The Right Time Numerous prophets have been saying a new season of signs and wonders is imminent; some are going as far as to say this has already begun. I also believe it is God’s time for this release of power. Confirmations are beginning to be sent to me. Fred Gulker, a pastor friend of mine in Michigan, sent the following report: “We are experiencing a special outpouring of God’s presence and miracles. His weighty glory is coming on people, accompanied by significant manifestations of Holy Spirit, including significant miracles. A 10-year-old girl with 40 to 50 warts on her hands was prayed for and all warts melted off her hands in about 15 minutes. Children watched it happen. Two people with stage four cancer have been given doctor verifications that the cancers are gone. A man who experienced a massive heart attack (was code blue 5 times - once without life for 10 to 12 minutes) is now functioning at full mental capacity and being restored physically. It is a special supernatural season, with growing momentum. “The miracle of the child’s warts dissolving was very radical and witnessed by several children. An angel appeared and gave them instructions. When they prayed, all but one wart totally disappeared. The children then together declared: ‘Be Gone!’ It, too, went away. The children came into the sanctuary and told us adults the story. The little girl’s parents heard the testimony along with the entire church, and wept like babies as we all celebrated together. Both hands had been covered with warts - front, back, between the fingers. Some were big and would crack and bleed. Her hands now have clear, soft skin, like a baby. This miracle that all could see was a barrier-breaking miracle and opened something in the spirit for more miracles.” It is time for this to begin all around the nation. We should begin releasing our faith for this and follow biblical instructions to see it occur. Miracles can be received and ministered in several ways. The presence and anointing of the Holy Spirit in us can be transferred to others through touching them (referred to in the King James translation as “laying on hands;” Mark 16:18). James 5:14 tells believers to call for elders to pray for them: “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” (James 5:14-15; KJV) Miracles are sometimes ministered through the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Verses 9 and 10 specifically speak of “gifts of healing” and “the working of miracles.” Another method is seen in the book of Acts where Paul prayed over handkerchiefs that were given to sick people. When applied to their bodies, the anointing that had gone into the handkerchief went into them and they were healed. “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.” (Acts 19:11-12; KJV) Miracles can also be received directly from Holy Spirit, with no one involved other than the recipient. “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:23-24; KJV) Miracles can be released simply through speaking God’s word in faith. “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions,” (Psalm 107:20; KJV). “The centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.’ And Jesus said unto the centurion, ‘Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.’ And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.” (Matthew 8:8, 13) Begin stepping out in faith and asking for healings and miracles. Pray for family members, coworkers (with their permission, of course, and at an appropriate place and time), friends, and others. People need not be believers in order to receive a miracle. One of the stated purposes for miracles in Mark 16 and throughout the book of Acts is to provide “signs and wonders.” Do not allow the reason for failing to receive a miracle be that you did not ask for it: “…ye have not, because ye ask not,” (James 4:2; KJV). You will not see or experience a miracle every time you pray for a person, but I assure you, healings and miracles are beginning to multiply. Allow your faith to be stretched - ask. In Acts chapter 3, Peter prayed for a man who had been born lame. It was a horrible and sad condition. As a young boy, his family placed him at one of the temple gates named “Beautiful,” where he begged for alms (Acts 3:2). Because of the gate’s location, Jesus had to have passed by this man dozens - if not hundreds - of times without healing him. Yet on this day, Peter was led by Holy Spirit to do so. Interestingly, the Greek word translated “beautiful” in this verse does not mean beauty in the sense of attractiveness. It means “right time” (horaios). The concept of beauty in the word stems from events coming together in the right way, at the right time, and thereby creating something beautiful. It was “The Right Time” gate. Think about the beauty of this - Holy Spirit saved this miracle for just “the right time.” The early church needed a miracle of incredible proportions to verify throughout Jerusalem and all of Israel that Jesus did, indeed, raise from the dead. All of Israel knew who this man was, and all of them now knew that miracles were taking place in the name of the risen Messiah, Jesus. We have entered a “right time” season of the miraculous. Go through the gate by faith and begin asking for miracles and healings. I am confident you will experience some. Pray with me: Father, You are omnipotent, all-powerful. You are the Lord, our healer. Jesus bore our punishment for the curse of sin and sickness. We thank You, Father, for sending Him to do this; and Jesus, we thank You for paying this price. We ask You now for great manifestations of our redemption to be released into the earth. We ask for signs, wonders, and miracles to occur in the name of Jesus. We also ask for deliverances to take place, that those who are bound by drugs, habits, and other types of strongholds would be delivered by Your mighty power. Awaken in the church the spirit of revelation to produce faith in Your great redeeming work. Bring a fresh revelation of the power of the blood of Jesus to forgive, heal and deliver. As a fresh wave of evangelism moves across our nation and the nations of the world, give to many believers gifts of healing and the working of miracles. Give them the gift of faith and words of knowledge to accompany these healing gifts. May thousands of “right time” miracles take place around the world. We agree with Your prophets and we state our faith, “It is time for miracles!” We pray these things in the name of Yeshua, our healer. Our decree: We declare that the “right time” gate of miracles is open! Click on the link below to watch the full video.

The Impending Violence Over Roe The predicted violence over the possibility of the Supreme Court overturning Roe versus Wade has begun. The Washington Times reports: “There have been at least 140 incidents of arson, vandalism, and graffiti at Catholic churches since May 2020, and at least 24 attacks on pro-life offices and pregnancy resource centers since Politico published the leaked opinion on May 2, according to interactive trackers launched Tuesday by CatholicVote. “The incidents include Molotov cocktail attacks on pro-life organizations in Madison, Wisconsin, and Keizer, Oregon. Last week, activists set fires and broke windows at the CompassCare pro-life pregnancy center in Buffalo, New York, and wrote ‘Jane was here’ in graffiti on the building’s exterior.”(1) The Pro-abortion movement, “Jane’s Revenge,” is now calling for more violence. They have posted placards throughout Washington D.C., stating, “DC CALL TO ACTION…Night of Rage…the night SCOTUS overturns Roe V. Wade hit the streets…You said you’d riot…’ To our oppressors: if abortions aren’t safe, you’re not either.’”(2) In a recent CharismaNews article, Mat Staver described recent opposition to a prayer rally at the Court, “Our team has been on Capitol Hill praying over the High Court as it prepares to deliver its much-anticipated ruling on abortion. Despite decades of pro-life work around the country and at the U.S. Supreme Court, we've never witnessed such hostile and demonically inspired evil directed at the justices and the judicial system. The article states that “Black-robed men and women began arriving on the scene, screaming obscenities over the prayers. Screams of ‘[expletive] your God and your religion’ began to fill the air. “Women dressed like prostitutes began to arrive, leaving little of their exposed bodies to the imagination. They gleefully joined the melee the witches and warlocks had begun. “A woman walked right up to our podium and stood next to the pro-life speaker. Every time the pro-lifer spoke, the woman would scream unprintable curses into a megaphone pointed at the podium microphone. “The pro-abortion crowd began cursing the justices, the people praying and, yes, vehemently cursing God Himself.”(3) Meanwhile, the most pro-abortion administration in history, along with allies in Congress are ramping up the rhetoric regarding their future war for abortion. The Washington Examiner reports that: “‘The administration continues to explore every possible option in response to the anticipated Supreme Court decision on abortion,’ said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at Thursday’s briefing. "’If the court does overturn Roe, it will fall on our nation’s elected officials at all levels of government to protect a woman’s right to choose. And it will fall on voters to elect pro-choice officials this November,’ Biden said in a statement the day the Dobbs draft opinion leaked. ‘At the federal level, we will need more pro-choice Senators and a pro-choice majority in the House to adopt legislation that codifies Roe, which I will work to pass and sign into law.’”(4) Republicans are pressuring the Department of Justice to investigate the violence, which they have been very slow to do. Quoting from the Washington Times, “More than 120 House Republicans urged Mr. Garland to investigate the [violence] in a Thursday letter, while Sen. Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican, called on the Attorney General to take the attacks seriously or step down. ‘What is the Department of Justice doing to protect Americans from these violent attacks? At a minimum, you should bring federal charges against the perpetrators, where appropriate, and investigate “Jane’s Revenge” as a domestic terrorist organization,’ Mr. Cotton wrote in a letter. ‘If you are unwilling to protect Americans from these attacks, you should resign — although, in my opinion, you should resign in any case.’ “A frustrated Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, said, ‘there has not been a single charge brought against any individual or group despite the countless pro-life centers in America that have been firebombed and vandalized in recent months.’”(5) I have been sensing for quite some time that there is going to be great violence in our nation over the coming months. The threats are real. Before I even heard the phrase “summer of rage,” I felt it was coming. The forces on the left are not going to give up even if Roe is overturned, and they will not take a civil approach in their opposition. They will use intimidation, fear, violence, and lies. We must be proactive in our prayers and not wait until this escalates. The extreme rage is also a confirmation that the roots of this battle are spiritual. The bloodthirsty demons in our nation that have fed on and drawn their authority from the blood of innocent babies are filled with rage. We must not allow our anger and energies to be directed at the people they are using. These people are deceived. Many of them will be saved in the coming revival - Jesus loves every one of them. Pray against their efforts but for their hearts. