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6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/january-20-2023 January 20, 2023 Hang In There January is the National Sanctity of Human Life month. Today is the March for Life in Washington D.C. Here are some comments from the March for life organization: “As we kicked off 2022, we hoped against hope for a historic victory for the pro-life movement. The Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health case was heard at the Supreme Court last December, with the justices considering the possible overturn of the wrongfully decided Roe v. Wade case. *********** “We prayed and waited for the decision to be issued, and on June 24 (the birthday of March for Life founder Nellie Gray!), we joyously saw the Supreme Court return the power back to the American people to protect the unborn through their elected representatives. “In the past few months, we have turned our focus to planning the National March on January 20, 2023, where we will be taking the ‘Next Steps’ and ‘Marching into a Post-Roe America’ (our theme for this year’s March for Life)! “This will be the 50th annual March for Life, the first Post-Roe National March. We plan to celebrate, give thanks, and remember those who have gone before us and led the way to this historic moment in time, and to map out a path forward!” (1) ********** I’m sure you picked up on the fact that this is the 50th annual March For Life. That is some pretty significant perseverance! Galatians 6:9 tells us we will reap at the right time - if we don’t grow weary and give up. You may have heard the poem about 2 frogs: Two frogs fell into a can of cream, or so it has been told. The sides of the can were shiny and steep, the cream was deep and cold. “Oh, what’s the use,” said number one, “It’s plain no help’s around. “Goodbye, my friend, goodbye, sad world,” and weeping still, he drowned. But number two, of sterner stuff, dog paddled in surprise. The while he licked his creamy lips and blinked his creamy eyes. “I’ll swim at least a while,” he thought, or so it has been said. “It really won’t help the world if one more frog were dead.” An hour or more, he kicked and swam, not once he stopped to mutter. Then hopped out from the island he had made of freshly churned butter. (Author unknown) I heard this witty poem on the subject of tenacity over 40 years ago in a message by John Garlock, one of my professors at Christ For the Nations Institute. There aren’t many messages a person remembers 40 years later, but John Garlock had a knack for preaching unforgettable sermons. Garlock also mentioned 2 Samuel 23:8-12, the account of three of David’s mighty men: Shammah, Adino, and Eleazar. Shammah had tenacity in the face of a humble assignment, defending a small plot of lentils from a group of Philistines. Adino personified tenacity in the face of overwhelming odds as he killed 800 Philistines single-handedly. Eleazar pictured tenacity in the face of incredible fatigue - after fighting for several hours, his hand had to be pried from his sword! I rank perseverance and endurance near the top of my list of most important spiritual traits. And the longer I live, the higher it rises. “Hang in there” didn’t make it into the Ten Commandments, but it did into the nine fruits of the Spirit. The Greek word makrothumia, translated as “long-suffering” in Galatians 5:22 (KJV), is defined by Strong’s Concordance as “longanimity or fortitude.” (2) That’s what I said: “Hang in there.” In this day of instant everything from “fast foods” to “get-rich-quick” schemes, to “four easy steps to answered prayer,” we are rapidly losing the character trait of hanging in there. We cook faster, travel faster, produce faster, spend faster . . . and we expect God to keep pace with us, especially in prayer. He won’t. George Mueller, a great intercessor, evangelist, and orphanage builder in the 1800s, knew how to “hang in there.” One example of his persistence in prayer is related by **** Eastman in his book, No Easy Road. He quotes Mueller as saying: “‘The great point is never to give up until the answer comes. I have been praying for sixty-three years and eight months for one man’s conversion. He is not saved yet, but he will be. How can it be otherwise . . . I am praying.’ The day came when Mueller’s friend did indeed receive Christ. It did not come until Mueller’s casket was lowered into the ground. There, near an open grave, this friend gave his heart to God. Prayers of perseverance had won another battle. Mueller’s success may be summarized in four powerful words: He did not quit.” (3) We, on the other hand, have mastered the art of one-liners in prayer and think if we give God a two-hour service once a week, we’re fairly spiritual. “Easy does it” might be good advice in some situations, but for most of life, including prayer, easy doesn’t do it. A pilot, early in a flight, went to the back of the plane to check on the reason for a warning light. The problem was a door ajar, which flew open as he approached it. The pilot was immediately sucked from the aircraft. The co-pilot, seeing by his panel that a door was open, turned back toward the airport immediately and radioed for a helicopter to search the area. “I believe I have a pilot sucked from the plane,” he said. After landing the plane, everyone was astonished to find the pilot holding on to the rung of a ladder, which he had miraculously managed to grab. He had held on for 15 minutes and, still more amazing, had managed to keep his head from hitting the runway during the landing, though