Search the Community

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.

7 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/march-16-2023 March 16, 2023 Our Prayers Can Turn A Nation I am very passionate about helping you grow in your understanding of prayer and about all of us together praying for America. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been teaching about spiritual authority and power. Here are some summary statements: Where rule or control of the earth is concerned, power has never been the issue. God’s power is immeasurable and insurmountable. Authority, the right to rule, is the issue. Adam, whose name means “man or human,” was given authority over the earth. Through sin, he/we lost this authority to satan. Jesus, the last Adam, recaptured it. ALL authority is now His, both in heaven AND on earth. Christ has delegated His authority on earth to the church, His Ekklesia. With this authority, we petition the Father and release the power of Holy Spirit into the earth to 1) enforce Christ’s victory and 2) possess our inheritance in Christ. As we do so, the amount of power needed for breakthroughs is sometimes released all at once. Other times we must release it incrementally until a sufficient amount has been released. This is why we must persevere in prayer. We release this power of Holy Spirit through prayer, speaking God’s word, preaching or declaring truth, touching someone for the purpose of prayer, Spirit-led decrees, and more, all in Christ’s name or authority. Today I want to look at prayer for people’s salvation and for revival. Some believers ask: if we truly have been delegated the authority of Christ, with keys to lock and unlock, open and close, bind and loose…if we have been given dominion the government of hell can’t overcome, along with Holy Spirit’s power to back that up, why does it sometimes take years for these two things to be accomplished? When we pray for our nation, decree God’s words and promises over it, repent of our corporate sins, etc., why doesn’t satan have to cease his actions immediately, and God send revival or salvation quickly? Understanding the answers to these questions will help ward off “hope deferred” (Proverbs 13:12), and keep you from losing heart (Galatians 6:9). When praying for the restoration of a nation, which would include revival, God has to work on several fronts. Though we, the church, have been given Christ’s authority to bind and loose demonic powers, we have not been given the right to exercise authority or control over the wills of other people. In America, all citizens share the right to choose our government leaders, who then make decisions and laws that determine our course. This authority is a shared authority. In the natural realm, I have no more authority than the humanist, secularist, a member of another religion, or atheist. I cannot silence or “bind” them or their beliefs with my spiritual authority. If - through spiritual decline, compromise, ungodly leaders and educators, and a lukewarm church - the backsliding/spiritual decay of a nation becomes significant enough, the shared authority tips the scales toward sin, darkness, and unbiblical ideals. National, corporate sins, such as laws legalizing abortion or same-sex marriage, bring national, corporate curses upon the nation. Laws that push God away, such as removing prayer from schools, also bring curses. As believers (and unbelievers) awaken - usually through difficulties and desperation - and begin to pray for revival and the healing of the nation, it is not as simple as God saying, “Okay. Now that you’ve asked, I’ll just send it tomorrow.” His response is to stir up more people to pray and repent for the nation. As this continues, it brings cleansing, which strengthens the presence and activities of Holy Spirit in the land and weakens the hold and influence of demonic powers. Laws begin to change, our prayers and decrees become even more impactful. More evil is exposed and judged by the Lord. All of this works in a concerted fashion to prepare a nation for revival…if the praying church continues to pray and war spiritually, releasing God’s power and life. Also, changing hearts and minds to bring people to a revelation of truth, of Christ and the Gospel, takes time. God will not force Himself on people. He won’t force them to change, repent of sin, or receive His salvation. Humankind’s “free will,” as it is often called, is truly a profound freedom. The phrase is not in Scripture, but the principle is clearly taught (Matthew 10:32-33; 23:37; Luke 18:17; John 3:16; Romans 10:11,13; Revelation 22:17 and many others). All the evil that has ever existed in the world is due to humankind’s free will - the right to choose. Yes, there are consequences to all decisions; some reaped now, others after death. Nevertheless, the freedom to choose whether or not to obey and follow God has been given to humans, and He honors that right. When individuals have chosen to follow other gods, when they reject Christ, rather than believing in Him, God will not force them to change their minds. HOWEVER, this does not mean God can’t or won’t do anything to change the minds and hearts of unbelievers. It is not His will that any perish (2 Peter 3:9), and there are things He can do to change the will of unbelievers. These things take time. Deception, for example, though usually orchestrated by demons, involves much more than a demonic control that can be cast out or broken off of people. The deception strengthens into beliefs and mindsets in individuals and societies. They usually form over periods of time and eventually lodge deeply in the souls of people and cultures, becoming part of what Scripture calls a veil over the spiritual eyes of unbelievers. This veil blinds them to Christ and the Gospel. Until this veil is removed, they cannot understand and believe the Gospel. Second Corinthians 4:3-4 speaks of this veil: “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” It takes time and sustained spiritual warfare to remove this veil. Later in Corinthians, Paul refers to it as a stronghold or fortress (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). He breaks down the stronghold into 3 categories: 1) imaginations, philosophies, and beliefs (Greek: logismos [Strongs 3053]); 2) a root of pride that came into humankind’s nature at the Fall (Greek: hupsoma [Strongs 5313]); 3) the various thoughts and schemes satan implements continually (Greek: noema [Strongs 3540]). Unbelievers have no personal ability to demolish the stronghold and/or lift the veil off of themselves. Our spiritual warfare for them can do so, however. Listen to these encouraging verses from The New Living Translation, and also from The Living Bible: “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NLT) “It is true that I am an ordinary, weak human being, but I don’t use human plans and methods to win my battles. I use God’s mighty weapons, not those made by men, to knock down the devil’s strongholds. These weapons can break down every proud argument against God and every wall that can be built to keep men from finding him. With these weapons, I can capture rebels and bring them back to God and change them into men whose hearts’ desire is obedience to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 TLB) I will teach on intercession and spiritual warfare for unbelievers’ salvation in the near future, but here are some things we can ask God for as we intercede for them. Ask Him to: Orchestrate circumstances to steer them toward Him; Release His truth to them through various methods and human laborers; Use any difficulties or losses they experience to open their heart to change; Release His power to perform “signs and wonders” in their life and/or presence; Speak to and deal with them internally. We must not grow weary in our prayers for revival and give up. The divine power they release is what God uses to turn a nation. Our identificational repentance cleanses; our appeals bring grace and mercy; our Spirit-led decrees bind satanic activities and schemes. He is using us to save our nation and usher in worldwide harvest/revival. We are fighting a good fight. We will not waver; we will not fail. Pray with me: Father, we in America have been blessed beyond words. Those who understand Your ways know this is because we have partnered with You, and because our Founders established us as a nation “under God.” Foolish, deceived, and wicked people are determined to change this. They are among the Psalm 2 company that rage against You, declaring through their words and actions that You will NOT rule over them. You make clear in that same Psalm that those who conspire against You have only two choices: kiss (worship and submit to) Your Son, or experience Your iron rod of judgment. Give mercy where You can, Supreme Judge of all the earth, but remove from power the wicked who will not submit to You. Do so before they destroy this nation You raised up. You have and continue to expose their wickedness and lunacy; let the light become even brighter. And save America with a mighty revival - an unprecedented, shockingly powerful, sweeping outpouring of Your Holy Spirit. Break strongholds in individuals, but break national strongholds. Free America from our national immorality, our national pride and rebellion, and our national deceptions. Send fire to cleanse and also to fill us with passion for You. Make us Your voice once again. We bind every evil spirit that opposes this, in the authority of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We decree that strongholds of darkness are being broken over America, in the mighty name of Jesus. ****************** Click on the link below to watch the full video.