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places,” (Ephesians 6:12; NASB). “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; NASB). This battle must be won first in the spiritual realm, then the natural. As we do our part spiritually, others can do what they need to do naturally. Please remember this. Pray for the protection of pro-life leaders. Pray for the protection of pastors and intercessors. Pray for the protection and salvation of the protesters. And pray for the protection of the Supreme Court Justices, their families, and their staff. It was recently pointed out to me that had the planned attempt on Kavanaugh‘s life been successfully carried out, it would have changed a likely 5–4 vote to a 4–4 vote regarding the Dobbs case. And Roe would remain the law of the land. We do not know for certain that 5-4 will be the vote count, but it seems so, based on the leak that occurred. Again, we must surround the Justices and their families with walls of protection through our intercession. We are watchmen God has raised up for this nation, and we must be diligent to accomplish our assignment. Finish well! Pray with me: Father, thank You for the work You are doing in our nation. Thank You for the prayer movement that has awakened millions of people to the power of prayer. Thank You for teaching us that we can repent on behalf of our nation’s sins, allowing You to break the strongholds over her and bring cleansing. Deliverance and revival do not come to us because we are finally free from our sins; they come in order to free us from them. Jesus said those who are sick need physicians, not those who are healthy. We place our faith in the power of the blood of Jesus to cleanse us from all sin and unrighteousness. We place our confidence regarding this nation‘s future in the destiny and plan You gave and are restoring. We believe You have heard our intercessory repentance and appeals. We believe You are granting mercy. We believe America shall be saved. So, we declare that the blood sacrifice of abortion will end in our nation. We declare that revival is here and coming. We declare that today’s young generation - teenagers, those in their 20s and 30s - will receive a revival of unprecedented proportions. We declare that churches will be aflame with passion and filled with Heaven’s power. We declare that Your kingdom is coming and Your will is being done. We declare all of these things in the name of Jesus, the One who holds all authority in Heaven and on earth. Our decree: We decree that while some are calling for a summer of rage, we, the church, are declaring it to be a summer of love. Click on the link below to watch the full video. _________________________________ https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jun/17/fbi-investigates-rising-attacks-pro-life-centers-c/ Personal source https://www.charismanews.com/us/89460-witches-warlocks-and-the-supreme-court https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/white-house-roe-overturned-we-will-need-congress https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jun/17/fbi-investigates-rising-attacks-pro-life-centers-c/

The Sound of Redemption Holy Spirit is aligning the nations and the spiritual realm, preparing them for His coming outpouring. Last week I read a post from Dr. Scott Reese which spoke of this. Scott used an allegory in which the earth had a spine encircling it. The spine had misalignment and diseased places, causing pain and suffering. In his vision, God was healing and realigning the spine, much like a chiropractor would do for a person. I also read a post from my brother, Tim Sheets, in which he said a fresh Pentecostal outpouring of Holy Spirit has begun, assisted by a multitude of angels. He also spoke of the rumbling sound this was releasing in the spiritual realm. Elijah spoke of hearing with his spiritual ears in I Kings 18:41: “I hear the sound of an abundance of rain.” When he said this, there was not yet any natural sound from a storm or rain. Elijah was hearing prophetically. Prior to this, the prophet had heard from God that He was sending rain (verse 1). He now sensed and discerned spiritually that this was imminent. Likewise, prophets today are hearing a sound, the sound of spiritual rain. Just before receiving Tim’s word, another prophet and friend of ours, Gina Gholston, sent me a dream and word which was also about ‘hearing’ this sound of revival. Though Gina received the dream in January, she spoke about it on June 5, Pentecost Sunday. An amazing confirmation was received during the message. I believe that Scott’s, Tim’s and Gina’s words are all related. Here is her account of the dream and what occurred as she shared it: “On January 11, 2022, I had a dream in which I was sitting next to a campfire with a minister known for his masterful teaching on the subject of sound. He is also a renowned revival historian. As we sat together next to the fire, he held a long stick and was using it to stir the embers around the edge of the fire. While doing so he said, ‘In days ahead there is coming a redemptive sound that that will provoke a redemptive movement.’ “As the dream continued, we conversed about a few other things, then he said again, ‘There is a redemptive sound coming that will provoke a redemptive movement. It’s NOT a LIGHT thing! It is weighty, and will come forcefully. Hell has tried to stop it, but they won’t! They can’t!’ “He then gave a demonstration. Standing, he picked up a fairly large rock, lifted it high above his head, and dropped it right into the middle of the fire. As you can imagine, embers and sparks flew everywhere. He then stated emphatically, ‘That is what this redemptive movement will be like once the sound is released. It will come hard and fast, and it WILL cause a response. There will be an instant breaking loose - a redemption. The Lord is going to redeem the church, and He is going to redeem the nation!’ “On Pentecost Sunday, I shared this dream in a message I was preaching. The central theme of my message was that God has come to reignite the church with Pentecostal fire, so that our lives and message will be presented with a ‘demonstration of the Spirit and power,’ and the world will see and know that He is God (see 1 Corinthians 2:4). Just as I was about to conclude the message, there was a sudden, unexplainable ‘power surge’ that went through the building, causing a very loud ‘BOOM.’ It felt as though it shook the entire church! Though it happened suddenly and was extremely loud, it didn’t startle most of us! Instead, several people in the congregation immediately began to weep. It felt as though the presence of the Lord had just sat down on us! We instantly knew God had demonstrated to us that He has ‘dropped the rock’ and is now releasing the sound that will provoke an unstoppable redemptive movement! “According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word redeem means ‘to get or win back; to renew;’ renew means ‘to bring back to or put back into a former or original state.’ I believe we are now in a time when Jesus is reclaiming His Church. The Lord once said through a minister, ‘I made the church the way I wanted it. Now I want the church the way I made it.’ Make no mistake about it, the true church that Christ birthed is not intended to be a weak entity sitting in hiding, hoping to hold on until He returns. He formed us to be a glorious Church, filled with and operating in the power of His Spirit. We are called to be filled with His fire and clothed in His glory. The church must be marked and known by the demonstration of His awesome might! That was His intention from the very beginning. He is now bringing the church back into alignment with His original intentions. Out from that church will emerge carriers of the fire. He will work through them to initiate the awakening revival that brings our nation and the nations back into alignment with His original intent! “This moment in history demands the revealing of the true church, and that revelation has begun. America has a strong revival heritage that has burned through many generations, and that fiery torch has now been passed to us. We must allow the fire to burn in us, no matter the cost. The Lord is reigniting His church with the fire of His glory. She will shine with undeniable signs, wonders, and miracles as Christ stretches forth His hand through us, making Himself known. The redemptive movement has started, and hell cannot stop it!” When multiple prophets begin hearing similar messages we must pay heed. Numbers of them are hearing that a great shaking has begun on the earth; but they have also been hearing that this will be accompanied by a great, worldwide revival. Do not be alarmed by the shaking – it is spoken of in scripture and must occur (see Hebrews 12:25-29). The agendas of evil governments, systems and institutions must be dealt with; this is occurring. In our nation, not only is the ineptitude of anti-American, anti-God forces being exposed, but it is being done in a way that also reveals their hypocrisy and lunacy. Continue to pray for this exposure to occur, as well as the great spiritual awakening. It’s coming. Pray with me: Father, though it seems to some that America and the Church have fallen so low there is no hope of redemption, we know You still reign. Your eternal plan of the ages has not changed. You’ve not altered the purposes and intentions You breathed and prophesied into the church or our nation. You are now calling both back into alignment with Your original plans. Though darkness has covered the earth and gross darkness has shrouded many people, You have released a redemptive sound that is stirring and awakening the body of Christ. Out of the ashes we are rising to shine with the unavoidable light of Your transforming glory. You have clothed us with Your righteousness and filled us with Your Spirit. We are now emerging with the wisdom to utilize the weapons of our warfare. These weapons are not carnal, but mighty through You, our God, to pull down every stronghold and break the powers of hell attempting to stop this redemptive movement. We will work with Holy Spirit as He guides us according to Your great wisdom. We will stand under the weight of Your glory, and those who sit in darkness will see it and be drawn to Your great light. They’ll be changed by the redeeming power of salvation through Your Son, Jesus! And in His name and authority, we pray, amen. Our decree: The Lord is reigniting His church with the fire of His glory, and we will shine with undeniable signs, wonders, and miracles as He stretches forth His hand through us to make Himself known. The redemptive movement has started, and hell cannot stop it! Much of today’s post was contributed by Gina Gholston. Portions were 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.

