Search the Community

7 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/october-5-2023 October 5, 2023 The Consecration of the Supreme Court A despot is a king or other ruler with absolute, unlimited power. Despotism, then, is absolute power or control; tyranny. With these definitions in mind, consider the following statement from Thomas Jefferson, who said on September 28, 1820: "You seem...to consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions; a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the DESPOTISM of an oligarchy… “Our judges are as honest as other men, and not more so...and their power (is) the more dangerous, as they are in office for life and not responsible, as the other functionaries are, to the elective control…The Constitution has erected no such single tribunal, knowing that to whatever hands confided, with corruptions of time and party, its members would become DESPOTS." (Stated in a letter to William Jarvis, Sept. 28, 1820)(1) Unfortunately, Jefferson’s warning proved to be all too accurate. Sixty-plus years ago, the progressive, liberal left in America decided the best way, possibly the only way, to impose their will on the American people was not at the ballot box or through a legislature; it was through the Supreme Court. The inappropriate belief that the Supreme Court had supreme power over all would allow only five unelected people on the bench to impose and enforce their will over 300,000,000 Americans. Five people. Only five individuals were needed to remove God and His principles from American schools, government, and the public square. They could trample on constitutional rights, make the right to murder babies the law of the land, and overrule the will of the people in 30 states, who agreed with God that marriage was between one man and one woman. No entity or group has allowed more evil into America than the Supreme Court. Despotism, indeed. On June 26, 2015, five Justices decided they had the right to redefine a 6000-year-old definition of marriage - one clearly given by God, mind you, and defining a covenant He instituted! Just let that sink in: five people (two of whom had participated in *** wedding ceremonies, yet refused to recuse themselves), arrogantly granted themselves the “authority” to overrule God…and the American people. The deception and arrogance of this is mind numbing. Regarding this, Justice Alito said: "Today's decision usurps the constitutional right of the people to decide whether to keep or alter the traditional understanding of marriage... “All Americans, whatever they’re thinking on that issue, should worry about what the majority's claim of power portends."(2) The late Justice Scalia said: "I write separately to call attention to this Court's threat to American democracy... Today's decree says that my Ruler, and the Ruler of 320 million Americans coast-to-coast, is a majority of the nine lawyers on the Supreme Court... “This practice of constitutional revision by an unelected committee of nine, always accompanied (as it is today) by extravagant praise of liberty, robs the People of the most important liberty they asserted in the Declaration of Independence and won in the Revolution of 1776 - the freedom to govern themselves…To allow the policy question of same-sex marriage to be considered and resolved by a select, patrician, highly unrepresentative panel of nine is to violate a principle even more fundamental than no taxation without representation: no social transformation without representation."(3) Praying for the Supreme Court On my first visit to the Supreme Court 30 years ago, I heard Holy Spirit say, as clearly as I have ever heard Him speak to me, “Now I am going to show you where the strong man over America lives.” The words “strong man” were taken from the passage of Scripture in Matthew 12:29 and Mark 3:27. This did not mean that all of the Justices were evil, or that the institution itself was evil. It meant that satan had established a stronghold there from which to implement his plans and control our nation. Part of my assignment since that day has been to see the stronghold broken. Many others have been assigned this task, as well, and not just through prayer. Numerous leaders have worked tirelessly to oppose the Court’s control, and to seat appropriate Justices on the bench. Wise Justices have opposed this despotism from the bench itself, as illustrated by the words of Alito and Scalia. I believe we are making significant progress in expelling the strong man. The Dobbs decision, June 24, 2022, is but one indicator of this. Several weeks ago, I was invited to participate in a prayer event in D.C., hosted by Phillip Jauregui and his Judicial Action Group (JAG). The timing was the opening day of the new term of the Court. The purpose was to pray for all nine Justices, doing so with heartfelt love and compassion. The specific phrase used as the goal of our prayers was “Consecrate the Supreme Court.” Mr. Jauregui felt that Holy Spirit gave him this phrase and assignment. The language is unique; I had never before heard this or any similar phrase used in the context of prayer for the Court. My first impression was actually the need to discern whether or not he had truly heard from Holy Spirit. Jauregui also was wisely and humbly seeking counsel from others as to whether or not this was appropriate, something the Lord would lead us to do. I sensed almost immediately and very strongly that it was. I have studied and understand the word “consecrate,” with an awareness of what doing this would indicate. This understanding made the assignment extremely significant to me, and I believe it will for you also. The primary Hebrew word for “consecrate” in Scripture is qadash,(4) also translated as “sanctify.” Another Hebrew word used for consecrate is nazar/nazir.(5) Both Hebrew words have in their primary meaning the concept of separation. Whereas nazar emphasizes more the concept of separation from, as in a Nazarite vow (don’t do or touch certain things), qadash emphasizes separation unto, as in separation unto the Lord. Qadash is the dedication of a person or thing to God and His purposes. In Scripture, many things were separated unto the Lord: people, places, items (in the temple), clothing (of the priests), days, and even events, such as fasts. Typically, when God was about to do something significant in the life of Israel, He told the people to consecrate (qadash) themselves to Him (Exodus 19:10, Joshua 3:5, Joel 2:12-32). In doing so, He was saying, “Come to Me; separate yourselves unto Me; I need for you to draw near, dedicating yourselves to Me…at a heart level.” Yahweh wanted THEM, their hearts, not animal sacrifices. The sacrifices were only to prepare the way for the people to draw near to Him. He wanted a relationship and partnership with them. Re-dedicate the Court I knew that when God said to re-dedicate or consecrate (qadash) the Court to Him, this meant He wanted to do something very significant in this branch of our government. It meant that necessary things had taken place - prayers, repentance, actions, and other influences - that would allow this institution to be re-dedicated to Him, and also to the purposes for which it was established. Obviously, that does not mean the Supreme Court will become a religious institution or be controlled by a religious group. It would mean that God’s intent for institutions of government can now be fulfilled through them. The concept and function of government flow to us from God (Isaiah 33:22), whether in a home, a city, or a nation; and I am confident this is exactly what our Founders intended. They wanted our government to rule “under God”: with His authority and heart, implementing His precepts and laws, ensuring liberty and justice in America. Simply stated, for God to say, “Consecrate the Supreme Court,” would have to mean we have reached a point where He can shift it back into an institution that honors Him; and into one that honors the original intent for which it was established. This does not imply that those on the Court will be perfect, any more than those in ancient Israel who were separated unto the Lord became perfect or sinless. Nor does it mean the change of which I speak will happen immediately. But it does mean we have reached another phase in the process of shifting the Supreme Court. Keep praying, my friend. The “Foreword” is being restored. Pray with me: Father, we in America have taken many of the blessings You gave us and defiled them. Like the prodigal son, we have squandered Your prosperity, using it to satisfy our lusts. We have used our liberties and freedoms to satisfy our flesh. We have distorted and twisted the great Constitution You gave us, turning it into a meaningless piece of paper. And we have abandoned the purpose for which You created America: partnering with You to save the world. Many Americans have repented of these things, and we continue to humble ourselves before You in repentance. We turn our attention today to the Supreme Court of America. Through this institution, we have rejected You, life, the covenant of marriage You established, and more. We have arrogantly ruled against You, and we have paid for this rebellion with the loss of tens of millions of Americans. Today, we repent and ask for Your mercy. The blood of Jesus was sprinkled on a “Mercy Seat,” and we ask for this mercy. We also join our prayers today with the powerful prayers issued just a few nights ago in Washington, D.C., consecrating this Court once again to You. YOU birthed America and our government. YOU instituted all government. We call the Court back under YOUR plans, purposes, precepts, and laws. We dedicate the Supreme Court to YOU and ask that You change all that needs changing. Turn hearts that need turning, and fill this branch of government and its building with Your presence once again. We ask all of this in the holy and all-powerful name of Yeshua. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the Supreme Court of the United States is once again consecrated and dedicated to Almighty God, Creator and Owner of all the earth. ******************* You can learn more about JAG, the Judicial Action Group, by visiting JudicialActionGroup.com. Click on the link below to watch the full video. _____________________________ 1. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-16-02-0234 2. https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/justice-alitos-dissent-ssm-case-ed-whelan/ 3. 4. 5.

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/october-4-2023 October 4, 2023 What About September? Much has been said in the last few months about a shaking coming to America. We have referenced this, as have several prophets. Many of them believe, as do I, that a difficult time is coming to America in order to turn us back to God. This is to save us, not destroy us. I do not know, nor does anyone I have spoken with, what this will be. It could be war, terrorism, a cyber attack, economic/financial, civil unrest, or something to do with our government - I do not know. Today, I want to try and eliminate some confusion regarding the timing of this. The Strategy Prophetic voices I know and trust began hearing from the Lord regarding this shaking in the last half of 2022. They were also hearing of the Lord’s mercy; two of them had visions of angels surrounding the nation, in each state capital, and in Washington, D.C. Earlier this year, at least three prophetic voices admonished me, one of them as far back as April, that we must have a prayer strategy in place by September - in order to protect our nation. They believed God would give me this strategy. None of them prophesied that the shaking would come by September, but rather that the strategy to protect us needed to be in place by then. Some believed it could possibly begin in September or soon thereafter, and that we must prepare, but still emphasized that they did not know the timing. Then, you may recall, the Lord gave Gina Gholston her dream regarding painting the borders, commanding the foreword, and anchoring our states and nation by September. I felt, and still do, that this dream provided much of the strategy. And, the body of Christ responded wonderfully to implement that strategy. Though we cannot stop praying, I am confident the instructions given in the dream to cover America during this season, and begin a great reset, have been fulfilled. Conversations and assumptions about September being the time of shaking began to circulate. I can easily see how this occurred. As information is shared, it takes on different nuances, depending on how it is passed on, and how the many listeners hear and process it. In the minds of many, September became the time of the shaking. And, of course, it is certainly possible that I and others delivering the strategy and warning should have stated more frequently and emphatically that we were not saying the shaking would occur in September. If not doing so created confusion, I regret that. Nevertheless, it is certainly true that September was being given as the timing when the prayer strategy needed to be in place, not of the shaking itself. I especially want to point out in covering Gina Gholston that she was VERY adamant, each time we spoke about the dream, that she was NOT saying the shaking would occur in September. She believed, rather, that the finger of God in the dream, pointing at that month, was indicating we must have the strategies in place by then. Chuck Pierce said essentially the same thing to me: that the strategy had to be in place, never that the shaking - whatever it might be - would occur then. Why September So, why did we need to have this strategy enacted by September? No one I know has been given clear answers regarding this. However, it is encouraging to me that we have finally reached a point in our prophetic discernment that we can be proactive, not reactive. In the past, we haven’t prayed until after national crises occur or demonic strategies are implemented - the day after our 9/11s. It is certainly conceivable, if not likely, that whatever may be coming is already being planned by America’s enemies, be they natural or spiritual. Also, it seems logical that the earlier we pray ahead of any attacks, the more beneficial it will be. The prayers could lessen the severity of what may be planned, or perhaps even stop it. It would not hurt my feelings in the least if America experienced a Ninevah moment - repenting of her sins at such a level that it allowed revival to take place without judgment. I also believe September marked a change of seasons for America. I feel that Rosh Hashanah began a new chapter in what God is doing on the earth, including the process of turning America and bringing revival, and that the timing of our prayers was connected to this shift. No Prayer Is Wasted Any who may be tempted by the thought that time or efforts spent praying were wasted, PLEASE never accept such a ridiculous thought from the enemy of prayer. Every prayer offered for our nation is now in the bowls before the altar of heaven, waiting to be poured out on earth. And America is more connected to our God-given destiny/foreword now than we have been in decades - perhaps generations. Some mistakenly felt our prayers in 2020, asking for the exposure of corruption in America, were wasted. They were not. Though we did not see an immediate turnaround, our prayers are what Holy Spirit has used - and continues to use - to expose the incredible depths of evil that exist in our government. This must be exposed before it can be dealt with. NOT ONE PRAYER HAS BEEN WASTED. I continue to be encouraged by what I see Holy Spirit doing in our nation. I was part of a very strategic prayer gathering just this past Monday night in Washington, D.C., which was very encouraging. I will comment on it soon in a post. The bottom line for all of us is that we must persevere in our prayers for the cleansing of our nation, for the “new wine” revival that is coming, and for the divine reset this will produce. Don’t lose focus, and keep filling the bowls of heaven (Revelation 5:8). Pray with me: Father, once again, we thank You for the army of intercessors and faithful warriors You have raised up here and around the world. Thank you, Holy Spirit for teaching us regarding our partnership with You, our authority, and the power of prayer. We want to be faithful in this regard and, like David, serve Your purpose in our generation. We thank You for speaking to us prophetically, alerting us to the times and seasons. Thank You for the dreams and prophetic words You have given. Give us the wisdom to steward them well, and please encourage Your people that what they have prayed and declared for You has been effective. We must continue these efforts. Now, we declare that new wine is coming. We declare that suddenlies will indeed begin taking place and will occur more and more. What You have planned, but not yet revealed, will unfold. We ask for this. We ask for sudden revivals, sudden miracles, sudden conversions, and for prodigals to suddenly come to their senses. We bind every demonic plan and strategy to stop what You want for us. We declare that the outpouring of Your Holy Spirit will not be stopped; the new wine will flow. Amen. Our decree: We decree that we will not lose our focus in this season; we will persevere in our assignments. *************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video.

4 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/october-3-2023 October 3, 2023 Hello, and thank you for joining me today for Give Him 15. There are some messages that are good for us to hear more than once. Today, you’re going to hear a strategic and very timely message shared by a friend of mine, Dr. Scott Reece. It is handpicked by me, and very encouraging. You will be blessed. Tomorrow, I will be responding to questions regarding the timing of the potential shaking in America. Was it supposed to occur in September? How have our prayers impacted this? We will answer this and other questions tomorrow; don’t miss it. Here is Scott… And Suddenly..! “And suddenly, there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting,” (from Acts 2:2). God was about to change the course of the world! The earth was still resounding from the amazing season of the ministry of Jesus on the earth, and now God was about to populate the entire earth with the sons and daughters of the kingdom, who would carry the message of the king and the kingdom into every stratum of life and every generation right up until this very moment. This suddenly moment was the response to an upper room call. Things would never be the same again. Life would never go back to normal, and the ministry and life of Jesus would be perpetuated throughout the generations because the first-century Ekklesia stepped beyond the boundaries of their comfort zone and stepped into the reality of God’s kingdom being birthed on the earth as it had never been before. I believe that even as it was in the first century and in that small gathering place, when a kingdom assignment was released, the Ekklesia stands at a pivotal moment, and once again, we are being beckoned into upper room moments so that suddenlies can be released in you and through you. You are coming into a “Suddenly Season!” This scripture has been resonating in me for the last several days, and there are many things that God is speaking to me about this, but I have to release this one today… And, Suddenly! The Greek word for suddenly is “Aphanes.” It actually means something that has been hidden and not yet manifest. In other words, your “suddenlies aren’t so suddenly.”(1) Your suddenlies are those moments that have been ordained by God, and are being released at the exact moment that your destiny and purpose demand it. The suddenlies are determined by God, but activated by your faith and obedience. Many suddenlies have been delayed because of disobedience or even sometimes spiritual resistance from the enemy. The disciples of Jesus gathered in obedience in the Upper Room, came into agreement, and began to permeate the atmosphere with worship. Their faith activated the kingdom realm, and the response was a “suddenly” that had been planned for eons of time! The Word of the Lord “I am bringing you into your “Suddenly Season.” The plans and purposes of your life have been carefully and strategically orchestrated. The kingdom administration that will bring alignment to your natural world has been released. “The delays regarding your destiny have been deactivated. I have ordained divine encounters, supernatural moments, prophetic partnerships, breakthroughs, and provision to usher you into this season of your suddenlies. The result will be a breakthrough outpouring of My power and grace that will give birth to a new movement in your life, family, and future. “What you will see and experience in this season will be the manifestation of the dreams, passions, and visions that you have held on to in your heart. The intimate whispers that you have heard in the night from My Spirit are coming into fruition.” ******* I hear the Lord saying, “This is not a season of delay, but delight.” Get your natural house and world in order. Become alert, aware, and attentive to the slightest moves of the anointing and the clouds that hold the rains of your provision. Why is that so important? There is a suddenly mantle that is being released upon this generation. A mantle that has only been experienced up to this point by individuals, but the demand for breakthrough demands a corporate mantle. God is moving upon the entire movements of people who will be connected by the anointing, not by denominational or organizational ties. In these days, organizations will become dimmed by the light of a new anointing that unites instead of divides. The day is at hand. These are not days where the Ekklesia will bow down and surrender, or only a handful will make it. Jesus is establishing His kingdom throughout all the earth! The enemy has control over the carnal kingdom of the world, but the greater kingdom is arising in strength, power, favor, and breakthrough, and it will subdue the kingdoms of this world and its gods. The promise is to the Ekklesia, not to an organization. The church stands united, not under the banner of men, but under the victorious One who righteously reigns supreme and with all authority! Get ready for your suddenlies! Pray with me: Father, today, I come into agreement with those in the Ekklesia who seek Your heart and seek Your face. I come into submission to the plans and the purpose of God for my life, and for what You desire to do in the earth today. I give birth to the will of God on the earth, and I posture myself for the suddenlies that You have ordained for my life. I step into my “suddenly” season with full expectation of the manifestation of the reality of the kingdom in my life, my family, my calling, and my destiny in Jesus' Name! Our decree: We decree that we will step into our suddenlies with authority in a righteous determination to be the voice of the Ekklesia, bringing hope, revival, and restoration in the world today! ************************ Today’s post was contributed by Dr. Scott Reece. You can find out more about Scott here. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ----------------------------------------- James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 852.

