Chuck D. Pierce: China: The Sleeping Giant Awakens

Dear World Changers:

Please continue praying for our strategic trip this week to Hong Kong, then on to Canada on August 2. In China, we will have two days of meetings with key leaders in Hong Kong. Then on Wednesday night, August 1, the Homecoming 2012 gathering begins. There are already 13,000+ from 27 nations signed up for this meeting. My heart has been focused on China since the late 1970s. At that time, the Lord began to speak to me how, in the future, China would become the most influential nation in the world. He said to me, "The Dragon and her children, other Asian nations, will arise to unprecedented control of the economic systems of the earth." At that time, I began to read the history of revival in China and then the history of Communism and persecution.

China is creating a society to advance the Kingdom of God. The House Church system there is the strongest in the world. Their call to Israel is amazing. However, the materialistic, communistic rule can be in direct competition with God's Kingdom plan in days ahead. Satan works through trade systems by changing laws and times.

The Dragon nations will have a great move of God, but then the opposing force will arise and attempt to stop what is being birthed by the Church. Great persecution will arise from these nations. The persecution will come in the form of religious control. China's booming economy will set the pace for the rest of the world! But God!

When the Lord visited me at the beginning of 1986 with a profound vision (the one I shared in the introduction to The Future War of the Church), much of the revelation He gave me was about China. In this vision, the Lord clearly revealed to me what would happen in the next 40 years in 10-year increments. Here are the details from my vision that involved China: In 1986, He showed me how China would rise to power. He said that by 2006 it would have a greater influence and the eyes of the world would start turning toward this nation. China was then chosen as the host for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. He revealed to me that by 2016 this would be the most financially influential nation in the world. By 2026, the Chinese could actually rule the world and Russia would begin to submit to their leading.

In 2006, I took a historic mission trip to China with Peter Wagner, Ché Ahn and a wonderful intercessory team. We met with key leaders representing all the movements in China. During our time in Hong Kong, we spoke at a conference with thousands attending the night rallies. I also gathered with intercessors from all over the city. In Beijing, we convened with many of the Christian leaders in that area. There is hunger for God in China. This is the nation of worldwide influence in days ahead.

During that meeting I reviewed what the Lord had showed me about China back in 1986:

• 1986: This will be the turning-point year. The government of the land will arise, and from its oppression much change will begin to occur in the people. (This was the year of student revolutions forming. The Tiananmen Square protests then occurred in 1989, resulting in a massacre.)

• 1996: In this year, the government of the Church will begin to arise in a new way. An apostolic awareness will enter the earth, and leadership with a mind for change will arise across the earth. (This was the year Peter Wagner convened the National Symposium on the Postdenominational Church at Fuller Seminary. Bishop Bill Hamon regards it as the historical turning point for public recognition of the new apostolic movement, of which the International Coalition of Apostles-leaders from around the world aligned in a network to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church-is now a central part of this move. Even though God did not show me the Apostolic Church arising in China, I feel like the context of the overall vision timeline included China. When we arrived in China for our visit in 2006, the leadership of the Church there gave a loud "Amen!" as I shared the overall vision. They also informed me that their greatest "leadershift" began in 1996.)

• 2006: China will come into the world picture. This will be the year China will take its rightful place in the new season. (The Olympics were then scheduled and all eyes of the world shifted to China.)

• 2016: By Rosh Hashanah (September/October), China will take its place as the most influential nation in the world economy. Its economy will be second to none. At this point the United States will realign itself with China and they will be allies.

• 2026: The Chinese people will be the most dominant and influential people on earth, and China will have the principal role of bringing in the world harvest. (During our trip, Peter shared with me that for some years he had been prophesying that by 2025 China will be sending more Christian missionaries to other countries than any other nation.)

During our assembly in 2006 with the Chinese church leaders, a key apostolic business leader noted three significant observations: (1) the dechristianization of America, (2) the kingdomization of the Chinese Church, and (3) the Christianization of China. In 2005, China passed its first law regulating tax-free charitable giving that was to go into effect in March 2007. Shortly after passing this law the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs approached a key Christian leader to serve as a government consultant for formulating the laws regulating charities in China. He has also been appointed to a government committee comprised of 100 delegates who would advise leaders on the lifestyle of China's youngest generation. In that same meeting, leaders shared five emerging themes among the Chinese people that would contribute to the historical process I had prophesied:

1. A youthful population
2. A spiritual revival with a focus on outreach
3. Higher education
4. Economic power
5. A strong spirit of venture

Just last week, Managing the Rise of China by CNN's Jason Miks released an interview with historian Niall Ferguson about the rise of China, the likelihood of conflict in Asia and whether Europe is relevant. Portions include:

Question: One of the biggest stories in international terms this century has clearly been the gradual shift in power from West to East, and especially the rise of China. Is China's continued rise inevitable?