Healing the Breaches of History Holy Spirit is aligning the nations and the spiritual realm, preparing them for His coming outpouring. Yesterday I read a word from Dr. Scott Reese which spoke of this. Scott used an allegory in which the earth had a spine encircling it. The spine had misalignments and diseased places; pain and suffering initiated from these locations. In the vision, God was healing and realigning points on the spine, much like a chiropractor would do for a person. I feel I need to elaborate more on this picture in today’s post. In my book, An Appeal To Heaven, I write about alignment: “Every family, race, and nation has painful chapters in their story - points on their historical timeline with which they would rather not be connected. America is no exception. As I sought the Lord regarding this, He began showing me that nations can disconnect from their ungodly past. Not only is this possible, but it is essential in order to attain a healthy future. “To help me understand this, Holy Spirit led me to Hebrews 11:3, ‘By faith, we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.’ A more literal Greek translation of the first half of this verse is, ‘By faith, we understand that the ages (aions) have been properly connected or aligned (katartizo) by the spoken words of God…’ (my rendering). ‘Ages’ is the best translation of the Greek word aions. “The Greek word I translated as ‘properly connected or aligned’ (katartizo), means ‘to put something into its proper position, alignment or connection.’ I mentioned this word yesterday. In biblical times, the ‘setting’ of a broken bone was katartizo, as was the ‘relocation’ of a dislocated joint; ‘mending’ a torn net was, as well. The ‘restoration’ of a fallen brother or sister in scripture is also this word. Generally speaking, katartizo means to properly position a person or thing, whether at its inception or as a restoration. The reason it is at times translated as ‘prepared’ is because properly positioning something, as in the spine, ‘prepares’ it for use. Breaches in History “Interestingly, this verse in Hebrews 11:3 tells us God connected or aligned the ages or seasons of time. In other words, He declared the general flow of history and how each age would connect to the next. Isaiah 46:10 says He declared ‘the end from the beginning.’ Also, knowing the effects of Adam’s sin and fallen humankind’s consequent sinful nature, God knew there would be ‘dislocations’ and ‘breaches’ in history’s timeline. Like potholes after a hard winter, His original, decreed connections would need seasons of repair. Defilement would come. Pain would then flow through history’s breaches, creating the need for restoration and healing - katartizo. God knew, for example, that innocent blood would be shed, abuses would transpire, idolatry would take place, covenants would be broken, slavery would occur, and a host of other sins would interrupt His original plan. “These breaches in the timeline would mandate restorations, reformations and reconnections to His predetermined plan. Therefore, God not only declared the aligning of the ages, but where He knew it would be necessary, He also decreed their realignment, the healing of history. The fact that God heals history can be seen in Isaiah 58:12. ‘And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.’ “This verse clearly states that God heals, mends, and restores (katartizo) history. He doesn’t simply ignore history’s breaches and ‘move on.’ We humans engage in denial at times, because it seems to alleviate the pain. God, however, does not. His plan, as Isaiah said, is always to ‘rebuild…raise up…repair…restore’ the broken timelines. As Scott said, He realigns a nation’s spine. The mending of these breaks allows the pain of the past to heal, not simply be buried. Denial, as we know, only buries pain and causes the wound to remain unhealed. When this occurs, the pain will always resurface at some point in the future causing anger, violence, broken relationships and other expressions of dysfunctional behavior. Without true healing, this cycle of pain repeats itself generation after generation. “Racism in America is a prime example. Because we have not tapped into God’s redemptive ability to heal and restore, pain is still flowing through our broken history. Our spine is misaligned. Katartizo, the realignment of the ages, hasn’t occurred. Therefore, each new age/generation has to continue dealing with the wound and pain. Government tries to heal the breach through laws and programs, but this will never succeed. Individuals attempt it by denouncing and condemning the injustices and prejudices, but this too, fails. Other misguided people espouse the ‘get over it’ or ‘move on’ approach. Meanwhile, the wound festers. “Government and its well-meaning laws and programs can never heal history’s wounds or erase its sins. The insensitive ‘get over it’ crowd only offends, rubbing salt in an already painful wound; while the unhealed spokespersons of the wounded simply release more venom and hatred. These approaches only make the pain of the dislocation worse. “However, Isaiah 58:12 makes clear that God does indeed heal the breaches of history, and He uses people. ‘Those from among you…’ is His plan. Katartizo is intended to happen through redeemed people as they understand and participate in God’s plan. We are the healers and peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). Through humility, repentance, prayer and fasting, God’s redemption occurs and history can be healed.” In the powerful allegorical vision and prophecy God gave Scott, the damaged places on earth were pictured by an injured spine. Holy Spirit said He was coming to heal many of those places, realigning that which had been damaged through sin and rebellion. I am confident that in the coming revival, people and cultures will be healed of yesterday’s pain and bondage, allowing God’s life and blessing to flow through katartizo’d joints. Pray with me: Lord, we are encouraged by the words You are releasing through prophetic people. We realize that evil will continue to be released on earth until You return. We also know that when You return, there will be goat nations as well as sheep nations. Sadly, not everyone will be saved. However, many will be. Millions and millions more people will come into Your family before the end takes place. You will have people in heaven from every tribe, tongue, and nation. We lay hold of this word regarding You realigning portions of the earth. We pray for those in bondage to sin, false beliefs, and idolatry. We ask for healing from the fruit of this: hunger, disease, oppression, and suffering on so many levels. Most of all, we ask for salvation. We ask for the spirit of revelation to open the eyes of millions around the world so that they might hear and understand the Gospel and clearly see Christ. Heal the spine of many nations and people. We pray for America. We ask for the healing of our apostate nation. Put us on Your adjustment table. Twist, push, pull, and maneuver in whatever ways necessary in order to realign us. Deliver us from lying, agenda-driven educators, media outlets, and government officials. Bring cleansing and adjustment to the church. And light the greatest revival fire earth has ever seen in the young generation here and around the world. Lastly, Father, we pray for men and fathers on this Father’s Day weekend. May there come a seismic shift and awakening to men. Give us the greatest revival among men we have ever seen or experienced. Strengthen fathers and husbands to be the men you need them to be. Encourage them. We pray all of these things in the wonderful name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We decree that a divine shift is occurring in the earth, realigning people and nations to Jesus Christ. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book An Appeal to Heaven. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

The Afghanistan Tragedy (Because of the severity of the content, this post will be a little longer than most.) The Tragic Consequences “Images coming out of Afghanistan on Monday morning showed large numbers of people running in front of US military cargo planes that were taking off, forcing the military to use helicopters to clear people off the tarmac so the planes could take off. “Other disturbing images showed objects falling from the cargo planes once they were hundreds, if not a couple of thousand feet, above the ground after takeoff. Various news reports, including Newsweek, the Daily Mail, and Hareetz reported that the objects falling from the planes were people, clinging to the planes, trying to escape.”(1) Having watched some of this I can only say it was gut-wrenching. The people of Afghanistan know what is coming. It will be pleasant for no one, except the men in the Taliban, but for some, it will be worse than unpleasant. There will be rapes, beheadings, torture, forced marriages of young girls, and more. One report claims the Taliban is going door to door in conquered territories, forcing girls as young as 12 years of age to enter into “marriages” with Taliban soldiers. In other words, sex slavery. CNN, not known for criticizing their own, reports that many who worked with our troops as interpreters and in other non-fighting positions are now in great peril. Our government stated that it would not abandon them but this is now happening. One man they referred to as Haji, said, “‘If [the Taliban] find me, they will kill me and they will kill my family because I was an interpreter with the U.S. Marines.’ “The danger Haji and his family face grows every day as the Taliban claims more territory across the country, yet his repeated efforts to reach safety through a U.S. visa program for interpreters keep hitting a brick wall, despite support from a half dozen U.S. Marines. “Haji was what you might call a ‘combat interpreter.’ Stationed in Helmand province - the heart of the insurgency - he lived and patrolled with the Marines and Army, translating as they searched vehicles, talked to locals, and interviewed suspected Taliban members. “He has been paying for his loyalty to the U.S. ever since. He and his family have been in hiding for five years, scared for their lives - his fear of retribution compounded with news of every province that falls into Taliban hands. “The insurgents are known to murder Afghans who help coalition forces, and, like Haji thousands of interpreters have become targets for the militant group.”(2) “In a statement issued in June, the Taliban said it would not harm those who worked alongside foreign forces. But this summer, one former interpreter for the U.S. Army was reportedly beheaded by the Taliban.”(3) Many more will now die; some tortured. The Epoch Times states that “Many Afghans fear the Taliban will return to past harsh practices with their imposition of sharia. During [the Taliban’s]1996-2001 rule, women could not work and punishments such as public stonings, whippings, and hangings were administered. Both the United Nations and the United States said last week they had received reports that Taliban fighters were executing surrendering government soldiers.”(4) Beyond the benefit of now controlling an entire Nation, from which they can wage their Jihad on the rest of the world, the Taliban was left billions of dollars worth of military equipment and weaponry by our rapid, poorly planned withdrawal. This weaponry will now be used on us. For the global jihadist movement, the Taliban victory will be incredibly significant. The humiliation it has caused America will motivate thousands of foreign fighters to pour into Afghanistan to join the “holy warriors.” Even liberal CNN acknowledges: “When the 20th anniversary is memorialized at the World Trade Center and elsewhere in the U.S., the Taliban will surely be celebrating their great victory in Afghanistan. For the global jihadist movement, the victory of the Taliban will be as significant as ISIS victories were in Iraq and Syria. Just as they did after those ISIS victories, many thousands of foreign fighters are likely to pour into Afghanistan to join the victorious ‘Holy Warriors’ and receive military training.”(5) General David Petraeus, former commander of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan, made the following statements in describing the situation: “Catastrophic...for the United States and the world...an enormous national security setback...tragic, regrettable...going to be a complete meltdown of a country...it is a blow to our credibility around the world.”(6) President Trump said, “After I took out ISIS, I established a credible deterrent. That deterrent is now gone. The Taliban no longer has fear or respect for America or America’s power. What a disgrace it will be when the Taliban raises their flag over America’s Embassy in Kabul. This is a complete failure through weakness, incompetence, and total strategic incoherence.”(7) And then there is the persecution coming to our brothers and sisters there. The Taliban hates Christians with a savage, demonized hatred. Many believers will now be murdered, raped, and tortured. One quote I saw spoke of Christians there telling friends in other parts of the world they would no doubt be seeing Jesus face-to-face within a couple of weeks. Another said the Taliban has told Christians there, “We know who you are and we are coming for you.” We must pray for them during this very tragic time. Biden’s Role While this has been unfolding, Biden has been hiding in a basement - or rather, a suite at Camp David - just as he did during the campaign. Former Trump and Obama White House physician Ronnie Jackson, now a congressman from Texas, said, “‘OUTRAGEOUS! Biden needs to address the nation TONIGHT.” (Though he finally did so yesterday, completely exonerating himself, he waited a week.) Jackson went on to say, “If he’s not mentally capable of handling this crisis, he needs to resign IMMEDIATELY. America deserves better than this - OUR VETERANS DESERVE BETTER THAN THIS! Come out of hiding at Camp David and do your damn job!” “Jackson’s remarks come after the Taliban moved with lightning speed through Afghanistan, recapturing provinces and cities that they lost 10 years ago when the U.S came in to hunt down those responsible for 9/11. The Taliban seized Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital city, on Sunday and did so while many Taliban extremists took U.S. weapons that had been given to the Afghan military to fight the Taliban. “Where are the people in our academic medicine that were out there calling for President Trump to have a cognitive test? Where are these people?” Jackson wondered.