The Re-circuiting Continues Obviously, different seasons require different ways of thinking. Not conforming to this principle can be costly. In a cold season, one dresses differently than in a warm season. On vacation, hopefully, one thinks differently than while at work. In harvest season, one thinks differently than in the planting season. Seasons change, and so must we. John the Baptist was called a forerunner, because he “ran before” Christ, preparing the way for His coming (Isaiah 40:1-5; Luke 3:1-6). One of the ways in which he prepared the people for Christ’s entrance was by telling them to change their thinking. The actual meaning of the word “repent,” one of John’s main commands, is “to think differently” (metanoeo). It does NOT actually mean “to go a different direction” as most Christians think. Going a different direction (epistrepho) is the end result of repentance. When we receive a revelation or enlightenment - a new way of thinking - from Holy Spirit, we can turn and go His way. We can do what He says to do, and we can do it in the way He says to do it. Repentance is the cause, turning is the result. So John prepared the way with new and different thinking (repentance); Jesus followed with different activities. When He appeared on the scene, He started doing things differently. He taught differently. He corrected wrong doctrine and theology. He denounced the evolved religious traditions in Judaism that were not in line with scripture or God‘s heart. He worked miracles of healing. He overrode the laws of nature with His faith, authority, and power. He cast out demons. Those who followed Him had been prepared by John’s challenge to think differently, and it’s a good thing they were. No revival in past history has looked like the previous revival. This is due to several factors: Holy Spirit is building on what He did in the previous revival; therefore, He is obviously doing different things; He is doing it in a different time, therefore, a different culture; and more. This is why He tells us to keep ourselves flexible, comparing us to a wineskin. What might Christ do differently in the coming outpouring of the Holy Spirit? We will see the full expression of His five ministry-gift anointings: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. We will see how He intended for them to work together, multiplying power and effectiveness. We will see how this mixes with the new level of worship Holy Spirit has produced in the body of Christ in the last 20 to 30 years. We will see the dramatic impact of 21st-century technology on revival. We will see how all of this enables the church to disciple individuals and nations more effectively. This brings me to my final statement regarding what we will see: we will not only see Christ’s commission of Mark 16:15-18 fulfilled, but we will also see that of Matthew 28:18-20 fulfilled. The Mark 16 passage is about revival or awakening. It speaks of preaching the gospel and seeing people saved, baptized, filled with the spirit, delivered, and healed. The Matthew 28 passage is about reformation. It speaks of discipling and reforming nations, teaching them God’s ways, principles, and commandments. It is teaching people - entire nations - to live by the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven. Seeing these two activities of the Kingdom working in tandem will be something to behold. The momentum produced by the Charismatic and Jesus People movements of the late 60s, 70s, and early 80s was lost over the next decade or two. This is because the movement was about Mark 16 only - getting people saved - and neglected the discipling of nations, Matthew 28. While the church did Mark 16, humanists, secularists and atheists did Matthew 28, discipling our nation to their “doctrines” and beliefs. They did so through government, education, media, entertainment, and other systems - all while the church was content to leave those areas alone and practice our religion. This flawed paradigm of the church is how one of the greatest outpourings of Holy Spirit in history can be experienced, and yet the church loses ground culturally. This will not happen in the coming move of Holy Spirit. We will think differently and do both commissions. This will be a game changer. I was with my friend, Chuck Pierce, last year when he had a vision about God re-circuiting the church and nation, which would obviously involve thinking differently. Here are a few definitions of circuit before sharing the vision: “a circular journey; the complete path of an electric current; a means of transmitting communication signals or messages.” Chuck said, “All of a sudden, I saw a word of knowledge blazed across the heavenly realms over us. It was the word “circuit.” Suddenly, I saw the Lord reach down inside of us and pull out a circuit. Then, with His hand He began to re-circuit individuals, followed by re-circuiting this region and, finally, re-circuiting our nation.” Chuck continued, “It’s like ‘killing’ a computer. You see, a computer stores all sorts of trash within it, and just turning it off and back on doesn’t get rid of the trash and garbage that has been stored in various parts of it. You have to go in and ‘kill’ that circuit, then bring it back up again.” He then prophesied, “The Lord says, ‘I’m going to make My people so in line with My purposes, so thinking the way I’m thinking, they will have no choice but to start walking in a new way.’” Elaborating further, he continued, “In this vision, the word ‘circuit,’ I believe, means a line, a message, a current that’s gone out. It went out, then it came full circle back in. He was re-circuiting America. Chuck then prophesied again, “You will know that I have pulled the plug on [‘killing’] things you’ve been asking me to pull the plug on, and brought the nation full circle. “‘I say, when I pull these plugs - I’ll do it one by one - the messages that have gone out in the past, will not be the same messages I allow to go out in the future. “‘Know this, My circuit is going out from the heavens, and as My voice goes out on that circuit, I say to you, it will NOT return void. What begins tonight will cause a nation to be circuited again with My message.’” It is easy to see the working of this. God has obviously changed the thinking of the church and the nation. He is not finished Holy Spirit is determined to finish His forerunning work of preparing America for revival…a Mark 16 AND Matthew 28 revival. Don’t fear the shaking - just think differently! Pray with me: Father, thank You for this encouraging word. You are re-circuiting the church and our nation. We are saying “yes” to this. We want to be in sync with You, both in our actions and our thoughts. We repent - we change our thinking and will move with You! We will move from the forerunning stage to fulfillment, from preparation to performance. Re-circuit us and re-circuit our nation. Pull the plug on evil circuitry. Pull the plug on lies, deception, evil strategies and plans, and on everything that has been launched by people to destroy Your plan for America. Bring down every evil plan. We are well aware that in this coming revival, some who now oppose You will fall in love with You. THEY will be re-circuited. Do it! We will rejoice over their salvation. Save many in our government, and bring revival to our schools. Save rich, poor, Republican, Democrat, red, yellow, black, and white. We ask for this in the name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We decree that we in the church and our nation, ARE being re-circuited! Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Moving Upward In today’s post, I want to encourage you. When looking up the meaning of “encourage”, I found some interesting facts. One of the meanings of the prefix “en” is to cause (a person or thing) to be in or within the place, condition, or state named by the primary word. To encourage, therefore, is to put someone into a state of courage. Allow Holy Spirit to place you into a state or condition of courage today. I’m going to share with you a word released a year ago by my brother, Tim Sheets, which I recently rediscovered. It is as timely today as it was then. Tim said: “One of the primary strategies of satan is to wear down the saints. The kingdom of darkness wants us to become so overcome with exhaustion and discouragement that we back off. He wants us to be occupied with worry and fear. He also desires for us to be so tired that we won’t pursue what God has put in our hearts. “Daniel 7:25 (NASB) tells us, ‘And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Highest One…’ The two words ‘wear out’ is one Hebrew word, bela, which means a ‘mental or emotional attack’.(1) This references attacks against our soul, which is our mind, will, and emotions. It isn’t a physical weariness. The oppression of the soul is a compressed, squeezing feeling, even a feeling of constantly being overwhelmed. The picture in the Hebrew language is that of a snake that wraps itself around its prey and squeezes until there is no longer breath. The enemy’s agenda is to put the squeeze on the saints until we are mentally and emotionally exhausted. “Hell’s plan is to wear us out until we throw up our hands in utter frustration and walk away in a shroud of hopelessness. Darkness fueled by wokeism and liberalism, fired by hell, is resulting in unrest, despair, fear, and worry. “This is a clear tactic of hell in our times. The division, lies, deception, and constant turmoil in our nation can produce a feeling of hopelessness. If we are not careful, this can cause us to wonder if things will ever change. “The Ekklesia must confront the lies with truth. Sometimes the battles are long, but that doesn’t mean we can’t win them. Jesus said, (John 16:33, NKJV) ‘In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!’ “We are to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. By placing our eyes on Jesus and giving Him our heavy burdens, life’s journey will be met with much less exhaustion and much more joy. “My daughter, Rachel Shafer, shares an important truth in her book, Expect God. She writes: “‘Several years ago, our youngest daughter Lily had major surgery. It was almost 12 hours long, extremely complicated, and included a long recovery time. We were a couple of weeks into this recovery process and trying to adjust to all that was happening, when in a moment of weakness, I said to God, “I feel like my life is spiraling out of control,” to which He replied, “Look up the word spiral.”’ “‘The meaning of spiral includes the advancement to higher levels through a series of circular movements. I was very intrigued by this definition. When I made the statement that I felt my life was spiraling out of control, I was thinking of spiraling downward, but that’s not what it actually means. I began to study more and came across this quote by Frances E. Willard: “This seems to be the law of progress in everything we do; it moves along a spiral rather than perpendicular; we seem to be actually going out of the way, and yet it turns out that we were really moving upward all the time.”’ “‘When I read this quote, the words leaped off the page! At times I may feel life is crazy, out of control, and going in the wrong directions, but His Word tells us that He works ALL for our good (Romans 8:28). All means all!’ “‘I realized that by looking upwards and keeping my gaze on Him, I was also moving up. I was going to higher levels in my walk with Him. I was accessing greater trust, stronger faith, and had an expectant heart that He was going to fulfill His promises.’ “‘So while I felt I was in a downward spiral, after studying the Word, my perspective changed. I realized that yes, I was spiraling, but I was spiraling to higher levels. I was looking up and moving up. I was learning to press into the waiting. God met me in my darkest pain and taught me to hope again. God can take even the bad things and, in the proper season, turn them around and use them for good in the way He intends.’(2) (Rachel ends) Tim continues, “God desires for us not to live in an atmosphere of weariness and frustration, but instead, an atmosphere of hope. We need to confront the appalling, dark atmosphere by binding it in the name of Jesus (Mark 3:27). We must refuse to live under a cloud of confusion, fear, hopelessness, and despair. “We are not to be distracted, but wholly fix our eyes upon Jesus. His eyes are like flames of fire (Revelation 1:14). He is offering us an invitation to encounter Him in deeper ways - more than we ever have. We are being invited into the deepest parts of His heart, His ways, and His plans for us. He desires for His kingdom and government to be established on the earth like never before. “Holy Spirit has not been preparing us to lose. Like Daniel, we must pray until Holy Spirit comes with angel armies and begins to dethrone princes (Daniel 10:10-21). We decree that the time of our confinement is up. It’s time for breakthrough, and for King Jesus and His everlasting Kingdom to see the powers of darkness bow to Him. “We are people who refuse to have our hearts dampened by the world’s darkness. We can live in a life of God’s overcoming victory because hope from above has been provided for us. Victory after victory is our right, and there is no need to live below that privilege. “We need to show the world there exists an Ekklesia that lives in a different realm. One that looks at the tactics of hell, the world, oppressive governments, and darkness, but chooses to say, ‘None of that moves us.’ “I want to encourage you with this thought, ‘You can win. Your life and your future will turn for good.’ It’s time to go on the offense, use your authority, and press into the presence of God. God’s presence is greater than the attack of our adversary. “Your tomorrows are going to be better than your yesterdays. Your future will be far better than your past. The God you served yesterday is still God today, and He’s God of tomorrow.” Pray with me: Lord, we love You and give thanks for the strength You’ve given us. Together, we come against the oppressive attack of hell that is directed at us and our nation. We come against darkness and discouragement that have dared to oppress to wear out Your saints. Greater One, we ask that You rise up within Your Ekklesia today. We exercise and release the authority of Your kingdom into the atmosphere. Let great liberty and freedom come, in Jesus’ name. In You we live, move, and have our being. No weapon or oppression formed against us will prosper. We tap into a different realm, heaven’s realm, and put the enemy under our feet. Lord, we thank You that the enemy does not have any authority over us. Lord Jesus, we thank You that with the tools You have given us, we can forbid the adversary’s dark tactics to affect our souls. We choose to live in the atmosphere of Your kingdom - the place where there is peace, hope, joy, faith, confidence, and love. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. Our decree: My life is not spiraling out of control. I’m spiraling upward into God’s presence, connected with Him. Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim Sheets and Tim’s daughter Rachel Shafer. You can learn more about Tim Sheets at www.TimSheets.org You can learn more about Rachel Shafer and find her book at www.rachelshafer.com Click on the link below to watch the full video. _____________________________ 1. Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, ref. no. 1080. 2. Rachel Shafer, Expect God (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 2019), pp. 85-86.

Be Encouraged Sometime in the early to mid-1980s, I realized the Charismatic Movement, which included the Jesus People Movement, was over. Not that people were not still being saved and impacted by Holy Spirit, but the scope and magnitude were no longer sufficient to call it a revival. There has not been a national revival in America since that time. (The Charismatic Movement was also international.) This outpouring did not have as great a societal impact in America as the First and Second Great Awakenings in that it did not change the overall culture. Nevertheless, many consider it a true revival. I certainly do. Even as it waned, I knew in my spirit another great revival was planned for America and the world. Holy Spirit impressed this on my heart very strongly and confirmed it in many ways. In my youthful naivety, however, I assumed it would take place soon. In 2000, Holy Spirit completed His mantling of me for my role in this process and spoke to me of the coming awakening. Again, I assumed this would begin immediately. But I was not aware of the scope of God‘s plan - certainly not in the 80s, and not even in 2000 - to take the church through another incredibly significant season of restoration, including but not limited to: radically new understandings and levels of worship; the prayer movement; the restoration of prophets and prophetic ministry; the restoration of apostles and apostolic ministry; and the revelation of the church as Christ’s Ekklesia (government and discipling body) on earth. Holy Spirit has been very busy these last 35 years! These restorations in the church will prove to be the greatest game changers in history. With all of Christ’s 5 anointings now operating in the body of Christ - that is what the 5 ministry gifts of Ephesians 4:11 represent - we can reveal Him fully on the earth. (See also Ephesians 4:13.) Learning to represent Christ through prayer is changing the world. Understanding our authority as His Ekklesia is monumental. And no words can adequately describe the worldwide impact of the worship movement over the last 30-40 years. These restorations HAD to occur, and their importance and impact can not be overstated. The greatest revival in the history of the world is now possible. I say all of this to encourage you that we, the church, have not simply been in a meaningless stall or holding pattern for the last few decades. And we are certainly not in a stalemate with the powers of darkness. Christ, the builder of the church (Matthew 16:18-19), knows exactly what He is doing. His Chief Representative/Partner on earth, Holy Spirit, also knows what He is doing. We can rest assured they have things on track. The wait will have been worth it. A couple of our Kingdom's predecessors, Joshua and Caleb, through no fault of their own, also had to wait 40 years for their promised inheritance. We must remember that when God is working in, with, and through millions of people, it takes longer for Him to accomplish His purposes. Hearts must change, understanding must increase, and paradigms must be transformed. He knows this and is patient; we must be, as well. I want to conclude the post today by reminding you of a significant dream given a few years back to our friend, Julie Meyer. Julie is an internationally known worship leader, teacher, and seasoned intercessor. As the dream began, she saw 7 ambulances lined up, each with lights flashing. Growing very concerned, she looked into the back of one of the ambulances and saw a non-responsive person on a gurney. Next to the patient was an attendant, working feverishly to revive him. In the dream, Julie immediately knew the attendant was an angel. He looked at her and said, “I can’t find a heartbeat.” She went from one ambulance to the next, finding the same scenario—patients on gurneys with angels attending them, trying to restart their hearts. Suddenly, one of the angels looked directly at Julie and confided, “It’s the intercessors.” Like myself and many of you, a number of intercessors have prayed for years for revival, but revival hasn’t yet materialized, and some of them have experienced what Proverbs 13:12 refers to as “hope deferred.” And as this verse warns, hope deferred has made their hearts sick. Traveling across America, I can attest to the truthfulness of the dream. As Julie’s dream continued, suddenly, one of the angels shouted, “I found a heartbeat, but it’s very faint!” The other angels grew excited and inquired, “What did you do?” The first angel’s response was surprising. “Tell the old stories. When I started telling her stories of what God did in the past, her heart began to beat.” With that, these heavenly attendants began speaking to the intercessors about the First Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening, and other Holy Spirit outpourings—right up through the healing revivals and tent meetings of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. As they did so, the hearts of all the intercessors started to beat again. At this point in the dream, an angel looked at Julie and insisted, “Tell the old stories of what God has done in the past.” This was powerful to me. The angelic messenger then added instructions that stirred my heart even more: “Tell the intercessors to put themselves in the storyline because the old stories are also their stories.” What a profound and intriguing thought. Who among us really thinks this way? But we should. God has one overarching plan for humankind; we’re all part of the same unfolding drama. Our generation’s role in history is simply another act of yesterday’s play; our battles are conflicts in one ongoing war. Every revival in history is but a sequel to Holy Spirit’s ongoing series of outpourings, and every soul saved enters the same spiritual family. Our stories, though many, are one. Put yourself in the storyline, because the old stories are actually your stories! Remind yourself of some past revivals, miracles, and outpourings of Holy Spirit. Do a search of the Welsh revival, Cane Ridge, Azuza Street, or others. Re-read the book of Acts. As you do, remind yourself that all of them are YOUR revivals. Put yourself in the storyline. If you do, hope deferred will lift, weariness will be replaced with refreshing, and your heart will come alive. Pray with me: Thank You, Father, for bringing us into Your family and plan. You have made us more than servants, You’ve made us Your family and friends. As such, we have become co-laborers with You, working to see Your redemptive power manifested throughout the earth. You have expanded our understanding of this significantly over the past 40 years. We believe You are now launching an entirely new phase of Your Kingdom activities on earth. Jesus said it was Your good pleasure to give us the Kingdom (Luke 12:32), so we ask for this. We also command for You and for Christ the release of Kingdom rule into the earth, just as He instructed us to do: “Your Kingdom, come! Your will, be done!” We join our faith and prayers together for a strengthening of the intercessors, NOW! We break off weariness and confusion. We release joy, strength, and refreshing. We say that our hearts are strong, beating vibrantly and effectively. We place ourselves in the Kingdom storyline, reminding ourselves that every revival in history was our revival, and every soul saved is now our family member. We stir ourselves up, just as Paul told Timothy to do. We will not be passive, complacent, or apathetic, we will burn for You. Our decree: We decree that the great work of restoration accomplished by Holy Spirit over the past 40 years will now bear its fruit. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Why Did David Use a Sling David staked claim to the land Goliath wanted, pointing out that it had been given to his tribe of Israel. David stated that he was in covenant with God while Goliath wasn’t. These historical facts guaranteed victory, but David continued to brandish his history. After asking, “Is there not a history?” he began recounting his personal history with God. David spoke of God’s supernatural ability given to him when facing a lion (1 Samuel 17:34-36). “I seized him by his beard, attacked him, and rescued the lamb,” he said. As if that wasn’t amazing enough, David also killed a bear! “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine,” David decreed (verse 37). This small, physically insignificant young man, had faith that was anchored—not to his own abilities—but to a history of God’s faithfulness. It’s important to know that David stated that history. He said it. After teaching on the power of history recently, I was asked by a Messianic Jewish rabbi if I knew the meaning of the Hebrew word for “testimony.” I did not. “The word doesn’t mean simply to convey something from the past,” he informed me. “Its true meaning is ‘to repeat an action or do it again.’ We Hebrews believe,” he continued, “that when we share about what God did in the past, it releases the same power into the present...in other words, power is released to ‘do it again.’ Whoa! My head was spinning. He continued, “That’s one of the reasons we share with our children the stories of what God did in our Jewish history. It’s not only so they’ll know their cultural history; it is also so the power in that history can be released to them today. For example, when we tell them about Passover and the Exodus, we believe God’s delivering and saving power that was demonstrated back then, will be released to save and deliver our children from bondages they may have today.” Whoa times two! The rabbi went on to tell me he and his congregation had been experiencing healings from repeatedly sending believers to sick individuals and having them recount healings they had received in the past. When they testified of their healings, power was released to “do it again.” This drove me to my lexicons. While studying the word “testimony,” which meant exactly what the rabbi had said, one dictionary sent me to the Hebrew word for “remember.” Similarly, it doesn’t mean simply to think about something from the past; it means to do what is being thought about.3 This is why God tells us in Isaiah 43:26, “Put Me in remembrance...” He doesn’t require this because He, like us humans, sometimes needs a reminder. Rather, He is instructing us to ask Him, based on something said or done in the past, to take action today. God “remembered” Hannah, who had been barren, and she conceived (1 Samuel 1:11). He “remembered” His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and commissioned Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 2:24). For God, remembering involves action. This was life-changing revelation for me. I finally understood why God said we overcame satan by “the word of [our] testimony” (Revelation 12:11). And I knew why David stated his testimony of the lion and the bear! After doing so, David then did something extremely interesting. He grabbed his staff, five stones and his sling, and approached the giant (see 1 Samuel 17:40). Why would David want to be encumbered with his staff when fighting Goliath? In those days, men carved symbols depicting their history on their staffs; it was their journal, of sorts. David’s staff no doubt depicted pictures of a dead lion and dead bear—his testimony, his history with God. Who knows what other victories it pictured? Perhaps it had the phrase “God is my father” inscribed on it. Many scholars believe David was conceived “illegitimately,” that his father Jesse had an affair with a maid and David was the result. They believe this is why Jesse didn’t invite him to the line-up of his sons, from which Samuel planned to choose Israel’s next King. When asked if there were any other sons, most translations say Jesse referred to David as the “youngest” (1 Samuel 16:11). The word is actually qatan, however, and means “of no account; not worthy.”(4) David was an outcast. He stated in Psalms 27:10, “My father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me up.” David refused to allow the rejection by his parents and half-brothers to define him. He also refused to allow Goliath to define him. “I choose, rather, to honor my history with God, who has become my Father, and from Whom I take my identity,” David implied in the Psalms. And when facing Goliath, he declared his testimony, grabbed his history (staff), and headed toward the battle. This is profound. The Power of Testimony David made one stop on the way to the battle, visiting a nearby brook to gather stones as ammo for his sling. Even this seemingly insignificant act was connected to history. The Hebrew word used for “brook” means “inheritance.”(5) That may seem strange, but Hebrew is a pictorial language, and this word pictures receiving something, then possessing the authority to control where it goes; thus, an “inheritance,” or a “streambed.” Actually, it is perfectly logical for Holy Spirit to use this symbolic picture of an “inheritance.” After all, it WAS David’s land, his inheritance. David took his “history” in one hand, reached into his “inheritance” with the other, then ran to face the giant. WOW! And yet, there is still one more connection to David’s history which played a part in this battle with the giant: his Judah nature, his DNA. Most Christians believe Judah means “praise.” That, however, is a derived meaning. In this pictorial language, the Hebrew word pictures the extending of the hand. It is because of this that it is a word used for “praise,” since raising the hands is a form of praise. However, because Judah means to extend the hand, it also means “one who throws a stone.”(6) In his history, David was from “the tribe that throws stones!” I sometimes imagine David as a young boy, spending countless hours alone, watching the sheep. He obviously turned those times into many hours of communing with God. Early in that season, he must have thought, what weapon do I want to become proficient with? A bow? Somehow, that didn’t seem appealing to him. Perhaps a sword is what I should learn to use, he may have thought. No, that isn’t me, either. Suddenly from somewhere deep in the heart of this young shepherd boy, a thought began to waft up: I’m from the tribe that throws stones. And the rest, as they say, is history. I don’t need a sword or spear, David thought as he prepared to face the uncircumcised Philistine. The land you’re trying to steal belongs to the stone-throwing tribe - my tribe! All I need to do is reach back in my history and deep into my DNA. We believers in America are going to defeat the giants invading our nation, and we will do so using the same weapon David used: our history. The God who formed and preserved America in her past will fight for her today. As you pray for our nation, boldly declare His past faithfulness, believing in the power of testimony. Speak of our birth; declare about the revivals of the past; wave the Appeal To Heaven flag. I’ll share a few truths about America’s God-given history tomorrow in order to help arm you. But here’s a thought to end today’s post. John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States and son of John and Abigail Adams, said the following: “The hope of a Christian is inseparable from his faith. Whoever believes in the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures must hope that the religion of Jesus shall prevail throughout the earth. Never since the foundation of the world have the prospects of mankind been more encouraging to that hope than they appear to be at the present time. And may the associated distribution of the Bible proceed and prosper till the Lord shall have made 'bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God' (Isaiah 52:10)." (7) Pray with me: Father, we thank You for the many victories You have given us over the years. Thank You for the supernatural way You created this nation, giving us independence when it looked absolutely impossible. We have inscribed that history into our history books and hearts. Like David and his staff, we carry that history with us into battle. Our battle cry is, “Is there not a history?” We refuse to fear today’s giants. They are small when seen up against You. We wave the Appeal To Heaven flag, just as Washington and his troops did, and say, “It still works.” We wave the flag at abortion. We wave it at idolatry. We wave it at unrighteous government. We wave it at our godless education system. We wave it at a dishonest media. We wave it boldly and say, “You are coming to save America!” Our decree: We decree that victory in Christ Jesus is our inheritance. We will war with that truth. Click on the link below to watch today's full prayer. _____________________________ Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study Dictionary. (Iowa Falls: IA: Word Bible Publishers, 1992). P. 2012. Strong, James. The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Red-Letter Edition. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001). Reference no. 5157 and 5158. Ibid., Reference no. 3034. https://www.learnreligions.com/christian-quotes-of-the-founding-fathers-700789

