up the age-old foundations, and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell” (See also Isaiah 61:4). Likewise, this would be the concept spoken of in 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NAS): “[If] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” God, the holy Chiropractor of history, heals our dislocations - our subluxations. He Katartizo-s the aions, made possible through repentance, reconciliation, forgiveness, prayer, fasting, prophetic decrees, and other biblical actions, all of which are effective because of the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, it comes as no surprise to me when the Lord speaks of shifting or adjusting a nation. Due to the positive effects of much prayer, fasting, repentance, etc., on the part of many, it is now time for the fruit of these actions to occur: realignment…repairing…rebuilding…restoring…healing. I and many other intercessors around the nation find ourselves in a glorious time of history wherein our country can be healed, rather than destroyed (see Ezekiel 22:30-31). Broken places can be katartizo-ed - realigned spiritually - with the plans and purposes of God. Just as God adjusts nations, however, He adjusts us, He matures us. Holy Spirit causes us to think differently, adjusting our methods, systems, and ways. It is foolish to think we can shift into new seasons created by God without changing personally and corporately. It is often said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing while expecting different results. I am not accusing the church of being insane; but I am saying there are few entities on earth that repeat the same methods and routines as often as the church, while expecting different results. When God changes the times and seasons, we must change also. Ask Holy Spirit to show you what He wants to change in you. Ask Him what needs to change in your thinking, praying, and dreaming. Pastors, ask Him what you need to change in your congregations, and your services. God has said it is time to shift, and we must do so! Pray with me: Father, You are conforming us to the image of Your Son. As a nation, You are adjusting and conforming us back into a people You can use for Your purpose and glory. Your apostle Paul, even at the end of his glorious ministry, was still acknowledging that he had not yet been perfected, had not yet attained. He knew there was still need for growth. We, too, acknowledge this and invite You to adjust us. Heal our dislocations, both individually and corporately. Heal the breaches in our national history, and heal the broken places in our personal lives. We want to shift with You into the next season. Adjust the church. Make us willing to think differently, function differently, and plan differently. We desire to go from glory to glory, from faith to faith, and from outpouring to outpouring. May the coming season find us able to manifest Christ in ways we have not yet been able to. We want to make Him known. May He be seen clearly in our midst and in our lives. Through this, send revival to the earth - the greatest ever. And we ask for this in His name alone. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we ARE being transformed into the image of Christ and will shift with Holy Spirit into the next season. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Redeeming the Prophetic Destiny of a Nation. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ___________________________________________________ Spiros Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1977), 1846

Forward, Always Forward Yesterday we began looking at how to cooperate with divine shifts. The first principle was to recognize and embrace God’s opportunity to shift. The second principle is determine to respond in faith and move FORWARD! Divine shifts make the devil nervous. He knows they represent Kingdom progress, AND they remind him of Calvary. Satan had heard or read all the prophecies about the Messiah, yet he held out hope and fought God‘s plan. Then he saw the Virgin Birth and realized it was now God’s time for redemption. He had been dreading this for 4000 years. Though he couldn’t figure out exactly how God was going to redeem us, he realized it was unfolding. When the fullness of time came (Galatians 4:4), there was nothing the devil could do to halt the process. He knows he can’t stop God. BUT, he always attempts to influence the church in order to alter divine seasonal shifts (Daniel 7:25). He does this through discouragement, unbelief, apathy, or complacency. We must not yield to his attacks! We must realize that the times of difficulty we walk through are not the final verdict. Christ is coming with mercy and breakthrough! And when God says it’s time to shift into this, we must be ready to shift with Him. Yes, He will pull us out of our comfort zones and require faith. But when God says, “Time to move!” it's decision time very quickly. We must rearrange whatever is necessary, adjust our lives, and move forward with Him. While speaking to a statewide representation of prayer leaders in Alaska several years ago, Holy Spirit said to me, “Tell Alaska to move forward into tomorrow, not into yesterday. What a strange word. What does that mean? I thought. The Lord then used a very unique aspect of Alaska’s geography to explain His play on words to me. (Follow closely or this could mess with your brain.) West of Alaska’s mainland is an island that is part of Alaska, but is on the other side of the International Date Line. Over on the island it’s already tomorrow. Conversely, if you’re on the island, the mainland is still in yesterday. Of course, wherever you are it’s today! Amazingly, Alaska has yesterday, today and tomorrow in it - simultaneously! How’s that for confusing!? (Sorry, some of you will be thinking about that for hours.) Back to Holy Spirit’s