(8) Even Democrats are criticizing the Biden administration for how it has handled this debacle. “As a Gold Star son of the Vietnam War listening to the White House briefing on the Afghanistan War withdrawal, my heart particularly aches for the thousands of Gold Star families of an eerily similar and painful episode forty-six years later,” wrote Rep.Dean Phillips (D-Minn), referring to the fall of Saigon that capped the end of the Vietnam War. “Added another Democrat, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas): ‘There’s no way to hide it. The situation in Afghanistan is another shame on this administration. The withdrawal was never going to be easy but it didn’t need to come to this,’ He wrote. “The U.S. must do everything in its power to help our partners and allies to safety and protect our national security.’”(9) Biden and his administration, of course, blame Trump and the Afghanis for what is happening, saying Trump made agreements with the Taliban that he had to honor and that the Afghans have no will to fight. Trump’s agreement, however, was conditional, conditions the Taliban did not meet. Biden announced an “unconditional” pullout letting the Taliban know they could do whatever they want. All they had to do was wait a few weeks, which they did. And as far as the Afghan military being unwilling to fight, the Daily Wire explains what really took place: “The Afghan military collapsed because they relied heavily on U.S. air support, and it could not function after Biden pulled U.S. support.” They reference the Wall Street Journal as saying: “The Afghan army fighting alongside American troops was molded to match the way the Americans operate. The U.S. military, the world’s most advanced, relies heavily on combining ground operations with airpower, using aircraft to resupply outposts, strike targets, ferry the wounded, and collect reconnaissance and intelligence. “In the wake of President Biden’s withdrawal decision, the U.S. pulled its air support, intelligence, and contractors servicing Afghanistan’s planes and helicopters. That meant the Afghan military simply couldn’t operate anymore. ‘The same happened with another failed American effort, the South Vietnamese army in the 1970s,’ said retired Lt. Gen. Daniel Bolger, who commanded the U.S.-led coalition’s mission to train Afghan forces in 2011-2013. “‘There is always a tendency to use the model you know, which is your own model,’ retired Lt. Gen. Daniel Bolger said. ‘When you build an army like that, and it’s meant to be a partner with a sophisticated force like the Americans, you can’t pull the Americans out all of a sudden, because then they lose the day-to-day assistance that they need.’”(10) A question that must be asked is, does Biden even care about the coming tragedies regarding this decision? Statements from his past would suggest that he does not: The Atlantic journalist shared, “By the time Biden became vice president in 2009, the disastrous war in Iraq, the endemic corruption of the Afghan government, and the return of the Taliban had made him a deep skeptic of the American commitment. He became the Obama administration’s strongest voice for getting out of Afghanistan. In 2010, he told Richard Holbrooke, Obama’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, that the U.S. had to leave Afghanistan regardless of the consequences for women or anyone else. According to Holbrooke’s diary, when he asked about American obligations to Afghans like the girl in the Kabul school, Biden replied with a history lesson from the final U.S. withdrawal from Southeast Asia in 1973: “F--- that, we don’t have to worry about that. We did it in Vietnam, Nixon and Kissinger got away with it.”(11) Sadly, America and others around the world are about to pay another installment on the price of what took place in 2020. Even so, I still believe we will see the full restoration of America to her purpose and destiny. I believe the corruption and evil in our land will continue to be exposed. I fully believe we have entered into the beginnings of a great revival that will awaken our nation to righteousness and break deception off us. And I believe a billion or more souls are about to come into God’s family. He uses tragedies like the one unfolding. My heart hurts, but my faith is strong. Pray with me: Father, Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, “Though we experience every kind of pressure, we’re not crushed. At times we don’t know what to do, but quitting is not an option. We are persecuted by others, but God has not forsaken us. We may be knocked down, but not out.” (TPT) Even as we grieve over this tragic situation in Afghanistan, we remind ourselves of Your all-sufficient grace and Your victory over all evil. You always have the final say. We pray for the people of Afghanistan. We pray that You would break the back of the evil that exists there. Deliver the Afghans from this stronghold of darkness. Our prayer is that millions of them will have their eyes opened to who Jesus is and that they would believe on Him for salvation. We also pray for our brothers and sisters there. They are facing very difficult days. But Your grace is sufficient and we know that they will experience a great eternal reward for their loyalty to You. We pray for protection, yet we also know some will lay down their lives. You will use their deaths, just as You did Stephen’s, and carry them to Your glorious, healing presence. Death will have no sting and the grave will have no victory. We ask for great peace to be given them, and the comfort of Holy Spirit to be very strong. We do so in Christ’s name, amen. Our decree: We decree that the grace of the Lord will be upon our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan and that the comfort of Holy Spirit will be theirs. Click on the link below to watch the full prayer. https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-afghans-try-to-jump-in-planes-taking-off-people-fall-from-planes-high-in-air-reports-say https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/15/asia/afghanistan-interpreters-us-visa-taliban-cmd-intl/index.html Ibid. https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_breakingnews/biden-national-security-adviser-says-afghanistan-army-lacked-will-to-defend-against-taliban_3950670.html?utm_source=News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=breaking-2021-08-16-1&mktids=8cdb991559fb6fd60a6810ecfb7453fb&est=quhr02U0h8LO8LRCfEUAgC0ww%2BLckb0ofjukrD1jZFdiZNQL%2FNXLlIkai8vaGxuf https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/12/opinions/afghanistan-president-biden-debacle-bergen/index.html https://www.newsmax.com/politics/davidpetraeus-taliban/2021/08/14/id/1032387/ https://www.newsmax.com/politics/kevinmccarthy-humanrights-women-taliban/2021/08/15/id/1032415/ https://www.dailywire.com/news/ex-obama-white-house-doctor-to-biden-do-your-damn-job-address-nation-now-or-resign-immediately https://www.theepochtimes.com/biden-admin-faces-bipartisan-criticism-over-collapse-of-afghanistan_3949755.html https://www.dailywire.com/news/taliban-holds-press-conference-from-presidential-palace-while-biden-hides-from-public https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/03/we-cant-abandon-afghans-who-helped-us/618416/

What Makes America Exceptional? [Major (Ret.) William J. Ostan, Esq., shares his heart for America with us again today. He is one the Lord has given a deep passion for our nation to. He and his wife, Jen, founded Arc of Justice.] “There are two things I think we have to hold onto to maintain our nation. I believe God blesses America. I believe He does that so we can be a blessing to others. It’s the same reason He blessed Abraham in the Bible—as a sign of His covenant. We cannot forget to thank God daily for His many blessings. We can’t take them for granted. “The second thing was articulated well by Abraham Lincoln. At 28 years old, Lincoln gave a speech in which he said, ‘The silent artilleries of time will make us forget.’ He was referring to our Christian roots and heritage. We can’t just go about our business day after day and year after year and not remind ourselves of our history or we will forget our history. We need to teach our children of our Christian roots and our founding. We need to know who our founders were, the things they said, and how they sought God and acknowledged Him when they acted. If we don’t, we will eventually move so far away from the truth that the country just happens to shift to a more secular society. I believe that has happened more and more over time. Today, many of our young adults don’t know anything about the role of God and Christianity in our founding, roots, and history. If we don’t purposefully act, then secularism will just take over. Lincoln was called to save our nation and we need to know how he navigated that challenge in the Lord. It is part of the history of this land. “I think about my two daughters as I ponder the writings of Abraham Lincoln and others God raised up to lead this country. I love to read and I love to think about ideas. I know this country was founded by God to bless the world and to spread freedom everywhere, but it’s also for my daughters and their future children. It’s so they can continue to live a life of blessing and they can continue to propagate the Gospel. “That’s why I believe America is exceptional. It’s not because we’re smarter, more powerful, or better than other nations. It is because we were founded by God on an idea that all men are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights. We are all sinners saved by grace. We are all fallen. We are in the same spiritual boat whether in a developing nation or here in America. We were created equal in the eyes of God. What makes us exceptional as a nation is that we were founded on biblical truth. “Have we carried out this mandate of America perfectly? No. We live in a fallen world and we have had wars and injustice, racism, greed, and many other issues. However, I know the Lord will continue to lead us, guide us, correct us, and heal us, because His eye is upon America.” “Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord; the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance… From the place of his habitation he looked upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioned all of their hearts; he considers all their works. The king is not saved by the multitude of the army; the mighty man does not escape by much strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those that fear him, upon those that wait for his mercy to deliver their souls from death and to keep them alive in the famine. Our soul waited for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. Therefore our heart shall rejoice in him because we have trusted in the name of his holiness.” (Psalm 33:12, 14-16, and 18-21; JUB) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: Worship God for the many blessings He has given you and your family. Be specific. Worship Him for the many blessings He has given the United States of America. Thank God that He continues to watch over us. Recount some of our national blessings. Ask the Lord to continue to bless this nation for the sake of your children and the generations to come. Pray about the education of our nation’s children in the true history of this country. Repent if you haven’t paid attention to what your children are being taught or not taught in school about America’s history. Consider how you can incorporate this into your own family time. You can find resources here, here, and here. Intercede passionately for the Lord to continue to intervene in our nation’s affairs as we humble ourselves and pray. A prayer you can pray: God, I worship You because You are wholly worthy of my worship, honor, and praise. I glorify Your wonderful and Holy name. Only You are holy. I am so blessed by You. You have met every need I and my family have had. [Say some of those things to Him now.] You have also greatly blessed America. You have granted this nation a grace to continue to be free and extend that freedom worldwide for over 244 years. We have been through much, but You have continued to save us and keep us moving forward because You have a plan for America. [Recount some of those blessings in your own words here.] Lord, I ask You to forgive the sins we commit as a nation and allow my children and grandchildren to experience the wonder of Your blessings. Let them see the miracle of Your hand working in America. We are not special or deserving, but You have decided to establish this place for Your purposes. You watch over Your work and uphold Your covenant and we are humble recipients. Save us, Lord, and we shall be saved. Keep me on my knees and let me speak freely of Your involvement in America, both historically and currently. Let me speak of these things to my children, so they may pass these truths on to their offspring as well. To You be the Glory in Jesus’ Name. Amen. Today’s decree: The Lord is watching over America to perform His Will through us. Today's post was transcribed from a podcast conversation between Dutch and Will titled "The Greatness of America, Part 1 & Part 2." You can listen to the whole podcast here.