it was only six inches away! Upon finding the pilot, they had to pry his fingers from the ladder. THAT is perseverance! (4) Anyone long associated with the church of America over the last 50 years knows that our problems do not result from a lack of information or provision. If we fail to achieve what God needs from us, it will be a failure of heart and spirit. Like the frog, I have kicked and swum my way - often over long periods of time - to more victories than I have accomplished quickly and easily. I have fought until my hand clove to the sword, and, like the pilot, I have held on to the ladder until my hand froze in place. No, I haven’t always won, but I have learned, without a shred of doubt, that tenacious endurance is often the key to victory in prayer. “Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you!” (Psalm 27:14 TPT) Prayer and Communion Father, just as Christ persevered in the garden and on the Cross, we persevere in laying hold of what His sacrifice provided for us. He broke the back of death, hell, and the grave. He disarmed principalities and powers, making an open display of His victory over them. He canceled the certificate of debt against us and made us His co-heirs. As we partake of Communion together today, we remember His victory over death. Through our Lord’s broken body and shed blood, we ask for forgiveness and cleansing from the sin of abortion. We ask for a resurrection of America’s corporate conscience to the evil of this sin. Awaken and transform our nation's thinking. Heal those who have been wounded by abortion. (Take the bread.) And Father, as we drink the cup, we remember and declare the power of Christ’s death. We declare over the death culture in America: you will end. We declare over the abortion industry: the blood of Jesus will end your wicked hold on America. And we declare over America: Christ’s blood on the Mercy Seat is cleansing you of this wickedness. We thank You, Jesus, for Your cleansing blood. (Drink the juice.) ************************** Portions of today’s post came from my book Intercessory Prayer. ____________________________________ https://marchforlife.org/2022-a-year-of-pro-life-victories-and-new-opportunities/ James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2990), ref no. 3115. **** Eastman, No Easy Road (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1971(, p 96-97. Craig Brian Larson, Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books 1993), pp 97-98. Click on the link below to watch the full video.

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/august-25-2022 August 25, 2022 Treasure Mountain A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words. Knowing this, God sculpted and shaped a vivid picture of hope deferred in the form of a mountain - wouldn't you know it would be a mountain! Rugged. Barren. Big. Its very name Horeb, means “desolation, a waste place, barrenness, dryness” - all synonyms of hope deferred. I sometimes think of this mountain when praying for America. This is the place where Moses ended up for much of his forty-year exile, shoveling dung instead of bathing in royal hot tubs. There can be no more severe case of hope deferred than what Moses experienced, having lost his royal inheritance and, it seemed, his destiny. I realize “it ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” but after disappearing for forty years, a dream is usually over. But thankfully, like many mountains, Horeb had treasure hidden within it. Not only would this barren piece of rock be a picture of exile-induced heart disease, but it would also become a glorious example of conquered hope deferred and healed heart disease. Horeb gives you a glimpse of life on the other side of your pain. The events associated with this place portray God’s amazing ability to heal, restore hope and purpose, and bring beautiful treasure from ugly mountains. Horeb didn’t remain horrible for Moses, and it won’t for you either. The transformation of Horeb became so complete, its power so harnessed by the hand of God, that it eventually became known as “the mountain of God.” (Exodus 3:1). It just doesn’t get any better than that! God can so transform the Horeb seasons of your life that one day all you will see when you look back at them is Him. “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, emphasis added). There is gold in this mountain, and you will find it! This became especially real to me a few years back when I found myself in a season of hope deferred, much of which had been caused by rejection and betrayal. While seeking the Lord for comfort one afternoon, He threw me quite a curve. “I need for you to embrace the pain,” He spoke very clearly. What a strange and seemingly cruel statement to hear from a loving Father who supposedly had great plans for my welfare and a future filled with hope. I did not realize, however, that God wanted more than to simply remove my pain; He also wanted to use it. God never wastes your pain; before He removes it, He makes it serve you. Horeb will become your gym and the pharaoh who sent you there your trainer. And ultimately, like God, whose nature you inherited, you will win. He always wins, and so can you. I want to be very clear that God wasn’t telling me betrayal is good, nor that He caused it. God doesn’t cause evil, but He does make it serve Him – and us. He needed for me to embrace the pain, not so I could hurt, but in order to grab it, wrestle it to the mat, and claim my prize! God doesn’t call evil good, as some people are prone to do. Pain isn’t good; it