word. In Alaska you can literally travel toward tomorrow, or you can travel toward yesterday. Alaskans know this. And God used this picture as a play on words to say to them, “Move forward into tomorrow, not yesterday.” In the prayer gathering, Holy Spirit then began revealing the existence of a pattern, a cycle that often caused the Body of Christ in Alaska to become stuck in what He had done yesterday. This meant that whenever God tried to move them into new seasons (tomorrow), they would often abort it by moving right back into the old (what He had done yesterday). Yes, they were moving, but rather than moving forward, they were circling back into yesterday. We have all done this at times, going in circles rather than breaking out of the cycle and moving forward into the new. This can be caused by traditions and old mindsets. Fear or unbelief also causes this stagnation. And it can be caused by not hearing what Holy Spirit is saying. We must discern the times by listening to Him. Holy Spirit will always tell us when it is time to shift into a new season. In the Exodus, a generation of Israelites, when faced with opposition, said, “We’d rather go back to Egypt.” Yesterday! During Christ’s time on earth, John the Baptist announced that it was time for a shift; Jesus followed with the same message. Sadly, the religious leaders of the day said, “We’re happy with the old.” Perpetual yesterday was their preference. “Stop rocking the boat, messing with our traditions, asking us to adjust our theology,” they said. Jesus proceeded to shift without them. In the Jesus People Movement of the 70s, hippies began getting saved. Holy Spirit had shifted gears, changed the season. A church in California had several hundred of these young born again radicals show up one Sunday morning! They were barefoot, scantily dressed, some were dirty, and they were anything but religious. The elders challenged the pastor after the service to “do something about these kids. They’ll soil the carpet we just had installed.” The pastor replied that he would take care of it. When the elders showed up the following Sunday, he had removed all the carpet! The elders chose yesterday; the pastor chose tomorrow. Haggai 2:9 tells us, “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts…” God‘s desire is that our “latter” always be greater than our “former.” In America, we are about to shift from plowing to reaping, from the wilderness to Canaan. I believe we’re about to shift from weakness to strength. God is going to shift us into a new season of power, signs and wonders, miracles, and deliverances. He’s going to shift many from sickness to health, from woundedness into wholeness, from torn families with prodigals into homes where prodigals now worship God. Yahweh is going to use the prayers we’ve prayed and the plowing we’ve done in the past season to create a fullness of time. Our God, who loves this young generation, is going to shift things in our schools and move in a powerful way. He will break all of the man-made laws that say He isn’t allowed there. He who loves to save is going to show Himself strong on behalf of a generation that doesn’t even realize what they are hungry for. Some people will try to stop Him, but they won’t succeed. The wind of the Spirit IS going to blow, revival is coming to America. We cannot shift the times and seasons; only God can do that (Daniel 2:20-21). But we can recognize the shift when He does so, and shift with Him. We can persevere and keep ourselves properly positioned, guarding against lethargy, complacency, and unbelief. We must anchor ourselves to the truth and stir our faith to believe that God can orchestrate changes rapidly. The mundane chronos seasons of plowing and persevering are necessary, but we must remember that God has the ability to shift things very quickly into opportune kairos seasons of harvest. Pray with me: Father, You’ve shown us that it isn’t enough just to simply keep moving; we must move FORWARD. In Your Kingdom this will always require faith. It also requires the spiritual discernment modeled by the tribe of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32). We desire to go from yesterday’s glory to new glory, today and tomorrow glory. Yesterday’s revivals were great but must be built upon. You are always adding floors and additions to the house You’re building. Give us eyes of vision and faith. America must be restored, reconstituted, and renewed. Cause the church to recognize this. Also, cause her to clearly see how integrally this is connected to worldwide harvest. Break believers out of stupors caused by self-centeredness, heal them of fear’s paralyzing hold, and awaken vision to partner with You in Your eternal cause. And Father, just as a remnant of Israel repented in Haggai’s day, allowing You to take them into a new phase of glory, a remnant of Americans have also repented. Now, do for us as You did for them - increase the glory!!! Cause Your glorious presence to produce salvation, deliverance, healings, and new beginnings. I ask You to manifest this for people even as we pray - NOW! Pour out Your Spirit in America and around the world! We ask for all this as Christ’s representatives and in His name. Our decree: Forward! Only forward. Always forward! Portions of today’s post were taken from two of my books: God’s Timing for Your Life and Releasing the Prophetic Destiny of a Nation. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Accept the Offer On Friday (August 26th), my brother Tim was on the post with me, and spoke of a word he had recently received from the Lord. I want to pick up on a portion of it today. He said there was coming a stronger merger of the two realms of Christ’s Kingdom - the natural and spiritual (or, we might say, the earthly and heavenly). This would result in new levels and manifestations of the Kingdom of God. Tim shared: “Now begins a merger that will accelerate a new era Pentecost. Power and Kingdom authority will be seen on earth as never before. We have been prophesying this for a long time, and Holy Spirit says, ‘The merger is now occurring. Glory presence will now fill prepared territories, regions, and nations.’ “I’m assuming the Ekklesias are getting traction in these places. I also heard Holy Spirit say, ‘Surge after surge of the King’s manifest presence will spawn sudden miracles. The enemies of the Kingdom will be disoriented and will fight each other, resulting in freedoms decreed by King Jesus and His Ekklesia. This will be assisted by My angel armies, for I will surely release My mighty ones to labor with you; My mighty angels are moving into the earth realm.’ “This is the season we are entering now, a ‘merger’ of God’s glory and high-ranking angels partnering with the Ekklesia. The glory of God is going to amp up in certain regions and territories in such a way that it will spawn miracles and breakthroughs. I believe we are moving NOW - not years from now - into a season of suddenlies. Sudden strikes of high-ranking angels, under Holy Spirit’s supervision, fueled by the decrees of a functioning Ekklesia. “Dr. Jim Hodges [Tim’s and my spiritual father] was with us a few weeks ago and preached a great word, as usual. Then he began to pray and prophesy. As he did, I felt a shift! “Dutch, you and I are old enough to know how cars with standard transmissions and stick shifts operate. You use a clutch when shifting gears. Sometimes if the clutch is bad or the gears aren’t perfectly synchronized, the gears grind as an attempt is made to engage them. As Jim prayed, I felt that we were ‘grinding’ into gear, then we fully shifted. “I feel the Ekklesia as a whole is shifting into another gear. Holy Spirit is changing things, prophetic words are about to come to pass, and powerful angels are being released. Something has shifted, and we are moving into another gear.” When speaking with Tim on Friday, I referenced a similar experience I had several years ago. I was worshiping and heard the sound of gears grinding. This was obviously not something I was hearing literally, but supernaturally in the spiritual realm. When I asked Holy Spirit what I was hearing, he said, “I’m trying to shift the church into another season.” He knew that by using this mechanical analogy, I would immediately understand what He was saying. Due to ignorance, uncertainty, resistance, hesitancy, etc., many in the church were resisting the shift/change. I’m sure there are those who would disagree with my contention that Holy Spirit was being hindered from shifting the church. They would contend that Holy Spirit could shift the body of Christ into a new season whenever He so desired. However, I would remind them of Israel, when they were delivered from Egypt, and Jerusalem during the time of Christ’s life on earth. Both generations were unable to shift fully into the next season and consequently became stuck in the previous one. This not only hindered them from receiving blessing, but also stalled their destiny. How do we position ourselves to shift into a new season? What can hinder this? We must look carefully at these questions. Today and the next couple of days, I want to teach some on how to shift into the new. The first step is to recognize and embrace the opportunity. John 5:1-9 tells the story of a paralyzed man healed by Jesus. It was believed by the Jews of the day that an angel periodically stirred the waters of the pool named Bethesda, located at the Sheep Gate, and the first person into the water was healed. The actual Greek text makes it difficult to discern if this angelic activity and the miraculous results actually occurred, but it is certainly clear that the people of the day believed it. At the Pool, Jesus approached a man who had been in a paralyzed condition for 38 years and asked what seemed like a strange question: “Do you truly long to be well?” (John 5:6 TPT). The man’s answer revealed that although he was waiting at the pool, he really had no hope of being healed. “I have no one to help me into the water and someone else always gets there first.” I believe Jesus asked the paralytic this question to point out that his hope was misplaced. Although he was waiting for the miraculous stirring of the pool, Yahweh was the source of the mercy he needed. A couple of feet and only seconds away from experiencing the new, just moments from total restoration, the man wasn’t able to recognize it. With misplaced faith and incredible hope-deferred, there was nothing within him that could respond with hope to Jesus’ question. The symbolism of this passage is stark. Bethesda means “house of lovingkindness or mercy.” The Sheep Gate next to it was where the lambs used for the sacrifices were brought into the Temple. Five, the number of porticoes around the pool, is the biblical number of grace. Putting these meanings and facts into the story paints the picture of Christ, THE Passover Lamb, entering our fallen, hopeless world to give us grace and mercy. Jesus came to bring wholeness and health to the “diseased” human race. This disabled man was staring at THE Lamb Himself, God’s gift of grace, the fulfillment of what everything around him pictured, yet didn’t realize it. An incredible opportunity, his kairos moment, had arrived, but he was too hopeless to recognize it. We must stay in faith and listen carefully to Holy Spirit - “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Revelation 2:7) - in order to recognize the timing for God’s shifts. Reader’s Digest told of the late Harvey Penick: In the 1920s, Penick bought a red spiral notebook and began jotting down observations about golf. He never showed the book to anyone other than his son until 1991, when he shared it with a local writer