Knowing the the Historical Record of Our Christian Nation [Major (Ret.) William J. Ostan, Esq., shares his heart for America with us again today. He is one the Lord has given a deep passion for our nation to. He is medically retired from the Army and is now working to change the lives of wounded warriors like himself. He and his wife, Jen, founded Arc of Justice.] “Long before I went to law school, Lou Engle told me one day that we needed to go and pray at a chapel on Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus. During that three-hour prayer meeting, God did something in me. He lit a flame of love for America in my heart that day. That also started me on a journey to read everything I could about this nation. Lou gave me a book, titled America’s Providential History, by Stephen McDowell. He was the Founder and President of the Providence Foundation. That book changed the course of my entire life. He also gave me The Light and the Glory, by Peter Marshall and David Emanuel. These books tell of the historical account of the Puritans and Pilgrims coming to America and saying, ‘We believe God has brought us to America to make it a light and a glory for the propagation of the Gospel around the world.’ “Stephen McDowell has spent the last 40 years of his life reading thousands of documents on the founding of the nation. He writes booklets on the history of America every month. He footnotes the content back to the original source documents. He proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that America is a Christian nation. “In many modern publications, you can read opinion articles where the writer says, ‘America was never a Christian nation.’ My reply to that is, ‘Where’s your proof? You cannot just say that and think we are going to believe it. Let’s go together to the library of Congress and the National Archives and see what the record says. Let’s go walk around Washington, D.C. You can’t walk a block without seeing a quote honoring God on the buildings. Just because you write your opinion in an established publication, am I just supposed to believe it? Where’s your proof?’ “Men like Stephen McDowell are going back to see what Patrick Henry or John Adams or George Washington actually wrote. In His providence, the Lord actually connected me with Stephen. I was relocated by the Army to a city very near the church he pastors. He became a mentor to me, then a friend. Today, I serve on the board of the Providence Foundation. One thing I have learned from Stephen is to study those original documents and read all that I can. Therefore, I can refute anyone trying to say that this is not a Christian nation. We should all know everything we can about America’s glorious, God-birthed history. This is our heritage. Without dispute, we are a Christian nation.” “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32; GNT) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: Thank God for the truth, based in a lot of historical fact, that we are a Christian nation. Do not let anyone say otherwise, no matter who they are! Intercede for the Church to care about these things. Keep praying for pastors to address civic and national government from their pulpits, even as they increase teaching about moral biblical foundations. We are to live godly lives and expand Christ’s Kingdom in the earth. Have you educated yourself on the roots of our nation? If not, you might want to go to the Providence Foundation’s website or to David Barton’s Wallbuilders site and get started. Consider getting tools from these sites for your children and grandchildren. A prayer you can pray: God, thank You for reminding us today of the truth about the roots of America. When we take the time to look back at the historical record, we see solid evidence of our Christian heritage at every stage. The nation’s founding can be traced back to the Puritans and Pilgrims seeking refuge from religious persecution. They dedicated this land to You and to Your Glory. They proclaimed that America would send the Gospel across the land and to the nations of the earth from these shores. As the years unfolded and this fledging nation developed, God-fearing men met and prayed and formed a government that they believed You led them to form. Our nation’s archives hold undeniable proof for all who care to look for it. God, move on the hearts of Believers to search these things out for ourselves. Lead us to the sources we need. Let us teach these things to our children and grandchildren. Embolden our pastors to address this issue, as well as teach us about the tough moral issues the Bible talks about. We need very brave pastors in these days. We support them and encourage them in prayer. Thank You for exposing so much truth in the midst of the chaos around us. Surely, You are turning all things together for good for those of us who love You and are called according to Your purpose. We stop those who want to revise our history in Jesus’ Name. Amen. Today’s decree: America is without dispute a Christian nation! No one can tell me otherwise. Today's post was transcribed from a podcast conversation between Dutch and Will titled "The Greatness of America, Part 1 & Part 2." You can listen to the whole podcast here.

Raising up a Generation That Loves America [Major (Ret.) William J. Ostan, Esq., is a spiritual son of mine. The Lord connected us when he was barely out of college. He is one the Lord has given a deep passion for our nation to. He is medically retired from the Army and is now working to change the lives of wounded warriors like himself. I want you to hear some of his moving story. He and his wife, Jen, founded Arc of Justice. Jen has been honored as a Hidden Hero.] “9/11/2001 had a tremendous impact on me. I wanted to enlist, but was discouraged to do so by someone I sought for counsel. So, I went to Pepperdine University in California to go to law school. While I was there, Pat Tilman was killed in the Iraq War. He was an NFL football star who had given up a $3+ million dollar salary to join the Army Rangers. Something about his death hit me hard. He had given up so much. I had been raised in an upper middle class family and my country had been at war, but I was safe on America’s shores. I sat there and wept, then went home and told my young wife that I needed to serve in the Army. To my relief, she agreed. “So, I finished my degree, passed the bar exam, and joined the Army. I expected to serve for three years. But I found that I loved serving my country as a soldier! I was passionate about it. So, I ended up staying for 12 years. The only reason I left is because I acquired an illness during my deployment in Afghanistan that is debilitating at times. I was medically discharged on 9/11/2019. “I love this nation and I have loved serving this nation. God put something in me that my father nurtured. My father served in the military for 3 years, and his father served as a Marine under MacArthur during WWII. My dad also loved history. He loved Abraham Lincoln and had hundreds of books about him. I loved to read those books. He took me as a teen to Gettysburg. At the time, I couldn’t fully comprehend what happened there, but he planted seeds in my heart about the significance of it. My dad saw a passion in me for all of this and he wanted to be sure to direct it toward love of God and love of country. My mom was also involved. She taught me about prayer and the importance of praying for our nation. “All of this was very intentional on my parents’ part. It wasn’t regimented, but was woven into the way they raised me. It went right along with making sure I was raised as a man of godly character and integrity. My dad purposefully took me to historical sites while I was growing up. At Gettysburg, we visited the statues of those that won the war and also of those that were on the losing side. There were lessons to be learned there from both sides of the war and he made sure I understood those lessons from history. I am thankful for all that my dad and mom put in me and I plan to pass those types of lessons to my daughters.” “Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you.” (Deuteronomy 32:7; ESV) Give Him 15 minutes in prayer: The Bible tells us to raise up a child in the way they should go, so when they are old they will not turn from it. Intercede for parents today to know how to raise children that love God and love their country. If you are still raising your family, consider this. Pray together with your spouse as to how you are molding your children, first to love the Lord, of course, but to also include their love of country. Intercede for all the Christian families raising the next generation currently. Ask the Lord to give them creative and engaging ideas to teach the children about our history and government, and how to be a good citizen. Pastors, be sure you are teaching your congregants about national issues from a biblical perspective. Then, they can pray and vote and effect changes that move this nation in a more righteous direction for the sake of the children and generations to follow. A prayer you can pray: Lord, thank You for Bill Ostan’s impactful testimony of how he came to love and serve America. Every parent should be as intentional as his mom and dad were in raising him to understand the world we are going to be living in. He is living in the United States of America, and his mom and dad taught him about our history and how to serve the country as a godly man. Forgive us if we did not think of this when we raised our own children. Please help all parents, even grandparents, to be more intentional in our raising of the next generation. Our educational system often ignores the subject of government or teaches them a form of history that is not what the historical record shows. We must help preserve it, as well as to teach our kids the lessons that must be learned from it. If the generations that follow us are to keep the Republic we inherited from our forefathers, then we all need to teach them about it, including our pastors and other church leaders. We can’t back down from teaching them about moral issues that are matters of law. We need to show them what the Bible says about godly character, sexual sin, abortion and infanticide and so many other things that You talk about in Your Word. Give us a holy boldness to do so, that we do not lose them to the world’s systems and the god of this age. They need to be raised to carry history forward as You desire, not to remake the nation in man’s image. Grace us, Lord Jesus. Amen. Today’s decree: We will raise our children to love God and love America! Today's post was transcribed from a podcast conversation between Dutch and Will titled "The Greatness of America, Part 1 & Part 2." You can listen to the whole podcast here.

