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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-29-2023 August 29, 2023 Why Arrowheads? I find it very interesting that God chose to use arrowheads in the anchoring of our states and connecting them to America’s destiny. Yahweh is intentional; He does nothing without purpose. Holy Spirit could have chosen many things for this prophetic act, yet He opted for items made by Native Americans. This is significant. I have no doubt that God intends to include the native people in the coming revival. He spoke to me very strongly regarding this several years ago. I should add, it isn’t that God chose not to include them in past revivals - it is always His will to save - but for various reasons harvest “fields” ripen at different times. I and others feel the First Nations people of America have reached one of these harvest seasons. Not only will many of them be born again, but it is obviously God’s will that they share in the destiny of this land. The native people have important roles in God’s Kingdom plans, just as we all do. The way they were pushed aside and mistreated by many early European Americans was evil, and left deep wounds. But God wants to do a strong work of healing, reconciliation, and restoration. This healing was paid for at the Cross, which tears down divisive walls, and will come primarily through Christ and His body. Government cannot heal the wounds. Frankly, many in government don’t want racial wounds and other divisions in America healed. They work to divide us - not just racially, but in many ways - doing so for votes and power. Some have mastered the art of “identity politics” in order to maintain allegiance from various voting blocks. Sadly, this also keeps Americans divided. These efforts to separate us, fostering hatred and mistrust, are despicable and they’re actions God hates. Consider the strength of His words regarding this evil: “There are six things which the Lord HATES, yes seven which are an ABOMINATION to Him…one who spreads strife among brothers,” (Proverbs 6:16-19; NASB; emphasis mine). He actually ranks it up with murder (verse 17). Conversely, God pronounces a special blessing on those who bring relational healing: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God,” (Matthew 5:9; NASB). “Sons” in this verse is not the typical word for children, but is huios, the word associated with offspring that have matured to the point they can be trusted with the family’s authority and resources. They are fully matured sons and daughters. “The peacemakers, the healers, they are those I can trust with My authority,” the Father says. I believe God has many sons and daughters ready to bring His peace: mature, healthy, humble, servant-hearted, and free of personal agendas. Holy Spirit will use them to heal the wounds that divide us - in the church and then in the nation. It is now a kairos, opportune time for this, and Holy Spirit seems to be especially focused on the First Nations people. Revival to Native Americans When I informed the arrowhead donor, Stanley King, of my plans for these artifacts, he was excited. Stanley loves and prays for the First Nations people regularly. Here is a portion of his response: “I was so happy to learn that the Native American spiritual leader from Alaska, Mary Glacier, is praying a special prayer over these artifacts. It seems especially fitting, because the arrowheads were created by the original American people, among which she belongs. And also, because Chuck Pierce prophesied this year that the firstfruits of this great harvest we are praying into would come from the original Americans, those to whom God first entrusted America.” Chuck is not the only leader to have predicted revival would come to the Native American people, nor is he the first. A respected evangelist you may have heard of, Billy Graham, also spoke of this. Mary Glacier actually referenced one of his statements before her prayer. Here is a quote from Dr. Graham regarding God’s plans for the Native American people: “The greatest moments of Native History may lie ahead of us if a great spiritual renewal and awakening should take place. The Native American has been a sleeping giant. He is awakening. The original Americans could become the evangelists who will help win America for Christ! Remember these forgotten people!”(1) Mary Glacier’s Prayer My heart was deeply stirred as I listened and agreed with Mary’s prayer at Cape Henry. It has now been transcribed, and I want you also to hear it and agree with her. It will be today’s prayer and decree. Mary said: “In Jesus’ Name, I pray over every single one of these arrowheads. Each of them has been touched by the First Nations people - who knows how many years ago - but God has now brought them into our hands for this season. “Hear our petitions, God, and touch these arrowheads with Your destiny for this nation. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, return our land toward covenantal First Nations roots, and restore a righteous destiny. As we, First Nations people, have forgiven the traumas of the past, we set our faces forward to march shoulder to shoulder as one family with the governmental family of God, the Ekklesia, full of the Holy Ghost and power. “We will no longer allow false breaches to separate us. We will not walk in woundedness from the past. We will not look back, but we will look ahead and move forward to our destiny. “Let the voice of the warriors in every state resound with power and authority. Let the love of Christ be our bond of unity. The sleeping giant is waking up and getting to her feet, and Your voice, Lord, is beginning to resound in the mouth of the Ekklesia. The lions are roaring again, and the lions are full of Holy Ghost power. “Even as the First Nations leaders have been anointing, commissioning, teaching, praying, and empowering; as we in Alaska in the Kingdom Alliance Network, are sending out and commissioning native leaders; as Bill Pagaran, our Tlingit evangelist has been praying on Sleeping Lady mountain to awaken the sleeping giant, that sleeping giant IS awakening and shaking her mane. As King’s Chapel is right now having an indigenous awakening conference, empowering the First Nations; as Chuck Pierce has already had a First Nations gathering in April in the Miracle Center; and as California is now having another gathering of the First Nations; so the Native Americans are waking up NOW! They are getting to their feet NOW! They’re beginning to declare NOW! “And as we send out these arrowheads, let the land shake with the destiny You have determined for it, and let every Native voice begin to resound with power! Let every Native voice begin to declare over the nation of America, ‘Awaken! Awaken! Awaken! Get to your feet! Get ready now, for the King is coming! The King is coming! The King is coming!’” [Mary then begins prophetically declaring to the church.] “This is a now time! It is the time for you to shake off the clothes of the past. It is time for you to link arms with the church. It is time for you to stand to your feet with boldness and courage. There is no more hesitation. There is no more brokenness that will hold you back. There is no more trauma, no more lies of the enemy that will hold you back. You carry the fire of God in your belly, and you carry the arrows of the Lord in your mouth. And as we bury these arrowheads in every single state, then every state is given the opportunity to partner with their First Nations, to move ahead past old traumas, and to begin to walk into a fresh victory! “In the Name of Jesus, amen.” A Great Report Wonderful reports are coming in regarding the placing of these arrowheads. I conclude today’s post with a statement from our friends, Lon and Teresa Stokes, in Washington state: “Ceci and Dutch… just a report from the far side of the Nation. Powerful prayer and covenant declarations are being made here in Washington State…3 arrowheads buried and 3 to go…we’re off to the Canadian border today as well as the largest native reservation in WA. God’s presence is so over this!! “Thanks for your continued heart to see our nation be what God intended it to be…no matter what! It’s absolutely going to happen! Holy Spirit is clear, direct and is moving over the generations of Washington State! “Blessings and Forward with the Foreword.” ********************* Click on the link below to watch the full video. --------------------------------------------- Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. “Inside the Archives: Native American Headdress” The Billy Graham Library. Accessed August 25, 2023. https://billygrahamlibrary.org/blog-archives-native-american-headdress/#