8 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/october-2-2023 October 2, 2023 Yota, Please do not merge with Parts 1-4 The New Wine Dream, Part 5 In the last four posts, we have been discussing a powerful dream Holy Spirit gave Dr. Greg Hood. The dream is long, very detailed, and filled with hope. It pictures satan’s plans to thwart God’s intentions for America and God’s recipe for victory over it. Greg and I have been given a package to deliver to Ekklesia leaders, which contains the recipe for this victory. The recipe is for a “new wine” - an outpouring of Holy Spirit - made from a mixing of previous wines - past revivals - spanning five centuries. So far, we have looked at ten of the wines/movements. Today, we will see the 5th and last pour, consisting of the final two wines (making a total of twelve). Then, we will see the results. (See previous posts here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4). And as we have been doing, the portion of the dream I comment on today will be shared at the end of today’s post.) The Final Pour Tim, assigned to place the filters, grabbed another one and said, "This filter seems to be transparent; it will allow what is poured through it to be seen, not hidden. We’ll actually be able to see the wine mixing under the four filters.” Jim said, "This filter is more than a Mamlakah(1) filter; it's an Apostolic Moreh Mamlakah filter. This one is needed in the final stages of the merger so the blend can balance, and the taste of the new wine will have a strength that causes a contagious intoxication." I continue to be surprised at the many words, numbers, and dates - most of them unknown to Greg - given in this dream. Moreh(2) is another. First, as a reminder, mamlakah means “kingdom.” All of the past wines/outpourings were poured through “Kingdom Filters.” Moreh is the Hebrew word for “teacher.” The coming new wine outpouring will need “apostolic, Kingdom-hearted teachers,” allowing it to: be clearly “seen, not hidden.” This new wine will come with revelatory teaching. be “balanced.” Anointed apostolic teachers bring balance, depth, and order, enabling the church to build on a strong and pure foundation of Christ and His Word. possess a “strength that will cause a contagious intoxication.” Many will want this new wine of the Spirit and, as Ephesians 5:18 instructs us, “Be filled with the Spirit.” The Message Translation of this verse is classic: “Don’t drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge drafts of Him.” Incredible..! The Wines I turned to Greg and said, "Hood, you are holding the last two bottles. They are glowing a pure purple color. What are they?” He responded, "One is a Lions Heart 1727 vintage from W. Tennent Log House Vineyard, and the other is an 1806 Thunderbolt from the Haystack Collection. Purple, the color of the wines, symbolizes royalty and authority. This is consistent with the Lion Heart 1727 vintage from Tennent’s Log House Vineyard. Tennent was certainly a lion-hearted leader, and ministered in the First Great Awakening, challenging the clergy and the unbeliever alike. In 1727 he founded the Log College in Warminster, PA. Some have estimated that as many as 60 other schools were spawned from the fruit of Tennent’s Log College! The 1806 Thunderbolt from the Haystack Collection is a humorous reference to the Haystack Prayer Meeting of 1806, which began at Williams College. Occurring during the Second Great Awakening, this prayer meeting launched the modern missions movement, resulting in thousands of missionaries being sent throughout the world. In the summer of 1806, five students from the college met in a grove of trees to pray and discuss the needs of those in other countries. Their meeting was interrupted by a thunderstorm, and the students took shelter under a haystack and continued to pray until the sky cleared. (Thus, the name Haystack Prayer Meeting.) They and other students formed a group called The Brethren, to meet and discuss missions. This ultimately birthed a great missionary movement, that changed the world. Jim informed Greg and me that he and I would make this pour together, one bottle each. Also, he said we would need to pour them simultaneously, just as with the previous pour. These two wines representing the First and Second Great Awakenings, prayer, training, missions, and much more, were poured together into one vat appropriately named the “Kingdom Ekklesia,” which already contained ten other wines/movements. The New Wine Is Released The new wine was ready! Jim referred to it as “a new, present-day, apostolic blend.” Then he added, “This blend has not yet been partaken of in the nation.” We filled the new bottles, which pictures us, the church. Then he said, “The heat of the wine in the bottles will ignite them and transform them into rockets. NOW, Operation Paint the Target - Release Awakening is upon us. EVERYONE TO THE DOOR!” This depiction of the heat/fire in the new wine and bottles pictures the fire of God coming to the Ekklesia through this fresh outpouring of Holy Spirit. We will be launched like rockets, carrying the new wine to targets, releasing awakening. “The battlefield is almost ready for us to launch,” I said. A code from Scripture was decreed in order to open the door. It was Daniel 7:26-27: “But the court will convene for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the empires will serve and obey Him” (NASB). The New Wine Bottle Rockets ignited and launched onto the America-shaped battlefield. Explosions of new wine rained down on the battlefield - it was everywhere! The only exception was the church that earlier in the dream, had turned us away, uninterested in the recipe. Everything else was covered. There was so much of the new wine that it formed a river of wine in America. We all wept. (End of dream) Surely, this is coming. God is even now blending people, movements, and the anointings of past revivals. He is challenging us to allow Holy Spirit’s renewal of our wineskins and the filtering of our movements and congregations. That which is coming, the new wine, will stretch us all. Inflexible wineskins will be incapable of holding this new wine. But those who allow this preparation to occur are about to become part of the greatest outpouring of Holy Spirit in Earth’s history. He has saved the best for last! Pray with me: Father, thank You for giving this incredible dream to Greg Hood. It is so full of healthy reminders, sobering warnings, confirmations, encouragement, prophetic enlightenment, and more. Though we find ourselves on the America-shaped battlefield, we do not fear the bullets; You have given your angels charge over us to keep us in all of our ways. We do not fear the religious spirit that opposes the new, satisfied with yesterday’s wine, rituals, and routines, nor do we despise them. We pray for the eyes of their understanding to be opened, their hearts to become hungry, and their minds to be opened. We thank You for Jesus, our chief cornerstone. We pledge to measure everything we do from Him, and do all things through Him. In Him, we live and move and have our being. We pledge to be a Kingdom Ekklesia, focusing not on our own ministries and success, but on Your great cause and Kingdom. We pledge to submit to the Kingdom filter. And we honor those in Your great cloud of witnesses. We thank them - through You - for their faithfulness, sacrifices, and tireless efforts. We are mindful and thankful for the legacy they gave us, for the “wine” they provided from their movements, a wine from which we drink today. And now, we pray for the completion of the wine-making process. Mix the movements all together, making them one. Add the fire of Holy Spirit, sweeten it with the aroma of worship and prayer, and make it robust and strong. Pour it in the church, ignite us, and send us to the battlefield. We have painted the target, commanded the foreword, and anchored the states. Now, release the awakening, here and around the world. In Christ’s authority, His name, we ask. Amen. Our Decree: We decree that a mighty river of new wine is going to flow in America and the nations of the earth. ************************* You can find out more about Dr. Greg Hood at GregHood.org. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------------------ James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 4467. Ibid, ref. no. 4176. ------------------------------------------- The New Wine Dream, Part 5 - Greg Hood (9/2023) Tim again grabs another filter in his hand; he says, “This filter seems to be transparent, but it’s a filter nonetheless. It will allow what is poured through it to be seen, not hidden. You will be able now to see the wine as you have never before seen it.” Jim said, “This filter is more than a Mamlakah filter; it’s an Apostolic Moreh Mamlakah filter. It’s needed in the final stages of the merger so that the blend can balance and the taste of the new wine will have a strength that will cause a contagious intoxication.” Dutch turned to me (Greg) and said, “Hood, you are holding the last two bottles. They are glowing a pure purple color. What are they.” I said, “One is a Lions Heart 1727 vintage from W. Tennent Log House Vineyard, and the other is a 1806 Thunderbolt from the Haystack Collection. As Dutch was about to instruct me to make my way up the ladder as the others did, Jim interrupted him and said, “Boys, hang on a minute. You both will have to climb the ladder together. Greg, you must take and pour the 1727 Lions Heart from W. Tennent Log House Vineyard, and Dutch will carry the 1806 Thunderbolt from the Haystack Collection. Dutch, you will go up the ladder first, and Greg, you will follow. These bottles must be merged in the vat with the others in the same fashion as the ones Jones poured.” Dutch and I made our way up the ladder, stood at the opening of the vat, and began to merge both bottles of wine into the vat. As we poured through the transparent Moreh Mamlakah filter, Jim excitedly ordered Tim to swing an arm, attached to the vat below, over the new bottles on the table beside the vat. He said, “Timothy, open the spout and let the new wine fill the bottles.” As he said this, we saw three men step out of the cloud of witnesses. We knew these men. Our hearts leaped with great excitement. As we all stood on the 264-inch by 22-inch catwalk, we continued praying, prophesying, decreeing, and praying in the Spirit. The wine flowed into these new bottles. Jim said to us, “Come down quickly. The fermentation process is complete, the bottles are filled, and we must ready them to launch.” He said, “This new blend is a new present-day apostolic blend. This blend has not been partaken of in the nation yet.” He excitedly said, “The heat of the wine in the bottles will ignite them and transform them into rockets. NOW, “Operation Paint the Target - Release Awakening,” is upon us.” Jim commanded, “EVERYONE TO THE DOOR!” We all quickly gathered at the door by which we entered the wine cellar, waiting for it to open to see these now “Bottle Rockets” launched. We stood there for what seemed like forever with great anticipation. Dutch said as he stared at his watch, “Just a few more minutes, folks. The battlefield is almost ready for us to launch.” With a commanding voice, Dutch spoke, “Tim, this door and the New Wine Bottle rockets are voice-activated. You are holding the key. On my count, speak to the door and the New Wine Bottle Rockets. Open the door and release the rockets into their assignment.” Dutch begin to count down, “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2,1, DECLARE!” Tim then begins to declare Daniel 7:26-27. The door to the wine cellar opened, and the New Wine Bottle Rockets ignited and launched onto the raging, America-shaped battlefield. As they traveled to their assignment, we could hear explosions of the New wine beginning to rain down on the nation. We all ran to the top of the staircase back onto the battlefield. We could see the new blend of wine everywhere. The only place that seemed not to be totally covered was the church that wouldn’t let us inside. Everything else on the nation-shaped battlefield appeared to be covered with this new wine blend, so much so that we could see a new river forming in the nation. We all wept. (End of dream)

10 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-29-2023 September 29, 2023 Yota, Please do not merge with Parts 1-3 The New Wine Dream, Part 4 We are continuing to explore a dream given to Dr. Greg Hood. If you have not been able to see the first three segments, they are available for you here (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3). And as we have been doing, the portion of the dream I comment on today will be shared at the end of today’s post. The Second Pour It was now time for the second pour. I called for a black leader, one of my friends, and a spiritual son, to add this wine. “You have two bottles,” I said. “What vintages are they?” He replied, “I have a full-bodied vintage, a 1741 Angry God from the Enfield Winery, and an 1862 from the Bounds Estate.” The first of his two bottles is an obvious reference to the message given by Jonathan Edwards in 1741, Sinners In the Hands of An Angry God. Enfield, Connecticut, the name of the winery in the dream, was one of two places he preached this message, which has typically been considered the catalyst for the First Great Awakening. The emphasis is not on the fact that God was angry, but rather on the great awakening that occurred. I believe the second bottle refers to the great writer on prayer, E. M. Bounds. The date corresponds to shortly after he began his ministry. Bounds’ books on prayer have long been considered classics. The two wines or movements speak of awakening and prayer. One produces the other. We are being told this new wine Holy Spirit is preparing will be fueled by prayer and will result in another great awakening. The two go hand-in-hand. My friend and son also said to me before climbing the ladder to pour the wines, “May I take a spiritual son up with me to merge the wine? I don’t want to do this without one of my sons.” What a great picture of generational synergy. I said yes, of course. As I and others have said many times, this coming revival will involve the young people. They will be greatly impacted and play a significant role. As the wines were poured, we could hear wailing from within the vat. It was not the wailing of torment, but cries from the realization of one’s separation from God, cries of repentance. This was one of the regular occurrences in the First Great Awakening and usually accompanies true revival. Those of us watching this were once again joined by individuals from the cloud of witnesses, and we all began to weep. The Third Pour It was time for the third pour. Tim added another filter over the wine in the vat, and I called for the next person who would pour this wine, a woman. She brought four young ladies with her: a Native American, an Asian, an African American, and a Latino. “You have two bottles,” I said. “What are they?” She replied, “We are merging a 1904 vintage Sweet Rosé from the Roberts Breakout Estate, and an 1857 Riesling from the Fulton Street Estate. The wine from the Fulton Street Estate will add a fantastic aroma to the wine already in the vat.” The first of these two wines refers to the Welsh Revival of 1904-1905, and one of its primary leaders, Evan Roberts. This powerful revival transformed the entire nation of Wales and impacted much of the world, spawning other revivals. It produced thousands of salvations and was also marked with tremendous worship and prayer, sometimes referred to as the Singing Revival. The second wine refers to the Fulton Street revival of prayer in 1857, which led to a wave of prayer and thousands of salvations across America. It was also referred to as the Layman’s Prayer Revival and considered by some as a Third Great Awakening in America. (Others count America’s awakenings differently, not referring to this as a Great Awakening. It was certainly a tremendous revival, however, and transformed our nation.) The symbolism of these two sweet wines, poured by ladies, cannot be missed. It is an obvious reference to the need and importance of involving the ladies. The strengths, gifts, and anointings they carry are needed if we are to experience all God wants to bring in this hour. These two movements in history indeed carried the sweet aroma of worship and prayer. In the dream, the aroma that arose when their wine was added permeated the cellar, our clothing, went through the ceiling onto the battlefield, and into the heavens. This aroma changed the entire atmosphere. Holy Spirit is reaffirming that prayer must be sustained, and will be an integral part of the coming new wine. He is also emphasizing that it will be a movement of worship. After this lady poured these two wines, an older man with a fishing net stepped into the cellar from the cloud of witnesses. He quoted 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (NASB). Greg believes this was the disciple and early church Apostle Peter. I concur and believe this is telling us these two aspects of the new wine - prayer and worship - will be instrumental in producing the coming harvest, symbolized by the fishing net. The Fourth Pour It was now time for the fourth pour. Before this took place, Tim added another filter. Changing his routine, however, before applying this one, he “massaged a generous amount of oil into the filter.” Tim said the oil would “act as a bonding agent” between the filters, but was also needed “because the following wines would be robust.” I found this very interesting as I processed the dream. “Robust” means strong and vigorous; it can even mean rough or boisterous. As we will see when looking at the next three wines in this pour, the movements they represent were indeed very strong and boisterous, sometimes including extraordinary manifestations as Holy Spirit moved. The revivals involved signs and wonders, people falling under the power of God, sometimes even remaining under Holy Spirit’s influence for days. These types of manifestations can be difficult for some people to understand and receive. They will require the “massaging” of Holy Spirit (the oil) to enable some believers to accept - “merge, mix” - with it. I called on the next person to do this fourth pour. “You have three bottles. What are they?" He replied, "I have an 1800 vintage from the Red River Wine Collection; also a vintage from 1801 called The Miracle Manifestation, from the Cane Ridge Vineyard; and a very potent 1915 Vintage from the Seymour's Hidden Face/Bruised Knees Vineyard." These three wines, without doubt, represented the Red River Meeting House revival, the Cane Ridge Revival it birthed, and the Azuza Street Revival. They were indeed potent, powerful, robust revivals involving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, miracles, and much more. The first two birthed the Second Great Awakening, which transformed and saved America. Azusa Street birthed worldwide revival that, in some ways, has never stopped. I told the brother, "You must pour all three of these bottles simultaneously, not separately. As you do, they will create a fire within the vat that will become fuel for this Kingdom Apostolic Blend. Without it, this wine will become just another favorite fad of those who drink it.” As he poured these three vintages simultaneously into the vat, we could hear the swirling of a great fire being created. The vat began to illuminate with a fiery, hot glow and released a groaning like it was about to explode. It then began expanding and contracting, as if it were breathing! The new wine was almost ready. On Monday, we will see the final pour and the results of this new wine. Pray with me: Father, we are excited about the “new wine” You are making. This merging of past revivals and outpourings of Holy Spirit will be unlike any the world has seen. Worship, prayer, salvations, deliverances, miracles, awakening and reformation, a blending of age groups, genders, and races - all of this and more will be a part of this blend. You told us in Zachariah 10:1 that when it is time for spiritual rain, we must ask You for it. We do so now: Please send this outpouring of rain! Give us the new wine! It is the recipe for the saving of America and producing the harvest of the ages. We want this, we need this, and we will have it. We want to prepare our wineskins now to receive this new wine. We ask You for great grace to become more flexible and open to change. We welcome the Kingdom filter Holy Spirit will use to remove what is necessary from our hearts and movements. We want all that You desire to bring, and we want it to be undefiled. All of this we ask You for in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We declare that the new wine being prepared by Holy Spirit will save America and impact the entire world! ******************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. ---------------------------------------------- The New Wine Dream, Part 4 - Greg Hood (9/2023) Tim pulled another filter from an old wooden box beside the machine/vat. He did not remove the old filter but laid the new filter on top of the used one. As he placed the filter over the used one, I could see that the mechanism that held the filter had the same scripture inscribed on it as the box that held the recipe, Romans 5:17. Dutch then turned to us and said, “James, son, it’s your turn. You have two bottles. What vintages are they?” He responded, “I have a full-bodied vintage. It’s a 1741 Angry God from the Enfield Winery and an 1862 from the Bounds Estate. It says on the bottle that it is made from honey.” Dutch said with amazement, “Go on up! Climb the ladder and merge your bottles of wine with the others.” As he started to make his way up to the platform/catwalk of sorts, he looked at Dutch with tears in his eyes and asked, “May I bring a son with me to merge the wine? I can’t do this without a son.” Dutch replied, “Of course! That’s the way it’s supposed to be, son.” A young man suddenly appeared by James’ side. They made their way up the ladder and poured into the vat from the wine bottles James held. As he did this, we could hear wailing from the vat. It was not a cry like someone being tormented, but rather the cry from a realization of one’s separation from God, a cry of repentance. We then saw two men and two women stepping out from the cloud of witnesses. They were laughing with great joy as they heard the wailing come from the vat. This moved all of us, as well. We felt a soberness come over us, and we all began to weep. Tim did as before, pulling a filter from the old wooden box that held the new Mamlakah filters; he overlaid the new one on top of the previous two. Dutch turned around to those of us still standing at the base of the vat with him. He looked at us, as if discerning who was to ascend the ladder next. Then he looked back down at the recipe. Jim, as he was deciphering the next steps of the recipe, spoke softly to Dutch so no one could hear, “Susan, the recipe says Susan is next.” Dutch quickly turned back to us and said, “Susan, you are the next one to merge these historic apostolic vintages. She stepped up, and four young women appeared with her as she did. They appeared to be in their late teens and young twenties. There was a Native American, an Asian, a Black, and a Latino. Susan said, “We are ready. This has been a long time coming.” Dutch said, “You have two bottles. What are they?” She replied, “We are merging a 1904 vintage Sweet Rosé from the Roberts Breakout Estate and an 1857 Riesling from the Fulton Street Estate. The wine from the Fulton Street Estate will add a fantastic aroma to the wine already in the vat.” They made their way up the ladder to the platform and poured their bottles into the vat, merging them with the others. As they did this, we could see the aroma emerging upward from the vat, through the ceiling of the wine cellar, out to the battlefield above and beyond to the heavens. The sweetness of the aroma was so intense that it marked the garments we were wearing. We knew this aroma would not wash out or wash off us. This changed the entire atmosphere of the wine cellar. After blending their wine with the other wines in the vat, they took their place with those at the top of the platform with the others. An older man with a fishing net in his hand stepped from the cloud of witnesses and spoke to us. He quoted 1 Corinthians 15:58. (I think this was the apostle Peter.) Tim again reached and took another filter from the wooden box. He also picked up a bottle of oil beside the box. As he gently massaged a generous amount of the oil into the filter, Tim said that this oil was to be applied to the next filter to act as a bonding agent between the previous filters and the other ones to come. The next merging would need this oil because the following wines would be robust. He said the oil was also necessary so the filters retained their original purpose in filtering. Now, at this juncture, we knew that the recipe had been fully decoded, and wisdom was present in the room to complete the recipe. Dutch called out, “Jones, you have three bottles. What are they?” Jones replied, “I have an 1800 vintage from the Red River Wine Collection, a vintage from 1801 called The Miracle Manifestation from the Cane Ridge Vineyard, and a very potent 1915 Vintage from the Seymour’s Hidden Face - Bruised Knees Vineyard.” Dutch told him, “You must pour all three of these bottles simultaneously. Don’t pour them separately. As they are poured simultaneously, it will create a fire within the vat. It will become fuel for this Kingdom Apostolic Blend. Without it, this wine will become another favorite fad of those who drink it. Bring your bottles of wine and make your way up the ladder.” Jones did so, and as he poured these three vintages into the vat, we could hear the swirling of a great fire being created. The vat began to illuminate with a fiery, hot glow. The vat itself began to release a groaning like it wanted to explode. It then began to expand and contract as if it were breathing. Jones made his way along beside those who were standing on the platform. Those on the platform were not just standing by watching; they were praying, prophesying, decreeing, and praying in the Spirit. -----------------------------------

8 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-28-2023 September 28, 2023 Yota, Please do not merge with Parts 1 & 2 The New Wine Dream, Part 3 We have been looking at an amazing dream Holy Spirit gave Dr. Greg Hood a couple of months ago. It is a long dream, too long to read in one post, and filled with great detail. If you did not see the first two posts, you may want to take a look at them for the sake of context and continuity (Part 1 and Part 2). As with the first two posts, I will include the portion of the dream I discuss today at the end of the post. The dream is about the battle for America’s future. Her salvation will come through a new spiritual wine, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Greg and I have brought the recipe for this wine to a wine cellar, and the production is about to begin. The New Portion New bottles were lined up on the table next to the vat, ready to receive the new wine. Jim (Hodges) instructed me to help him decipher the recipe, and for Greg and Tim to “help the others get their wines ready to merge.” Merge? What did this mean? What were the “other” wines? Greg and Tim walked into an adjoining room of the cellar and discovered several people pulling old bottles of wine from old dusty shelves. Tim spoke up and said to those in the room, "Is everyone ready? Do you have your bottles? The recipe is here, and we must start fulfilling it immediately. Time is of the essence." Tim reached and also picked up some old bottles from the top shelf. Greg took some as well, and they returned to the room with the vat. There would, indeed, be a merging of old wines in order to create the new. The new wine would not be created from new grapes, but would be a blending of old wines - past moves of the Spirit. This “new” wine would truly be a synergy of the ages. As they re-entered the room, I said, "We must get this right. Everyone get ready to pour.” Jim told us, "According to the recipe, we must blend these in a certain fashion." He was calibrating the vat machine to receive the wine we were going to bottle. He then told Dutch, "I have been working on the vat for decades. I can't believe we will use it in my day." With excitement in his voice, he exclaimed, "It's ready! Let the blending begin!" Reaching down, he picked up a gold plate from the floor, and reattached it to the vat. Inscribed on the plate were the words, "Basileus Ekklesia." Basileus is the Greek word for, “kingdom; the domain or realm of a king.”(1) Ekklesia is the Greek word translated “church,”(2) which actually refers to a governing body. A “kingdom ekklesia,” therefore, would be those with legislative authority, delegated to them from a king, in order to rule a territory for him. In our case, the King is Jesus, His realm is EVERYWHERE, and our assigned region is Earth. It is significant that the nameplate of this vat had fallen off, but was being reattached. The meaning of the name is clear: what is about to be produced by Holy Spirit will be for those who honor their calling as members of Christ’s Kingdom Ekklesia. These individuals understand their delegated authority (Ekklesia) and are Kingdom minded in their motives and approach. Those with Kingdom hearts don’t focus only on their own ministries, works, and congregations. They’re Kingdom focused, not ministry or congregation focused, and therefore don’t compete to build the biggest ministry or fastest growing sheep pen in town. The size and scope of their ministry isn’t the issue. Kingdom minded believers simply want to release Christ’s life and rule into the earth, and couldn’t care less who gets the credit or attention. The Filter Jim spoke to Tim and said, "Give your bottles to Greg and stay by me. You must add a new Mamlakah Filter over the vat every time someone pours a new blend of wine into it."(3) Tim positioned himself accordingly and placed a large filter over the top of the vat. Just as the Greek word basileus, mamlakah is the Hebrew word for a kingdom. All of the old wines being poured into the mix had to be filtered through “the Kingdom.” Nothing of man would be allowed - no impure motives, no flesh, nothing that could defile it. Humans are human, and all of us mix our own opinions, beliefs, methods, systems, traditions, doctrines, preferences, etc., into revivals and outpourings of Holy Spirit - ALL OF US. These human elements would be filtered out of the mix, using a new Mamlakah Filter for each pouring of old wine. One final thing needed to be done before the merging of the wines could take place. The recipe instructed us to build a platform, a catwalk of sorts, all the way around the top of the vat; this was for individuals to stand on while pouring. Also, after each one poured their wine, they were to remain on the catwalk praying, decreeing, and prophesying while the next person poured. Tim explained this, “It is crucial that everyone remains at the top of the vat after pouring the wine, to ensure that each vintage blends well, creating the proper synergy.” The Platform The platform was 22 inches wide and 264 inches in circumference. Strong’s Hebrew word number 264 is achavah, meaning “brotherhood,”(4) obviously implying family, unity, equality, unselfishness, and commonality of purpose. No competition, jockeying for position, or personal ambition would be allowed; no pouring of one’s wine and then leaving. This was all for one and one for all. Number 22 in Strong’s is the word abiel, meaning “God is my father.”(5) This relationship with the Father created and defined the brotherhood. I turned to those in the cellar and said, "This will move quickly! Let's try not to spill any of it. We must steward this bottling process well. Line up. It's time to pour.” There would be 5 different pours of old wine (past revivals), some involving 2 bottles, others 3; 12 bottles in all. I called for the first person, “Smith, you have three bottles. What are they?” (I am not using the real names of these individuals.) The First Pour Smith replied, “I have fortified wine. They are a 1457 from the Hus Vineyard, a Martin 95, and a 1729 from the Holy Club Vineyard.” I said with anxious nervousness, "Climb the ladder and pour them in the vat." As he poured them into the vat, four men stepped from the cloud of witnesses. We could see tears in their eyes and a massive smile that held a look of great expectation. Then we heard movement in the vat - it seemed to be coming alive! The 1457 from the Hus Vineyard represents John Hus, a forerunner of reformation. Ultimately burned at the stake by the Catholic Church, his influence birthed the Moravians in 1457. The Moravians were famous for several things, not the least of which were prayer and missions. They were followed by Martin Luther and the Great Reformation. Luther was famous for his 95 Theses in 1517, thus the Martin 95 wine. The 1729 from the Holy Club Vineyard, refers to John and Charles Wesley. In 1729, they, along with others, including George Whitefield, formed what was dubbed by others as “the Holy Club” at Christ Church, Oxford. This ultimately led to the forming of the Methodist Church and was instrumental in producing the First Great Awakening. These three movements radically altered and transformed the religious world, ultimately producing revival throughout Europe and America. Hus, Luther, and the Wesley brothers were no doubt the four from the cloud of witnesses who appeared with tears in their eyes as they saw their “wine” poured into the vat…and watched it come alive. Pray with me: Father, we are part of the “God is my father,” brotherhood. All equal, joined by the same bloodline, united in the same cause. We are Your Kingdom Ekklesia. We thank You for those in the family like Jim and Jean Hodges, who have worked for many years to produce this Kingdom “vat” for the new wine. Thank You for their selfless hearts and the wisdom they provide. We need them to decipher the recipe. We also thank You for those in the cloud of witnesses. They have sacrificed much for You and the brotherhood. Without their efforts we would not be where we are. We pledge that they will not have lived and died in vain. We will grab the baton, creating the synergy of the ages, and keep moving toward the finish line. Through this synergy, we ask You for a multiplying of what they had. Filter it through Your Kingdom filter - create the best wine ever! Give to the youth around the world fresh wine, filled with Your life, energized with purpose. Give the nations of the earth new wine, infused with healing, salvation, and transforming power. Give America restorative wine, and give the church rejuvenating wine. You said the “recipe” for America’s salvation would be in the box marked “revival.” Send it now, we pray, in Yeshua’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the best wine, a synergistic Kingdom blend, is now being mixed. ***************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------------------------------------ James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 935. Ibid, ref no. 1577. Ibid, ref no. 4467. Ibid, ref no. 264. Ibid, ref no. 22. _____________________________________________________________ The New Wine Dream, Part 3 - Greg Hood (9/2023) Tim replied, “I have placed all the new bottles on the table, and they are ready to receive the new wine.” Jim said, “Dutch, you help me decipher this recipe. Greg, you and Tim help the others get their wine ready to merge.” Tim and I walked to an opening in the cellar that led into another room. Inside were several people pulling bottles of wine from shelves. The shelves were old, like the bottles that sat upon them, even covered in cobwebs in some places. Some looked newer, even though we knew they had not been opened in a long while. Tim spoke up and said to everyone in the room, “Is everyone ready? Do you have your bottles? The recipe is here, and we must start fulfilling it immediately. Time is of the essence.” Tim reached and picked up some bottles from the top shelf. I took some, and we returned to the room where the machine/vat was. As we entered the room, Dutch said, “We must get this right. Everyone get ready to pour.” Jim told us, “According to the recipe, we must blend these in a certain fashion.” He was calibrating the vat machine to receive the wine we were going to bottle. He told Dutch, “I have been working on the vat for decades. I can’t believe we will use it in my day.” With excitement in his voice, he said, “It’s ready! Let the blending begin!” He reached down, picked up a gold plate from the floor, and reattached it to the vat. Inscribed on the plate were the words “Basileus Ekklesia.” He spoke to Tim and said, “Give your bottles to Greg and come and stay by me. You must add a new ‘Mamlakah’ filter into the vat every time someone pours a new blend of wine into it.” Tim positioned himself and placed a large filter over the top of the vat. Dutch turned to those of us standing with him in the cellar and said, “This will move quickly! Let’s try not to spill any of it. We must steward this bottling process well.” He went on to say, “Line up. It’s time to pour. Smith, you have three bottles. What are they?” Smith replied, “I have fortified wine. They are a 1457 from the Hus Vineyard, a Martin 95 and a 1729 from the Holy Club Vineyard.” Dutch said with anxious nervousness, “Smith, climb on the ladder and pour them in the vat.” As he poured them into the vat, we saw four men step from the cloud of witnesses. We could see tears in their eyes and a massive smile that held a look of great expectation. We could now hear movement in the vat. It seemed to be coming alive. (More to Come)