Answer: Not much in history is inevitable, but the shift from the West to the East looks like a pretty profound trend that it's hard to imagine suddenly stopping. The IMF has China's GDP exceeding that of the United States within four years, (2016) and the way growth rates are right now, something amazing would have to happen here in the U.S., and something very terrible would have to happen in China, for that not to take place. (I find this amazing that the Lord showed me this specifically in 1986. Also, I remember all of the flack I received when I shared and wrote about this major world shift).

So I think this is the biggest trend in economics, and perhaps geopolitics, in our lifetime. It goes back to the late 1970s and the reforms of Deng Xiaoping. I don't think it's going to stop for at least another 10 or 20 years, at which point demographics and other forces will start to slow the Chinese economy down. But this isn't something that is just about to collapse, and those that think there's a China implosion just around the corner are engaging in wishful non-thinking. It's not going to crash. It may slow, but it's not going to implode.

Question: Asia faces an unusual situation in that it has an established power in Japan, which is contending with two rising powers in the form of China and India. How concerned are you about the prospect for tensions spilling over into clashes in the region?

Answer: We should add into the analysis the United States, which is also an Asian power [and influence], and which has been the dominant Asian power since 1945. I think the big question is the one that Henry Kissinger posed in his recent book on China and elsewhere, which is namely, 'can we avoid repeating Europe's history of great power conflict and rivalry in 21st century Asia? Can we avoid a 1914 moment when the rising power, now China then Germany, goes head-to-head with the dominant power, today the United States, back then the United Kingdom.'

It's clearly a cause for concern that there are so many frictions, most notably over the South China Sea, but also over other issues such as the water problems in the Himalayas. I think there are no good institutional structures in place to avoid the kind of conflict that Kissinger is talking about. You can't really see anything in the way of Asian integration that's comparable to European integration, and in particular you can't see a mechanism for balancing China's growing economic power and the much lesser powers of China's neighbors. And that's a real cause for concern..The U.S. is no longer in a position to be predominant in the Asia-Pacific - those days are over. And so we're moving towards an era of bipolarity in a two-power system, and the lesson is pretty clear from the Cold War and other periods. This is a very tense kind of arrangement - and divided hegemony doesn't usually produce stability.

In Him,

Chuck D. Pierce
Glory of Zion International Ministries
Email: chuckp@glory-of-zion.org

James W. Goll: The Brilliance of His Great Presence!

Our primary text for this teaching is Exodus 33:13-23:

"'If You are pleased with me, teach me Your ways so I may know You and continue to find favor with You. Remember that this nation is Your people.'

"The Lord replied, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'

"Then Moses said to Him, 'If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that You are pleased with me and with Your people unless You go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?'

"And the Lord said to Moses, 'I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.'

"Then Moses said, 'Now show me Your glory.'

"And the Lord said, 'I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim My name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,' He said, 'you cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live.'

"Then the Lord said, 'There is a place near Me where you may stand on a rock. When My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove My hand and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.'"

My Personal Testimony – An Invitation

One time when I was "resting" in the Lord's presence, the Holy Spirit said to me, "I want to teach you to release the highest weapon of spiritual warfare." I continued to listen, as I knew there must be more. I was eager to hear what He had to say on this subject as I had studied it for years. He continued, "I will teach you to release the brilliance of My presence." In a moment, it seemed all theological debate on the issues of spiritual warfare was answered. What is the highest weapon? Why, He is! He is the highest weapon of spiritual warfare. He wants us to be gatekeepers so we can release the brilliance of His great presence!

A Day In Your Courts

Yes, once you have truly tasted the goodness of the Lord's presence, nothing else will satisfy you! You are ruined for the rest of your life! It is true! Oh, how I have found it to be true! A day is better than the best this world could ever offer! Tell the Lord now that you want to be a gatekeeper – a gatekeeper of His presence.

Psalm 84:10-12 Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in You.

NEEDED: A Hunger For His Presence

We need His presence more than anything in this life! This is to be the outstanding, distinguishing characteristic of God's people in all generations – His presence among us!

