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6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-10-2024 May 10, 2024 “You Have Your Choice” “In the same region, there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And so the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army of angels praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased.”’ (Luke 2:8-14 NASB) What a night. What a glorious visitation. What an amazing promise. What a choir. What a cute baby. What a long wait. I can’t help but wonder how these shepherds felt while waiting 3 decades - 30 years! - before seeing any fulfillment of what they heard that night. No healings, no miracles, no demons cast out, no sermons on the Mount, no walks across water…nada, nothing. If they had further visitations along the way for encouragement, we’re not told of them. It was bright lights, an angelic choir (“at least we thought we heard angels”), a baby in a feeding trough, and then back to the normal, mundane life of tending sheep on a cold, lonely hillside…wondering about that night. It almost seems cruel that God tells folks of what He’s going to do, and conveniently “forgets” to tell them it won’t take place for several years - 15 (for Joseph), 20 (David), 25 (Abraham), 45 (Caleb). He doesn’t actually forget, of course. He is using the wait as His refining furnace. It was said of Joseph that he was put in chains and shackles, and “Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord refined him” (Psalm 105:19 NASB). The Hebrew word for “refine” is tsâraph,(1) a word meaning to fuse metal, to smelt in order to refine or purge metal (goldsmith), to test. God uses our wait for the promise to prepare us for the promise. I certainly don’t believe God made Joseph’s chains and shackles - He didn’t put in the hearts of his brothers to sin by selling Joseph into slavery or motivate Potiphar’s wife to lust after him. But He wasn’t about to waste Joseph’s pain; as He always is willing to do, God made it serve him. Nevertheless, God DID tell Joseph of His great plans for him years in advance of them occurring. One of the “metals” that waiting refines in us is the gold of perseverance. It brings the dross of impatience, personal ambition, presumption, pride, fear, lack of trust, and probably a few more impurities to the surface for removal. God’s plan is 24 karats. It has been a little over 30 years since Holy Spirit gave me my first open vision; it was regarding the coming great awakening. While teaching a class on prayer, I suddenly began seeing not what was before me physically, but a spiritual vision. I saw thousands of young people in a stadium passionately worshiping and praying. As they left the stadium, I saw another scene: they arrived back in their hometowns as balls of fire, and the fire of revival sprang up. As I prayed into this, the Holy Spirit said He was showing me what was coming, that He would send another great awakening, and it would begin with the young generation. A month later, Ceci and I attended our first National Day of Prayer in Washington, D.C. Upon arrival, I was told of a unique event taking place all that week called a Biblethon. A canopy tent and a small PA system were set up on the Capitol lawn. Individuals signed up for 15-minute slots, and the entire Bible - Genesis through Revelation - was broadcast/read over the Capitol and nation 24/7 for the entire week. Those participating didn’t choose the passages they read; each one had to start where the last person stopped. When the entire Bible was finished, they started again in Genesis. When I arrived in DC, a friend told me of this Biblethon and said, “I knew you would want to do this and the slots were almost gone, so I signed you up.” “Yes! That’s awesome,” I replied. “All they had left was through the night, so I signed you up at 2:00 AM tomorrow night,” he said with a smile. Instantly, I heard Holy Spirit say, “I’m going to confirm what I said to you after the vision - that another great awakening will occur, and that it will begin with the young people - through the passage of Scripture you read in the Biblethon.” I told no one. And my response to Holy Spirit was, “Sir, I could hear/see the concept of ‘revival’ in ANY 15-minute reading of Scripture, ANY: holiness, righteousness, love, You judging evil, a healing, a person You used, etc. - I could find it everywhere. I trust You, but I don’t trust myself with this. I’m not trying to manipulate You or force You to conform to my thinking, but the ONLY way I would know for sure that a passage was confirming this word - because of what You’ve been speaking to me in my “quiet times” - would be if I got to read either the book of Haggai or Habakkuk.” Now, Haggai is 2 chapters long, Habakkuk is 3. There are 1189 chapters in the Bible. I knew the odds were extremely minimal that the readers would have arrived at one of these books just when it was my turn to read. But that’s what I told the Lord. When I arrived at the Biblethon tent the next night, a few minutes early as instructed, they were nowhere near Haggai or Habakkuk. Someone was reading from the gospels. I didn’t want the Lord to feel badly about not having them at the place I requested, so I assured Him it was okay, and that I still believed the word. A couple of minutes before my slotted time, the lady in charge walked up to me, telling me I was next. Then her expression changed; she looked at me strangely and departed from protocol, saying, “Mr. Sheets, you have your choice; you can read either the book of Haggai or Habakkuk.” I was stunned! God was saying, “Not only can I arrange it so you can read one of those 2 books, I can do better than that. You said ‘Haggai or Habakkuk.’ Okay, take your choice, son: Haggai or Habakkuk.” That, my friend, is how much He wanted me—and wants you—to know He is going to send this great awakening beginning with the young ones. It has begun; it will intensify. Yes, it’s been a long wait. And just as with Joseph, David, and many others, He has used the wait to refine. But it will be worth the wait - like the shepherds, I’ll see the fulfillment of the word. Let’s pray, then I think I’ll go read Habakkuk. Pray with me: Father, in Habakkuk, You said to “Write down the vision…So that one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hurries toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it delays, wait for it” (Habakkuk 2:2-3). Like the shepherds who waited 30 years for Jesus to explode on the scene, we have waited 30 years for this great awakening. We believe it has begun. Now we ask for the fire to explode all over this nation. Cause Your fire to consume the strongholds and plans of the enemy. As wax melts before the fire, consume Your enemies (Psalm 68:2). Come as You spoke of in Malachi, “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of armies, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branches” (Malachi 4:1 NASB). And Lord, help us to be ready for the fire of revival. We pray that no traditions of men, preconceived ideas, or wrong expectations will hold us back. Blow the lid off. Rock the boat. Stretch our wineskins and challenge our paradigms. Give us new wine, fresh wind, and an abundance of rain. We ask for the greatest, biggest, most far-reaching revival in history. Outdo Yourself, Holy Spirit. In Yeshua’s name! Amen. Our decree: We declare that the wait has refined us, and we are ready for the revival! ***************************** 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. 6884.
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5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-3-2024 May 3, 2024 Try Tears I believe it is abundantly clear where I stand on lawlessness and racism. The antisemitism occurring on American campuses (and elsewhere) is appalling. Before we are taken in by the leftist and globalist propagandists, however, there are a few points that also need to be considered. First, keep in mind that upwards of half the protesters are non-students.(1) Outside forces, backed and funded by billionaire globalists, Marxists, and leftist organizations, are fomenting strife and division in America. During a NewsNation interview on May 1, 2024, because so much of the protests are orchestrated, including paid professional agitators, House Speaker Mike Johnson speculated that billionaire philanthropist George Soros was behind the unrest at universities like Columbia in New York.(2) One flyer being distributed at the protests has as its title, “Organize the Intifada: A Communist Program For Escalating the Gaza Solidarity Movement.” It was produced by the Revolutionary Communists of America (RCA).(3) The leftists in our government are helping them. They want and need unrest in America. Don’t be taken in by their lies. The left wants a divided America. Race-baiting and identity politics are two of their basic tactics. Secondly, remember that most kids in America are not participating in violent protests. Though many are spiritually and ideologically confused, and only 2 percent of them now have biblical worldviews, at their core, most of them are caring human beings.(4) Thirdly, and I realize this might draw some ire, but please don’t despise the students who are involved in these protests. I am not saying we should excuse their actions or that there should be no consequences for those who break the law. There should be. But remember, these kids have been fed liberal and leftist propaganda by parents, teachers and administrators, the media, and lying politicians - many of them all of their lives. They are simply parroting what they have been taught. Can we, who turned our nation over to these leftists, exonerate ourselves from some of the blame? Many Christians don’t even vote; some who do vote support liberals; most pastors won’t speak up against evil or teach their congregants what the Scriptures state regarding moral issues, etc.; and many parents have abdicated their parental responsibilities to train their children according to biblical principles. We Baby Boomers and Gen X’ers turned America over to antichrist, unpatriotic, leftist leaders and educators. Do we then think we can blame our children for believing what they’ve been taught? Perhaps it’s time for a look in the mirror. Maybe we should begin by repenting and asking Holy Spirit to give us His heart for this brainwashed generation. We could then follow that with some intense intercession for their salvation. In his biography of Leonard Ravenhill, In Light of Eternity, Mack Tomlinson relates the following statement from Ravenhill: “In my twenties, during a period of pastoring, I loved to go past the Salvation Army building, which was the largest one outside of London. There’s a huge block of stone at the front. Chiseled in one stone it says, ‘William Booth of the Salvation Army opened this corps,’ and then it gives the date of 1910. In a second stone it says, ‘Kate and Mary Jackson, officers in this corp.’ “It was in this poor city, where they spin and weave cotton into cloth and the whole town was on the poverty level, that Kate and Mary Jackson labored for a couple of years and nothing happened. Those girls worked diligently and went to bed exhausted at night. “So they wrote William Booth: ‘Would you kindly move us to another station? We’re so tired and disheartened. We’ve tried everything that we’ve been taught to do. Please move us to another location.’ “Booth sent a telegram back with two words: ‘Try tears.’ They did, and they saw real revival come. Those girls went to travailing prayer, not just prayer, but travailing prayer, prayer with anguish in it. “The road to revival is often paved with tears and brokenness.”(5) It is possible to love and pray for these kids who are protesting on the campuses without excusing their actions. We can love them while shutting down unlawful protests and speaking out against all forms of racism. The same types of unrest and protests - by a misguided, young generation wanting to make a difference in a world gone haywire - occurred in the 1960s and 70s. Their efforts, too, were fueled by Marxists and leftists, and yes, many of their actions were wrong, unwise, ill-informed, and destructive. Buildings were burned and destroyed; people were hurt, some even killed. We don’t want to see this repeated. I can assure you that some of those fomenting the violence and hatred do not care about the lives of these young people. In fact, sacrificing a few of them as “martyrs” would help their cause. Those behind the activity are EVIL! Pray for their exposure and failure. God’s answer in the 1960s and 70s was a Jesus Revolution. Millions of those kids were saved; thousands are today’s pastors and leaders. Had we added a true reforming and nation-discipling movement to the revival, as instructed by Jesus in Matthew 28, today’s young generation would not be so deceived and lost. (See yesterday’s post for more on this.) I don’t like what I’m seeing any more than you do. It angers me. But my heart breaks for this young generation—the fruit of our generation’s actions. This may be a good time for some self-reflection, repentance, and intense intercession. Maybe it’s possible to curse the darkness—not the people, but the darkness—AND light a candle. Selah. Pray with me: Father, forgive us for being so quick to point the finger of accusation at others. All too often, we blame others for the fruit of our actions. Remind us today of the words of Jesus, who said He did not come for the healthy, but for those who are sick and in need of a physician (Luke 5:31). Give us Your heart for the confused, disillusioned, misinformed, immoral, and even the violent. Remind us that we were once lost and in need of a Savior, of why we love the song Amazing Grace. We repent for not discipling our nation according to Matthew 28:18-20, as You so clearly instructed us. Forgive us for wasting the spiritual momentum we had during the Charismatic Movement and Jesus People Revolution. Forgive us for our short-term theology, neglecting Earth while singing our songs about heaven. Forgive us for giving our government, education, media, and the rest of our culture to those who hate You and Your Son. In so doing, we ultimately gave America to demons. We are grateful beyond words that Your mercy is greater than our failures. We thank You that this mercy never ends and that it triumphs over judgment. We ask You to now “show it off.” Invade this young generation with Your passionate love and powerful salvation. Rip them from the hold of darkness. Be their answer! Come with an ocean of love, rivers of Holy Spirit activity, and the unstoppable power of the Cross. Save them! We believe this is Your agenda for our day. And we partner with You by declaring it in the name of this young generation’s Savior, Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We declare that we will give tears a try. *************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. --------------------------------------------------- https://abc7ny.com/columbia-ccny-protesters-arrested-quarter-of-them-not-affiliated-with-schools/14754563/ https://www.thedailybeast.com/now-republicans-are-blaming-george-soros-for-campus-protests https://www.marxist.com/organize-the-mass-struggle-a-communist-program-to-escalate-the-gaza-solidarity-encampments.htm George Barna, American Worldview Inventory 2020-21 (Glendale, AZ: Arizona Christian University Press, 2021), p. 15. https://makethevisionplain.com/try-tears/
