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https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-21-2025 May 21, 2025 Notable Miracles that Bring Awakening Part 2 We are continuing on the topic of notable miracles today because I believe Holy Spirit is renewing our minds when it comes to the topic of miracles, signs and wonders—the supernatural demonstrations of Jesus’ Kingdom. These are not secondary matters that should be subjects of controversy, but essential, non-negotiable expressions of our faith. Tim’s book, Angel Armies: God’s Supernatural Enforcers, is a timely and prophetic work that is reminding Jesus’s Ekklesia—you and me—of what time it is in the spirit. It’s time for us to see cities, regions, and entire geographies influenced by the Gospel. The New Testament Ekklesia of the book of Acts (and the first several hundred years of church history) regularly practiced proclamation AND demonstration; it was not one without the other. Undeniable gospel demonstrations of power and miracles accompanied gospel words. In the book, Tim shares: “Holy Spirit reminded the first Ekklesia of Christ’s words recorded in John 14:12: ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.’ “Again, it’s one of the things Holy Spirit does. We are told He brings all things to our remembrance [hupomimnesko](1). And no doubt, Peter and John remembered these words very clearly in the events that Luke captured in Acts chapter 3. “As they approached the gate called Beautiful, Holy Spirit filled them with a surge of power and great boldness. Peter fastened his eyes on the lame beggar and said, ‘Look up here at us.’ And when he did, expecting to receive alms or a donation, Peter said, ‘I’m not giving you silver, and I’m not giving you gold. I’ve got something for you that money cannot buy. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk’ (see Acts 3:6). Then he grabbed his hands and pulled this man to his feet. Immediately, his feet and ankle bones received strength, and this man leaped and began to run, glorifying God throughout the temple. “Muscles, bones, and ankles that had never been used instantly received strength. And beyond that, this 40-year-old man, who had never walked, received a miracle in his brain and nervous system; balance and coordination were supernaturally provided. “When you’re born, you have to learn how to walk. Some who have been in accidents must relearn to walk. This man had never walked. But instantly, there was coordination between his spinal column and brain; signals were sent to muscles and ankles that had never operated, and strength was instantly given to atrophied muscles. People were astounded as they watched this lame man, whom they had passed by for years, jumping and running throughout the temple. Who wouldn’t be astounded? “Amazingly, religious leaders, priests, and the Pharisees didn’t like it. Can you imagine that? They felt it would diminish their importance and influence, so they had Peter and John arrested for doing this. I mean, that’s hard to believe unless, of course, you live in our present times. “The next day, Peter and John were brought before the council and asked whose authority they operated under to heal this man. Peter and John answered, ‘Jesus, the resurrected Lord, whom you guys crucified. We did it in His name.’ Through faith in His name, this man had been made whole. “The leaders of the dead religion didn’t like that one bit, so they determined they were going to intimidate Peter and John. They persuaded the government to partner with them and issue a decree to Peter and John that said, ‘We forbid you to ever do this again, and do not even preach in the Name of Jesus.’ Peter and John replied, and I’m paraphrasing, ‘Go pound sand. You can’t intimidate us. We’ll do exactly what our King told us to do. We’ll not be silent. He told us to speak in His name, and He told us to do miracles in His name.’ “The Sanhedrin council got together, wondering what they could do about this. Acts 4:15-16 says: ‘But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it” (Acts 4:15-16 NKJV).’ ‘Saying, what are we to do with these men? For that an extraordinary miracle has been performed by (through) them is plain to all the residents of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it (Acts 4:16 AMPC).’ ‘What should we do with these men? Everyone in Jerusalem can clearly see that they’ve performed a notable sign and wonder—we can’t deny that (Acts 4:16 TPT).’ “In other words, ‘It’s too obvious. We can’t deny this. We can’t bury it.’ And they had to let them go. “Now, in another apostolic age and to other Ekklesias, Holy Spirit is once again saying to press into the miraculous healing realm, believing for notable miracles to occur in the Name of Jesus. “The word ‘notable’ is the Greek word gnóstos,(2) and it means known, great, knowable, recognizable, capable of being known. In other words, these are miracles that anyone can recognize as miracles: clear, visible, and great, coming only from God. ‘Only God’ power. ‘Only God’ possibilities. ‘Only God’ manifestations. ‘Only God’ workings. ‘Only God’ accomplishments. ‘Only God’ actions. ‘Only God’ deeds. “In other words, notable miracles are miracles ‘only God’ can do, and everybody knows it. God-actions on earth that can’t be denied. They are signs that say, ‘God did that.' A person running and jumping after being lame for 40 years is a notable sign. Holy Spirit is saying to us: ‘…you are now moving into days when notable miracles will increase through Kingdom Ekklesias. They are flowing into towns, cities, regions, states, nations, and religions. People will be forced to admit that God performed them. ‘I want you to believe Me for supernatural power to come into your churches and lives. Believe Me for God-possibilities. Believe for God-actions to start being released around you. Believe for God-manifestations and deeds. Believe for God-accomplishments to flow through your life.’ “We must believe for notable miracles that grab the attention of the world; notable miracles that prodigals can witness; signs and wonders that unbelievers can see. This will grab their attention, convincing them that Jesus is Lord. Raise your faith level. Believe that the same works, the same healing power, the same miracles Jesus performed, we shall do also, not through our power, but by the same Spirit, Holy Spirit, that raised Christ from the dead. It is now time to follow the lead of Holy Spirit into supernatural times, supernatural manifestations of signs and wonders. It’s time to receive His anointings for signs, wonders, healings, and notable miracles. ************ Pray with me: Father, we raise our faith level to believe You for both proclamation AND demonstration of the gospel. As Your Word is preached with boldness, we ask You for notable miracles that will confirm the words being communicated. We thank You that the world will see a demonstration of Your miracle working power that is absolutely undeniable. And although we have been speaking of Your supernatural power being released to work physical miracles, we also ask for it to be released in other ways. Release Your power to change and transform the thinking of people in our nation. Do so in order to change laws and systems, reforming our nation. Bring about breakthroughs in other nations, stopping violence and oppression. The youth revival has now begun – cause it to intensify and expand to all age groups in every nation. Release Your power to stop any planned violence against those in our government. Deliver us from all evil plans to harm them. Stop violence in our land and thwart the plans of those who seek to divide us. All of this we ask in Christ’s name. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we are living in days of undeniable demonstrations of miraculous power that will capture the world’s attention, directing multitudes to Jesus. *********************************** Today’s post was taken from my brother’s book that was just released, entitled Angel Armies: God’s Supernatural Enforcers. You can find it on Tim’s website or Amazon. 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. 5279. Ibid, ref. no. 1110.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-20-2025 May 20, 2025 Notable Miracles that Bring Awakening! In my brother Tim’s new book, Angel Armies: God’s Supernatural Enforcers, he includes a chapter that references a phrase from Acts 4 where critics and persecutors of the gospel describe the miracle that took place in Acts 3 (the lame man who was healed at the gate named Beautiful). The religious critics commented, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it” (Acts 4:16 NKJV). This notable miracle clearly had a far-reaching impact. Notable miracles reveal the Father’s heart to bring wholeness and healing. They are needed in this hour because they can do what the greatest strategies fail to accomplish: break open cities, regions, and territories for the advancement of the gospel, igniting territorial awakening. In the book, Tim shares: “We must understand that we, the Ekklesia today, are to move in supernatural power. It is a part of the Father’s plan. The Ekklesia is supposed to flow in the supernatural power of Holy Spirit. “Sadly, much of the church has become stagnant because it has settled for the natural. But the remnant that has been prepared for our times, the remnant in the true church, the King’s Ekklesia, is refusing to settle for only the natural realm way of doing things. “The Lord has said prophetically that we are stepping into His most supernatural era…signs, wonders, miracles, and healings, and also what the Scriptures call notable healings or notable miracles. We must grow our faith now, daring to ask for the double portion. We are not going to change history without the supernatural. “In March of 2022, Holy Spirit gave me a prophetic word that I believe is amping up now for this era: “Kingdom revivals involve notable miracles. In Acts 3 and 4, shortly after the outpouring of Holy Spirit in Acts 2, Peter and John were going to the temple for the 3 o’clock prayer meeting. On their way, they had to pass through the temple gate that is called the Gate Beautiful, where a lame man sat begging for money. This man was 40 years old and had been unable to walk from birth. Every day, his family would bring him to this gate and lay him down so he could beg for money. That was his source of income. “Hundreds of thousands of people had walked by this man as he lay at the gate. Jesus Himself had passed by him many times. All the disciples had seen this man and walked past him. But on this day, Holy Spirit was emphasizing miracles to the Jerusalem Ekklesia. “Peter and John knew firsthand the miraculous healing power of Jesus. They were with Jesus when He had healed those unable to walk. They were standing beside Him when blind eyes were opened. Peter and John were also there when deaf ears were opened. They were there when leprosy and other skin diseases were healed, and the flesh on individuals became like that of a newborn baby or child. “They were there when a woman was healed of a blood disorder she had dealt with for 12 years. She had spent all of her money to see if a doctor could help her find a cure. Then one day, she heard that Jesus was coming by and hope began to rise inside of her. Twelve years of anguish and pain, but Jesus was coming by. She believed that if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she would be healed. She slipped through the crowd and touched His garment; when she did, Jesus said, ‘Who touched Me? Who touched Me?’ “Peter said, ‘Lord, there are hundreds of people. Many have touched You. We’re having to part the crowd to get You through. What do You mean?’ “Jesus said, ‘No, someone touched Me differently, pulling anointing from Me. I felt virtue leave My body.’ “Virtue is the Greek word for power. Dunamis is the actual word used here.(1) Jesus said, ‘Dunamis was pulled from Me.’ The same power, dunamis, that Holy Spirit later brought at Pentecost flowed from Christ, and instantly the woman was healed. Her pain was gone, and the blood disorder was cleansed. Peter and John witnessed that miracle. “The words Jesus spoke to His disciples the night of the last supper are also words to all believers. In John 14:12-14, He made what I believe is one of His most astounding statements. “If it is timeless, it is true today. The passage says ‘greater miracles,’ meaning greater in number, not greater in quality. Jesus did signs, wonders, and miracles in a relatively small area: Israel and its surrounding regions. But we are scattered throughout the entire world. We need far more, greater in number, signs, wonders, and miracles because of the size and the scope of our assignment into all the world.” Pray with me: Father, we recognize that demonstrations of Your Kingdom power through signs, wonders and notable miracles open territories to the Gospel. Miracles reveal that Christ is alive, He is working in the world, and the gospel is true. We recognize that being used to work miracles is not reserved for the spiritual elite or select few. All believers who follow Jesus in faith can be used to do the same mighty miracles He did, through the empowering of Holy Spirit. Lord, use our hands. Use our words. Overshadow us with Your Spirit as You did the Apostle Peter in Acts 5. Saturate us with Your glory as You did the Apostle Paul in Acts 19. And Father, we are reminded today that prophets have said we are entering a renaissance age. We ask for wisdom to be given to our government leaders as they work to bring about appropriate changes. As the tug-of-war occurs between those espousing leftist, globalist, antichrist ideals and those seeking to reform America back to biblical ideals, give favor and success to those aligning with You. Give us revival - millions of salvations, and reformation - a return to Your ways and plans. In Jesus’ name we ask, amen. Our decree: We declare that notable miracles are breaking out from the presence and glory of the Holy Spirit. These miracles will draw attention to Jesus, and open territories to receive the gospel. ***************************** Today’s post was taken from my brother’s book that was just released, entitled Angel Armies: God’s Supernatural Enforcers. You can find it on Tim’s website or Amazon. 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. 1411.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-19-2025 May 19, 2025 The Choice “I’m gonna blow your doors off!” My frustration could no longer be contained on this particular morning’s commute in 1988 to teach at Christ For The Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. I was running late that day, and as was often the case, my three-year-old daughter, Sarah, was with me so she could attend the preschool classes. When we pulled out of our subdivision, we ended up behind an elderly man driving an old pickup truck at about 20 mph. After following him for about five minutes on a country road that offered no opportunity to pass, we finally turned onto a four-lane highway. By this time, I had totally lost my patience, and as I zoomed by his vehicle, I mumbled, “Man, I’m gonna blow your doors off!” Sarah was quiet for the next two or three miles, which I thought was rather unusual. Then, with great concern in her voice, she asked, “Daddy, why are you going to blow that man’s doors off?” While watching Sesame Street, she had recently heard the story of The Three Little Pigs and the big bad wolf who blew their houses down. Now she was picturing me literally blowing the doors off this man’s truck! She had obviously been thinking about this nonstop since hearing my exclamation, and was rather alarmed and puzzled. Try explaining to a three-year-old why passing a person’s car is sometimes described as “blowing their doors off.“ Then, of course, she needed to know that I really didn’t dislike this elderly gentleman, just his driving. After this enlightening experience, I realized I would need to be more careful about what I said around children. They are listening! We’ve been looking at Martha’s failure to listen to Christ as He taught in her home. Let’s take one more look at this powerful passage. There are still a couple more pearls hidden in it that are just too good to pass up. “Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her"’ (Luke 10:38-42). The Lord made an important statement to Martha, telling her that only a few things are really necessary in life. So far, so good. Food, water, shelter from the elements, oxygen - the list of essentials really is short. Then, He dropped the bombshell: “Really only one.” He had me, then He lost me. I’m ready to admit that many of my “essentials” in life really are not. Most are for comfort, pleasure, or personal satisfaction. But the seemingly absurd claim that only one thing in life is really necessary is rather hard to swallow. But Jesus said it, and we have to deal with it. Connecting the statement to Mary’s decision to sit at the Lord’s feet and listen to His words makes His meaning rather obvious. Here's my opinion of what Jesus meant by these words: “Martha, if you will truly connect with Me, everything else in life will fall into place. Order will be established; relationships will make sense; I’ll guide your steps into purpose and destiny; everything will work well if you’ll simply listen to Me.” Astounding, incredible, wonderful, generous...and simple. Yet life gets complicated. The pace quickens, the to-do list grows, and the Martha side of our nature kicks in. The voice of the Master is then drowned out by the pace of life. When this occurs, and it will, the solution is to return to the simple strategy of Mary: sit and listen. The passage in Luke says that Mary “chose” the right activity. Most of us don’t believe, or we don’t take the time to consciously consider, that we always have the ability to choose the simple devotion demonstrated by Mary. But we do. Jesus then referred to Mary’s choice as “good.” That seems rather lame until the Greek word used is really understood. There are two Greek words that He could have used, agathos(1) and kalos(2). Kalos means something is made well and looks good. It is even used for “beauty” or “handsome”; in our day, we use the phrase “good-looking.” Kalos can even include inner beauty or virtue. The word stops short, however, of suggesting practical usefulness. A good example of kalos would be a beautiful picture - it looks good but has no practical use. When a word is needed, however, that adds the concept of usefulness or benefit, agathos is chosen. To fully convey this aspect, agathos is often translated “good works.” Essentially, kalos is good looks, agathos is good works. Jesus said Mary chose agathos. The irony of this is astounding. The person doing nothing was credited with doing the “good works,” not the person doing all the good works! That ain’t right, as we sometimes say. But it was, and it is. Christ was saying, “You look good, Martha, but your busyness won’t produce the good works you are looking for. Mary chose that which will enable her to truly do good works, and her fruit will remain.” We must always remember that it is Christ's life flowing through us that produces eternal fruit in others, not our abilities and self-chosen activities. I’m afraid all of us are seduced by this “good-looking” seductress of busyness once in a while. Jesus warned a group of believers in Scripture that this was happening to them. “You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead,” He said to the church of Sardis (Revelation 3:1). To the casual observer, their works must have been impressive. But the Lord looks not at our outward appearance, but at the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7). His message to the Sardis believers was, “You’re kalos, not agathos. Stop with all the busyness and choose the good part - Me.” Christ is the source of all that is good - destiny, fulfillment, well-being. He offers us access to an infinite fountain of blessing. But we must make choices each day that will steer us toward accomplishing the good works He prepared for us. Choose to drink from His living waters. May our hearts never be led astray from a simple, pure, and steadfast devotion to Christ. Pray with me: Father, we pray for Your kids, so many of whom have become kalos motivated. Many have bought the lie that polish, size, buildings, and “a name that we were alive” define success. Many have become so “good” at it, they no longer even need Holy Spirit. Yet, as our churches grew, no positive changes occurred in the divorce rate, crime rate, deaths from drugs, homelessness, human trafficking, government, and other concerns. In fact, we lost ground in all of these areas. We have epitomized kalos. But this is changing! A “sit at His feet” movement is occurring; a “tired of religion” company of believers is emerging. We are hungry for You! And we will pass on our insatiable hunger to a dissatisfied and hungry generation, an “I’ve tried it all and nothing has satisfied” company, desperate for the real thing. They are ripe for agathos, and You won’t disappoint them! Our decree: We decree that the great rescue is beginning! *********************************** Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company, published by Baker Books. Click on the link below to watch the full video. -------------------------------------------------- “Strong’s Hebrew: 18. (agathos) -- Good, beneficial, virtuous.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/18.htm. May 12, 2025. “Strong’s Hebrew: 2570. (kalos) -- Good, beautiful, noble, excellent, honorable.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/2570.htm. May 12, 2025.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-16-2025 May 16, 2025 The Distractions Yesterday, we looked at the biblical account of Mary and Martha, two sisters who entertained Jesus in their home. While Martha was distracted as she prepared Him a meal, Mary was seated at the Lord’s feet, hearing and understanding His words. The passage is so pregnant with revelation that it merits another look. “Now as they were traveling along, [Jesus] entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord’s word, seated at His feet. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him, and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving along? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42). I’ve already acknowledged my tendency toward Martha-ism. I am important, after all! Someone once gave me a double-billed cap - one pointing left, the other right - imprinted with the words, “I’m their leader. Which way did they go?” I still wear it proudly! How sadly appropriate is this cap. There was a time when I needed only two of me to accomplish all of the “urgent” and “important” things I’m “called” to do. Now, I need me in triplicate. And my Martha ministry is still growing - soon I'll need to be omnipresent! Jesus disagreed with this outlook on ministry. In a loving yet stern way, He told Martha she was “worried and bothered about so many things” (v. 41). Not good, especially when we take a deeper look. “Worried” is merimnao(1), which has in its root meaning the concept of dividing or separating something. It is revealing that worry is defined by a “divided” mind. When we’re worried about something, no matter how hard we try to focus on other things, a piece of our mind keeps being drawn back to our concern. Our mind, therefore, is described as being “divided”. Martha, it seems, had so much going on in her life that her mind was divided between many concerns; “so many things” was the phrase Jesus used. And like all of us at times, her balancing act wasn't working as well as she thought. She was “worried and bothered”. Martha was, in all likelihood, servant-motivated. She was probably one of those gifted people who can do several things at once, and was most likely a hard worker. In this instance, however, Mary had it right. Multitasking can be good, but not when Jesus is talking. The Lord appreciates hard work, and He knows that at times we are going to be very busy. But He also wants times when we're all His. Take the cap off and sit for a while. The word bothered is also painfully revealing. It is the Greek word turbazo, which is derived from the Latin word turba, meaning “a crowd”. Webster says “disturb”, “perturb”, and “turbulent” are all derivatives of the same word.(2) When life gets too crowded, we get disturbed. Perturbed comes next, followed by turbulence. Like an airplane flying through a storm, our emotions bounce up and down, making us short-tempered and irritable. Our health suffers, as do our relationships. Martha was not only irritated at Mary, she was even a little miffed at Jesus. “Do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me,” she grumbled. Barking out orders to God in accusatory language probably created just a little bit of turbulence in this room full of people! Mary wasn’t the problem, however, and Jesus certainly wasn’t. Martha simply needed to take her cap off, slow down, and listen. Her “crowded” mind couldn’t shut out all the noise. Many offices nowadays have ambient noise generators. They admit a constant but quiet sound, low enough so as not to be disturbing, yet loud enough to drown out other noises. They’re used in phone centers to drown out other voices, in counseling offices to provide privacy, and in various other businesses. Martha’s ambient noise generator was her service for Christ. Amazing, but true. Believe me, I understand. Her generator was the rattling of dishes, the banging of cupboards, and the clanging of utensils; my generator is the internal noise caused by travel, preaching and teaching, writing, correspondence, meetings, Give Him 15s, and more. All good, but not when they muffle the voice of the Master. Your ambient noise generator may be running a business, driving nails, keeping books, raising kids, social media, or even a hobby. It doesn’t matter what it is, just turn it off once in a while. Mary didn’t have one of those contraptions. She was mesmerized by His words. Her attitude was, “If He wants something to eat, He’d better stop talking. Because until He does, I’m not leaving this spot.” Why did Martha feel differently? Perhaps it was her personality, or could it be that Jesus had grown a little too familiar to her? Scholars agree that Jesus was very fond of Martha, Mary, and their brother, Lazarus, and stayed in their home when in the area. Had Martha heard Him enough that the excitement had worn off? Does this ever happen to us? In Christianity today, Philip Yancey writes: I remember my first visit to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. Rings of Japanese and German tourists surrounded the geyser, their video cameras trained like weapons on the famous hole in the ground. A large, digital clock stood beside the spot, predicting 24 minutes until the next eruption. My wife and I passed the countdown in the dining room of Old Faithful Inn overlooking the geyser. When the digital clock reached 1 minute, we, along with every other diner, left our seats and rushed to the window to see the big, wet event. I noticed that immediately, as if on signal, a crew of busboys and waiters descended on the tables to refill water glasses and clear away dirty dishes. When the geyser went off, we tourists oohed and aahed and clicked our cameras; a few spontaneously applauded. But, glancing back over my shoulder, I saw that not a single waiter or busboy - not even those who had finished their chores - looked out the huge window. Old Faithful, grown entirely too familiar, had lost its power to impress them.(3) I’m afraid this describes many Christians’ relationship with the one we call Faithful and True. We’ve known Him so long, become so accustomed to Him, well, you know... Don’t ever stop being impressed with Jesus! Get out of the kitchen once in a while. Slow down. STOP! Fight tenaciously for quality time at His feet and never lose your hunger for the pleasure of His company. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for desiring to communicate with us. But so often we let Your voice be drowned out by other noises. Help us to always remember what is most important - You. You are worthy of the highest affections of our hearts. The harsh yoke of busyness and heavy burden of over-activity, we remove now and lay them at Your feet. Holy Spirit, help us to continually break away from the bustle and shut out all the noise. Today, we choose to cease from striving, so that with singleness of heart, we can rest at Christ’s feet, and be washed in Your words and love. May busyness never crowd out of our lives precious opportunities to enjoy the pleasure of Your company. And Father, we want those now coming into the family to be born into a “presence” movement, an “I’ve tasted and I’ve seen” movement. May they be “Presence Junkies!” Addicted! Give us this type of revival!! We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that Jesus is building a church that will listen first, then do exploits. ***************************** Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company, published by Baker Books. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------------------------ “Strong’s Hebrew: 3309. (merimnaó) -- To be anxious, to worry, to care for.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/3309.htm. May 12, 2025. 2. The Consolidated Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary (Chicago: Consolidated Book Publishers, 1954), s.vv. “disturb,” “perturb,” “turbulent.” Philip Yancy, “What Surprised Jesus,” Christianity Today, September 12, 1994, 88. Used by permission.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-15-2025 May 15, 2025 The Decision “Now as they were traveling along, [Jesus] entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord’s word, seated at His feet. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him, and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”’ (Luke 10:38-42 NASB) This is one of my favorite passages of Scripture - and one of my least favorites. While it confirms the affections of my heart, it also convicts the decisions of my mind. I’m a Mary at heart, loving my quiet times and the moments when I find myself reveling in the Lord’s presence. At other times, however, life forces me into Martha mode, and I find myself trapped in the maze of a merciless schedule with seemingly no way out. Life is a constant balancing act, and too often the scales tip the wrong way. The most important things - God, family, and good health - are sometimes outweighed by the proverbial tyranny of the urgent. If we are not careful, the American Dream can become a nightmare. This passage concerning Mary and Martha is loaded with helpful insights to aid us in overcoming this tendency. To find the nuggets, we must dig below the surface and do a few word studies, but I assure you, the treasure buried there is well worth the effort. Let’s begin with two Greek words used in the simple statement, “Mary...was listening to the Lord’s word.” “Listening” is akouo(1), and has a broad range of meanings, depending on its context. It can mean simply “to hear,” but at times it carries the stronger meaning “to understand, hear with the ear of the mind; to hear effectively so as to perform what is spoken.” “Word” is logos(2) - Mary was listening to Christ’s logos. This is not the normal Greek term for spoken words (that is rhema)(3). Logos, which includes spoken words, has the added meaning of “connecting” or “linking” words in order to communicate thoughts and messages. Logos, therefore, embodies the logic that words are communicating - the meaning, message, or content. It’s easy to see the connection to our English word “logic,” which is indeed derived from logos. Mary was sitting quietly, listening intently to what Jesus was saying, and therefore was hearing more than mere words. She understood the message they were conveying. She was making the connection. Jesus’ words were penetrating her heart and mind, bringing knowledge, creating paradigms, and shaping beliefs. Martha, on the other hand, was busy working. She was so busy, in fact, that the Lord said she was “distracted” (perispao)(4). The literal meaning of the Greek word used is much stronger than simply being distracted. In fact, the picture it communicates is brutal: “to drag around in circles.” Ouch! Busyness can indeed be a real drag. Okay, that was bad. But the point is important. Martha was more than just distracted. Her tendency toward busyness had gotten her life out of balance. Ecclesiastes, the book of Scripture in which Solomon delineated his frustration with life, tells us, “God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated” (Ecclesiastes 7:29 GNT). We allow life to get out of control and far too complex. We must de-complicate things. 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). While Mary was enjoying the simple pleasure of His company, Martha was allowing it to further complicate her life. Be like Mary - do some simplifying at His feet! There is an interesting word in the passage that adds tremendous insight to the Lord’s gentle but revealing correction to Martha. Jesus told her she was distracted by all her “preparations.” The word used here (diakonia)(5) is also the Greek word for “ministry.” In the Scriptures, there is no distinction made between serving or ministering to someone in a general sense, or doing so in what we’ve come to call “the ministry.” As far as God is concerned, whether we’re serving a family member, a friend, or a congregation, we’re all ministers. (Tell your friends to start calling you reverend!) The words used by Holy Spirit in this passage were chosen carefully in order to convey a critical understanding: No matter how important or noble our activities may be, including working for Him, they don’t trump time with Him. Nothing we could possibly do in life is more important than Christ, our first priority. His words provide us with equilibrium - they keep our lives balanced. They form the beliefs, understanding, and wisdom we can use to build our lives. They provide structure and strength. If our foundations are not laid with the strengths and wisdom found in His words, they will crack under pressure. The Lord used this analogy with Joshua as he was about to take over Moses’ leadership role (see Joshua 1:1-9). What a daunting task! Yahweh told Joshua to carefully listen to His words and remember them, reminding Israel’s new leader that they would bring him success and prosperity. The Lord then gave him an interesting command: “Do not tremble or be dismayed” (v. 9). “Dismayed” is translated from the Hebrew word chathath(6), meaning “to break.” Hebrew scholar Spiros Zodhiates says, “The meaning ranges from a literal breaking to abstract destruction, to demoralization, and finally to panic.” He likens it to the concept we use nowadays of “cracking under stress.”(7) God was telling Joshua to “chill out,” to not let the stress get to him. The Lord knew Joshua’s assignment would be difficult. Possessing the promised land would be more demanding than camping in the wilderness. The latter involved the stress of day-to-day life; the former would add to this the struggle of war. The pressures on Joshua would be extreme. How could he keep from cracking under stress, maintain freshness, and joy? The solution would be listening to (akouo) the words (logos) of God. For you and me, it will be the same. No matter how hectic your life has become, slow down for a few minutes each day and listen to Him. Get off the treadmill of life and spend some quality time enjoying the pleasure of His company. Let nothing stop you. With childlike simplicity, hang out with God. Young Tommy had been an unexpected “bonus child” to his parents, and he continued to surprise and delight his family with his spontaneous expressions of love. Shortly after he turned five, Tommy asked his mother, “How old were you when I was born?” Upon learning she had been thirty-six, he exclaimed, “What a shame!” A little puzzled, his mother asked him what he meant. Tommy’s reply: “Just think of all those years we didn’t know each other.”(8) Take a lesson from Tommy. Don’t allow another day - let alone another year - go by without getting to know Him intimately. Pray with me: Father, we repent for letting the busyness of life keep us from the most important thing - time spent with You. Jesus, we don’t want to be casual listeners; we want to sit at Your feet and listen as You speak. Be it a loud trumpet call or a gentle whisper, we want to hear and follow every leading of Your heart. Father, we ask for wisdom and revelation, that we may truly come to know You. Holy Spirit, help us to apply our hearts to understand the messages Abba conveys, such that they’ll penetrate and transform every part of us. Let our lives be founded upon the wisdom of Your Word. Jesus, we choose to slow down and connect with You, heart to heart. Once again, let us enjoy the pleasure of Your company. Our decree: We declare that we will sit and listen to Christ, Abba, and Holy Spirit. ******************************* Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company, published by Baker Books. Click on the link below to watch the full video. --------------------------------------- “Strong’s Hebrew: 191. (akouó) -- To hear, to listen, to understand.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/191.htm. May 12, 2025. “Strong’s Hebrew: 3056. (logos) -- Word, speech, message, account, reason, doctrine.” https://biblehub.com/greek/3056.htm. May 12, 2025. “Strong’s Hebrew: 4487. (rhéma) -- Word, saying, utterance, matter.” https://biblehub.com/greek/4487.htm. May 12, 2025. “Strong’s Hebrew: 4049. (perispaó) -- To be distracted, to be pulled away, to be over-occupied.” https://biblehub.com/greek/4049.htm. May 12, 2025. “Strong’s Hebrew: 1248. (diakonia) -- Service, ministry, office, relief, support.” https://biblehub.com/greek/1248.htm. May 12, 2025. “Strong’s Hebrew: 2865. (chathath) -- To be shattered, dismayed, terrified, broken.” https://biblehub.com/hebrew/2865.htm. May 12, 2025. Spiros Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible: New American Standard (Chattanooga, TN: AMG, 1990), 1729. Adapted from Alice Collins, “All Those Years,” in Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul, ed. Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, and Marci Shimoff (Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc., 1997), p. 20.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-14-2025 May 14, 2025 Make It Serve You I have shared posts on the subject of forgiveness for the previous two days [May 12 & May 13]. Today’s post reveals, to some extent, the sense of humor God has. A couple of years after insisting that I forgive a man I blamed for so much pain in my family, and giving me the grace to do so (read about it here), the Lord led me to Christ For the Nations Bible Institute in Dallas, Texas. Shortly after arriving, to my complete surprise, I ran into the son of this man, who was also there as a student. Tom (not his real name) happened to be in the cluster of 15 or 20 students who became my inner circle. He was a few years younger than me and had no idea of the hatred I once held for his dad. I’m sure he was completely unaware of what had even taken place a few years prior to this. Tom had gotten into drugs and alcohol while in high school and became horribly addicted. He had come to Christ and was attending the Bible institute to help firm up his walk with the Lord. I found it very encouraging that I could relate to him with no feelings of awkwardness or resentment. About six months into my time there, Tom had a bit of a relapse and used some recreational drugs, which was obviously against the strict policy of the Bible College. The school was not a rehabilitation center equipped to deal with drug addiction and rehabilitation, so they were very firm in their stance. To violate the policy meant dismissal, along with suggestions for finding a place more suited to helping them. Of course, if Holy Spirit led otherwise, they made exceptions. The Dean of Men, who would be making this decision and doling out the consequences, called me to his office. I knew him somewhat from some on-campus prayer meetings I had attended. He was quite strict regarding the school’s policies, He was also very prophetic. He prayed regarding situations of this nature, asking Holy Spirit to give him wisdom and guidance. I had no idea why he was summoning me to his office. He explained what happened with Tom, and spelled out the normal consequences for the offense. “I feel I am to give him another chance, however,” he stated. “I believe his heart is pure and repentant. He is a friend of yours, isn’t he?” he asked. “Yes,” I said, “he is a friend.” I felt truly spiritual being able to say that. Not that I was proud, you understand. My assumption was that the Dean was about to ask me if I thought it was a good idea to give Tom another chance. NOT! “I’ve seen you spending time in the prayer room,” he began. I was, indeed, attempting to become an intercessor. I certainly wasn’t an expert, but was passionate. “I am willing to give Tom a second chance,” he said, “if you are willing to take him on as a personal assignment. You must accompany him to the prayer room every day and pray with him, teaching him to pray, and helping him get free from his addictions.” Did I mention that this Dean was very prophetic?! He knew nothing about my past with this young man’s father. Nothing! But had he ever heard from God! I said yes, and left the room dumbfounded. I’m not sure what my exact words to the Lord were when I left the dean’s office, but they were something like this: “Well, God, You sure do have a sense of humor.” “I do,” He answered. “But I’m doing more than being humorous. I’m finishing the job. Drive the nail into the coffin of your past. Make satan pay. Overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). You are free in your heart; now seal it with your actions.” I was able to do this assignment. I led this young man to the prayer room every day - actually, he had no choice - and prayed over him, as well as making him pray, for an hour or so. Surprise, surprise! It worked…for both of us. We chased off his demons and buried my past pain. Only God. Tom became free and, as far as I know, was able to remain free. The word “overcome” in the verse above (Romans 12:21) is the Greek word nikao.(1) It means “to conquer, prevail, overcome; even legally - to win in a court of law.” It’s a wonderful word describing our God-infused ability to be overcomers in life. There is one place, however, where Holy Spirit evidently decided this word was not strong enough to describe the overcoming nature He has given us. Romans 8:37 tells us: “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us,” (NASB). The KJV says we are more than conquerors. As this revelation was breathed into Paul by Holy Spirit, so he could pass it on to us, Paul was overcome by the strength of what he was seeing. As he searched his mind for the correct word, he came up empty and finally had to take two words and make them one: hupernikao, translated above as “overwhelmingly conquer.” This Greek word is used nowhere else in the New Testament. The prefix huper means “overwhelmingly, over, beyond, exceedingly, excessively, more than.” Our English word, hyper, comes from this Greek word. Paul, overwhelmed with emotion and excitement, shouts with his pen, “We are hyperconquerors! We overwhelmingly conquer! Our ability to conquer is excessive, over the top!” Holy Spirit wants us to overwhelmingly conquer our past and anything else satan throws our way. “Through Him who loved us,” Paul goes on to say (Romans 8:37b). Everything God does is motivated by His heart of love. He’s a Giver, a Blesser, a Healer, a Destiny-provider. When He asks us to release, let go of past offenses, He is actually saying, “Here’s how I can get rid of your pain. Let me have it.” Forgiveness, releasing the person who hurt you, is one of the ways God erases the negative side of the ledger. He moves your pain into the asset column, working it for your good, making it serve you! You can do this. Let it go! Pray with me: Father, we thank You for Your determination to heal, equip, and strengthen us for success. You have a plan for each of us and You are determined to accomplish it. We pray the prayer of the Psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23-24). (“Hurtful way” could be translated “way of pain.”) Reveal any pain in us that could hinder our destiny. We want clean hands and pure hearts. We pray now for our brothers and sisters who struggle with the pain of past experiences. Help them let go. Pour Your grace into them, enabling them to release it all to You. You are such a good Father, and You will release and heal them completely. And we pray that in the coming revival, we will be healing agents. We ask You that through our wholeness, we will produce wholeness. We can be the generation that heals our land of racism, division, and strife. Start in us, Your people, then anoint us to release Your healing. We ask this in Christ’s name. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we will walk in the wholeness of Christ and minister His wholeness to those in need. *************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. ---------------------------------------------- “Strong’s Hebrew: 3528. (nikaó) -- To conquer, to overcome, to prevail, to gain victory.” Bible Hub, https://biblehub.com/greek/3528.htm. May 12, 2025.