and asked if he thought it was worth publishing. The man read it and told him yes. The writer presented it to Simon and Schuster, then left word with Penick’s wife the next evening that they had agreed to an advance of $90,000! When the writer told Penick, the golfing expert seemed troubled. Finally, Penick came clean. With all his medical bills, he said, there was no way he could advance Simon & Schuster that much money. The writer had to explain that Penick would be the recipient of the $90,000! His first golf book, Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book, sold more than a million copies, one of the biggest best-sellers in the history of sports books. His second book And If You Play Golf, You’re My Friend, sold nearly three-quarters of a million. (1) Whether it be book writing, physical miracles, or the salvation of a loved one, we sometimes live in the waiting stage so long that it becomes difficult to believe in God’s mercy when it is offered. Listen with faith! When God says it is time to shift, be ready to accept the offer. Pray with me: Father, thank You for moving us from glory to glory, strength to strength, and faith to faith. You are not a stagnant God! And You said there would be no end to the increase of Christ’s Kingdom (Isaiah 9:6-7). We are confident of this, our faith in You is strong. You have also spoken through prophetic voices that a new merger of Your glory, angelic warriors, and an empowered Ekklesia is coming. We determine now to participate in this. We will shift with You. We won’t miss it. We ask You for an infusion of strength, revelation, and power to shift us into this new season. We ask You for the miracles spoken of. We ask for the suddenlies. We ask for strong outpourings of your Spirit to spring up. We ask for an increase of prophetic anointing to discern and hear clearly what You are doing. And we ask that the fruit of this will be the rescue of millions of hearts around the world. Give us the billion soul harvest we have been hearing of in the spirit. We know that the shaking, here and elsewhere, is not finished. Continue to dismantle evil systems and render ineffective those who oppose You. We take the keys of Your kingdom now and bind every attempt to stop this divine shift, in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We decree that we will shift into the new season being offered and experience the dynamic merging of heaven and earth. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book God’s Timing for Your Life. Click on the links below to watch the full video. ______________________________ Adaped from: Edward K. Rowell, Fresh Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Christianity Today, 1997), p 100.

The Price of Freedom When Christ was preparing His original 12 world-changing pioneers, He made the cost clear to them: “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues.” (Matthew 10:16-17) “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.’” (Matthew 16:24 -25) What price did these first disciples eventually pay to partner with Christ? Were Christ's words simply symbolic language, not to be taken literally? Surely He wouldn't actually allow His followers to lay down their lives, would He? History answers these questions: ● Andrew was crucified. ● Bartholomew was crucified. ● James, the son of Alphaeus, was stoned to death. ● James, the son of Zebedee, was beheaded. ● John, the son of Zebedee, was tortured and banished to the uninhabited island of Patmos. ● Peter was crucified upside down. ● Philip was crucified upside down. ● Thomas was martyred in India. ● the apostle Paul and John the Baptist, not part of the original 12 disciples but two of Christ's early leaders, were beheaded. To be a true disciple of Christ - and a nation-changing pioneer - we must be willing to lay down our very lives. This mindset should permeate and influence all we do and live for. And if we are to see America turn, it is one of the non-negotiables. Another quality, therefore, that will be required in order to turn this nation around, is a determination that no cost is too great. William Wilberforce, who led the efforts to eradicate slavery from Great Britain, understood and demonstrated this. In the great movie about his life, Amazing Grace, Wilberforce's butler surprised him in a moment of private prayer. When asked if he had found God, Wilberforce's poignant reply was, "I think He found me." Indeed, God "found" Wilberforce, who became so joined to His heart and desires that no price was too great for the cause. This reformer’s passion to see the end of slavery caused him stomach ailments, nightmares, ridicule, and four decades of tireless work. Days before his death, however, the decisive vote came to eliminate slavery from England. Amazingly, when the law became formal three days after the vote, Wilberforce's spirit left this world! Thomas Buxton, a personal friend and member of the House of Commons at the time said of him, "The day which was the termination of his labors was the termination of his life."(1) Have you been found? Has the cause of Christ possessed you? When God led the early Pilgrims to this land - He was obviously involved in the process - they came with hearts willing to pay whatever price the dream would cost them. A part of their stated cause was, "For the Glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith..."