https://www.givehim15.com/post/january-25-2023 *6 min read January 25, 2023 Over the past couple of years, we have shared hundreds of Give Him 15 posts. They have come from God’s mandate to equip the Ekklesia so we can pray for America more effectively. From time to time, we will be sharing our most requested posts. Some will be strategic teachings, key parts of America’s prophetic history, important concepts we are learning as the ekklesia, and occasionally, even prophetic dreams Dutch feels we need to keep in remembrance. Thank you for being part of the Give Him 15 family. Continue praying for America and enjoy these great teachings. The DSM Staff Is God Sovereign? My intent with this post is not to open a theological can of worms. I am certainly not the final voice on all things theological. I do want to make a very important point regarding theology, however: The sovereignty of God does not mean He controls everything that takes place on earth. This should be obvious, but a religious mindset permeates the church (and many unbelievers, as well) that says God is in control of everything that occurs on earth. The obvious negative connotations of this are dealt with through beliefs and statements such as, “there must be a reason;” “everything happens for a reason;” “all things work together for good;” “well, God is in control;” “nothing happens unless He allows it;” and so on. These statements and beliefs bring a degree of comfort to people, causing them to insert a sense of purpose into their pain. I understand this. However, problems, pain, loss, and difficulties don’t have to be allowed by God in order for Him to make them serve us. And the fact that He uses bad events doesn’t mean He is behind them. God did not put sinful motives into the hearts of Joseph’s brothers causing them to sell him into slavery. He did, however, have the ability and sovereign power to use their evil, turning it into good. Yahweh did not put into the heart of King Saul to falsely accuse and persecute David. No part of this was caused by God, yet He did have a plan to use it for David’s good. The cave of Adullam, David’s home through much of that season, became his classroom and writing chamber. He wrote many of the Psalms from that cave, psalms that have touched hundreds of millions of people. God does not have to cause it, to use it. The word sovereign actually means “the greatest in power and authority.” This is obviously true of God - He is sovereign. The word does NOT mean “in control of everything.” The Bible is filled with actions that occurred that were not God’s will, nor did He “allow” them. God “allowing“ everything on earth is only true in the sense that He allows humans to possess a free will - we have the power of choice. I once heard the great Foursquare Pastor, Jack Hayford, say regarding this topic, “God is sovereign, but in His sovereignty, He has limited Himself.” He also said, “The quest of Jesus Christ on the earth is greatly crippled by wrong notions of the sovereignty of God.” Pastor Hayford has a way with words! His point in the second statement was that a wrong concept of the sovereignty of God causes complacency and passivity in people...at times, irresponsibility. They believe - whether consciously or unconsciously - that God is in control of everything and will do what He wants, regardless of our involvement. This is so wrong. God works on earth through people. He needs our cooperation. Having stated this balancing truth, I want to share the fourth passage of scripture regarding Holy Spirit shifting us from phase to phase, season to season. His divine shifts, changing the times and seasons (Daniel 2.20-21), occurs in us, not just in the world around us. Psalm 84:4-7 says we go from strength to strength: “How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house! They are ever praising Thee. How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; in whose heart are the highways to Zion! Passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a spring. The early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, every one of them appears before God in Zion.” “Baca” means weeping; therefore, the valley of Baca means “the valley of weeping.” We frequently refer to difficult times and situations in life as valleys. As we pass through these valleys - aren’t you glad they aren’t permanent - refreshing springs can burst forth as we cooperate with God. A valley of tears can be transformed into a place from which the water of life flows. A barren, dry place can be transformed into a place of springs. Notice that the place of new strength, doesn’t emerge after Baca, it is actually born at Baca - the place of weeping. The Hebrew word used for “strength” is also very revealing. Chayil is from the root word chuwl, the Old Testament word for travail or giving birth to something. What a picture! When we walk in faith and perseverance through difficult places, God can actually use them to birth (chuwl) new places of strength (chayil) in us. Like the cocoon of a butterfly, Baca can become a place of transformation. And like the butterfly, our destiny is not the cocoon of Baca - weeping; our destiny is the flight of freedom and victory. The dry, barren places in our lives can indeed become places from which the river of life flows and new strength is born. God has been doing much work in this troubling time on earth. Unfortunately, many Christians have not realized that the difficult seasons of travail are often the conduit to bring us to new levels. Rather than persevering through these seasons, many have despised the Bacas in their lives and grown bitter or cynical. Rather than going from strength to strength, they unwittingly choose to remain in Baca, making it home. They don’t move from a place of plowing and sowing to one of reaping and blessing. Tragically, many miss the shifting of the times and seasons God wants to do for them. Chayil, the word for strength, is also the word for army and for wealth. We can fight more effectively and prosper to a greater degree after having gone through the valleys of Baca - if we make them our servants. Yes, it can be difficult; we may not understand what is happening at the time, and it may even seem like we’re losing ground. But if we faithfully press on, allowing God to use the Baca times, He will transform them into boot camps and springs of blessing. Once on the other side, we’ll realize we’re stronger and more prosperous than before. God wants us to go from one position of victory to another, from one phase of soldiering to another - enlistment to Bootcamp to infantry and so on. Some will go on to special forces. Allow Holy Spirit to do what is necessary to shift you into the new. He will take you from one stage to another, and another, and another. Pray with me: Father, You have the necessary omniscience and omnipotence to transform anything satan, people, or life’s circumstances bring our way. What they mean for evil, You can use it for our good. Places of weeping can become birthing chambers, cocoons that house us while we’re transformed into those who can fly. Nothing can outmaneuver, outsmart, or out-plan You. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. This is true for us individually, but it’s also true for nations. You are Ruler over the nations. We anchor ourselves to this truth. In America, though the righteous have been weeping, You are going to use this season to birth something new and good. We will allow nothing else. We use the authority You gave us to bind and loose, forbid and allow (Matthew 16:18-19), and we will accept nothing else. We pray now for our brothers and sisters who have gone through difficult circumstances. The season has been very painful for many. But we now agree with them that You will do something good with it, and bring them forth as pure gold. Heal their hearts and strengthen their wings. In Christ’s name, amen. Our decree: We decree that going from strength to strength is our destiny; Baca is not our home. ******************** Portions of today’s post were taken from my book God’s Timing for Your Life. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/november-28-2022 November 28, 2022 Revelation: The Missing Piece Biblically speaking, revelation is simply supernaturally revealed knowledge. This information can come via Holy Spirit speaking to us inwardly, the Scriptures, the gifts of the Spirit, dreams, visions, and more. Regardless of the method, we must hear God’s insights, strategies, intel, and timing. Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus to have a spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17-18). Revelation is needed and helpful in many situations, but is especially important in spiritual warfare. It is often the missing piece. Chuck Pierce and I were in Florida on the Fifty-State Tour when he interrupted my message. Something I said activated the prophetic anointing in him; he came to the platform and began prophesying. (I don’t know how he functions in meetings without me..!) “There is a terrorist cell in Tampa,” he said in the course of his prophecy. He handed me the microphone with a do-something-about-it look. Almost as if he was saying, “I found it. Now you deal with it.” I did the only thing I knew to do - pray. I led, while those present joined with me in agreement. We decreed that the terrorists would be found. Two weeks later, a professor at a Tampa University was exposed and arrested as the leader of a group funding Islamic terrorists.1 That is warring by interruption and revelation..! In Matthew 16:18, Jesus speaks of building His church and warring by revelation. The context is that Peter has just received a powerful revelation of Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus commended him and said, “Upon this rock I will build My church.” The Amplified Bible makes it clear that Jesus was talking about spiritual warfare; and that Christ was not saying He would build His church on Peter, but upon “the rock” of revelation that He is the Messiah. “I tell you, you are Peter [Petros, masculine, a large piece of rock], and on this rock [petra, feminine, a huge rock like Gibraltar] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the infernal region) shall not overpower it - or be strong to its detriment, or hold out against it.” Regarding “the gates of Hades,” I love Kenneth Wuest’s Translation, “the counsels of the unseen world shall not overpower it.” Jesus then made His famous promise of giving us the keys, or authority, with which to bind and loose in the invisible realm called “heavenly places.” Far too often we try to build the church and war against satan’s plans and counsels without revelation - the counsels of heaven. This is futile, and our lack of success in many areas is the fruit of it. God, however, has been restoring our understanding of the need for the prophetic anointing that brings discernment and revelation. This is changing everything. One of my favorite verses relating to the need for and power of revelation is 1 Chronicles 12:32: “Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command (emphasis added).” Times in this verse is a Hebrew word meaning strategic or opportune times. (For those who enjoy word studies and know the Greek word kairos, this is the Hebrew equivalent eth.) These were men of revelation, and it was this revelation of the times that brought them knowledge of what to do. We must realize that 1 Chronicles 12 is a passage about war. Verse 32 is often referenced, but this point is usually overlooked. Verse 1 introduces the upcoming list of David’s mighty men with the statement, “they were among the mighty men who helped him at war.” At the chapter’s conclusion, we’re again reminded that all these men were warriors (v 38). Please don’t miss the significance of this. Their prophetic anointing - the ability to understand the times, which brought knowledge of what to do - had to do with war. This is instructional: For us to be effective in our spiritual war, we too, must have an ability to discern the times. And like these men of old, from that revelation we can receive strategy. This Hebrew word for “understanding” the times is also significant. The word doesn’t refer to just a learned, intellectual knowledge or wisdom; it is prophetic revelation or discernment - a spiritually imparted knowledge. Several other passages where the same word is used will confirm this: In 1 Kings 3:9, Solomon asked God for an ability to “discern.” In Daniel 1:17 and 20, Daniel was given this kind of “understanding” to interpret visions and dreams. In 8:15-16, Daniel asked for “understanding” to interpret a vision. In 9:22, Daniel was given “instruction” and “insight with understanding” by an angel. (I find the phrase “insight with understanding” fascinating. I equate it to the “wisdom and revelation” of Ephesians 1:17.) In Daniel 10:1, Daniel received “understanding” to interpret a vision from God. And in Proverbs 3:5, God says, “Do not lean on your own ‘understanding.’” The last verse, The last verse, Proverbs 3:5, makes much more sense when understood in this light of prophetic revelation. God is not saying we should abandon wisdom or common sense. He is telling us not to rely only on our own human discernment of what to do. “Receive revelation from Me,” He is saying. Again, placing this understanding into the context of war (1 Chronicles 12: 32) makes it especially significant. If we are to know what to do to overcome in spiritual warfare, we must receive spiritual revelation. Whether fighting a “good fight of faith” personally (1 Timothy 6:12), “wrestling” with principalities and powers over communities or nations (Ephesians 6:12), or “pulling down strongholds” in an individual’s life (2 Corinthians 10:3-5), Holy Spirit knows how the victory of Christ must be applied. That may be through repentance, forgiveness toward someone, fasting, binding and loosing, decreeing the Word, prolonged intercession, or other methods. The key is to listen for His strategy, then do it. When I needed healing from 45 warts on my hands, Holy Spirit’s strategy was for me to speak (or decree) the Word over my hands until the warts disappeared (Mark 11:23-24). This took 30 days. When praying for a young girl who had been in a coma for 18 months, His strategy was for me to pray over her an hour every week until her brain was healed. This took a year. When praying for the healing and salvation of nations, numerous things are often required: unity in the church, much agreement in prayer, repentance and cleansing from national sins, fasting, and more. Only Holy Spirit knows what needs to happen for breakthrough to occur in situations. We must hear His instruction and obey. This is the key to winning spiritual war. Pray with me: Father, Your word tells us You always give us victory, that we always triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14). We believe Jesus completely dealt with satan’s ability to steal, kill, and destroy us, and that He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). You sent Holy Spirit to be our Teacher, Guide and Helper. We believe He is always willing to give us the revelation we need in order to succeed. If we do as You instructed Joshua, meditating in Your Word and listening for Your instruction, we will prosper and have great success (Joshua 1:8). So we ask You for the spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17-18). We ask You for the same anointing Issachar was given with which to discern the times and know what to do (1 Chronicles 12:32). We do not lean to our understanding in spiritual matters, but rather we acknowledge and listen to You (Proverbs 3:5-6). Give those who need breakthrough at a personal level the understanding they need. And give us the understanding we need at the corporate level to break through for our nation. We know this is happening, and we believe it will continue. In Christ’s name we pray, amen. Our decree: We decree that we have ears to hear what Holy Spirit is saying to us, the church. We will listen, hear, and obey. ************ _________________________________ http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/South/02/20/professor.arrest/ Portions of today’s post were taken from my book, Authority in Prayer. *********** Click on the link below to watch the full video.

* 5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/october-11-2022 October 11, 2022 Don’t Crack Under the Stress “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). When hearing these words, Joshua was about to embark on one of the most significant and challenging assignments any person could ever receive. The great leader, Moses, had died, and Joshua was assuming leadership of the nation Israel. His challenge would be more than simply leading a nation governmentally, which would have been challenging enough, but Joshua would also be doing so as a general, leading them to war. He would need to walk in great levels of faith, obedience, discernment, and wisdom. He would also need to have a hearing ear, listening carefully to Yahweh’s instructions. Success or failure would depend solely on these things. God gave him a little pep talk as these roles began. You can find this in the first chapter of Joshua, verses 1-9. Holy Spirit kept it simple: “I am now going to give Israel the land I promised Abraham; you will be the leader; I will give you victory over your enemies; be strong and courageous - don’t fear; be very careful to do everything I tell you; remember and think always about the instructions I have given you through the writings of Moses; I’ll always be with you; so, don’t dismay, allowing stress or pressure from these responsibilities to overcome you.” When Yahweh told Joshua not to be “dismayed”, the Hebrew word used is chathath, which has the meaning of cracking or breaking. One lexicon said it would be the equivalent today of “cracking under stress.” I’m not sure how encouraging it would be to receive an assignment from God, along with the admonition, “Oh, and by the way, don’t crack under the stress!” Of course, Holy Spirit wasn’t stating it in this manner. I believe He was, however, warning Joshua that great pressure came with this job, and stress overload was possible if he didn’t remember and obey the basics. If stress were allowed to steal his peace, discouragement and “dismay” would follow. The biblical definition of “peace” is consistent with being told not to “crack” under stress. The Hebrew word for peace, shalom/shalem, means unbroken, whole or complete, the opposite of chathath. An untroubled mind - that which we normally think of as peace - is actually an unbroken, un-fractured mind or emotions. To the contrary, worry is when the mind is torn or divided. (Shalem actually refers to all of one’s being, not just the mind and emotions. To be shalem is to be healthy or whole - spirit, soul, and body. The King James Bible often speaks of physical health as being “whole.” John 5:6 is but one example.) Yet another biblical word addresses this concept. Don’t be “double-minded,” James told us (James 1:8). The Greek word for double-minded is dipsuchos, which literally means “two souls.” As opposed to walking in peace - an unfractured soul - a double-minded individual is a person that has allowed his or her peace to be stolen! Trust controls part of their mind, and worry controls the other, James said this person will be unstable and unable to make a consistent stand of faith; to the contrary, they will “waver.” There is much happening in our world today that has the potential of dividing our minds, stealing our peace, and “fracturing” our souls. This can erode our faith, cause dismay, and distract us from hearing what God says. If we yield to this, not only will it produce ineffectiveness but can also rob us of health. This is why Holy Spirit tells us in Colossians 3:15 to “let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” Rule is the Greek word, brabeuo. This interesting word is taken from the athletic games of that era. Just like athletic events today, the Greeks had referees, judges, or umpires - brabeuo. We are being told by Holy Spirit to make sure the peace of God is the umpire over our souls. “Make certain you allow My peace, and only My peace, to control your mind,” God says. “This will not only keep you healthy, but it will guide you. Allow Me to make the calls regarding what you will think about, believe, and act on.” A different form of this same word was used for the “prize” or “reward” (brabeion) given to the victor in the Greek athletic games. Paul said, “I press toward the mark so that I can win the prize” - brabeion, (Philippians 3:12-14). Let me simplify Joshua’s and Paul’s theology: God’s peace will keep us stress free and in health, guide us to victory, declare us the winner, and give us the prize! Paul said to “let” the peace of God do this. How do we let or allow God's peace to be this umpire? One key is to realize that His peace is already inside of us. Galatians 5:22 tells us peace is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our spirits. Peace is not something we have to generate; peace is something we release. It’s not something we try to attain from without; it is something we maintain from within. When attempting to walk in peace, do not look to an outside source. Look into your heart where God has already placed His Spirit. Quieten your soul (mind and emotions), and allow your inner nature to be released. David said he had to compose and quiet his soul, like a weaned child rests against his mother (Psalm 131:2). Tell your soul to be still and allow the voice of God to be heard from within (Psalm 46:10). Pray with me: Father, just as Joshua did, we are embarking on an incredible campaign of possessing our inheritance - a national destiny of helping You redeem the world. The war for America‘s destiny is a war for worldwide harvest. We are not wrestling for material possessions, but for a spiritual inheritance. Our battle is not to maintain our American dream, but Your dream for America. As we do, many giants confront us, attempting to steal our peace. Voices clamor, confusion abounds, deception fills the atmosphere, and demons harass. But we have something stronger than all of this, we have Your peace. It is beyond human understanding, and is a life-giving, healing force within us. And Your peace is in charge! The umpire! The ruler! So we pray now for the body of Christ here and around the world, that they would allow Your peace to rise up from deep within, and be the stabilizing force they need during this season. We resist all fear, anxiety, confusion, dismay, and double-mindedness. We are strong in You, we will not waver, we will not yield, we will not lose. We pray these things in the always victorious name of Jesus, Amen. Our decree: We decree that we, the body of Christ, will be led, ruled, and sustained by the peace of God within us. *********************** Many of you have sown financial gifts to the two Hurricane Relief funds we mentioned last week. Thus far, you have given a total of almost $200,000! Thank you for sharing your love and financial support with so many who need it in Florida. If you would like to contribute, here are two pastors/churches whom I personally know and are giving 100% of the monies to those in need (no admin fees). Victory Florida (arrow down to Hurricane Relief) Kingdom Gate Worship Center (arrow down to Hurricane Ian Relief Fund) Click the link below to watch the video:

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-25-2022 May 25, 2022 DSM has been blessed with a wonderful, hard-working, and loyal team. Ceci and I are going to do a staff retreat with them, then she and I will take a much-needed vacation. I have asked some of my close friends and associates - many being regular contributors to the Give Him 15 posts - to fill in during this time. You will recognize most of the names; and I’ve thrown in one or two whom perhaps you haven’t heard from. You’re going to love the insights from all of them - this will be a wonderful smorgasbord! Enjoy! _____________________________________________________________________________ Aligned and Armored for Advancement - Jacquie Tyre Several years ago Holy Spirit began speaking to me about the Armor of God. He asked me a simple yet highly thought-provoking question. I heard Holy Spirit ask, “If the book of Ephesians is broadly accepted as a letter to the Church, the corporate Body of Christ, why do you only take the Armor of God as being personal?” That question left me stumped and wondering what “corporate armor” could possibly mean. Over the next couple of hours, Holy Spirit took me on a journey that would forever change the way I look at the armor of God. This journey led me to a deeper understanding of the corporate nature of the Ekklesia that, I believe, is necessary for us to advance victoriously in the days ahead. I share this revelation more fully in my latest book, "The Corporate Armor", available through Amazon. Today we are facing spiritual battles in our cities, states, and nations, raging conflicts between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. While Scripture clearly tells us that we are seated far above all principalities, powers, rulers, and dominions and that we are more than conquerors through Christ, more often than not, we find ourselves not seeing the manifestation of that victory. I believe our understanding of the corporate nature of the Ekklesia being fully armored in God’s armor provides a key to help us unlock more significant victories in the days ahead. As the Body of Christ, we are members individually with one another with Christ as our head. We are placed and positioned by the Lord in the Body so that every joint supplies what is needed to cause growth of the whole in love (1 Cor 12:12-20, Eph 4:11-16). When we assemble as One New Man, the grace of Christ flows through each one supplying strength according to the measure of Christ’s faith working in us. The workings of Holy Spirit moving through each member produces a manifestation of Christ on earth through His Body. Amazing, indeed! What if we were fully armored in the Corporate Armor of God, with the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, and the Helmet of Salvation placed upon us the One New Man? I propose that we would see an increase of advancements against the gates of hell and the powers of darkness if we moved together as one fully aligned and armored together with God’s very own armor. (see Ephesians 6:11-18) Holy Spirit revealed that the five-fold leadership gifts of Christ that have been given to some to equip the saints for the work of ministry specifically present the pieces of the Armor of God. Let’s look at each part of the armor considering this revelation. First, as the Passion Translation states, we “put on the belt of truth to strengthen you to stand in triumph.” The belt represents those given to the Church as apostles. Apostles provide strength and protection by laying and securing a firm foundation of truth for the Body of Christ. They often challenge our belief systems with words like, “you have heard it said of old, but I say to you,” bringing forth wisdom based upon the truth of Who God is and what His Word reveals. They also cast vision and strategy for the future to keep us from falling prey to stagnation and the tyranny of the urgent. Next, we “put on the breastplate of righteousness” as protection over the body’s most vital organs. Prophets bring revelation to point the way toward righteousness, and righteousness protects the very essence of life. When prophets speak, they release the sound of heaven to enable and empower the Ekklesia to move forward in right standing, properly aligned with heaven. With Christ as the Chief Cornerstone, prophets connected directly with apostles lay a firm foundation of truth and revelation. The belt of truth directly connects with the breastplate of righteousness, forming a protective shield and laying a solid foundation for the Ekklesia to advance victoriously. Next, we put on the “shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace” by corporately embracing the leadership grace of those positioned as Evangelists. Evangelists prepare and equip the people of God to go out into the world with feet protected to tread upon serpents, scorpions, and every evil thing without having the walk of the Body compromised or wounded. The evangelist prepares the saints to be sure they are protected by peace, knowing that it is the God of peace who will soon crush satan under our feet (Romans 16:20). Evangelists make sure the People of God continue to move out, take new territory, set captives free, and advance the Gospel of Peace throughout the land. Pastors or Shepherds are uniquely gifted and given to the Ekklesia to strengthen the Body of Christ in their walk of faith and protect by extending the very faith of Christ over the weary, weak, and war-worn. Shepherds raise the shield of faith to protect the Body and provide a place of restoration in preparation for going out into the world to advance the Kingdom of God. As we take up the shield of faith, protection surrounds the Body to extinguish the assaults of the enemy that constantly seek to undermine our walk of faith. Taking up the Helmet of Salvation brings us to Christ’s leadership gift of the Teacher. Teachers teach the Word with clarity and depth, enabling the people of God to recognize and bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10:5). Working together with apostles and prophets, they help ensure that the revelation that comes forthrightly aligns with God’s Word, Will, and Ways as revealed throughout Scripture. Teachers live to bring the people of God into the fullness of living according to the Mind of Christ. Finally, the Body, fully armored with Christ’s leadership gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher, take up the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Firmly gripping the Sword of the Spirit with all manner of prayer, the Ekklesia releases declarations and decrees to defeat the enemy and unlock the purposes of Christ and His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. God has called us to align with His leadership order. We are stronger together, rightly connected within the Body, and armored together! As we put on the whole armor of God, we are enabled and empowered to stand, individually and corporately, effectively and efficiently as we fight the good fight of faith against the forces of darkness that are raging in our cities, states, and nation. Pray with me: Father, in the name of Jesus, we choose today to align our hearts with the revelation of Your Word and embrace the corporate identity You have revealed throughout the Scriptures. Father, forgive us for our independent ways and our tendency to isolate from the Kingdom relationships and alignments that You have ordained for us with appointed kingdom leaders. We repent today and ask that You would guide Your people to come into proper alignment so that we might effectively wage a good warfare against the schemes of the enemy. Lord, grant that we would come into the proper positioning with righteous posturing of our hearts within Your Body so that we might be Armored together to advance victoriously against satan and his diabolical forces of evil. We acknowledge that there is no one greater than Jesus the Christ. There is no organization more powerful than Your Ekklesia when fully aligned, armored, and advancing according to Christ’s plans, purposes, and promises. No power of hell, no governmental structure, and no strategy of demonic despots can withstand the power and authority of Your Ekklesia functioning according to Your original intent. Therefore today, we take our stand together, fully protected in Your very own Armor, to wage a good warfare armored with wisdom, revelation, peace, faith, and salvation, advancing in victory in Yeshua’s name. Our decree: Your Ekklesia is rising today, fully armored in the character, nature, and authority of Christ to push back the gates of hell and advance Christ’s Kingdom in righteousness, peace, and joy on earth as it is in heaven. ****************** Today’s post was contributed by Jacquie Tyre. You can find out more about Jacquie here. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