Angels, Altars & Holy Spirit Fire It seems that something spiritually significant was released in the earth this past Pentecost Sunday. I have had three significant reports sent to me regarding this. I’m sharing one of them today and will share the others next week. The first one is from my brother, Tim Sheets. This word is very, very powerful and encouraging. Tim shares: “Pentecost was a day in church history that began a new and unique partnership of Holy Spirit with mankind. He not only surrounded those in the Upper Room with His presence, He filled them with it. It was a day that gave identity and purpose to the church’s very existence; the King’s Ekklesia was born (see Acts 2). Holy Spirit and His angels set the room ablaze with the fire of His presence and fell on this upper room ‘altar.’ “Angels were present in this upper room to keep the portals open, so power could fall from heaven upon the prayer warriors gathered. The angels were also there to set fire to a new movement on the earth. A new era was about to begin. “When Holy Spirit moves, He is always accompanied by massive numbers of angels. They help minister the fire of God’s glory to the remnant. Angels are carriers of the glory-fire presence of Holy Spirit and they assist God’s movements and outpourings on the earth. “I believe we are moving into a super Pentecost season, a fresh outpouring of Holy Spirit enabling us to take the gospel into all the world with signs, wonders and miracles. As we celebrate the great outpouring on that first New Testament altar and rejoice over what God did through the early church, we are also expectant that Holy Spirit fire will fall on the altars our prayers have been building today. “Fire often represents God’s presence. In Acts 2, when Holy Spirit came into the room and ignited the altar, glory surged and erupted in the room. [One of the other reports I’ve received also speaks of this ‘power surge.’] Flames of fire appeared over each believer and angels of glory appeared in the flames. They administered fresh fire and assisted Holy Spirit’s new campaign. “Angels often appear as tongues of fire in Scripture. We know that angels do not die. I often say, ‘There are no angel graveyards.’ Every angel mentioned in the Scriptures is still alive and working today. They are now working with Holy Spirit in another ‘new era campaign,’ greater than what occurred in Acts 2. The promise of God is that a movement is coming in the latter times, greater than what occured in former days. “What will happen when Holy Spirit lights fresh fire in all the Ekklesias - churches that understand and move in Christ’s Matthew 16:18-19 mandate - at the same time? Indeed, it will be a super Pentecost, a surging, worldwide Pentecost. This has begun. A glorious Ekklesia is rising in power, one which the gates of hell cannot overcome. “Acts 2:2 says, ‘They heard a sound from heaven like a mighty rushing wind…’ “In Ezekiel 3 and 4, we read that when cherubim flew, their wings produced a brushing or swishing type of sound. This sound has also been described by theologians as a violent type of fluttering, a drumming sound, the roar of a rapid river or the sound of galloping horses. The angels produced a sound that rumbled. In Acts 2 (Pentecost), Holy Spirit entered the upper room and announced to the world and His forming Ekklesia, ‘It’s time to rumble!’ “I have been hearing this in the spirit - a call to rumble. Every time I hear demonic doctrine being spewed, a cry from deep within me rises and says, ‘It’s time to rumble.’ When I hear the corrupt voices of Ahabs and Jezebels, I think, ‘It’s time to rumble.’ I’m hearing a bold sound arising from a determined, fearless and undaunted church. “I’m hearing the sound of roaring fires, blazing off ‘Ekklesia altars.’ I’m hearing the sound of another rushing, mighty wind and the voice of our thundering King, whose eyes flash like flames of fire and has glory flaming from His presence. Messiah, the Breaker, is coming to make a bodacious stand on earth and answer the question regarding His relevance. “Politicians, God-deniers, science-liars, idolaters, unjust judges and corrupt officials will understand that though they may question His relevance, He doesn’t. His glory is amping up. The voltage and power in His Kingdom are amping up. I’m hearing a call for the reigning church to engage in aggressive faith-declarations with bold authority. “I’m hearing a mighty, rushing river and the sound of revival fires beginning to roll across the planet. This great outpouring will fuel it and be like a snowball going down a hill, growing larger and larger until it rolls over the gates of hell. It will steamroll over demonic strongholds, iniquitous systems, pretentious religion, doctrines of demons, antichrist systems of government, corrupt media, ungodly education and philosophical strongholds. “I hear King David’s sound of marching in the mulberry trees. I hear the sound of remnant warriors arrayed for battle. I hear the rhythmic drone of angels flying in formation, coming at the speed of light to assist the King’s Ekklesia. I hear the shout of the King rising aggressively, declaring His word through His remnant and His angel armies. I hear the victory drums of heaven. I hear chariots of fire rolling into position and the rattling of dry bones. I hear locks breaking, walls falling and a great and mighty army beginning to march. I hear fire-tornadoes spinning off the altars of God to go and destroy strongholds. I hear demons screaming, ‘It’s happening again.’ (2 Samuel 5:24; Numbers 23:21; 2 Kings 6:8-23; Ezekiel 37) “We are now progressing into an awesome new era planned by Holy Spirit. A new era denotes dramatic change. We are going to see rapid advancement and new doors of opportunity in an atmosphere of glory-surges. “Pentecost in Acts 2 was indeed awesome, but we have been promised it will happen again at a new and higher level. We are moving into a level of outpouring never before seen. Angels are opening portals over Ekklesia altars. Signs, wonders and miracles will increase. The gospel of the Kingdom will be presented in power and revival fires will spring up, fanned by a new wind of Pentecost. Fireballs of glory, like comets out of heaven, will explode in our midst. “I recently received a vision from the Lord, in which ‘I saw angels of glory, dressed in off-white, with brilliant white sashes. I then saw a large globe of the world that became a clock. As I watched, Holy Spirit placed Himself in the center and became the hands of the clock. He then began activating hosts of “glory angels” in the direction of each number. I saw many angels moving in the direction of the number twelve. Others moved toward one, two, three and so on, until angels had been sent to each number of the clock. I heard Holy Spirit then say, “It is time to declare the release of glory angels into all of the earth.”” Pray with me: Holy Spirit, at Your word and command, and in the name of King Jesus, we activate the ‘glory angels’ of Your Kingdom. By the multiplied thousands, send them in every direction, until they have circled the globe. We ask for them to be activated and loosed to prepare the earth for the coming Pentecost. Send them into all the world to prepare for the activation of Your government upon the earth, and for the King and His Kingdom to expand. We loose this in Jesus’ Name! We come into agreement with Holy Spirit for this time, and we declare that His plan, strategy and activity will now be loosed throughout the earth. Do it, God, we pray, in Jesus’ Name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that a fresh outpouring of Pentecost will now be released on the earth. Click on the link below to watch the full video. Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim Sheets. You can learn more about Tim here.