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-28-2023 August 28, 2023 Listen for the Sound [What I’m sharing in this post is the fruit of YOUR prayers. Thank you!] “‘Is not My word like a fire?’ says the Lord, ‘And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?’” ‭‭(Jeremiah‬ ‭23‬:‭29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬) Five days before we went to Cape Henry with the arrowheads, my friend Steven Springer - without knowing I was going there - had a dream about it. Steven is a prolific dreamer and a respected prophetic voice. The dream actually begins elsewhere, a place not delineated, then moves to Cape Henry. Here is the dream: “On 8/15/23, I had a dream with Dutch Sheets, two prophets [Steven gives their names, but I have not asked their permission, so I am not including them], and myself. “Dutch had a large hammer with which he was pounding altars, knocking them down. With each blow, darkness was displaced in a moment, and the light of truth began beaming in all directions! As the altars were destroyed, water began springing up from the ground, flowers began to bloom, and new life began to spread! We saw revival and awakening spring up everywhere the hammer struck the ground!!!! “Then a ladder appeared, coming up from the ground, and a new dimension of Heaven came down the ladder to earth. This new dimension was a new anointing/ability/mantle to legislate, and it fell on Dutch and the Eklessia. With it, we began commanding gates to be opened. As we did, angels were dispatched in each direction, released by the decrees! Sunrise and sunset were occurring simultaneously! “The scene changed, and we were standing on the shores of the Atlantic at Cape Henry, resurrecting the decrees made there by those who planted the cross of Christ. The earth began responding to this, releasing the sound of awakening!!!” End of dream. Steven then quoted two more passages of Scripture related to the dream, Job 22:28-30 and Isaiah 35:1-10: “You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways. When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’ Then He will save the humble person. He will even deliver one who is not innocent; Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.” ‭‭(Job‬ ‭22‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬) “The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, The excellency of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭35‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬) Just as the dream shows, idolatrous altars are definitely being destroyed in America. The hammer of God‘s word is doing exactly what He said it would do. We have been declaring His words, and they are accomplishing their assignments, tearing down altars of Baal, dispelling darkness, and releasing light. As Isaiah 35 describes, the desert land will again be fruitful: water, flowers, new life, revival, and awakening will come forth. The next scene draws an obvious correlation to Genesis 28, where Jacob had a dramatic encounter with God at Bethel. There, and in the dream, a ladder connected heaven and earth, was used by angels, and gates were opened. Gates represent access points and portals, among other things. It’s a way of saying heaven and earth can connect. Jacob called Bethel a “gate of heaven”; the place in Steven’s dream was, as well. The angels brought us new anointings, and higher levels of authority with which to decree. We used these anointings immediately, making decrees that the angels carried forth into the earth. I feel this is showing us that the Ekklesia has gone to a higher level in her ability to release Christ’s authority into the earth. We will see the fruit of that begin to manifest in this season. Like Jeremiah, our words, initiated by God, will “pull down” strongholds; they will then “plant” and “build” the will of God (Jeremiah 1:10). God will “watch over” these decrees to perform them (verse 12). I find it very intriguing that sunrise and sunset were occurring simultaneously. There’s a brain-teaser. What might this represent? It could picture more, but I believe this is an indication that we are now aligned with Olam El, Everlasting God. This is the name Abraham used in Genesis 21:33 when he called upon Yahweh. “Everlast” was also one of two names on boxing gloves I used to knock out giants in a dream given several years ago. Holy Spirit said in that dream, “You must wear these 2 gloves to take out giants in this season.” (The other glove said “Evergreen.”) Abraham used this name of God because it represented He who lives in the eternal now, not limited by time. Olam can reach back in time, and He can see into the future. He has the ability to cancel failures of the past, and secure the future, which he did for Abraham. Perhaps God is saying He has done this for us, cleansing America of her past, and restoring us to our destiny. Perhaps He is saying we are now wearing the Olam glove, moving in the power and strength of Everlasting God. One thing is abundantly clear: Steven was seeing into a realm lived in and controlled by the eternal God! Then, in the dream, we were translated to Cape Henry. There, we “resurrected” the decrees of Robert Hunt and his comrades - our foreword - when they planted the cross. We did this while there last Sunday, even using the same word, “resurrecting” the decrees and destiny spoken at Cape Henry. And in the dream, the earth responded with the sound of awakening. Listen for this sound! You will begin to hear the sounds of revival, of awakening, of abundant rain - even in the shaking. Pray with me: Lord, we marvel at You and Your works. You truly are He who transcends time, reaching back to heal and cleanse, and looking forward to the end, declaring what is coming. With Your great power and ability as Olam, we will take out spiritual giants. America has been a wilderness place, a desert, for several years. But we declare over her that the altars of Baal are being demolished by the Ekklesia, light will replace the darkness, and she will blossom once again. We thank You for the new mantles, the fresh anointing to legislate spiritually, and with which to accomplish Your purposes here and around the world. We confidently declare that the foreword has been resurrected, that the decree of Cape Henry is once again infusing life into our atmosphere and covenant into our land. The gospel of the Kingdom is now leavening our nation once again with the sound of revival. We also confidently declare that You are rising over Your enemies in America. They will scatter before You, fleeing seven ways (i.e. completely). Their empowering altars are being demolished by the power of Your words; their dark wickedness is being exposed by light; their evil plans are failing; and their names will be disgraced in history. We pray and decree all of this in Yeshua’s name! Our decree: We declare that the foreword of Cape Henry is alive and well! ************************* Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------------------------ Steven Springer is a pastor in Keller, TX, and is the director of Global Presence.

7 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-25-2023 August 25, 2023 Stay Focused Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” One possible metaphoric meaning to these words is very interesting and very pertinent today. The word “ways,” is translated from the Hebrew word derek, which can be used for a “way, road, journey, manner, work.”(1) More often than not, however, it is used metaphorically, referring to the actions and behavior of people.(2) It “has the unusual sense of ‘sexual favors’ in Jeremiah 3:13 and Proverbs 31:3.” Derek is the word chosen for the act of courting in Proverbs 30:19.(3) To court someone is to seek their affection or love. Courting God would mean pursuing spiritual intimacy with Him. Imagine that, courting God. Consistent with this relational theme, the word “acknowledge” in the above verses comes from yada, which is the Old Testament word for knowing someone intimately.(4) Adam knew (yada) Eve, and she conceived (see Genesis 4:1). Because of this, the Passion Translation translates verse 6: “Become intimate with Him in whatever you do, and He will lead you wherever you go.” People “court” many things: success, advancement, fame, other people, glory, money, favor, and a myriad of other goals we humans strive to reach. Gordon Dahl aptly said, “Most middle-class Americans tend to worship their work, to work at their play, and to play at their worship.”(5) Seeking and loving God with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength is often lost in life’s melee. When this occurs, the source of our spiritual life and strength is cut off. We must drink daily from the fountain flowing from Christ. Sometimes I feel like the small child in the “Family Circus” cartoon who ran up to his mother exclaiming, “I need a hug, Mommy. I used up the last one.”(6) It doesn’t take long to use up our spiritual hugs. Just as physical intimacy leads to conception, spiritual intimacy with God leads to spiritual conception. Jesus referred to our spirit as a womb, koilia(7) (John 7:38). He said this is where His life resides in us and the place from which it flows. He referred to His words as spiritual seeds (1 Peter 1:23, Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8), meaning they reproduce, multiply, and bring forth life in our spiritual wombs. When we are “intimate” with God, spending time in worship and in His Word, He speaks to us, planting seeds that reproduce His thoughts, plans, and ways. As this occurs, our vision, actions, methods, strategies, etc., are born of God, not just ourselves. Where our spiritual lives are concerned, God isn’t into “surrogate parenting” - someone else carrying His seed of revelation for us. He wants to sow His Word into us personally. Insights we receive from others are good and valid, but if that is the only way we receive revelation, we’re living far below our privileges. Nor does He want to reproduce in us through “artificial insemination” - placing His “seed” in us without relational connection. Podcasts, conferences, and books are all appropriate, but they must not take the place of hearing from God personally and directly. Conferences, where the Word of God is flowing wonderfully, can become nothing more than a sterile laboratory of information. Under the guise of not reinventing the wheel, we sometimes don’t regenerate revelation, either, endeavoring to live on what someone else has birthed. The problem is not that we receive insights from others - this is obviously one of the ways God teaches us; the problem is when this becomes the primary source of our information. We cannot live life solely on someone else’s revelation. We must hear from God ourselves. And when He does speak to us