7 min read May 19, 2022 DSM has been blessed with a wonderful, hard-working, and loyal team. Ceci and I are going to do a staff retreat with them, then she and I will take a much-needed vacation. I have asked some of my close friends and associates - many being regular contributors to the Give Him 15 posts - to fill in during this time. You will recognize most of the names; and I’ve thrown in one or two whom perhaps you haven’t heard from. You’re going to love the insights from all of them - this will be a wonderful smorgasbord! Enjoy! _____________________________________________________________________________ The Pride - Brian Gibbs It’s a great honor for me to be with you all today as Dutch and Ceci are getting some much-needed time away for rest and refreshing. I thought it would be most appropriate to pray and speak a blessing over them together: Father God, together, we speak and release fresh oil from the Holy Spirit over Dutch and Ceci. Envelop them and love them. May their time together be beautiful in every way. May it be refreshing—spiritually, emotionally, physically, relationally, and financially—we speak abundance over their ministry! LORD, may this time together be filled with new experiences and filled with joy and romance. Thank You for their lives, their marriage, and for this ministry bringing revival, awakening, and reformation in this urgent hour. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen! The Pride Cattle move in herds. Birds travel in flocks. Fish swim in schools. Bees move in swarms. Ants move in colonies. I learned recently that in ocean life, whales travel in pods. But when it comes to lions, they travel and live in communities that are called prides. Lions are symbols of strength, fierceness, and courage, and have been celebrated throughout history for these characteristics. They are commonly known as symbols of royalty and stateliness, carrying the identity as “king of the jungle.” Lions are the only big cats to live in groups called prides. Prides are close family groups. They work together to defend territory and hunt. Our “pride” carries the royal commission to protect and defend our spiritual territory and region, and to stay on the aggressive hunt for the advancement of His glory. The pride is a culture of love, intimacy, passion, loyalty, honor, and sacrifice. They are lovers, worshippers, intercessors, watchmen, and gatekeepers known for their sacrifice and servanthood. It’s here within the pride we discover other lions and lionesses that have covenant hearts and who work to build the culture of untamed and radical faith. The soul of the pride is made alive by the presence of Jesus. Their greatest privilege of all is learning and moving with The Lion King Himself. Jesus—the Creator of the universe—identifies Himself with the Lion. He is eternally called the “Lion from The Tribe of Judah”—the heir to David’s throne who has won our victory (Revelation 5:5). As much as religion has tried to tame and domesticate Jesus, He’s not tame. He’s wild. His love is most fierce—burning with intensity, strength, force, power, and aggression. Many have only seen and discovered the attributes of The Lamb in gentleness, kindness, and meekness, yet The Lord longs for all to encounter Him as The Lion of fierce, burning, all-powerful, and all-consuming love. Our Lion is triumphant. He is victorious and reigning in great glory and majesty! If we are going to look into the eyes of The Lion, we need to be prepared for the unexpected. This Lion will break your heart but in the best way. This is necessary for true friends of the Lion. God told Job, “Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.” (Job 38:3). When we look into the eyes of The Lion, He will impart His eternal burning and holy passions, and we need to “brace ourselves” for the impact. Friends of the Lion need their hearts broken and consumed with His desires, dreams, and wonders. It will take great courage to fix our gaze in His eyes. You’ll be tempted to turn your head away because your eyes will become rivers of tears. Your heart will be broken and awakened in the depths of your own spirit. Your wells of compassion will burst because suddenly you will see them and hear them. These are the lives, the cries, and voices of a lost generation—wandering souls in darkness. You’ll smell the stench of social decay and corruption coming up out of our cities. You’ll feel the indescribable pain and yearning for our Nation’s deliverance from this gross cloud of deception and hopelessness. Your reluctance and resistance to feeling this pain and agony of those lost will begin to melt like wax in His presence. The insulation that we built to keep the borders and boundaries from the world will come tumbling down. You will hear His roar and tremble at His voice. Isaiah 66 says, “Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word...” Those who hear the roar of our triumphant Lion will tremble at the sound of His voice. Sometimes, following The Lion can be frightening. Jesus said: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). The Message translation reads, “Anyone who intends to come with Me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat, I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow Me, and I’ll show you how.” When you follow The Lion, you deny yourself. This is what true courage is. Moses had to take courage and deny himself. God had heard the cries coming up out of Egypt, and Moses was commissioned back into the devil’s playground—the land of slavery, bondage, and spiritual darkness—to rescue the children of Israel. Yes, following the Lion can be frightening. Moses would be just one man going into an epic battle against an entire nation. God had plans to transform this struggling man into a hero. He would take a murderer and make him a mighty deliverer. He would transform a shepherd into a courageous prophet and messenger. Moses would go from being a wanderer to a mighty unstoppable leader. How does this happen? Through encountering, trusting, and staying with the victorious Lion. I have good news for you. There is no easy road available for you. What? Yes, you read that correctly. There will be no easy and safe passage in the call of God. It will be dangerous, but that is why The Lion chose to make His home within you. Everywhere the kingdom of God advances, there is a violent engagement against the dark kingdom. Regardless of the cost, the warfare, or the sacrifice we must go. Jesus said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Luke 9:58). Like Jesus, we too must live according to the agenda of His Father. That’s what sets the course for our mission and lifestyle. I know this is strong, but I need to tell you that none of us who really claim to know and honor Jesus can refuse the path He calls us to walk upon. He promises to lead; you just have to courageously follow and trust The Lion. Jesus will lead you and me into the very heart of the dark kingdom, into the soul of evil, to bear His light and power. We can’t go on believing that the life of faith is not a life of risk. He will lead us where mankind has chosen to hide their darkness and shame. Just as He sent Moses, He will send you to bring liberty to the captives. Just as the Holy Spirit was upon Jesus, Jesus will commission you. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me, to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18,19) Our commission is to invade the darkness and to bring freedom, victory, and healing—to loose the captives of our generation. The Holy Spirit desires to breathe upon us to receive His burning obsession. The Holy Spirit desires His lions and lionesses to receive their assignment and carry the torch of His presence into the darkest corners of the earth. The world needs the lions, who come roaring boldly with revelation and experiential truth of The Lion King, speaking the truth in love and bearing the power with it. We don’t move forward from a place of mere sympathy, but from a burning authority to conquer the dark kingdom with weapons that are unstoppable. We haven’t been commissioned in our own strength, gifts, talents, and abilities. We have been commissioned in the power of The Spirit—the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead that lives and dwells with you. The Holy Spirit’s power is greater than all the armies of the earth combined. If that is so, what are we going to do with it? How will we steward this level of power and authority? What can God do through a man, a woman, a teenager, or any individual fully surrendered to the Spirit of God who will courageously carry the call? Heaven is still seeking and imploring the earth, “Who will go for us?” The Holy Spirit is asking, “Who shall I send?" Is it you? “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is wholly committed to Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) Let’s Pray Together: Heavenly Father, we thank You, that by Your Spirit, lambs are becoming lions. May we carry the royal commission to protect and defend our spiritual territory and region, and to stay on the aggressive hunt for the advancement of His glory. May we learn to move with The Lion King. May we not be tamed by a spirit of religion or a spirit of this age. May we look into the eyes of The Lion and allow Him to change and transform us this day. May we obey You at all costs and move in Your courage and anointing. May we move with the Spirit to carry the torch of Your Presence into darkness. May we never retreat when it is difficult and painful. May Your Holy Spirit ignite our faith to be radical and untamed. Our Decree: Heavenly Father, we thank You, that by Your Spirit, in You, we live, we move, and we exist—Your lambs are becoming lions. ******************** Until I see you next time on GH15, I’m Brian Gibbs, and remember this, my friends—the future doesn’t belong to the God-haters nor to the God-mockers. The future belongs to the righteous—and the righteous are bold as lions. Be blessed and keep the fire burning..! ********************* Click on the link below to watch the full video. Most of today’s post was taken from Brian’s book: BOLD AS LIONS - The Future Belongs To The Righteous. Get yours today by clicking here. (VictoryFLA.store) or (Amazon.com)

7 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-18-2022 May 18, 2022 DSM has been blessed with a wonderful, hard-working, and loyal team. Ceci and I are going to do a staff retreat with them, then she and I will take a much-needed vacation. I have asked some of my close friends and associates - many being regular contributors to the Give Him 15 posts - to fill in during this time. You will recognize most of the names; and I’ve thrown in one or two whom perhaps you haven’t heard from. You’re going to love the insights from all of them - this will be a wonderful smorgasbord! Enjoy! ----------------------------------------------------------- The Ascending Ekklesia - Rodney Lord Hello, I am Pastor Rodney, and it is an honor to be with you. I want to highlight an Old Testament prophetic decree that I believe is very fitting for today. I have titled what I am sharing The Ascending Ekklesia. Dutch and his brother Pastor Tim have done a great job explaining that the Ekklesia is the called-out church that is authorized and commissioned by Jesus to serve and govern through prayer, decrees, and Spirit-led activity. In 2019, I went to Israel with a group of pastors. We traveled from the Sea of Galilee region in the north down along the Jordan River going south to Jericho. We stopped along the way to do the Christian-tourism thing of being baptized in the Jordan River. I am not sure why thirty pastors needed another baptism, but it just seemed like the thing to do. From Jericho, the city of Jerusalem is about 3300 ft higher in elevation, and it was there where we started our upward trek to Zion. As we turned toward Jerusalem, it was evident we were now ascending. I remember the feeling. There was something inside of me stirring, some excitement, anticipation, and perhaps I felt just a little of what the early worshipers going to the City of The Great King may have felt. This was the place of priestly worship, celebration, and the throne. There are 15 Psalms written specifically for this part of the journey. In most translations, they are called “A Song of Ascents.” These were Psalms that were sung as the worshipers would make their way up the hill of God during Israel’s feast days to bring their sacrifice to the temple. With joyful anticipation, they would soon be in close proximity to the ark of the covenant, the very abiding presence of God, and would humbly bring their sacrifice of worship. This is King David’s commentary in song (a Psalm) about ascending. Psalm 122 from the Passion Translation: “I was overjoyed when they said, ‘Let’s go up to the house of the Lord.’ And now at last we stand here, inside the very gates of Jerusalem! O Jerusalem, you were built as a city of praise, where God and man mingle together.” While in Jerusalem, the other pastors and I were taken on a private tour of a recent archaeological discovery. We went underground into a tunnel near the old city. There we were, standing on the very stairway of stones that ascended from the Pool of Siloam (where Jesus healed the blind man) upwards seven hundred yards to the Western Wall of the old city. Here is the picture of that ancient pathway of ascending.(1) Researchers have wondered how the millions of Jewish pilgrims made their way up to the Temple to worship. Now they know, after uncovering this massive stairway that lay buried underground for 2,000 years. It seems that God put an “ascending” nature in our spiritual DNA. When we gather as a corporate Ekklesia to worship and minister to the Lord, there is this awareness that our worship and our intercession ascends before the throne of God. In a real spiritual sense, God calls up to be “seated in heavenly places” to see what He sees and to speak what He speaks. As sons and daughters of the Most High, from this place we are to make throne room decrees that legislate spiritually and extend His kingdom rule over the earth. Today we are seeing an awakened, arising, and ascending ekklesia come forth. I like to say it like this…they are a Jacob-like generation that will not let go until they have been transformed by the power of God and they see their nation transformed. They are relentless and fearless. They are those who know their God and will be strong and do exploits. Hold that ascension thought for a moment…it’s time for Obadiah the prophet, who wrote the shortest book of the Old Testament, to speak. He was given the assignment to speak a prophetic word over Israel’s perpetual enemy the Edomites, the descendants of Jacob's brother Esau. In his opening words, Obadiah declares a change is coming that will be the unraveling of the evil forces that have been bent on the destruction of God’s covenant people. The prophetic word begins with this decree: An envoy has been sent. The envoy is a messenger, an ambassador, a prophetic voice with the power and influence to turn the tide. The word for envoy is also the word in Hebrew for "hinge," that which is pressed for turning. An ambassador is like that; he is sent to swing things in favor of his nation. You may have heard this expression before, “We are at a hinge moment.” Queen Esther was in a hinge moment when Haman made the decree that the Jews were to be killed. King David had many of these hinge moments when battles or circumstances needed to turn in his favor. Jesus, Himself, experienced this, especially in the week of His passion. From the Mount of Olives, Jesus wept over the City of Jerusalem because they missed their opportune time of visitation. They did not turn in the direction of salvation. Over the past 245 years, America has had many “hinge moments.” General George Washinton during the Revolutionary War had lost battle after battle and was now facing a long cold winter at Valley Forge. His men were in a desperate situation… lacking clothing, food, and hope. Washington realized that without decisive action, the Continental Army was likely doomed. He planned a daring assault on the Hessian garrison at Trenton.(2) During Christmas of 1776, 2400 weary worn men marched to New Jersey. They crossed the Delaware River in stormy weather and won a decisive victory. It was a turning point; it was a hinge moment. In America today, we see evil forces that are aggressively working to destroy life, liberty, and anything that represents the Kingdom of God. They push for the killing of the unborn; they are lawless and corrupt in their leadership; and they reject the very Christian heritage and foundation of this nation. They are globalists who want America to be assimilated into their one-world vision, and religious freedom is a threat to their plans. Dutch said it a few days ago… they are now out in the open, no longer hiding their agenda. Their arrogant pride is on display. In this hinge moment we are facing today, the Ekklesia must be awakened and engaged. Thank you for your anointed prayers and bold decrees you have been making over the past months. Now to Obadiah’s powerful concluding decree in verse 21. “The deliverers will ascend Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom will be the Lord’s.” Obadiah 1:21 The word for “deliverers” is yasha. It means to save, be delivered, give victory and open things up to bring freedom. When the crowds cried out to Jesus at His triumphal entry they shouted out the word “Hosanna,” which is directly traceable to this word “yasha,” deliverer, savior, and the One who brings freedom. As well, the personal name of our Savior derives from this same root. Obadiah goes on to say these ascending deliverers will “govern the mountains of Esau.” Governing is the very nature of God that He instills and empowers the Ekklesia to do on His behalf. I love this final word that the prophet speaks: “...and the kingdom will be the Lord’s.” What a prophetic picture. The Ekklesia who are ready and able to release Christ’s freedom and victory are ascending Mount Zion, the place of His presence. They are being commissioned from there and sent with governing authority in the spirit realm. They become an envoy of kingdom ambassadors moving with heaven’s authority into every situation in our broken world that needs to be turned. Into every hinge moment, we are declaring, “Come, Kingdom of God, be done will of God, on earth as it is in heaven.” Pray with me: Father, thank You for the church today that is awakening, arising, and ascending to be the true Ekklesia that the very gates of hell will not prevail against. I thank You that there's a fresh hunger and passion for Your presence and power in this generation. I thank You, Lord, that we are stepping into this hinge moment in history with a greater understanding and revelation of who we are in Christ. We see a great turning on the horizon. We decree You are shifting the courts in favor of life. The unrelenting attacks on the children of this generation will be halted. Lord, anoint the Ekklesia to move into its full stature and let the fresh wind of revival sweep across America and the nations. In Jesus' name, Amen. Our decree: The Ekklesia is ascending the hill of God and descending to govern in the earth...and the kingdom will be the Lord's. ********************** Today’s post was contributed by Pastor Rodney Lord. You can find out more about Rodney here. Click on the link below to watch the full video. 1. Pilgrim's Road up the Temple Mount Uncovered | Patterns of Evidence (The Pilgrimage Road, dating to the Second Temple period. (Credit: Kobi Harati, City of David)), Steve Law | August 16, 2019 | Evidence p1 2. https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/battles-of-trenton-and-princeton The American Story by David Barton and Tim Barton, ISBN 978-947501-24-9, Wallbuilder Press, p185