Stay Focused I want to share some thoughts today regarding Tuesday’s vote in Kansas. I am doing so today rather than yesterday, simply because all GH15 posts must be written and recorded the day before they are released. Therefore, yesterday’s post was recorded Tuesday afternoon, before Tuesday’s vote was finished. Of course, I am deeply disappointed with the outcome of the vote in Kansas. Yet, we must remember that when dealing with the free wills of people, we are never given the authority to control them, only to influence them. Given that fact, we don’t always experience the results we want, just as God Himself doesn’t. For example, it is not His will that any perish spiritually, yet many do (see Matthew 18:14). I am quite sure that in response to our prayers, God did everything He could to change the will and thinking of many voters. He simply cannot always do so. Jesus could not change the heart of Judas, even after living and traveling with him for three years. Christ wept over Jerusalem because of their blindness and impending judgment (see Luke 19:41). He had tried to reach them, but could not. Does this mean time spent praying for those who will not change is wasted? Does it mean we were wrong to conduct prayer gatherings and encourage people to pray for Kansas? Of course not. This is no different than preaching the gospel to a person or people, only to have them reject it. We are required to do what is just and right, even while knowing we will not always see the desired outcome. And God is faithful to give people a choice. Though we did not see the results we wanted, we can be sure God has stored up our prayers for Kansas and will still use them at the right time (see Revelation 5:8). To the people in Kansas and around the nation who fought for the babies, I simply say, “You did well and must continue to fight for them.” After the reversing of Roe, this ongoing battle for life was to be expected. As insane as it is, one of the greatest battles of our time is for the lives of unborn babies. And even after experiencing setbacks, we must continue to fight spiritually and legislatively - just as we continue to preach the gospel, even though some reject it. It is often stated that elections have consequences. They do, and those results sometimes have far-ranging effects, not just short-term consequences, lasting for a short election cycle of 2 to 4 years. When God’s influence is removed from a people/nation, systems of evil and sin begin to be built. Over time, the fruit of this accrues and multiples. Educators are given positions of influence, minds are molded, unrighteous laws are written that can be difficult to change, and more. Cycles of sin then perpetuate, bringing greater deception and destructive fruit; strongholds are strengthened. In our nation, unrighteous and ungodly decisions began being made decades ago. We are now seeing the horrible fruit of this. And I am not speaking only of abortion. In America, God is showing us the fruit of rejecting Him. In Scripture, He calls those who do so, “fools.” Indeed. The greatest country on earth now has babbling, cognitively deficient people leading us; men who think they are women serving in cabinet positions; individuals creating national policy who contend that men can become pregnant (and attempting to punish those who disagree); Supreme Court Justices who can’t define what a woman is; educational leaders who contend that we should teach kindergartners they can change their genders; military leaders who believe “wokism” defines preparedness for war, and we could go on. The rejection of God creates insanity. My advice to those in the church - and frankly, to all well-meaning Americans - who have bought into the progressive liberalism of our day is, “For the sake of your children and grandchildren, wake up.” To Christians in America who think the church should not be overly involved in political issues and elections, I would simply ask, “How do you think we got into this current mess?” Answer: by allowing unrighteous and ungodly people, who don’t honor God and His ways to be elected into government. To the praying church (and others working to see America restored in various ways), “Do not give up!” Sixty years of godless evil cannot be reversed in a year or two. We are making progress. And when the great awakening God has spoken of comes in full force, it will be the game-changer. The change of heart caused by millions of people being born again will truly offset the godless, humanistic thinking of a generation. Then, and only then, will they genuinely care what God and the Bible say. Remember that we are creating this now through our prayers and by placing people into positions of authority and influence. We must not grow weary in our efforts. God can do this! He has said, “America shall be saved.” Not many believed America could win her independence, but she appealed to heaven and prevailed. Very few believed Roe would ever be overturned, but it was. No one believed Ninevah could experience revival, but it did. No one in Israel believed Saul of Tarsus could become an apostle of God and writer of Scripture. I’m sure no one would have even considered anything as ludicrous as slave trader John Newton one day pastoring the greatest abolitionist in history, William Wilberforce…let alone writing history’s most sung ballad of all time, Amazing Grace. Don’t underestimate God’s ability to redeem. Let God deal with the people, states, and governments that oppose Him. He will have His way with unrighteous governments and systems. Shakings will continue and intensify. Kansan believers, remain faithful, and keep standing for life. All Americans (and elsewhere) who labor and pray, stay focused. Stay in faith. Keep listening to Holy Spirit, not the circumstances around us. God will prevail. Pray with me: Father, comfort those who worked, sowed time and resources, and interceded for the passing of Value Them Both. Encourage them. Strengthen also those who worked for this in government. Let them know their labors were not in vain. You were watching and listening! Give legislators brilliant and creative legal ideas with which to approach this issue again. We also ask that another opportunity be given for Kansas to end their covenant with death and enter into covenant with You. Do whatever is necessary for this to occur. We ask this as well for all states that are now in agreement with the spirit of death. Use the coming revival to awaken them - please bring it quickly! And we pray for strength and encouragement to the overall prayer movement in America. Through intimacy with You, may those who pray for America find encouragement, strength, great faith, and endurance. We ask that our Helper, Holy Spirit, move on each intercessor, bringing refreshing and renewing. We pray that the accuser, our adversary who tries to wear down the saints (Daniel 7:25), fails in his attempt to do so. We declare our faith: we will NOT waver, we will NOT relent, and we will NOT fail. Our decree: We declare that though we are afflicted, we’re not crushed; when perplexed, we do not despair; and when we are struck down, we are not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) We will never quit! Click on the link below to watch the full video.

God, Indeed, Rules in the Affairs of Men In this challenging time of America's existence and the challenging scenarios around the world, we must remind ourselves that God does indeed rule in the affairs of men. Two of the ways He does so are through the prayers of His people and the principle of covenant. We must keep ourselves reminded of His overriding hand in order to stay motivated and filled with faith. We must especially keep ourselves reminded of the fact that God raised up America for His purposes. Deuteronomy 4:9 tells us: “Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life, but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.” (NASB) In the spirit of this verse, I remind you of the words of Benjamin Franklin when the Continental Congress was attempting to write our Constitution and had experienced a stalemate. I’ve shared this before, but it is so appropriate here that I’m doing so again. In a later portion of his address (which I do not share here) Franklin challenged his fellow delegates to begin each day’s session with prayer, appealing for God’s help. “…In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine Protection. -- Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence, we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance? “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth -- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without [H]is notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without [H]is aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that ‘except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without [H]is concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall be become a reproach and a bye word down to future age. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest…”(1) It is shocking when I hear Christian leaders ignorantly deny that God raised up America. They accuse those who do believe this of being “Christian nationalists,” whatever that is. Most of them contend that the only nation God has ever birthed is Israel. However, Job 12:23 tells us, “He makes nations rise and then fall, builds up some and abandons others” (The Message). There were actually several undeniable miracles performed by God during the forming of our nation, demonstrating what Franklin referred to above as “frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor.” In the following account, Douglas S. Winnail recounts one of those miracles, the protection of George Washington: “…the fact that he lived to lead this young nation appears due to what was called Divine Providence—the intervention of God in mankind’s affairs for a purpose. In 1755, during the French and Indian War, 23-year-old Colonel Washington was one of 1,400 British troops under the command of General Braddock marching to capture Fort Duquesne, near Pittsburgh, when they were attacked by a French and Indian force. During the battle, ‘Braddock was killed, and every officer on horseback was shot, except Washington.’ The young colonel [Washington] later wrote to his brother, ‘But by the All-Powerful Dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me.’ A Native American who fought in the battle later stated, ‘Washington was never born to be killed by a bullet! I had seventeen fair fires at him with my rifle and after all could not bring him to the ground.’”(2) Numerous testimonies exist of God’s intervention in the Revolution through the weather. Moms For America recounts the following example: “The miracle of right weather is one that God has used in many instances for people and nations who follow Him. “The Revolutionary War itself was indeed a David vs. Goliath mismatch with the most powerful army in the world against a force of patriots who didn’t have the funding or military background – only passion and Providence. “The Battle of Brooklyn found the American forces surrounded by 32,000 British regulars. Trapped near the East River, the British dug trenches around the Americans, planning to finish them off. They awaited British ships to arrive to cut off any possible escape route. “The ships never arrived. Though the plan was set, the wind became still, and they couldn’t sail into place. “It rained all night, and George Washington used all available boats to begin shuttling his troops across the river to safety under cover of darkness. As morning approached, he still had a large percentage of his soldiers awaiting transport. “Their loss could mean disaster for the American Revolution. “Then, a heavy fog settled over the American and British troops. Even after daybreak, the fog lay like a blanket upon both. When it finally lifted, the British were astonished to see every sign of their adversaries gone!