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-13-2025 May 13, 2025 The Power of Forgiveness Yesterday, I spoke with you about offenses and forgiveness. The New Testament word translated as “offense” actually came from animal traps. This word was the stick upon which a piece of raw meat was placed. When an animal reached for the meat, the trap was sprung, and they were captured. It is very revealing that the word for “offense” basically means to “take the bait.” This is also why it is called “picking up” an offense. Regarding forgiveness, in yesterday’s post, we mentioned that the New Testament word means “to release.” A good translation of Luke 6:37 would be “Release, and you will be released.” When we release the person who has offended or wounded us, we can then be released from the bruises and pain they caused us. Releasing them releases us. We also said yesterday that forgiveness is a choice - a decision - not a feeling. My Testimony When I was 17 years old, my family went through a very difficult time. The Board of Directors of the church my father had planted removed him and took the home where we were living. The house had been given to our family, but for tax purposes, it was put in the church’s name. We were left penniless and homeless. I didn’t know at the time that they had removed my father because of immorality. Shortly thereafter, he divorced my mother and married the other woman. Our family was devastated once again. Circumstances had gone from bad to catastrophic. I became bitter at Dad for his role in this, and at the church that abandoned my family, especially the chairman of the church board. I focused much of my anger upon him, an anger that soon became a bitter hatred. After all, he kicked us to the street. I said on several occasions that I could not kill this man, but I would rejoice if someone else did. Though it was irrational, I also became bitter at the church, in general. I associated my pain and my family’s disintegration with religion, and swore I would never darken the door of another church. Becoming very rebellious, I ran from God and turned to drugs and alcohol. God was incredibly patient. He protected me and, for two years, waited patiently for me to come to a point where I could respond to Him again. I returned to Him and have enjoyed a wonderful walk with God since that time. Around six months into my renewed walk with the Lord, He began dealing with me about my hatred for the man I had blamed for many of our problems. I heard Holy Spirit very clearly telling me I needed to forgive him. I did not angrily resist the Lord, but I did not believe I could ever truly do so. The bitterness I had against this man was so strong, I had no confidence whatsoever that I would be able to forgive him; I told the Lord this. Holy Spirit was gentle with me, not condemning. His promptings always came as a gentle nudge deep in my heart. He was, however, insistent and persistent: “You will have to do this if you want My best for you and to truly be free from all of the pain this caused.” When my heart softened to the point that I was willing to try, Holy Spirit began teaching me how to do it. Some of what He taught me I shared in yesterday’s post. He revealed to me that I could have emotional feelings of anger, hurt, etc., and still choose to forgive from my heart, overruling my emotions. As an example, He said, “You don’t like to get up early some days and go to work, but you do it anyway because it’s the right thing to do; it’s your responsibility. You don’t like to exercise, but you do it anyway because you know that you need to.” Then came the final blow, “Jesus did not want to go to the Cross, but He did so anyway, for the joy He knew it would produce later” (Hebrews 12:2). “Choose to do this because it’s right, even though you don’t want to. Don’t allow your feelings to rule you. If you will make this choice and maintain the decision daily, I’ll be able to release you from all the pain, resentment, and hatred. Your responsibility is to let go; it’s My responsibility to heal your emotions and release you from every effect of this. Choose life!” Somehow, the dots connected in my thinking. I realized I could overrule my “feelings.” I didn’t have to “feel” like it, and I didn’t need any positive feelings toward this man. I simply needed to “release” him to God, trusting Him to do what was right. I did so daily, saying something along these lines (it’s important to say it), “I choose to release David [not his real name] from all he did to hurt my family.” Every time he came to mind, and unpleasant feelings began rising up inside of me, I would say it again, “I choose to release David from all he did to hurt my family.” Some days I had to do this multiple times. After a couple of weeks, he was rarely coming to my mind, and when he did, I felt less emotion. I continued this process. A week or two after that, he came to mind again, and I realized that I felt no pain or anger whatsoever. I was shocked! I knew God had released me from all the effects of what had occurred two years earlier. The Proof However, Holy Spirit wanted to show me that I was truly healed. One Sunday night, my mom and I were returning home from a church service and stopped at a local restaurant to grab a bite to eat. There were no tables available, and we were waiting for one when I noticed this particular man and his wife seated across the room. He noticed us at the same time. I also saw that he and his wife were seated at a table for four people, and two of the chairs were empty. He jumped to his feet and headed in our direction. Well, I thought to myself, he wants to say hello. I’m about to find out if this is real. He wanted to do more than just say hello. “Would the two of you like to join us at our table?” he asked. “Sure,” said my mother, “that’s very kind of you.” I kept waiting for that angry, bitter feeling in the pit of my stomach that used to surface when I thought of him. I expected at least a few negative emotions. But there were none. I was not having to feign being nice to him while burying my anger and hatred. It was actually easy - it felt normal to treat him with kindness. I felt no pain whatsoever. I thanked the Lord for delivering me from my chains of bitterness. No, this man did not become my friend, but he was no longer my enemy. Friends, regardless of the level of your pain, who hurt you, or when it occurred, God can and will do this for you. Let’s pray. Pray with me: Father, it is impossible to go through life and not have many opportunities to forgive. You said offenses will come. You did not tell us to forgive only if we felt like it; You simply said to do so. You never ask us to do anything You will not enable us to do. So we choose this day to honor Your word and obey it from our hearts, our spirits, regardless of how our emotions feel. As we obey what You have said, our emotions and feelings must come into alignment with the Word-based decision we make. They must…and they will. As we release, we will be released. Father, we ask for tremendous grace to everyone praying this prayer with us now. Give them the grace to forgive and release. Let a process of healing begin for those who have been abandoned, abused, rejected, betrayed, and wronged in any way. Release a strong revelation that forgiveness is a choice we can all make. May today mark a new beginning for them, and all the negative results of what they have suffered be reversed. Let this begin today. We ask that You heal bodies through this. Mend hurting hearts and minds. Tear down the walls we’ve built to protect our emotions. Cause victims to be victimized no longer. Let the abused go free. Release captives, mend broken hearts, and restore hope. We ask that today truly be a new beginning. And we ask it all in the name of the great healer, Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we will walk in forgiveness to all. *************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-9-2025 May 9, 2025 The Importance of Honoring Our Mothers In America, on this upcoming Sunday, we will celebrate our Moms. Exodus 20:12 lists the fifth of the Ten Commandments: “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Ephesians 6:2-3 echoes the commandment: “Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” An article on the website CompellingTruth.org shares interesting insights on honoring our parents: “What does it mean to ‘honor’ one’s parents? In the Old Testament, the word translated honor is the Hebrew kabad. It means to be heavy, weighty, rich, and glorious. In other words, our parents should be a significant priority in our lives. They should not be ignored or taken lightly. Our choices should take their needs and wishes into serious consideration. “The Greek word used for honor in Ephesians 6:2 is timao. It means to determine the value of something; in this case, determining that the value is high. We should give our parents a high value, even higher than those in ministry (Mark 7:9-13), and treat them accordingly. “What, specifically, does this look like? Basically, we are to take every passage that describes how we should treat others and apply it to our parents. Love them with agape love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). Treat them with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Speak of them and to them with respect (Ephesians 4:29). Forgive them wholeheartedly (Matthew 18:21-22). And seek reconciliation when issues and misunderstandings get in the way (Matthew 18:15-17).”(1) Interesting thoughts. Our late friend, Quin Sherrer, shared some great insights a while back on honoring mothers, and on the history of this special day: “Did you notice that mother is singular in Mother’s Day? Special honor for YOUR special mom. You shower her with hugs and gifts. A phone call. Maybe even a meal out. “On Mother’s Day, you may honor your birth mom, an adoptive mom, foster mom, stepmom, grandmother, or even an aunt who ‘mothered’ you. Or perhaps you thank a special “spiritual” mom who taught and encouraged you in your Christian walk. I’m glad there is a day set aside nationally to pay tribute to them. History of Mother’s Day “In America, the ‘original’ Mother’s Day was observed in St. Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908 - spearheaded by Anna Jarvis as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children.(2) “On May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed a national day to honor motherhood on the second Sunday of every May. In his first proclamation, he stated that ‘the holiday offered a chance to [publicly express] our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.’ He also saw it as a way to honor mothers who had lost sons during World War I.(3) “‘Therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the said Joint Resolution, do hereby direct the government officials to display the United States flag on all government buildings and do invite the people of the United States to display the flag at their homes or other suitable places on the second Sunday in May as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.’(4) “Restaurants report it as their best day of the year. More phone calls are made on Mother’s Day than on any other day of the year. We do it to honor those women who loved us - and put up with us - all those years. We display flags, wear white carnations, buy gifts, and take mom out to eat.”(5) “What about those of us who no longer have our precious moms with us? We can still remember and honor them by thanking God for their sacrifices, influence, and prayers. “Have you thought about sending a note of appreciation to a mom who influenced you? Maybe they counseled or prayed for you during a difficult season of your life? Or encouraged you in your career, or Christian journey? Perhaps someone else’s mom, who took time to care for you? Cards and phone calls can brighten their day and make them feel appreciated and special.” Signs of Motherhood I thought I would attempt to bring a few smiles to the moms joining me today. In the book Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul, Liane Kupferberg Carter shares an article listing several signs in moms that indicate what she refers to as “Advanced Mommydom.” (Don’t worry that you don’t understand some of these, guys. Just defer to the ladies.) Liane states: “You know you’ve crossed the threshold into advanced mommydom when: You count the sprinkles on each kid’s cupcake to make sure they’re equal. You hide in the bathroom to be alone. Your child throws up, and you catch it. You’ve mastered the art of placing large quantities of pancakes and eggs on a plate without anything touching. You hope ketchup is a vegetable because it’s the only one your child eats. You can’t bear the thought of your son’s first girlfriend. You find yourself cutting your husband’s sandwiches into unusual shapes. You fast-forward through the scene when the hunter shoots Bambi’s mother. You become a member of three aquariums because your kid loves sharks. You hear your mother’s voice coming out of your mouth when you say, “Not in your good clothes!” You stop criticizing the way your mother raised you. You use your own saliva to clean your child’s face. You say at least once a day, “I’m not cut out for this job,” but you know you wouldn’t trade it for anything.”(6) Honor a mother this week, especially this Sunday. You’ll be glad you did. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of our mothers who brought us into this world. We are so grateful for them and the sacrifices they made to see us through our good seasons as well as our trying ones, challenging times as well as triumphant and joyous times. Show us creative ways to honor them. And help us teach our children and grandchildren how to bless the mothers and grandmothers who have gone before them, especially for those who left footsteps of faith for them to follow. For the last couple of decades, it seems that we in America have failed to teach the important principle of honor. Whether it be our nation, its flag, our military, others who sacrifice for us, or even our fellow man in general, we have lost ground in this area. Help us to recover it. You told us to “in honor, prefer one another” (Romans 12:10) and give “honor to whom honor is due” (Romans 13:17). This is not an insignificant issue to You. And lastly, we honor You above all others. Thank You for Your love and blessings. And all of this we pray in the name of Your great Son and our Savior, Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we will honor our parents, as God has instructed us to do. ************************************* Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------------------ Www.Compellingtruths.org https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother’s_Day https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/woodrow-wilson-proclaims-the-first-mothers-day-holiday Ibid. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother’s_Day Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, and Marci Shimoff, Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul (Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc.), pp. 135-137.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-8-2025 May 8, 2025 “Doctor, When Do I Die” We are focusing this week on prayer for unbelievers. Yesterday, we shared three biblical truths that will increase our faith for this. Our faith grows by reading, hearing, speaking, and meditating on God’s Word. Today, we will look at five more faith-building truths regarding God’s heart for unbelievers. FACT #1: God Is Hungry to Save While on earth as a flesh-and-blood human being, with very real human appetites and needs, Jesus demonstrated that His hunger to save sinners was greater than His hunger for food. In John 4, He went out of His way to minister to a confused, immoral Samaritan woman, married and divorced five times, and currently living with yet another man. Jesus forgave her, poured His living water into her, and introduced her to God as Father. Immediately afterward, when encouraged by His disciples to eat, Christ simply said, “I have food to eat that you do not know about” (John 4:32). He was so excited about what happened with this seemingly hopeless lady that He had lost His physical appetite! She shared her testimony with the village, and many of them believed upon Him because of her words. They asked Jesus to remain in the village for a while, and He agreed to stay for a couple more days to teach and share with them. “Many more believed because of His word, and they were saying to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One truly is the Savior of the world”’ (John 4:41-42; NASB). Jesus hasn’t changed; He still loves to rescue the lost. FACT #2: Jesus Was Willing to Become Human and Die to Save Us Another powerful faith-building truth is that Jesus chose to become human in order to redeem humanity. No one, absolutely no one, could possibly imagine what it entailed for Christ to do so. He loves us so much that He chose to pay this price, rather than have us remain outside His family. When faced with the agony of the Cross, Jesus stayed the course choosing torture, humiliation, and death, rather than angelic deliverance. He could have called upon legions of angels to deliver Him (see Matthew 26:53). However, His desire to save us was and is so strong that no price or sacrifice was too great. He did this for YOUR family and friends! Put a face to the price He paid! In his book Written in Blood, Robert Coleman tells the story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. The doctor had explained that she had the same disease the boy had recovered from two years earlier. Her only chance for recovery was a transfusion from someone who had previously conquered the disease. Since the two children had the same rare blood type, the boy was the ideal donor. “‘Would you give your blood to Mary?’ the doctor asked. “Johnny hesitated. His lower lip started to tremble. Then he smiled and said, ‘Sure, for my sister.’ “Soon, the two children were wheeled into the hospital room—Mary, pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither spoke, but when their eyes met, Johnny grinned. “As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, Johnny’s smile faded. He watched the blood flow through the tube. With the ordeal almost over, his voice, slightly shaky, broke the silence, ‘Doctor, when do I die?’ “Only then did the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated, why his lip had trembled when he’d agreed to donate his blood. He’d thought giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his life. In that brief moment, he’d made his selfless decision.”(1) Johnny didn’t have to die to save his sister. However, this was not the case with Christ. Our condition required Jesus to give His blood and His life. And He did it gladly. That’s how much He loves us. FACT #3: God Delights in Showing Mercy Still another important truth is that the Lord delights in showing mercy (Micah 7:18). It isn’t a stretch of God’s righteous nature to give mercy to unbelievers; He delights in doing so! Nineveh was a wicked city whose level of sin reached a point that demanded judgment (Jonah 3:4). However, when the people of Nineveh repented, God delighted in changing the verdict and releasing mercy! His heart hasn’t changed! He is just as excited to show mercy to your family member or friend. FACT #4: Jesus Came to Seek and Save the Lost Jesus said He came to seek and to save the lost (see Luke 19:10). Our holy and infinite God humbles Himself to seek fallen man. Unfathomable. I can wrap my finite mind around we humans being told to seek God, but every brain cell goes into overload when told He seeks us. God pursuing those who hate and reject Him? Where does such incomprehensible love come from? There simply are no words. God is on a quest. Every day, He looks down the road, waiting for another prodigal to crest the hill. When He sees one, He runs - yes, He RUNS to them - and embraces them even while they’re still covered with slop and mud. Then He restores the prodigal’s inheritance and throws a party saying, “My child is home!” (Luke 15:11-32). And His love is just as great for those who have never known Him. FACT #5: Our Restoration to God Is the Theme of the Bible! And finally, think about this: the entire Bible is the story of God’s plan and desire to save the fallen human race, to restore them into His family. Genesis brings us very quickly to the Fall - chapter 3. The remaining 1186 chapters of the Bible are the story of God’s quest and plan to redeem the human race. After Adam’s fall, He didn’t run from us; we ran from Him (Genesis 3:8). He’s been chasing us ever since. God‘s heart is to save. Meditate on, feed your heart with the truths we shared yesterday and today. You will soon be filled with faith, fully convinced that the God who seeks and saves will do so for those you desire to see saved. Pray with me: Father, satan’s plan to capture us began with him distorting Your heart. He has never stopped. The deceiver paints You as legalistic, mean-spirited, hard to please, one who loves to judge harshly, and who is distant and unapproachable. You, however, are the essence of goodness and kindness. Your merciful heart is to redeem. You desire intimacy with us, always seeking our companionship. Yeshua is the ultimate proof of Your love and compassion. You said in Your Word that we have power to demolish the mindsets satan and sin have planted in unbelievers, and to stop his schemes and plans from succeeding against them (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Therefore, we bind the lies, deceptions, mindsets, and beliefs he has ingrained in our prodigals and unbelievers for whom we pray. (Matthew 16:18-19). According to Luke 15:17, You can and will bring them to their senses. You will lift the veil from their eyes and shine Your light into the darkness (2 Corinthians 4:3-6). We use Christ’s keys of authority and release this now! (Matthew 16:18-19). We open the door for truth and light to reach them, and close the door to deception (Isaiah 22:22). We have been offered no less by You, Father, and by Your grace and power, we will accept no less! We ask and release these things in Yeshua’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that unbelievers and prodigals - by the millions - are coming to their senses and will come to the Heavenly Father. ******************************* Today’s post was adapted from my book How to Pray for Lost Loved Ones, published by Baker Books. Click on the link below to watch the full video. -------------------------------------------- Craig Brian Larson, Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993), p. 25.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-7-2025 May 7, 2025 Our God Loves To Save! I want to follow yesterday’s post with three encouraging facts regarding God’s desire to save the lost and restore prodigals. As you think and meditate on these truths, not only will they encourage you, but your faith will grow, causing your prayers to be more powerful. In later posts, we will teach specifically on how to pray for the unsaved. FACT #1: God Desires that Everyone Be Saved The beginning point of faith is to know God’s will - what He desires and has said. Regarding unbelievers, the Scriptures tell us He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 KJV). We don’t have to wonder about God’s desire or willingness regarding the lost; He could not have made His will any clearer. The Lord wants every person to believe upon Christ and be born again. FACT #2: God Is Able to Save He CAN deliver and save. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save” (Isaiah 59:1). Not only is God willing to save the lost, He is capable of doing so. He has sufficient power and knows how to bend, shape, and change the perspective of unbelievers, bringing them to a revelation of Himself. Holy Spirit can break off every satanic stronghold and bring them to a knowledge of the truth. Allow the following story to encourage you: “While hitchhiking home, Roger Simms was picked up by an older gentleman in an expensive car. They talked about many things, including Mr. Hanover’s business in Chicago. Roger felt a strong compulsion to share his faith, but was apprehensive about witnessing to a wealthy businessman. Finally, nearing his destination, Roger spoke up. “‘Mr. Hanover, I want to share something very important with you.’ “He explained the way of salvation and asked if Mr. Hanover would like to receive Christ as his Savior. To Roger’s astonishment, the businessman pulled over to the side of the road, bowed his head, wept, and prayed the prayer of salvation. He thanked Roger, saying, ‘This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.’ “Five years later, while in Chicago on a business trip, Roger went to Hanover Enterprises. The receptionist told him it would be impossible to see Mr. Hanover, but Mrs. Hanover was available. A little disappointed, he followed her into an office. “After exchanging greetings, Roger explained how Mr. Hanover had kindly given him a ride years ago. Suddenly interested, Mrs. Hanover asked when this had happened. When Roger told her it was on May 7, five years earlier, she asked if anything unusual had happened during his ride. “Roger hesitated, wondering if giving his witness had been a source of contention. But, feeling the prompting of the Lord, he told her that he had shared the gospel message and that her husband had accepted the Lord into his heart. “She began sobbing uncontrollably. After a few minutes, she explained that she had thought her prayers for her husband’s salvation had not been answered. After leaving Roger at his destination, Mr. Hanover had died that day in a horrible head-on collision.”(1) God is faithful! He knows how to unlock people’s hearts, how to convince them of their need and Christ’s provision, and when the time is right for them to be presented with the opportunity. And this certainly does not have to occur in a house of worship. God knows when to orchestrate hitchhikers’ travel home; He can cause unbelievers to drive the right highway, at the right time, and can motivate them to pick up the “evangelist.” God knows what He is doing! Don’t miss the fact that Mrs. Hanover had been praying for her husband’s salvation. Our prayers release God’s power; never forget this. (I will teach on this later in this series.) FACT #3: Christ’s Very Name Is Savior Another faith-building truth is Christ’s very name. “And you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). “Jesus” comes from the Hebrew word Yehoshua, from which we also get Yeshua. Both names mean “Jehovah/Yahweh is salvation,”(2) originating from yasha, which means “save”.(3) Christ is called Yeshua because He is the Savior. Think about that: Jesus chose to name Himself, “the Lord who saves.” He wanted no confusion, no ambiguity, no doubt as to His heart and desire. I like to imagine the conversation that may have occurred as the Godhead was planning our salvation: After discussing the unimaginable truth that Christ would have to become a human, suffer, and die to redeem us, the Father asks Christ: “What name shall we have people call you when you become human, Son? Most High? Creator? Omnipotent One? Everlasting God?…” Perhaps pausing to consider the question, the Lord simply replies, “Let’s not complicate it. I just want them to know I’m coming to save them from the Fall, from the curse of their sins. Just have them call me Jesus, Yeshua, ‘Yahweh who saves.’ In fact, let’s just shorten it to ‘Savior’”. And that’s what they did. The angel said to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11) “For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers” (1 Timothy 4:10). The Greek word for Savior adds further insight. It is soter, meaning “a deliverer that is God.”(4) It comes from sozo, meaning “save, rescue, deliver, or make whole.”(5) Whether it be Hebrew or Greek, Jesus proudly wears this name as His title! He loves to save! He WILL save your loved one, your friend, your neighbor! Charles Finney shared the following testimony of a father who came to a realization of the Lord’s intense desire to save his family: “I knew a father who was a good man, but who had misconceptions about the prayer of faith. His whole family of children had grown up, without one of them being converted. One day, his son grew ill and seemed ready to die. The father prayed, but the son grew worse and was sinking into the grave without hope. The father prayed until his anguish was unutterable. There seemed no prospect of his son surviving, so he poured out his soul as if he would not be denied. “Then, He received an assurance that not only would his son live, but he would be converted. God also assured him that not only this son, but his whole family would be saved. He came into the house and told his family his son would not die. They were astonished at him. ‘I tell you,’ he said, ‘he will not die. And no child of mine will ever die in his sins.’ Sure enough, the son lived, and the man’s children were all converted.”(6) Believe in the heart and power of the Savior! What He did for this father, He will do for you. Tomorrow, we will look at a few more passages of Scripture that will build our faith as we pray for unbelievers. Pray with me: Father, we pray today that faith will arise in the hearts of believers throughout the world. Awaken faith in them that You want to see people saved, and that You are well able to do so. You are mighty to save. We pray today for those who don’t know You. We ask You to awaken unbelievers to their need of You, and to Your provision and love. We release Holy Spirit’s power to break every stronghold and frustrate every strategy satan is using to keep them deceived and bound. We loose them from all demonic control and all deception. We prophesy to the wind of Holy Spirit: blow on the dry bones, giving them life (Ezekiel 37). Save and deliver them, in the name of Yeshua. Release Your power, revelation, and salvation. Send the appropriate believers to share with them. Pour out Your Spirit in homes, on campuses, in our churches – do it everywhere. We ask for this not just here in America, but around the world. All of this we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that “the Lord who saves” is coming with another wave of revival to redeem a billion people here in America and around the world. *************************** Today’s post is adapted from my book How to Pray for Lost Loved Ones, published by Baker Books. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------------------ Alice Gray, Stories for the Heart (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 1996), pp. 225-257. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 3091. Ibid. Ref. no. 3467. Ibid. Ref. no. 4990. Ibid. Ref. no. 4982. Charles G. Finney, How to Experience Revival (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1984), p. 58.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-6-2025 May 6, 2025 The Harvest is Ready “It was 1973, and I was attending college, traveling fast but going nowhere. I had been running from the Lord for two years, serving the gods of alcohol, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll. Though I had been raised in church (Dad was an evangelist and then a pastor) and had surrendered my life to Christ at a young age, at age seventeen, I rebelled from the Lord. Our family had gone through some devastating circumstances, which resulted in me becoming extremely bitter and disillusioned. The pain was so great and my confusion so strong that I did not know how to cope with it. I rebelled, turning away from God and the life I had known. “God was very patient with me, knowing my pain had caused the rebellion. He loved me through my pain-filled responses and didn’t take them personally. Then, in 1973, at a bar named The Boar’s Head—aptly so, since I was a prodigal and this was my pigpen—while I was listening to a rock band and stoned on marijuana, Holy Spirit spoke to me.”(1) This was not the first time He had done so. God would often speak to me through my thoughts when I was alone. He was never condemning, only affirming. Often, I would lie in bed at night, when the world around me finally became quiet, thinking thoughts about God, life, and what I was doing with mine. I know now that Holy Spirit was stirring those thoughts, reaching deep into the hidden places of my heart, keeping me tethered to Him. On this night in the Boar’s Head, however, His tactics were different. He shouted through the clamor and noise around me, drowning out even the loud music. “‘What are you doing here?’ He asked. The Lord’s voice was so clear it may as well have been audible. His question wasn’t a rebuke, but rather a sincere prompting from deep in my heart. ‘You know this is not who you are,’ He continued, ‘and will never be who you are. You’ll never find the fulfillment and peace you’re looking for through this lifestyle.’ “Shocked and amazed that God would follow me into this place, my first response was, ‘What are YOU doing here?!’ “‘I’ve come for you.’ “Instantly sober, I went outside the bar to walk and think for a while…and dialogue with my Father, who was pursuing me. The Lord and I had several more conversations over the next couple of months, until I was finally ready to return to Him. Like the prodigal returning to his father’s embrace, I walked back into the loving embrace of Papa God. When I did, I found more than pleasure; I discovered my purpose in life. “Realizing the field of study I was pursuing was not what I had been created to do, I withdrew from college. I began a passionate pursuit of God, became active in a good local church, and connected with several other hungry seekers. I also began going on short-term mission trips, serving missionaries and the poor in Guatemala. Eventually, realizing I wanted to serve God in full-time ministry, I decided to attend Christ For The Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. There I discovered God in new ways—over and over—and eventually met Ceci, to whom I’ve been married for forty-seven wonderful years. It has been a great journey.”(2) Back to Today Perhaps the number one request we receive at Give Him 15 is teaching on how to pray for people’s salvation. I will be doing so off and on over the next few weeks. Though many would find it surprising, there are seasons in which it is easier for the Lord to reveal truth to unbelievers and draw them to Himself. The biblical word for revelation literally means “uncovering or unveiling.” This lifting of the veil occurs not only in individuals but in the spiritual atmospheres of regions. When this occurs, the spiritual darkness and deception that blind people to the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) are removed, and individuals in that region begin receiving personal revelation (See Jonah 3; John 4:40-42; Acts 8:1-8, etc). This phenomenon occurs in all true revivals. We are moving into one of those seasons. As we do, entire cities and nations will experience this lifting of the veil, and many people will be saved. Our prayers are used to generate this. It is time now to intercede for your loved ones’ and friends’ salvation. Angels have been activated to work in their lives, and God will speak to them, just as He did to me. It makes no difference what caused a prodigal to leave Father’s house, or what may be controlling a particular unbeliever: drugs, addictions, a wrong relationship, a broken relationship, or bitterness. God can reach them. The important thing is to be assured that He knows what is needed in order to save and/or restore them, and that He wants to do so. Begin asking the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to them. He will (Matthew 9:38). Ask Him to give them dreams and cause them to hear what they need to hear. He will. Declare His promises over them; they don’t have to be in your presence for you to do that - He “sends” His word ( Psalm 107:20). And believe that He loves the unbeliever more than you do! Bind the powers of darkness that influence and control them. Loose the unbeliever from demons and wrong influences (Matthew 16:18-19). Speak to every mountain between them and Father God, commanding it to be cast into the sea; do so with faith and confidence (Mark 11:23-24). When we do, the demons and mountains of adversity don’t stand a chance! Pray with me: Father, we believe Your words. You said if we believed upon You, we would be saved and our household (Acts 16:31). You said revival has begun, a billion souls will be saved, and prodigals are coming home. You have said signs and wonders will occur, drawing people to You. You said our sons and daughters will see visions and prophesy (Acts 2:17). We believe You! In Your mercy, lead prodigals into their pigpens. Feed them the husks and slop. Then, bring them to their senses. Speak louder than the music, the pain, the confusion, the anger, the temporal pleasures of sin, and the pigs. Awaken them to Your heart. Awaken them to the destiny You have for them. Remind them that they are called to know and do great things for You, not partner with the evil one who steals, kills, and destroys. We bind every evil force controlling the unbelievers for whom we are praying. We bind the lies that have been planted in their thinking, placed there by the world, the flesh, and the devil. We loose them from demonic control, addictions, and all other bondages. We call out in the spirit, “Come to Father‘s house! Prodigals, come and receive back your robe of righteousness, wear once again His ring of authority, and eat the fatted calf. You are called to know God intimately, to be a passionate worshiper, and become a powerful instrument in His hands. You are destined to be a deliverer, a reformer, a world changer. And you will experience this destiny.” We pray and decree these things in the name of the Great Shepherd, Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We decree that unbelievers and prodigals are hearing a voice they cannot resist, and feeling a tug they cannot refuse. They are coming to Christ! ************************* Today’s post was adapted from my book The Pleasure of His Company, published by Baker Books. Click on the link below to watch the full video. -------------------------------------------- Dutch Sheets, The Pleasure of His Company (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group) pp. 28-29. Ibid.

The Harvest is Ready

https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-5-2025 May 5, 2025 The Spoiler One of the greatest offers in the history of the world was made centuries ago to a man named Obed-edom. At the instruction of David, king of Israel, he was asked if his living room could be the Holy of Holies for a while. After one of David’s men was killed trying to transport the Ark to Jerusalem, we’re told: And David was unwilling to move the ark of the Lord into the city of David with him; but David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. Thus the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household. (2 Samuel 6:10-11) Can you imagine being asked -- in Obed-edom’s day, by the way, when the very presence and glory of God hovered over the ark, “Would you mind if we placed the ark of the covenant in your home for a few months?” If you were a lover of God, this honor would have been unimaginable. How would you respond? “Uh, I don’t know, King. I’ll have to think about whether or not I want the shekinah glory of God hovering in my living room for the next three months.” I don’t think I’d have had to pray about it. Obviously, Obed-edom didn’t. Can you imagine running to your wife and blurting out, “You’ll never guess what is in our living room!” And what about the conversation with your kids: “Now, guys, you can look but DON’T TOUCH!” And don’t you just imagine that Obed’s house became the first choice for the neighborhood home group! One can only guess what it was like at Obed-edom’s home for the three months the ark was there. Did they sit for hours and stare at it? Did it ever get dark in the house? (Think about it.) Did the presence of Yahweh permeate the whole house? Was there a constant haze? Did people fall down when they walked by it? We don’t know these answers, but we do know “the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household” during this unprecedented season (v. 11). We also know that when David finally moved the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, Obed-edom packed up and moved his entire household with it, becoming a gatekeeper in the tent that housed it, the Tabernacle of David (1 Chronicles 26:1-4). One can almost hear his conversation with David: “If you think, Your Highness, that after having the presence and glory of God in my living room for the last three months, that I’m going to live without it, you’re badly mistaken. You’re taking me with you!” David understood. It had been David, a lover of God, who decided to find the ark and bring it back to Jerusalem. “Then David consulted with...every leader. And David said to all the assembly of Israel… ‘Let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul’” (1 Chronicles 13:1-3). What a sad epitaph for a leader: “The presence of God was not sought after during his reign.” And what sad days those must have been for the Lord. I’m certain Yahweh was pleased when David, a man after His heart, wanted His presence to be the focal point of the nation once again. Yet the process turned out to be difficult. Due to the inappropriate way David’s team transported the ark, a man felt compelled to touch it in an attempt to steady it, an act that should have been avoided. The consequences of touching the ark had been clearly explained by Yahweh. The offender was killed by the glory of the Lord, which resulted in great fear and a three-month delay. This is why the ark made its way to Obed-edom’s house. David researched the correct way to transport the ark, and it was relocated to Jerusalem. Obed-edom, however, was not about to buy into the separation. “Pack up, guys,” he told the family. “We’re moving.” I’ve done the Obed-edom thing - sort of. Obviously, it wasn’t exactly the same, but it was about as close as you could get to it nowadays. In 2008, in the Colorado Springs church I pastored, we had a special series of services. On Sunday morning, a prophetic guest dropped a bombshell: “Put everything else on hold for ninety days, and do nothing but 24/7 worship. Just as Obed-edom hosted the ark of His presence for three months, God is asking you to do the same,” he declared. My mind began racing: Was this really a word from Holy Spirit? Should we try it? Could we pull it off? What about our other programs? How would this affect the church? These and other questions flooded my mind. But…we did it! We did the Obed-edom thing. The next three months became the best of my life. Like Obed-edom, I was ruined. The logistics were challenging, of course, but the worship never stopped, not even to preach in our services. And the presence of God in our sanctuary for the next ninety days, well, it was thick and weighty. I canceled all but a couple of my speaking engagements during the three months and spent several hours every day just hanging out with God. Not only did it change my life, it also changed the lives of hundreds of others. People sacrificed their vacation days and spent them with God. Occasionally, entire families brought sleeping bags and spent the night “camping out” in His presence. Many came on their lunch breaks. A few people came and spent time with Him every day; one lady actually spent all night, every night, there. An Air Force colonel came every morning on his way to work and stopped in every night after work. In the end, all who participated were ruined. Normal, for us, had become radical. Thirty or forty minutes, a few worship songs on Sunday morning would never again satisfy. The Obed-edom thing causes BIG problems. It’s now easy to see why he didn’t even try to fight it. “I’m addicted,” he said through his actions. “Where the ark goes, I go.” David seemed to understand: “No sense in arguing with him; he’s ruined. He’ll never outgrow it or outlive it. Make him a doorkeeper at the tent.” David, too, became “addicted.” I finally understood why he would say, “A day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside” (Psalm 84:10). David also said, “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple” (Psalm 27:4). Understood. You, too, can do the Obed-edom thing. No, not 24/7. But the Lord wants to hang out in your house. His presence is no longer limited to an ark in a Holy of Holies. Pursue Him. If you do, like the bride looking for her groom in the Song of Solomon, He’ll let you find Him. Oh, how He wants to be found. Until you experience this pleasure, you’ll never really understand it. Once you have, you’ll refuse to ever again be without it. Pray with me: Father, we’ve tasted of and seen Your goodness, and we hunger and thirst for more. We desire to host You, Your presence, and we want this for others. Let us encounter Your presence to such an extent that we are ruined for anything less. Come, show us Your glory; reveal Yourself to us. Thank You for letting Yourself be found by those who seek You wholeheartedly. One day with You, Jesus, is so much better than a thousand spent anywhere else. May dwelling in Your presence be our highest aspiration, our greatest fascination, and the deepest longing of our hearts. Let all things pale in comparison to time spent in the pleasure of Your company. Yahweh, humankind’s fallen nature, aided by satan and religion, has distorted the perception of Your true nature. No longer seen as a loving Father, You are perceived as distant, uncaring, impossible to please, and a harsh Judge. May the coming “presence movement” shatter these misperceptions, just as surely as Christ did when He revealed Your nature 2000 years ago. And may Your Abba-heart be seen by a lost, hungry world. Do the Obed-edom thing around the world! Send revival! In Christ’s name, we pray...Amen. Our decree: We decree that we are hungry for the presence of our Father, of Christ, and of Holy Spirit. We will never be satisfied without it. ****************************** Today’s post was taken from my book The Pleasure of His Company, published by Baker Books. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-2-2025 May 2, 2025 The Spirit of Revival on U.S. College Campuses In the quiet yet powerful moments of history, God often chooses to move among the next generation—those young hearts hungry for truth, freedom, and purpose. Today, we are witnessing a divine awakening sweeping across the college campuses of America. A fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit is stirring the hearts of thousands of students, igniting a fire of faith that is transforming lives and reshaping the future of our nation. This is not just revival. It is also a prophetic sign—a signal that God’s Spirit is once again moving in power to awaken the church, reawaken the nation, and fulfill His divine purposes for this generation. It is a kairos moment—a divine opportunity for the body of Christ to rise up in faith and partner with heaven for the greatest awakening in history. The Spirit of Awakening: A Divine Call to the Next Generation Throughout history, God has chosen young people to be the catalysts of spiritual renewal. From the student revivals of the 18th and 19th centuries to the powerful moves of the 20th century, the youth have often been at the forefront of God’s divine plans. Today, we are seeing this pattern repeat itself—God is awakening a generation on the campuses, calling them to be His mighty witnesses. Young people are standing boldly, professing their faith in Christ, and being baptized, declaring that Jesus is their Lord. These acts of surrender are not just moments of individual salvation; they are prophetic declarations that the kingdom of God is breaking into the heart of academia, challenging the darkness and establishing His light. A Harvest of Souls: Thousands of Lives Transformed Reports from campuses across the nation tell of thousands of students experiencing encounters with Jesus—dreams, visions, and powerful testimonies of salvation. Baptisms are happening in dormitories, campus chapels, and even in lakes and rivers near college towns. These are not isolated incidents but a widespread movement—a wave of revival sweeping through the land. This revival is characterized by genuine repentance, hunger for the Word, and a desire to see God’s kingdom established on earth. Students are not just interested in superficial religion; they are hungry for authentic encounters with the living God. They are rising up with a newfound zeal to share the Gospel, to pray for their campuses, and to see the kingdom of God come in power. The Power of Prayer and Worship: Fueling the Fire At the heart of this movement is a renewed passion for prayer and worship. Students are gathering in prayer meetings that are overflowing with the presence of God. Worship is erupting on campuses as young voices lift high praise, declaring the supremacy of Jesus. These moments of prayer and worship are becoming portals for divine revelation and transformation. In these campus gatherings, prayer is becoming a mighty weapon—breaking down barriers, tearing down strongholds, and ushering in God’s glory. Faith in Action: Evangelism and Discipleship This awakening is also marked by a tangible desire to see lives transformed through evangelism. Students are stepping out boldly—sharing their faith on social media, engaging in street evangelism, and forming discipleship groups. They understand that revival is not just about personal salvation but about transforming entire communities for Christ. Many campuses are witnessing the birth of student-led prayer groups and outreach ministries. These young warriors are declaring that the Kingdom of God is at hand, and are partnering with heaven to see cities, states, and even the nation touched by the gospel. A Prophetic Sign: The Spirit Moving in Power This movement on college campuses is more than a societal trend; it is a prophetic sign—a divine forecast of what God has begun on the earth. Holy Spirit is being poured out on all flesh, and young men and women are receiving visions and dreams, prophetic words, and divine assignments. God will use this generation to carry the torch of revival. These students are not just the future of the church; they are the church now, armed with power and purpose. The Role of Prayer In this season, our prayers are crucial, creating a spiritual atmosphere conducive to revival. Declare God’s promises over campuses and cities. Remember that prayer is the engine of revival—the fuel that ignites the fire. This is a season of divine breakthrough. Our prayers are breaking chains, releasing the Spirit’s power, and opening the heavens for an unprecedented move of God. This is just the beginning. The revival on campuses is gaining momentum, and the Spirit of God is inviting the church to join in. Now is the time for believers everywhere to pray more fervently, to believe more boldly, and to partner with heaven in seeing this move multiply. We must continue to cry out, to declare His promises, and to believe that the greatest harvest of souls is on the horizon. The Spirit is moving powerfully among the youth, and God is calling His church to rise up in faith, to partner with heaven, and to be part of this historic awakening. The Lord is saying, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). We must partner with heaven through prayer, faith, and boldness. We must believe that God’s promises are yes and amen and that He is faithful to finish what He has begun. So rejoice, pray fervently, and stand in faith, declaring that this is the beginning of a new era—an awakening that will sweep across America and the world, bringing in a harvest of souls and revival that is unprecedented. Revival has begun—let us embrace it with all our hearts and see the greatest move of God in history unfold right before our eyes. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, we come before You with humble hearts, longing for a mighty outpouring of Your Spirit upon our campuses across America. Lord, You see the hunger and the brokenness, the apathy and the lostness that grip the hearts of students and faculty alike. We cry out for revival—an awakening that will shake the very foundations of our institutions and ignite a passion for Your truth and Your righteousness. Father, we ask You to pour out Your Spirit in power, to break every chain of complacency, and to ignite a fire of holiness within every student and leader. Send a fresh wave of conviction, repentance, and renewal. Raise up mighty warriors for Your Kingdom—students, professors, administrators—who will stand boldly for Christ and proclaim Your Gospel with boldness and love. We declare that revival begins now, in the name of Jesus. Let Your Spirit sweep across every campus, transforming minds, hearts, and lives. We believe You are able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all we ask or imagine. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Let Your Kingdom come, and let it come now—on American campuses, as it is in Heaven. Amen. Our decree: We decree that revival has begun and will continue on the campuses of America and throughout the world. ************************* Click on the link below to watch the full video.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/april-25-2025 April 25, 2025 Introduction Our friend Terri Brown sent some fascinating insights regarding the faithfulness of God. As we seek the Lord, work for Him, and sow our time in intercession, it is important to periodically slow down and remember this aspect of God’s character, especially when breakthroughs don’t occur as quickly as we had hoped. Today’s title is: Feed on His Faithfulness “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:3-4 (NKJV) Recently, I was with some friends praying and waiting on the Lord. As I thought about what a struggle it can be to quieten our souls and listen to Him, I focused on the Lord and was prompted to go to Psalm 37:4, which mentions delighting ourselves in the Lord. As I was reading it, I backed up and read verse three also. “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness” (NKJV). What an interesting phrase, I thought: Feed on His faithfulness. Obviously, the Lord was telling Israel that as they placed their trust in Him and did what was right, they would live securely in the land He had given them, and experience His faithfulness. Obedience and faith always produce the Lord’s blessing. And yet, as He does so amazingly, Holy Spirit began unfolding added meaning to the verse. As I pondered the phrase “feed on,” the Lord focused me on how remembering His faithfulness feeds our souls and causes spiritual growth. Different descriptive phrases came to mind: Nourish yourself on His faithfulness. Meditate on His faithfulness. Chew on His faithfulness. Chew on it like a cow chews its cud, over and over. (This is often the example given for “meditating” on God’s Word.) Ponder His faithfulness. Feeding on God’s faithfulness helps us remember all the ways He has been trustworthy in our lives, the miracles, big and small, and the times we have felt His love and encouragement. And this shouldn’t be relegated to remembering His faithfulness only to us personally, but also to past generations: Psalm 119:90: “Your faithfulness flows from one generation to the next; all that you created sits firmly in place to testify of you.” (TPT) Psalm 40:10: “I have declared your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.” (NKJV) Lamentations 3:21-25: “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; Therefore, I will wait for Him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him.” (NIV) As I contemplated the benefits of “feeding on His faithfulness,” I was reminded of the time in college when I was hired to tutor a blind student in trigonometry. The study of trigonometry is about “seeing” the relationship between the sides of a right triangle and the angles of the triangle. When I first started working with him, he had no grid for this, for obvious reasons. He was having a very difficult time “seeing” and understanding these relationships, how the shapes/concepts worked together. Then, I had an epiphany! I don’t remember how the idea came about, but I had a friend use a peg board and, with nails, create a 10” x 10” grid. Next, we used rubber bands, stretching them over the nailheads to make triangles. This blind student was then able to use his sense of touch to “see” the relationships of angles and sides he was unable to see with his physical eyes. We had to bring trigonometry from a realm that was dependent on “seeing” the correlations to a realm he could operate in with his sense of touch. Applying This to Our Lives If we Christians are honest, it can be difficult at times to understand the ways of God. What is He doing? Why is He doing it? Many times, we can’t “see” the connection or relationship between what we are experiencing and what the Bible tells us regarding who God is and what He is doing. This is especially true when our circumstances differ from past experiences or are extremely challenging. Often, we can’t “see” the connection between our situation and what God has promised. When this occurs, we can fall into doubting the goodness of God, thinking He has forgotten us, or perhaps even assume that we have been disqualified in some way. At that point, we become vulnerable to disappointment, unbelief, and fear. These are the times when, just as the trigonometry student needed to operate with a different sense in order to “see,” we too must rely on a different spiritual sense: remembering God’s faithfulness. If we “drive” the faithfulness of the Lord into the “pegboard” of our minds - feeding on His faithfulness - this will enable us to trust Him and His ways. On the other hand, if we allow traumatic events, disappointments, and judgments against the Lord to become our pegs, we receive a very distorted view of God and His ways. We open ourselves up to disappointment, hope deferred, unbelief, and a host of other problems. It seems that most often the assignment of the enemy against us is to hinder or destroy our faith. The devil knows that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus told His disciples they were going to go to the other side of the lake (Mark 4:35), but on the way, they encountered a huge storm. He silenced the storm, then said to the disciples, “Why are you so fearful? How is it you have no faith?” He had told them they were all going to go to the other side, but the storm caused the disciples to doubt. Their eyes were fixed on the storm instead of what the Lord had spoken. We sometimes do the same thing. The Lord has spoken promises over our nation, but we are also encountering storms. He has probably spoken things over your life or family that have not yet occurred. This is why we must feed on His faithfulness. When the storms rage, look at His faithfulness to you individually, as well as to others down through the ages. Perhaps take some time to make a list of ways the lord has been faithful to you and your family. You can add to your list ways He has been faithful to others you know or perhaps have read about. Then, when the storm clouds appear on the horizon, pull out the list…and feed on His faithfulness. Pray with me: Father, we, at times, find ourselves facing disappointments, setbacks, losses, and other challenges. Our perspective at that point can mean the difference between success or failure. Seeds of disappointment and discouragement can grow into roots of bitterness. If not dealt with appropriately, difficulties can steal our joy and rob us of our strength. Remind us that Your plans for our future are good, even when we do not understand what You are doing. You are good, kind, loving, and faithful. Teach us to feed our minds on this truth, reminding ourselves of Your great faithfulness. This will nourish our souls, making them strong. We thank You for what You are doing in America and throughout the world. Though You must work through human hearts, minds, and wills, You do so patiently, creating opportunities to save and deliver. We are moving into such a season, filled with incredible opportunities for revival. Bring about these outpourings of Holy Spirit we pray, in the holy name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We celebrate our God, whose name is Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11), and will feed on His faithfulness all the days of our lives. ****************************** Today’s post was contributed by our friend, Terri Brown. You can find out more about her at TerriBrown.live. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/april-24-2025 April 24, 2025 (I released a post a few weeks back regarding America’s judiciary branch of government. The need for prayer concerning the courts is so incredibly important at this time that I am re-releasing the post, with a few new thoughts.) Rogue Judges and Despotism The Left has often used liberal judges to legislate from the bench, doing for them what they could not accomplish through Congress. Roe v. Wade is a glaring example. Through the word “privacy” in our Constitution, the Supreme Court found the right to kill babies in the womb and made it the law of the land. They finally righted this abominable wrong in 2022. Another despicable example occurred on June 26, 2015. The Supreme Court decided it had the right to overrule God and the Bible by redefining marriage, making the right to same-sex marriage the law of the land. Five unelected Justices, in one of the most arrogant defiances of God in history, reversed thousands of years of sacred tradition and “redefined” the first and arguably most important covenant the Creator established on earth. The arrogant and activist Justices voting to do so were Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan. In the past few years, we have watched rogue judges (and prosecutors) also try to destroy President Trump and those associated with him. Now they are attempting to keep him from exposing and ending fraud in our government, and from deporting violent criminals, who came to America illegally in the first place. Let that sink in. Those who skirted due process to enter America, as well as the government leaders who aided and abetted them in doing so, now demand “due process” in order to expel them. (Including some of America’s “brightest” judicial minds on the bench.) If we were not watching this lunacy take place, it would be beyond belief. Hundreds of congressional leaders and numerous judges do not want fraud exposed or criminal aliens deported! It turns out Trump Derangement Syndrome is real, and is obviously fueled by a severe common sense deficiency. Where is Thomas Paine when we need him? Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, no novice when it comes to government and the Constitution, warned of these judicial extremes. He once said, “The great object of my fear is the Federal Judiciary.” (Letter to Judge Spencer Roane, 1821)(1) In a letter to Abigail Adams, September 11, 1804, “prophet” Jefferson warned that giving judges too much control would lead to despotism. A despot, by the way, is a king, tyrant, or other oppressor with absolute, cruel, and unlimited power. This Founding Father stated: “Nothing in the Constitution has given them [the federal judges] a right to decide for the Executive, more than to the Executive to decide for them. . . . The opinion which gives to the judges the right to decide what laws are constitutional and what not, not only for themselves, in their own sphere of action, but for the Legislature and Executive also in their spheres, would make the Judiciary a despotic branch.”(2) In a letter to Judge Roane, September 6, 1819, Jefferson restated his concerns regarding the judiciary, contending that the Constitution did not give them control over the other two branches. Had it done so, Jefferson contended that: “The Constitution, on this hypothesis, is a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary, which they may twist and shape into any form they please.”(3) America should have listened! In a letter to Diplomat William Jarvis (September 28, 1820), Jefferson again warned that making the Supreme Court the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional issues was “very dangerous” and would lead to despotism: “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.”(4) And at the risk of boring you with Jeffersonian wisdom, eloquence, and accurate predictions, here is one more statement referencing the judiciary as the “most dangerous” branch of our government: “At the establishment of our constitution, the judiciary bodies were supposed to be the most helpless and harmless members of the government. Experience, however, soon showed in what way they were to become the most dangerous; that the insufficiency of the means provided for their removal gave them a freehold and irresponsibility in office; that their decisions, seeming to concern individual suitors only, pass silent and unheeded by the public at large; that these decisions, nevertheless, become law by precedent, sapping, by little and little, the foundations of the Constitution, and working its change by construction, before any one has perceived that that invisible and helpless worm has been busily employed in consuming its substance...” (Letter to A. Coray, October 31, 1823)(5) So profound! Thomas Jefferson knew the weaknesses of human nature, and that “judges are as honest as other men, and NOT MORE SO” (emphasis mine).(6) Indeed, the last line of defense for the deep state and leftist legislators, in their attempts to maintain control of America, seems now to be the courts. As Daniel Horowitz stated: “They have ordered the administration to fund private foreign aid organizations, reinstate specific personnel, and publish designated information on government websites. In one case, a judge even directed the Secretary of Defense to retract a statement on the Pentagon’s policy regarding transgender troops. And over the weekend, U.S. District Judge James Boasburg attempted to block the deportation of violent gang members under the Alien Enemies Act. [The same judge who serves on FISA, the court that issued warrants to spy on the Trump campaign nine years ago. He later sentenced an FBI agent who falsified information in order to obtain the warrant to only probation, while sentencing January 6 participants to years in prison.] “What’s next? Will they order Trump to stop threatening Hamas or remove the bust of Andrew Jackson from the Oval Office? “Judges have forgotten who they are: unelected shields against government overreach, not legislative swords that can impose policies. Perhaps Trump needs to examine that bust of “Old Hickory” Andrew Jackson in the Oval Office and recall his (likely apocryphal) response to Chief Justice John Marshall’s ruling in Worcester v. Georgia: ‘John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it!’”(7) We must pray that the Lord enables us to rein in dishonest or misguided judges, exposing their inappropriate decisions. Pray that unrighteous judges who legislate from the bench are stopped. Ask God to give favor and great understanding to honorable judges. Pray daily for great wisdom to be given to government leaders fighting for truth, freedom, and the restoration of America. Pray this, especially, for President Trump‘s Department of Justice and law enforcement agencies as they expose and uproot the evil that has entrenched itself in our government. And pray for those in Congress who will be working to codify changes. Lastly, pray for revival. Lasting and deeply significant change will only come to America as millions of hearts are transformed by the power of Holy Spirit. This, and this alone, will empower the full reformation needed in our nation. Pray with me: Father, we know that righteousness and justice are the foundations of Your throne. We also know that these foundations are based on truth, which is found in You and Your Word. And we believe that as our Framers sought You for wisdom, You answered their prayers as they wrote our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Leftists and despots continuously rebel against and twist this wisdom and Your truth. We ask for Your supernatural help in stopping their efforts. We ask that You give President Trump’s team understanding and wisdom as they work against attempts to turn our nation away from the Judeo-Christian principles upon which America was founded. Release Your sovereign and all-powerful hand to dismantle evil structures and systems created by those who resist truth in America. Break off from us the tyranny of evil and dishonest judges. Help us rebuild a strong America that can serve Your purposes throughout the world. Give us wisdom to mend our flaws, building back an even stronger and more righteous nation. Shake out evil and do a deep work of cleansing. Revive and restore us. In the name of Jesus, we pray, amen. Our decree: We decree that righteousness will prevail in the courts of America. ******************************* Click on the link below to watch the full video. ----------------------------------------------- http://www.robgagnon.net/JeffersonOnJudicialTyranny.htm Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/trump-must-defy-rogue-judges-or-risk-a-failed-presidency