6 minute read https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-4-2022 May 4, 2022 Roe versus Wade The Give Him 15 posts must be written and recorded the afternoon or evening before the day of their release. This is why yesterday’s post did not deal with the Supreme Court decision on the Dobbs abortion case. I don’t need to explain what was leaked - I’m sure everyone has heard by now. I do have a few thoughts to share today regarding the developments, however. Rejoice but Stay Focused First, rejoice but stay focused. In Ezra 3 the Israelites were attempting to see Jerusalem restored. The first step was rebuilding the Temple. After the successful laying of the foundation, there was a great celebration - they poured a slab and threw a party. However, their enemies regrouped very quickly, organizing an intimidation and slander campaign, including the hiring of lobbyists. It wasn’t long before they succeeded in stopping the rebuilding process; the delay lasted 16 years. Their diabolical scheming had worked. God had to raise up two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to motivate the Israelites to restart the work. We must take a lesson from this. We’re deceiving ourselves if we think the enemies of Christ in America, backed by demonic powers, will give up in their attempt to take over this nation. Ultimate victory over their efforts will not occur until a great awakening turns the hearts of tens of millions of Americans. This will happen - America shall be saved. Not only must we see revival, but there is still much work to be done on the practical side. Regarding the abortion issue: if this ruling holds, it will not make abortion illegal, but simply send the decision to the states to do as they choose. A few will completely outlaw the process, others will put strict limitations on it, and still others will continue to murder babies - some even after they are born. Sadly, many in America have seared consciences. That being said, the reversing of Roe is absolutely critical to the turning of our nation; God holds nations accountable for the decisions of their leaders. America, as a whole, has fed Baal and Molech the blood of innocent babies for 50 years. That national curse can now be broken, if the decision stands. Please don’t forget that no decision is final until formally released by the Court. This Was Planned There is little doubt in my mind that this was all planned and coordinated by the left. I don’t believe for one minute that a single rebel secretly decided to do this, then late Monday night government officials on the left began scrambling to take advantage of it. Their prepared statements were ready and began coming forth immediately - some Monday night, others Tuesday morning. A number of government officials on the left actually used the same phrases, one of which was “we will fight like hell.” (Don’t use that phrase if you are a conservative, by the way. Your words will be twisted to mean you are promoting physical violence, and the Homeland Gestapo will pay you a visit.) This was a coordinated effort to re-engage the left, many of whom have lost faith in Biden and the Dems. They have felt the effects of runaway inflation, seen the pathetic state of affairs at the border, and are shocked at how quickly Biden is losing his cognitive abilities. Something drastic needed to happen to awaken the base before the November elections. Yes, the ruling would have likely happened anyway in June, but this leak gives them more time and the ability to get out in front of it. They will try to pass a national law legalizing abortion, and there will come attempts to pack the Supreme Court, all of which will re-energize their base. Yes, it is a despicable breach of protocol to politicize the Court in this way, but the reality is that they politicized the Court a long time ago. And as far as leaks go, they had no problem leaking information from the Oval Office, the most powerful office in the world. In fact, they praised and lauded the leakers, calling them “whistleblowers.” If they would do that to the President, why would they not do it to the Supreme Court? It is certainly no more sacred an institution than the Presidency of the United States. These people know no shame. They are liars and are hell-bent on changing this nation into a globalist, antichrist nation. Jubilee My friend, Tom Schleuter, sent me an article he wrote yesterday morning regarding the biblical concept of Jubilee. (You can read the entire article here.) Here is a portion: ********************* “Forty-nine! On the night of May 2, 2022, as I was falling asleep the Lord told me to remember the number forty-nine…As I woke up the next morning, the number was again prominent in my thoughts. “The Lord took me back to a memory in February of 2001. I had just returned from a prayer assignment in Germany with my good friend, Beth Alves. During my preparation time for the next Sunday message the Lord said to me, ‘I want you to concentrate on the number forty-nine.’ I wasn't sure what He was talking about until He clarified and said, ‘I want you to preach this Sunday on Jubilee.’ I struggled a bit with His request because I knew that our church would be celebrating its 50th-year Jubilee a year later in 2002. But He persisted, so I began studying and reading the passages referring to Jubilee in Leviticus 25:8-22. [In short, all property was returned to its original owner, all debts were forgiven, and all who had sold themselves into slavery in order to pay debts were freed. This was all a prophetic picture of Christ our Jubilee - restoring and forgiving us.] “By reading and meditating on the above verses one can see that there are many powerful blessings the Lord releases during the Jubilee season. And I use the word season because it literally takes place over a three-year period. In 2001 our congregation was entering its 49th year and the Lord was making it very clear to us that He was taking us into the process of Jubilee, so I preached on Jubilee that next Sunday. Within the next few weeks, there was a tremendous unexpected blessing poured out on our congregation. We received a gift of a grand piano; a woman sowed a significant financial gift and a $100,000 restoration was done to the interior of our building; other tremendous financial gifts come in. But perhaps most importantly, the Lord began to fine-tune our vision of being a strategic House of Prayer, to Arlington, TX, the state of Texas, and the nation. “One powerful aspect of Leviticus 25 is that the Lord answers a question that had been asked by the people, ‘What are we to do if we cannot sow during the 49th year, which is also a Sabbath year?’ They were concerned. If they didn't sow in the 49th year, they would have nothing to eat in the 50th year. But the 50th year was set aside as a time of God’s providential and powerful blessing upon the people. They were not to work, plow, sow, or reap. The Lord would make sure there was enough reaped in the 49th year to sustain them in the 50th and 51st years! “Why would God again bring up the number 49 to me? Because we are in the 49th year of Roe versus Wade. January of 2023 will be the 50th anniversary of the decision. The Lord began making it clear to me that it is time to press in for Jubilee, to prepare for Jubilee's deliverance and blessing. Just as with Israel, this is not a time to be fretful or worrisome about provision. It's a time to concentrate on Jubilee and on the tremendous providential blessings the Lord is about to bring upon America during the 50th year. “We must continue to press in with prayer during this season. We must finish this race, and cross the finish line. We cannot give up in the last moments as we proceed toward victory. The curse that has been upon our nation for almost 50 years is about to be removed because of the blood of Christ and the faithful intercessions of God’s ekklesia. The work of many in prayer, legislation, fervent lobbying, and the constant calling forth for life for our nation is bringing about a great Jubilee blessing. “But again, we must persevere. It has been prophesied by several that the next three years will be a season of great spiritual warfare, a time of great conflict regarding the issue of life and death, blessing and cursing. We must rise up as God's chosen people, sons and daughters of the Most High God, and continue to pray that life and Jubilee will be released over our nation. It's 49, and we are heading toward 50.” ************************** Pray with me: Father, we thank You for the changes occurring in our land. Yet, we know we have much ground to retake. We ask You for supernatural help, and we know this is coming. Our greatest help will come through the revival You are sending. Changed hearts will change minds, which will bring about great societal change. We ask You to cause every Justice voting to overturn Roe to hold fast. And we ask for an awakening of the conscience of our nation. May America fall in love with the babies again and protect life at all costs. We ask You once again to forgive us for this great evil. Heal those that have been touched by it, and give America a fresh Jubilee start. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Jubilee. Amen. Our decree: We decree that Roe versus Wade will be overturned and America will experience the freedom of Jubilee. ************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video.