(3) “The mysterious and infamous fog saved the American revolutionaries from capture, or worse. “The event was documented by Major Benjamin Tallmadge: ‘As the dawn of the next day approached, those of us who remained… became very anxious for our own safety…At this time, a very dense fog began to rise off the river, and it seemed to settle in a peculiar manner over both encampments. I recollect this peculiar providential occurrence perfectly well, and so very dense was the atmosphere that I could scarcely discern a man at six yards distance.’”(4) I share these stories and remind you of these truths to bolster your faith. With the threat of China, Russia, Iran, and Korea hanging over America; with the devastating effects of the most inept and corrupt government in our history plaguing us on every front; with the moral and ethical confusion currently ruling our land - we must keep ourselves reminded that God, indeed, rules in the affairs of men. I conclude with a poignant quote from the great John Wayne: “Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday.”(5) Pray with me: Father, breathe on the praying church today. Work through the power of Holy Spirit to offset weariness, confusion, despair, and fear. You have raised up a company of spiritual warriors, determined representatives of Christ, who intend to see Your Kingdom come and will be done on earth. Strengthen them to finish well. Six times in Daniel 7, it says of this prophet that as You gave Him visions and instructions, he “kept looking.” Like him, remind us to keep our focus and gaze on You in this strategic hour of history. May we not be moved by what we see around us, only by what You say. We are listening to Holy Spirit, and we will keep listening. We ask for divine intervention regarding China and the other evil forces in the world. We do not refer to the Chinese people whom we love and pray for as evil, but of evil dictators there and elsewhere. Keep them from overcoming America in this hour of weakness. Keep America free and enable us to rebuild our strength. We ask this for the cause of Christ and the significant influx of people coming into Your family very soon. As You instructed us to do, we decree, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!” (Matthew 6:10) Our decree: We decree that God will give us miracles of preservation and protection in this tenuous hour of history. Click on the link below to watch the full video. __________________________________ https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/benfranklin.htm https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2017/july-august/miracles-of-the-american-revolution https://momsforamerica.us/blog/5-surprising-miracles-from-god-that-helped-make-america-great/ https://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2017/july-august/miracles-of-the-american-revolution https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/45481.John_Wayne

Our Faith Will Prevail Hebrews 6:12 tells us it is through faith and patience that we inherit the promises. Maintaining faith for this nation has not always been easy. I’ve watched it drift farther and farther from God. There have been times of great sadness and mourning as I’ve watched God rejected, morality decline, babies killed, our roots deteriorate, and the overall church of America weaken. Obviously, it has looked, at times, like satan and those aligned with him are winning the war. Their arrogance and mockery sometimes makes it more challenging. On my journey the last 20 years, I have traveled millions of miles to thousands of meetings in hundreds of cities - all to pray and encourage others to do the same. I have fought discouragement and the frustration of wondering why more believers - especially leaders - don’t take seriously the need to pray for America. I have listened to naysayers’ unbelief, eschatological explanations as to why I am wasting my time, and ill-informed rebukes about being an American nationalist and/or controlled by a political spirit (even though my passion for America is centered around our calling to serve and evangelize other nations, and I’m not registered with either party.) Emotions are sometimes challenging to deal with. I have experienced anger over Never-Trumper’s who prefer killing babies over mean tweets, and pompous pastors who preach that God forgives sinners and doesn’t remember their sins, while continuously bringing up President Trump’s past. I watched with shock while spiritual leaders refuse to pray and take a stand against cheating, then congratulated a staunch pro-abortionist (and who has since become the most pro-abortion president in history). I was disgusted as some of them castigated well-meaning prophetic believers whom they felt “missed it.” (A few did, most didn’t. Their decrees were declarations of faith or words stating God’s desire, not His guarantee.) God never said faith journeys would be easy. In spite of the ups and downs, by God’s grace and help I can say I have never doubted His word to me that a Third Great Awakening is coming to America; nor that this awakening will turn our nation back to Him and our righteous roots. We will be restored to our God-given destiny. America shall be saved! When needing to make a stand of faith, we must reach a point where what God says is the only determining factor for what we believe. That alone is biblical faith. Faith cannot be based on what we see around us, what others say, or how long it has been since the promise was given. When God was about to bring Israel into their fullness of time, giving them the promised land of Canaan, He made it clear to Joshua that faith would be required to possess the land. In Joshua 1:2 God said to Joshua, “Cross this Jordan,” (italics mine). He was pointing out that it was not the Jordan of several months earlier, nor the Jordan of a few months from then. It was this one - which was in flood stage! (see Joshua 3:15) At this time, the Jordan River was probably a mile wide, very deep, and, as far as these Israelites were concerned, impassible. Yet, God told Joshua that the nation - men, women, children, animals, possessions - would have to cross this Jordan in 3 days. One would imagine Joshua was tempted to think: we’ve waited 40 years! A few more months won’t hurt. Gimme a break! If he did, he didn’t say it. On the contrary, he started packing! What incredible faith it took to receive this word from the Lord! We, too, will face impossible situations and insurmountable odds at times when we are in the process of turning a nation. It will require much faith. We are there now in America. We will have to believe God is going to do His part - the impossible - to get us to where we need to be. As much faith is needed in the possessing stage as in the long waiting period. Chronos seasons of waiting obviously require faith and patience. But when God says it’s time to reap, faith will also be required then. We must be willing to respond and move in faith, regardless of the odds or adversity. I love the following story: “As the drought continued for what seemed an eternity, a small community of Midwest farmers was in a quandary as to what to do. The rain was important not only in order to keep the crops healthy, but to sustain the townspeople’s very way of living. As the problem became more urgent, the local church felt it was time to get involved and planned a prayer meeting in order to ask for rain. “The pastor watched as his congregation filed in. He slowly circulated from group to group as he made his way to the front in order to officially begin the meeting. Everyone he encountered was visiting across the aisles, enjoying the chance to socialize with their close friends. As the pastor finally secured his place in front of his flock, his thoughts were on the importance of quieting the crowd and starting the meeting. “Just as he began asking for quiet, he noticed an 11-year-old girl sitting on the front row. She was angelically beaming with excitement; and lying next to her was her bright red umbrella, poised for use. The beauty and innocence of this sight touched the pastor’s heart. He realized this young girl possessed faith that the other people in the room seemed to have forgotten. The rest of the people had just come to pray for rain...she had come to see God answer.”(1) If we are going to see America turn, we better bring our umbrellas! God did something else to let Joshua know this reaping season was going to require faith. He made sure they crossed the Jordan near Jericho (Joshua 3:16), perhaps the most fortified and impregnable city in Canaan. As Joshua was staring at this stronghold, God made one of His periodic, outlandish statements, “See, I have handed Jericho over to you, with its king and the valiant warriors,” (Joshua 6:2). My very human response would probably have been something like, “See what? All I see is one of the most fortified cities in all of Canaan. And, by the way, couldn’t we start with one of the smaller, vulnerable towns? Until we get a little experience and momentum. I mean, we were nomads a couple of days ago, our army hasn’t fought a battle…” God, however, was making a point through the flooded Jordan and impregnable Jericho: “The success of this endeavor doesn’t depend on the size or experience of your army. It doesn’t hinge on when or where you cross the Jordan. And the size or strength of the adversary means nothing. Success will be decided ONLY and TOTALLY by My ability and your willingness to obey and partner with Me. Got it, Josh?” Got it, praying church in America? Let’s pray. Pray with me: Father, Your cause is great and noble. You are determined to offer this entire planet the privilege of knowing You, entering Your family. You love the entire world with immeasurable love. Christ is the proof. A showdown is coming. Demonic rulers over Jericho’s are fearful, sensing that You are coming. They are correct. A shift is in process. The times and seasons are changing. We are going to cross the Jordan. Yes, it is flooded, impassable. No matter! We’re going across. We’re taking Jericho. Jubilee trumpets, marching feet and a shout of triumph will bring Your victory. We pray for the faith of our brothers and sisters, Father, as Christ did for Peter. He prayed that Peter’s faith wouldn’t fail, and it didn’t. It looked like it had, but, no, You sustained him. And we believe You will do so with today’s warriors, also. Sustain them, we pray! May they look at America and other Jericho nations of the earth with eyes of faith and hear You say, “See, I have given you the city.” Our decree: We decree that we will do what is necessary and stand by faith! 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. _____________________________ Alice Gray, Stories for the Heart (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 1996), p. 104.