through another, we still should pray and meditate over the information (courting God) until it becomes a personal word of revelation to us. As strange as it may sound, people often become “pregnant” with someone else’s revelation and, yes, even birth another person’s spiritual child. The church is filled with individuals trying to walk out someone else’s revelation, vision, ideas, and methods. And we sometimes wonder why so much of what we do produces so little fruit. We may clone church growth, but we can’t clone spiritual life, and we certainly cannot clone revival. Revival is the release of God’s life; it is not produced, but reproduced - born of the Spirit! We often run our churches and ministries from the boardroom instead of the prayer room. The first one produces the works of man; the other births a move of God. Going Around in Circles I get a little nervous when God sends me to the gospel of Luke, chapter 10. My response is usually, “Uh-oh.” I know what He said there. Luke 10:38-42 is the story of Mary and Martha - or should I say, the story of Mary and most of the leadership of the church. As I feel drawn to or am reminded of this passage, I know Father is about to correct me for prioritizing ministry for Him over ministry to Him. “Now, as they were traveling along, He 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) Mary was seated at the feet of the Lord, and Martha was busy in the kitchen, ‘distracted with all her preparations’ (v. 40). The word “distracted” comes from the Greek verb perispao. It means to literally “drag around in circles.”(8) The word for “preparations” is the New Testament word for “ministry,” diakonia, the same word we would use for service to God. Even ministry for Jesus can become a weight we drag around! I call this the “treadmill anointing.” In this passage, God isn’t glorifying laziness. He is prioritizing listening to Him and receiving His “seeds.” In an interview for Today’s Christian Woman, writer and speaker Carol Kent says: “One day when [my son] Jason was young, we were eating breakfast together. I had on an old pair of slacks and a fuzzy old sweater. He flashed his baby blues at me over his cereal bowl and said, ‘Mommy, you look so pretty today.’ “I didn’t even have makeup on! So I said, “Honey, why would you say I look pretty today? Normally, I’m dressed up in a suit and heels.’ “And he said, ‘When you look like that, I know you’re going someplace; but when you look like this, I know you’re all mine.”(9) I love praying in the outdoors. I usually wear grubby jeans or shorts, old shoes, T-shirt, a ballcap, and other casual, non-professional attire. When I go to the office, I change into my nicer clothes. Somehow, I think God prefers me in my non-professional uniform. When He sees me dressed that way, He knows I’m all His. Courting God is always essential. In seasons such as the one we are now in, however, it becomes critical. When Joshua was about to lead Israel into war to possess the promised land, one of God’s commands to him was, “Meditate on My words” (Joshua 1:8). This was not to make Joshua religious! Settle forever the fact that God is not religious! He desires relationship, not religion; family, not hirelings and organizations. He told Joshua to do this, not to make him a good Jew - or, in today’s language, a good Christian. Yahweh told him this because His words produce life, faith, divine strategy, and strength. “You're gonna need Me, Joshua. And here’s how you’ll find Me!” God wants to talk to you. Court Him! Pray with me: Father, as we live life in this confused and unstable world, remind us to remain tethered to our lifeline. May our spiritual wombs be ever-pregnant with Your plans and vision, causing us to birth Your life and actions. Like Joshua, help us to keep first things first, so that we can prosper and be successful. We pray also today for those on the front lines of the legal battle being waged for America. We intercede for those being unjustly persecuted and charged with crimes by our corrupt justice system. For President Trump, those who served him, and those who appropriately questioned election activities, we ask for speedy justice. We also ask that justice be served to those operating in unjust ways. Expose and shake down their evil systems in our land. Shatter the teeth of the wicked (Psalm 3:7, 58:6). We ask You to give provision to these individuals being unjustly charged, one of the goals being to drain them financially. We also ask that boldness and courage be given them, as one of the purposes of these charges is to stop people from questioning elections in the future, and from speaking out against the evil in our government. They want righteous people to stay out of government for fear of slander and financial drain. Give strength against this intimidation from Jezebel. We ask that strength be given to the righteous and for the shaking of the wicked and their activities. We ask for all these things in Jesus’ name, amen. Our decree: We decree that evil structures in America are being judged and destroyed, and that we will stay connected to our source during this time of shaking. ************************ Click on the link below to watch the full video. ---------------------------------------------------------- R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Workbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980), p. 196. Ibid., p. 197. Ibid., p. 198. Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Kay Study Bible - New American Standard, p. 1720. Rowell, Quotes & Idea Starters for Preaching and Teaching, p. 181. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, A Third Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul (Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc. 1996), p. 99. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 2836. Ibid. Ref. no 4049. Craig Brian Larson, Contemporary Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers, and Writers (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996) p. 70.

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-24-2023 August 24, 2023 The Approaching Storm The arrowheads are arriving throughout the nation today. We are rejoicing over what God has done and encouraged by what this will produce. We’re praying for the representatives and their teams in each state as they finish the assignment. Thank you so much for your part in what God has been doing. Today, I want to address a different subject. Late last night, I listened to and/or reread 5 different messages from trusted leaders regarding a coming shaking. They were from my brother, Tim Sheets, Randy Lopshire, Clay Nash (these 3 men called it a tsunami or a giant wave), John Kilpatrick (from a year ago; he called it a storm), and Gina Gholston (who referred to it as a shaking). I know others have also released words regarding this, as have I. You can hear what Tim had to say about it, as well as the dreams from Clay Nash and Randy Lopshire, in his message from this past Sunday entitled Holy Spirit’s Tsunami. John Kilpatrick’s message is entitled Four Anchors - Warning, Storm Ahead. I have intentionally not spoken much about this up to now, in order to stay focused on the instructions given in the “commanding the foreword” dream. However, I have been giving much thought to the subject, knowing that at some point, I would need to address it. Things of this nature are not something I enjoy talking about - most spiritual leaders are reticent to speak of warnings such as this, and appropriately so. We don’t want to be alarmists or create fear in people. But today, I want to address this approaching storm. No one in my circle of prophetic friends knows exactly what the shaking will be. All of them have stated that while they believe this significant wave is coming, they also acknowledge that Holy Spirit has not revealed exactly what it is. Political? War? Terrorism? Civil unrest/violence? Financial? God seems to have determined not to reveal this, at least not yet. So, how do we prepare? First of all, when God has chosen not to be specific, don’t speculate and/or make predictions. This only creates confusion. Holy Spirit tells us only what we need to know; we must accept this as wisdom on His part - He has His reasons. Secondly, focus on what He HAS said. Everyone I am hearing from is stating emphatically that this is to deal with the evil and corruption in America, not destroy us. They are using words like reset, restore, rebuild, and reconnect (to God, purpose, destiny, our roots, etc.). No one whom I know is saying God is finished with America and that this will be our destruction. On the contrary, they are saying this is for America’s salvation. Focus on that, and the goodness of God. At the same time, these leaders are also saying the upcoming shaking will be challenging and difficult. It is not a ripple we will move on from in a day or two, but a very significant storm. God has given America opportunities to turn back to Him for 30-plus years, which have been rejected. Evil has become very entrenched in our land. Many in our government are corrupt and serve only themselves and their plans, not the American people. We are very far off track in this regard. Some government agencies are corrupt, many government officials are corrupt, and many who control our nation from other positions (business, media, education, finance, etc.) are corrupt - and this corruption runs very deep. Also, our nation has, in a general sense, rebelled from the ways and biblical principles upon which we were founded. For many, this has become more than ignorance and deception; it is now arrogant rebellion against God and His rule. They shake their fist in His face, mock Him and His Word, and openly defy Him. These rebels brag about their shedding of innocent blood, sell aborted babies’ body parts, traffic in children, divide people to hold onto power, allow suffering and destruction in order to further their purposes, celebrate violence, and war against truth. They now serve the father of lies, he who comes to steal, kill, and destroy (see John 10:10). The shaking must and will be intense. Thirdly, do not allow yourself to be controlled or motivated by fear. Holy Spirit has said over and over regarding this, “Do not be afraid.” As we follow Him, He will take care of us. In the “commanding the foreword” dream, Jesus said to those gathered, “There is a shaking that is coming, but you must not fear! You must know and be convinced that this nation is anchored and surrounded. KNOW that! Be convinced of that!” Pastor Randy Lopshire, without minimizing the size of the wave, encouraged us in his dream that, “As the water of this massive wave began to catch up with us, the effort of running (in front of it) became easier, and a sense of peace began to come into my heart. The more the water level of the wave caught up to us, and my body was in the depths of the water, the more I had the peace and assurance that ‘all was well.’ A certainty that this wave was FOR US and NOT for our destruction began to cause great faith to rise in my heart…In the end, we all rejoiced because what had first been seen as destruction, was actually restoration and reformation. There was no sense of ‘doom and gloom’ at all.” Clay Nash shared from his tsunami dream, “Those that stood steadfast, seeing with eyes of faith and hearing with fine-tuned ears, used the tsunami to lift them to a higher platform of authority and purpose. They were released into a new flow of purpose that was secured by their willingness to trust God at this new level. “The (spiritual) Generals began to give prophetic directives - prayer initiatives - that would secure inheritances and establish God’s original design for the nation. “At the end of the dream, a plane flew over, pulling behind it a banner that read, ‘Look vertical, not horizontal, as answers are on the way.’ “The Generals began a time of praise for God’s faithfulness and goodness.” Fourthly, you may want to consider some practical preparations. I am not speaking of selling your house and buying a ranch in the desert, or hoarding up food and supplies for the next year or two. But I think it is prudent - even apart from this warning - to have some supplies on hand to get through a few weeks of difficulty. A couple of months' worth of canned food, water (or the ability to purify a natural source), cash on hand, medical supplies, etc. - these are all wise plans. I think of them as I do an insurance policy. We don’t intend to have a car accident, but we have insurance, as instructed, and as is wise. We have other forms of insurance, as well. This is not fear or unbelief; it is doing as Joseph did in Egypt: preparing for a future season of potential difficulty. Biblical wisdom teaches us to prepare for the future. If it turns out that these supplies are not needed, they can be used later. In conclusion, I want to emphasize that I am well aware of our humanness; we all know in part, and prophesy in part. None of us are infallible. But I would rather warn people of what I believe is coming - endeavoring to do so with wisdom and faith - and it turn out to be wrong, than not warn them and it turn out to be true. Pray with me: Father, we trust You and Your heart toward us. We have been admonished to be confident of Your protective hand and love for us. You have told us over and over that America will be saved and restored. We believe this, and our faith will not be shaken. Our hearts are fixed, trusting in You (Psalm 112:7). We have asked for a cleansing and restoring of our nation, and You are answering our prayers. The destinies of millions of people around the world are far more important than our temporary pleasures and comforts. So we pray, as the psalmist did, “Arise, and scatter Your enemies. Let those who hate You flee before you” (Psalm 68:1). We also ask for the salvation of all who have not hardened their hearts to the point of no return. Convict them of sin, humble their hearts, and reveal Christ to them. Save and deliver multiplied millions. Bring home the prodigals. Prepare the Ekklesia to reap the harvest this will ripen. Release a spirit of wisdom and revelation to Your people, causing a spirit of faith to arise in them at this time. Keep the praying remnant strong, full of faith and courage; where necessary, teach them how to stir up their spiritual gifts and most holy faith (1 Timothy 1:6-7; Jude 20). Give wise strategies and instructions to believers, just as You promised You would (James 1:5). In Jesus' Name we pray..! Our decree: We decree that just as Joshua was commanded, we too will be strong and of good courage; we will not be afraid or dismayed, for our God is with us wherever we go (Joshua 1:9). ************************ Click on the link below to watch the full video.

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-23-2023 YOTA Don't merge this with the previous Dream August 23, 2023 The 300 Arrowheads, Part 2 “Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing.” (Judges 8:4; NASB 1995) This verse, referring to Gideon and his army of 300, is how many of us felt after finishing the Cape Henry and Red River Meeting House assignments this past Sunday and Monday. I arrived home Monday night after midnight, as exhausted as I have been in many years. I am sure I speak for most of the team. The weight of the assignment, plus the heat, zapped our energy. It was worth every minute of our time. I kept the teams small and covert, as I usually do on assignments such as this. I know many of you would have liked to join us, and I appreciate this from the bottom of my heart, but it is easier to carry out these types of missions with a small team. I have worked with most of these individuals for so long that they know how I think, what I would like, and how I would like to do it. It makes it easier to focus on the spiritual aspects when I do not have to explain these things; everyone just does his or her part, and it is a seamless flow. I am sure the same will be true of the state teams and leaders as they bury the arrowheads. They will take or send a team of people they know and are comfortable with. Please do not be offended or hurt by this; the assignment is what matters most. Having said that, however, I want to reiterate how grateful and impressed I have been at the multitudes who want to participate in all facets of this “command the foreword” assignment. It has truly been amazing and inspirational to me. Once these 300 arrowheads - created by First Nations people centuries ago, anointed and prayed over by today’s generation of Native Americans - are planted in the soil of America, I have no doubt that we will have accomplished the “anchoring of the states” instructions Holy Spirit gave us. We will have reconnected America to her God-given roots and destiny, as well as protecting our land from any shaking that is coming. We will now continue to pray as Holy Spirit leads, keeping the prayer “grid” that has been formed in place. The prayers flowing from Alaska to Cape Henry on Sunday evening were amazing. Our friend and esteemed prayer leader, Mary Glazier (her native name is Thunder Woman!), thundered with her words across the airwaves of America, from the far northwest, to the beach of covenant destiny on the eastern coast. Thank you, Mary, and all who joined you, from the bottom of my heart. The rest of the team then prayed, read Scriptures, decreed, and prophesied there on the beach, and concluded with the covenant meal of communion. To say this was incredibly holy, would not in any way be overstating the time. At Red River Meeting House the following day, the same can be said. Prayers, Scriptures, decrees, prophecies, prophetic acts, and communion saturated the arrowheads with the revival water present in that holy place. None of us participating left with any doubt that we had accomplished the mission. The arrowheads are now en route to each state. Please agree with us that the state teams will be led by Holy Spirit where to place them, and what needs to be prayed and declared. One of our team members, Terri Brown from Colorado, sent me the following insight just before we began the trip: “I found it interesting that the arrowheads were discovered while prayer walking. I asked the Lord what an arrowhead symbolizes, and felt led to look it up in Barbie Breathitt’s dictionary of prophetic symbols. The meaning was not new to me, but then I was shocked to see an entry for “Arrowhead, found.” This meaning read, “a rediscovery of lost or abandoned goals that were never achieved.”(1) “In our case, the ‘goal’ is fulfilling the destiny of our nation, and it is being ‘rediscovered’ as we pray.” Profound..! We are, indeed, rediscovering the godly purpose and destiny for which Yahweh created America. As the coming revival hits its maximum force and fruitfulness, thousands of flaming evangelists will go forth to the nations of the earth. Many of them will be First Nations people. These evangelists will come from all races, all age groups, and all genres of life. Incredible and notable miracles will be performed as they preach the gospel of the Kingdom, and millions will be saved. Entire nations will be transformed. “The lamb that was slain will reap the rewards of his suffering.”