8 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-27-2023 September 27, 2023 Yota, Please do not merge with Part 1 The New Wine Dream (Part 2) Yesterday we began looking at a dream Holy Spirit gave Greg Hood a couple of months ago. It is a long dream, too long to read here, and filled with great detail. If you did not see yesterday’s post, you may want to take a look at it for the sake of continuity. As with yesterday's post, I will not read the dream but will include the portion I discuss today at the end of the post. As a brief review, Greg and I were running on a battlefield in the shape of America, being fired at from many directions. An angel was sent to help and protect us. We were carrying the “recipe” for winning the war for America’s survival, trying to get it to the right people. We sought protection and help from a church, which refused us. We then decided to take the recipe to an old well on the church property, Oinos Well House, if we could find it. The angel knew where it was and led us to it. And that’s where we stopped. Today’s Portion As I stated yesterday, oinos(1) is the Greek word for wine. We were searching for the “Wine” Well House and found it on the “corner” of the church property. As we dug where the angel directed us, we came to the stone cover for this well; it had the numbers 5850 and 6438 on the top. The first number is the Hebrew word for “crown” (atarah)(2), and the second is the word for a “cornerstone” (pinnah)(3). This is obviously a reference to Christ, the “chief cornerstone” of the church (Psalm 118:22; Luke 20:17; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6-7). He is the entrance, the door! (John 10:9). The stone cover did not actually “open”; speaking a code caused it to transform into a substance we could pass through. Clearly, this pictures us having to go “through Christ” to find safety and the recipe for victory. The code we declared in order to go through Christ was John 17:13-19, a portion of His powerful prayer for the church just before His crucifixion. “But now I am coming to You, and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them away from the evil one. Just as You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. And for their sakes, I sanctify Myself, so that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.” (NASB) As we prepared to enter the cellar, the angel told us to hurry. “Time is very short,” he said, “and the Ekklesia must get this right.” This was certainly not to create panic in us, nor to generate fear that we may fail in this season. It was to let us know that the sense of urgency and sobriety we have been feeling is accurate. We are warring for the soul of America and the harvest of the ages! When we arrived in the room, the “well” was actually a wine cellar, as the name indicated; an old wine cellar with an ancient table and a large, empty vat. On the table were “new” bottles, waiting to be filled. Could it be that the recipe for victory was actually for wine? Would the battle for America be won with wine? Two individuals were removing the cover from the vat. One was my spiritual father, Jim Hodges; the other was my brother, Tim Sheets. They had been waiting for us to arrive with “the recipe.” Tim’s comment to me when we arrived let me know for certain this was a dream from Holy Spirit! I could actually hear him saying it when Greg related the dream to me. “What took you so long?” he said. “Do you have the recipe?” Hilarious! The Box Greg pulled a box containing the recipe from our backpack. Two words, “mishpat” and “anapsuxis,” along with a Scripture reference, Romans 5:17, were on the lid of the box: Mishpat(4) means “a verdict or sentence.”(5) God’s “verdict” was in the box. This immediately reminded me of Gina Gholston’s dream in which the angel of the Lord announced that “America shall be saved.” In her dream, that announcement was preceded by, “The verdict has been rendered!” The “recipe” for producing this “verdict” of salvation was in the box! The second word, “anapsuxis,” is translated as “refreshing”(6) in Acts 3:19: “Times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” An expanded and literal definition of this word would be “the blowing of breath or wind again intensely” (my definition). This verse was spoken by Peter after the healing of the lame man in Acts chapter 3, resulting in 5000 conversions. It speaks of revival. This is also the verse from a vision God gave me several years ago, showing the great revival coming to America, beginning with young people. In this vision, the fires of revival swept across America, especially on the campuses of colleges and universities. It was intense and unstoppable. The “recipe” that will produce the “verdict” - America’s salvation - will be anapsuxis - God’s breath/wind of revival blowing again! The verse on the lid, Romans 5:17, says: “For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (NASB). Abundant grace and the gift of righteousness through Christ is the recipe! Apostolic Wisdom My spiritual father, Jim Hodges, pictures seasoned apostolic wisdom. He took the parchment out of the box and said, “Gentlemen, we have a recipe.” Jim oversaw the mixing of this recipe. Tim, Greg, others, and I assisted him. The coming revival that saves America must be led by apostolic wisdom. This will cause it to produce Kingdom principles and influence, not just large churches. The revival will impact not only the church, but all seven mountains of society: Religion, government, media, education, arts and entertainment, business, and family. The coming revival will not only produce salvations; it will disciple nations. New Wineskins “New” wine bottles were on the table, ready to receive this “new wine.” When Jesus spoke of putting new wine into new bottles (Luke 5:37-38), He actually used two different Greek words for “new.” The new wine is neos, meaning “fresh, quantitatively new.”(7) In other words, it is simply a new or fresh outpouring of Holy Spirit. The new bottles in Christ’s example, however, are kainos (8) bottles, meaning “qualitatively new; different.” The “bottles” used in Christ’s day were actually wineskins. When empty, the leather dried out and hardened, becoming inflexible. The wineskins then had to be put through a renewing process to soften them. If not, they would break during the stretching caused by the fermenting of the new wine. Simply stated, Holy Spirit is poured out repeatedly, but He does not change; we, however, must be changed or renewed between outpourings, in order to receive Holy Spirit’s new wine. Those who reject this process, remaining rigid in the shapes and forms (ways, methods, fruit, etc.) of what Holy Spirit poured out in the last revival, cannot receive the next outpouring. Usually, they don’t even want it. Like the church on this property in the dream, they have no interest in the new “recipe”; the former outpouring was enough. We must prepare ourselves for what is coming. Ask Holy Spirit to do so by making you pliable and flexible. The new wine will stretch all of us. Tomorrow we will begin looking at the details of the recipe. They are amazing. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for Christ, our cornerstone. He is the foundation and measuring point for all that You do. Everything must align with Him. Every outpouring of Your Spirit, every gift You give, each time You show mercy - it all flows through Christ. Of Him, to Him, and through Him are all things. He is the “code,” the Word we speak, that allows us to find the recipe for salvation. We ask You now for a fresh outpouring of Your grace, enabling us to receive Your new wine. We thank You, Jesus, for Your verdict that America shall be saved through a great revival. We ask now for the new wine, the wind, Your breath that will produce this. Let the winds of revival blow. Let the fire burn. Come to the youth of America, the campuses and schools, with holy fire. Let it go from here to the nations. And then cause this revival to invade the entirety of our culture and society. Invade our government, media, businesses, and families. Reset America! We pray this in Yeshua’s name. Amen. Our decree: We declare that the verdict has been rendered: America shall be saved through the new wine! ********************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. ---------------------------------------------------- James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 3631. Ibid, ref no. 5850. Ibid, ref no. 6438. Ibid, ref no. 4941. Spiros Zodhiates, The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1990), p. 1746. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref no. 403. Ibid, ref no. 3501. Ibid, ref no. 2537. ----------------------------------------------------- The New Wine Dream, Part 2 - Greg Hood (9/2023) Greg replied, “There is a hidden Oinos Well House on the property. When we locate it, we can secure the recipe there.” The angel with us said, “Follow me.” He took us to the northeast corner of the property and said, “Start digging here. The top of the well is just under the surface.” We began to dig in the dirt with our hands, and just under the surface found a bright stone. Stamped on the top was, “5850,” and under that was stamped “6438.” The angel then said to Dutch, “Declare the Stone Code. He knows your voice and will respond.” Dutch then declared the Stone Code from John 17:13-19, and as he did, the stone began transforming from its solid form into a translucent substance that we could pass through. As we looked through the now transparent stone, we saw a staircase spiraling down into a large room. The angel said to us, “Make haste! Move! Time is very short, and the Ekklesia must get this right.” Without hesitation, we made our way down the spiral staircase into this room. Arriving in the room, we knew we were standing in an old wine cellar. A large lab-type table, made of ancient wood, was in the middle of the room. Many new-looking wine bottles, needing to be filled and corked, were lined up on this table. Next to the table, on a large elevated platform, was a large machine we knew was an empty vat. Dutch noticed two men on the other side of the machine, one on a ladder and the other standing, holding the ladder to give it stability. The man standing on the ladder was removing the top of the machine/vat. Dutch asked, “Dad, Jim, is that you? Tim, is that you?” We heard Jim Hodges’ voice from the other side of the vat, replying, “Yes, son, it’s me. Tim, Dutch’s brother, said, “What took you so long, and do you have the recipe?” Dutch replied, “Well, yes, we do!” He looked at me in the dream and said, “Hood, give me the recipe.” I reached into a backpack I was wearing and pulled out a wooden box. This box contained the recipe. As I handed the box to Dutch, I could see the words “mishpat” and “anapsuxis” written on the top. It also had the Scripture Romans 5:17 written on it. Dutch received the box, opened it, and pulled out what looked like old, rolled-up parchment paper. He handed it to Jim, who rolled it out on the table, and began looking at it intently. Jim then said, “Gentlemen, we have a recipe.”

9 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-26-2023 September 26, 2023 The New Wine Dream, Part 1 Today I want to start unpacking a dream Holy Spirit gave to Dr. Greg Hood a couple of months ago. It is an incredibly detailed and very long dream. I spoke on the dream recently at Chuck Pierce’s conference, but I will cover more details here on the GH15 posts. I will not read the dream - it is simply too long - but will include/attach the portion I cover each day at the end of the posts. The dream is about spiritual new wine being prepared, followed by the wine being poured out. It begins with Greg and me running on a battlefield, which was in the shape of the United States. The battle taking place was very intense. We were not running out of fear, but to deliver something that, at this point in the dream, was simply described as “very precious” and that needed to be “activated.” He and I were being fired at by enemies, both natural and spiritual, and an angel appeared to help us. With a wave of his hand, he created a trench deep enough to provide protection as we ran. He also stayed with us for the remainder of the dream. The first enemy specifically identified was a group of men dressed like pharaohs, pursuing us in the trench. I was told by Greg to simply decree that the sides of the trench would fall in on them, destroying them. I made this decree, and the cave-in occurred, destroying these enemies. The similarity of this to the account of Moses, Pharaoh, and the Red Sea crossing is obvious. I believe the pharaohs represent Baal-zephon, the god/spirit Pharaoh was expecting to deliver Israel into his hand (Exodus 14). In the dream, our victory was quick and decisive, just as it was for Israel. I feel that this portion of the dream is telling us we have established victory over Baal’s stronghold in America, yet this victory must be maintained. The angel, Greg, and I continued running toward a large building inside a walled compound, which had very faint light coming from it. The building was not being fired upon and seemed to offer a place of protection. Upon arriving, we went through a tunnel under the wall and, once inside the compound, discovered it was a church with its windows painted black, in order to hide from the battle. The small amount of light we had seen was coming through tiny scratches in the paint, allowing a small amount of light to trickle out. We knocked and said, “Open the door! Let us in! We have the recipe for winning this battle.” The contents of the “precious” package we were carrying was the recipe to winning this battle. Yet, surprisingly, the church wasn’t interested. Without opening the door, someone from inside shouted, “Go away! There is no room in here for you! Go before you put us all in danger!! You are not welcome here!!!” This no doubt refers to the portion of the American church refusing to enter the spiritual battle for revival and the saving of our nation. Being offered the opportunity to join us, they refused, preferring to remain quietly hidden rather than challenging those trying to destroy the nation. Safe behind the walls, their primary concern was survival, not the recipe for victory. Their light was dim, and they had only criticism for those who had chosen to enter this spiritual war; we were not welcome there. These Christians were like the Austrian people of Hitler’s day who refused to challenge him, voting 98% to 2% to join the Third Reich, believing appeasement toward tyrants and corrupt leaders would work. Hitler said of them, “How fortunate for us that the people choose to remain ignorant.”(1) Like the British politician, Neville Chamberlain, who “served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940,” these Christians just wanted to get along. Chamberlain is “best known for his foreign policy of appeasement, and in particular, for his signing of the Munich Agreement on 30 September 1938, ceding the German-speaking Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler.”(2) Many Americans, including Christians, believe if we’re nice and kind, the bad guys will change or just go away. They will not. They want to destroy the America we have been, and then rule over us. The danger of complacency is that it’s a subtle and gradual killer, allowing us to sleep through the change and carnage until it’s too late. If a 9/11 occurred in America again, our nation would arise in anger and be willing to fight. But over 30 of them occur EVERY YEAR in the form of illegal drugs being brought across our open borders, killing over 100,000 Americans! How fortunate for the cartels, traffickers, and lying politicians that many Americans choose to remain ignorant. In the dream, those inside the church grabbed a can of spray paint and covered the scratches. At this point in the dream, I asked Greg, “Where to now? We must protect this recipe! It has taken too long to recover it. We can’t lose it now!” I find this statement very gripping. The recipe had taken a long time to recover, and we knew we absolutely must not lose it now! The desperation and intensity of the words are clear and impactful. God is telling us we must persevere; we must NOT lose this battle! Greg replied, “There is a hidden Oinos Well House on the property. When we locate it, we can secure the recipe there.” Oinos is the Greek word for “wine.”(3) It is interesting that Greg, in his natural mind, did not know this; he simply remembered the name he had spoken in the dream, along with numerous other names, dates, Scripture references, Greek and Hebrew words, etc. I asked him recently if it was difficult to remember all of these numbers, names, dates, etc., when he awakened. He told me that when he wakes up from a dream such as this, the details are indelibly printed in his mind, and he can see/recall every name, date, number, etc., as clearly as if it were in print. The Oinos/Wine Well House was “hidden.” I find it interesting that it was still on the church property, buried and hidden from sight, but theirs to find had they so desired. The angel knew where it was and said, “Follow me.” Taking us to the northeast corner of the property, he said, “Start digging here. The top of the well is just under the surface.” The well, though hidden, was not deep; it was just below the surface and covered by a stone. We had to get on our hands and knees, digging with only our hands, but were able to find the stone cover; it had two numbers stamped on it, and could only be opened by declaring a code. And that’s where I will pick up this amazing dream tomorrow. Pray with me: Father, we certainly find ourselves on a battlefield shaped like America. The war for the soul of our nation rages on. Yet You have won the war in the spirit realm, and we will experience the full manifestation of this victory. Though bullets fly around us and Baal attempts to ambush us, You and Your Angel armies protect us. Though many in America choose to appease our enemies, and many in the church refuse to get involved, You are determined to guard the recipe for our recovery. We thank You. We pray for an awakening in our nation, including the church. It is only by Your grace that any of us can see through the fog of war, and none of us do so perfectly. We thank You that this awakening is beginning, with more and more Americans seeing what is truly happening. As You showed us in this dream, the recipe to win the battle for America is in the hands of the church. We ask for grace and help to find the well and not lose the recipe. Thank You for the beginnings of revival we now see taking place, especially among the campuses of America. Yet, as the old hymn says, “Mercy drops ‘round us are falling, but for the showers we plead.”(4) We know a deluge is coming, and we ask for this, along with the shaking down of the evil that has entrenched itself in key positions of our nation. We pray, once again, “Send the fire.” Our decree: We declare that we will persevere on the battlefield of America until the new wine is poured out, and the river of life flows abundantly. ******************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Simpson, Douglas, Looking for America, (Whole Person Associates Publishing, 2012), p. 40. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neville_Chamberlain James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 3631. https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/260 ----------------------------------------------------------------- The New Wine Dream, Part 1 - Greg Hood (9/2023) The dream started with Dutch and me (Greg) running through a place called “No Man’s Land” on a raging war zone/battlefield. This battlefield was in the shape of the United States, and we knew we were running through the hill country of Texas. We also knew that the place we were running TO was the hill country of Franklin, Tennessee. There was enemy fire all around us, from both the seen (natural) and unseen (spiritual) realms. As we ran, we could see the bullets fired from the enemy’s weapons flying by us, some barely missing us. As artillery exploded around us, we could smell the gunpowder and smoke from the battlefield. This scene was very intense. There was no sense that we would die, but we wondered if we would make it without losing some body parts. As we ran, we could see a building with very dim light shining through minor scratches in spray-painted, blacked-out windows. Continuing to run through enemy fire towards this light, we realized we were also running INTO “friendly” fire. As we ran with all our might, a man came out of nowhere, running beside us. He was running effortlessly compared to Dutch and me. Pushing slightly ahead of us, he said, “Where do you want to go?” Dutch replied, “To the building with the small light. It looks safer than here. We are carrying something very precious that we have to activate.” Hearing Dutch’s words, he said, “Follow me and stay close. Don’t grow weary in your running or fret. I will run at your pace.” Somehow, we knew from his tone of command that this was an angel. He, the angel, stretched out his hand toward the ground, and a trench, like a streambed, just large enough for us to run in single file, opened up. The stream had some clear water in it, about knee-deep. The angel went in first, then Dutch and I followed. The trench was just deep enough for our heads to stay below the surface and avoid all the artillery fire onto the battlefield. Like us, many other things on the field were targets. We continued running toward the building with the small light. As we made our way, we noticed others in the trench a short distance behind us, chasing us. They were dressed like pharaohs. We did not have a good feeling about them. I shouted to Dutch over the incredible noise of the battle, “THERE ARE OTHERS IN THE TRENCH. THEY ARE FAST APPROACHING! IF YOU COMMAND THE STREAM/TRENCH TO CLOSE BEHIND US, THESE PHARAOHS AND THEIR GODS WILL BE BURIED HERE!” Dutch declared, “THOSE THAT DESCEND ON THE HOUSE OF THE LORD WILL RECEIVE THEIR REWARD!” At that declaration, we could feel the trench closing in and covering those chasing after us. As we approached what we had thought was a “small” building with the light, we realized it was not small, but was a new, large “church” in the middle of this war zone. This building had not been affected by gunfire and looked unoccupied. The trench we had been running in became a tunnel, burrowed under a concrete wall, that surfaced right at the front steps of this building. As we drew closer to this church building, we could hear whispering and arguing inside. We ran to the front door, hoping to go inside for safety, but the door was locked. Dutch repeatedly shook the door hard and shouted, not out of fear but urgency, “OPEN THE DOOR! LET US IN. WE HAVE THE RECIPE FOR WINNING THIS BATTLE! OPEN UP NOW!” From inside the building, someone replied, “GO AWAY! THERE IS NO ROOM IN HERE FOR YOU! GO BEFORE YOU PUT US ALL IN DANGER!! YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE!!” (The war zone was intensifying by the second.) We then saw someone through the scratches on the blacked-out windows. He took a can of black spray paint and painted over the scratches in the window, beside the front door, where we stood. Dutch turned to me and calmly said, “Hood, where to now? We must protect this recipe! It’s taken us too long to recover it. We can’t lose it now.” I (Greg) replied, “There is a hidden Oinos Well House on the property. When we locate it, we can secure the recipe there.” The angel with us said, “Follow me.” He took us to the northeast corner of the property and said, “Start digging here. The top of the well is just under the surface.” We began to dig in the dirt with our hands, and just under the surface found a bright stone. (End of part 1)