Heaven’s Healing Adjustment Is Holy Spirit aligning the nations and the spiritual realm, preparing them for His coming outpouring? The prophetic vision and word given to Dr. Scott Reece a few days ago suggest that He is. I read Scott’s word the same day I received my brother, Tim Sheets’ word, which I read on yesterday’s post. Tim said a fresh Pentecostal outpouring of Holy Spirit has begun, assisted by a multitude of angels. He also spoke of the rumbling sound this was releasing in the spiritual realm, which he could “hear” with his spiritual ears (Revelation 3:22). Elijah spoke of hearing with his spiritual ears in I Kings 18:41: “I hear the sound of an abundance of rain.” When Elijah said this, there was as yet no natural sound from a storm or rain. He was hearing prophetically. Prior to this, the prophet had heard from God that rain was coming (verse 1). He now sensed and discerned spiritually that this was imminent. Likewise, prophets today are hearing a sound, the sound of spiritual rain. Just before receiving Tim’s word, another prophet sent me a dream and word about “hearing” this sound of revival. As this person preached on the dream and word, the service was interrupted by a loud, explosive power surge. I will share this report with you on Monday’s post. I believe that hers, Tim’s, and the following word are all related. Holy Spirit gave Scott Reece this prophetic word in the form of a fascinating allegory. (An example of a spiritual allegory would be C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia.) He uses the concept of spinal alignment to picture the earth being in or out of proper alignment with God. This is especially fascinating to me due to a biblical Greek word I have studied. Katartizo means to be properly aligned, positioned, and connected. It is the word for “mending” nets (Matthew 4:21), “restoring” fallen brothers and sisters (Galatians 6:1), or “setting” a broken bone. This would also be the word for resetting a dislocated joint. This allegorical picture of our planet’s dislocation and disconnection from God is biblical and powerful. Scott says: “The Lord showed me the earth with a spine completely encircling it. Certain points of the spine were twisted, distorted, curved, and out of alignment. Out of those damaged places flowed toxicities, sin, and pollution of every kind. “The earth’s spine was a gathering point and often a place of intense warfare. Around portions of the spine were different, strategic strongholds. These places were the source of global poverty, wars, rumors of wars, demonic strategies of bondage, perversions, slavery, abortion, crime, pornography, dominance, greed, corrupt politics, confusion, carnal religion, diseases, and death. “Other places along the spine were in perfect order and alignment; these possessed God’s ruling, governmental authority. From them, the purposes and will of God were determined, decreed, and released throughout the earth. In those places, the sovereign reign and rule of God had been established by women and men of God, which brought spiritual order to the earth. “This divine order was the result of obedience that manifested in a variety of ways: intercession, preaching the word, prophecy, evangelism, apostolic authority - all resulting in revival that brought divine alignment to that region of the spine. Also, in each of those “aligned” places, superior air authority had been established and the atmosphere over them had become secured airspace which the demonic was not allowed to enter. They became heavenly portals reaching completely from heaven to earth. Those aligned places were ‘vavs’ (a Hebrew word which, among other things, has the symbolic meaning of connecting heaven and earth) through which heavenly activity flowed freely. Demons avoided those places at all costs. “Therefore, in the vision, the battle was for the spine. As went the spine, so went the earth. Whoever controlled it, controlled the physical and spiritual destinies of millions of people. Because of this, attempts were made to cause actions that produced either alignment or misalignment. The very first twisting and misalignment of the earthly spine occurred as a result of Adam’s betrayal in the garden of Eden.” Scott then shares prophetically, “I’m hearing the Lord say that the earth belongs to Him and He is raising up an Ekklesia that will walk in a new level of understanding. This revelation of authority, anointing, and their assignment will enable the Ekklesia to bring alignment to the global spine. “The earth is going through a major, spiritual chiropractic adjustment, bringing correction and alignment. As the spine comes into this order and alignment, the result will be a sustained global outpouring of Holy Spirit, a revival that cannot be quenched. “Demonic entities are being dislodged and twisted theologies are being exposed. The revelation of the church as Christ’s Ekklesia is revealing the twisted lies of demonic religious teachings that were used to keep the spine out of alignment.” Scott then continues relating the vision. “I also saw much intercession aimed at the spine. As the prayers and decrees were hurtling through the atmosphere, they were joined by other intercessory decrees being released, which caused them to pick up speed, power, and authority. As angels saw the rapid movement and increased momentum of this intercessory weapon, they released decrees from past ages that had been held for ‘such a time as this.’ This caused the release of a supernatural synchronization and synergy. “As the decrees picked up speed, momentum, authority, and anointing, demonic sentinels attempted to sound a warning - but to no avail. As the empowered decrees hit regions of misalignment demons were dislodged, strongholds were broken, hiding places of evil were revealed, dens of iniquity were exposed and demonic entities were scattered into the outer regions of darkness. Demon princes who sat on thrones of deception, iniquities, and lies were cast down. The suddenness of the attack caught them off guard. Confusion disrupted and scattered the demonic powers that had ruled. Once they were dislodged from the earth’s atmosphere, they were not allowed back in. “Immediately behind the intercessory missiles were warring angels, on the specific assignment of bringing order and alignment. They engaged in warfare against strong demons of resistance, but the battles were won swiftly because the demons were significantly outnumbered and outmatched. “The last activity of this angelic host was a heavenly chiropractic correction of the earth’s spine. They gathered on both sides of the spine and began to push, empowered by the Ekklesia’s intercession. The spine was enormous and severely twisted, but as they pushed, the creative breath of Holy Spirit blew, bringing alignment and order to the spine.” Scott concludes by saying, “Strategic alignment is now occurring around the globe. The Ekklesia is responding, order will be established and a sustained global awakening will occur - the result of proper spiritual alignment.” Pray with me: Father, we thank You for the sound being released into the spiritual atmosphere of the earth. It is the sound of rain, the sound of angels’ wings, the sound of bones coming together, and the sound of great harvest. We thank You for the great realignment with You that occurred through the Cross. We ask for the power of this to be released throughout the earth in a mighty way. Heal humanity’s crooked and misaligned “spine.” We believe this is happening through the power of Holy Spirit, the prayers of the church, and the work of angelic forces. Send another great Pentecost wind of Holy Spirit to the world. Let it be the greatest and most powerful wind of Your Spirit the earth has ever experienced. We believe this is coming and we agree in prayer now for the manifestation, in Christ’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that Heaven’s healing adjustment is being made to the earth. Millions will be restored to Yahweh. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

Courting God When the disciples questioned Jesus about how to work miracles, His response may surprise you. He said nothing about fasting, intercession, holiness, not even faith - all of which are good and important. They had just watched Him feed 5000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, walk on water, and then cause He and the entire boat of disciples to be translated (see John 6). Not a bad day’s work. “Therefore they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent,’” (John 6:28-29; NASB). Jesus took the answer to their question back to the principle of relationship. In the kingdom of God, everything starts and finishes with relationship. In Luke chapter 10, they had gotten their wish and were now empowered and authorized to work miracles and cast out demons. After their evangelistic crusades, they came back to Him rejoicing that even the demons were subject to them in His name. Jesus did not budge from the principal. “Don’t rejoice because the demons are subject to you,” He said, “rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” In other words, rejoice because you are now a part of Mine and My Father's family. He was not downplaying deliverance and miracles; He was “up-playing” relationship with the Father. Proverbs 3:5-6 is probably the most quoted and well-known passage on guidance from Holy Spirit: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths,” (Proverbs 3:5-6; KJV). The word “ways,” translated from the Hebrew word derek, means literally a “way, road, journey, manner, work.”(1) More often than not, however, it is used metaphorically, referring to the actions and behavior of people.(2) It “has the unusual sense of ‘sexual favors’ in Jeremiah 3:13 and Proverbs 31:3.” Derek is the word chosen for the act of courting in Proverbs 30:19.(3) Imagine that, courting God. Consistent with this relational theme, the word “acknowledge” comes from yada, which is the Old Testament word also used for knowing someone in a very intimate - even physical - way.(4) Adam knew (yada) Eve, and she conceived (see Genesis 4:1). Using these concepts and definitions we could paraphrase Proverbs 3:6, “In all you do, pursue and court God; seek intimacy with Him.” In the “ways” of ministry and life in general, many things are courted: success, advancement, fame, other people, glory, money, favor, and a myriad of other goals we humans strive to reach. Gordon Dahl aptly said, “Most middle-class Americans tend to worship their work, to work at their play, and to play at their worship.”(5) Seeking and loving God with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength is often lost in the melee. As is our source of strength and life. Nothing will cause the flow of God’s life to abate more quickly than this common mistake. We must drink daily from the fountain. Sometimes I feel like the small child in the “Family Circus” cartoon who ran up to his mother exclaiming, “I need a hug, Mommy. I used up the last one.”(6) It doesn’t take long to use up our spiritual hugs. What happens when we pursue God? Courting Him in all of our ways and work (derek) leads to intimacy (yada), which leads to conception. Just as Adam knew Eve physically and she conceived, as we seek and wait on God spiritually, He speaks to us. When He does, the seed of His word (see 1 Peter 1:23) is planted in us, and that which is born from our lives is now of Him. Our visions, plans, methods, ministries, relationships - all can then be born of God, not of ourselves. God isn’t into surrogate revelation - someone else carrying His seed of revelation for us. He wants to sow it into us personally. He wants to breathe His word into our hearts. Insights we receive from others are good and valid, but if that is the only way we receive, we’re living far below our privileges. God is not into artificial insemination regarding His words either - placing His seed in us without a relationship. MP3s, videos, conferences, podcasts, and books are all good but they must not take the place of hearing from God personally and directly. Conferences, where the word of God is flowing wonderfully, can become nothing more than a sterile laboratory of information if we’re not careful. The problem is not receiving teaching through another - this is obviously one of the ways God releases understanding - the problem is when this becomes the primary source of our information. We cannot live only on another person’s revelation. We must hear from God ourselves. And when He speaks to us through someone else, we should still pray and meditate over the information (courting God) until it becomes a personal word of revelation to us. The Church is filled with people trying to walk out someone else’s revelation, vision, ideas, and methods. These things may have worked well for the person sharing them. But each of us must allow Holy Spirit to show us how to apply truth to our personal situations. What is God saying to ME now? must be the question we ask ourselves. The works of God are not produced by methods, they are born of the Spirit! Pray with me: Father, we are very confident of the coming wave of signs, wonders and miracles throughout the earth. You will obviously release this because Your Word clearly says signs follow the preaching of the gospel (Mark 16). But You also clearly said the key to working Your works is believing in Your Son and building a relationship with You. In response, we draw near to You. We worship You. We love You and Your Word. As we do so, we ask You to release signs and wonders. Open blind eyes, heal diseased bodies, deliver those bound and oppressed by demonic entities and beliefs. Send awakening to our churches, our pastors, and believers in general. May blazing fire be released, a raging river of Your passion and Holy Spirit flow, and the former and latter rains of revival fall simultaneously. And we continue to release prayers regarding Ukraine. End this evil, send revival there. Also, send great revival to Russia and all of Europe. Stop Putin and his murderous activities. Also, we continue to decree that the spirit of Baal operating in the Supreme Court of America is losing its hold. We agree now that the spirit of death reigning in America through abortion is being broken. We ask You to influence the Justices regarding the Dobbs case, and we ask for the turning of a Justice from a Saul to a Paul. Deliver them, we pray, in Christ’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that a revival of passion and power is coming to America and the earth. Click on the link below to watch full video. _________________________________ R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr. and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Workbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980), p 196. Ibid., p 197. Ibid., p 198. Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible - New American Standard, p 1720. Rowell, Quotes & Idea Starters for Preaching and Teaching, p 181. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, A Third Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul (Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc., 1996), p 99.