(2) Whatever the coming shaking may entail, be assured that the purposes of God will not be thwarted. God has given us further strategies that will be implemented over the coming weeks and months. I and others will be sharing these at the appropriate time. Please be listening for those. I will finish with a portion of a dream given to Gina Gholston, who received the Red River Meeting House dreams I shared on Monday and Tuesday. Gina joined us on the assignment at Red River Meeting House. This third dream I’m about to share came in 2020, shortly after she received her first RRMH dream. You may recall that in the first dream (that I shared on Monday), she saw lines being drawn in the spirit, connecting four great revivals from the past. A line went from RRMH to Cane Ridge, and from both of those places westward to Azusa Street. These three lines formed the head of a spear. A line was then drawn eastward from the spearhead all the way to Wales, forming the shaft. Together, these lines formed a complete spear. In the following dream, Gina was shown this “spear” again. She shares: “As I looked at this, the spearhead instantly lit on fire. When that happened, the entire spear began to spin counterclockwise. The spinning was slow at first, but gained speed with each spin, going faster and faster. As it was spinning, it began to tilt upward…still spinning…until it was standing vertically…the spearhead blazing with fire. Once the spear stood vertical, it was lifted up and thrust forcefully back down into the ground - into the center of the U.S. “When the spearhead went into the ground, it created swell after swell of what I first thought were waves of water. It was not water, however; it was people. These people were burning with the fire of revival, wave after wave of them, moving outward in all directions from the standing spear.” This is coming. Do NOT doubt it. Pray with me: Father, thank You for leading us forward. You never retreat; You always advance. As Lord over the nations, You are orchestrating and planning another great season of Kingdom advancement. You are even using, and will continue to do so, the plans of evil people to further this Kingdom advance, just as You did at the Cross. You will not lose. It is our joy to partner with You. It was a pleasure to use articles created by the First Nations people of our land, then reach down into the sand of Cape Henry and pull out America’s covenant purpose as a nation. It was also exciting to reach down into the soil of RRMH and tap into the well of revival housed there. These three elements from our history are now mixed together - the Native American host people, covenant, and revival - creating a synergistic force. This synergy of the ages is literally soaring across our nation. The power it creates will land in every U.S. state, joining with the covenantal foreword that has been declared there recently. The synergy of all this will be exponential. Explosive power will be released in America and go from here to the ends of the Earth. And now we ask You, Father, to do all that is necessary to adjust and prepare our nation. When this is finished, throw the blazing spear of revival fire into the heart of our nation, causing wave after wave of revival to burn throughout our land. In Christ’s authority, we pray all of this, amen. Our decree: We decree that our God, Yahweh, who keeps covenant and mercy to 1000 generations, is doing so in America. As intercessors and believers have repented, the blood of Jesus is healing our land. ************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. ----------------------------------------------- Barbie L. Breathitt, A to Z Dream Symbology Dictionary (Lake Dallas, TX: Barbie Breathitt Enterprises, Inc., 2015), p. 26. https://www.thebereancall.org/content/may-lamb-was-slain-receive-reward-his-sufferings?sapurl=Lys5MjZkL2xiL2xpLyt3dm44dWs4P2JyYW5kaW5nPXRydWUmZW1iZWQ9dHJ1ZSZyZWNlbnRSb3V0ZT1hcHAud2ViLWFwcC5saWJyYXJ5Lmxpc3QmcmVjZW50Um91dGVTbHVnPSUyQnd2bjh1azg=

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-22-2023 August 22, 2023 The 300 Arrowheads Yesterday, I shared a dream given to Gina Gholston in January 2020. It spoke of four separate wells of revival being reopened by Holy Spirit; 100 eagles were then seen transporting the water, 300 “fire arrows,” and 100 scrolls throughout the nation (Uncapping of the Wells). God is going to merge the anointings and power of these world-impacting outpourings, giving us the synergy of the ages. My spirit leaped as I read the following sequel to that dream, given to Gina a year later. I have shared it before, but it is linked to the “command the foreword” assignment we are currently doing. Here is that sequel: (February 2, 2021) “I dreamed I was standing with someone I did not know on a deck-like structure in the heavens. From this place, we were looking down, observing the United States of America. Though I did not know who the man was, I could feel a strong anointing coming from him. This anointing was causing me to have an indescribable hope for the nation! “As we were looking down, we saw what first appeared to be warplanes flying over the United States. The gentleman said to me, ‘Oh my, I wonder what is happening in America? What do all these warplanes mean?’ He said this, not with concern, but almost as though he was wanting me to see something that wasn’t obvious. He looked at me as if I should know the right answer to his questions. “I did know the answer to this one. ‘Those are not warplanes; those are eagles!’ I replied. ‘I have seen them before in a dream. There are 100 of them, and they’re carrying water from the reopened well of revival at the Red River Meeting House. The well has been unlocked and is now gushing forth into the nation.’ “I could clearly see that, just as in the previous dream, the eagles were carrying arrows in one of their talons and a rolled-up piece of paper in the other. Also, they were still wet and dripping water from the geyser that drenched them at the Red River Meeting House. “As the eagles flew throughout America, they all simultaneously began diving. When nearing the ground, they leveled off and began dropping their arrows into the land. I knew there were 100 eagles, each carrying three arrows; therefore, 300 arrows were released throughout America. As each arrow hit the ground, it ignited as though it had hit a gas pocket, and a spiraling plume of fire shot up. We watched as the water the eagles were releasing was also ignited by the fire! This ‘revival water’ from the Red River Meeting House was extremely flammable and instantly caught fire! It seemed as though all of America was on fire, the fire of revival. “As the dream continued, I became VERY aware of the power and presence of God. It was so strong I fell to my knees and began to sob uncontrollably! The gentleman with me began speaking under an incredibly heavy anointing. (It was then that I noticed he had a very strong accent.) He said, ‘You have seen correctly! This is how America will be saved! Do NOT doubt it! There is coming a sweeping move of the Spirit of God that will ignite America with the fire of His presence. This will bring a swift, undeniable awareness of God and an awakening. “‘What seems to be one thing, is about to be revealed as another,’ he continued. ‘Some are in fear because of how things appear, but others SEE - with holy awe and expectation! The eagles are on assignment. They carry ‘firepower;’ they carry His glory. At precisely the right moment, their arrows will be released, will hit their targets, and the move of God will ignite and spread very quickly!’ Then he said again, ‘Do NOT doubt it!’ “Still on my knees, I looked up at the man and suddenly knew he was Duncan Campbell, one of the leaders of the great Hebrides revival.” End of the dream. Approximately 2 months later - after this dream - I was given a gift of 300 arrowheads, found over a several-year span by a pastor while praying in the fields of eastern North Carolina. This was a priceless gift to me, representing several years and hundreds of hours of intercession, as well as the Native American people whom I love. I knew they had been entrusted to me by the Lord, not as souvenirs to keep, but as items He would one day use. I also felt they were somehow connected to the 300 arrows in Gina’s two dreams. I have waited 2 years, knowing Holy Spirit would reveal the connection, the timing, and the assignment. Three months ago, I was sent another dream by my friend, Clay Nash. In this dream, several leaders and I were given supernatural bows and arrows with which to defeat spiritual enemies. These supernatural arrows had no arrowheads. One of the group asked, “Shouldn’t the arrows have arrowheads?” The man giving us the weapons put his hands on my shoulders and said, “Dutch, it was for such time as this that you are to distribute the ‘back to the future’ arrowheads.” As I looked at him questioningly, he added, “The 300 arrowheads that were sent to you.” It was INCREDIBLE to me that the arrowheads were referred to in a dream! And also that they were referenced in this way: “back to the future” arrowheads. As I sought the Lord, He gave me specific instructions. This past Sunday, a small team and I took the 300 arrowheads to Cape Henry, the place of America’s defining covenant with God. We also took a precious bottle of oil, prayed over by hundreds of intercessors and leaders in Alaska, many of them Native Americans, dedicating it to the Lord’s purpose for our nation. They decreed Isaiah 60:18 over this oil: “Violence will not be heard again, and your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders; but you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise.” Our Native American friend and apostolic prayer leader, Mary Glazier, sent me the oil for this specific assignment. She then called us from Alaska on Sunday evening while we were on the beach at Cape Henry, and prayed over the arrowheads while we anointed them with the oil. She and those of us gathered asked