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-25-2023 September 25, 2023 You Were Born to Dream (Day 9) Today, I am again sharing from our new book, Give Him 15, An Appeal to Heaven Devotional, Volume 2. “On the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.” Genesis 5:1 “Hey, Mom,” shouted Sarah, our older daughter, “close your eyes until we tell you to open them.” Sarah and Hannah were five and three years old at the time – going on twenty and eighteen. The girls were in the hallway, not yet visible, waiting to make their grand entrance. “Okay, Mommy, open your eyes,” cried Hannah. Into the kitchen paraded two young ladies in Mom’s high heels, dresses, purses, lipstick, makeup, and jewelry, strutting their stuff. Too amused, pleased, and proud to be upset – and hoping the lipstick was smeared only around their mouths and not on the carpet – Mom played along, and out came the camera. The Sheets Family Fashion Show was in full swing. What mother of little girls hasn’t experienced something similar? And what parent of little boys hasn’t seen them playacting some aspect of being a man? During the early years of my brother, Tim’s, and my childhood, our dad was a traveling evangelist. We have a picture of us at four and three years of age using a small stepladder as a pulpit, with a Bible resting on top. We two young boys were taking turns, fervently “preaching the gospel.” Thousands were saved! Whether it’s a small child dreaming of being like Mom or Dad, a teenager fantasizing about changing the world, or an adult planning his or her future, we’re dreamers all. Some internal force compels us to think about the future: tonight’s party, the trip next week, or the expansion next year. Regardless of the theme, we’re always thinking about our tomorrows. We can’t help it. Our nature is to dream. Our Creator is a dreamer, and He placed within us His dreaming nature. Made in His image and likeness, we can’t simply function like angels or animals, which do not dream. Angels do as they’re told, and animals act based on instinct or mimic their parents. Even those animals that seem to think ahead – hoarding food for a winter season, building a “home,” or flying south for the winter – aren’t planning; they’re “instincting.” On the other hand, when we image-bearers do these sorts of things, we are planning, imagining, and envisioning the future. We’re dreaming. Like a thrill-seeking adrenaline junkie, we’re hopelessly addicted to the rush of pursuing, discovering, or creating something new. We can’t help it. We’re made in God’s image, and therefore we dream; we dream, and therefore we create. The Scriptures actually connect dreaming and creating. Observation and history also teach us this is true. If you didn’t dream, you wouldn’t create, for creating is simply transferring dreams from the realm of thought to the world of reality. The story is told about a young “misfit” named Sparky, who was a dreamer. And he created. Many obstacles tried to stop him, but the dreams survived. For Sparky, school was all but impossible. He failed every subject in the eighth grade. In high school, he flunked physics, Latin, algebra, and English. He didn’t do well at sports, either. He did manage to make the school’s golf team but promptly lost the only important match of the season. Sparky was socially awkward. He was astonished if a classmate ever said hello. And dating? Well, that was totally out of the question. Sparky was a loser, and everyone knew it. Somehow he rolled with it, learning to be content. Drawing was important to Sparky, and he was proud of his artwork. But here, too, he would suffer rejection, as his drawing submissions would be turned down by his school yearbook, and later by Disney… more losses for the loser. Sparky decided to write his own story – a story told by cartoons. He described himself as a little boy who was a loser and a chronic underachiever. That little boy in the cartoon, who was rejected again and again, was known worldwide as Charlie Brown. The Peanuts comic strip helped Charles Schulz go from misfit to sensation.(1) How fortunate for Charles Schulz, and for cartoon lovers everywhere, that he continued dreaming. Had he not, the creative wit and imagination in him would have stayed locked up in his brilliant mind. His dream would never have materialized, and his destiny would have been lost. The dreaming nature in you wants and needs an outlet. If you are not dreaming, a part of who you were made to be has ceased to function. And if you’re not dreaming, you have cut yourself off from at least some portion of your future. Your destiny needs for you to dream! Monty Roberts was the son of an itinerant horse trainer who worked hard training horses at many farms, stables, and ranches. His high school career was continually interrupted because of this. As a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up. Monty wrote a lengthy paper describing his goal of someday owning a magnificent horse ranch. He drew a diagram of the two-hundred-acre dream ranch, detailing the location of the buildings, stables, track, and four-thousand-square-foot house. A great deal of his heart went into this project. A few days later, Monty received the paperback from his teacher with a large red F. Upon being asked the reason for the F, the teacher responded, “This is an unrealistic dream for a boy like you. You have no resources or money. You’d have to buy the land, breed stock, and pay stud fees, among other things. There’s no way you could ever do it.” The teacher then added, “If you rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.” Monty thought about it long and hard for a week. Finally, he turned in the same paper, making no changes at all, and informed his dream-stealing teacher, “You can keep the F, and I’ll keep my dream.” Years later, Monty’s dream became a reality. He now owns a two-hundred-acre ranch…and has his high school paper framed over the fireplace.(2) Don’t allow anything to steal your dream, and don’t shut down your dreaming nature. Your destiny is at stake. Ronald Meredith, in his book Hurryin’ Big for Little Reasons, describes one quiet night in early spring: Suddenly out of the night came the sound of wild geese flying. I noticed our tame mallards on the pond. They heard the wild call they had once known. The honking out of the night sent little arrows of prompting deep into their wild yesterdays. Their wings fluttered, but it was only a feeble response. The urge to fly – to take their place in the sky for which God made them – was sounding in their feathered breasts, but they never raised from the water. The matter had been settled long ago. The corn of the barnyard was too satisfying! Now their desire to fly only made them uncomfortable.(3) If you’ve stopped flying, determine to start again. If you’ve stopped dreaming, find your ranch plans. Tell the naysayers they can keep their F; you were made to dream. If loss or pain has created hope deferred in you, ask God to heal your heart and awaken your dreaming nature. He will do so. He loves to give new beginnings, and He loves it when you dream.(4) Pray with Me: Father, You made us dreamers just like You. We can’t help but look ahead. Today we dream of a different America. We dream of an America that honors life, that honors You and Your Word. We dream of a generation that embraces, once again, Your passion for delivering the good news of Your Kingdom to the ends of the earth. We dream of young people who know You and are secure in the identity and destiny You gave them. We dream of them as passionate worshipers of You and followers of Your ways. We dream of a government that lives our national motto, In God We Trust, and honors our national pledge, “…one nation under God.” We dream of a church that is filled with life, fire, and power. And for people around the world, we dream of salvation, freedom, health, food to eat, and prosperity. Send revival. Defeat and remove evil leaders who oppress people and create war. Remove them from power. Destroy their evil yoke. We pray all this in the authority of Christ, Amen. Our Decree: We declare that no comfort will create passivity or complacency in us. We will dream big dreams for God. **************************** You can find this new book our our websites GiveHim15.com or DutchSheets.org Click on the link below to watch the full video. ----------------------------------------- Cavanaugh, Brian, ed. More Sower’s Seeds: Second Planting Paulist Press, 1992, pp. 54-55. Adapted from Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Health Communications, 1993, pp. 201-202. Larson, Craig Brian, ed. Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching: From Leadership Journal. Baker Books, 1993, p. 38. Sheets Dutch, Dream: Discovering God’s Purpose for Your Life. Baker Publishing, 2023, pp. 39-45.

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-22-2023 September 22, 2023 We ARE the Worship In the “Command the Foreword” dream, the Lord descended upon thousands of intercessors and leaders with His fiery presence. Gina Gholston, who had this dream, shared in yesterday’s post that she feels Holy Spirit wants to literally send this “baptism of fire.” I agree that He wants to do so, preparing us for the future. How will this occur? Are there things we can do to prepare? I believe there are. First, as simple as it seems, we must choose to receive this impartation. Gina made this point yesterday, pointing out that the 120 people on the Day of Pentecost had to first make the choice to obey Christ (Acts 1:8), waiting in the Upper Room until Holy Spirit came with fire and power (Acts 2:1-4). Engage your will; make the decision that you will do whatever is necessary to receive the impartation God wants to give. This is the starting line. Secondly, position yourself. We cannot force, generate, or earn an encounter of this nature with the Lord. We can, however, prepare our hearts and minds to receive it. “Business as usual” produces the usual results, which is often good. There is certainly something to be said for consistency; discipline is one of the keys to success in our lives. At other times, however, adjustments are needed. When this is the case, routines can become ruts. When God was about to take Israel across the Jordan, He told them to prepare for this by consecrating themselves (Joshua 3:5). This Hebrew word (qadash)(1) means dedicated or set apart for a specific purpose; it is separation unto, not from. To be separate from, as in “don’t do this” or “don’t touch that,” is a different Hebrew word (nazir)(2). Nazir is about rules, qadash is about relationship; nazir relates to outward actions, qadash is related to inward purpose. To qadash ourselves is to draw near TO God, not separate ourselves FROM things or activities. We do this through worship, prayer, solitude, extended times in His Word, communion, fasting, etc. - any biblical method of seeking and drawing near to the Lord. Positioning ourselves properly should also include a spiritual checkup, making certain our hearts are pure. Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive” others (Matthew 6:12). Before Elijah asked for fire to fall on the altar, he first had to repair/rebuild the altar and prepare the sacrifice (1 Kings 18:30-35). We should ask the Holy Spirit periodically to show us anything in our lives that displeases Him, any part of the altar - our hearts - that needs repair. Don’t become overly introspective; just allow Holy Spirit to convict where necessary. And never accept condemnation; Holy Spirit doesn’t condemn, He convicts. Thirdly, ask Him for this impartation! Even though God knows our needs before we ask, He still requires us to ask (Matthew 6:8). We often “have not because we ask not!” (James 4:2). Why does He require us to ask? Because He wants communication with us. In Acts 4, the persecuted church asked God for boldness and power, something He no doubt knew they needed and already wanted to give them. God responded by sending Holy Spirit with a fresh outpouring, so strong that the building shook (4:23-35). In this season, ask Him for fresh fire - for another filling of Holy Spirit. Fourthly, worship. Remember, however, it isn’t the praise itself, that God needs or wants. He is not insecure, needing our affirmation. Nor is He arrogant or conceited, wanting to hear how great He is. John 4:23 tells us God is looking for, actually “seeking” worshippers, not worship. It’s the person, you and me - His kids! - that God loves and wants - not the song, but the singer. We ARE the worship. Quiet contemplation can be worship. Actions can be worship. Obedience is worship. Work, when done for His glory, is worship. Giving, reading God’s Word, serving another - all of these things can be considered as worship when done with worshipful hearts. Having said this, there is a magnifying of His presence, a multiplying of His power when we pray or worship together. Corporate worship gatherings are important. If I were pastoring a church now, I would turn some of my services primarily into drawing near to Him in corporate worship. If more pastors only understood the incredible power of this, it would happen much more frequently. Proclaiming the Word of God in our gatherings is very important. However, don’t assume that He only speaks through sermons. God can speak His words directly to the hearts of people in our worship gatherings, not just through our sermons! And He can more effectively draw close to individuals as His presence intensifies in our corporate gatherings, imparting directly to them. This happens through lingering, deeper worship, however, not 15 minutes of praise. Don’t forget, David’s Tabernacle contained 24/7 worship, not preaching. Fifthly and lastly, wait. The 120 in the Upper Room waited ten days for the outpouring of Holy Spirit’s fire and power to fall. We must patiently await God’s timing for all of His actions, not try to force Him into our schedule. However, there are other important aspects to biblical waiting. Several words are used in Scripture for waiting on the Lord, with different and important nuances of meaning. In chapter 10 of my book, The Pleasure of His Company, I teach on these words. After defining them, I combine their meanings into one succinct summary: “Quietly waiting with a strong, calm trust; longing for His presence and eagerly expecting Him, for you know He’ll come; and knowing that as He does, you and He will experience an increased oneness, a braiding together, as your hearts and lives become more entwined.”(3) “Waiting” on the Lord is drawing near to Him, through the activities mentioned above in the fourth point. The “oneness” that comes from this, the increased manifestation of His presence, prepares us to receive. Do this. “Learn to wait. In this hectic world of microwaves, bullet trains, and air travel - there are some things that still take time. Slow down. If only for a few minutes a day—slow down and find Him.”(4) I believe the Lord does want to bring a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit to us in this season. It may look different for each of us, but let’s ask for it, regardless of what it ends up looking like for you. Of one thing, I have absolutely no doubt - that doing these five things will be time well spent, drawing you closer to God. Let’s believe for this together. Pray with me: Father, You came near to us through the Cross of Christ. Now, through His shed blood and the covenant it produced for us, we can draw near to You. As we take extra time in this season to do so, with even more intentionality and regularity, we ask You to come to us in powerful ways. Come with Your presence, love, fire, power, gifts, healing, cleansing, and revelation. We have been made one with You through Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19), now cause that oneness to manifest in new ways. May our love and devotion toward You increase in this season, causing us to minister - not just from responsibility or our gifts - but from Your very heart and compassion within us. We want to be able to say, just as Paul did, that Your love constrains us. We want to say, as Jesus did, that You in us, do the works. We want to be so like Christ that it is said of us, as it was of the early church, “They have been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). We continue to release our faith and declarations that America is being saved. You are shaking loose and shaking down evil structures and strongholds. You are enabling us to destroy the giants that have ruled our land. You are freeing a generation from deception and evil, and coming to save millions upon millions of people here and around the world. The greatest-ever influx of young people, here and around the world, is beginning. This harvest will NOT be stopped. We ask and declare all of these things in the matchless name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We know that our heavenly Father loves us and wants us to draw near to Him. As we do so, He will draw near to us. ********************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. ---------------------------------------------------------- James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 6942. Ibid. Ref. no. 5139. Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Bethany House Publishers, Grand Rapids, MI) p. 85. Ibid, p. 87.

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-21-2023 September 21, 2023 Now, the Fire! Today’s post is a word from our friend, Gina Gholston, who had the “Command the Foreword” dream. Holy Spirit has given her further insight for us. Gina shares: “Exodus 3:1-4 and Acts 2:1-4 are accounts of people on the threshold of a major unfolding of God’s plan. They had been chosen by Him to carry out His purposes, impacting their nation and the world. Before being launched into their intended destiny, however, God first led them to a fiery encounter with Himself. Those encounters transformed their lives and set them on a course to impact history! “We, too, find ourselves in a major unfolding of God's plans. And just as occurred in those significant times, this history-making season will require today’s church to experience a transforming encounter with Him: Life-changing moments will be created by life-changing encounters with God. “Over the past few months, many have taken their place in the ‘Command the Foreword’ initiative/assignment. The response to that dream was nothing short of amazing. I am so thankful for every decree and prophetic act, every drop of oil that was distributed, and every prayer that was prayed for our nation. Everyone worked so diligently and quickly, following Holy Spirit’s leading, to get the assignment completed! How exciting it has been! “Recently, as I was reflecting on and thanking the Lord for all that has been done, He spoke to me, saying, ‘There is another aspect of the dream that must be fulfilled.’ I was shocked by that statement because I felt everything had been completed. I reread the dream, and Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see the unfulfilled part. “We have painted the borders and commanded the foreword for the nation, which was exactly what we were told to do in the dream. But now, God is calling us to command and experience His original foreword for the church. He said to me, ‘If I awaken and realign the nation without awakening and realigning the church, the harvest will be lost. I can’t have a harvest without harvesters. There must be the pure influence of anointed harvesters to reap the harvest, and there must be an established, functioning Ekklesia to tend the harvest that comes in! So now, I am “harvesting the harvesters.” I am bringing them into an encounter with Me that will transform, realign, and refocus them completely on Me.’ THE DREAM “The portion of the dream the Lord drew my attention to was this: “The place where we were gathered began to vibrate with what felt like an electrical current. A wind started to blow, and then it was as if fire dropped out of the heavens onto every one of us. It wasn’t a natural fire; this was the fiery presence of the Lord as He entered the room in a visible, tangible demonstration. When this happened, people began falling to the floor, overwhelmed by the presence of the Lord. Some fell on their knees and began to weep; others were running, lifting their hands with shouts of joy! “In the dream, the thought that came to my mind was, ‘This is a true baptism of fire!’ It came with great force, and no one in the room was exempt from it. No one questioned or debated it. No one was offended by the reactions to it! Everyone received it! Somehow, we all understood that we were being transformed by the fire of God.’ “The Lord wants us to encounter Him in this baptism of His fiery presence. This transformative baptism of fire is a preparation for what we are moving into. True encounters with God are not about a momentary touch, goosebumps, and casual ‘visitations’ that leave us unchanged. True encounters with God mark our lives, bringing total transformation. “We see this demonstrated in Acts 2. Those who experienced the upper room encounter were transformed and equipped with power to ‘turn the known world upside down.’ People took notice that they had been with God, and began calling them Christians because they modeled such Christ-likeness! They spoke truth with the same authority and operated with the same power Christ had demonstrated. The movement we have entered will also be one requiring a demonstration of Spirit and truth, manifesting Christ in word, power, and deeds! “To equip us for this, the Lord wants us to encounter Him, a true ‘baptism of fire,’ a reintroduction to Pentecost! Pentecost is the ‘foreword’ God wrote regarding the church; it pictures His original intentions: ‘You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses . . . even to the ends of the earth!’ (Acts 1:8). God did not create a people with only a form of godliness, but He birthed ignited demonstrators of His power and likeness! “The church has come a long way! We’ve grown and matured, and there is appropriate excitement for what we have seen and done. But we must know there is more, and the entrance to the ‘more’ is through the door of God’s transforming presence! DESTINY DECISIONS “We are in a destiny moment of time, and destiny moments require destiny decisions. “God offered Moses a destiny, but that destiny required a decision to say yes. To help Moses with his decision, God allowed a bush to burn and not be consumed! Then he spoke from the fire! “The 120 men and women on the day of Pentecost had been chosen by the Lord to continue what He began to do and teach. But each one had to decide whether to go to the Upper Room and wait for Holy Spirit. When they said yes, God drew them into a fiery encounter with Him that marked and changed their lives forever.” DUTCH’S COMMENTS I believe Gina’s dream and this word are accurate. Though we should all experience Holy Spirit’s presence on a regular basis, there are times when He does come to us more intensely in order to accomplish specific things. What would this “baptism of fire” look like for us today? How do we experience it? Obviously, ours won’t come through a “burning bush,” and there will not be an “Upper Room” we can all wait in until it occurs. “God encounters” of this nature are not something we can generate or force. However, when He speaks of wanting to manifest in a stronger way, there ARE things we can do to facilitate it. In tomorrow’s post, I am going to bring a teaching on how we can do this. Pray with me: Father, in the “Command the Foreword” dream, You came to us with holy Fire, preparing us to partner with You. Your fire consumes our “flesh,” our carnal desires, and replaces them with passion for You and YOUR desires. We ask for this fire that originates in Your presence, releases Your glory, and produces revival. Take us to a deeper understanding of You that will facilitate a deeper walk with You. Take us beyond our manageable ideas of You, beyond the “controlled” environments we’ve created in the church. Give us encounters with You that transform and mark us forever! May we all encounter YOU, and may the encounter produce in us a vicious hunger that compels us to pursue the depths of You. Consume us with the fire that is You! May we put on Christ and be hidden in Him, so that He might be seen through us. We join with the great revivalist, William Booth, in asking: please Sir, Send the Fire! Send the Fire (Public Domain) by William Booth (1894) “Thou Christ of burning, cleansing flame, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! Thy blood-bought gift today, we claim, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! Look down and see this waiting host, Give us the promised Holy Ghost; We want another Pentecost, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! “God of Elijah, hear our cry: Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! To make us fit to live or die, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! To burn up every trace of sin, To bring the light and glory in, The revolution now begin, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! “’Tis fire we want, for fire we plead, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! The fire will meet our every need, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! For strength to ever do the right, For grace to conquer in the fight, For pow’r to walk the world in white, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! “To make our weak hearts strong and brave, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! To live a dying world to save, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire! Oh, see us on Thy altar lay Our lives, our all, this very day; To crown the off’ring now we pray, Send the fire, send the fire, send the fire!”(1) Our decree: As we draw near to God, He will draw near to us, empowering us to be the church (Ekklesia) He created us to be! ************************* Portions of today’s post were shared by Gina Gholston and were taken from her new book, Carry On. You can find out more about Gina at GinaGholstonMinistries.org Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------------- https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Send_the_Fire/