1. Exodus 33:12-23 says God gave Moses his request and revealed His glorious Presence to him.

2. Exodus 25:30 shows the bread of His Presence (or showbread) used by the priest in ministering to the Lord.

I want to tell you a dream that gripped my soul. In January 1999, while I was resting in the Lord's presence, the Holy Spirit visited me with a piercing dream that has helped to set my course of direction and I believe is a clear word to His people wherever they find themselves in life and ministry.

In this dream, I was holding long loaves of bread each wrapped in their own individual napkin. I was holding these loaves of bread close to my chest right over my heart. Then I got our youngest child's (Rachel's) blanket she had since birth. I now wrapped these loaves of bread in her dear baby blanket. I held the bread close to my heart and just kind of rocked the bread as you would a newborn child.

Then I heard the words, "When My people will care for, cherish, nurture, and love the 'Bread of My Presence' like a parent does its newborn child – then revival will come." I then found myself awakened out of the dream only to find my arms were held out as though holding and rocking something. I heard myself prophesying out loud in the bedroom the same words I had just heard in the dream as the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit was lingering over my body. The Lord was emphasizing these words by having them be repeated twice!

This I know – He wants us to cherish and care for His Presence. Pray for His presence. Love His presence. Nurture His presence. After all, isn't this what you have longed for all your life? Isn't this what you were made and created for – to be a carrier of the most brilliant presence?! Isn't this the answer to the Church's cry for help? We need more of Him!

When will revival come? When will a societal transformation occur? You got it! When we get up in the middle of the night – do the night feedings, hold the child close to our bosom, and wash the child of new beginnings with the love and compassion – then revival will come! Let His presence come forth!

It's All About Jesus!

Hebrews 13:8 states Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. The bottom line is that healing comes as a result of the completed work of the Cross of Jesus Christ! What He did yesterday, He will do today and in the future. Why? God has not changed!

Let us believe and see in our day the following verse activated:

"You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38).

So, let us continue in actions of praise, prayer, worship and intercession together and see the fullness of the ministry of Jesus be restored in our day in our cities, states or provinces, and nations!

For such a time as this – let pure worship arise!

James W. Goll
Encounters Network • Prayer Storm • Compassion Acts Team
Email: info@encountersnetwork.com

When the Holy Ghost gives you a DOPE SLAP

I know the old saw about the "Holy Spirit is a gentleman". I guess they should have mentioned that to Ananias and Sapphira Before, To Paul just before he was de-horsed and to the Jailer at Phillippi before he tried to kill himself.

It is heresy to believe that an encounter with the Creator of the Universe by His Spirit will be a passing innocuous encounter. I have come to the conclusion that this old saw is perpetuated by spiritually flatline Christians who have never felt or seen an explosion of the Presence of Holy Spirit. Perhaps if they did, they wouldn't recognize it.

I have had such an encounter. I have been one of the crowd on the day of Pentecost, as one of the 3000 who got saved that day. I have gone from darkness to light by a dope slap right across the back of my head that got the attention of this hardheaded German. The Story Follows:

My brother in law was getting married. We were invited to the wedding. We heard that he had gotten religious. He had turned in his Lutheran membership. Heresy. If you were born a Lutheran boy, and you will die a Lutheran. You don't get out of it that easy pal. As a good hardhead, I was intent on showing him the error of his ways. To return him to the mother ship.

The wedding was the day before Easter. Saturday. A small Assembly of God Church. Nice wedding. The next day was Easter. The family and the Bride and Groom invited us to church. SO, rather then be a toad and sleep in, we went. Sat in the balcony. There were maybe 100 people there. The service began. Worship songs were sung direct from scripture. You didn't need a hymnal, your KJV (furnished) was all that was required. We sang songs right from the Bible. Never seen that before.

Then things started to move. People got up and danced in the aisles. Some fell out. Some hollered. It got radical. Then there were messages in tongues and interpretations. A few. And prophesies. The hair on my arm stood up. I had never seen nor heard anything like this. The sense of the presence of God in the place was strange yet very inviting. A few people sang songs. The songs sung were not sung with great skill, but with passion and anointing. I was brought to tears. I had never heard anyone sing by the anointing before.

It was amazing. Yes a spirit of ridicule came over me..for a bit. It seemed so strange. But they were not drunk as I supposed since it was about 11 AM PST.

I guess there was a sermon. I don't remember it. It was the least significant thing that took place that day. Yet when the time to respond to the call came... I wondered, "What must I do to be saved". I was right there as if I were in the crowd on Pentecost Sunday with Peter and the 120. I was changed, shocked, stunned.