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/april-4-2022 April 4, 2022 Love’s Motivation First, I want to say thank you for the tremendous feedback we received from the three posts last week on forgiveness and being released from the wounds of the past. We do not usually know until later how certain things we are led to say or do are needed and appreciated. It seems that these teachings were very timely and a great blessing to many. Thank you again for the feedback. As you know, if you follow these daily posts on a regular basis, my goal is certainly to focus on issues that need corporate prayer. However, they are also intended to be devotionals and teachings, to help you in your personal walk and growth. And, of course, they are meant to inform you of issues you may not hear of elsewhere, that need our prayers. I want to pick up on a teaching I gave a week or so ago regarding God‘s instructions to Joshua when he was assuming the leadership over Israel. In that post, I pointed out that when Joshua was about to step into this important assignment, which involved possessing the promised inheritance God spoke of to Abraham, Yahweh began with some very interesting instructions: “Remember the basics, Joshua. Listen to Me, obey Me, meditate in My words, don’t be afraid,” and more. Have your devotions first, then go to war! Nothing should ever stand in the way of our personal times with our Father. It should be understood that the book of Joshua is a picture for us of how to possess or inherit our spiritual promises from God. What Israel did physically - possess the land - we do spiritually. We are to apply the lessons and principles given to them in order to possess our spiritual inheritance in Christ. Joshua was not the original name given to this leader. His name was changed from Hoshea to Joshua, which comes from the same Hebrew word as Yeshua, because he was going to be a very wonderful type or picture of Christ. Just as Joshua led Israel into their inheritance, Christ would lead us into ours. And many lessons are to be gleaned from Israel’s experiences and applied to the possessing of our promises. Here is our lesson from the book of Joshua for today. Seven times in the first chapter of Joshua the word “command” is used by Holy Spirit. Twice the phrase, “be careful to do, according to all” was used. This means a total of nine times in the first chapter when preparing Israel to possess their inheritance, God emphasized the need to obey Him very carefully. It is as though Yahweh was telling them, “Settle this now. You do not have the freedom to think about whether or not you will obey Me. You must obey Me immediately and without hesitation. This is not a suggestion; it is a requirement.” The first act of obedience was then required. The Lord told Joshua, “Start packing. In three days you are going to cross over the Jordan and begin this war.” No debate. No negotiating on the timing. Just, “Get started. You have three days.” One would think that after 40 years of waiting God could’ve given this multitude of people more than three days to pack everything and prepare to move. But, no. God had a schedule in mind and He did not want them to wait. This would be done in His timing. They did not realize that much of what they did was based on God‘s eternal calendar, that the day of their crossing over would one day coincide with the events of the cross. God’s timing was about more than their convenience and certainly beyond their understanding. But He needed it done on that day. “So start packing, Joshua.” Some Christians want to find out what God wants, then they’ll decide whether or not they want to do it. This is a recipe for failure. We must decide, in advance, that He is in charge and we will do whatever He asks of us, whatever the cost, regardless of how much it stretches our faith. We must obey if we are to inherit our provision through Christ. We may not always like the process, but we will always love the fruit. This does not mean we are “earning” God’s blessings. It means we are walking in step with His instructions, which guarantee life and victory. God’s commandments and instructions are to bless us, protect us, lead us in the right ways, bring freedom to us, and advance His purposes - not to produce bondage or a performance mentality. Simply stated, He knows what is best. We are to say along with the Psalmist, “I delight to do your will” (Psalm 40:8). There are five New Testament words for a servant/serving. One day I will teach on all of them in a post. But two of them are doulos and latris. A doulos was a bond-slave. Latris, however, from the verb form latreuo, means to serve, not out of compulsion but from relationship. 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 reasonable service of worship.” (NASV) They do this because the word is latreuo, not doulos. We are not being told to present our bodies as a living sacrifice because we are God’s slaves, but rather to do so because we are in relationship with Him and we want to please Him. He knows what is best for us and we trust Him. And as we do this it is considered worship, not just service. Yes, God owns us. This is true by the right of creation, but also because we are bought with a price by the blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23). As Lord, He can tell us to do anything He wants. And the apostle, Paul, regularly referred to himself as a doulos, God’s bondslave. In the early days of the Charismatic Movement we frequently sang the song, “He is Lord.” And He is. But God’s heart is not to treat us as slaves “owned” by Him, but to relate to us as His children and friends (John 15:14-15). He wants us to serve Him from a heart of love and worship, from relationship. When we move into this type of relationship with Him we become co-laborers with God, working together with Him. We embrace the great commission as a co-mission. Our hearts have become one with His and we want what He wants. We’re members of Abba’s household of faith. This motivation changes everything. Yes, Paul referred to himself as a bond slave, but he also said the love of God constrained him to do what he did (2 Corinthians 5:14). As we move forward in praying and working toward the great harvest that is beginning, we must establish that we will obey God fully. But we must also realize that we are His partners, friends, and kids. As the Senior Partner, He will give us direction, but He delights in involving us in the process. Pray with me: Father, Your heart toward us is amazing. As the infinite God, You want relationship with a human family. We are overwhelmed at Your incredible plan of the ages: creating us, redeeming us, and giving us a membership in Your heavenly family. May we never take this for granted. We are reminded today that You are indeed the Lord and Master. You are Almighty God. But You are also Father. Abba. You love us with an everlasting love. And as we pray, may we always remember that we are working together with You, not just for You. So as we intercede today, we remember that we are agreeing with You, not attempting to talk You into something. We ask for revival and the great harvest because You want that. We ask for salvation to come to people because it’s what You want. We ask for miracles because You want to perform them. We ask for deliverance because You want to set people free. We extend the victory of the cross into the earth now and we declare a spirit of deliverance be released throughout the world. We call forth the great awakening and harvest that is in Your heart and release it into the earth now, in the mighty name of Jesus. Our decree: We decree that we are co-laborers with God on the earth and as such, we move in His plan and authority. We bind every work of darkness that is attempting to thwart the purposes of God on the earth. We forbid its success. *********************** Click on the link below to watch the full video.

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/march-29-2022 March 29, 2022 Simplicity..! Ecclesiastes 7:39 in the Good News Bible, Today’s English Version says, “God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.” I’ve always felt the latter part of the verse was true about women, and I’ve been told emphatically that the first half is true of men. But I now believe it is all true for all of us. I can complicate almost any problem, regardless of how simple it might be, making it huge and complex. And I don’t like it when someone else tries to trivialize it, or gives me some simple plan to fix it. Somehow, I just seem to feel more important when I have big problems with complicated solutions. I’m an Ecclesiastes 7:39 kind of guy! We must learn to de-complicate life, in general; but we must especially uncomplicate our relationship with Christ. Paul said to the church at Corinth, “But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3, italics 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 relationship with Me. It was A. W. Tozer who 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. “One New Year’s Day in the Tournament of Roses parade, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit. It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas. “An amusing aspect of this was that the float represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil resources, its truck was out of gas.” (5) Often we who have within us the well of salvation fail to drink from it. And like the Standard Oil float, we sometimes run out of gas. Drink from the well daily. Don’t allow Christ to lose His wonder for you. In Christianity Today, Philip Yancey writes: “I remember my first visit to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. Rings of American, Japanese, and German tourists surrounded the geyser, their video cameras trained like weapons on the famous hole in the ground. (For those of you too young to remember carrying a large video camera around on vacations rather than a small phone, you don’t know how convenient life has become. ) A large, digital clock stood beside the spot, predicting 24 minutes until the next eruption. “My wife and I passed the countdown in the dining room of Old Faithful Inn overlooking the geyser. When the digital clock reached one minute, we, along with every other diner, left our seats and rushed to the windows to see the big event. “I noticed that immediately, as if on signal, a crew of busboys and waiters descended on the tables to refill water glasses and clear away dirty dishes. When the geyser went off, we tourists oohed and aahed and clicked our cameras; a few spontaneously applauded. But, glancing back over my shoulder, I saw that not a single waiter or busboy - not even those who had finished their chores - looked out the huge windows. Old Faithful, grown entirely too familiar, had lost its power to impress them.” (6) I’m afraid this describes many Christians’ relationships with the One we call Faithful and True. We’ve known Him so long, become so accustomed to Him, well, you know… Don’t ever stop being impressed with Jesus! Do you ever listen and not really hear? The word “listening” in Greek is the word akouo, which means not only to hear, but to understand. One definition said, “To understand, hear with the ear of the mind.” (7) Jesus repeatedly said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” (Matthew 11:15 and others). This places the responsibility of hearing on us. We must choose to posture ourselves in a way that allows us to really hear. In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus commended Mary for listening (akouo), while Martha was busy in the kitchen. He said Mary had chosen the good thing, which would produce lasting fruit. Interestingly enough, the word for “obey” (hupakouo) comes from the same word. The prefix hupo means “under,” making the literal meaning of this word, “hear under.”) The biblical concept of obedience is: (1) hearing and understanding someone, then (2) bringing your will under what they have said. Mary was truly hearing (akouo) Christ, which would allow her to obey (hupakouo). May we be more like Mary, having unencumbered obedience, truly willing to listen, hear, and submit. Pray with me: Father, life gets complicated at times. Our plates get full and we sometimes say, we “don’t have enough hours in a day.” But You told us in Ecclesiastes that WE complicate things. You have challenged us that no matter how busy and hectic life gets, we must keep our relationship with You foremost and simple - uncomplicated. We know that if we truly listen, You will speak to us - in our hearts and through Your Word. We choose to listen. We choose to have listening and hearing ears. And we choose to bring ourselves under what we hear from You… we choose to obey. We draw near to You, confident that as we do, You will draw near to us. We pray now for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We pray for refreshing to those who are weary, peace to those who are anxious, and endurance to those who are tired. We ask You for the Spirit of revelation to intensify among Your people. Holy Spirit, would You lift the veil in order that those who have never known they could hear Your voice would now begin hearing You and enjoying a fellowship they’ve never known. We ask for these things in Christ’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that we have ears to hear what Holy Spirit is saying to the church. I decree that I will have ears to hear what Holy Spirit is saying to ME. *************************** Click on the link below to watch today's full video: ________________________________ Rowell, Quotes & Idea Starters for Preaching and Teaching, p 181. Michael L. Brown, From Holy Laughter to Holy Fire (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, Inc., 1996), p 186. Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, ref. No. 572. Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible - New American Standard, p 1808. Craig Brian Larson, Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1993), p 181. Larson, Contemporary Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers, p 68. Zodhiates, Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible - New American Standard, p 1802.

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/march-11-2022 March 11, 2022 Release Your Battle Cry Yesterday I spoke to you about the warrior nature of God. Though He is love, He is most certainly also a warrior. And Holy Spirit wants to awaken His warrior heart in us, the Ekklesia. As the Lion of Judah, Yeshua wants to roar from us. “The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel.” (Joel 3:16; KJV) Holy Spirit gave my friend, Scott Reece, a powerful word regarding this: “There is an aligning among My lions that will usher in a new shift in the earth. Powers will shift, authority will shift and ungodly rulers will be unseated. “I am making room for those that are righteous to rule in the land. Angel armies have been assembled for the purposes of strategic warfare. They will usher in a wave of a godly generation that will hold the standard, even against the darkest nights. This is a generation unlike any other. The cry of My people in desperate times has activated a warfare strategy that will catch the enemy sleeping and off guard. The hallowed halls of men’s political achievements will be shaken to the core and those very halls will reverberate with a sound of worship and righteousness. “You will witness a breaking down of the political divide and see the establishment of a righteous government, a government that will demonstrate the very power of men and women holding a righteous scepter in their hands. You will see a governmental body that will actually stop and pray before a vote is held in order to ascertain My heart. The podium will be used for godly leaders crying out together in faith, as opposed to arguing, defending unrighteousness, offending My heavens, and shutting off the land from My purposes. “The foundation of this alignment will be laid by My apostles and prophets. The aligning will be a source of activation, release, and unity among my Ekklesia. Do not become distracted by the lying whimpers of the enemy. Do not become discouraged by divisive methodologies designed to deter you. “Set your heart in alignment with My word and My purposes. Align with those apostolic and prophetic voices I am raising up in the land. You will hear different roars with different anointings, but as they align, you will see clearly that I am in the midst of the roar and My voice is at the center. My Word is emerging as a new wine that is being poured out.” What a powerful and encouraging word. Holy Spirit is roaring through our prayers. The Bible speaks not only of God’s people roaring, but also of releasing a battle cry. Psalm 47 tells us: “O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy. For the Lord Most High is to be feared, A great King over all the earth. He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet…God has ascended with a shout, The Lord, with the sound of a trumpet.” (Psalm 47:1-3,5; NASB) Shout is the Hebrew word rua. The word describes a war cry, a shout of victory over one’s enemy on the battlefield. It was also used for “blowing” the shofar before a battle; one definition is “to split the ears with sound.” Mel Gibson’s rendition of William Wallace in Braveheart comes to mind: “FREEDOM!!!!!” The word is translated “sound the alarm” in Joel 2:1. In this context, it means “we’re going to war.” The passage in Psalm 47 tells us if we are willing to lift a rua and fight, God will begin to shout with us (verse 5): He “ascends with a shout.” And as God arises, His enemies are scattered (Psalm 68:1). They flee before Him! My point is quite simple: There is “a time for war and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:8; NASB). There is a time to shout, roar and FIGHT. And though the warfare I speak of is spiritual it must be no less intense. Our spiritual warfare, through prayer, will determine the eternal destiny of billions of people. Our battle is to relieve the suffering of millions. We must pray with passion, fervency, and faith. Perhaps you should consider finding a private place and raising your voice at the demonic assault in Ukraine. Consider going to your basement and rua-ing over your unsaved family member, a deceived friend, or a demonic government. A shout of war is just as terrifying to the ears of demons as it is to human soldiers on a battlefield. Don’t let your dignity silence your roar. When Jesus said “It is finished” (John 19.30) at the end of His time on the Cross, He did not quietly whisper those words, as is often thought. It was actually one word, and He shouted it! (Matthew 27:50) Nor was Christ referring to His death, as many think. Jesus shouted the word tetelestai if He chose to use the Greek word John gives us. However, He spoke both Greek and Hebrew, and was quoting from Psalm 22:31 when He made this announcement. If He actually used the Hebrew word from that verse, it would still have only been one word, asah. Either word would have been a declaration that Christ had finished the assignment given Him. The Greek word actually meant “to pay a debt in full.” The Hebrew word is also the word for “creating” something. Perhaps Jesus was announcing the new creation! We do know that when Christ made this declaration, the ground shook, rocks split and people were raised from the dead (Matthew 27:50-53). His words rent the heavens, shook the earth, and broke the power of death. Now He wants to speak through you. Declare His finished work over your situation. Decree His victory over the nations. Read Psalm 2 out loud over America, Ukraine, the Middle East. Shout “asah” over unsaved family members, your sick body, your checkbook. Release the roar! Pray with me: Father, thank You for Your encouraging word through Scott. Thank You for hearing and using our prayers. We are not just accomplishing a religious exercise when we intercede. To the contrary, it still works. You use our prayers to bring forth Your plans in the earth. And we know that at times this requires spiritual warfare. We must bind and loose (Matthew 16:18-19). We must wrestle; we must fight. And yet, we also know that when we do this, we are not defeating satan, we are enforcing his defeat at Calvary. Jesus paid the debt for our freedom in full. He delivered us from the authority of darkness, and we now enforce this victory in His name. We release healing in our bodies. We break deception off of those blinded by sin. We release the winds of revival around the world. We declare that even though satan is on a rampage to steal, kill and destroy, the power of Holy Spirit is coming to the nations of the earth with a massive revival. We release all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that Holy Spirit power is released from the roar of Christ’s Ekklesia. **************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video.