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

6 min read September 12, 2023 The Disabled Church I recently read a very concerning article regarding millennials (born between 1980 and 1995). According to George Barna, only 2 of every 100 from this group (2%) have a biblical worldview.(1) To possess a biblical worldview means a person believes the Bible is the infallible Word of God, and they consider it the ultimate authority for all of life. Just let that sink in: basically, an entire generation of Americans believe the Bible is irrelevant. How can anyone argue that it will not take a great awakening and a reformation to save America? It also makes one wonder how so many churches can simply continue with “business as usual.” In another article, Larry Tomczak shared more sobering stats: 80% of America’s churches are either stagnant or in decline. And of the 20% that are growing, most (95%) of the growth is from transfers or births, not conversions.(2) Don’t be deceived into thinking that the existence of mega-churches means we have been reaching our nation for Christ. These large churches grew to that size by sheep relocation, not through winning the lost to Christ. The sad reality is that the lukewarm, complacent, get-along-with-everyone, watered-down, entertainment-oriented, story-telling, prayerless American church has lost most of Gen X, the Millenials, and Gen Z to humanism and progressivism. Yes, this can be reversed - and I believe it will be - but only through a massive two-pronged revival. Salvation will awaken the hearts and consciences, turning them to God and His Word; this MUST come first. Reformation can then restore and rebuild our government, education, and other aspects of our society. There is a debilitating weakness we in the body of Christ will have to overcome in order to experience these divine solutions. This weakness has allowed, if not caused, many of the failures mentioned above. Because this problem is rarely taught on - or even mentioned - in the church, it is poorly understood by most believers. Yet, it is one of satan’s greatest weapons. Holy Spirit, through Solomon, referred to this tendency and weakness as a “trap.” The Hebrew word can refer to any method used to trap, snare, capture, and control. One usage of the word is to lead around by a ring in the nose.(3) Ouch! Here is the verse that refers to this “snare” in 3 different translations: “Fear and intimidation is a trap that holds you back. But when you place your confidence in the Lord, you will be seated in the high place.” (Proverbs‬ ‭29‬:‭25‬ ‭TPT‬‬) “The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.” (Proverbs 29:25 MSG) And the phraseology most of us have heard and will recognize: “The fear of man brings a snare, But one who trusts in the Lord will be protected.” (Proverbs 29:25 NASB) Intimidation, the fear of human opinion, the fear of man, as this weapon of the enemy is referred to in these verses, truly is a snare. One of my numerous searches regarding this verse turned up the following clear explanation of this trap: “This fear is an anxious need to receive affirmation from those around us. The fear of man manifests as people-pleasing, compromised values, peer pressure, and a choice not to share our faith. The fear of man can be a snare when we allow it to influence our decisions. Rather than obey the voice of the Holy Spirit (John 10:27), we opt to avoid unpleasant interactions. It’s easier to heed the fear of man than to invite the possibility of consequences. “The fear of man is a snare in that it supplants the fear of God in our lives. Since the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10), the fear of man sets us on the road to foolishness. “The fear of man has replaced biblical conviction in some so-called Christian circles today. Public opinion has overridden the clear teaching of Scripture on many social issues. Entire denominations are caving to the fear of man, and it has become a snare to them. The desire to be viewed by the world as progressive, enlightened, tolerant, or politically correct is a snare Satan has used to reel people into his way of thinking. The need to be liked and accepted has become more important than the Word of God to many professing believers, thus proving the truth of Proverbs 29:25.”(4) I once heard Abby Johnson share that when she was clinic director of a Planned Parenthood abortion center, she was also a regular church attender. However, her pastor never mentioned sin, or that abortion was a sin - not one time. Can you imagine? It wasn’t until she watched an abortion on an ultrasound that she realized the procedure was actually killing a live child. Christians want to be accepted and loved just as much as non-believers. No one likes rejection and criticism. The reality, however, is that Christ said we would be rejected and persecuted for our Christian faith (John 15:18-19; 16:33; 17:14). He told us to be salty, and to be lights (Matthew 5:13-14). Salt flavors food, which is pleasant, but it also preserves food by destroying bacteria and fighting against decay. Light gives direction and comfort, but it also exposes evil and corruption. Refusing to warn of the horrible consequences of sin and darkness, by shining the light of truth, is not love; it is cruel neglect. Refusing to confront evil with the burning salt of truth is not kindness; it is the empowerment of infectious evils to steal, kill, and destroy. Our desire to not be offensive, along with our insatiable longing to be accepted, has allowed the infecting, poisoning, and spiritual death of millions of Americans. We wonder how Americans could elect antichrist fools, liars, mentally debilitated individuals, race-baiting proponents of division, and haters of the nation they “serve”; how we could have become a nation unable to define male and female, a people that mutilates its children, kills its babies, and merchandises their body parts? The answer is simple: the salt lost its savor, allowing the gangrenous infection of sin and depravity to consume our souls. The light went out, allowing evil and corruption to remain hidden, working behind the scenes, and mooring-less people to drift in darkness, blown further and further from the lighthouse of truth. And one of the reasons this loss of salt and light occurred was because, as the above verse says, “The fear of human opinion disables.” Through this fear, satan embedded his nose ring in the American church and led us into the maze of peer pressure, political correctness, fear of offending, the ignoring and/or rejection of biblical truth, a watered-down and powerless gospel, dim churches, stale preaching, compromising Christians and THREE LOST GENERATIONS! God, in His mercy, is about to turn the light back on. Pray with me: Father, we have failed to take heed to Your warning, and the results have been catastrophic. The greatest nation on earth has become a byword and a laughing stock among the nations. We have played the fool. We embrace the humility and desperation this is producing, yet we mourn the spiritual destruction our arrogance and rebellion have caused. We pray today for Gen X, the Millennials, and Gen Z. We introduced them to an incomplete and inaccurate version of You. Most of them were offered only religion, watered-down messages, and rituals. Predictably, they walked away from this as soon as possible. We are asking for a great rescue. We declare the word of the Lord into the atmosphere of America: God is coming to save them! Prodigals will come home, the confused will have a clear mind, the fatherless will find acceptance and identity in God. A great presence movement is coming, one that will introduce millions here in America and around the world, to a person, not a religion. That person is Jesus. And we pray for the church. We pray that the fear of man will be broken off of the body of Christ. All people-pleasing mindsets, performance tendencies, political correctness, and a desire to fit in with the world around us. We pray that we would once again be salt and light - preservers, flavorers, lights in the darkness, and compassionate voices of truth. We know we are called to demonstrate both - Your love and Your truth. We pray all of these things in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that a remnant of believers is arising that will not bow to the fear of man. *********************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. --------------------------------------------------- https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/what-going-on-with-millenials-heres-what-the-research-says?utm_source=theblaze-7DayTrendingTest&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign+Afternoon%20Auto%20Trending%207%20Day%20Engaged%202023-08-29&utm_term=ACTIVE%20LIST%20-%207%20Da%20Engagement https://www.larrytomczak.com/4-years-in-seminary-or-4-minutes-in-hell/ James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 4170. https://www.gotquestions.org/fear-of-man.html

6 min read September 13, 2023 Don’t Allow Your Enemy to Define You “Fear and intimidation is a trap that holds you back. But when you place your confidence in the Lord, you will be seated in the high place.” (Proverbs‬ ‭29‬:‭25‬ ‭TPT‬‬) “The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.” (Proverbs 29:25 MSG) “The fear of man brings a snare, But one who trusts in the Lord will be protected.” (Proverbs 29:25 NASB) Yesterday, we talked about the devastating effects of “the fear of man.” Other descriptive words and phrases for this snare are the fear of human opinion, intimidation, people pleasing, and political correctness. Yielding to this desire for social acceptance and lack of conflict has produced compromise and cost the American church immeasurably. Here in America, we have lost 3 generations to humanism and progressivism. Details and statistics were given in yesterday's post. Today, let’s take a look at some of the ways those on the left use “the fear of man” to “trap” and silence their opposition. Some of the more obvious tactics are: Threats of force: These threats are made to individuals, businesses, the police, judges, legislators, lawyers, voters, private citizens, and more. Violence: This includes riots, burning and damaging buildings and cars, vandalizing churches and pro-life organizations, etc. “Lawfare”: the weaponization of law enforcement, the courts, the IRS, and other government agencies (against those who oppose election fraud, parents who object to the grooming of their children, and others who oppose leftist ideologies. Censorship: a ploy used by the Biden administration, governors, other government agencies, social media platforms, schools, and others to silence those who disagree with them. Boycotts: used against businesses, states with conservative values, sports teams that don’t support liberal causes, and others. Rejection: used especially toward youth, causing peer pressure and compromise; it is also used in subtle ways against the church - “If you preach or teach certain portions of Scripture, I won’t attend your church or accept your gospel.” This list could be expanded or broken down into more categories, but you get the point. The left is skilled and clever at these forms of control and manipulation. They are vicious; their cause is more important than the well-being of those they damage or destroy. And lying is not a deterrent to them - truth lost all relevance when humanism was espoused in the '60s and '70s. The “golden rule,” kindness, civility, and other values once honored, have also been sacrificed in their desire for control. If we are to restore America, we must resist the fear and intimidation intended by these and other methods. Another successful method used by the left to intimidate and control the right is dishonest “labels.” They apply negative terms and phrases to us, “branding” us in ways that simply aren’t true. No one wants the stigma of these labels, and many conservatives back down in order to avoid it. The liberal media assists in this, of course. There are numerous examples: Homophobe: Those who agree with the Bible’s teaching that homosexuality is a sin are now labeled as “afraid” of it, as “fear-mongers” and “hate-mongers.” Nothing could be further from the truth, yet many have embraced this lie, especially those who hear it at school/college. Transphobe: Ditto. Xenophobe: The “fear of foreigners” is now ludicrously used to label those who want only legal immigration into America. Misogynist: Those who are pro-life are now called “women-haters.” Mean-spirited/Bigot/Intolerant: All of those labeled by the above terms are also referred to with these terms. In reality, however, the most giving, loving, kind people I know are Bible-believing Christians. Racist: Anyone who disagrees with or criticizes a person of another ethnicity, regardless of the reason, is called a racist by the left. Religious zealot/Extremist/National terrorist: those who believe the Bible are now considered extremists, as are true patriots, and considered threats to freedom. The military now considers the Appeal To Heaven flag as a symbol of national terrorism. These are lies, and they know it. American nationalist; Dominionist: those who believe God raised up and created America for His purposes are called heretics by many inside and outside the church. They’re considered arrogant and accused of believing God loves Americans more than other people, which is preposterous. The “dominionist” term is used to accuse Christians of wanting to force their beliefs on others. Of course, it is the left that actually does this. Christians and conservatives must stop allowing these lies to influence us. When we yield to them, we weaken our cause. We must NEVER allow the left to define us. No one likes to be criticized, but it is impossible to stand for truth without being persecuted - period. Many leaders in the church today will not mention certain sins due to the fear of man. We should never use a condemning, accusatory approach when addressing sin. But if God - who is love personified - condemns an action in His Word, shouldn’t it be appropriate to discuss it in our church services? The argument that the church should only preach about salvation, endeavoring to get people saved, is beyond ludicrous. That would mean we must ignore 90% of the Bible. Probably more. This fear-of-man-induced cherry-picking of God’s Word has produced three generations of Americans who do not believe all of Scripture. And why should they - their pastors don’t? Not only do many pastors shy away from moral issues, but they also steer clear of governmental issues and elections. Never mind the fact that: God began speaking about government in the first chapter of Genesis (Genesis 1:26-28); He IS government (Isaiah 33:22); The war which began in Genesis is all about who will rule the earth (Genesis 3:1-7); Jesus referred to His body as His Ekklesia (Matthew 16:18-19). Bowing to this heretical view that government shouldn’t be discussed at church, produced by a fear of the IRS and of offending people who may not want to hear it, has robbed America of her salt and light. The soul of our nation has spoiled, and we are wandering in darkness, led by evil men and women. (For more info about the separation of church and state, see this previous post.) Scripture calls the gospel, “The gospel of the Kingdom,” which is the “Good news of Christ’s Kingdom rule and reign” (see Mark 1:15). It is the good news that Jesus conquered satan, delivered us from his dominion, restored us to God’s family, recovered the dominion on earth that Adam lost, and delegates it to us once again in His name. That is the gospel. Yes, a more complete manifestation of this victory will one day occur, but this does not mean the only part of His victory relevant for today is being forgiven of our sins and one day going to heaven. It is time for the church to reject the fear of man. We must make the decision that God’s Word will always be our final authority, that we will never be ashamed of it, nor will we be intimidated by those who don’t believe it. Pray with me: Father, we often fall prey to the strategies of those who oppose You. One of those strategies is to allow our self-worth to be determined by what they think of us. How absurd. This has conformed us to their ways, defiled our message, and weakened our resolve. And it has no doubt offended You, as we have refused to honor Your Word and ways. Like Saul’s Israel, we allow the giants to intimidate us. We ask You to break this spirit of intimidation and its fruit of compromise off the church. Align us with Your plumbline of truth, which never has and never will change. Cause leaders in the church to fall in love with Your Word again, to have a renewed allegiance to it. Give us integrity enough to acknowledge how our neglect of Your Word has helped destroy our nation. Awaken us! Whatever it takes, awaken us. Shake, convict, release holy fire, pour out Holy Spirit. We need a course correction, a reset. Bring this, we pray. You have said America will be saved. We believe it, we decree it, and we thank You for it. In Yeshua’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that in the church, the fear of man is being transformed into a fear of the Lord, bringing the promised wisdom. *************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video.

5 min read September 14, 2023 Watered Down Wine For the past two days, I have been sharing on Proverbs 29:25, which refers to “the fear of man” as a snare. The Passion Translation says, “Intimidation is a trap that holds you back,” and The Message Bible reads, “The fear of human opinion disables.” Indeed, the fear of human opinion leads to people-pleasing, compromised values, yielding to peer pressure, and bowing to political correctness. A desire in the church to be viewed by the world as progressive and tolerant is a snare Satan has used to conform people into his way of thinking. The need to be liked and accepted outweighs the Word of God to many believers, causing compromise, lukewarmness, and a lack of fruit. The damage has been catastrophic to our nation, causing the spiritual decay of three generations. I was ready to move on from this subject but felt the Lord prompting me to do one more post on it. Today, I’m going to share three references that give us pictures and further insights into this trap called: “the fear of man.” AARON The first is in Exodus 32. Moses had been on Mount Sinai for several weeks, receiving the laws and ordinances of God for Israel. After being gone so long, the people began to think he might never return (verse 1). Perhaps we need another god to help us, since Moses, who represented Yahweh, is evidently not coming back, they thought. Aaron, whom Moses had left in charge, was then persuaded to fashion a golden calf for the people to worship (verses 2-6). Pathetic! God was understandably angry and sent Moses down the mountain to deal with it. Upon arrival, Moses’ choice of words to Aaron made it clear that God was holding him responsible for this sin: “Moses said to Aaron, ‘What on Earth did these people ever do to you that you involved them in this huge sin?’ Aaron said, ‘Master, don’t be angry. You know this people and how set on evil they are. They said to me, “Make us gods who will lead us. This Moses, the man who brought us out of Egypt, we don’t know what’s happened to him.”’” (Verses 21-23 The Message) God’s summary statement in verse 25 is VERY telling: “…Aaron had let them run wild disgracing themselves before their enemies” (The Message Bible). Another translation says, “…Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies.” (NASB) Aaron was intimidated by the uprising of the people, which caused him to compromise. The language of verse 25 - “Aaron let them get out of control” - makes clear that had he stood his ground, God would’ve backed him up. Leaders in the church must refuse to be intimidated by rebellious people; giving them what they want will never be an acceptable excuse to God. KING SAUL Another example of an Israelite leader yielding to the fear of man is in First Samuel 13. King Saul had been instructed to wait seven days for Samuel, a prophet and priest, to arrive and offer the necessary sacrifices for securing a military victory (1 Samuel 10:8). In that day, only priests, not kings, were permitted to offer these sacrifices. Israel’s enemies, the Philistines, made their move, amassing a great army with which to attack them (1 Samuel 13:5). Without God’s help, things weren’t looking good, and without the sacrifices, they wouldn’t have this help. Saul waited almost the entire seven days for Samuel to arrive, but at the end of the 7th day, with his army “scattering from him,” he disobeyed and “offered the burnt offering” himself (verses 8-9). And who showed up just as he was finishing the sacrifice? The prophet and priest, Samuel. The delay had been a test from God, and Saul, snared by fear of the Philistines and the scattering of his people, had failed. God's response to him through the prophet was essentially, “I need someone to rule as king who will obey Me, regardless of what circumstances, enemies, and the people dictate. I need a man after My heart,” (Verses 13-14). A couple of chapters later, God said to Saul, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of Rams… Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being King.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23 NASB) How many leaders in the church have compromised God’s Word in attempts to prevent people from scattering? THE JEWISH LEADERS There is one final passage I want to mention. As Jesus taught and performed miracles on one occasion, many people - including Jewish leaders - believed He was the Messiah. Yet, because of their fear of man, they would not acknowledge their belief in Him: “These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke about Him. Nevertheless many, even of the rulers, believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees, they were not confessing Him, so that they would not be excommunicated from the synagogue; for they loved the approval of people rather than the approval of God.” (John 12:41-43 NASB) What an indictment - loving the approval of men more than the approval of God! Interestingly, the Greek word translated “approval” (doxa)(1) is also the New Testament word for “glory” and is translated as such in this very passage (verse 41): “Isaiah…saw His glory.” Therefore, the indictment against these leaders could be translated, “They loved the glory of men more than the glory of God.” What a striking contrast! Isaiah saw God’s glory and prophecied of His greatness. To these leaders, however, the glory they were receiving from man outweighed the glory of God. Sadly, this could be said of many leaders in the church today: popularity, approval from people, and large crowds - these mean more to them than the glory of God. And sadly, Holy Spirit has written Ichabod (“the glory has departed”) over the doors of many churches in our land. However, God is about to change this. Many leaders have found that the praise of men no longer satisfies. They’re also realizing that “powerless Christianity” is a contradiction of the Bible. They are awakening to the fact that we have lowered the standard and watered down the wine. We traded the glory of God for men’s applause, sound doctrine for storytelling, the power of Holy Spirit for personal comfort, and prayer for innovative ideas. Three lost generations and an apostate nation later, we have realized it isn’t working. It’s time to go back to the pattern found in the book of Acts. Our prayer comes from there today. Pray with me: “And now, Lord, look at their threats, and enable Your bond-servants to speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great [megas - mega](2) power, the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant [megas - mega](3) grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:29-33 NASB) Our decree: We decree that Jesus is building a church the gates of hell cannot overcome. ********************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 1391. Ibid. Ref no. 3173. Ibid.

6 min read September 15, 2023 Persevere, My Friend! I don’t know why some things happen to me. Like the time I was expertly postulating on the subject of mind renewal in Detroit, Michigan. Saturday morning was the final four hours of a 10-hour intensive, and about 3 hours into my riveting dissertation, a lady to my right could stand it no longer. My Greek words, in-depth revelation, and captivating presentation had finally nudged her into slumberland. My words do often have a calming effect. I don’t like to brag, but not everyone can produce such mind-numbing revelation and soul-tranquilizing truth. Profound peace, that’s what it was. It takes years of study and experience to reach this pinnacle of public speaking. To make the situation even more meaningful, this lady was a gifted snorer. Obviously a professional. The room wasn’t all that large - there were probably 100 people seated around tables accommodating 10 people each - which meant everyone was within earshot of this message - confirming endorsement. Her first snore wasn’t all that impressive, just a warm-up heard only by those of us within 20-30 feet of her. Thankfully, those seated next to her were wise enough not to awaken her, allowing this nasal “applause” to grow in intensity. Less discerning people would have foolishly roused her, robbing us of the full effect. But those seated around this lady were SHARP, and let it continue. The second snore was better, becoming more praiseworthy of my wonderful teaching, reaching two-thirds of the room. Those around her, appreciating the stunning effect these snorts of praise would produce, once again allowed her to continue. I was amazed - no one was rude enough to nudge her awake. The third snore reached full volume, the kind of zzzzzzzzzz’s dreams are made of - one for the record books - awakening everyone to the profundity of my deep and stirring words. All eyes were now on this peaceful woman. “This,” I shouted, seizing the moment, “is the kind of deep tranquility I’m speaking of. Let the power of my words so stir each of you. Hallelujah!” The lady, awakened by my shouting, sat up with a start and grunted a loud “Amen!” which added increased weight to my words. Savoring the sweetness of the moment, I decided it was a good time for a coffee break. I could tell, by the smiles and soft chuckles, that everyone agreed. A recording of this presentation, entitled “Sounds of Serenity,” can be ordered from my product department. SERMON SUPPORT Several years ago in Oklahoma, another lady helped me with one of my messages. I was teaching on the following verses: “That you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:12 NASB). “Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised” (Hebrews 10:35-36 NASB). Emphasizing the need for patience and endurance in order to receive answers to our prayers, I shared the following story. One night a man had a dream in which an angel gave him a guided tour of heaven. He saw the golden streets, beautiful mansions, and millions of saints in this celestial place. Then he saw a huge building, miles long, which looked out of place. “What is that?” he asked the angel. “That’s God’s warehouse,” was the response. “It’s where God stores items He had prepared to give people in answer to their prayers. Before He released them, however, the individuals gave up hope, lost their faith, and wavered. Their unbelief prohibited Him from giving them these things, so He stores them in this warehouse.” “Wow!” said the man, “Can I see inside?” “Sure,” replied the angel, and proceeded to show the man a building filled with money, houses, cars, boats, clothing, food - just about everything one could imagine. Just as I was about to make my powerful point - “Don’t give up, casting away your confidence. Stay the course; you don’t want your provision stored in God’s heavenly warehouse,” - a single lady on the front row spoke up. In a mischievous voice, she asked, “Were there any men there?” I never regained control of the meeting! I don’t actually know if God has a warehouse, and if He does I doubt there are any men in it. But I do believe it is possible to ask Him for something and fail to receive it because we wavered in the waiting period (James 1:6-7). We must allow perseverance to sustain our intercession, and we will! We will persevere through all waiting and any shaking until we get to the coming fruit. We will! There are several New Testament words used to describe the concept of perseverance. One of them is found in Hebrews 4:14: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.” The words “hold fast” come from one Greek word: krateo.(1) The root word (kratos) has the meaning of power, strength, might and vigor. This word emphasizes the strength with which one holds onto something. The verse is telling us to hold strongly to our “confession,” a word meaning, “say the same thing,” (homologia)(2). Therefore, holding fast to our confession means: with all our strength we hold onto what God says! And we say it with Him! Another word related to perseverance is found in Hebrews 10:23 and is also translated as “hold fast”: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” In this verse, “hold fast” is a different word, katecho.(3) The root word here, echo, simply means “to have or hold.” The prefix kata is what strengthens the meaning to that of holding onto something intensely. Nothing too profound about that, but, other nuances of meaning are enlightening. This word became a nautical term meaning “to set one’s course” or “hold to a course” (Acts 27:40). Holding on strongly to what God says by saying and decreeing it, keeps us on course. Saying what He says keeps us from wavering, from being blown off course by adverse winds and adversity. This is why I repeat some things in my posts over and over. For example, “America shall be saved.” Every time we say it, we are maintaining course. Another meaningful nuance of echo is becoming pregnant. This is actually one of the Greek words for “being with child” (Matthew 1:18). Therefore, holding fast to what God says causes the power of the promise to grow in us - like a baby - until we finally give birth. “For years, William Wilberforce pushed Britain’s Parliament to abolish slavery. But he became discouraged and was about to give up. His elderly friend, John Wesley, heard of his discouragement and, from his deathbed, called for pen and paper. “With trembling hand, Wesley wrote: ‘Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them stronger than God? ‘“Oh, be not weary of well-doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of His might, ‘til even American slavery shall vanish away before it.’ “Wesley died six days later. But Wilberforce fought for forty-five more years and in 1833, three days before his own death, saw slavery abolished in Britain.”(4) Persevere, my friend! Pray with me: Father, thank You for Your promises. You cannot lie. Your Word is true. Your promises unfailing. They contain power. You said they always accomplish what You send them to do (Isaiah 55:11). You actually honor Your words above even Your name (Psalm 138:2). You have told us, “America shall be saved.” You’ve said the greatest revival in history is coming. You declared that You were building an Ekklesia the gates of hell could not prevail against. We hold fast to these words. The power they contain is growing in us; we are becoming pregnant with them, and through the strength of Holy Spirit, we will give birth to them! We ask for and decree again - 1 billion or more souls are coming into Your kingdom in this revival. We decree again that miracles are coming in great numbers. We decree that nations will be transformed. We decree that people from every tribe and tongue will be in Your family. We decree that no force can stop this. And we decree, according to the word of the prophets, that this has begun. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the words of God will never pass away; they are eternal and all-powerful. Through them, we will stay on course. ************************* Click on the link below to watch the full video. Portions of today’s post were taken from my book, The Essential Guide to Prayer (published by Baker Books).