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6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/march-1-2024 March 1, 2024 Re-igniting, Uncapping, and Birthing the New I continue to ponder my time at Lou Engle’s conference this past Sunday night in Colorado Springs. It was a profound night. When introduced to speak, I hadn’t yet landed on exactly what Holy Spirit wanted me to share. So I began simply by mentioning my experience a couple of weeks back, when my spiritual father played the song, America the Beautiful, for a small group of us (read post here). The words to this song came in part to Katherine Lee Bates while on Pike’s Peak, which she wrote down when she returned to her hotel right there in Colorado Springs. Then I related how listening to the song and witnessing Jim’s heart for America had reminded me of, and renewed in me, the visitation I had from the Lord in 2000. This, like the song, occurred there in Colorado Springs. I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence that God reminded me of all this just before my return visit to that city. As I shared this that night, all heaven broke loose. Our good friend, intercessor and pastor, Terri Brown, wrote the following unsolicited account from her perspective, as well as what she heard from Holy Spirit during the service: ********* “I was able to participate in Lou Engle’s recent 222 Conference in Colorado Springs. Though very encouraging, it was also challenging, and at times heart-wrenching. “Although the entire conference was rich and significant, I’ve especially been pondering the last night when Dutch Sheets was the scheduled speaker. Many have described this as the most amazing, intense prayer gathering they have ever been in. There was unity, travail, worship, intense intercession, and a feeling of birthing and breakthrough. “Before giving you a word the Lord shared with me that night, let me give you a backdrop regarding Colorado Springs, our calling to this city, and some history. This will help you understand my perspective as I share. “Much was said during the weekend regarding the significance of what has been birthed in Colorado Springs over the years. Cindy Jacobs and Lou Engle rehearsed many of the significant prayer events, as well as entire movements that have been birthed here. I remember being present at some of these events and hearing the stories of others. “My husband, Jack, and I don’t just ‘live’ in Colorado Springs; we are ‘called’ here and have worked to steward its destiny. Therefore, these stories felt like part of our heritage, our birthright. Cindy emphasized this to a group of Colorado Springs leaders while here, reminding us that we must steward these spiritual wells in our region. This is important, not so our lives here will be more pleasant and prosperous, but because of the calling on this city to be a spiritual warfare hub, birthing prayer into the nation and nations. “As I surveyed the room on Sunday night, I saw so many in the room who were active members at Dutch’s church when he pastored here. These were people present the night the Lord encountered Dutch with His heart for America. They remember being quietly ushered out of the sanctuary when he was left alone with the Lord those 3 1/2 hours. These were the people who gathered to pray night after night with Dutch in December 2006; Chuck Pierce had prophesied to him that he was in a battle with Baal and needed to call for 21 days of prayer. These were the folks marked by the presence of God when the Lord came and rested here for 90 straight days in 2008. “Many of these individuals are now in their 60’s, 70’s and 80s. They came out in force for Dutch’s session Sunday night. I also saw many from the host church that have for years battled spiritually in our city. And, of course, there were many from Lou’s faithful tribe. It was an interesting mix of over 700 like-minded people. “As I pondered this that night, I was reminded of the word the Lord gave me for 2024 in November of last year. At that time, I heard Him say, ‘I am calling up the Reserves.’ Then I heard a call go out, ‘Report for duty!’ “When I think of the Reserves, I think of three types: Soldiers who have served in full-time active duty but have now retired and serve in the Reserves. Those who are ‘weekend warriors,’ soldiers on the weekend but focus during the week on their jobs and families. Those who want an education and see this as a way to pay for it; they are being trained and educated while serving. “I saw all 3 of these types of Reserves in God’s prayer army throughout the room Sunday night, and they were being called up to active duty. “As the meeting started, Holy Spirit led me to Isaiah 35:3-4: ‘Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance; with the recompense of God, He will come and save you.”’ “The Passion Translation words these verses: ‘Strengthen those who are discouraged. Energize those who feel defeated. Say to the anxious and fearful, “Be strong and never afraid. Look, here comes your God! He is breaking through to give you victory! He comes to avenge your enemies. With divine retribution, He comes to save you!”’ “As I pondered these verses and the word regarding calling up the Reserves, I was reminded that there were two fires that day in Colorado Springs. One was on the Air Force Academy grounds, the other on Fort Carson. In over 25 years of living in this area, I have never heard of fires at both bases at the same time; and I can’t remember fires ever occurring this time of year. Many times, what is happening in the natural realm is a sign of what God is doing in the spiritual realm. As I pondered this, I felt the Lord was showing me that He was reigniting His prayer army, not only the ground troops, but also His Air Force. “As Dutch got up to speak, we could tell God was engaging with him in a powerful way. He shared his encounter with the Lord 24 years ago here in Colorado Springs when He received the Father’s heart for America. Then he spoke of a recent experience that similarly ‘marked’ him for America. There seemed to be a convergence of those encounters that night, and Dutch seemed to be weighing what the Lord desired him to do. “As He yielded the meeting to the Holy Spirit, travail suddenly broke out all across the room; we went into a place of intercession that was rare and incredible. In this time, we experienced a reigniting of the prayer movement, an uncapping of the wells in this city, and a birthing of the new prayer army for this time and season. “Regarding what the Lord shared with me concerning calling up the reserves, Holy Spirit also said: ‘There will be fresh uniforms/mantles.’ ‘There will be updated spiritual weapons of warfare.’ ‘We must let go of the past season - of both victories and defeats - in order to step into the battle before us with fresh vision and faith.’ ‘We need to be rightly connected with other believers.’ “This is a critical time; so much is hanging in the balance. We must pick up the fresh mantles, allow the Lord to replace weakness with strength and refreshing, and put new spiritual weapons in our hands, enabling us to war victoriously.” ********* Pray with me: Father, You are more than amazing, orchestrating events in our lives when we are totally unaware. I did not even remember that I had an upcoming trip to Colorado Springs when You renewed what You did in me there, and used the song written there to do it. We can trust You to lead us. We thank You for the reigniting of the prayer movement, and for calling up the Reserves. Thank You for the fresh mantles and updated weaponry, which would surely mean greater revelation of the spiritual weapons You have given us. Thank You for all that was birthed that night in Colorado Springs. I will never forget the roar of travailing intercession released, nor the roar of Your promise: America shall be saved! We declare Your promise and heart once again today: America shall be saved! We also declare the connection of this to the nations: The greatest outpouring of Holy Spirit in earth’s history is coming to the nations of earth. The greatest harvest will result. This will NOT be stopped. And we thank You for this, asking in Yeshua’s name. Our decree: The prayer movement is being reignited and re-outfitted. And the plans of hell are being unraveled. ********************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. ---------------------------------------------------------- You can view the service Terri mentioned by clicking here. You can learn more about Terri Brown at TerriBrown.live.
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7 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/january-5-2024 January 5, 2024 An Incredibly Harmful Misunderstanding What I am about to share with you is not related to what is coming in 2024 in a predictive sense. But it is very related in a causative sense. It is extremely important, greatly misunderstood, and terribly under-taught. Please put your student hats on today and THINK. Holy Spirit, open our ears to hear today, and give me the ability to communicate with great clarity. Much is said in revivals and evangelistic meetings about repentance. It is, indeed, involved in the cleansing of sin, whether when one is being born again or when a believer receives cleansing. Unfortunately, many don’t understand the true biblical meaning and process of repentance, which can cause them to miss the transforming power it generates. Believers often struggle with repetitive sin due to this, and unbelievers can think they are born again/saved when they may not be. Statistics reveal that a very small percentage of people who pray what many call “the sinner’s prayer,” actually become true followers of Christ. I’ve heard statistics as low as 3-5%; I’m certain it’s below 10%. You may have picked up on me using the word “process.” Repentance is actually Part 2 of a 3-part process. Part One - Remorse Some think of repentance as remorse. It isn’t. Regret, sorrow, or remorse is a different word in Scripture (metamellomai)(1), and is the first part of the process. It is good to have sorrow or be sorry for our sins, but biblical repentance involves more. Judas had sorrow (metamellomai) but not repentance (Matthew 27:3). Esau wept over selling his birthright - obviously he felt remorse - but couldn’t find repentance (Hebrews 12:17). I’ve seen people weep at altars or when confessing sin, yet quickly go right back into their life of sin. Finney was said to have had men run to the altar weeping while he preached, only to tell them, “Please go back to your seat; you’re not ready yet.” What a foreign thought to most of us. Why would he do this? He discerned that they had not come to full repentance. Part Three - Turn Yes I did what most people do when “repenting.” I skipped a step. But don’t worry, I’ll come back to it. Most Christians believe that repentance also means “to turn and go another direction.” This is obviously important, but is phase 3, the end result of the process. This phrase comes from the New Testament word epistrepho (2), usually translated “turn” or “be converted.” Acts 3:19 (TPT) tells us, “And now you must repent and turn back [epistepho] to God so that your sins will be removed, and so that times of refreshing will stream from the Lord’s presence.” The Passion Translation’s explanation of the words “turn back to God” reads, “Peter uses the Greek word epistrepho ("turn back to God," "be converted").