The Power of Words Most Christians have no idea of the power of God‘s Word. We have already talked about using it as a weapon, the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). For it to be the weapon of choice for Jesus Himself when resisting satan, should be all the proof we need that it is the number one way to deal with him. Not only is God’s Word a weapon, however; it does much more. The Scriptures refer to God‘s words as “seeds.” The Greek word is speiro; another form of the word is sperma. As you can hear in them, we do, indeed, get the English words “sperm” and “spore” from this Greek word. Holy Spirit uses these words to communicate that His Words have creative life in them. Like physical seeds, they reproduce life; they multiply. First Peter 1:23 references this, telling us we were born again by the power of the “incorruptible seed” (Greek: spora), the Word of God. The parable of the sower (Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8) also refers to God’s Word as seeds which reproduce and multiply fruit. Job 6:25 reads, “How forcible are right words!” (KJV). Right words would obviously include the Scriptures. “Forcible” is the word marats which at its root, also means “to press.” As the signet ring of a king presses a document with his seal, our stated agreement with God releases our faith, acknowledges submission to Him and seals or settles a matter. This seals our salvation, the promises of God, our destinies, and many other things. Ecclesiastes 12:11 tells us, “The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies” (KJV). Our words, when agreeing with God’s, act as nails, constructing lives, circumstances, events, etc. in the spirit realm. Just as a nail is used to keep a board in place and to build structures, words are used to keep God‘s promises in place, allowing them to build or construct things in the spirit. Jeremiah 23:29 says His Word is like fire and a hammer that breaks rocks. In Scripture, God’s fire consumes and cleanses. We are refined and purified by His Word. Fire also judges His enemies - our God is a Consuming Fire! (Hebrews 12:29). Declaring His Word against the plans, strategies, and powers of darkness causes them to be consumed and destroyed. Simply stated, there is no more powerful weapon against the enemy than releasing the Word of God from your lips. As a hammer, it breaks and crushes. No wall, not even a mountain, can stand against the power of God‘s crushing words. Speak them! Psalm 107:20 tells us we are healed by His Words, also. The most effective way to release your faith for the healing of your body is to speak God‘s Word over it. His Words, filled with life, will go into your body and begin rejuvenating and restoring. The Word of God is never ineffective - it will always produce. When we speak it into situations, we are sowing God-seeds, which enables Him to bring forth life! Ezekiel and the Valley of Dry Bones is an example of God’s life being released through words. “Speak to the bones!” God said to the prophet (see Ezekiel 37). Can you imagine what Ezekiel thought? Speak to them? God, if You want something said to skeletons, why don’t You just do it? But Ezekiel obeyed and said, “O dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord.” And they did! Bone came to bone, flesh came on them. There was no life in them, however, and Ezekiel’s next assignment amazes me more than prophesying to the bones. The Lord said, “Prophesy to the breath.” Later in the passage we’re told that the breath he was prophesying to was Holy Spirit. God didn’t say to Ezekiel, “Prophesy by Holy Spirit,” nor did He say, “Prophesy for Holy Spirit.” God said, “I want you to prophesy to Holy Spirit. Ezekiel did and the Spirit of God did what a man told Him to do. Incredible! Did the prophet actually give a command to Holy Spirit? No. He wasn’t commanding God; He was commanding for God. As has been God’s plan and heart from Creation, He was partnering with humans. Father and Sons (Daughters), Inc. managing the planet! God working through the prophetic declaration of a human being. Pray with me: Father, awaken us to the power of Your Words. Your voice created all of earth’s great treasures, nature, and forces. It literally shook the mountain of Sinai. Creation is but an extension of Your creative nature, released through the power of Your creative words. Hebrews 1:3 tells us all of this creation is still held together simply by the strength of Your Words! Awaken us to a revelation of this power. Bring another revival of your Word to the body of Christ, awakening insatiable hunger for the Scriptures. Cause leaders to preach the Word again with holy fire and boldness. Renew past revelation of its strength and power. And today, we declare Your Word as a sword against strongholds and attacks of satan. We declare that “by Your stripes we are healed” (1 Peter 2:24). We declare that all of our needs are met according to Your riches, Father, and through Christ’s redemption (Philippians 4:19). We agree with Your Word that our entire household will be saved (Acts 16:31). In Jesus’ name, we break all power of satan off our family members and call them into the family of God. We ask for angels to be sent to minister to them, and for laborers also to be sent to them. In Christ’s name! Amen. Our decree: We decree there is no greater power than the Word of God. We will speak it over our lives, families, cities, and nations.

Why We Fight I love America very much, but my love for her is comprised of two different types of love. One is natural; the other is spiritual. First, I have a natural love for the USA, which I believe every person should possess for their homeland. Where this type of love is concerned, America will always be number one for me. Yes, I am a flag-waving patriot, with nationalistic pride and love for the USA. The word patriot comes from the Greek word pater, which means “father”. A patriot is one who honors and embraces the heritage, visions, and ideals of their father/s. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob honors this principle; so should we. True patriotism connects us to our roots: past ideals, creeds, purposes, and covenants made with God and others. This connection makes history relevant, giving us benchmarks and boundaries from which to measure our present and future. In a literal sense, for one to say he or she is a “patriotic” American and not embrace the principles of our Founders, which includes allegiance to and partnership with God, is a contradiction in terms. I another type of love for America, a spiritually rooted love, placed in me by God. In the year 2000, I experienced an encounter with Him through which He imparted to me His heart for America. God loves America. Having said that, I am under no delusion that He loves America more than other nations. He does not. Americans are not more important than Nigerians, the British, the French, or any other people group. God loves them all the same. “For God so loved the world...” This deep love Yahweh gave me for America, however, does not produce a self-centered love. It causes anything but a national arrogance or egocentric mindset. On the contrary, it is a love linked to God’s heart for other nations, as well. Our purpose as a nation was and is to take the gospel of the kingdom to all the nations of the earth. A large part of my patriotism and love for America is rooted in this purpose. It is certainly the primary reason I am so passionate about seeing her restored. My love, therefore, for our nation is a kingdom love, which supersedes the natural love I have for her. This brings me to the prayer battle in which we are currently engaged. The spiritual war over the elections is all about our God-given national calling, not Donald Trump. Though of great importance, POTUS’s significance is due to the incredible influence he wields, which directly influences this calling. And the war is certainly not about political parties - please don’t let that muddy the waters. While it is true that, for the most part, I agree more often with the positions of Republicans than Democrats, this has nothing to do with loyalty to a political party. There are many swamp creatures with Republican affiliation. The real war we are fighting is for the spiritual soul and God-given destiny of our nation. This is why we fight! Biden and those on the left do not want biblical principles, morals, and ideals controlling America. They reject our Christian roots, disagree with the standards and principles of scripture, and would find laughable my contention that God raised up America - and did so for the purpose I stated. They have completely dishonored and rejected him. Again, this is why we war over the elections - not for a man, but for God’s cause on the earth. As long as we keep this as our motivation, He will fight for us. I should not limit my criticism only to those on the left, however. Many on the right - Republicans and conservatives - are unwilling to stand up and fight in this battle. They’re self-serving cowards. Having no understanding of or connection to God’s purpose for America, their governance ignores He/Him and His ways. Since they are not connected to/aligned with the God-given vision of our Founding Fathers they do not meet the true definition of a patriot. They’re self-serving, fearful politicians who dishonor the efforts and memory of the true patriots God used to establish America. Having traded patriotism for privilege and Christ’s cause for a career, they are unwilling to make a stand. When Lewis Morris was faced with the monumental decision of whether or not to sign the Declaration of Independence, his brother vehemently warned him against it. The cost - life, fortune, perhaps family - would simply be too great. Morris’ response was one for the ages: “Damn the consequences, give me the pen.” Would that today’s members of the Supreme Court, members of Congress, Governors, Secretaries of State, and State Legislators had such unselfish, patriotic hearts. Some do, of course, but far too few. Perhaps others will one day discover the true American soul. For many, it is too late; they sold out to selfish ambition long ago. Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: Give thanks for true patriots who gave us the freedoms and blessings we enjoy. Reaffirm to the Lord that this battle is not about a person or a party; it is about Him. Ask Him to change the hearts of government leaders who have been unwilling to get involved. As always, pray for the President and those working with him to correct the injustices of this election. Ask Holy Spirit to show you what He would have you pray for regarding this challenging week. Congress? The courts? State legislatures? The events coming up in Washington, DC? A prayer you can pray: Father, we thank You for this nation. We thank You for all of the blessings we enjoy. We thank You for raising up a people that established this nation, not only with their needs in mind, but also Your desires. Thank You for leading them. And thank You, Father, for the very great honor of representing You and the gospel of Your kingdom around the world. We ask You to give us great breakthrough this week. We ask You for evidence to continue coming forth. Let it be so strong and overwhelming that no one can ignore it. We ask You to convict members of Congress, Judges, State Legislators, Governors, Secretaries of State, and other leaders who have refused to get involved. Deal with them at the heart level we pray. And father, we ask You to give strength to our President and his team. We ask for wisdom and understanding to those dealing with the courts and in Congress. Also, please do this for those at the state level. We ask You to hover over this nation this week and give us great breakthrough on every level. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Decree: We decree that the purposes of God will be accomplished in America.