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-20-2023 September 20, 2023 First Things First For the past 50 years, I have been a diligent student of God’s Word. I have loved mining its treasures, whether that be directly from Scripture, or through the many anointed teachers I’ve been privileged to sit under. I’ve been known to dig into one word for days. I also love sharing the insights I’ve received. It is the nature of God to give and to share; He said it’s actually more blessed to give than receive. It is my joy to package some of what I’ve been given into bite-size portions and pass them on to you. That is why I write these posts, and it’s why I compile them into devotionals. Today I’m sharing a compilation of 4 posts from our new book, Give Him 15 - An Appeal to Heaven, Volume 2. I believe they’ll feed you. I’ve titled the post: First Things First. Day 2 - Simplicity We must learn to de-complicate life, but we must especially uncomplicate our relationship with Christ. Paul said to the church at Corinth: “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3; emphasis mine). Life can be very complicated; theology can as well. At times, if we’re not careful, both can get downright confusing. But the Lord impresses on my heart time and time again, “There is nothing complicated about a relationship with Me.” The great A. W. Tozer said: “Now, as always, God [discloses] Himself to ‘babes’ and hides Himself in thick darkness from the wise and the prudent. We must simplify our approach to Him. We must strip down to essentials (and they will be found to be blessedly few). We must put away all efforts to impress and come with the guileless candor of childhood. If we do this, without doubt, God will quickly respond.”(1) Tozer also said, “There are occasions when for hours I lay prostrate before God without saying a word of prayer or a word of praise – I just gaze on Him and worship.”(2) Sometimes no words are needed as we enjoy God’s company. In 2 Corinthians 11:3, “simplicity” is the Greek word haplotes. Its most literal meaning is “singleness, without dissimulation or duplicity;”(3) or “the opposite of duplicity.”(4)The verse is saying that in our devotion to Christ, we must not be double-minded. We must guard against anything causing dissimulation, division, or a watering down. It is okay to be multifaceted in our gifts and activity, and it is wise to be broad-based in our understanding, but in our approach to relationship with Jesus, we must be very single-minded. Allow no other person or activity to crowd Him out. To take Him for granted or allow Him to simply be one of many priorities will weaken us. Day 3 - First Things First “Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, ‘Moses My servant is dead; so now arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.’” (Joshua 1:1-2) Moses’s death had to have been very emotional for Joshua. Moses was gone. No memorial service, burial, time for grieving, or even knowledge of where he was buried. His emotions were probably raw, yet he would have to move into his new role immediately. In three days, you’re going into the land I promised Abraham centuries ago, God said. That meant – not a pleasant journey into a new homeland – but a challenging move for an entire nation. And it meant war. God’s instructions to Joshua at this point would have been incredibly important, perhaps the most important of his life. What were they? Only the basics of our walk with God: don’t be afraid; trust Me; listen to Me carefully and obey; meditate on My words; I’ll be with you. They were not theology. No battle plans, travel formations, or how to get across the Jordan – not yet. First, God instructed Joshua to keep the connection to Him strong. This will be your lifeline, Joshua. Do this, and you’ll have great success. Have your quiet time - your devotions - then go to war! When you’re about to go into a spiritual battle, transition into something new, or move forward into God’s plan for your life…first, go have your quiet time. Then, advance. Day 4 - Love’s Motivation There are five New Testament words for “servant” or “serving.” Two of these words are doulos and latris. A doulos was a bond slave.(5) Latris, however, from the verb form latreuo, means to serve not out of compulsion but from relationship.(6) A parent serves his or her family by providing and caring for them – not as a slave, but out of the motivation of love. This is latreuo. Romans 12:1 tells us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, “which is [our] reasonable service” (KJV). Other versions of Scripture translate the phrase differently, and appropriately so: “which is [our] spiritual service of worship” (NASB). They do so because the word used is latreuo, not doulos. This verse is not telling us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice because we are God’s slaves, but rather to do so because we love Him and want to please Him. He knows what is best for us, and we trust Him. And as we lovingly serve Him, He considers it worship, not just service. Yes, God owns us. But His heart is not to treat us as slaves “owned” by Him. He wants to relate to us as His children and friends (John 15:14-15). His desire is that we serve Him from hearts of love and worship, from relationship. When we move into this type of relationship with our Father, we become His co-laborers, working together with Him. We embrace His Great Commission as a co-mission. Our hearts mingle with His, and we want what He wants. We’re members of Abba’s household of faith. This motivation changes everything. Even though Paul referred to himself as a bondslave, he also said the love of God constrained him to minister as he did (2 Corinthians 5:14). As we pray and work toward God’s great harvest, we must establish in our minds that we will obey God fully. But our primary motivation must be that we are His partners, friends, and kids. As the Senior Partner, He will give direction, but He delights in involving us in the plan and process. Day 15 - God Meetings At the end of his life, Paul, the apostle who wrote more of Scripture than any other person, said he was endeavoring to “know” God (Philippians 3:10). One would think that if anyone knew Him, Paul certainly did. However, the Greek word he used in this verse (ginosko) has a threefold meaning,(7) which explains fully what Paul was saying: Ginosko is a relational knowledge. It is not generic knowledge, as in knowing about a place or person. This word suggests there is an intimate relationship with the object known. It is actually used of a husband and wife “knowing” one another sexually. Paul was saying, Even after all these years and all of this revelation, I want an even more intimate relationship with God. Ginosko is a progressive knowledge. It does not start as complete knowledge but grows as the relationship progresses. Paul stated, Even though I know God, I want to know Him more. Ginosko is an impactful knowledge. This type of knowing changes the knower: it impacts, affects, and transforms. Paul realized that although he had been conformed to the image of Christ, he could become even more like Him. Get to know your Abba. If you will draw near to God, He will draw near to you (James 4:8). If you desire to meet with Him, He WILL meet with you. And through the connection, He will meet with other people and situations. He will. Let’s do it now..! Pray with me: Father, Your heart toward us is amazing. Though You are Almighty God, You want relationship with a human family. We are overwhelmed by Your incredible plan of the ages: creating us, redeeming us, and welcoming us into Your heavenly family. May we never take this for granted. We are reminded today that You are indeed our Lord and Master, the Most High God. But You are also Father, Abba, and You love us with an everlasting love. As we pray, may we always remember that we are working together with You, not just for You. As we intercede today, we remember that we are agreeing with You, not attempting to talk You into something. We extend the victory of the Cross, declaring that a spirit of deliverance is being released throughout the world. We call forth this great awakening and harvest in Your heart, and release it into the earth now, in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen. Our decree: We decree that we are co-laborers with God on the earth, and, as such, we move according to His plan and in His authority. ********************** You can find this book, as well as Volume 1, on our websites: DutchSheets.org or GiveHim15.com. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------------------------------- Rowell, Edward K., ed. Quotes and Idea Starters for Preaching and Teaching: From Leadership Journal. Baker Books, 1996, p. 181. Ibid., p. 181. Strong, James. New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, Thomas Nelson, 2003, Greek ref no. 572. Zodhiates, Spiros, ed. KJV Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible: Hardbound. AMG Publishers, 1991, p. 1808. “Strong’s Greek: 1401. (doulos). A slave, bond slave.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/1401.htm. Accessed 12 May 2023. “Strong’s Greek: 3000 (latreuó). To serve, service, worship.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/3000.htm. Accessed 12 May 2023. “Strong’s Greek: 314 (Anaginóskó). To know certainly, know again, read.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/314.htm. Accessed 12 May 2023.

7 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-19-2023 September 19, 2023 Let's Finish This! My goal for the Give Him 15 posts is a 4-fold blend: Generate effective and informed prayer Speak prophetically into our times Train and equip you And lastly, keep you encouraged. In order to accomplish these goals, the posts have become my primary ministry focus. I try to listen very diligently for Holy Spirit’s guidance in determining what to release, as well as how to present truths to a broad audience. Sometime back, the Lord put in our hearts a plan to place some of the posts in book form - a series of devotionals. The truth in the teachings is timeless, and truth from God’s Word matures in us as we read it again and again. The first of the devotionals was related more to the prophetic destiny of America, along with the Ekklesia’s calling to see this restored and accomplished. We have now completed the second book of the eventual trilogy. While still maintaining a prophetic flavor, it is intended more for your personal spiritual growth and development. These are specially chosen teachings we feel will be helpful in expanding your ability to walk with and partner with God. My staff did a great job in compiling these teachings and placing them in a quality hardback book. Today, I am excited to read one of the devotionals from Give Him 15 - An Appeal to Heaven Devotional, Volume 2. Let’s Finish This! (Day 30) As the book of Ezra opens, Cyrus, king of Persia, allows a remnant of Israelites to return to Jerusalem for the purpose of rebuilding their Temple. Seventy years prior, God had allowed Israel to be taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, because of their apostasy. Later, they came under the rule of Cyrus when he conquered Babylon. God then moved upon the heart of Cyrus, a pagan and idolatrous king, to permit this return. He even stirred Cyrus’s heart to help the remnant raise the funds needed for rebuilding (Ezra 1:1-4) and returned to them all the vessels and utensils Nebuchadnezzar had plundered from the Temple. A remnant returned to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel’s leadership and began the work. Ezra tells us: “When the workers laid the foundation of the Temple of God, the priests in their robes stood up with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise God in the tradition of David…All the people boomed out hurrahs, praising God as the foundation of the Temple of God was laid. As many were noisily shouting with joy, many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first Temple, when they saw the foundations of this Temple laid, wept loudly… People couldn’t distinguish the shouting from the weeping. The sound of their voices reverberated for miles around” (Ezra 3:10-13 MSG). It has always intrigued me that many younger Israelites shouted for joy while some of the older ones wept. We are left to wonder why the older folks wept. Joy? Grieving lost years? Realizing just how far they had to go in rebuilding? One thing is certain: their perspective was different. There is one more certainty about the celebration that took place that day: it was a bit premature. Satan also had plans for the project. Daniel 7:25 tells us he attempts to alter “times” and “laws.” The Hebrew word used for “time” in this verse means an appointed time;(1) the word for “laws” means, among other things, the decree of a king.(2) God, our King, appoints our times and seasons; He also decrees His good plans and purposes for us, both in His written Word and prophetically. However, this verse tells us satan tries to alter those times and decrees. We know he can’t do so by overpowering or outwitting God; he attempts to do so by attacking us. Daniel 7:25 also reveals one of the ways satan tries to do so: by “wearing down” the saints. The Hebrew word this is taken from is never used in Scripture to describe physical fatigue, only mental and emotional weariness. Satan attempts to wear us down in our souls, causing us to “grow weary” (literally, “lose heart”) in our efforts (Galatians 6:9). Fear, discouragement, lack of endurance, hope-deferred, and other emotional responses attack our faith; and, if not guarded against, can cause us to lose heart. If this type of weariness occurs, it can alter our God-appointed times and decrees. This strategy succeeded against the remnant sent to rebuild the Temple of God. Satan’s method in that situation was to work through other people in the region: “So these people started beating down the morale of the people of Judah, harassing them as they built. They even hired propagandists to sap their resolve. They kept this up for about fifteen years, throughout the lifetime of Cyrus king of Persia and on into the reign of Darius, king of Persia” (Ezra 4:4-5 MSG). These “propagandists,” or “counselors,” as other translations refer to them, were basically lobbyists, individuals hired and sent to the king with accusations and misinformation. They succeeded in planting concerns in him that once the Israelites rebuilt their temple, they would rebel from his rule and cause great problems in his kingdom. The Israelites, rather than remaining strong and trusting God to help them overcome these accusations, yielded to fear and discouragement. The result? The rebuilding of the Temple stopped for sixteen years! All Israel had produced was a foundation. During this time, while abandoning God’s house, the Israelites began building their own homes and businesses, justifying it by saying the resistance meant it wasn’t yet God’s appointed time for the Temple to be rebuilt. The existence of opposition, however, should never determine what we believe to be God’s will, nor should it be used to judge whether it is His appointed time to do something. Eventually, God had enough of their complacency and raised up a prophet, Haggai, to deliver His message to them: “Shortly after that, God said more, and Haggai spoke it: ‘How is it that it’s the “right time” for you to live in your fine new homes while [Mine] is in ruins?’... “Then God said: ‘Here is what I want you to do: Climb into the hills and cut some timber. Bring it down and rebuild the Temple. Do it just for Me. Honor Me. You’ve had great ambitions for yourselves, but nothing has come of it. The little you have brought to My Temple, I’ve blown away – there was nothing to it. And why?... Because while you’ve run around, caught up with taking care of your own houses, My home is in ruins. That’s why. Because of your stinginess… “Then the governor, Zerubbabel, and the high priest, Joshua, and all the people with them listened, really listened, to the voice of their God.” (from Haggai 1:1-13 MSG) When the people responded appropriately to God’s words, He was quick to respond with grace and favor. Turns out those in opposition to God weren’t His problem; He was well able to deal with them. His people were the problem! What God needed was a people of faith who would not succumb to fear, discouragement, or self-centeredness. When they were able to shake off these things, God favored them once again and said, I am with you! Let’s go! A month later, Haggai encouraged them by prophesying again: “I’m living and breathing among you right now. Don’t be timid. Don’t hold back…Before you know it, I will shake up sky and earth, ocean and fields, and I’ll shake down all the godless nations. They’ll bring bushels of wealth, and I will fill this Temple with splendor. I own the silver, I own the gold…This Temple is going to end up far better than it started out, a glorious beginning but an even more glorious finish: a place in which I will hand out wholeness and holiness.” (Haggai 2:1-9 MSG) Like this remnant in Israel, many in the church of America have grown weary in their prayers for revival and the rebuilding of our nation. Lying lobbyists, media opposition, unrighteous laws, intimidating government agencies, elections that didn’t go our way, evil politicians – satan has used these and more, attempting to wear us down. Many have responded just as these Israelites did initially, deciding it must not be time for America’s turnaround. What God needs, however, is for us to persevere in our faith and prayers. We must not allow satan to alter our appointed times and God’s promised recovery by wearing us down. Don’t be intimidated. God will deal with His enemies, just as He did in Haggai’s day. Determine that nothing will stop us – wars, threats, fear, discouragement, setbacks, unbelief – nothing. Let’s finish this! Pray with me: Father, You have begun a good work in our nation. You’ve raised up a remnant determined to birth revival and see America accomplish all You destined for her. We are determined to see righteousness once again in our government, the young generation of Americans come to know You, and worldwide revival – at least a billion souls. We will not stop with just a foundation, yielding to opposition, fear, confusion, unbelief, discouragement, or selfishness. We will finish this reset! We WILL finish it! Raise up Haggais in our day who carry Your words. Stir the hearts of Your people. We ask for an infusion of strength and hope that all mental fatigue and emotional weariness be broken off the praying church. Send a wind of Holy Spirit to us now, we pray. Stir up believers, including pastors, whose hearts once burned with fire for revival and breakthrough but have now settled for less. Stir up intercessors who have allowed the fire to go out. Awaken us all to Your passion in this hour. May there be a roar of intercession released in this nation and the nations of the earth. We ask You, “Rend the heavens and come down!” We make these requests in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen. Our decree: We declare that God is with us; we will arise and build..! ********************* You can find this book, as well as Volume 1, on our websites: DutchSheets.org or GiveHim15.com. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------------------------ “Strong’s Hebrew: 2165. ןמָזְ (zeman) -- appointed time, occasion, season; time.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2165.htm. Accessed 12 May 2023. “Strong’s Hebrew: 1882. תדָּ (dath) -- decree, law.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1882.htm. Accessed 12 May 2023.