https://www.givehim15.com/post/april-23-2025 April 23, 2025 Important Lessons from Nehemiah We are in a season of restoration and rebuilding in America. The book of Nehemiah is a great guide, and it reminds us that restoration takes God-given vision, unyielding faith, and perseverance. Let’s review a few of Nehemiah’s important lessons today. God’s Heart Perhaps the most important leadership advice I could give someone would be: Ask God to reveal and impart to you His heart regarding those you influence, lead, or minister to. Seek and identify with His desires. Become a true friend of Jesus. Nehemiah allowed God to impart His heart to him when he heard how badly the work of restoration was going in Jerusalem. “… The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been burned. When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven…” Nehemiah 1:3-4 (NLT) True intercession is born out of love. God’s love is poured out through His Ekklesia as we connect with His Heart for America and the nations. “For God so loved the world…” (John 3:16). I labor in prayer for America, as Nehemiah did for Jerusalem, because God has broken my heart for our nation. As the apostle Paul stated, His love constrains me (2 Corinthians 5:14). We intercede daily for America because the love of Christ compels us to do so. He wants to reap a harvest of millions here, and a billion souls among the nations. Our motivation to transform America is NOT out of anger or political partisanship; the Love of Christ motivates us. It was said of General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, that he carried God’s heart for the poor in the slums of England. Leonard Ravenhill recounts a story regarding Booth, highlighting the need to minister from God’s heart: “In my twenties, during a period of pastoring, I loved to go past the Salvation Army building, which was the largest one outside of London. There’s a huge memorial at the front. Chiseled in one stone is, “William Booth of the Salvation Army opened this corps,” and then it gives the date of 1910. On a second stone it says, ‘Kate and Mary Jackson, were officers in this corp.’ “It was in this poor city, where they spin and weave cotton into cloth and the whole town was on the poverty level, that Kate and Mary Jackson labored for a couple of years, and nothing happened. Those girls worked diligently and went to bed exhausted at night. “So they wrote William Booth: ‘Would you kindly move us to another station? We’re so tired and disheartened. We’ve tried everything that we’ve been taught to do. Please move us to another location.’ “Booth sent a telegram back with two words: ‘Try tears.’ “They did, and they saw real revival come. The girls entered into travailing prayer; not just prayer, but travailing prayer, prayer with anguish in it. “The road to revival is often paved with tears and brokenness.”(1) Let’s ask Holy Spirit to impart the Father’s heart to us, just as He did for those girls, and Nehemiah. Battles will Come Nehemiah also teaches us that genuine Kingdom restoration causes much conflict from the enemy. Nehemiah 4:1, 8: “But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and in a great rage, and he ridiculed the Jews. … And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem, to injure and cause confusion and failure in it” (Amplified Bible Classic Edition). How appropriate for today! Have you ever seen or heard as much hatred, anger, rage, and ridicule toward another administration as that directed toward our President, his team, and his agenda? Despite the outrage and attacks of the enemy, however, Holy Spirit calls us to follow His leadership and enforce Christ’s victory on Calvary. We must keep at the forefront of our thinking that we are on the winning side. Be confident of Christ and His victory. Colossians 2:15 (Amplified) says, “[God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the Cross].” Matthew 28:18 (NKJV) reminds us that “All authority has been given to [Christ] in heaven and on earth.” Revelation 1:17-18 (NKJV) states, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” And Matthew 16:18 (NKJV) declares, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” Our confidence grows as we learn how to intercede and decree from the place of victory! Three Important Reminders from Nehemiah In Nehemiah 4:14, this great leader told the people, “Don’t be afraid of our enemies” (Nehemiah 4:14). What a powerful reminder for the Ekklesia. We must NOT magnify the enemy by overly focusing on his schemes. His tactics of wrath, fear, and deception are predictable, BUT he is defeated. Jesus is Lord over the earth, is building His Ekklesia, and the gates of hell are NOT prevailing! This great verse continues, “Remember the Lord, who is great and powerful!” Worship! Magnify the Lord! A key to our victories is to remember how great and powerful our God is. And the verse concludes by saying, “You must fight for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters! You must fight for your wives and your homes!” We must fight! Yes, we “fight” on our knees to release Kingdom power and victory on earth, not with carnal weapons. We extend God’s Kingdom through our prayers, intercession, and decrees. But…we must fight! God Is Frustrating the Plans of His Enemies I love Nehemiah 4:15 (NASB): “When our enemies heard that…God had frustrated their plan…” Today, as we pray for President Trump, his cabinet, Mike Johnson, Congress, etc., we can be assured that God is actively restoring America and frustrating the plans of the enemy. Pray with me: Father, we ask that You impart to us Your heart for America and the nations. We refuse to be motivated by politics and the political spirit. We purpose to be motivated only by Your purposes and desires. Our adversary, the devil, opposes us in our efforts to turn this nation and evangelize among the nations, but we stand in Your victory. We are neither surprised nor intimidated by his anger, hatred, or attacks. We refuse to fear, but will war for our children, families, and fellow citizens. And as we do, You will frustrate the enemies of Your Kingdom. We know that America shall be saved, and that all the nations of the earth are the inheritance of Christ. As we war, we do so from this position of victory. And it’s in Jesus’ name that we ask and declare these things. Amen. Our decree: We declare that God will frustrate satan’s plans and fill the earth with His glory. ***************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------------------------- https://makethevisionplain.com/try-tears/

https://www.givehim15.com/post/april-22-2025 April 22, 2024 Our Prayers Release God’s Power Over the past weekend, I watched a portion of The Bible, a television miniseries released in 2013. In this production, they included the account of Peter healing a lame man in Acts 3. I was fascinated, as I always am when meditating on this event. Here was a man, Peter, who had denied knowing Jesus just a few weeks prior - and doing so while cursing, mind you - being used to perform one of the greatest miracles of healing in Scripture. Peter’s words stuck out to me, as they always do, “…such as I have, give I thee…” (Acts 3:6). What, exactly, did Peter have? Ephesians 3:20-21 gives us the answer: “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and forever. Amen.” (NASB) Today you’re going to get Professor Sheets, so put on your student hat and follow along with me: The phrase “exceeding abundantly beyond” is difficult to translate. It is actually one compound word in the Greek text: huperekperissou.(1) This word isn’t found in older Greek literature but shows up in biblical writings. In other words, a new word was coined to describe God’s power. The root word, perissos(2) in and of itself, means “superabundant;” in other words, more than abundant, or more than enough. The added prefix huper,(3) however, gives the word another “beyond” or “more than.” His power is even “more than more than enough!” If that weren’t enough (pun intended), ek(4) added to the word strengthens it further! This new word, huperekperissou, literally means: “superabundantly…with more added to that,” or “beyond more than enough,” or perhaps “more than more than enough, and more!” It is so important that we understand the incredible strength of this word. Here is the breakdown once more, using W. E. Vines Greek Dictionary to help us: perissos, the basic word which conveys the sense of an amount beyond the normal measure; in other words, abundantly; huper added to it (huperperissos), strengthens it to “exceeding abundantly.” (This form of the word is used only in Mark 7:37 (NASB), where it describes the astonishment of people at Jesus’ healing of a deaf and dumb man using His saliva. The Passion Translation translates the word in this verse as “beyond measure.”) adding ek to the word - huperekperissou - strengthens it still further, requiring yet another modifier to indicate its superiority above even “exceedingly abundant.” Translating this word is almost impossible. It would literally be something along the lines of “very extremely extraordinarily abundant!” Bullinger, in his Companion Bible, simply translates it as ‘infinitely.’”(5) Well, that works! In this verse, Paul, describing God’s infinite power at work in us, essentially says, “God has enough power to do superabundantly beyond - with even more added to that - what we can even ask or think.” Finite human language can’t describe our infinite God! This Power Now Dwells In Us But this isn’t the end of the verse! The last half of Ephesians 3:20 tells us God is going to do this “more than, more than enough” through the power that works “in us.” Not just in heaven - IN US! This infinitely powerful God has taken up residence in us! An Expanded Translation of the New Testament by Kenneth Wuest is the most literal and exact translation of the New Testament I know of. In this passage, Wuest mentions this infinite, superabundant power of God, but also makes clear that it operates in and through us: “Now to the One who is able to do beyond all things, superabundantly beyond and over and above those things that we are asking for ourselves and considering, in the measure of the power which is operative in us . . .” (Ephesians 3:20)(6) God certainly does operate from heaven in response to our prayers, releasing His power. At times, however, His power flows from Holy Spirit in us as we speak His words. When Peter was used to heal the lame man in Acts 3:6, he said, “Such as I HAVE, give I thee.” It was obviously Holy Spirit’s power, but this power was released from him. Our Prayers Release This Power James 5:16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (KJV). Again, Wuest gives us added insight, translating it this way: “A prayer of a righteous person is able to do much as it operates.” The Amplified translation reads, “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [is dynamic in its working].” Notice the word “continued”; Wuest and the Amplified Bible capture the present-tense meaning of the verb - continuous action. This is why Elijah, when producing the provision of rain, this verse in James is referencing, continued to pray and release the power of God - seven times. His prayers continued to release power each time he prayed. I am certainly not implying that we can release God’s power at our will and pleasure. We must be led by the Spirit in this regard, as Peter and Elijah were, and release His power as He directs us. Nevertheless, we must do so, commanding His Kingdom will and power into situations, just as Jesus told us to do in Matthew 16:18-19. The entire point of James’ passage, in fact, is that Elijah was human, just as we are, yet was able to do this. If he can do it, James says, we can! In my book, Intercessory Prayer, I tell the story of going weekly, for a year, to pray for a young girl in a coma. Each time I went, I prayed for an hour or so. After a year, she was completely healed. I am confident that I was releasing the power of the Holy Spirit every time I prayed. Finally, enough power was released, and the miracle occurred. As you declare God’s Word and promises over your situation, know that His power is being released. No word from Him returns void, without accomplishing its purpose (Isaiah 55:11). Each time you declare that the power and authority of satan is broken over your family member, his hold weakens. Every time you declare the power of the Cross over an unbeliever, more of that power flows to them. Don’t stop! Persevere! Pray with me: Father, we thank You for Your desire to save and deliver. You desire to open the eyes of unbelievers, setting them free from satan’s control. We thank You for Your grace, mercy, and love. This past weekend, we celebrated Your great redemption of us through Christ. The result of this redemption was that we became the temple of the Holy Spirit once again; He and His infinite power abides in us. Teach us to operate in/release this power, as Peter did at Beautiful Gate (Acts 3:2). Teach us to do as Elijah did, releasing Your great power until the rain comes. We pray for those who do not yet know You. We bind every strategy of satan and his demons who hold them captive, and we release Holy Spirit’s power to save and deliver them. Rain down Your infinite power on our nation and the nations of the earth. Demonstrate Your love and power with great miracles. Awaken multitudes to Your redemption, and free them from spiritual darkness. All of this we pray in Christ’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that the power of God is being released through us, destroying strongholds of darkness, and setting captives free. *********************** 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), reference no. 5248b. Ibid., ref. no. 4053. Ibid., ref. no. 5228. Ibid., ref. no. 1537. http://www.varady.org/prvSR/writings/biblical/eph320.cfm Kenneth Wuest, The New Testament: An Expanded Translation. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1961).

https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-1-2025 May 1, 2025 Honoring Our National Day of Prayer Today is the National Day of Prayer in America. This year’s theme is “Pour Out to the God of Hope and Be Filled.” Please take some time today to join with others in praying for our nation. You can visit the National Day of Prayer website for information on how and what to pray, how to find prayer gatherings in your area, and join the National Day of Prayer Committee in their live event. Many cities and states will also be conducting gatherings for prayer, as will local churches. Join with others today and spend some quality time agreeing in prayer for America! A significant turnaround has begun, and we must pray that it will be sustained. I always encourage praying the suggested prayer points and subjects highlighted by the National Day of Prayer Committee and others on this day. Agreement is invaluable (Matthew 18:19). I also want to briefly mention praying for revival/awakening. As I regularly observe what is taking place in America, I am consistently reminded that true revival, a great awakening, is critical. Evil and deception are now entrenched in America at such a thorough and deep level that human effort alone, regardless of how well it is done, won’t be enough to save and reform our nation. WE MUST HAVE REVIVAL. Thankfully, it has begun and will set the stage for reformation. When people are truly born again - not a perfunctory prayer to stay out of hell, but genuinely saved - several things occur: God writes His laws in their heart; they have the mind of Christ (Romans 2:15; 1 Corinthians 2:16) Their spirit comes alive (Romans 6:13; 2 Corinthians 4:16) Holy Spirit takes up residence and speaks to them in their heart (1 Corinthians 3:16) Their conscience is activated and influenced by Holy Spirit (Romans 1:15, 9:1) They become children of light (versus walking in darkness) (Ephesians 5:8) These and other changes awaken intuition and common sense (Hebrews 5:14) Obviously, this is a simplified list; books could be written on all of these subjects. However, one of my points is that people begin to think differently when they are born again. They perceive things they could not previously see or understand, and their desires are transformed. These transformative changes will need to occur in millions of Americans in order to see the nation effectively transformed. A return to morality and other necessary changes cannot be forced; they must be chosen. When speaking of America being saved, I am quick to point out the difference between revival and reformation. Our salvation as a nation will involve both. By revival or awakening, I am referring to Mark 16:15-20–on steroids: millions being delivered and born again. By reformation, I am referring to Matthew 28:18-20 occurring on a grand scale, resulting in the discipling of a nation. Revival changes hearts; reformation changes minds. In the 1960s and 70s, America simultaneously experienced the Charismatic and Jesus People movements - true revivals. Millions came to Christ. Yet, we had no paradigm for discipling nations, as Matthew 28 describes. Frankly, the eschatology of most who were part of these movements would have prevented it even had the paradigm existed. There was such a preoccupation with Christ’s imminent return that most evangelicals didn’t see the need to impact the cultural mountains of government, education, media, etc. The result? The church did Mark 16 - worked to get people saved; unbelievers did Matthew 28 - worked to disciple and reform the nation. Both succeeded. We experienced revival…and lost our nation. We prepared people for heaven; unbelievers focused on the earth. We planned to leave; they planned to stay. We taught our kids for an hour in Sunday School; they took over our public schools and indoctrinated them 5 days a week, all day long. In short, we gave the culture in America to unbelievers. From their positions of leadership, progressives, liberals, Marxists, secularists, and humanists have for 50-60 years embedded their ideals, morals, and philosophies into our nation. And they have been very successful. God has been rejected, and with Him went morality, self-control, the family unit, patriotism, and soundness of mind. America has been led by fools, taught by Marxists and globalists, and controlled by evil. In our time, as the church becomes active in speaking out and involving ourselves in efforts to reform America, let’s not make the opposite mistake–prioritizing reformation while leaving out revival. We must experience both. Revival precedes and empowers reformation; it is reformation’s forerunner, preparing the way for its fruit. Reformation codifies revival, multiplying and preserving its fruit. Americans now need a radical heart transformation to make possible radical brain transformation! Our actions won’t change until our minds change; our minds won’t change until our beliefs change; and our beliefs won’t change until our hearts change. In Conclusion America is being saved - not just because God has promised this, but because He is receiving what is required of us. Believers are praying, which allows Him to deliver what He promised. As you pray today, continue declaring that America will repent, awaken, and experience revival, a great Holy Spirit outpouring. Through this, she will be saved…and reformed. Pray with me: Father, this is a significant day in America, a set-apart day when Your church crosses denominational, cultural, and political lines, humbles herself, and prays together for our nation. It is so important that we set apart a national, government-honored day to seek You. America is in desperate need of Your guidance and direction. Forgive us for our national sin of rejecting You and neglecting to seek Your plans and Your ways. We have wandered far from You, yet You are merciful. You multiply power when we pray in unity; we do so now. We pray that the spiritual atmosphere over our nation shifts, that the united prayers of Your people would be used to usher in transformation, justice, and Your intervention in every sphere of society. And in the spirit of unity and the power of agreement, we pray the prayer released by the National Day of Prayer Committee: “God of hope, fill us with all joy and peace in believing, so that we will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. “You have caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; therefore, we hope in what we do not see. This world is not our home or reality, but the Lord is our Rock, our Truth, and our certainty. “God of hope, we pour out our praise and are filled with Your powerful presence. We pour out repentance of sin and are filled with forgiveness and righteousness. “We pour out pain from the attacks of the enemy—anxiousness, fear, anger—and You fill us with courage, assurance, and love. We pour out our needs, the desires of our hearts, and are filled with Your Kingdom provision and purpose. “We pour out our hearts for our nation, for the people and places, relationships and responsibilities the Lord has established: the Church, Family, Education, Business, Military, Arts, Entertainment, Media, and Government. May all who live, serve, and steward in these be filled with Your purpose, wisdom, strength, and truth. “Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in You. In abounding hope, anchored by our hope in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen!”(1) Our decree: We decree that as we agree in prayer on the National Day of Prayer, power will be released to accomplish a mighty move of God's Spirit, bringing healing and restoration to America. ************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. -------------------------------------------------- Written by NDP Task Force President Kathy Branzell, https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/equipping/2025-national-prayer