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/march-10-2022 March 10, 2022 The Undefeatable Warrior “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth meaningless. Scarcely have they been planted, scarcely have they been sown, scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth, but He merely blows on them, and they wither, and the storm carries them away like stubble. ‘To whom then will you liken Me that I would be his equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing.” (Isaiah 40:22-26; NASB) “Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and said, ‘I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; the horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him; my father’s God, and I will extol Him. The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea; and the choicest of his officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deeps cover them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Your right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power, Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. And in the greatness of Your excellence You overthrow those who rise up against You; You send forth Your burning anger, and it consumes them as chaff. At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were piled up, the flowing waters stood up like a heap; the deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.’ “The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be gratified against them; I will draw out my sword, my hand will destroy them.’ “You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. “Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders? You stretched out Your right hand, the earth swallowed them.” (Exodus 15:1-12; NASB) These are two great passages describing God’s awesome power. The passage from Exodus is what the Israelites sang after He delivered them from Egypt and conquered Egypt’s god of wind and the sea, Baal-Zephon. We are in the process of seeing this spirit overthrown again, this time in America. We have done several posts revealing him as the strongman over the U.S. But God has said He is breaking the hold of this principality off of America, and re-establishing Christ’s rule and purpose in our land. Of course, the issue has never been power - no evil spirit could ever overpower God - the issue has been the authority we have granted this spirit through our sin and rebellion. God is spoken of in scripture as a Warrior. Yes, His nature is love (1John 4:8) and His mercies endure forever (Psalm 118). But when necessary, God is a fierce and undefeatable warrior. For the most part, the church does not consider this aspect of His nature. We have lost sight of it primarily because our warfare is not visible or natural; it is not against individuals. Rather, it is an invisible and spiritual war; our weapons are spiritual, as well. Nonetheless, though our battle is spiritual, it is very real. And we must allow God to awaken His warrior heart in us. The war on earth for the souls of men and women, and for control over regions of the world is raging. Satan is ruthless in this war, always wanting to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Second Corinthians 10:3-4 speaks of our spiritual war: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds…”(KJV). Ephesians 6:12 also speaks of the battle in which we are engaged: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (KJV). Failing to understand or acknowledge this spiritual war is to lose by default. How do we release our spiritual power, our spiritual weapons and authority in this spiritual war? We do so primarily with our words. When Jesus was confronted by satan, He provided our example of how to war against the devil and his spiritual forces: “It is written!” (Matthew 4:1-11). God’s Word is the most powerful force on earth. With it He creates, releases life, tears down and builds up. And Holy Spirit tells us that His word in our mouth (Greek: rhema: “spoken words”) is a sword against satan and his demons (Ephesians 6:17). When we speak God’s words in spiritual war, they are an overpowering weapon, a sword; leaving them unsaid leaves our sword in its scabbard. When we are fearful or tempted to fear, we should speak God’s word that promises freedom from fear. When we are sick, we should speak promises that relate to healing. When we are in turmoil and unrest, we should speak verses of scripture regarding peace. And when we see satan stealing, killing, and destroying, we should speak and declare God‘s word regarding deliverance and salvation over the situation. Release the sword! Heaven’s will does not automatically occur on the earth. We are the instruments and vessels God uses to operate on this planet. One way He does so is through prayer, including decrees. The church has failed tremendously in understanding this, which has caused much harm to us and frustration to the cause of Christ. There are many biblical references to support this fact, one of them simply being “you have not because you ask not” (James 4:2). Certainly, there are other principles which govern how and for what we can ask, but some things are not received simply because we fail to ask for them. Let’s ask now! Pray with me: Father, awaken the Ekklesia to Your warrior nature. There is no contradiction between the fact that You are love and are also a warrior. You heal, but You also destroy evil. When necessary, You are fierce. You experience anger, even hatred - You hate evil, oppression, the destruction of innocent people, and all that satan does. We ask You to wage war against the powers of evil in Ukraine. We ask You to do so in Afghanistan. We ask You to do so against the demonic powers that kill babies. We ask You to save those involved in these evils; we do not wish them harm. But we do hate what they do, and we ask You to cause it to end. Do something supernatural to stop this senseless war in Ukraine. Almost 2,000,000 people are now homeless, refugees. Please end this, and send salvation to them, both spiritually and physically. Make satan pay once again. Send unprecedented revival to Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Afghanistan, and the Middle East. And we pray regarding the Dobbs abortion case. Move on the Supreme Court to reverse Roe versus Wade. Save the Justices who do not know You and deliver them from deception. We ask that those who have opposed You will become champions for You and for life. We bind demonic spirits of deception that keep them blinded to truth and the gospel, in Jesus’ name, amen (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Our decree: We decree that the warrior nature of Christ is being awakened in the Ekklesia around the world! ********************************* Click on the link below to watch the full video.

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/march-7-2022 March 7, 2022 A Lesson from Ezra As the book of Ezra opens, Cyrus, king of Persia, has allowed a remnant of Israelites to return to Jerusalem for the purpose of rebuilding their Temple. Seventy years prior, because of their apostasy, God had allowed Israel to be taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. 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 the king’s heart to help them raise the needed funds for the rebuild (see Ezra 1:1-4). Also, King Cyrus turned over to them all the vessels and utensils Nebuchadnezzar had plundered from the Temple and placed in the temple of his gods. These articles totaled 5400 gold and silver pieces. That’s pretty incredible. A remnant returned to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel’s leadership and began work on the Temple. 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 Israelites - the young ones - shouted for joy so loudly that it could be heard for miles, while some of the older ones wept. We are left to wonder why the older folks wept. I suppose it could have been joyful weeping because the restoration was beginning. Or maybe they were remembering the pain of the Babylonian captivity with its tragic losses. They could have been reflecting on the former glory of the Temple and mourning the present state of Ichabod (“the glory has departed”). Or were they, with their wiser perspective that comes from age, considering the reality of just how far away they were from the Temple’s full restoration? I also think it’s possible they were lamenting the apostasy that created the former Temple’s destruction. We are never told the reason. Personally, I believe a good guess would be all of the above, a mix of emotions. One thing is certain: their perspective was different. There is one more thing that is certain about the celebration which took place that day: it was a bit premature. Satan had plans for the project, also. Daniel 7:25 tells us he attempts to altar “times and laws.” The Hebrew word used for time in this verse means an appointed time; the word for laws can mean, among other things, the decree of a king. Daniel 2:21 says God changes times and seasons. He also decrees His good plans and purposes for us, both in His written Word and through prophetic words. However, the verse in Daniel 7:25 tells us satan tries to alter those times and decrees. He obviously can’t do so by overpowering or outwitting God; he does so by attacking God’s instruments - us. Daniel 7:25 also reveals that one of the ways satan attempts to alter times and decrees is 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, 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 can cause us to lose heart. This then, can alter our God-appointed times. It did so for this remnant of Israelites in Ezra’s day. Satan went 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. They were individuals hired and sent to the king with accusations and misinformation to try and hinder the plans of the Israelites. 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 this, yielded to fear and discouragement. The result? The building stopped for 16 years. All they had was a foundation. During this time, the Israelites began building their own homes and businesses, while abandoning God’s house. They justified this by saying it must not yet be God‘s appointed time for the Temple to be rebuilt. Opposition, however, should never be allowed to determine what we believe to be God‘s will. Nor should it be something used to judge whether or not it is His appointed time to do something. Many believers in America today have made the same mistake. They’ve grown weary in their prayers for revival and the turning around of our nation. Evil lobbyists, media opposition, inappropriate laws, intimidating government agencies, elections that don’t go our way - satan has used these and more to try and wear us down. Consequently, many have done just what these Israelites did - decided it must not be time for our turnaround and that, when God is ready, He will do it. Pray with me: Father, we do not intend to allow satan to alter Your timing for our breakthroughs and the turnaround of our great nation. We WILL see the revival You have planned for here and in the nations of the earth. We will not spend the next 40 years dying in the wilderness, while You wait for a generation that is willing and obedient. We will NOT! We know it is time. We will not allow opposition to steal from us what You have ordained. We ask for an infusion of strength and hope. We ask that mental fatigue and emotional weariness be broken off of the praying church, the remnant. Send a wind of Holy Spirit to us now, we pray. Give the infusion of strength You speak of in Isaiah 40. Renew our strength like eagles are renewed. We speak to weariness and say, “Go!” We speak to hope-deferred and say, “Go!” We speak to fear and say, “Go, in Jesus name!” And Father, we continue to pray for the people of Ukraine. We ask You to end this evil war. We ask for an abundance of grace to be on the Ukrainian people. We ask You to stop Putin and his evil attacks. Remove him from power! Please send revival to Ukraine and raise up an army of believers there. Help them to not only rebuild that nation, but be used by You to carry revival all throughout Europe. And we remember the church in Afghanistan. Empower them to serve You faithfully and powerfully in this difficult hour. Give them great fruit for their labors. Protect them, we pray. Release your judgment against the evil there and may a great revival emanate from Afghanistan into the entire region. Turn the tables on the devil! We ask all of these things in Christ’s name. Amen Our decree: We decree that we, The Church of Jesus Christ, will not falter in this appointed time of revival here, and around the world. **************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video.