Holy Spirit’s Creative Hovering On Friday’s post, we talked about a critical vote in Kansas that will take place today. This is a very significant vote regarding the lives of babies. The Kansas legislature passed an amendment - which must now be approved by the people of Kansas - that will keep the state from becoming a pro-abortion state on the level of California and New York. Value Them Both is a very good amendment. The legislature did so because the Kansas Supreme Court decided, in 2019, that the Kansas constitution, written in 1859, includes a right to abortion on demand. The result of the ruling was that every limit on abortion (even bipartisan limits) that had been enacted in Kansas, such as the ban on late-term abortions, the ban on taxpayer-funded abortions, and the Kansas law requiring parental consent before an abortion clinic could perform on a minor, was now unconstitutional. A very powerful prayer gathering was held regarding this vote last Friday night in Wichita, which I was privileged to attend. Though the vote takes place today (August 2), many of those who watch/read GH15 do so early in the day. That means much prayer can still occur before many Kansans vote. Therefore, I am mentioning - and will lead in a prayer of agreement - regarding this vote again today. We should all pray prayers given to us individually by Holy Spirit; however, I believe He brought the following truth to my memory for us to pray together. I address this truth and how it relates to prayer in my book, Intercessory Prayer. Genesis 1:1-2 says, “In the beginning…the earth was without form, and void” (KJV). The words “without form” are the Hebrew word tohuw, which means “a desolation; to lie waste; a desert; a worthless thing”; (1) “confusion;” (2) “empty (barren); a formless, lifeless mass.” (3) The basic concept is lifelessness or sterility. Verse two goes on to tell us, “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” What does it mean when it says Holy Spirit moved? Though I don’t think we fully understand why, we use the term yet today in Christian circles, making statements such as, “The Lord really moved today,” or “Holy Spirit was moving mightily.” But what do these ethereal statements mean? What was He doing? Was He moving from one place to another? Was He moving from one person to another? What does the word “move” actually mean in these contexts? Actually, this usage of the word finds its roots here in Genesis. The Hebrew word used for “moving,” rachaph, literally means “to brood over.” (4) The Amplified translation actually uses three words to translate it: “was moving, hovering, brooding over.” The margin of the New American Standard version of the Bible also uses the word “hovering.” So, rachaph is a hovering or brooding over something. This begs the question, “For what purpose?” Websters Dictionary defines brooding as sitting on eggs to hatch them; to incubate. The noun form, “brood,” is defined as “offspring; progeny; that which is bred or produced.”(5) A hen’s brood, for example, is her chicks that she has produced. “Brood” originates from the root word “breed,” which we know means procreating or impregnating. In using this term to describe Creation, Holy Spirit is using the analogy of reproduction. He was procreating in Genesis. A Hebrew scholar informed me that rachaph is, indeed, a reproductive term in the Hebrew language, which can be used to describe a husband “hovering” over his bride. Pretty graphic, but it confirms that rachaph is literally a reproductive term. One lexicon defined this word as “brooding and fertilizing.” (6) Rachaph can be used to describe reproduction in humans, animals, plants and, figuratively, of “birthing” almost anything - an idea, a business, a nation, and more. We know from the New Testament that Jesus was the member of the Godhead calling forth life in this Genesis setting. We are told that all things were created by His Words (see John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16). However, it was Holy Spirit who brooded or hovered over the earth, releasing His creative energy and power at the words of Jesus, giving birth to what Christ spoke. Another example of Holy Spirit hovering and bringing forth life out of lifelessness is in Deuteronomy 32:10-18. In this passage, Moses is recounting to the Israelites their history and begins by referring to Israel as an individual, obviously referring back to Abraham, the father of the nation. In verse 10, Moses says God found him in a tohuw condition - in other words, lifeless or barren (same word used in Genesis 1). Like planet earth prior to Genesis 1, Abraham was in a barren condition. Neither he nor Sarah had the ability, at this point, to reproduce life. They were sterile. We are then told in verse 11 that as an eagle hovers (rachaphs) over its young, the Lord hovered over them. Holy Spirit brooded over Abraham and Sarah, releasing His life and power, giving them the ability to conceive! We read in Hebrews 11:11 that by faith, Sarah received dunamis (the miraculous power of Holy Spirit) (7) to conceive. As Holy Spirit hovered, God was actually birthing a nation in them. The renewing Holy Spirit did to their bodies as He hovered was so complete that after this, a king wanted Sarah as his own wife because she was so beautiful. Also, Abraham received an enduring physical change and later had other children. The words used in this passage to describe Holy Spirit’s hovering over Abraham and Sarah to bring forth life are identical to those used in the Genesis Creation. A third example of Holy Spirit bringing forth life as He hovered or brooded over someone is found in Luke 1:35, the conception of Christ. The angel of the Lord came to Mary, telling her that she would bear a child. She responded by asking, “How can this be since I am a virgin?” (v. 34). The answer was, “Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v. 35). “Overshadow” is the Greek word episkiazo, which means “to cast a shade upon; to envelope in a haze of brilliancy; to invest with supernatural influence.” (8) It is in some ways a counterpart for the Hebrew word rachaph. Thayer says it is used of Holy Spirit exerting creative energy upon the womb of the Virgin Mary and impregnating it.” (9) The word is only used two other times in the New Testament. At the transfiguration of Jesus in Matthew 17:5, the passage says the cloud of the Lord “overshadowed” the disciples. Episkiazo is also used in Acts 5:15 when people were trying to get close to Peter - in his shadow - that they might be healed. Have you ever wondered how Peter’s shadow could heal anyone? It didn’t. What was actually happening was that Holy Spirit was “moving” through/out from Peter - hovering - and when individuals stepped into the cloud or overshadowing, their healing was born. Perhaps you have seen a similar phenomenon. I have. I’ve been in services where God was moving in such a strong way that before people were touched or even prayed for by anyone, they were saved, healed, or delivered. What happened? They came under the episkiazo, the hovering, of Holy Spirit. Maybe you’ve been in a meeting where the Spirit of the Lord began to hover over the entire room and move in a particular way. At times, God does this over entire communities and nations. In many of the classic revivals of the past, stories are told of individuals who came into close proximity of churches where God was moving in mighty ways. When doing so, they began to weep, went to the church, walked inside, and said, “Something drew me here, and I want to get saved.” This is rachaph, episkiazo. The moving or hovering of Holy Spirit had become so broad that He was brooding over an entire geographical area to bring forth life. This is what I believe Holy Spirit wants us to ask for today: His hovering presence over the entire state of Kansas to produce life. Ask Him to release His influence over the hearts and minds of voters. Ask Him to permeate the atmosphere all across Kansas. And remember, at Creation it was the words of Christ that released Holy Spirit’s creative power. The New Testament actually calls God‘s words seeds (Mark 4:14; 1 Peter 1.23). Be the voice He needs you to be today. Declare life over Kansas and America. Bind the spirit and power of death over Kansas. Bind deception and lies; loose the spirit of truth. Let’s be the Ekklesia today. Pray with me: Father, we realize that though we won a monumental battle regarding the lives of babies and the destiny of America on June 24, the war is not over. The national decree initiating a covenant with death was reversed, breaking a national curse off of us. Yet, the war continues, now on a state level. We are determined to stay engaged. You have said prophetically that we can see tremendous victory regarding this issue over the next several months. We ask for a heightened level of Ephesians 1:17 wisdom and revelation to guide us through it. Today, we do as we believe You instructed us, asking that Holy Spirit hover over Kansas - hover over voting booths and hover over the minds of Kansans. Influence their thinking. Neutralize the deceptions and lies of those who are promoting abortion. Make their arguments of no effect. Birth a new era of life in Kansas, one so powerful that it leavens our entire nation. We ask that miracles occur through this hovering overshadowing, just as they did in the book of Acts. We ask for your glory to be manifested through it, just as it was at the Mount of Transfiguration. And we ask that life be formed/birthed, just as it was in Sarah and Mary. And we ask this in the powerful name of our Creator, Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We decree the release of Holy Spirit’s hovering over the state of Kansas today. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Intercessory Prayer (Ventura,CA Bethany Publishing House,1996) pp 137-142. Click on the link below to watch the full video. _________________________________ James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TH: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 8414. Spiros Zodiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible - New American Standard (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1984; revised edition, 1990), p. 1790. C.F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, Volume 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., reprinted 1991), p. 48. William Wilson, Old Testament Word Studies (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1978) p. 175. The Consolidated Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary (Chicago: Consolidated Book Publishers, 1954), p.89. Francis Brown, S.R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, The New Brown-Driver, Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1979), p. 934. Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, Ref. no. 1411. Ibid., ref. no. 1982. Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 12977), p. 242.