7 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-18-2023 September 18, 2023 “Hannah, We Were Right!” I want to encourage you today with an amazing account of God’s sovereign ability to work through us, in spite of our weaknesses. It was 2003, and the story begins with a dream sent to me by a friend. Lou Engle and Dutch were together, in a building used for banquets and other gatherings. Lou was talking to people around him about prayer and fasting and was growing frustrated that they were not listening to him, but instead were chattering and eating. Dutch, on the other hand, was being listened to by those around him. The scene changed, and Dutch approached Lou, handed him something I could not yet see in the dream, and said, "Here, Lou, if you will strike this, they will listen to you." Dutch also handed him a conductor's wand with which to strike the unseen object. Lou did as instructed, and a sound reverberated through the room. When the sound was heard, everyone began paying close attention to him. As Lou turned around to Dutch in the dream, what he struck could be seen - it was "the scales of justice." Dutch then looked at Lou and said, "This will crescendo on March the first." As I sought for insights concerning the dream, I knew the scales of justice referred to the judicial system. “Striking” them pictured intercession (the Hebrew word for intercession is paga, also translated as "strike the mark.")(1) The conductor's wand indicates agreement in prayer, since the Greek word for agreement is sunphoneo,(2) also the word for "symphony." That Lou and I were together and I handed him these items indicated a need for our partnership in the endeavor. In response to the dream, Lou and I launched a 40-day prayer initiative for the judicial system, focusing especially on the Supreme Court, leading up to March 1, Crescendo Day. Many people responded and joined us in prayer. Coinciding with the end of these forty days, I was scheduled to minister in England. Because of jetlag, my plan was to leave on February 28, rest on March 1, and begin the conference on March 2. The night before leaving (27th), I looked at the expiration date in my passport and realized I had been misreading it. The way it was written, in two different languages, had confused me. My passport had expired! I couldn't believe it. I felt foolish, embarrassed, angry, and panicky. Both Ceci and our 13-year-old (at the time) daughter Hannah had different reactions. They immediately felt that God was somehow behind this. I did not accept that and stated, "No, it's just my stupidity. I can't believe I did this. How could I have made such a mistake? I'm not a novice traveler. I should know how to read a passport. How could I have misread this date for the last couple of years?" "No," Hannah said adamantly, placing one hand on each of my cheeks and looking me in the eye. "God is in this. Be alert to what He may be doing." Early the next morning (the 28th), the day I was supposed to leave, I called the U.S. Passport Agency. "How can I get a passport renewed quickly?" I asked. This was in the day when everything was manual, and there was no internet or cell phones. "You will have to call one of the U.S. passport offices [the worker listed approximately ten cities], schedule an appointment, travel there, submit your application, and if there are no problems, they will issue you a new passport," she said. "But it is difficult to get an appointment on short notice. Most offices are booked up several days, sometimes even weeks, ahead.” Great, I thought. I knew I would be at least a day or two late for this overseas conference, if I made it at all. But since I wasn't scheduled to speak until the latter half, I realized it might be possible to get there for most of my teaching slots - IF I COULD GET AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE NEXT DAY IN ONE OF THE PASSPORT-ISSUING CITIES, SECURE THE NECESSARY FLIGHTS TO GET THERE, AND THEN REBOOK ALL NEW FLIGHTS TO ENGLAND! I then asked, "Of all of the passport office cities you have mentioned, which would you recommend I try?" She thought for a moment and said, "I think you should try Philadelphia." I hung up, and called the Philadelphia office; surprisingly, they had an opening at nine the next morning (March 1). I was able to get the last seat on the last flight into Philadelphia late that night, in order to be at the passport office early the next morning. I was also able to get new flights to England for the next afternoon, should I be successful in renewing the passport. On the way to the Philadelphia passport office the following morning, I noticed that it was only a block away from the Liberty Bell and Constitution Hall, where our government was formed. I had prayed there many times, and it was a special place for me. As I rode in the taxi, I found myself thinking, Wouldn't it be wonderful if I was here to pray? Then, while filling out my forms, I wrote the day's date, March 1. Only then did I make the connection: today was the last day of the forty days of prayer for the courts. Crescendo Day! What a shame, I thought. It’s Crescendo Day, and instead of praying, I'm distracted by this mess. I wish I were here to pray instead of dealing with this situation. Then I thought, what if I end up with time to go to Constitution Hall and pray? Were Hannah and Ceci right that God is involved in this? No, I won't have any time to pray. This will take all morning; then I have to rush from here to the airport to catch the flight to London - if I even get my passport in time. No, I wish I were here for that reason, but I’m not. After my forms were filled out and I was called to the counter, the agent looked over my information and then said, "You have approximately a 2-hour wait. Please return in two hours." "Don't I need to wait here?" I asked. "We prefer that you don’t," she said. "It gets too crowded; find something to do and return in two hours, at 11:00." As her words sank in, I began to sense God's presence, Holy Spirit's anointing. Suddenly, I knew in my heart all of this WAS arranged by God. He had caused me to misread the expiration date in order to get me to Philadelphia on Crescendo Day of this assignment. I did not yet know where or what to pray, but I knew God had orchestrated it. First, I walked to the Liberty Bell and decreed over America the verse written on it, Leviticus 25:10. Then I went to Constitution Hall and prayed through that building. When finished, however, I knew my assignment still wasn't accomplished. I kept asking the Lord, “Why am I here?” Finally, as I was about to leave the premises, my attention was drawn to an adjacent building. I had never been inside and didn’t know what it was. But I felt Holy Spirit's urgent prompting and heard, “Go in THERE.” I decided to obey, not even knowing if the building was open to the public. Inside, I found a guard and an old courtroom. Again I sensed a strong anointing of Holy Spirit. "What is this place?" I asked the guard. "This is where the Supreme Court met before moving to Washington, D.C." he said. I could not believe what I was hearing and replied in astonishment, "Are you telling me this was the home of America’s Supreme Court?" "Yes," he said, "in this very room." I was speechless. I knew that Lou Engle, my counterpart in the dream, was with a team in front of the Supreme Court in D.C., at that very moment, "striking the scales of justice" through intercession. And here I was, the other guy in the dream, standing at the birthplace, the root, of America’s government and the previous home of the Supreme Court - on Crescendo Day! In God's amazing sovereignty, He had orchestrated this entire series of events to get me to the very place of our nation’s birth, and the root of our judicial system. While Lou was decreeing in D.C., I was decreeing over the root, "striking" the Supreme Court of America in prayer. I decreed God’s Word, commanding a return of our judicial system to its original intent. I knew I was there to call it back “Under God,” to decree that the Supreme Court would honor life and morality. Quietly but boldly, I commanded God's Kingdom to come, His will to be done, and a rebirth of His purposes for the Supreme Court of America. Crescendo Day! God gave a young lady a dream, determined the expiration date of my passport, caused me to misread it, motivated a passport agent to direct me to Philadelphia, created an opening for me at just the right time, reserved me a seat on the last flight, and led me to a building I did not even know existed - all in order for His words to be decreed over the root of our government. And I never missed one of my sessions in England. What a God! I called home and excitedly told my 13-year-old, “Hannah, we were right…!” Pray with me: Father, we marvel at Your ability to orchestrate events. We are amazed at Your greatness and power. Our faith that America shall be saved is not in our prayers, abilities, or understanding. It is in You to whom we pray. It is in Your mercy, the blood of Jesus, and Your eternal Word. Our weaknesses make us stronger as they remind us of where our faith must remain. They remind us that our help comes from You, maker of heaven and earth. So, as we “strike” with our words of intercession, we believe fully that our prayers are effective. Our decrees establish things in the spirit realm. Our words are a sword, piercing darkness, and tearing down strongholds. We declare over America today that our government is being invaded by a force from heaven that cannot and will not be stopped. And we declare this, in the name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We decree that evil in the judicial system of America is being shaken down by the power of God. ************************** Portions of today’s post were taken from my book Authority in Prayer (published by Baker Books). Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------------------------- 1. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 6293. 2. Ibid, ref. no. 4856.

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-8-2023 September 8, 2023 Tenacity In 1977 I heard my first sermon by John Garlock, the greatest communicator I’ve had the privilege of listening to. John, now in heaven, was one of my professors at Christ For the Nations Institute. The message was on the subject of tenacity and had 3 points, which I remember to this day, 46 years later. John was that good. Today’s post is taken from that message. Tenacity, of course, is the quality of persevering, refusing to quit, and holding fast - like a bulldog on a bone. I found the following synonyms in my good ole phone dictionary: courage, determination, grit, heart, resoluteness, and resolve. On the less formal, slang side of the synonym list, I found gutsiness, intestinal fortitude, stick-to-itiveness, and true grit. Pick your word or phrase, but tenacity is the determination to hang in there when the hangin’ ain’t easy. (Brother Garlock, as we called him in the day, would probably cringe at my choice of words!) This great wordsmith illustrated tenacity, and the lack thereof, with the following poem: “Two frogs fell into a can of cream, or so it has been told. The sides of the can were shiny and steep; the cream was deep and cold. ‘Oh, what’s the use?’ said number one. ‘It’s plain no help’s around. Goodbye, my friend, goodbye, sad world.’ And weeping still, he drowned. “But number two, of sterner stuff, dog paddled in surprise, The while he licked his creamy lips and blinked his creamy eyes. ‘I’ll swim at least a while.’ he thought. Not once, he stopped to mutter. Then hopped out from the island he had made of freshly churned butter.” (Author unknown) Point # 1 Professor Garlock took his text that day from 2 Samuel 23:8-12, a passage about David’s Mighty Men. The first warrior mentioned is Adino the Eznite, “Who killed 800 men at one time” (verse 8). Garlock said Adino pictured “Tenacity in the face of impossible odds.” This feat is difficult to imagine, killing 800 enemy soldiers in one battle. We are not told how Adino did it, but obviously, Yahweh made up for that which his tenacious nature couldn’t supply. He does that. Perhaps Adino backed himself against a large rock or wall, where only one or two enemies at a time could get to him, and fought them with his spear. He killed one, then a dozen…twenty…fifty…and still they came. But this warrior was tenacious and fought on. But come on - 800? Impossible! Not if God is on your side, and you refuse to give up. The odds against us become irrelevant when Yahweh fights for us. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) Gideon defeated 135,000 Midianites (Judges 8:10) with 300 warriors (Judges 7:6). He was facing 400 to 1 odds, but heaven fought for him. If you have the tenacity to stand for truth, even in the face of overwhelming odds, God will show up and fight for you. Point # 2 Then there was Eleazar, son of Dodo the Ahohite. “He rose up and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and it clung to the sword, and the Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder the dead” (Verse 10). Eleazar pictured “Tenacity in the face of overwhelming fatigue,” said Garlock. True warriors sometimes have to dig a little deeper. One of the synonyms above was “heart,” and Eleazar had this second heart, located in his soul. When he could no longer hold his sword with physical strength, he held on with his heart! When the battle ended, they had to peel Eleazar’s fingers off the sword. Sustained prayer requires this level of “stick-to-itiveness.” Warriors of intercession only quit when they’ve won. George Müller was a tenacious prayer warrior. One example of his persistence is related by **** Eastman in his book, No Easy Road. He quotes Müller as saying: “‘The great point is never to give up until the answer comes. I have been praying for sixty-three years and eight months for one man’s conversion. He is not saved yet, but he will be. How can it be otherwise . . . I am praying.’”(1) Eastman continues, “The day came when Müller’s friend received Christ. It did not come until Müller’s casket was lowered into the ground. There, near an open grave, this friend gave his heart to God. Prayers of perseverance had won another battle. Müller’s success may be summarized in four powerful words: He did not quit.”(2) Success in life, and certainly in faith and intercession, requires this intangible quality of tenacity. Without it, you cannot win; but with it, you cannot lose. POINT #3 Last but not least in Garlock’s message was Shammah. He risked his life for a plot of peas. “Now after him was Shammah, the son of Agee, a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into an army where there was a plot of land full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it, and struck the Philistines; and the Lord brought about a great victory” (Verses 11-12). Professor Garlock called this “Tenacity in the face of a humble assignment.” One can almost envision the assignments being handed out for the battle that day. “Tom, you guard our leader, David. Protect him with your life! Joe, you protect the women and children. Their lives depend on you, your skill, and bravery.” Shammah waits anxiously for his noble assignment. What will he risk his life to save? The ark of the covenant? David’s abode? Perhaps all of the livestock? Then it comes: “Shammah! Protect that pea patch over there!” “Huh? You gotta be kidding!” would have been the response of many warriors. But not Shammah. “Yes, sir! Only over my dead body will anyone get to the peas!” God loved it so much He put it in His book! Three thousand years later, we are still reading about Shammah. And I suspect he has a prominent place in heaven, though he obviously won’t care where he is positioned. Tenacity in the face of a humble assignment! We live in a world filled with people looking for success, fame, fortune, prestige, advancement, power, and glory; they are a dime a dozen, trying to make a name for themselves. Servants, not so much. But you WILL find many of them in the prayer movement. They are fine with closets, back rooms, small groups, lonely trails, and back roads. Nameless and faceless, you’ll recognize these praying servants by their broken hearts, calloused knees, red eyes, and perhaps sword imprints on their hands - not by their faces or names. Heaven knows them well, however, as does hell. Counterparts of David’s Mighty Men, are Christ’s Mighty Women and Men, tenacious warriors and freedom fighters…in the face of impossible odds, overwhelming fatigue, and humble assignments. Next time you see one, thank them for their service. Pray with me: Father, I thank You once again for the Ekklesia company of intercessors here in America and around the world. Those who know how to partner with You to accomplish Your Kingdom projects and enterprises. You have trained them well, and they are ready for such a time as this. They are the Simeon’s, Anna’s, Epaphras’s, and Cornelius’s of our day. We pray, now, that You keep them strong and tenacious, full of faith and endurance. May they not grow weary in their doing of good, but become stronger and stronger, just as You describe in Isaiah 40:30-31. Teach them to ride the wind; remind them to wait upon You, drawing Your very strength into their souls and bodies, just as their spirits are renewed every day. Give them great focus and laser accuracy. May each one grow to the same level Paul walked in when he said, regarding the persecution he experienced, “None of these things move me” (Acts 20:24). And, Father, we continue to make our declarations and decrees over America: America shall be saved. America’s covenant of trumpeting the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the Earth is alive and well. America shall be divinely reset. The Kingdom of God in America will survive any shaking. The evil forces, systems, agencies, and leaders in our government will be dealt with by God Himself, who rules over the nations. Righteousness will return to our White House, Capitol, Supreme Court, and the agencies they control. The fear of the Lord will return to our land. Justice will be restored. Corrupt prosecutors will be exposed and removed. The innocent will be vindicated. Racism will be removed from our land, as will the people and organizations who foment it. Revival will come to the children and youth of America. They will be saved from the evil trying to destroy them. Revival will come to all ethnicities and age groups. Revival will erupt in the nations of the earth. The strength of all past revivals will be combined and released into the earth, destroying millennia-old strongholds, and saving 1 billion souls. This will not be stopped. We ask for and decree all of these things in the name of Jesus, the Almighty God, whom America has declared herself under. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we, the Ekklesia of Christ, have tenacious hearts infused with God’s strength. We never quit, and will not waver. Our dear friend Ruthanne Garlock, John Garlock’s lovely wife, is a prolific author. You can find more information about Ruthanne as well as books by both of them, at GarlockMinistries.org. One of Ceci’s all-time favorite books is there, entitled Before We Kill and Eat You. It’s the story of John’s father, a fearless missionary, who served God in dark Liberia, where facing death by cannibals left no possible retreat. The only protection was his faith in God. ********************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------- **** Eastman, No Easy Road (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1971), pp. 96-97. Ibid. pp. 97-98.

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-7-2023 September 7, 2023 A Job Well Done Today’s post is a thank you and “well done” to the thousands of you who participated in the amazing prayer effort of the last three months. In all my years of involvement with the prayer movement in America, this is the broadest, Holy Spirit-initiated and orchestrated prayer effort I have seen. Hundreds of thousands participated. I am absolutely confident we have fulfilled the assignment of the Lord. Tears filled my eyes while reading your reports and of the incredible ways Holy Spirit has led you in this effort. THANK YOU for miles of walking, hundreds of miles of biking, thousands of miles of driving, flying over states and regions, many hours of interceding over maps, and praying by yourselves as well as in teams. THANK YOU for driving stakes in the ground, anointing borders with oil, burying Scriptures and arrowheads, waving flags, traipsing through woods, standing on Capitol steps praying, altering your services, taking communion, giving up vacations and days off - you are amazing! I feel the pleasure of Holy Spirit on all that you have done. It would be utterly impossible to share all the reports. And although many sent pictures, we decided not to post on the website where the arrowheads were being buried, in order not to allow tampering with them. I am going to share just a few testimonies of supernatural occurrences, without mentioning the state or person involved. In no way do I want comparisons made regarding one state versus another. What these few reports do accomplish, however, is confirm Holy Spirit’s involvement. One brother shared that after planting the first arrowhead, he was struggling to hear where to place the other five. While praying over the five remaining arrowheads in their pouch, Holy Spirit directed him to First Samuel 17, where David faced Goliath. He was sovereignly led to verse 40, which says, “Then he took his staff in his hand and chose for himself FIVE SMOOTH STONES from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, that is, IN HIS SHEPHERD’S POUCH and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.” At that moment, Holy Spirit told this brother what to do with the five smooth arrowheads in his pouch! Numerous testimonies came of rainbows, appearing before, during, or after the burying of an arrowhead. One team sent me a picture of them standing in a circle, praying around the point where they buried the arrowhead. In the photo, a shaft of light came from above them, ending on the spot where they buried it. Many were led to places in our nation where significant covenants were entered into, powerful revivals occurred, treaties were made or broken, laws were enacted, cities were established, colleges were founded, saints of old were buried, and more. A person bicycled through all the boroughs of New York. One couple, who had been sent the arrowheads, went to a new doctor for the first time. While conversing with this doctor, who happened to be an intercessor, she mentioned praying for something. The couple asked if she followed Give Him 15, and she responded, “Yes. Just after listening this morning, I asked the Lord, ‘Who has the arrowheads for New York?’” The brother asked if she really knew how much God loved her and answered her prayers. She gave him a puzzled look and said, “Yes.” He responded that three months ago, when he made this appointment, the assignment had not yet even existed. But just yesterday, HE had received the six arrowheads. She was ecstatic. Testimony after testimony has poured in. Mary Glazier, our dear native friend from Alaska who prayed over all of the arrowheads, sent us pictures of where the 6 we sent back to her were buried. At one burial spot Holy Spirit led them to, as they dug the hole, they found another arrowhead IN THE VERY HOLE THEY WERE DIGGING.“ There are now two arrowheads in the hole!” she said. In a state twice the size of Texas, they were led to an exact spot, only a foot or so in diameter, that had another arrowhead in it. Try to make that one up! Another team had already buried their six arrowheads, and a team member said, “It is too bad we don’t have another arrowhead to bury in [a particular place].” Another team member replied, “Maybe the Lord will provide one.” When they arrived at this location and were walking on the beach praying, they looked down and there was another arrowhead! They planted the seventh one there! On and on the testimonies go. Please trust me when I say every single one of your stories and reports touched my heart immensely. You may not have found a second arrowhead, or seen a rainbow, but I am absolutely confident you were led by Holy Spirit in fulfilling the assignment. My spirit leaps over and over as I read the reports. Thank you! America has been secured, regardless of what the shaking may involve. I conclude with one of my favorite quotes from the great Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. It hangs on the wall of my studio. “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” (1) Thank you for climbing into the arena! The prayer today is for you. Just receive! Father, thank You for the wonderful brothers and sisters You have given me. They are bold, full of faith, filled with Holy Spirit, and determined to see America saved. They are also determined that nothing will stop the billion soul harvest You have planned. They don’t care who receives the credit, and do not care if their names are known. But You know who they are - every single one of them. They are doers of Your word, not hearers only. They’re men and women of action, of hard work, and who are willing to sacrifice. They serve Your purposes, not their own. They know Your Word, believe Your promises, and walk in Your ways. They are Your family…and Your Ekklesia. I pray a special blessing over them today. Strengthen them, encourage them, heal their bodies, renew their youth like the eagle, save their families, and bring their prodigals home. Bless them financially, and may they drink from the cup of Your faithfulness all of their days. I speak over them now: “The Lord bless you, and keep you; the Lord cause His face to shine on you, And be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His face to you, And give you peace.’” (Numbers 6:24-26 NASB) In Jesus’ name, Amen. ******************* Click on the link below to watch the full video. ---------------------------------- https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/63389/roosevelts-man-arena

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-5-2023 September 5, 2023 Burn the Ships In 1519, the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés set sail for Mexico with 11 ships and between 600 and 700 men. His goal was to conquer the Aztecs and establish a Spanish settlement. The Aztecs were a very cruel people and performed thousands of human sacrifices to their gods every year. They also captured and possessed many slaves. Their population upon Cortés’ arrival was approximately five million. Mathematically, the odds were stacked against Cortés and his men by a ratio of 7,541 to 1. Two previous expeditions had failed, yet he succeeded and conquered much of the South American continent. What Cortés did at the beginning of this endeavor is the stuff of legends. Some say the actions were a result of his men becoming so intimidated by the odds and hardships that they decided to give up and go home. Others say Cortés didn’t even wait for that to occur before taking this drastic measure. Either way, Cortés left no doubt that they were staying. “Burn the ships!” he commanded his officers. Cortés removed the option, turning the mission into an all-or-nothing proposition.(1) In the 1990s, Steven Curtis Chapman released a song about this action of Cortés, comparing it to the Christian faith. Our entire family loved the song. I’ll provide a link for you to be able to listen to it at the end of today’s post. Here is the first verse and chorus: “In the spring of 1519, a Spanish fleet set sail Cortés told his sailors this mission must not fail On the eastern shore of Mexico, they landed with great dreams But the hardships of the new world make them restless and weak Quietly they whispered, ‘Let's sail back to the life we knew’ But the one who led them there was saying "Burn the ships we're here to stay There's no way we could go back Now that we've come this far by faith Burn the ships we've passed the point of no return Our life is here, so let the ships burn and burn." Life gives us many opportunities to burn the ships. Not physical sailing vessels, of course, but ships made of thoughts in our minds and hearts. We say to our mind and emotions, “I’ve made my decision; there is no reversing it. I’m not going back.” It may be removing the option of returning to bad habits. Or we might close the door to the pain of yesterday’s losses. We must move on from setbacks, hope deferred, and failed dreams. And hopefully, we have burned the ships of retreat to our old life of sin. We must also burn the ships at times when we set our sails toward great endeavors and dreams. Along the way, we will always be met with adversity, detours, and failures. The best way to keep from giving up is to enter the sanctum of our hearts at the onset and remove the option. Our Founding Fathers were burning the ships when they signed their names to the Declaration of Independence: When they pledged their “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor;” (2) when Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty or give me death” (3) when Lewis Morris said, “Damn the consequences, give me the pen,” (4) they were all burning the ships. When Jesus said, “No man, having put his hand to the plow and turning back, is fit for the kingdom of God,” He was saying, “Burn the ships.” When He became a microscopic seed and was planted in the womb of a virgin teenager, Christ burned the ships. When Johann Leonhard Dober and David Nitschmann, two young Moravian Brethren from Herrnhut, Germany, were called in 1732 to minister to the African slaves on the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix in the Danish West Indies, they were told they would not be allowed to do such a thing. So Dober and Nitschmann sold themselves to a slave owner and boarded a ship bound for the West Indies.(5) As the ship pulled away from the docks, they called out to their loved ones on shore, "May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering!" When they sold themselves to preach the gospel to an oppressed people, they were burning the ships. The generation of Israelites that came out of Egypt failed to burn the ships. When times got tough, they said to Moses, “We want to go back to Egypt.” Only Joshua and Caleb had burned their ships. (see Numbers 14:4) Esther burned the ships when deciding she would risk all for her Jewish family. “If I perish, I perish,” she said. Then she broke protocol, approached the king, and saved a nation! (see Esther 4:16) When William Wallace said, “Every man dies, not every man really lives…they may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom!”(6) he was burning the ships. When God imparted His heart for America to me in 2000; when He showed me His great need for a strong America, loyal to Him; when He made it clear to me that America’s destiny, given by Him, was to trumpet the gospel of the Kingdom to all the nations of the earth; when He and I wept together for three and a half hours over her fallen condition; when I accepted the mantle to see her return to Him through a third great awakening…I burned the ships. Revival in America is not optional. Intercession to birth this revival isn’t either. Some who have prayed in the past have given up. They have gone back to passivity and complacency. We have counted the cost, however, committed to the cause, and determined that we will see this assignment through to a restored and revived America. Pray with me: Father, Thank You for Your determination to redeem us. Lord Jesus, we thank You for persevering through the incarnation, Cross, and punishment for our sins. Thank You for burning the ships. Likewise, we pledge our allegiance to You and Your cause around the world. Indeed, as the Moravian brothers stated, may You receive the reward of Your suffering. Father, we ask for an infusion of new strength and determination to those praying to see America revived and transformed. May we be found faithful as we serve Your purpose in our generation. We thank You for the incredible calling You have on our nation. We have repented for rejecting it and turning from You. Now we appeal to You, just as our Founders did, deliver us from the strongholds of evil that have bound us. Give us a fresh start. Cause the fires of revival to burn in our nation as they never have before. We pray for the children, youth, and young adults of America. We have allowed filth and lies to be poured into our nation for six decades. This caused such severe spiritual decay and loss of truth that most of this young generation has seen no true representation of You. They have been fed lies and deception. They need Your powerful intervention and rescue. Come and save them! Again today, we pray for our government; it is out of control, ruled by such evil that we now mutilate children and sell them, which is promoted and celebrated by those at the highest levels of government. Lies abound, injustice is rampant, unrighteous laws are enacted, and our government is now weaponized against its citizens. Bring these evils down. Expose them. Continue to awaken the American people to these evils. And we pray for those on the front lines of this battle against the giant of unrighteous government. Give financial support to those spending millions to fight this battle; give them great endurance and faith. Work miracle after miracle to turn the tables on the darkness ruling our land. And we pray these things in Jesus’ name, amen. Our decree: We declare that we will never turn back, we will never give up on seeing America saved. And America SHALL be saved. ************************* Click on the link below to watch the full video. ---------------------------------------------------- https://www.livescience.com/39238-hernan-cortes-conqueror-of-the-aztecs.html https://www.americanheritage.com/we-mutually-pledge-each-other-our-lives-our-fortunes-and-our-sacred-honor https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/deep-dives/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-death/ https://constitutingamerica.org/90day-dcin-lewis-morris-major-general-new-york-militia-delegate-second-continental-congress-signer-declaration-of-independence-guest-essayist-tom-hand/ https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/missionaries-against-terrible-odds https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/william_wallace_185156