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/february-23-2022 February 23, 2022 No Wasted Moments The past two years have been difficult for countless people, many suffering the pain of discouragement and loss. Rachel Shafer, my brother Tim’s daughter, recently sent me the following article regarding the subject of restoration. I’m always looking for ways to encourage you with hope for the future. I believe Rachel’s word will inspire and aid you in allowing Holy Spirit’s redemption and restoration into your suffering. ******************* “As I was praying and asking for insight into this year of 2022, I very clearly heard Holy Spirit tell me this would be a year of restoration. He then said to me: ‘I am the God of every moment; therefore, no moment is wasted.’ “God is a redeemer and a restorer. The biblical meaning of the word ‘restoration’ is much different than the English dictionary’s meaning. The dictionary defines it as to returning something back to its original condition.(1) However, the Biblical meaning is to restore back more than has been lost, causing the final state to be greater than the original condition.(2) The point is that someone or something is actually improved in Biblical restoration. “Throughout the Bible, God repeatedly blessed people’s faith during hardships, making up for their losses and giving them more than they previously had. He doesn’t simply restore to the original condition, but delights in restoring and improving on the original. This biblical pattern has encouraged me to persevere in my praying and believing, knowing that God is faithful to His Word. Holy Spirit redeems our times and moments. Please notice, I didn’t say He causes every moment in our lives, but that He doesn’t allow them to be wasted. “One definition of ‘redeemed’ is to make something that is bad or unpleasant better; moments that started out ugly, but in time became beautiful(3). It’s comforting to know that God doesn’t waste our pain. Every broken segment of our lives is made beautiful in the hands of our Creator. Nothing escapes His notice. “In Japan, they have made an art out of restoring broken things. It’s an ancient practice called Kintsugi, meaning ‘golden joinery’ or ‘to patch with gold.’ Kintsugi is an age-old custom of repairing cracked pottery with real gold, not only fixing the break, but by doing so - greatly increasing the value of the piece. “This art form turns what is broken into beautiful, cherished pieces by sealing the cracks and crevices with lines of fine gold. Instead of hiding the flaws, Kintsugi artists highlight them, creating an entirely new design and bringing unique beauty to the original piece. The pottery actually becomes more beautiful and valuable through the restoration. Though once broken, it now has history AND a new story. Not to mention the gold! “Typically, we want repairs of broken things - like nicely sealed super glue fixes - to be hidden; the usual intent is to try and make something look ‘as good as new.’ Yet the art of Kintsugi reinforces a profound belief that the repair can make things, not only as good as they were before, but ‘better than new.’(4) “This is a beautiful picture of Biblical restoration. God redeems and restores every piece of our story. “Romans 8:28 (NIV) says, ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.’ This verse is saying that God uses our grief, joy, loss, gain, trials and triumphs. Nothing is wasted. “Lies from the enemy swirl around and whisper to us in weak moments, but don’t listen to him. God is saying that we are stepping into a season of restoration and redemption. We must value what He has said to us and keep His promises hidden in our hearts. “As I was praying about all of this, I was reminded of something Holy Spirit said to me recently, ‘Do not give false power to present circumstances.’ “As I pondered what this meant, I realized Holy Spirit was pointing out that, regarding a particular situation, I was empowering the problem. My mindset was placing power into the wrong hands. My next thought was: the power for what I am facing is in God; it’s in His hands. So, I wrote out this statement: ‘I will not give false power - control, authority, or influence - to present circumstances. I will, instead, decree the power, capacity, aptitude, authority, strength, and wonderful works of God.’ “Our present circumstances do not have to define our future. Do not relinquish power to the situation - keep it in God’s hands. “Job was an upright and holy man of God, yet he was placed in total misery. He did nothing wrong, yet suffered a great deal. One moment he was a picture of wealth, health and happiness. The next moment death hit, and Job mourned the loss of seven sons and three daughters. Lack hit and all of his wealth disappeared. Sickness happened and there were open sores all over his body. Relationship troubles occurred and his wife turned on him, telling Job to curse God and die. Even his once loyal friends lost respect and blamed Job for his trials. “Can you imagine how alone, desperate and defeated Job must have felt? He was being attacked from every angle, with no relief in sight. In due time, however, God intervened. “In the book of Job 42:10, we learn that the Lord not only restored Job, but gave him twice as much as he had before! This faithful servant of God received double. And today, God is still the God of double portion. He is the God of restoration - better than before! “Biblical scholars say Job’s name means “the persecuted one.”(5) Interestingly, his name reflected his life: full of persecution, suffering, pain and distress. But despite the meaning of his name, God ordained that he would not be perpetually defined by his struggle. Job came out of his season of persecution and into a season of restoration, biblical restoration. I believe that is exactly what is happening in the body of Christ today. We are moving from a season of persecution into a season of restoration. “Looking at your life right now, some might label you, ‘the persecuted one,’ ‘the struggling one,’ or ‘the depressed one.’ You might be considered ‘the forgotten one,’ ‘the lonely one,’ ‘the sick one,’ or even ‘the defeated one.’ But God has a plan, and you are about to become ‘the restored one!’ You will be ‘the redeemed one,’ ‘the joyful one.’ You’ll be called ‘the healed one,’ ‘the victorious one.’ Begin expecting this and thank the Lord for restoration. Renew your mind to see the good, the hope; and remind yourself of who God is, that He alone holds the power. Strengthen yourself in the Lord and engage with Him over this promise to you. Praise Him before the breakthrough and rejoice before the victory.” ************************ Pray with me: Father, we pray that hope and expectation would rise in troubled hearts. We pray that thankfulness and praise would be on our lips as we remember Your goodness and faithfulness. Jesus, we thank You for all that You are, all that You have done and all that You are continuing to do. We ask that You would infuse each of us with Your grace, strength, peace and perspective. Enable us to see what You see, remind us to say what You say. We decree that restoration is coming upon Your people. We decree breakthrough in circumstances and situations. God, restore with abundance - double! Give beautiful exchanges to Your people - beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise for despair. Brokenness, sickness, pain are no match for You, Lord. Come and revive, restore, redeem, and make new. We decree Your faithfulness and greatness over every person, family, and situation. We thank You for perfecting our stories, for releasing breakthrough and favor on us. You alone are worthy of all the glory, all the honor and we magnify You today. We thank You for Your promises. We trust You. In Jesus Name, Amen. Our decree: God is redeeming our times and moments. This is a season of Biblical restoration. ****************************** Today’s post was contributed by my niece - my brother Tim’s daughter - Rachel Shafer. You can learn more about Rachel here. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ___________________________________ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restoration https://www.reference.com/world-view/biblical-meaning-word-restoration-436ed0eb2e3b3d0c https://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/redeem https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/women/how-to-find-beauty-in-brokenness.html https://www.behindthename.com/name/job

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/december-14-2021 December 14, 2021 Two Women At Christmas As we approach Christmas let’s consider the story of two women who were significant in the birth of our Savior, the promised Messiah: Mary and Elizabeth. The younger one seeking out the older. Lives touching. Mentoring occurring. A divine encounter, a God-set up. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is unique in history. Yet she had a humble beginning. Pastor Jack Hayford says we may wonder about her, “Was Mary possibly only a plain girl with simple faith, raised in an ordinary home, scheduled for an arranged marriage, and headed for an uneventful future married to the town carpenter? The suggestion that she was ordinary comes from the words Mary sings: ‘For He has regarded the lowly state of His handmaiden. He has exalted the lowly’” (Luke 1:48). Hayford adds: “God clothes Himself in the ordinary so He can come to ordinary people—you and me.” 1 Mary and Elizabeth. Both were having miracle babies who would affect history. Both women could have been labeled “disgraced” by their Hebrew peers - Elizabeth for being barren, Mary for being pregnant before marriage. Both knew God intimately, were worshipers, and were acquainted with Scripture. The Christmas story began not in Bethlehem but in Nazareth, where Mary received the message from Gabriel. He disclosed God’s plan for her life. “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!...Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.” (Luke 1: 28-32 NKJV) When Mary questioned Gabriel how this could happen, since she was a virgin, he explained: “Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God… and His kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:30-35). Mary, in bold obedience replied, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (verse 38). And the angel departed from her. “We can hardly fathom the bewildering moment Mary experienced,” Freda Lindsay reminds us. “That she was a privileged vessel, chosen to bear God's Son, is wonder enough, for she is a participant in the miracle of the Incarnation at a level no other human being can comprehend. It is clear she did not claim to understand it herself, yet she was obedient,”2 At first, Mary was troubled, pondering the situation. But the angel had told her some great news: “And behold your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God” (verses 36-37). Mary may have wondered just why the angel told her Elizabeth is pregnant. But she got up and hurried to see Elizabeth in the village of En Karem in the Judean hill country, about 65 miles away. How did she get there? Did she go in a caravan of camels or donkeys? Did she have morning sickness? Was Joseph, to whom she was engaged, okay with her going? We don’t know the answers. However, she is quickly getting herself to the house of her relative Elizabeth, who’s married to the priest, Zechariah. When Mary entered their home the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt with joy (Luke 1:41). But get this: Elizabeth not only praised God in a loud voice, but she was also filled with Holy Spirit (verse 41). (I wonder if she would have had this experience with Holy Spirit’s infilling if Mary had not come). Mary did not even have to explain to her that she was pregnant, for God had revealed it to Elizabeth. She said to Mary, almost as a prophecy, “Blessed are you among women. Blessed is the child you shall bear. Why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:41-43). Think about this: Elizabeth was six months pregnant, five of those hidden in seclusion. Her husband, Zechariah - a priest, could not talk to her. He had been struck mute when he questioned the angel who came to him after he had burned incense in the temple (Luke 1:20). The angel told him that his wife, who was barren and advanced in age, would bear a son. They were to name him John and he would be great in the sight of the Lord. (He was later known as John the Baptist). While she was expecting her baby boy, Elizabeth’s husband could only communicate with her by writing on a wax tablet or with hand motions. Did her seclusion also mean she did not fetch water at the well when other women were there or even intermingle with them in the marketplace? A Jewish wife in those days prepared the meals, cared for the children, made and washed the clothes, went to the market, tended the lamps. She was expected to be a good housekeeper and an affectionate mother who set the “love level” in the home. Sons usually went to study Torah at an early age and learned a trade from their father. Girls did not receive the formal training as sons did, but evidence shows both Mary and Elizabeth knew the Scriptures. Since Elizabeth was the wife of a priest and daughter of a family of priests from the house of Aaron, she probably heard much godly talk from guests in her home. Mary’s song of exaltation - Magnificat - contains references from Hannah’s prayer nearly a thousand years earlier as she praised God for her baby Samuel. Mary was possibly still a teenager. The advice and wisdom of an older woman would be valuable as she pondered many things in her heart. But didn’t Elizabeth also need her company? Mary stayed three months with her (Luke 1:56). Observing, confiding in her, no doubt receiving mentoring and love and spiritual insights. Elizabeth may have talked to Mary about how to be a good wife and she was surely a great encourager and influencer, giving her a blessing and honor. They obviously spent time together worshipping the Lord. Mary provided Elizabeth companionship, conversation and most certainly helped her with household chores. They each had something of worth to share in this short-term but significant relationship. Just think, Elizabeth was the first human to acknowledge Jesus as the Lord--while he was yet unborn. Let’s not fail to recognize Holy Spirit’s part in this first Christmas drama concerning these two women. As we have already mentioned, first Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary (Luke 1:35). Then He filled Elizabeth and the baby in her womb with Himself also. Finally, even Zachariah. On the eighth day after their baby’s birth when they took him to be circumcised and to announce John’s name, Zechariah was filled with Holy Spirit (Luke 1:67). His tongue was loosed and he was able to speak again. So he, a priest, began to prophesy about both the coming Messiah and about his son, John, who would be a forerunner for Him. This Christmas season as we reflect on the various people involved in the birth of Jesus, let’s draw lessons from their examples. Are there younger people in our lives we could encourage? Mentor? Are there those we can pray for to receive Jesus as Savior? Or to receive Holy Spirit’s touch? God is looking for ordinary people-- like you and me to help make a difference for Him in the lives of those with whom we interact. Divine connections. He has given us a story to tell. Jesus is the reason for the season! Let’s go share this great news. Pray with me: Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to be bold to share this good news, especially during this Christmas season, and bring others to Him for their salvation. Thank You that just as the angel told Mary nothing is or ever shall be impossible for God, so may we believe for the miracles we need also. We ask this in the name of Jesus, Amen. Our decree: I will never doubt God - for He who promised is faithful - even sending us a Savior, the very Son of God. ***************************************** Today’s post was written by our dear friend and author Quin Sherrer. You can find out more about Quin here or at Quinsherrer.com. Click on the link below to watch the full video. __________________________________ Jack W. Hayford, The Christmas Miracle, Chosen Books, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1999) pp 39, 41. Freda Lindsay, Luke 1:26-56 comments. Spirit Filled Life Bible, 3rd edition NKJV, (Jack Hayford, Executive Editor, Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN. 2017) p 1450.