The Wind is Blowing Our friend, Gina Gholston, sent me a dream regarding the coming revival and awakening. She saw how Holy Spirit would link the two, bringing not only salvation to the lost, but also the transformation/reformation that comes with a great awakening. It is insightful and encouraging. Gina says: “I dreamed that I was walking down a hallway in Pastor John Kilpatrick’s church. Pastor John led the great Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, FL, from 1995-2000, which saw over 300,000 people saved. I had sat down for a moment in the foyer. Through the passing crowd of people, I could see a door opened to the sound booth. Inside, I could see Pastor Kilpatrick seated, talking with the sound technician. At that moment, he saw me and motioned for me to come into the room. I went into the sound booth, and he said to me, ‘I know you, don’t I?’ “I said, ‘Yes,’ and reminded him that we had ministered together in a church a few years prior to this. “He said, ‘Yes, I remember you. I thought I recognized you.’ “Then the dream changed, and we were in the sanctuary. The meeting had started; it was very crowded. Then I heard Pastor Kilpatrick’s voice through the P.A. sound saying, ‘Where’s that girl from Tennessee? Come up here!’ “Reluctantly, I went up onto the stage. Pastor Kilpatrick stood to my left and handed me the microphone. I was very nervous, but lifted the microphone and began to speak. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit encompassed me, and calmly I spoke these four words: ‘The wind is blowing.’ As those words left my mouth, the Spirit of God moved upon Pastor Kilpatrick, and he fell to the floor under the power of God. “I then began to prophesy, ‘What was will be again, but it will be different this time. It will not be multitudes of people going to one place to find Me. This time there will be “bundles” of people, saturated with My Spirit, going to multiple places where My fire is present. They will be touched by the fire, ignited with My glory and will carry the fire with them as they leave. They will then come in contact with other “bundles” of people, who have also been saturated with the oil of My Spirit and, they, too, will catch fire. They will in turn, spread it to other “bundles.” This is what awakening will look like. This is how My Glory will spread to the nation and the nations.’ And that was the end of the dream. “When I awoke, the Lord immediately said to me, ‘Revival has remembered and recognized you, [as Pastor John had done in the dream], and it is giving you a platform to release My wind. This wind will fan into flames My fire, that will then ignite My saturated ones. Those who are saturated with the oil of My Spirit will quickly ignite and carry the fire. Revival fire will spread across this nation and into the nations of the world like wildfire on dry grass!’ “I don’t feel that this dream was about Pastor Kilpatrick and me, but who/what we represent. John Kilpatrick represents revival. This was an announcement that the time had come for the unfolding of the prophesied awakening, which will be built on the platform of revival. And this move of God will be greater and more far-reaching than we can even imagine.The ‘platform’ is not referring to a physical structure or stage, but is symbolic. It is the standard, the message, the proclamation upon which God will build. And this spiritual platform will set the tone for the movement. Revival is the message, and as leaders and ministers begin to proclaim this message, an expectation will be ignited within the Body of Christ. “The platforms of ministry will no longer be our gifts and abilities. Church will no longer be about coming together for a ritualistic gathering that may, at best, create a momentary emotional touch but not an atmosphere in which people can experience a life-changing encounter with God. As in the dream, the wind of the Spirit is blowing to once again stoke the flames of revival in those who are ignitable. As we devote ourselves to God in prayer and obedience, believing His Word, believing the true prophets, and praying in the Holy Ghost, we, like those in the dream, are being saturated with the oil of His presence, becoming fuel for the flame of God! “Revival will not be defined by a few consecutive nights when we gather in a building for some preplanned meetings. Revival is and will be glory revealed. Revival is the restoration of life. It is undeniable power, demonstrated to bring undeniable change. Revival is an awakening alarm to those who have been lulled to sleep by the deceiving tones of a godless culture. The message is Christ in us, working through us to demonstrate His transforming power. This type of revival will the ‘platform.’ “ This revival will not be in only one geographical location, a move of God where everyone goes to receive a touch from God. This will be more than that! I do believe there will be specific places ignited to burn with the fire of God’s demonstrated presence, but this will be much broader than that. And all that occurs will be about His Glory and His fame being made known to and through His Body. If we embrace this truth, surrender our lives, and surrender our platforms for the proclamation of His platform, we will be used for the unfolding of His plan. “We are the generation of those who seek God (Psalm 24:6), and we will see that for which we have believed. We will not resist the move of God, we will step into it. And we will rise as the ignited ones, experiencing and carrying the fire of His manifested Glory as He works through us to transform the world.” Pray with me: Father, take us to deeper places in You, beyond just the surface. Expose and deliver us from all the things we’ve substituted for You. Produce fresh fire in us. We must experience this fire to be part of the company advancing forward with You in this time! Take us below the surface, beyond the manageable form that has appeased our comfort levels. Take us past the forms that produce just enough to say You are near but do not provoke the full surrender that occurs when You are fully present! May we all be touched by the fire of Your glory, and may it provoke us to pursue Your depths, losing ourselves in Your Glory as You consume us with Your fire! May we be transformed from coldness or lukewarmness into those burning with Your power and manifested presence. We put on Christ. We put on the righteous robes of glory/fire so that we are hidden in Him and He can be seen, not us. We live, but it is no longer we who are living, but it is Christ living in and through us (Galatians 2:20)! Show us Your glory, and mark us with Your fire! Amen! Our decree: We are the generation of those who will seek the Lord, and we will experience that for which we have believed. We will rise as ignited ones, carrying the fire of His glory as He works through us to transform the world. Portions of today’s post were contributed by Gina Gholston and taken from her book, Dreams of Awakening. You can find out more about Gina here. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Guard Your Heart I’ve been thinking somewhat about Chuck Pierce’s word that Holy Spirit is going to re-circuit the minds of individuals and nations. This is truly an amazing word (you can read it in this previous post). Let’s look today at how important this is. “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23, emphasis added). “Watch” is translated from natsar, also a Hebrew word for “watchman.” Yes, as important as it is to be watchmen for others, we are also told to be watchmen for our own hearts, guarding what we allow to enter. The word “heart” in this verse is the Hebrew word leb. Although this could mean the physical heart, it is used “figuratively for the feelings, the will and even the intellect.”(1) This would include the soul - the mind, will, and emotions. As doorkeepers of our own souls, we must determine what is allowed in, for what we allow in determines who we become. Proverbs 23:7 gives tremendous insight to the concept of guarding or watching over what we allow into our hearts: “For as [a person] thinks within himself, so he is.” “Thinks” (shaar) is a very important and interesting word. In fact, it is truly a watchman word. It does not actually mean “think;” that was a derived, figurative meaning. It actually means “to split or open; to act as a gatekeeper.”(2) The verse is actually saying, “Whatever a person lets into his soul, so he or she will be.” In other words, we are who we are because of what is allowed into our minds, causing a particular way of thinking. Each of us is the product of what we allow to access our minds and hearts. The context of the verse, in keeping with this reasoning, tells us to be careful with whom we associate. We are, indeed watchmen for our own souls - our minds and emotions. It is critical that we act as gatekeepers or doorkeepers of our hearts. We, as human beings, are not controlled by that which is true. We are controlled by what we believe to be true, whether it is or not. Deceptions, lies, and distorted perceptions can control us, even though untrue. These are what the Bible calls strongholds - prisons in the mind (see 2 Corinthians 10:4) built by distortions and deceptions. Even latent beliefs, buried deep in our subconscious control us, whether true or not. An article in Reader’s Digest stated: “When people who fear snakes are shown a picture of a snake, sensors on their skin will detect sweat, a sign of anxiety, even though the people say they do not feel fear. The sweat shows up even when a picture is presented so rapidly that the subject has no conscious awareness of seeing it.”(3) Once a concept or philosophy has embedded itself into the deepest recesses of one’s mind and memory, the belief center, the mind considers it to be true and functions accordingly. Again, what is believed to be true there WILL control the person, whether it is true or not. Thus Proverbs says, “So he [or she] is” (Proverbs 23:7). This is why Proverbs 4:23 says we must guard our souls, carefully controlling what is allowed to enter. And though we cannot control everything placed there, we can do much to watch over what does and does not have access. Then there is the information that came into our souls before we came to know Christ. Most people have allowed much unbiblical information into their before becoming Christians. Some have allowed great amounts of perversion and unclean thinking to be embedded into them. Still others have experienced great trauma, rejection, or other emotional wounds. All of these things can be used to shape our thinking, causing certain thought patterns and actions. A person isn’t born again long before discovering that the new birth did not erase all that had been previously programmed into the mind and emotions. We can certainly guard what comes into our souls in the future, but what of the strongholds, wrong ways of thinking, fears, and other destructive patterns already there? We must attack them with what God says - His Word. As mentioned previously, “watch” in Proverbs 4:23 is natsar, one of the Old Testament words for a watchman. But the word also means “to lay siege.” The concept is that when laying siege to a city, they were “watching” it to make sure no supplies were able to enter. By the power of Holy Spirit, we can lay siege to our minds. “The weapons we fight with...have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4 NIV). Ask Holy Spirit to re-circuit your mind, causing it to become synchronized to God’s Word. Ask Him to pull out or pull down everything placed there that is not consistent with God’s will and plans. He is going to re-circuit us! Pray with me: Father, You told us You are re-circuiting the minds and hearts of people at this point in time. You are doing this with individuals, but also with groups of people. You said the church would begin to think the way You think. We ask for this. We ask for the spirit of wisdom and revelation to be given to us, in order that we might be re-circuited with Your circuitry. For many, this will begin with deliverance from wounds caused by unpleasant experiences; others will be freed from strongholds caused by words spoken to them; and still others will be re-circuited regarding untrue things they have been taught. Do this, please. Do as You showed Chuck Pierce: pull out the old circuit and put in a new one. Then cause us to think Your thoughts. We want to think the way You think and say what You say. We want to be Your voice in the earth, Your mouthpiece. We want to speak words of healing and faith. We want our mouths to release the sword of the Spirit, pulling down strongholds and everything that exalts itself against You. Do this in us, we pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that when the re-circuiting is complete, the church will be more in sync with the thinking of Holy Spirit than ever before in history. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Watchman Prayer. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ________________________________ Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, s.v. 3820. Ibid., s.v. 8176. Daniel Goleman, “What’s Your Emotional IQ?” Reader’s Digest, January 1996, p. 50.