(2) The Pilgrims arrived on a cramped and dirty ship, in sloshing water filled with human waste and vomit. And ill-prepared for the trials of this new land, including a brutal winter, more than half would perish before the end of their first summer. These Pilgrims weren't failures, however. Planting a cross on the beach where they landed at Cape Henry, and dedicating this land to the gospel and the glory of God, they created a holy legacy. Heaven still honors the trail they blazed and the prayers they prayed. Buried in the soil of freedom, they became a vital part of the heritage we now enjoy. Pioneers all, their legacies live. The price they paid to create an outpost for the gospel created a debt for those who followed, including us today. The debt we owe is not only to preserve freedom, but it is also to preserve this land as a light of truth - a beacon, a city on a hill - to all other nations. If we pay our debt today, the difficult trail we blaze back to the old road will become the glorious path our children walk tomorrow. America was formed with the blood, sweat, and tears of many price-paying pioneers. When John Adams was elected as a Boston delegate in 1770, he knew it was considered treason to the King of England; Adams believed the decision would cost him everything. He informed his wife Abigail, "I have accepted a seat in the House of Representatives, and thereby have consented to my own ruin..."(3) How many today would accept a seat in Congress if they knew it could cost them everything? In Adams' day, by the way, members of Congress weren't even paid a salary - only a small per diem. Not many currently in government would serve our nation without pay, let alone do so at the risk of their lives. Adams wasn't finished with his declaration, however. After informing Abigail that he had consented to his own ruin, this patriot pioneer continued, "...to your ruin, and the ruin of our children. I give you this warning, that you may prepare your mind for your fate."(4) Incredible, but Adams had been found! His love of liberty and his belief that God was raising up the United States of America meant that, to him, no price was too great to pay. How did Abigail feel about this? Betrayed? Horrified? Did she threaten to leave him? Not even close. She too, like Wilberforce, had been found. According to Adams, Abigail burst into tears and cried out, "Well, I am willing in this cause to run all risks with you, and be ruined with you, if you are ruined."(5) What amazing passion these two patriots possessed for the cause! Contrast this sacrificial and servant-motivated attitude with the selfish lust for prestige, power, and financial gain motivating many civic leaders in America today. The difference is disgusting. From buying and selling votes to taxpayer-funded vacations to private jets. For so many, Washington, D.C., has become the home of the rich, the famous, and the exploiters. At the signing of the Declaration of Independence a few years later, Adams, along with his fellow signers, again accepted the potential and probable cost of freedom: "For the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."(6) Adams would later state to Abigail, "I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it will cost us to maintain this Declaration and support and defend these states. Yet through all the gloom, I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory. I can see that the end is more than worth all the means."(7) If America is to find her way back to the old road, it will be because another generation of patriotic and God-honoring Americans put on pioneer mantles and search for it - no matter the cost. Some will accuse me of inappropriately marrying the love of God and country, but it is my love for God and His cause on the earth that fuels my passion for seeing America restored. Like Adams and our other founding fathers, I realize God chose to raise up this nation as part of His plan to redeem the human race. America wasn't established solely for us Americans. And it certainly wasn't for the enjoyment of the narcissistic "American Dream" we've allowed our desires to devolve into. Partnering with God in His great dream was to be our privilege and destiny. For this, no cost is too great. Let's pray and work to end selfishness in the church and in Washington, D.C. Let's cry out for another generation of pioneers who will lose their lives to find His; believers that will accept their debt to the cross and pay any price necessary to lead America back to the old road. “Go stand at the crossroads and look around. Ask for directions to the old road, the tried-and-true road. Then take it.” (Jeremiah 6:16, The Message) Pray with me: Father, we are grateful for those in the great cloud of witnesses who have paid such high prices for our cause. We are humbled by the sacrifices, so many of them have made. We ask You to forgive us in the American church for allowing our commitment to You and Your cause to become so low. Forgive us for preaching watered-down messages and a human-centered gospel. We agree in intercession today that in the coming revival, hearts will be awakened. Passion for You and Your kingdom will outweigh our devotion to self. Millions will give their hearts to You, and millions more will have their first love restored. You are worth our full devotion. Heal our broken nation. Lead us back to the old road of truth, integrity, righteousness, and common sense. Lead us back to servanthood, loving our neighbors, and the golden rule. Give us leaders who love and honor You and Your ways. Deliver us from evil rulers. We ask You for this in Christ’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the purpose of God for America will not be lost - not on our watch. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book The Way Back. Click on the link below to watch the full video. __________________________ 1. Dyer, Steven G., Transforming a Nation: How England turned back to God in the eighteenth century. Can it happen in America?. (Oklahoma, OK : Steven J. Dyer, 2010). 54. 2. Mayflower Compact 1620. 3. Bennett, William J. Our sacred honor: Words of advice from the Founders in stories, letters, poems, and speeches. (New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1997), p 40. 4. Ibid. 5. Ibid. 6. Ibid., p 64. 7. Ibid.