the Lord to reconnect America to the foreword, the covenant of Cape Henry. Representatives from all 50 states joined via conference call to listen and agree. The next morning, yesterday (Monday), we took the 300 arrowheads to Red River Meeting House and prayed over them again, saturating them with the anointing - the revival water - that is there, just as the dream showed. Representatives from all the states listened in to this, also. Today, we are overnighting 6 of the arrowheads to a representative from each state. All 300 will be delivered tomorrow. Leaders in each state will hear from Holy Spirit where and how to plant/bury them in their state, along with the declarations and prayers they feel to make, doing so before September. Each state will then be “anchored” to the Cape Henry covenant/foreword, and saturated with the waters of revival. America shall be saved! Do NOT doubt it! Let’s pray together: Father, the 300 “back to the future” ignition arrows are being sent today; they will be planted this week and next. We have obeyed Your instructions. We know we will see the fruit. The shaking will shake down evil, not destroy America. The perceived “warplanes” will be identified as eagles carrying “firepower” and “glory.” Cause fires of revival to spring up across the nation. Let the river that flows from the Lamb on His throne (Revelation 22:1), make its way once again up through the wells of Red River Meeting House, Cane Ridge, Azusa Street, and Wales. Combine their flow to form the most powerful “revival water” earth has ever received. Then send it EVERYWHERE! We pray, especially that our dear First Nations people drink from these wells of revival, and take their destined place as carriers of it throughout the Earth. And as Your Hebrides revival messenger admonished us, we do NOT doubt this. We WILL NOT doubt this! We will stand strong in faith and partner with You as You do great things. This is certain, because we pray all of it in Yeshua’s name. Amen. Our Decree: We decree that the wells of revival are opening, the eagles are flying, and the fire arrows are being delivered. ************************ Click on the link below to watch the full video.

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-21-2023 August 21, 2023 The Uncapping of the Wells One of the important benefits of understanding the synergy of the ages (the multiplied power that results from honoring previous generations’ assignments, promises, and accomplishments) is asking for and receiving the strength and power of past revivals, today. God doesn’t want us to start over in our Kingdom advancement efforts. He wants us to drink from past revival wells, allowing the spiritual “nutrients” from them to mix with today’s revelations and anointings. The following dream given to Gina Gholston (which I have shared before) shows the multi-generational dimension the coming revival will manifest. However, I have another important reason for re-sharing it. Holy Spirit has revealed an important connection to this dream, a sequel dream, and the recent “command the foreword” dream. In tomorrow’s post I’ll share the sequel dream, as well as the assignment I and others began yesterday at Cape Henry, and will finish today. You will find it all very fascinating and encouraging. The Dream “On January 14, 2020, I dreamed I was at the Red River Meeting House in Adairville, Kentucky. I had gone through the gate and started walking up the driveway toward the Meeting House, when I noticed 100 bald eagles on the grounds. I was captivated by the sight of so many eagles. “Hearing a noise behind me, I turned and saw an older well-drilling rig coming through the gate toward the Meeting House. It stopped about halfway up the driveway and parked under the walnut trees; it then began drilling. No sooner had the bit been set when, whoosh, the water gushed out in very high, massive amounts! “I thought, ‘This looks like Old Faithful.’ I have seen Old Faithful, and this reminded me of that famous geyser, only it was MUCH larger! In the dream, I thought about how Old Faithful is very predictable and it erupts in a rhythm of time. Then I heard an audible voice speaking about this geyser ‘It is set on the rhythm of Heaven’s time clock. And it’s time!’ (In the dream I understood that to mean, ‘It’s blown before, a gushing move of the Spirit of God, but it’s set for another, greater gusher! And it’s time!’) “Next, I saw two hands come down and clap one time. It was a very loud sound which was a signal to the eagles. They weren’t scared by the noise of the clap or by the spraying of the water; they calmly rose up, hovering like a helicopter, ready to fly. As they rose, I saw that each eagle had 3 arrows in one of their talons and a rolled-up paper in the other. Then I heard the same audible voice say, ‘Rapid eye movement: My seers are on the move.’ “As soon as I heard those words, the eagles flew off in every direction, each heading purposefully toward their assignment. As they left, each one flew through the supernatural water, becoming drenched. Incredibly, their feathers never dried as they flew. Wherever they traveled, the water would fall off of them - like a rain shower - onto the dry ground where they flew. “Back at the Red River Meeting House, the water continued gushing and I also became soaked with it. I went into the Meeting House, which I realized had been set up to be a command center. There were seven drafting tables with ‘architects’ sitting at them, drawing up blueprints, plans, strategies, revelations. People were coming in, one after the other, soaked with the water from the geyser. They would approach one of the architects, who would roll up a set of plans and hand it to them. Immediately, the architects had another one drawn up and would hand it off to the next soaked person walking in. I was amazed at the speed with which the architects worked: draw it, roll it up, hand it off; draw it, roll it up, hand it off! This sequence didn’t stop. “When the people received their blueprints, they were supernaturally transported to their assignments in America and around the world. And just as occurred with the eagles, the revival water soaking them was being flung onto people everywhere they went. I heard the audible voice again saying, ‘Rapid Response Teams.’ Then I noticed a sign on the wall behind the pulpit that read, ‘Rapid Response Command Center.’ “Suddenly, the dream shifted, and I knew by the Spirit that what was happening at the Red River Meeting House was also taking place at Cane Ridge, Kentucky, and Azusa Street in California! I was then lifted up and could see a line running north and south, connecting Cane Ridge and the Red River Meeting House. Another line from each of them went west to Azusa. I could see that these lines formed the shape of a spearhead. From the line drawn between Cane Ridge and the Red River Meeting House was yet another, coming from the nation of Wales to the east. It was forming the shaft of the spear. “This picture was depicting that all four of those places—Wales, Cane Ridge, Red River Meeting House, and Azusa—were connected; and also that what I saw happening at Red River was simultaneously happening at all of them. I was being shown that all of those past moves of God were now being brought together to ‘spearhead’ another greater and more powerful move of God in our time.” End of the dream. God is about to synergistically mix past revivals with a fresh outpouring of Holy Spirit. The four outpourings mentioned in the dream were tremendous demonstrations of His love and power. The revival at Red River Meeting House led to the Cane Ridge revival, which birthed the Second Great Awakening and saved America in the mid 1800’s. The Welsh and Azusa Street revivals rocked entire nations and eventually influenced the whole world - continuing to do so even to this day. All of these wells are about to reopen and spread across this nation and the nations. Tomorrow, I’ll have more to say about this. Let’s pray into it today. Pray with me: Father, we thank You for Your mercy and grace. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You for loving people, even when they oppose You. Your mercy endures forever, Your love is immeasurable. Your power is also without equal. You hold the world in the palm of Your hand, a world You created with the words of Your mouth. You have no equal. You demonstrated and released both - Your love and power - at the Cross. Your love reached down and drew us back up to You. Your power overwhelmed forces of darkness and the effects of sin. You conquered death and the grave. You are, indeed, the perfect mix of love and power. We are now asking for an outpouring of both. Come and save; come and demolish. Save people; destroy wicked strongholds, systems, and the influence of evil spirits who blind people spiritually. We ask You to save a billion people in this outpouring, Father. Rescue them. And lastly, we thank You for saving America. For, without doubt, America shall be saved. The greatest revival in America’s story has not yet occurred. We are moving into it now. So, in advance, thank You for pouring out Your Spirit in this land. We thank You for a righteous, life-honoring, moral government in America. We thank You for schools that are on fire with revival. We thank You for millions of people coming to You. We know this is going to happen and we thank You for it in advance. And it’s in Jesus’ name - no other - that we ask for these things...Amen. Our decree: We decree that the greatest outpouring of Holy Spirit in human history is beginning. ******************* Click on the link below to watch the full video. --------------------------------------------- You can learn more about Gina Gholston at ginagholstonministries.org.