tells you something is wrong. Death is an enemy. Emotional wounds can break your heart. God doesn’t make light of your pain, and He isn’t playing weird mind games with you, trying to convince you that bad is good. He is saying, however, that no matter how great the wound and deep the pain, He knows how to heal and transform it. And not just into scar tissue. He will use its lessons to make you better, healthier, richer, and well positioned for a fulfilling future. Horeb isn’t terminal! Learn these lessons from this ugly mountain, and find the buried treasure you can take from it. One of the first things Horeb will have taught you, and one of the most important, is the power of perseverance. Don’t downplay this one – it’s huge. Waiting isn’t easy, and nothing truer can be said than that waiting is associated with hope deferred. Learning to wait without wavering will make you successful in life. God wants to strengthen your endurance through your experience at Horeb so that you can be like the distance runner who can run long distances without damaging the heart or lungs. Moses is one of the all-time record holders for waiting. After fleeing from Pharaoh and becoming an object lesson on deferred hopes and diseased hearts for 40 years, he found it hard to believe God could ever use him again – let alone awaken his dreaming heart. But after a season of arguing with God on this mountain (see Exodus 3-4), he decided to give it a try and became the all-time greatest poster boy for restored hope. Sometimes the perceived death of a vision is really just waiting for its divine time! That’s why persistence is so crucial. This could prove to be one of the greatest assets you’ll mine from this mountain. Rick DeVos, the co-founder of Amway and former owner of the Orlando Magic basketball team, says of persistence: “Persistence is the single most important ingredient of success in life…When confronted with a failure or disappointment, you have only two choices: You can give up, or you can persist…If I could pass on one character trait to young people in the world – one single quality that would help them achieve success in life – it would be persistence. It’s more important than intellect, athletic ability, good looks or personal magnetism. Persistence comes from a deep place in the soul. It is a God-given compensation for what we lack in other areas of our life. Never underestimate its power.”(1) All great men and women have learned to persevere. Galatians 6:9 encourages us to do so without losing heart: “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” Sometimes, like Moses, your wait is because you have not yet arrived at God’s “due time.” The words “due time” in this verse come from the Greek phrase, “idios kairos” and, when fully understood, are filled with reason to persevere. Kairos means “the right time; the opportune point in time at which something should be done.” The second word, idios, denotes “ownership.” This verse is telling you to not lose heart while waiting for something God has promised you, because you own a right time for the promise to arrive. Knowing this sure does make waiting easier. I’ve waited over 35 years for America’s - and the entire world’s - next great wave of revival. Twenty-five of those years have been on the front lines. Not quite as long as Moses, Caleb, and Joshua, but I can see their tail lights. During that span, my nation has become a Horeb - desolate, barren, and dry - but I’m starting to see “burning bushes” and hear awakening words from heaven. Open your eyes, see the flame, and listen to the God of resurrection life: “America shall be saved, the bones will live, and I WILL have my harvest!” Pray with me: Father, thank You for giving us inspirational stories in Your Word, for allowing us to see into the lives of overcomers and heroes. Thank You for showing us their challenges, failures, and recoveries. You are the God who makes Horeb serve us. You tell us unequivocally that Horeb is meant to be conquered and turned into a place of strength and breakthrough. We have all visited this mountain, and our entire nation now lives there. But God - YOU..! You have not given up on America - because You have not given up on the earth. We’ve been knocked down, but You, our Trainer/Manager, have not “thrown in the towel.” To the contrary, You are in our corner with the smelling salts, water bottles, and Holy Spirit’s power. We see the burning bush and we are listening for Your voice (Exodus 3). We have seen the bones coming together and can hear them rattling - not the death rattle, as some would contend - but the rattling of realignment (Ezekiel 37). We can hear Your laugh of derision toward Your enemies as You listen to them decree their supposed victory over You (Psalm 2). And now we decree Your words over this nation: “America shall be saved.” We decree over the nations: “You are the inheritance of Jesus Christ and He will have members in His family from every one of you.” We decree over our prodigals and family members: “We shall be saved, and so shall our household.” And we declare over the workers of iniquity in this nation: “The King is coming to shake you from your positions of power.” Our decree: We decree that our desolation and barrenness is being infused with resurrection life. *********************** Portions of today’s post were taken from my book The Power of Hope. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ________________________________________ Rich DeVos, Hope From My Heart (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), pp. 27, 33.