https://www.givehim15.com/post/april-30-2025 April 30, 2025 The First 100 Days of President Trump — A Testament of Faithful Promise-Keeping In the unfolding story of America’s divine destiny, President Trump’s divine protection from ten years of character assassination, two fraudulent impeachments, two attempted assassinations, and his miraculous reelection stand as a remarkable witness to the power of faith, prayer, and perseverance. We are reminded that God is always faithful to His promises, and in this season, He has stirred a new hope—a hope rooted in the conviction that America’s best days are still ahead. The first 100 Days of this term have been remarkable. Don’t listen to the liberal media and Trump-haters. They’re the same ones who told you Russia, Russia, Russia, the laptop wasn’t real, the 2020 election wasn’t stolen, and that Biden was as sharp as a tack. A Promise to Reclaim Our Greatness From the moment President Trump came on the scene, he declared a bold vision: to restore the greatness of America, to revive the economy, defend religious liberty, and uphold the sanctity of life. These promises were not merely political slogans but sacred promises and divine callings—a clarion cry to awaken a sleeping nation and rally believers to stand in faith for the restoration of righteousness. Economic Revival: Restoring Prosperity and Opportunity One of the most striking accomplishments of President Trump’s first 100 days is the aggressive push to revitalize the American economy. He has spoken of a “Golden Age” for America and is working hard to set the stage for this. The President promised to cut taxes and is doing so, reduce regulations, and bring manufacturing jobs back to the heartland. His changes are primarily to help the middle class, not billionaires, as the Left dishonestly states. Within these first months, the administration is implementing historic tax cuts for individuals and businesses, unleashing a wave of economic activity. Unemployment rates plummeted to historic lows, and job creation reached levels unseen in decades, with nearly 350,000 created during these first 100 days.(1) This economic revival will not be just a matter of policy; it will be a sign of divine favor—a sign that God is restoring our nation. Standing for Life: Defending the Unborn President Trump made a solemn vow to defend the sanctity of life—a promise rooted in the biblical understanding that every human life is precious and created in the image of God. During this initial period, he took decisive action to bolster pro-life policies. He reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy, which prohibits U.S. funding for overseas abortion providers. His administration is also appointing judges who uphold the Constitution and protect religious freedoms and life. These steps signal a firm stand for the vulnerable—the unborn—affirming that America will no longer be a nation that turns a blind eye to the innocent. Religious Liberty: A Defense of Faith In a time when religious freedoms are under attack, President Trump’s first days demonstrated a resolute commitment to uphold these foundational rights. He signed executive orders to protect religious liberty, ensuring that faith-based organizations could operate without fear of government interference. He has brought prayer and worship back to the White House, boldly and unashamedly. This is a divine moment—a reaffirmation that the United States is a nation founded on religious principles. It is a call for the church to rise up and stand firm, knowing that God’s hand is on this nation, guiding it back to its biblical roots. National Security and Sovereignty: Standing Firm President Trump promised to strengthen America’s borders and protect its sovereignty. The first 100 days saw the enforcement of immigration policies aimed at securing the homeland. Though controversial, these measures were rooted in the biblical principle of safeguarding the nation and its people. After four years of insanity, the border is now secure! He also took steps to rebuild the military and support law enforcement—actions that reflect the biblical value of justice and protection for the vulnerable. A Spirit of Restoration and Hope Throughout these initial months, the atmosphere in America has begun to shift. Though the mainstream media reports of President Trump have been 97% negative, there is a renewed sense of hope among conservatives, a stirring of faith that the promises of God over this nation are materializing. Believers are praying with renewed fervor, declaring that this is a season of divine restoration. President Trump’s actions have demonstrated that when leaders act in alignment with biblical principles, God’s favor follows. His first 100 days have been a testament to the truth that God’s purposes for America are still alive—woven into the fabric of this nation’s destiny. A Call to Prayer and Action While these accomplishments are cause for celebration, they are also a call to ongoing prayer and action. The spiritual battle for America’s soul continues, but we can stand confident, knowing that God is working through leaders who seek His face, and America is being saved. As I often emphasize, prayer is the foundation of all progress. We are called to pray for our leaders, our nation, and the fulfillment of God’s divine plan. The 2024 election and the first 100 days of President Trump’s presidency remind us that faith, when combined with action, can move mountains. Persevere! Looking Ahead: Faith for the Future As we look beyond these initial days, let us remember that every promise God has made to His people is rooted in His unchanging nature. We are not merely spectators but active participants in this divine unfolding. We are called to stand in faith, declare His promises, and believe that America's best days are yet to come. In this season of divine awakening, the foundations of righteousness are being restored, and the Lord is positioning His people to walk in victory. In conclusion, the first 100 days of President Trump’s presidency demonstrate that our nation is awakening to its divine purpose. From economic turnaround to defending life and religious liberty, these days have shown that when leaders seek God and align with His principles, the nation’s destiny is secured. We must continue to pray without ceasing, stand in faith, and declare that God’s plans for America are good. Together, let’s believe that the next chapter will be even greater—a chapter of revival, reformation, and divine destiny fulfilled. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for the changes occurring in our nation. We now have a President, a Speaker of the House, and a leader of the Senate who not only desire to wisely and faithfully serve our nation, but also desire to honor You as they do so. We know there are many more changes needed in order to see America reformed and restored, but we are grateful for the turnaround that has begun. Please give our leaders wisdom and understanding to continue this, positioning us to fulfill the destiny You have called us to. We ask that more righteous leaders be raised up in our land, and for unrighteous leaders to be removed. We ask this especially for our judicial system. Root out Marxists, leftists, and those with unrighteous and unbiblical ideals. Through the revival that has begun and will grow, shift the paradigms of the American people back to Your ways, until we are a nation that loves, honors, and serves You. Please protect our leaders from violence. The hatred toward conservative leaders is great, especially toward Trump, and the rhetoric is vitriolic. You told us to pray for deliverance from the evil one, who is certainly behind this hatred and spirit of division, and we do so now. Deliver us from this. Silence accusing spirits, bring a spirit of mutual respect and honor to America again. Intensify the outpouring of Your Spirit until it is a deluge! All of this we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We declare that the good work that has begun in our land will continue and increase. ****************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. -------------------------------------------------- https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/04/memo-first-100-days-economy/

https://www.givehim15.com/post/april-29-2025 April 29, 2025 I have often written about the importance and power of our words. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21): with it we bless and curse (James 3:9), release our faith (Romans 10:10), and the sword of God’s Word (Ephesians 6:17). What sound are you releasing? Gina Gholston recently sent me a strong word she received from the Lord, sharing important truths we need to be reminded of and act on. The title of the post is: Release the Sound Power and purpose are released through the sound of our voices: shouts of triumph, worship and thanksgiving to the Lord, testimonies, prayers and faith agreement, decrees, declarations and proclamations of the Word of God, forerunning declarations that move mountains, raise valleys, and make crooked places straight, preparing the way for what is to follow. God told Jeremiah that he would be His voice on the earth (Jeremiah 1:4-12). If Jeremiah would speak what He told him to speak, things would be rooted out, pulled down, and built and planted. As we consecrate ourselves and listen to the Lord, He fills our mouths. Then, as we release the sound of His words, He sends them forth to accomplish His purposes. Psalm 47:1 exhorts us to shout unto God with the voice of triumph. The key to triumph is often in our mouths. Releasing our voices inserts the key to unlock and initiate the power of God. Movement in the invisible realm follows the release of our sound! Through a dream earlier this year, the Lord instructed us to release a unified shout of triumph. Our obedience to do so, He said, would “shatter, dismantle, and cause evil agendas to fall and crumble, giving us access to this land.” We are in a time of great political excitement. Things that needed to happen within our government are beginning to happen, and for that, we are thankful! But God promises that America shall be saved, not just improve. That salvation will not come just by way of governmental realignment. It will come from the Lord as He works through His awakened Ekklesia to invoke revival, truth, and awakening, shattering demonic strongholds and piercing through the darkness of deception, turning the hearts of many. A Powerful Vision The Lord recently reminded me of a vision I had many years ago, in which I saw a wide expanse of land. A black dome, that appeared to be thick and impenetrable, completely covered the land. The dome blocked out the light, so everything seemed dead and desolate. Suddenly, I saw many single shafts of fire shoot up from the ground. People were inside those shafts of fire—one person in each shaft. I recognized some of them as five-fold ministers, intercessors, musicians, and worship leaders. The ministers and intercessors wore intense facial expressions and continuously released a loud, powerful roar. The same expressions were on the faces of the musicians as they played, and the worshippers as they sang repeatedly: “Open up, open up the door to Your presence! Come dwell with us! Come dwell with us!” Each person was marching in place, their faces turned upward, and their hands raised toward the heavens, making motions as if pounding on a door. Then the roar, the movements, the music, and the song somehow blended into one powerful sound that arose like a battering ram against the dome, causing pieces of it to break loose and float down. I could see that each piece was thin, like an eggshell. I thought, “This is not as hard and impossible as we had assumed. It just requires the sound to break it loose!” Shafts of light then began radiating through the holes that had been created in the dome, and I could hear voices from above saying in unison, “HEAVEN HAS BEEN WAITING FOR YOUR SOUND! HEAVEN IS RESPONDING TO YOUR SOUND!” The sound from beneath then began to blend with the sound from above. The two sounds formed a huge whirlwind that swept back and forth across the dome until it completely shattered. Shackles and chains fell out of the dome as it was being obliterated, which I knew represented planned attacks of satan, broken before they could be implemented. As the dome shattered, light broke through, and the land was instantly transformed. ******* What an amazing picture of the power of our sound! A biblical illustration of this can be found in 2 Chronicles 5:13-14. “It came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music and praised the Lord, saying: ‘For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,’ that the…house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.” (KJV) The sound of praise preceded the entrance of the glory! Heaven responds to our sound! The Lord once said to me, “I will reveal My sent-ahead ones, and they will release My strategy and power for days ahead! I will make their voices like the sound of trumpets—each trumpet releasing a unique sound. My Spirit will instruct them for movement! I’ll work a work, and none will stop what I do!” God is presently calling forerunners to run with the sound! Those who respond to this call will be sent forth as His mouthpiece, releasing words that prepare the way for His glory to follow. The Ekklesia will be mobilized. As we release our shout, our worship, our prayers, our decrees—our sounds–marching to the rhythms of Heaven, joining with the hosts of Heaven, that dome of iniquitous influence will completely shatter! Chains will be broken, light will overtake the darkness, and righteous transformation will occur. **************** Pray with me: Father, we feel the urgency of this time. Awakening has begun. The timing of prophetic words and promises is intersecting, and You are calling us to take our place as Your forerunning voices. It is a call to rise and run with courageous faith and fervency as engaged co-laborers with Christ. We hear and respond to Your call. Our eyes are upon You. We consecrate ourselves to You. Here we are, Lord; send us! Fill us with Your words, and we will lift our voices to declare them. Work through us with power and wisdom to invoke revival and awakening, shattering demonic strongholds, piercing the darkness of deception, and preparing the way for Your glory to turn hearts back to You. And finally, agreeing with the prayers released by Intercessors For America: We pray that the United States and Israel trust the Lord and take the opportunity to deny Iran their nuclear weapons. We pray that the Lord removes unrighteous judges and reins in our out-of-control judiciary. And we ask that the spirit of lawlessness be broken off our land. In Jesus’ name we pray these things, Amen. Our decree: We decree that the voice of the Lord will be heard in our land, permeating the culture and reestablishing an atmosphere for the glory of God to be released. ************************** Today’s post was contributed by our friend Gina Gholston. You can find out more about her at GinaGholston.com. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/april-28-2025 April 28, 2025 Stay Flexible The following three verses in Isaiah speak of God changing the times and seasons: “You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I proclaim to you new things from this time, even hidden things which you have not known” (Isaiah 48:6). “Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19). “Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you” (Isaiah 42:9). First, notice the phrase “spring forth” in the last two verses. These words mark a shift in time; something new is about to spring forth. God sometimes waits until the last moment to act. It is also true, however, that when He does, it can transpire quickly. He also has a sense of humor. “Shortly after Dallas Seminary was founded in 1924, it almost folded, coming to the point of bankruptcy. All the creditors were ready to foreclose at 12:00 noon on a particular day. That morning, the founders of the school met in the president’s office to pray that God would provide. In that prayer meeting was Harry Ironside. When it was his turn to pray, he said in his refreshingly candid way, ‘Lord, we know that the cattle on a thousand hills are Thine. Please sell some of them and send us the money.”’ “Just about that time, a tall Texan wearing boots and an open-collar shirt strolled into the business office. ‘Howdy!’ he said to the secretary. ‘I just sold two carloads of cattle over in Fort Worth. I’ve been trying to make a business deal go through, but it just won’t work. I feel God wants me to give this money to the seminary. I don’t know if you need it or not, but here’s the check,’ and he handed it over. “The secretary took the check and, knowing something of the critical nature of the hour, went to the door of the prayer meeting and timidly tapped. Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, the founder and president of the school, answered the door and took the check from her hand. When he looked at the amount, it was for the exact sum of the debt. Then he recognized the name on the check as that of the cattleman. Turning to Dr. Ironside, he said, ‘Harry, God sold the cattle.’”(1) Second, notice the word “new.” Again, this word speaks of a shift. In the New Testament, two Greek words are translated as “new.” Though translated the same, they have different meanings, and understanding the difference is important. The word neos means numerically new, but not different. For instance, even though you buy a new car, there are hundreds more just like it all over the country. It’s “new” but not different.(2) The other Greek word for “new” is kainos, which means not only numerically new, but also qualitatively new.(3) Think of a new car manufactured today as compared to a Model T car. Not only is today’s vehicle numerically new, it is also qualitatively new; it’s different. Distinguishing the difference between these two words - neos and kainos - is necessary to properly understand Scripture. For example, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says we are new (kainos) creations, qualitatively new and different. We are NOT just forgiven, we are different. God has transformed us, put a new nature in us, and filled us with His Spirit. We are kainos - brand-new - on the inside. In Matthew 9:17, Jesus used both of these Greek words in one statement, referring to the practice of putting “new” wine into “new” wineskins. He actually said that new (neos) wine needed to be put into new (kainos) wineskins. The wine symbolizes Holy Spirit, who doesn’t change. This “new” wine of the Spirit is not a different wine; it is simply more wine; another outpouring. Although the wine of the Spirit isn’t different, the wineskins - we believers - do mature and change. In order for wineskins to be reused, they must go through a renewing process. When empty of wine, they become dry and stiff. If not made flexible again, the fermentation process when producing new wine causes them to split. So the wineskins are soaked in water and rubbed with oil to make them flexible once again. The purpose of this teaching from Christ is to let us know that we must be willing to change in order to receive fresh outpourings of Holy Spirit. We cannot be rigid, hardened in the shape of the last movement, but be flexible, willing to change. Our thinking must change, allowing us to “expand” with the new thing God is doing. We must become kainos, qualitatively new. Before God shifts us into a new season, He works these changes in us. He has produced an enormous amount of change in the church over the last few years, and is now about to pour out “new” wine. Be Like the Lobster From time to time, lobsters have to leave their shells in order to grow. They need the shell to protect them from being torn apart; yet when they grow, the old shell must be abandoned. If they did not abandon it, the old shell would soon become their prison and finally their casket. The tricky part for the lobster is the brief period of time between when the old shell is discarded and the new one is formed. During that terribly vulnerable period, the transition must be scary to the lobster. Ocean currents gleefully cartwheel them from coral to kelp. Hungry schools of fish are ready to make them a part of their food chain. For a while, at least, that old shell must look pretty good. We are not so different from lobsters. To change and grow, we must sometimes shed our old shells - a structure, a framework, a mindset - that we’ve depended on. Discipleship means being so committed to Christ that when He bids us to follow, we will change, risk, grow, and leave our old shells behind.” Like the lobster, I like the new shell; I just don't like the process. God is doing new things on the earth, making some radical changes. They are coming quickly. Don’t be trapped in the old…Stay flexible! Pray with me: Father, You are doing new things on the earth, hidden things which we have not seen before. They are springing forth. You are alerting us to this, just as You did in Isaiah’s day. Give us hearts that can hear Your current revelation (Isaiah 50:4-5). We desire to be fresh, new wineskins. When the new move of Your Spirit fully comes, we don’t want to be left out. We determine not to be hardened into yesterday’s “shape,” its traditions and ways of thinking, and therefore unable to receive this new outpouring. Jerusalem asked for the Messiah, but could not receive Him because of their traditions and old ways (Luke 19:41-44). We refuse to fall into this trap, to be those who cried out for revival, then were unable to participate because our wineskins were too rigid and inflexible. Soak us in the water of revelation from Your word, and massage us with the oil of Holy Spirit. Help us to leave our comfort zones and not be locked into preconceived ideas. Give us fresh revelation, laced with wisdom. Give us revelation to move forward, wisdom to provide stability; revelation so we can walk in Your gifts, and wisdom to know Your ways. We need both Your Spirit and Your Word. We ask for all of this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our decree: We declare that new wine is coming, and we WILL be able to receive it. ******************************* Today’s post was adapted from my book God’s Timing for Your Life, published by Baker Books. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------------------- Alice Gray, Stories for the Heart (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 1996), p. 268. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 3501. Ibid., ref. no. 2537.