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-1-2023 September 1, 2023 Yota, Please do not combine this with Part 1 Identifying the Five Giants, Part 2 Before we continue with the dream from yesterday, I want to mention that the Paint Your State/Command the Foreword assignment has now been completed. Thousands participated in this assignment, including many of you - THANK YOU! We continue to agree with the prayers that have been prayed that our individual state borders have all been covered. The reports have been amazing. We will continue to pray for our borders and our nation, as I sense that September and the following months are critical. We must do our part through prayer and spiritual warfare. REVIEW Yesterday, I began discussing a dream given several months ago, in which the Ekklesia fought five giants in America (Part 1). We used the boxing gloves given to me in a dream several years ago with the words Everlast and Evergreen printed on them. You can read a post regarding this here. Everlast is actually a name of God; evergreen represents covenant. The boxing team from the Ekklesia trained and fought in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, America’s birthplace. The battlefield where the 5-round fight would ultimately take place was in the shape of America and surrounded by evergreen trees. Our record as a team was 22 wins and no losses, representing the authority spoken of in Isaiah 22:22 and Matthew 16:18-19. The upcoming 23rd fight represented this year, 2023, and if we won the fight, it would also give us victory the next year, 2024. Our adversaries had tried to stop the fight through legal efforts, but were unsuccessful. This is certainly happening now. God had actually sped/moved up the date for the fight. The other details can be seen by reading yesterday’s post. The remaining portion of the dream is long and detailed. I do not feel it is necessary to share those details, and will simply summarize portions of it. It includes descriptions of the five giants, five scenes representing five rounds, Scriptures for biblical insight and the strategies needed to defeat them. In each scene, the giant was trying to kill a wounded eagle, which represented America. Each boxer/warrior from the Ekklesia wore the two gloves, which transformed into different types of gloves suitable for their needs when they put them on. Each round became warfare battles, instead of boxing rounds. They were also given bows, arrows, and a battle ax, each with different Scriptures written on them. Every arrow contained the word radah, which is the Hebrew word for dominion or authority.(1) Each giant was assisted by a different type of large animal. I said in yesterday's post I would identify these five giants today. After praying throughout the evening, however, I don’t believe this is wise. I feel that I should wait to identify the last two. I apologize for being presumptuous regarding this. GIANT #1 The first giant was the spirit of religion. Though this was somewhat surprising to me, it should not have been. This spirit works to produce one of the greatest deceptions possible - replacing a true relationship with God, provided through Christ, with religion: works, rituals, mindsets, rules, and idolatry/false gods. It emphasizes form over power, and works over grace. It specializes in creating deception, legalism, and wrong concepts of God. It negates the true ways and power of God through traditions and the teachings of men. It ultimately leads people farther from God, rather than drawing them to God. In the dream, this spirit was assisted by a large cheetah, picturing stealth, subtlety, and camouflage (many different spots or markings). I believe the battle pictured with this spirit has been occurring for some time. I also believe a major blow was delivered to this spiritual stronghold several months ago through a series of prayer efforts orchestrated by Holy Spirit. Obviously, demonic spirits are not killed when they are defeated, which means the ability for them to continue their efforts will not end. But I believe the root that gave this giant the ability to successfully operate in America has been severed. I also believe this had to occur before the coming revival could take place. The key passage for this battle was Revelation 12:10-11. GIANT #2 The second giant in the dream was the spirit of witchcraft and sorcery, empowered by Roe, the legal, governmental decree allowing the shedding of innocent blood in our land. He was assisted by a large monkey, which, according to various sources I have looked at symbolizes mockery, lust, freedom, greed, the devil, and more. Before the battle, the giant went to the middle of the field and began chanting, calling on his gods to help him. The back of this spirit was broken last June when Roe was overturned. Although, the ruling did not end abortion in America, it did end the national governmental decree. God can now deal with this sin on an individual and state level, not through the curse it created over our entire nation. The key passage for this battle was Psalm 82. GIANT #3 The third giant and battle represents corrupt government, including globalism, and is the battle we are now engaged in. He was assisted by a dragon, one of the biblical pictures of demons, and of satan himself. In the dream, this giant was very large, and the battle was very intense. The Scriptures needed to win this round were Daniel 6:4, Luke 18:4-8, and Psalm 149:5-9. In this portion of the dream, the eagle was blindfolded, meaning it was deceived and could not see clearly. At one point, it was actually trying to attack those fighting to save it. Again, this is happening now - our government is attacking those endeavoring to save America. I feel it is incredibly important that we pray much for those now being attacked by this spirit operating through our corrupt government, and for those representing them legally. It would be easy to allow all these processes to simply play out and see what happens. But in the dream, we were to attack and battle this spirit. Do not allow the defendants and their attorneys to fight these battles on their own. The enemy is trying to wear them down, break them financially, produce fear, and silence all opposition to the injustice in our land. Pray against this daily, using these verses from the dream. Holy Spirit will give you others. Decree that truth and justice will prevail, and that all injustice will be exposed and defeated. Holy Spirit will show you how to pray but please do so. When the giant was defeated, the eagle could again see clearly and began to partner with those warring against the giant. God wants and needs a righteous government in America. The coming shaking must expose and tear down these evil strongholds. That is why we have been commanding the foreword and fulfilling the other prayer assignments. Please continue to bathe these efforts we have made in prayer daily. And remain strong in faith! GIANTS #4 AND #5 I feel I am to wait before revealing and discussing the fourth and fifth giants. When the time is right and I have confirmation, I will do so. Pray with me: Father, we are very grateful for the victories we have experienced through our prayers to restore America. Thank You for the restoration You have done in the church, restoring our understanding of the gifts Christ gave us and the authority we have been given as Your Ekklesia. Thank You for the spirit of revelation regarding worship that now permeates much of the body of Christ. Thank You for the emphasis/movement of prayer we have experienced over the last three decades. The religious spirit has indeed been pushed back, his hold broken. Thank You also for the reversing of Roe. This national curse has been broken! And we thank You in advance for shaking down the evil structures and systems in our government that oppose You, our freedoms, and the constitutional republic You gave us. Though the coming shaking will not be pleasant, it is necessary, and will be fruitful. It will not destroy us; it is part of Your divine reset, and will preserve us as a nation. We are ready, we are protected, and we will overcome. Now, we pray for those on the front lines of this battle against the giant of unrighteous government. Our government is out of control, ruled by such evil that we now mutilate children and sell them, which is promoted and celebrated by those at the highest levels of government. Lies abound, injustice is rampant, unrighteous laws are enacted, and our government is now weaponized against its citizens. Bring these evils down. Expose them. Continue to awaken the American people to these evils. Give financial support to those spending millions to fight this battle; give them great endurance and faith. Work miracle after miracle to turn the tables on the darkness ruling our land. And we pray these things in Jesus’ name, amen. Our decree: We decree that the King and Judge over all the earth will have His way, and His purposes will be fulfilled in this hour. *************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------------------- James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 7287.

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-31-2023 August 31, 2023 Identifying the Five Giants, Part 1 Several years ago, a person had a dream about me in which I boxed five giants. I have spoken of this dream often, and you can read about it here. I knocked out all five giants in five rounds, and did so wearing gloves that read “Everlast” and “Evergreen.” I knew the dream was about America and the spiritual strongholds ruling her, and I knew I represented the Ekklesia, not myself alone. I did not know exactly what the giants represented. Though I had guesses, I knew I needed to wait until Holy Spirit identified them. I now believe He has done so in the dream I will share with you today and tomorrow. This current dream depicts the Ekklesia fighting five giants, wearing the 2 gloves I wore in the original dream. The Recent Dream “The dream began with [several leaders of the Ekklesia] walking down a sidewalk, past shops, until we came to a door at the side of one of the shops. Inside were stairs leading up into an old boxing gym in the old town of Philadelphia, PA.” My Comments The dream began with leaders in the church headed to a boxing gym in Philadelphia, the place of our nation's birth. Obviously, other cities played a significant role in America’s beginning, but ultimately, Philadelphia became the birthing room. I have often said that Washington, D.C., is not the root; it is the fruit. The root determines what type of fruit a tree or plant bears. The ungodly in Washington, D.C., do not have the God-given right to determine the fruit of this nation. God determined the fruit long ago, and it is found in our roots: the Declaration, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Bible upon which these documents were founded. The Dream “In the dream, we knew we had been coming to this gym for years to train and fight. On that day, we were there to prepare for a soon-coming series of scheduled fights. We were stablemates (part of the same group/team), and I (the person who had the dream) knew I was a “chief second” (the person in command of a boxer's corner during a bout]; and there were other “seconds” with me. We had all fought in several fights as professional fighters, and had been part of this team for a very long time. “As we approached the door to the gym, Gabriel, the archangel, met us saying, ‘You will not go to the gym today to train. The training for the fight ahead of you is over. Your request for the fight date to be moved up was granted, and you are going straight into a championship fight now.’" My Comments Do not be afraid of the battle ahead of us. We, the Ekklesia have been trained for this, and are well prepared to defeat the giants opposing God’s purposes and plan in our land. We will continue to love our human enemies, but we will oppose the spiritual forces behind the evil and defeat the plans they orchestrate in America. As an answer to our prayers, God has sped up the timing of this battle. The Dream “We all were stunned because the opponent had filed a lawsuit to void the fight. Gabriel said, ‘[Ekklesia], they have billed you as an upstart and the underdog. The media has labeled you as one who has never fought a serious fight. They say you are a trial horse, a journeyman who has gotten lucky a few times, but not a champion.’ He looked at one of the leaders of the team with a very stern look and, laying his hands on his shoulders, said, ‘Your record is 22-0. You are going into the ring for the 23rd win. As a matter of fact, this fight will constitute two wins for the one who emerges victorious. So your record should be 24-0 when the battle is over. You will be a World Champion in this 23rd fight if you can stay on your feet and not give up. You have a strong chin and can take a punch. You have taken some seriously devastating punches and been knocked down, but you have never been knocked out. Focus, and your ring generalship will be the day's order. There will be no going to the cards.’” My Comments The number 22 represents Isaiah 22:22, keys of authority to open and close, bind and loose (also Matthew 16:18-19). I believe the number 23 represents the year we are in. This is the time, the year, in which we absolutely must win. If we fight as we have been taught and trained, we will win, not only this year, but in ‘24. I speak not primarily of the elections, but of much more. I am referring to God’s divine reset of our nation, which includes the elections. As the dream states, we have taken some serious punches and have even been knocked down, but we still stand. And heaven says we can win this fight, if we remain focused. There will be no “going to the cards,” a decision based on points; there will be a knockout. The Dream “Gabriel then turned and spoke to all the boxers, ‘You will all fight on the same card.’ “A team member said, ‘You mean we are on the undercard?’ “The Angel replied, ‘Make no mistake, there is no undercard. All of these offensives will be billed as one championship fight. You will get one round each and have to share the same gloves and “seconds” (teammates) to win this fight.’” My Comments The Ekklesia must fight together, as one, in this battle - no “big MEs, little YOUs.” No superstars, no personal agendas. The praying church must work together, fulfilling the assignments given to them by Holy Spirit, both individually and corporately - just as we have been doing. There will, of course, be leaders and generals giving direction and strategy. But all will receive personal instructions, as well. We will war together, just as we have done recently painting the borders of our nation, commanding the foreword, and burying the arrowheads. Gabriel said, “You will…share the same gloves and teammates to win this fight.” The Dream “Another teammate spoke up and said, ‘I have the gloves right here in your gym bag, Dutch. They are ready to lace up. Everything is ready!’ “Gabriel said, ‘Control your emotions and beware the feint of the enemy!’” My Comments Do not fear. And do not be taken advantage of by the distractions, the feints - lies, false reports, threats, character attacks, unjust lawsuits, evil rulings from evil judges, and more. Control your emotions and stay focused on the word of the Lord! This is exactly what God told Joshua in the first chapter of the book of Joshua: “Listen to Me, Joshua, not your enemies! Act; don’t react! Yes, you will have to fight, but listen to and obey Me, and you will win!” The Dream “As Gabriel finished speaking, the scene in the dream changed, and we were standing on a large plateau overlooking a vast field of battle shaped like the United States. It was outlined with very tall and old evergreen trees. We knew this field was ours, and we would fight on it soon. We no longer wore gym attire, but were now dressed in military battle attire. Each of those in the dream who were to engage in this soon-coming fight wore a crown, had a bow with arrows, and a battle ax.” My Comments What more needs to be said? The battlefield was America, and it belonged to us. It was outlined with old evergreen trees, which symbolize covenant and prayer - the appeal to heaven. We have spoken and written much regarding this. We were no longer in boxing clothes, but military attire - it was time to fight. We each wore a crown, symbolizing the authority of King Jesus, had a bow and arrows, which should remind you of recent activities, and a battle ax. As the dream continued, we fought five giants. I will share that with you tomorrow. Pray with me: Father, we have obeyed Your directions in every way we know how. When You have told us to go, we have gone; when You have instructed us to decree, we have decreed; and when You have said to stand, we have done our best to stand. None of us have done these things perfectly, but You have never required perfection, only our best efforts at obedience. We know the battle for America’s turnaround and revival is not over, but we also know that You are about to act. You have drawn Your sword and met us outside Jericho. You, the Captain, are in charge and prepared to once again enforce Your victory and authority over this land. Psalm 2 is next on Your agenda. Evil leaders are about to be offered the final conditions: kiss the Son or experience His wrath. We pray that many humble themselves and repent, turning to You. We pray now for the Ekklesia. Give us courage, focus, resolve, endurance, wisdom, humility, servant hearts, unity, and discernment. As we lace up the Everlast and Evergreen gloves once again, we accept Your Word that we are ready and prepared for the battle. We pledge not to make this battle about us, our desires, our churches and ministries, but about Your great cause - Thine is the Kingdom, power, and glory. As we do these things, we ask You to act - decisively, strongly, and mercifully, all rolled into one. In Christ’s all-authority we pray, amen. Our decree: We declare that He to whom the nations have been given is coming to claim His harvest. ******************** Click on the link below to watch the full video.

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-30-2023 August 30, 2023 What Is A Prophetic Act? Every societal group develops its own culture and creates language associated with it, including denominations and spiritual movements. As examples, the Charismatic Movement often used the phrase “slain in the spirit,” referring to a person who fell down while being prayed for. Pentecostals and charismatics sometimes speak of God “moving in our midst.” Ever wonder what someone who has zero understanding of God envisions when hearing this? They probably wonder what type of “moves” He was making. Or perhaps, “Where did He go?” The stream of Christianity I was raised in spoke of death as “crossing Jordan’s chilly tide.” I’m sure the average unchurched individual understood that! They probably thought someone had just returned from “the Holy Land.” Most of our religious idiomatic phrases grow from beliefs and teachings emphasized in our denomination or movement. As I said, all groups do it, not just us religious folk. I recall hearing for the first time that someone was really “cool,” which, of course, had nothing to do with their body temperature, or that a “bad” person was actually good, outstanding or first-rate, as in “a really bad drummer.” What we often fail to consider is that those not part of our movement don’t always understand our lingo. Those of us in my stream (there’s another one!) speak of “prophetic acts.” The planting of the 300 arrowheads fits into this category. Today, I want to explain what we mean by a prophetic act and why we use the phrase. First, let’s look at the meaning of prophecy/the prophetic in a general sense. In our culture today, most people think of prophecy only in the context of predicting the future, but this is not the complete biblical meaning. The Hebrew word for prophecy is naba, which means “to speak or sing by inspiration.”(1) Some lexicons define it as “a bubbling up” (from our spirit); a “pouring forth of words,” or simply “to be inspired.”(2) In simple terms, to be prophetic is to hear or discern what God is saying; prophesying is the communicating of it. This “prophetic” information can be what God is saying about the future or the present. John the Baptist, referred to by Jesus as a great prophet (Luke 7:28), didn’t primarily predict the future, but declared what God was saying about the present. However, releasing the prophetic is not always done through words; at times, it is accomplished through actions. A prophetic “act” is simply performing an action God has instructed us to do. Like naba in general, the act can be pointing to the future, or related to now. In Acts 21:10-11, a prophet named Agabus used a prophetic act to picture the future - Paul being bound by Jews in Jerusalem. In Exodus 14:16-21, Moses was instructed by God to hold his rod out over the Red Sea, causing it to part, an act obviously relating to the present. Prophetic acts are sometimes used by God to picture a spiritual truth. God also uses them to release His power. Often they are a combination of both. Moses’ extended rod was a picture of God’s authority being released, but was also a prophetic act that released spiritual power. Where prophetic acts are concerned, the act in and of itself does not release power, of course, and sometimes seems to make no sense. If you or I take a staff to the ocean and extend it over the water, I promise you the waters will not part! Only when done in obedience to Holy Spirit do they release His power. When He has given the instruction, however, spiritual power is released, impacting the natural realm. When Moses held up his staff at Rephidim, it pictured Yahweh’s authority over the battle with Amalek (Exodus 17:9–13) and released spiritual power into the natural realm. When Moses held up the rod, Israel prevailed; when he lowered it due to fatigue, Amalek prevailed. Morale for the Israelite soldiers wasn’t the issue. They were busy fighting, not watching Moses, and probably didn’t even see the rod being raised and lowered. But the prophetic act of raising it was releasing authority and power in the heavenlies, the spirit realm, and the power was boomeranging back to earth, giving victory. Moses striking the rock in Exodus 17:6 is another example of a prophetic act. With this rod of authority, he struck the rock, and water gushed forth. God chose not only to give Israel water through this prophetic act, but also to picture Christ being smitten in order to release His living water. In 2 Kings 13:14–19, Elisha was dying, and King Joash came to him for advice one last time. The Assyrians were surrounding Israel, and he was desperate for some instructions from the prophet. Elisha performed a prophetic act: “Get your bow and arrows,” he said. Then he and the king put their hands on the bow together, shooting the arrow toward the enemy’s camp. Elisha then said, “That’s the arrow of the Lord’s deliverance, King. Now take these arrows and strike the ground.” The king was being tested. His actions were going to be prophetic. Not knowing what the prophet was up to, he took the arrows and struck the ground three times. Elisha was grieved and angry. “Three times you will have victory over your enemies, and then they will conquer you,” he said. “You should have struck with the arrows at least five or six times, then you would have conquered them!” “People were healed in Scripture through prophetic acts. Jesus made clay with saliva, rubbed it in a blind man’s eyes, and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam (John 9:6–7). Naaman the leper was told to dip in the Jordan River seven times (2 Kings 5:10–14); he didn’t like the instructions, but God offered no “Plan B.” God had chosen to work in this way, and only obedience to His chosen method would work. Why did Holy Spirit require the Ekklesia to take 300 arrowheads to Cape Henry, then Red River Meeting House, then bury 6 of them in each state? It seems obvious that He wanted to make a statement regarding the Native Americans. We must honor their role in our land, and God plans to include them in what He is about to do in America. Other prophetic acts are taking place in the actual planting of these arrowheads. God is leading teams to bury them in places that represent revival, the efforts of past generations, the shedding of innocent blood, government, borders, and more. As these instructions are obeyed, His authority is being activated, and power is being released. Pray with me: Father, so often You require some sort of action along with our prayers. Obedience AND faith are required to see Your will accomplished. Yet, our need to understand everything with our natural minds often gets in the way of spiritual obedience. Remind us that we must have faith like that of a child. If You say get out of the boat, we will get out of the boat. If You say, hit a rock, we will hit the rock. And when You say take a bin filled with arrowheads to a beach in Virginia, then take it to Kentucky, then mail them all over the country and bury them, we will do so! We are willing and obedient, and we will eat the fruit of the land (Isaiah 1:19). Thank You for the teams of people praying and burying these arrowheads in all the states. Thank You for the insights You are giving them as they do so, and for showing them where You want it done. We are conducting a Holy Spirit-initiated, Ekklesia-implemented, every state included, national prophetic act. You must love this! And we are confident that the generational, racial, and overall synergy being created in the spiritual realm by this obedience and agreement is incredible. On the strength of this, we declare now that America is secured, and Your purposes are being established. Your foreword is being moved forward. Evil is being overthrown, Haman will hang on his own gallows (Esther 7:10). The corrupt and political attempts to prosecute Trump and those who challenged the 2020 elections will be exposed and overturned. Justice will return to our land. The progressives, socialists, communists, and leftists will not succeed in their attempts to destroy the America You created and take over our land. A fearless Supreme Court with backbone and constitutional integrity will rise up. A shaking is coming that will dismantle evil, overthrow corruption in the government, and bring a biblical reset to America. These things will not be stopped, and America will be saved! We decree them in the name of Jesus. AMEN..! Our decree: We decree that the prophetic acts taking place across America over the past few weeks will accomplish everything God intended. **************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. --------------------------------------- James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 5012. Spiros Zodhiates, The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, KJV, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1984) p. 1611.