(3) We need to not only repent but to return home to God's grace and truth. This is a Hebraic thought of returning to the Lord God (the Hebrew word shuv)(4). Every Jew would know what that means: "Come back to God!" Repentance and return is more than a passive changing of one's mind.” Part Two - Repent Which brings us to Part 2 of the process: the word repentance itself. Without understanding this phase, we either won’t make the turn at all, as in a sinner rejecting Christ, or we will struggle in sustaining the turn, because it is being attempted from our mind and in our strength. First, let’s define the biblical word, then insert it back into the equation. This powerful Greek word, metanoeo,(5) comes from meta(6) meaning “after”; and noieo/noeo(7) meaning “to consider, perceive, think, understand.” These two words are compounded to form metanoeo, which literally means, as Strong’s tells us “to think afterwards; reconsider”(8). In other words, a person formerly thought one way, but a new and different knowledge or understanding has come, causing what Thayer defines as “to change one's mind”(9). Okay, you might be thinking, obviously a person who endeavors to change course and go God’s way has had a change of mind. So why make this definition a big deal? Patience, dear ones, I’m getting there. And be ready to think! This truly is meat from the Word, not milk. We’re headed for deep waters here. And if you understand what I’m about to tell you, it is a game changer! The biblical meaning of repentance from sin, though including a change of mind, is NOT referring to a simple mental exercise, decision, or choice. Biblical repentance - a change of mind - is the result of revelation, which literally means “lift or remove that which hides or covers” (apakalupsis)(10). Second Corinthians 4:3-4 tells us a veil or covering came to the heart of humans at the Fall, “blinding” us to God’s truth and perspective. The Fall and the Veil This occurred when Adam chose his own “knowledge of good and evil.” When he did, his own mind and intellect took over, gaining ascendancy over his fallen spirit, which had lost God’s life and Spirit. He no longer operated according to and under God’s truth and logic, but according to his own fallen, carnal, fleshly thoughts. Adam’s soul, his psuche(11) (Greek: mind, will and emotions) was now in charge. The New Testament actually calls fallen man a psuchikos(12), from psuche, this Greek word for soul. Usually translated “natural man,” it literally means “of the soul,”(13) referring to one who is led by their soul, not their spirit. In contrast, a “spiritual man” or person in the New Testament is pneumatikos(14), from pneuma(15), the word for spirit. Humans went from being pneumatikoses led from their spirit, which was filled with Holy Spirit and God’s life, to being psuchikoses, led by their souls and whatever information or emotions were held there. James actually tells us the knowledge that originates in this exalted psuche is “earthly, natural and demonic” (3:15). Unredeemed humans now live by and from this soulish knowledge, and Scripture tells us “A natural person [psuchikos - ‘man of soul’] does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness [moria - ‘moronish’] to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14 NASB). Since the Fall, because of this shift in power from spirit to soul, and the ensuing veil, we humans have needed revelation - “a lifting of the veil” - in order to see and understand truth, God’s logic, at a heart level. When this revelation occurs, THAT IS REPENTANCE! When Holy Spirit has been able to lift the veil of deception, give us a new understanding (His!) of our condition, and the will to recognize Jesus as Lord, we receive faith and Holy Spirit’s empowerment. We see God’s way, we want God’s way, and can go God’s way. We’re changed by the power of Holy Spirit, can now think His thoughts, want what He wants, and believe what He says. The biblical process of change: Remorse, Revelation and Repentance, turn back to God. This process is what we must ask for and war for when praying for the lost. It is what believers need to seek in order to overcome sin. And please hear this: when the true gospel of the Kingdom is preached, power from Holy Spirit is released (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18) to break the power of and remove this veil. The measure of faith (Romans 12:3) needed to believe is then activated. This power is multiplied in revivals. The power of Holy Spirit becomes so prevalent in the spiritual atmosphere that revelation breaks through the veil of deception more quickly. Revelation, in essence, becomes corporate, the veil being lifted throughout entire regions. When Holy Spirit tells us revival is coming, and He is, He’s telling us revelation is coming. When He tells us revelation is coming, He is telling us repentance is coming. And when He tells us repentance is coming, He is telling us breakthroughs of every kind are coming. Our role is to pray, asking for this; and also to decree its release, along with Calvary’s provision, with Christ’s authority. Holy Spirit and the angels will respond. Pray with me: Father, the prophets and prophetic intercessors are seeing a great thing. You have called them into Your inner council, as You did Isaiah, and allowed them to hear Your plans and timing (Isaiah 6). They have Issachar ears and hearts, understanding the times and knowing what to do (1 Chronicles 12:32). They are telling us revival is here and coming, and will intensify this year. As Your voice in the earth, the Church must release Your