Day 31, Chapter 30: The Price You may have surmised by now that David, the great psalmist, giant slayer, and eventual king of Israel, is one of my favorite Bible characters. I’ve written about him a good bit in this book. Jesus must’ve liked him, also; He accepted the title “Son of David.” David’s ultimate success, in spite of his colossal failures, should bring hope to all of us. The “man after God's heart” also went after another man’s wife, and the famous giant killer also caused the death of a loyal soldier – the woman’s husband – in order to cover the affair. It doesn’t get much worse than that. But forgiveness and cleansing are for sinners, not perfect people, and we all qualify. Someone once said, “The only perfect people are in heaven.” Indeed. I thank God for His amazing grace. I love to sing the song and think often of its writer, John Newton, a former slave trader. It’s hard for me to imagine a more despicable activity than slave trading. But truth and justice finally broke the fog of deception, and after his conversion, Newton would eventually be a significant voice for the abolition of the slave trade. Later, he penned the famous words: Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found, Was blind, but now I see.1 Thank God for His amazing grace - and the song. Some historians actually believe Newton took the melody of “Amazing Grace” from the singing of slaves aboard one of his ships. Whether true or not, the irony that the song sang more than any other in the history of the world was written by a former slave trader is, like the song itself, amazing. But the song could not have carried us to such heights had not the man sunk to such depths. And when all was said and done, the greatness of his sin was no match for the greatness of God’s grace. David would one day need - and find - this grace. But at the time when he became king, David was living a pure life of passion and purity, and he decided that his first order of business would be to move the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. Above the ark was where God’s presence and glory dwelled, and David, lover of God that he was, wanted this right next to the palace so he could make regular visits. He also wanted God’s presence to be the focal point of the nation. Then David consulted with the captains of the thousands and the hundreds, even with every leader. David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is from the Lord our God, let us send everywhere to our kinsmen who remain in all the land of Israel, also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their cities and with pasture lands, that they may meet with us; and let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.” Then all the assembly said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. So David assembled all Israel together, from the Shihor of Egypt even to the entrance of Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim. David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim, which belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, the Lord who is enthroned above the cherubim, where His name is called. They carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio drove the cart. (1 Chronicles 13:1-7) This was quite an undertaking. Samuel’s version of the endeavor says David gathered thirty thousand specially chosen men of Israel to be part of this procession (2 Samuel 6:1). Thirty thousand! He and the entourage were “celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, and lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets and symbols” (v.5). It must have been quite breathtaking. Though David is about to make a serious mistake with the ark, give him credit. The ark and presence of God were important enough to him that he wanted this to be a BIG deal. “After all, this is Yahweh, God Almighty, we’re talking about,” was probably his reasoning. “Nothing is too much or too good for Him. In fact, make a new cart on which to transport it.” And that’s where the problem started. Because the ark was transported on a cart, pulled by oxen, it wasn’t stable. When they hit a rough spot, the cart shifted and it looked like the ark might fall off. One of the drivers, Uzzah, touched it in order to steady it. God killed him. Talk about raining on a parade! The music and dancing stopped, as did the procession. Laughter turned to sorrow, and joy to mourning. A celebration became a funeral. David, uncertain of what to do, put the transporting of the ark on hold, housing it at the home of Obed-edom for three months while he researched what to do next. The problem, David eventually discovered, was the mode of transportation – the new cart. The ark wasn’t supposed to be transported in this manner, but rather carried by poles running through rings on the sides of the ark. This way it was secure and didn’t have to be touched. And though the process would be much more difficult, priests were supposed to carry the ark on their shoulders. The entire process was spelled out clearly in Numbers, the fourth chapter. We are left to wonder what the motivation was behind David’s using a cart. I believe it very likely boiled down to convenience. Carrying the ark on shoulders for ten miles would’ve been hard work. Splinters, sore muscles, chafed shoulders, blisters on the feet – all would’ve been the painful result. The long, hard miles up and down the hills in the desert heat – “let’s just let the oxen do it.“ David learned the hard way that, contrary to human preference, ignorance isn’t bliss, easy doesn’t do it, and it’s not just the thought that counts. The three idiomatic expressions from which I took these statements may be witty, but often they’re simply not true. In fact, they can be deadly. David and his followers discovered that it’s more than the thought that counts. Obedience matters. And they learned that experiencing the Lord’s presence and glory wouldn’t come easy or conveniently. As my friend Damon Thompson once said, “If Christianity was intended to be convenient it wouldn’t have been built on crosses and martyrs.” God’s presence and glory aren’t stumbled onto by happenstance, nor are they found by the casual seeker. They are discovered when sought after, with passion and intentionality. In First Things First, A. Roger Merrill tells of a business consultant who was moving into a new home. He decided to hire a friend of his to landscape the grounds. She had a doctorate in horticulture and was extremely bright and knowledgeable. Because the business consultant was very busy and traveled a lot, he kept emphasizing to her the need to create his garden in a way that would require little or no maintenance on his part. He pointed out the absolute necessity of automatic sprinklers and other labor-saving devices. Finally, she stopped and said, “There’s one thing you need to deal with before we go any further. If there’s no gardener, there’s no garden!” 2 If there are no tired shoulders, there will be no ark. Our world has become obsessed with convenience. Whether it be our food, travel, communication or gardens, we’re determined to live “new cart” lifestyles. The trend has finally made it to the church. We offer many convenient times, styles, and locations. Because we're so busy we offer the condensed and abbreviated versions. Some congregations are now so efficiently convenient they can serve you your weekly God-connection in 45 minutes, less time than it takes to watch your favorite television show: fifteen minutes of worship, fifteen minutes of announcements and fellowship, and a fifteen-minute message. But wait, there’s more. If that doesn’t work for you, you can stay at home and watch the service online. “And by the way, we promise not to mention anything that might convict or sadden you. There will be no sin talked about, no grieving over the lost, and no mention of social or moral injustices such as abortion or human trafficking. We strive to make it quick, easy, and pleasant.” I’m waiting for attendance “indulgences” to be sold: “Throw in an extra twenty bucks this Sunday and stay home with our blessing next week.” I don’t believe our new-cart version of Christianity is God-honoring or biblical. The pleasure of His company is readily available, but it’s not cheap. It will cost you time and effort. God wants intimacy with us, but He isn’t an easy score. He expects marriage and covenant, not one night stands. But I assure you, He is more than worth the price. David and his leaders decided to give it another try – the inconvenient way. “Let’s carry him ourselves, on our shoulders and next to our hearts. It’ll be hard work and will take all day, but having His presence and glory nearby will be worth it.” Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness. And so it was, that when the bearers of the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. And David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouting and the sound of the trumpet. (2 Samuel 6:12-15) In the Chronicles account of this, we’re told that “God was helping the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord” (1 Chronicles 15:26). Isn’t that encouraging, and so typical of God’s heart? When we honor Him by seeking His presence in the appropriate manner, He makes it easier to find Him. Our Father wants our company. For David it had finally happened. The presence-junkie would have unfettered access to the Lord and His glory. He placed the ark in a tent, called simply the “tent [or tabernacle] of David,” and filled it with 24/7 worship. History tells us David himself spent hours at a time lingering inside. The inconvenience of the process had been rewarded by the enjoyment of His presence. Pursuit won. This can be your story, as well. On this side of the cross our hearts are the tent. As unfathomable as it may seem, we are now the Holy of Holies. His presence is always with us and in us. You be the cart also - that’s what He really wants. Carry Him everywhere you go. Reach for Him; He’ll reach back. Make Christ your magnificent obsession, Yahweh your Papa, and Holy Spirit your daily companion. Never again settle for the substandard existence of a life without the pleasure of His company. Pray with me: Father, You are worthy of the highest praise, the most extravagant adoration, and the furthest possible reaches of our love. Jesus, there is nothing we could ever give or do or say that would equate to the great sacrifice You made. You paid the price in full that we might have salvation. And yet, to freely bask in Your glory there is still a price that must be paid. How can we bring to You an offering that costs us nothing? Father, we repent for doing this very thing – trying to access the most exquisite of blessings while limiting You by what is easy or convenient. More than the mere sacrifice of our lips, the sacrifice of our lives is required in order to become the tabernacle of Your glory and Your presence. Today, we purpose in our hearts to give our time and effort toward fueling an intentional, passionate pursuit. Jesus, You are worth it all. We refuse to live without experiencing the great pleasure of Your company. You are our magnificent obsession. What a great journey this has been, Lord! We are confident that as we have done what You instructed us to do, the act of obedience has become an entry point for Your presence and power. Wonders are coming! Breakthroughs are imminent! You, Lord God, are about to explode onto the earth scene. We can’t wait. It’s going to be glorious. ___________________________ Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), pp 257-265. John Newton, “Amazing Grace,” 1779 (lyrics in the public domain). Stephen R. Covey, A. Robert Merrill, Rebecca R. Merrill, First Things First (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995), p 77.