One of the Most Egregious Governmental Actions Yet Today I want to make you aware of the Biden administration’s attempt to expand Title IX. This has been called “one of the largest, most aggressive social engineering overreaches of the government in America’s history.”[1] It is nothing less than a federally mandated indoctrination of our children. Vernadette Broyles of Child and Parental Rights Campaign, says this regulation “will directly affect 77 million children, requiring the normalization and unquestioned acceptance of gender identity ideology as part of their school environment. The threat to parental rights, children’s physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, religious liberties, freedom of speech, girls’ safety and sports, and more is potentially devastating.”[2] What is Title IX? Title IX of the Education Amendments was enacted by Congress in 1972 to eliminate discrimination in education based upon sex (gender), against girls and women in particular.[3] It states: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance . . . [4] When Title IX was passed, girls and women faced high barriers to pursuing educational opportunities, particularly in higher education.[5] Title IX was designed to remove those barriers, and now represents 50 years of progress in education made by girls and women. Title IX regulates every public K-12 school, college, and university in the nation, as well as every private school that takes federal funding. As a result, it has wide-reaching implications for tens of millions of children and parents across the country. The regulations implemented in Title IX were binary (based on two genders - male and female), recognizing biological distinctions where they matter and prohibiting discrimination based on biological sex (gender), as Congress intended. Until now. The Proposed Changes On July 12, 2022, the United States Department of Education (“USDOE”) published in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to rewrite the federal regulations governing Title IX. The proposed revised regulations would expand the scope of Title IX, without Congressional approval, to include prohibiting “discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.” This effective rewrite of Title IX’s fundamental purpose would have many devastating consequences for parental rights, Free Speech, Free Exercise of Religion, girls’ sports, and children’s health and safety. Members of the public will have until September 12, 2022 to submit Comments to the USDOE outlining these harmful effects. I’ll say more about this momentarily. Here’s what the proposed new regulations will do: Create a New Category of Sex Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity They declare that preventing a student from participating in any school activity “consistent with their gender identity” subjects that student to harm. Failure to follow the new rules will risk loss of federal funding. Make Upholding Biological Reality a Form of “Sex-based Harassment” In place of “sexual harassment,” the new language is “sex-based harassment.” Actions like using a child’s given name and biologically accurate pronouns instead of a preferred name and pronouns may be regarded as sex-based harassment. Create a Head-On Collision With Parental Rights The new regulations require K-12 schools to affirm a child’s asserted gender identity as a matter of federal law. This will involve school officials in life-altering decisions affecting the health and well-being of children. They will further encourage school officials to usurp parental authority without notice to or the consent of, and even over the objections of parents when it comes to gender identity. This will potentially drive a wedge between children and their parents at the time when children need parents most. The regulations also expand Title IX’s reach to include what occurs outside of school. Because they deem failure to treat students consistent with their gender identity subjects that student to harm, activists will be able to report to state child protective services parents who uphold biological reality and refuse to allow school officials to endorse their child’s discordant gender identity. Since this would be federal law, the obligation to comply with the proposed regulations is not “alleviated by any state or local law or other requirement.” Therefore, these regulations will create legal uncertainty about the enforceability of state laws protecting parental rights where they conflict with the new federal Title IX regulations. This will assuredly be exploited by activist officials and likely require expensive court action to obtain a resolution to the conflicts. Require Schools to Open Up Their Privacy Facilities Based on Gender Identity Schools would be required to permit biological males who identify as females to use private facilities set aside for females and vice versa. Girls/women will have to surrender their right to privacy and be placed at increased risk for harassment or assault by males who claim a female identity. Jeopardize Girls’ and Women’s Athletic and Educational Opportunities These rules will require sex-separate sports to be based on gender identity instead of biological gender. This will force girls and women to compete on an unfair basis for athletic opportunities and scholarships against males and create significant risks of injury for girls and women. Ultimately Normalize Gender Identity Ideology and Harm Children’s Health These regulations will promote and normalize gender identity ideology in our schools as mandated policy and wrongfully encourage students to believe that “children can be born into the wrong body.” Many children will then pursue chemical and surgical alterations that can have irreversible life-altering consequences for them, such as sterility and life-long sexual dysfunction, interrupting healthy growth and development, loss of bone density, cognitive problems, blood clots, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Disproportionately Harm Minority and Other Disadvantaged Children While the proposed regulations would ensnare all children in a harmful ideology, they would disproportionately harm minority and other disadvantaged children who remain trapped in public schools, unable to flee the system. In May 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that in order for schools to receive funds for free student lunches, breakfasts, and other food items, they must comply with its interpretation of Title IX and other food-related programs.