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/april-21-2025 April 21, 2025 INTRODUCTION As we move into the great worldwide revival, which is increasing in strength and momentum, the Holy Spirit gave my brother, Tim Sheets, a strong word about His river of glory. As always, you will find it very encouraging. The title is: THE RIVER OF GOD’S GLORY Tim: Four years ago, during a time of incredible prophetic insights and revelations, I received several visions and words I have been faithfully praying about. I believe their time has now come and will help define the Ekklesia’s current season. Vision 1 - Fire Words In the first vision, I saw a vast army of angel warriors. Each angel was carrying a bronze bow, and lines of them stretched in all directions. They were moving away from a huge warehouse, and I knew they had been inside. The sign on the warehouse read “Arsenal: Fire Word Decrees.” I then saw the angels raise their bronze bows in unison and release flaming arrows. Each arrow tip was ablaze, and the angels were firing them as quickly as possible. The sky was filled with these arrows. They were targeted at enemy positions, which the Lord allowed me to see. When the arrows hit the target, they exploded into larger flames, like fireballs. I was then given an aerial view and saw the barrage of arrows devastating the positions of the Lord’s enemies. I heard Holy Spirit shout, “Behold the ‘fire words’ of the King’s Ekklesia! Empty the arsenals, shoot at the strongholds, and hell’s princes will fall.” At this point in the vision, I declared, “It’s time for the move of God that will destroy the enemy’s strongholds. It’s time for the fire word decrees, stored up for appointed times, to be loosed.” I believe this vision is now in its moment. The Holy Spirit and His angel armies are beginning to empty the prayer arsenals that have been filled with the “fire word decrees” of the Ekklesia. Holy Spirit stored these decrees for their appointed time, as described in Revelation 5:8: golden bowls in heaven, filled with the prayers and decrees of the saints. These “word seeds” have now grown and matured, and angels are assisting in bringing them to pass. Continuation Several days later, I received a continuation of this vision. I was shown an aerial view of Ekklesia hubs throughout the world. As I watched, the roofs of each hub turned into a huge mouth! Holy Spirit declared that they were going to be a mouth in their region, decreeing the words of King Jesus. As the vision unfolded, I saw a crystal-clear, pure river flowing through the heart of each hub. It continued from there outward, flowing into the surrounding territories. At times, the river would branch off, forming new flows or streams. This “river system” was all connected, flowing through all the hubs in one continuous, unbroken flow. In other words, each Ekklesia hub carried the same river, and I knew this was a picture of “the river of God” flowing from God’s throne onto the earth. (See Ezekiel 47:1-12; John 7:37-38; Revelation 22:1-2) I then saw angels dressed in white with golden belts around their waists. Each hub had one angel hovering over it, holding a golden trumpet to his lips, sounding it loudly. They weren’t sounding forth musical notes or sounds, however, but words! The words they trumpeted read, “Everything lives where the river flows” (See Ezekiel 47:9). As the voice of God thunders across the nations through the mouths of His angels and Ekklesia, demonic princes that have ruled territories with their dark agenda will be uprooted. Nations will be saved, and evil agendas, along with those who implement them, will fall. I believe the supernatural river of God is beginning to flow on earth as never before. The greatest move of God is underway; Holy Spirit streams and rivers are rising. TIM: A Further Word While praying about this, Holy Spirit gave me the following word: To the Ekklesia of Christ the King: You will now advance into the most supernatural movement I have ever led. I am pouring out a fresh anointing, blending and synergizing that which I birthed in previous movements. These past movements will intersect with the Godhead’s current plans being activated in today’s great Reformation. Past anointings will merge and function together with today’s supernatural Kingdom, accomplishing My plans. The river of My Spirit has been rising as heaven’s rain has filled it, preparing for torrential flows throughout the earth. In this era, the river of God will flow through My Ekklesia hubs. Rushing, replenishing, and refreshing waters are flowing from Kingdom reservoirs, fed by Godhead rain and aquifers that will not run dry. Prepare to ride Spirit rivers. Kingdom Ekklesias will experience surges of the King’s great power. Heaven’s omnipotent King will reveal more of His power and glory in experiential ways. Regions, territories, and nations will revere His majesty, as the river of God now begins its flood stage flow through His heirs. Signs, wonders, miracles, healings, and deliverances will be seen as never before. You will see the strong arm of the Lord and the aggression of Heaven’s hosts, as they move on Kingdom assignments with My people. My remnant warriors will rise in great might, moving with Me. Demons will tremble, not My heirs. Know and be confident, Ekklesia, that great winds of heaven will blow upon you just as they did upon My first Ekklesia. Pentecost winds are stirring in the atmosphere. Mighty, historic winds are building and will blow upon the sons and daughters. The winds of Holy Spirit will come - one after the other, wave after wave - each one stronger than the previous. The winds will continue until full-blown power from Heaven, ordained for your time, is seen and experienced. They will build until their full effects are felt throughout the entire earth, affecting transformational changes. Wave after wave of Holy Spirit wind bands have begun; the outer bands are upon you. You will be carried forth, borne on Holy Spirit’s sustaining, prevailing, guiding, and refreshing winds. They are not destructive winds; they are winds of grace blowing across harvest fields, white unto harvest. They carry good news, the redemptive power of the King’s forgiveness. They are winds of great deliverance, blowing away hell’s bondage, confusion, addictions, sin, brokenness, fear, and hopelessness. Grace winds are clearing the minds of prodigals, lifting the demonic fog, and lighting the way back home. They are grace winds carrying angel hosts for the time of reaping. For the angel hosts, by the multiplied thousands, are riding Holy Spirit’s atmospheric river into your times. This is what I heard Holy Spirit say regarding the current season of Christ’s Ekklesia. Grace winds are blowing in the latter rains. The glory river is flowing and carrying the presence of Almighty God throughout the earth. We will steward this word, proclaiming and praying that the river will continue to rise and flow. ************ Dutch: Pray with me: Lord, we believe and decree Your Word. You have said You’re going to send the latter rains, greater than anything we’ve experienced. We declare the release of these harvest rains that will cause Your mighty river to rise and flow through the entire world. We declare that grace winds will accompany Your river. We decree: let Your river flow, and let Your river rise to its fullest stage. May the Ekklesias in our nation and around the world embrace the atmospheric river of Your Spirit. We decree that living water is springing up! Springs of Holy Spirit, are rising. We believe that the mighty river of God is going to fill the world with such strength that demons will tremble and strongholds will break. Release the rains of heaven as never before. Soak the earth with power for signs, wonders, and miracles. Release grace winds and bring prodigals home. Send the rain! In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Our decree: We decree that the supernatural river of God is beginning to flow on earth as never before, and that everything lives where the river flows! *************************** Today’s post was contributed by my brother, Tim Sheets. You can learn more about him at Tim Sheets Ministries using this link provided. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/april-18-2025 April 18, 2025 PASSION WEEK/GOOD FRIDAY: The Winner We will be taking Communion at the end of today’s post. God was well aware that the violence and pain of Calvary would be dreadful beyond description. Creation itself would hide its eyes (see Matthew 27:45), and the very foundations of the earth would shake (see Matthew 27:57). God’s heart would break, the angels would watch in shock and horror, and the Son of God Himself would cry out in anguish (see Matthew 27:46). But in history’s greatest irony, this violent death would also be love’s crowning act. The dying man on the Cross was also a seed. Millions of God’s kids were in Christ’s womb, waiting to be born. Until the Resurrection and Pentecost, His words in John 12:24 were not fully understood: “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Christ was the “grain of wheat”; we are the “much fruit.” Most people are confused about Christ’s words, “It is finished,” uttered by Him on the Cross. Hollywood’s typical depiction of Him, barely whispering with His last bit of strength, “It... is... finished” (John 19:30), is inaccurate. The producers, of course, see this statement as Christ announcing His death. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In the first place, those were not His last words spoken from the Cross; this was Christ’s next-to-last statement. His final words were, “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit” (Luke 23:46). Also, the words, “It is finished,” actually are from one Greek word - and the word does NOT refer to His death! Christ was actually making an announcement, a proclamation. He did not barely breathe out the word in His final breath; He cried out with a loud voice (Mark 15:37)! The Greek word is tetelestai. Jesus was quoting from Psalm 22:31; three of His seven sayings on the Cross come from this Psalm. The Hebrew word used in the Psalm is asah. We don’t really know whether Jesus shouted the Hebrew or Greek word. Since Scripture uses both, it is fair to say that both words accurately describe what He was communicating. Asah, the Hebrew word in Psalm 22, means “to perform, accomplish, or fulfill” a goal.(1) It is also the Hebrew word for “create,” used often to describe different facets of the Genesis creation. With these definitions in mind, Jesus could have been announcing that He had accomplished His mission, performing all that was required of Him. Or, He could have been declaring the birth of “the new creation.” Or both! TETELESTAI The root of the Greek word Jesus used in John 19:30, teleo, means “to complete, perform, or accomplish;” another definition is “to finish a necessary process, with the results rolling over to the next level or phase of consummation.”(2) And still another meaning is “to pay.” This form of the word Jesus used, tetelestai, was stamped on the invoices of that day, meaning, “paid in full.”(3) And the tense of the word in the Greek language indicates both “a point in time that something was finished, completed, or paid, and also that it would continue to be complete!” In other words, “once and for all.” WOW! Putting the definitions of asah and tetelestai together, here is a summary of what Christ was declaring: “I have accomplished all that was necessary, for all time and eternity, to redeem the human race. I have paid the debt in full, consummating their redemption.” This decree was a New Testament version of the Genesis commands, “Let there be!” The Resurrection, three days later, was a foregone conclusion. God had already seen and declared it - that’s why He laughed at the powers of darkness when they declared Christ would not rule over them (Psalm 2:1-4). Hell has never intimidated Yahweh, nor made Him question His ability to do as He says. As far as God was concerned, Christ had risen before He even died! And also, as far as God was concerned, a glorious church, an Ekklesia that could fully reveal and represent the risen Lord was guaranteed. A governmental arm of God’s Kingdom on earth, one which the gates of hell could not prevail against, was inevitable. Yes, the maturing of this Ekklesia is still in process, but just as surely as Christ is risen, its complete success is settled in heaven. Can you imagine satan’s headache every year at this time? While on earth, Christ defeated him in every possible way for three years. The blind saw, the lame walked, the deaf heard, and the dead were raised. Then, just when satan thought he had finally defeated the Son of God, Christ turned the tables and rose from the dead. “At least He was finally gone from earth, back to heaven,” satan must have thought. Then, on the day of Pentecost, satan’s absolute worst nightmare was realized: there were 120 more people just like Christ! Then another 3000! Those in the Upper Room received Christ’s nature and righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). They were now one with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17), filled with His Spirit (Acts 2:4), even called Christians, which means, “little Christs.” First John 4:17 actually says, “all that Jesus now is, so are we in this world.” And the multiplication has never stopped!!! Christ has brought us back into the family of God. He made us His brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the Most High God, His joint-heirs. We bear His image and name, are filled with His Spirit, and are completely authorized to reveal and represent Him on earth. And this can never be stopped. It is finished, indeed! That. . . is what the Cross and Resurrection mean to me! Pray with me: Thank you, Father, for sending Jesus. Thank You for loving us enough to reverse the Fall and bring us back into Your family. Thank You for such a great salvation. Thank You, Jesus, for coming. Thank You for joining the human race, so that we could join You in Your family. Thank You for making us Your joint-heirs. Thank You for the Cross. Thank You for the Resurrection, for winning. You are the Conquering King, You never lose, You are good - all the time - and we love You with all of our hearts. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for coming to dwell in us. Thank You for being our Helper, our Counselor, our Guide, our source of power, and for being ever-present with us. This day we celebrate the three of You, our great God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Communion We take this bread now and hold it up before You as a remembrance of Christ’s broken body. Through this sacrifice, He took our suffering and purchased our health. We proclaim His death, burial, resurrection, and victory over all of hell. As we partake of it now, we partake of His wholeness. Eat the bread. And now, as we drink the wine, we honor and place our faith fully in the shed blood of Jesus for the remission of our sins. We also remember that His blood does more than cleanse us of sin; it also makes us new creations in Christ Jesus. We are born again. We celebrate this great victory over sin and the curse. We receive health, wholeness, and salvation as we do this today. And we decree that through the blood of Christ, satan and his forces are forever defeated. Drink the juice. (Feel free to pause and take any amount of time you would like, to spend personal time with Him.) Our decree: We declare that Jesus Christ is risen, INDEED! ******************** 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. 6213. Ibid., ref. no. 5055. Ibid.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/april-17-2025 April 17, 2025 Introduction Today’s post is taken from my book, The Pleasure of His Company. It is entitled: PASSION WEEK: The Look Simon Peter is an interesting character. I love his realness. A down-to-earth fisherman grinding out a living in the small town of Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee, Peter was a tough, calloused, hard-nosed individual. This outspoken disciple sometimes wore his emotions on his sleeve - he once rebuked Jesus (Matthew 16:22) and later, at the Lord’s arrest, cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant (John 18:10). And, like many good fishermen, Peter was known to string out a few expletives, when the situation called for it (Matthew 26:74). One of Peter’s all-too-human moments came at the Last Supper, the night before Christ’s crucifixion. When Jesus spoke of His arrest and the disciples’ scattering, Peter spoke up and bragged, “I’ll never run. I’m ready to go to prison and die for you” (Luke 22:33, paraphrased). I’m sure Peter believed his level of commitment was this great. Christ, however, knew otherwise and gave Peter the now famous “before the cock crows, you’ll deny me three times” prophecy (v. 34). “Simon, Simon,” Jesus told Peter. “Behold, satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (vv. 31-32). The Lord’s prediction concerning Peter came true later that night. Having followed Christ to His trial, Peter watched the proceedings from a distance. Then, he was accused of being one of Jesus’ disciples three times. By the time the third accusation came, things were in chaos - Christ was being slapped around, beaten, and spat upon, and a dangerous mob-like atmosphere was forming. In a confused state of panic, Peter buckled under the pressure. “I don’t know Him!” He shouted for the third time, peppering his denial with fowl language. Scripture says, "He began to curse and swear" (Matthew 26:74). Obviously, it was more than one expletive. The Look I find what happened next very moving. Jesus was close enough to hear him, and upon doing so, “turned and looked at Peter” (Luke 22:61). We’re left to guess what kind of look He gave Peter, but it certainly wasn’t one of shock or surprise; after all, He predicted the denial. Another possibility would be an angry, condemning, I-can’t-believe-you-just-did-that look. Knowing Christ as I do, I don’t believe this was the look He gave Peter, either. I’m reasonably confident the look Jesus gave this troubled, confused, and dedicated fisherman - who had left everything to follow Him - was one of deep compassion and reassurance: “Don’t worry, Peter, I understand. And I still believe in you. Remember, I saw this coming and prayed for you. Everything is going to be all right.” And I believe that with one glance, He saved Peter’s destiny. Seeing Christ’s look, Peter was undone. One can only imagine the flood of emotion he was experiencing. In Gethsemane, he had just seen Christ literally bleed through the pores of His skin, a condition called hematidrosis. Then came the arrest and beatings - Christ’s swollen face and torn clothing would have been covered in blood and spittle. And now this. Overcome with emotion, Peter fled the trial and “wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). The emotional roller coaster continued with the cross, three days of mourning, followed by the resurrection. As thrilled as the disciples were to see Jesus alive, however, things were still not the same. He kept vanishing and reappearing, only to leave again. He was gone most of the time. Finally, Peter had had enough. All of this was way above his pay grade. We are not told his exact train of thought, but I’m guessing it was something like this: I’m no Rabbi or theologian, and I’m not a prophet who can understand mysteries and see into the future. I don’t understand all of the theology, and certainly not the events of the last few days. Nothing has worked out the way I expected; I have no idea where Jesus even is. I’m going back to the only thing I really understand right now, my previous job. “I am going fishing,” he said to several of the other disciples (John 21:3). Also confused and unable to connect the dots, they simply said, “We’re going with you.” The Calling Revisited The Lord was sympathetic to their plight. He had caused it, after all, and He loved them. Christ knew if they could just hang on until Pentecost, all would be well. So, He told Dad, Holy Spirit, and Gabriel that He was going to make another earthly appearance. “The guys could use another encouraging word, especially Peter. I’m going to go cook them breakfast, visit with them awhile, and help them pay some bills.” And that’s exactly what He did. After the disciples had finished a fruitless night of fishing, Jesus was waiting on the beach. He already had a fire going and food cooking. “Come and have breakfast,” He invited them. It must have brought back great memories. We don’t know everything they talked about, but the pleasure of His company must have been wonderfully reassuring. Eventually, knowing Peter was still grieving over denying Him three times, Jesus began addressing the situation. Three times, He asked Peter if he loved Him, and each time, Peter responded affirmatively. Some theologians believe Jesus asked the question three times in order to offset the three denials. That seems likely, but the first time He asked it, Christ added the question, “Do you love Me MORE THAN THESE” (v. 15, emphasis mine). Was He referring to the other disciples, or was He referencing the fish? I believe it was the fish which represented Peter’s former livelihood and career. The Lord was about to reaffirm Peter’s calling. This is why Jesus chose to meet them at the same location where their original calling had occurred, and why He worked the exact same miracle. And if those repeats weren’t enough, He then gave Peter the same command - twice - as He had on that first occasion. “Follow me!” He said to him (v. 19). Christ was saying emphatically to this ashamed and uncertain fisherman: “Your calling hasn’t changed, Peter. I still believe in and need you. Your failure didn’t disqualify you, and the fact that I’m not around at the present time hasn’t changed the plan. Hang in there - everything will make sense in a few more days.” And it did. On the day of Pentecost, Peter was born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. The Christ who used to walk beside him now lived IN him. Peter preached that day, and three thousand people were born again! A few days later, he healed a completely lame man known by the entire city of Jerusalem, and five thousand more people were saved! He had made it. The crusty, foul-mouthed, impetuous, confused denier had survived his trauma and made it through the most confusing and consequential season in world history. He stepped into the new era of redeemed humankind with strength and purpose. You’ll make it, too. If and when you fail Him - and most of us will at some point - look for the look. It’ll be there. When you’re grieving, confused, and uncertain, Jesus wants to take you to breakfast, not expel you from the family. Follow Him! Pray with me: Father, we are so grateful You look past our external deficiencies and at our hearts, seeing the gold that’s hidden there. You were fully aware of Peter’s weaknesses, yet You focused on the qualities Your love and compassion could see in him. Thank You, Lord, for Your commitment to our development and success. You never give up on us! Even when we are filled with confusion, fear, and failure-induced shame, You lovingly whisper, “Look at Me.” And with one glance of Your eyes, comfort, confidence, and new strength arise within us. Identity, destiny, renewed purpose, and faith for the future are found in those fiery eyes that burn with passion for us. Today, we choose to stare back into Your intense gaze. Our decree: We declare that we will follow Jesus, and will always remember to “look for The Look.” ******************************** Today’s post was taken from my book, The Pleasure of His Company, published by Baker Books. On tomorrow’s post, Good Friday, we will be taking Communion together. Click on the link below to watch the full video.