will. We do so now, decreeing in Christ’s name, which is all powerful and carries all authority, that revelation and repentance are being released into atmospheres throughout the earth. We decree the release of Calvary’s victory in the Middle East, breaking the stronghold of the prince of Persia over millions of people. They will have revelations of Yeshua, they will experience miracles; they will receive dreams and visions. Revival will explode in that region. We declare this over Asia, as well. The greatest revival in earth’s history is coming to these two parts of the world. America and other regions will experience revival, as well. Powerful, strong, veil-lifting revival! Awakening! Transformation! Deliverance! Captives freed, the oppressed delivered, the broken made whole! We decree that the lid comes off in 2024, and breakouts occur all over the world! In Jesus’ name, amen. Our Decree: We decree that revelation and repentance are coming to the harvest fields of the earth, and will release great power. ****************************** 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. 3338. Ibid., ref. no. 1994. Peter uses the Greek word epistrepho (“turn back to God,” “be converted”). We need to not only repent but to return home to God’s grace and truth. This is a Hebraic thought of returning to the Lord God (the Hebrew word shuv). Every Jew would know what that means: “Come back to God!” Repentance and return is more than a passive hanging of one’s mind. Ibid. James Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, ref. no. 3340. Ibid., ref. no. 3326. Ibid., ref. no. 3539. Ibid., ref. no. 3340. F.F. Bruce. The Acts of the Apostles [Greek Text Commentary], London: Tyndale, 1952, p. 97. James Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, ref. no. 602. Ibid., ref. no. 5590. Ibid., ref. no. 5591. Ibid., ref. no. 5590. Ibid., ref. no. 4152. Ibid., ref. no. 4151.
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6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/september-13-2022 September 13, 2022 The Assault Against Biblical Marriage Continues It requires constant vigilance to keep up with the left’s efforts to transform America. Our friends at IFA (Intercessors For America) have alerted us to another attempt at striking down righteous and sensible legislation from the past and rewriting it with a new woke doctrine. They tell us: “In what some say is an extreme response to the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the House - and now the Senate - has taken up a bill that would obliterate the longstanding Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). They call this fanatical bill the “Respect for Marriage Act,” but don’t be fooled by the name. It is not a respectful approach to marriage at all, but a radical sexual ideology pushed as a national doctrine. “If this bill is passed - it is now in the Senate and sadly has the backing of Senators in both parties - it would mean that states no longer have the authority or ability to define marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. It would also require federal recognition of polygamy if one state chooses to recognize it. This bill not only woefully brings to an end the Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA), but infringes on the religious freedom of millions of people of faith with this proposed federal law to uphold radical views on marriage. “Here is a message you can send to your Senators & Congressmen, or you can personalize it: ‘As a person of faith, I am deeply concerned about the recently proposed Respect for Marriage Act. It would not only fly in the face of our nation’s longstanding DOMA policy, but also goes against the grain of 5,000 years of traditional humanity. I am asking you to stand with traditional marriage, DOMA, and people of faith like me in your district. I am praying for you as you take your position on this issue.’”(1) Larry Tomczak recently wrote an article pointing out the need to remain alert to efforts such as these. In excerpts of the article, he says: “In our church on Sunday, a servant for Voice of the Martyrs ministry shared how he went to Sudan a few years ago to encourage Christians being persecuted. He was suddenly arrested, imprisoned for 14 months with ISIS killers, then sentenced to life imprisonment before God miraculously set him free. They falsely labeled him an ‘enemy of the state, attempting to undermine their government.’ Selah (ponder it). “Is [the current administration] doing what political leaders did in Sudan and other countries to intimidate the opposition and manipulate the masses into totalitarian control? Recently, in an ominous, almost Nazi-like setting with a blood-red backdrop, flanked by military guards (never before done in America), Biden declared with clenched fists that he was ‘defending our democracy in the battle for the soul of our nation!’ “In this nationally televised address coinciding with the previous day’s speech (when he called out traditional conservatives as ‘semi-fascists’), Biden issued a red alert regarding the patriotic supporters of former President Trump, labeling them as ‘extremists…angry… promoting violence… anti-Constitution… taking away contraceptives… stealing our freedoms…undermining our democracy.’ “He appeared to be echoing words from a letter he received from the National School Board Association alerting him (without providing support) of ‘extremists’ at school board meetings that are ‘the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorists.’ In the words of Democrat Party advisor Kurt Bardella, ‘The Republican Party is basically a terrorist cell operating in America.’” I do not identify as Republican or Democrat; I simply vote based on biblical values. There are individuals in both parties I would love to see go. No honest person, however, can deny that the Republican Party aligns more with biblical ideals and our Judeo-Christian roots than the Democratic Party. To this man, however, this equates to being terrorists. Tomczak went on to point out that “Biden says those who support and vote for Trump are the villains destroying America? Never mind the inflation, recession, shortages or gas problem, border chaos, fentanyl crisis, skyrocketing crime, corruption in the media or the weaponizing of government agencies.” I concur with Larry as he says, “I’m passionate to preserve our nation’s godly heritage; protect our children from evil by being ‘salt’ (see Matthew 5:13-16) holding back moral decay as Jesus directed; and honoring the covenant made by our founders to ‘advance the gospel for the glory of God’ (see Philippians 1:12-18). “We love America, warts and all, and as traditional conservatives, we stand unashamedly for God, country, one man and one woman marriage, the nuclear family, the sanctity of human life (womb to tomb), and genders assigned by God only. We believe the rights enunciated in our Constitution and Declaration of Independence come from God, not government. “The Democratic Party continues to harass former President Donald Trump and believes by keeping him in the news, they can keep the heat off this administration and the damage it has brought every American by its destructive policies and inept leadership. “Here’s the deal: Don’t allow yourself or those you influence to be deceived by the policies and propaganda put forth by the media and this administration. They want to tear down our Judeo-Christian system and replace it with secularist Marxism that fails every time it’s imposed. “Pray fervently. Ask God for spiritual discernment. Resist deception and tyranny. Communicate the truth. Vote values from a biblical worldview. Let’s stand in solidarity to clean America’s house and see another Great Awakening in our day! “‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States when men were free.’” - Ronald Reagan(2) ******* This quote from the great Ronald Reagan and shared by Tomczak is frighteningly true. Before you blow it off as just a scare tactic or exaggerated hyperbole, ask yourself what has happened to our free speech in the last two years. Remind yourself that concerned parents at school board meetings are now considered terrorists. (I will comment Thursday on judges ruling that schools can teach your children anything they want and support them in sex changes, without your consent or approval.) Face the fact that millions of people have illegally come into our nation in the last two years, some of them being terrorists, others bringing millions of doses of poisonous drugs, while still others trafficking women and children. I love every person that has crossed our southern border, and would do anything to see them saved and prosper, but this process is insane. Raise your voice against any of these things, and you are considered a fascist and dangerous to democracy. Perhaps we should listen to Mr. Reagan. Pray with me: Father, today we focus on our government. We are commanded to pray for them first and foremost (1 Timothy 2: 1-4). We pray wisdom for all, that evil will be removed, and godly leaders will be put in their seats of authority. We ask for leaders who will honor You and Your Word, honor and protect life, and honor the true content and meaning of our Constitution. And we ask for wisdom to be given them for reforming our nation back to its roots and purpose. We pray regarding the coming elections, which begin now with early voting and continue into November. Please move on the hearts of the church, not only to vote, but to do so guided first and foremost by biblical values. We Christians have given away so much influence and rule in our nation; help us to re-establish this in the voting booth. Cause truth to prevail regarding candidates and regarding the effects of their beliefs. Remove deception, dishonesty, and the distortion of truth. Move on the hearts of Christian leaders to speak out in this election cycle. And Father, our hearts ache for the children whose minds are being propagandized with evil doctrines, and whose bodies are being mutilated. We ask You to deliver us from this insidious, demonic effort to destroy them. We are desperate, we must have the revival You’ve spoken of. Please bring it and do so with great force - overwhelming force and power! Break the bands of wickedness off of our nation, rend the heavens and come down (Isaiah 64:1). We pray these things confidently, in the name of Jesus. Amen. Our decree: We decree, in the face of overwhelming evil, that America shall be saved..! ****************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. ________________________________ https://ifapray.org/take-action/?vvsrc=%2fcampaigns%2f97087%2frespond https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/13915-freedom-is-never-more-than-one-generation-away-from-extinction
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