7 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-18-2023 August 18, 2023 People From the Other Side I wrote the information in today's post in 2001. I was mocked and ridiculed over it by many pastors, especially some in the city where I pastored. Very few American Christians took the words seriously. I’m not always right, but I was that time. IN 2001 “The phrase ‘history maker’ is typically used of a person who does something extraordinary, setting them apart from others. Actually, we're all history-makers in one way or another. Time marches on, and history is always being written. Two important questions we must all answer are: What history are we ‘making’? And, are we making it by default - watching from the sidelines - or are we actively involved in the history-making process? “America is at a crossroads. Decisions we make now will write our history and determine our future for years to come. There are pivotal points in a nation - kairos points in time - when decisions are extremely critical and strategic.(1) The choices made at these times are more far-reaching in scope than is otherwise the case. Please hear me, Church of America: we are at one of those pivotal points. We are an Esther generation, born to alter the course of history at such a time as this. We are like Israel at the Jordan, writing today what our kids and grandkids will read about us tomorrow. Will we cross over and face the giants in the land, or will we perish in the wilderness as a has-been nation that lost its bearings? Will we receive a holy visitation from Christ, or will we miss our visitation, as Jerusalem did, causing Jesus to weep and pronounce judgment (see Luke 19:41-44)? “Many decisions we make in life are relatively inconsequential. It is important to remember, however, that some choices really are ‘do or die,’ ‘sink or swim.’ Unfortunately, just how important they are isn’t always obvious. For many people, the current crisis is not discernible. Because of America’s prosperity and the fact that we are at peace, they do not realize the critical nature of where we truly are. It is much easier to recognize and face the challenge when the crisis is obvious, and the decision is forced upon us. Hitler gave Europe no choice - fight or be conquered. At Pearl Harbor, the Japanese gave the United States no choice - fight or be conquered. Goliath gave Israel no choice - fight or become slaves. America's current peril is not as obvious as these examples, but just as real. BLIND TO THE CRISIS “Refusing to believe that we are at a crisis point, many Christians believe we have plenty of time to change, but this is not true. America will either choose now to move into a new walk with God, or our nation will enter another 20 to 30-year cycle of downward moral spiraling, resulting in a further loss of inner strength and character. Having just come through such a cycle of erosion, we cannot endure another. We must recognize our true need, respond with holy desperation, and seize our God-given opportunity to cross over into the new. “Jesus said to Jerusalem, ‘You did not recognize the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:44). Unfortunately, the word ‘visitation’ does not clearly communicate what Christ was saying. He was not simply talking about coming for a ‘visit.’ The Greek word is episkope,(2) from which we get the words bishop, overseer, and superintendent. Jesus was saying to Jerusalem, ‘I came to cover you, to be your shepherd and bishop. I wanted to care for you as a mother hen would her chicks, wrapping you under my wings, covering and protecting you. But you did not recognize that’ (see Luke 13:34). “We in America are currently receiving a similar offer. God is giving us an opportunity to return to Him and His loving care. He wants to show us once more that righteousness - not money, power, or pleasure - exalts a nation. Jesus is knocking at our door, saying, ‘Will you receive Me back into this nation as your shepherd and bishop, allowing Me to cover, protect and lead you? Will you once more become a nation under God?’ I pray that we choose His covering, for if we do not, we are choosing further spiritual death and destruction. “The way that brings life isn't always the easiest decision at the time. The way of complacency may seem easy, even the most natural, but it can also be the most deadly. The path of least resistance can be fatal. “‘For years, the opening of “The Wide World of Sports” television program illustrated “the agony of defeat” with a painful ending to an attempted ski jump. The skier appeared in good form as he headed down the jump, but then, for no apparent reason, he tumbled head over heels off the side of the jump, bouncing off the supporting structure. “‘What viewers didn't know was that he chose to fall rather than finish the jump. Why? As he explained later, the jump surface had become too fast, and midway down the ramp, he realized if he completed the jump, he would land on level ground, beyond the safe sloping landing area, which could have been fatal. “‘As it was, the skier suffered no more than a headache from the tumble.’(3) “At this time in America, we need to leave the seemingly safe ski slope of ‘no confrontation’ and ‘let’s all just get along.’ Sometimes the boat just has to be rocked, and history makers are boat rockers. They are not ‘que sera sera’ people, but those who choose to make a difference, even when that means taking the more difficult way. Sometimes the difficult and costly way simply must be chosen. “Change is imperative for us in America, and its price will involve prayer, fasting, sacrifice, repentance, moral change, going against the tide of public opinion, and more. Will godly history makers arise, choosing to be those who rock the boat? As a nation, will we die in the wilderness like Moses' generation, or will we cross over into God's blessing as the Joshua generation did? THE "HEBREW" IN US “Genesis 14:13 uses the phrase ‘Abram the Hebrew.’ Recently I found myself wondering why was he called a Hebrew? Where did this designation, first mentioned in this verse, come from? Finally, my curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to find out why Abraham was called ‘the Hebrew.’ “The word for ‘Hebrew’ is ibriy, (4) which originates from the word abar, meaning ‘to cross over or into; to pass by or into.’(5) Basically, it means to move from one place to another. Sometimes abar is a very generic word simply for going from one place to another; it is, in fact, used this way hundreds of times in the Old Testament. Other times, passing into or crossing over is a very significant, meaningful, and life-changing experience, as it was with Abraham. “Abraham was a Hebrew because he chose to ‘cross out of the familiar, over the obstacles, and into a new place’ at God’s command. ‘By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going’ (Hebrews 11:8, italic mine). One definition of a ‘Hebrew’ given by Strong's Concordance, is actually "one from the other side."(6) There’s a name for ya! Hebrews 11:13 calls them pilgrims and strangers on earth, seeking a heavenly country. Ephesians 2:19 calls them fellow citizens with the saints, members of the household of God. “As I stated earlier, America, including the church, is at a crossroads. Will we be Abrahamic Hebrews at heart, crossing over into repentance and life, or fall further into complacent sterility and destruction.” (End of 2001 article) America’s collapse since I wrote this in 2001 has been dramatic. It was said of Israel, “She did not consider her destiny; therefore, her collapse was awesome” (Lamentations 1:9 NKJV). We, too, have forgotten our destiny and are languishing in our pigpen of godlessness, insanity, and filth. But God - just as He did for Israel - is offering us restoration. We must continue to command the “destiny” and respond with humble, yet faith-filled hearts. A shaking is coming, but the prayers of the faithful will save this nation. Pray with me: Father, man, in his arrogance, so often believes he can break Your laws and make his own. The result is always the same: spiritual death and physical destruction. America did this, becoming a prodigal nation and finding her pigpen. It is stained with the blood of our children, littered with the dry bones of the spiritually dead, and filled with the slop of violence, hatred, division, and injustice. And yet, we hear the sound of rain. A cloud the size of a man’s hand has formed, and the wind is blowing in the treetops. A remnant is rising. They have crossed over, becoming Hebrews at heart, refusing to accept defeat and give away the destiny of their nation and their children. You hear their cry, and You are answering. Both shaking and awakening are coming. The God of fire is answering the appeal. We believe Your mercy will triumph over judgment. You will run to meet the returning prodigal, giving him a new robe and ring, and feeding his famished body with a banquet of love. You will do this, because of who You are - a God of mercy who loves to save. We speak all of this in Jesus’ name, amen. Our decree: We declare that we are Hebrews, people from the other side. ************************* 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. 2540. Ibid. Ref. no. 1984. Craig Brian Larson, Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993), p. 21. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 5680. Ibid. Ref. no. 5674. Ibid. Ref. no. 3772 (cf Zodhiates, p. 1737).