[6] To receive food assistance under the new rule, the Biden administration is forcing schools to comply with allowing boys to use girls’ changing and restroom facilities, and forcing teachers to use inaccurate pronouns for children who believe they are transgender. The National School Lunch Program feeds nearly 30 million children every day. None of these potential harms were contemplated by Congress when they enacted Title IX in 1972. Parents, faith and community leaders, and educators must speak out courageously and clearly about the many destructive consequences these regulations will have if implemented. We only have until September 12, 2022, to do so. What We Must Do For this situation, we must pray AND act now - before the September 12th deadline. Parents, grandparents, all of us who are concerned Americans, let’s do this. Here’s what we need for you to do: Go to this website: ChildParentRights.org/title-IX/ Watch the short but powerful VIDEO; then Scroll down to HERE’S WHAT TO DO. It will give you all the information you need. Please follow the instructions very carefully. CPRC has made this very easy as long as you follow their instructions carefully. They give you starter ideas/language for what needs to be said and where to submit your formal comment (it’s only a click). If you are computer challenged, ask a friend to help you. This is important. We need hundreds of thousands of people to do this over the next 2 weeks. Please share this with others. Pray with me: Father, we have nothing but compassion for those struggling with gender identity. But we reject every plan that forces unbiblical ideals and philosophies on us and our children. Continue to expose the evil agendas of those who oppose You and Your ways. We thank You for revealing their plans and exposing their foolish ideologies. Continue shining Your light on their many efforts. Forgive us as a nation for voting into government positions those who oppose and dishonor You and Your Word. And forgive us for allowing educators over the past 40 years to indoctrinate a generation of Americans with humanistic and unbiblical philosophies. Help us to reverse this. As Your Ekklesia on earth, we bind and forbid these efforts to indoctrinate and enslave our children. We boldly declare that they will fail, that the insanity of it will become clear. We ask You, Father, to cause millions of Americans to rise up and say “Enough!” Give wise strategies to those in government and legal professions. May they be given Your wisdom. And lastly, we ask You to move on hundreds of thousands of Americans to take action against this plan. We ask for all of this in the powerful name of Jesus. Our decree: We decree that the ungodly plans of the unrighteous will be exposed and will fail. Click on the link below to watch the full video. **Message posted 08/24/22 at 10 AM EST: We are aware that the ChildParentRights.org site is down due to so much traffic from our GH15 listeners. We are grateful for your follow through. If you are unable to access the site right now, we encourage you to check back later today or hopefully tomorrow when the website is back up again. Much of today’s post was based on information obtained from Child and Parental Rights Campaign’s website (http://childparentrights.org/title-IX/) and used by permission. I encourage you to visit this website for more information, including how you can be involved. Ibid. Neal v. Bd. of Trs. of Cal. State Univs., 198 F.3d 763, 766 (9th Cir. 1999). 20 U.S.C. § 1681(a). North Haven Bod of Educ. V. Bell, 456 U.S. 512, 526-27 (1982). https://www.fns.usda.gov/news-item/usda-0100.22.

The Gears Are Beginning to Grind As I mentioned to you last week, I’ll be featuring some of my prophetic friends on our Friday 15s. People are always asking me what God is saying, and are hungry for fresh insights and fresh strategies. There are a lot of voices out there, but we know people who are proven, and hear from God clearly. These are the ones who will be my Friday guests. Today we have my brother, Tim Sheets. He is a recognized leader here in America and around the world. God speaks to him in many ways - through the Word, dreams, prophetic words, etc. You’ll enjoy hearing him. So Tim, what’s on your heart today? Tim Sheets shares: “It’s good to be with you today, Dutch. I’m hearing some things in the spirit that are very encouraging to me, and I hope to others, as well. There is so much that happens on the news that grabs our focus and becomes the message, and sometimes, you have to reset that message for yourself. “What I’m seeing is a hope-filled prophetic understanding concerning the time right now, because of the spiritual war season we are in through the mid-term elections, and probably beyond that. I’ve begun to sense a very aggressive moving of Holy Spirit connecting things, even connecting different prophetic words. There are thousands of prophetic words pointing to right now. I believe the synergizing of these words is going to cause some kind of spiritual explosion. The Ekklesia is starting to get a new mindset. For a while, the Ekklesia was a concept we taught. I believe we are now moving into an actual functioning of the concepts we have been preaching. When that happens, we will see something occur in the spirit realm. I want to share a prophetic word with you I believe is happening right now.” Tim then shares: “Holy Spirit recently spoke this to me: ‘Now begins the merger of Christ’s spiritual Kingdom in the earth realm with the Kingdom of heaven in the spirit realm, in ways and levels not seen before. This merger will accelerate a New Era Pentecost. Power and Kingdom authority will be seen on the earth as never before.’” Tim says, “We have been prophesying this for a long time, and Holy Spirit says that these two realms are now merging.” He continues, “‘Glory presence will now fill prepared territories, regions, and nations. The Ekklesias are getting traction in these places with surge after surge of the King’s manifest presence spawning sudden miracles.’ This is the season we are in right now. ‘The enemies of the Kingdom will be disoriented and will fight each other resulting in freedoms decreed by King Jesus and His Ekklesia. It will be assisted by My angel armies, for I will surely release My mighty ones to labor with you, My mighty angels are moving into the earth realm.’” Tim shares: “Something is happening in the spirit realm, and the mighty ones are referred to as high-ranking authorities (angels). Yes, hell has principalities and powers, but we do too (spiritual help). And ours are bigger, and ours are stronger. I’ve been pondering, ‘What is this merger now of these high-ranking angels partnering with the Ekklesia in certain regions and territories?’ I believe this is where the glory of God is going to amp up in such a way that it will spawn miracles and breakthroughs throughout regions. “I believe we are moving now - not years from now - into a season of suddenlies - sudden strikes of high-ranking authority angels under Holy Spirit’s supervision that are fueled by the decrees of a functioning Ekklesia. The Ekklesia is so powerful when you understand what Christ said. For years we didn’t understand - it was a just concept we taught and wondered when we would get it and thing would begin to occur. But something is now beginning to happen - the remnant is picking this up and starting to function as an actual functioning Ekklesia. “As this happens, different things can be done by Holy Spirit. He will add angels, and we really don’t understand just how powerful they are. But He is now saying that He is going to bring these angels into the earth realm. I don’t understand all of this, but I know Holy Spirit has plans for His Ekklesia to win some major victories. We are not going to lose. He is going to lead and guide us. I believe a few of these angels are some of the mighty ones we see in the Bible - they didn’t die. There are no angel graveyards. I believe the Ekklesias in different regions, have been building altars in their territories, where God is respected and honored. There are more prayers and the faith decrees are rising. Holy Spirit is saying that He is going to add to this, and bring mighty, high-ranking authority angels to partner and assist in our breakthroughs in the earth realm. And, Dutch, I'm feeling this is for now. “Dr. Hodges was with us a few weeks ago, and he preached a great word, as usual. But I asked him if he would pray over us. He began to pray a prophetic word, and as he did, I felt a shift! Let me describe it this way: “Dutch, you and I are old enough to know what a stick shift is. You pop that clutch when you’re shifting gears. Sometimes we hear gears grind before sliding into their proper place. I feel we are at that point where we are grinding to get into gear. As Dr. Hodges prayed, I felt we got into gear. I felt we were grinding, and as he prayed, we slipped into gear. “I sense the Ekklesia is shifting into another gear. Along with what Holy Spirit is doing, things are going to change and prophetic understanding is going to come to pass. Holy Spirit is now adding angels that are very strong and powerful. I have seen them and will talk about them soon, and even spoke about this in our recent Sunday morning service. But I’m confident and feel strongly that something has shifted, and we are moving into another gear. “The King said I’m going to build My church (the Ekklesia). He didn’t say He was building His nursery. Think about what He said, and it’s powerful. Matthew 16:18-19 (TPT) says: ‘I give you the name Peter, a stone. And this rock will be the bedrock foundation on which I will build my church—my legislative assembly, and the power of death will not be able to overpower it! I will give you the keys of heaven’s kingdom realm to forbid on earth that which is forbidden in heaven, and to release on earth that which is released in heaven.’ “The gates of hades will not overpowerful us (the church) or hold out against us. The church has been trying to hold out against hell. Hell can’t hold out against a true Ekklesia, and I believe the Ekklesia is now strong enough for what’s ahead. Keys to open doors are being handed to us; we’ve not had these keys before. And I believe these angels are part of this.” Dutch shares: “Tim, while you were talking, I remembered a service 15 or so years ago when I literally heard what you just described, a grinding sound. It sounded exactly like gears that weren't yet synchronized and were trying to shift into place. I asked God what I was hearing and He said to me, ‘The ages are trying to connect.’ I knew it wasn’t mystical - we go from season to season - but He was giving me a manifestation, something I could hear in the spirit. By hearing the gears, He was showing me that He was trying to shift us into the next season, but the church wasn’t quite ready. But now, I’m going to help push that gear into place; it’s going to happen. “I heard the Lord also say, ‘You need to help people understand how to shift WITH Me, and not fight the shift.’ I think we are in an incredible shift right now, going into the next phase. I believe there are some things God is going to clean up and shape up regarding His plans for the rest of this year. Next year an incredible shifting into the next phase will take place. But it actually starts now. It doesn’t happen overnight - it is starting to happen, and we, as the Ekklesia, are helping now. “This word really resonates with me, Tim and I think it’s right on. For these places where the Ekklesia is prepared, God’s about to bring forth some suddenlies. Why don't you pray into this now”: Tim prays: “Father, we thank You and give You glory for what You have done and what You’re doing. We ask You to supercharge Your Ekklesia with power from on high. Holy Spirit, take us on the journey that You have in mind for us. We ask You to open doors that have never been opened before with keys of authority that You are now giving. Help us supernaturally with the angels, with outpourings of Your Holy Spirit, and with revelation. “If some are discouraged today, let them be supercharged with hope. You have this, and You are going to shift us into another gear. It will take us into another realm where things accelerate, and we can move faster in the spirit. And we pray that the purpose and plan You have ordained for different regions - they’re all different, but what You’re doing will be blessed and indeed, kick into another gear with supernatural plans and purposes. And yes, Lord, we believe the gates of hell won’t prevail. In Jesus' name, we are going to overcome, and we’ll win. America shall be saved. Amen. Dutch finishes up: “Many people are agreeing with us, and I know everyone today appreciates you sharing with us, Tim. Thanks for being with us today. “You can join Tim on YouTube. I believe he has the best book of all time on angels. “Bless you, and I look forward to seeing you on Monday.” Click on the link below to watch the full video. You can learn more about Tim Sheets here.