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-17-2023 August 17, 2023 The Face of God God often used places in the Old Testament to give us pictures of spiritual truths. Shechem is one of those places; it actually pictures several things. First, Shechem is the place where God initially spoke to Abraham in Canaan, promising the land as an inheritance for him and his descendants (Genesis 12:7). Shechem represents both promise and inheritance. God is calling America back to Shechem, telling us we must reclaim our inheritance: “I gave you this land to steward, and partnered with you in the establishing of it. Now, reclaim it.” All of the earth belongs to God (Psalm 24:1), and He has the right to assign stewardship of it to whomever He sees fit. As those to whom He assigned this land, we must not allow its destiny to be stolen. Just as Israel had to fight for their inheritance, so must we. Second, as the above statement infers, and as is clearly shown in Genesis 12:2-3, Shechem reveals God’s desire to partner with His family. “And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” God is asking America to partner with Him again, to agree with and realign with His purposes for establishing this nation. Since creation, His plan and desire have been to work on the earth through humans, not independently of them. Dr. Peter Wagner spoke of this partnership in regard to writing Earth’s history. “Our sovereign God has for His own reasons so designed this world that much of what is truly His will He makes contingent on the attitudes and actions of human beings. He allows humans to make decisions that can influence history.”(1) Profound. Weighty. Extremely consequential. The third principle associated with Shechem can be easily deduced from the first two; they are all related. Shechem pictures responsibility. This is also hidden in a Hebrew word used in the following verse: "And the LORD appeared to Abram and said, 'To your descendants, I will give this land.'” (Genesis 12:7) The word "give" (nathan) is not only used in the sense of conferring ownership, but also to give a charge or an assignment. God was not only giving the land to Abraham and his family, He was also “assigning” it to them. God's gifts are often His assignments. My children were gifts, but they were also assignments. My abilities are gifts with which I can prosper, but they also come with responsibilities: serving, giving, providing, etc. The incredible wealth and prosperity of America is so much more than just a gift. It is a very important responsibility from God, an assignment we must steward. This stewardship is fulfilled through prayer, sowing into the preaching of the gospel, voting for individuals with biblical values, speaking out against evil and standing for truth, and more. All who enjoy America’s benefits will also give an account for how they stewarded them. Fourthly, at Shechem, idolatry was cleansed. In Genesis 32, Jacob was transformed. He received a life-changing, face-to-face encounter with Yahweh, was delivered of his rebellious nature, and received a new identity. God renamed him Israel, and he (Israel) renamed the place, Penuel, “the face of God.” (There was as yet no nation of Israel, only this man.) In Genesis 33, after Israel’s (Jacob’s) encounter with the Lord at Penuel and his peaceful reunion with Esau, he took all of his family and servants to Shechem, where God had met with his grandfather, Abraham. There he built an altar of remembrance and called it El-Elohe-Israel, meaning “God, the God of Israel” (Genesis 33:20). (He was referring to himself, not a nation, saying, “God is now my God.” Two chapters later, Israel commanded his family and servants to bury all of their idols at Shechem: “So they gave Jacob all the [idols and images of the] foreign gods they had and the rings which were in their ears [worn as charms against evil], and Jacob buried them under the oak tree near Shechem.” (Genesis 35:4 AMP) God is calling America to Shechem, asking us to rid the land of idolatry: materialism, pleasure, greed, lust, pride, false gods, etc. This will occur through revival, not by force. Just as Jacob went back to his roots - the place where the Lord met with Abraham and promised him the land - God is asking America to go back to her biblical roots. “Choose you this day whom ye will serve…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Yes, Joshua gave this famous speech at Shechem! It would be good to hear the entire verse, as well as the preceding verse: “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24-14-15 NASB) Finally, in Joshua 20:7, Shechem became one of the “cities of refuge.” These were places in Israel where those who accidentally took someone's life could flee for protection from vengeance. It was forbidden for any retaliation to be taken against them while they lived in these towns, and precautions were put in place accordingly. According to Hebrews 6:18, the cities of refuge prefigure Christ, who became our refuge: "We who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us." I believe God is expressing His desire to once again become America’s refuge. So many places in America are now filled with violence, murder, poverty, destruction, and fear. God wants to transform them into safe havens, places of peace and refuge. He wants to send revival to inner cities, impoverished neighborhoods, and gang-controlled, drug-infested streets. He is a refuge in times of trouble. Pray with me: Father, You have given us an amazing inheritance in this nation. We have been blessed beyond words. These blessings are not only for our enjoyment, but are gifts to be stewarded in blessing others. We repent for our lack of discipline, for spending ourselves into poverty and debt, squandering Your blessings on our lusts. Send a revival that not only saves and restores our spirits, send an awakening that transforms our souls from ungoverned desires and lusts. Cleanse us from idolatry, free us from ourselves - just as You did Jacob. Give us a face-to-face encounter; take America to Penuel! Transform us into noble people who can partner with You to save the world. We pray again today for Lahaina and for Maui. Send relief quickly; cause unnecessary delays to be dealt with. Awaken the church to “buy the opportunity” of reaching people there with Your love, meeting their natural needs, which will open their hearts to our message: You. Send a mighty wave of life to that ravaged island. In Christ’s name alone - through His authority - we pray these things. Amen. Our decree: We decree that America will be led to her Penuel, experience her transformation, and bury her idols at Shechem. ************************* Click on the link below to watch the full video. Today’s post was taken from my book Praying for America, which is no longer in print. [Dutch Sheets, Praying for America (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2001) --------------------------------------------- C. Peter Wagner, Confronting the Powers (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1996), p. 242.