After the service I spoke to some of the members to see if this was real. I told them I was LUTHERAN. One old gentleman said, "I listen to the Lutheran Hour every week. They preach truth". It should have made me feel better, but it didn't. He was right, but he had something I didn't. I had truth, but he had the Creator of all the Universe living right inside him in fullneess of the Spirit. Biblical Truth without the Spirit of God is powerless to change lives.

From that time on I knew I had to get to this place in God. It came. One sowed, some watered and others reaped the harvest.

35 years later I recognize the power of Pentecost. The impact. The way the Spirit of God hit me so hard to the point where I cried out.

We need more of that, and less of US. People are perishing because of a desire on the part of church to remain in control and stay respectable. I wonder if that same little Assembly of God church is the same today as 35 years ago. I sadly doubt it. Paul said, "Quench NOT the Spirit". I think that has been struck with White Out from most of the western Church's Bibles.

We need to reflect on that old spiritual: "Luckenbach Texas" by Waylon Jennings - M
Maybe it's time we got back to the basics of love. ALL the words of that song speak of discarding those things that keeps love from growing.


Sometimes a Holy Ghost dope slap comes in the form of a Country Song.

Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda: Fearless! God-of-Angel-Armies is Fighting for You!

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need Him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in sea storm and earthquake, before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God–of-Angel-Armies protects us (Psalm 46:1-3, TM).

The Word of God says to "be fearless." God is God. He is awesome, all powerful, full of mercy, loving, kind, and fiercely protective of His beloved Bride. What can man do to you? Can anything, life, death, kings, earthly or spiritual powers separate you from His great love? Perfect love is His name, and where He is there is no room for fear. He is the God-of-Angel-Armies. He is faithful to complete what He has begun in you. The hosts of Heaven are on your side.

If you are struggling with anxiety and fear for your future, your children, the journey you are on, don't get stressed out. God is in charge. He has good plans for you. The God-of-Angel-Armies is protecting you, your future, your house, and your children. This is a living word for you today. Soak in it; get transformed by it. Let the multi-dimensional glory of His living Word get inside you and encourage, heal, and touch you today.

Faith is a living realm you can step into. It is God's glorious presence bursting with life and activity. Just think about the Throne John saw in Heaven. The rainbow of God's presence surrounds the highest seat of authority. Everything that God says or does is bound by His covenant promise and blessing. Miracles of healing and deliverance are among the primary manifestations of God's Kingdom on earth.

His Angels Are on the Move

Angels are sent to assist in that great work by carrying the glory from the throne into our circumstances. They show up in battles and destroy God's enemies. They appear in the desert, and minister food and strength to God's servants. They carry messages of good news and great joy to all who look toward God's appearing. They say the word, and out of barren wombs, life is birthed. They are the glorious, supernatural army of the God-of-Angel-Armies. And in these last days, His angels are on the move to do glorious things.

Angels carry the vibration of Heaven: The angel that stirred the pool of Bethesda was a carrier of God's healing presence. That messenger was saturated in the glory and when that virtue hit the water, those vibrations of glory and the waters danced with God's presence and power. All who needed healing were restored when they came into contact with His glory.

Angels respond to the anointing: When the anointing of the Holy Spirit is on a particular word of healing or other miracle, there will be a release of angelic activity that brings sudden breakthrough. Angels are God's messengers and are moved by His Word (see Psalm 103:20). Time and again we have witnessed this when families and individuals stand their ground believing God for a miracle.

Angelic activity is entwined with the prayers of God's people: Or, to put it another way, praying people will have angelic activity in the events of their lives. The elderly priest Zacharias was offering incense on the altar of prayer when he was startled by an angel's sudden appearance. "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John" (Luke 1:13). Zacharias was so old that all hope of answer to his prayers to have a child of his own had passed many years before. But God had not forgotten. He sent His angel Gabriel to announce this to the priest. The announcement of the word loosed the miracle of its fulfillment.

Angels protect: Sometimes when we are in a battle, the anointed word of the Lord will loose angels and secure the victory as we speak. Other times the Word becomes the target for our consistent prayers. The enemy will try to discourage and oppose us in the very place that the Lord has given us direction. But persistent, consistent, faith-filled prayer will prevail and loose the miracle for your deliverance. His Word will not return void. His angels are instruments of power to fulfill it. Psalm 91:11–12: "For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone." In the midst of a crisis, when it looks as if the enemy of our soul has overwhelmed us, holding onto God's truth will release these powerful angels into our situations.

Angels are always connected to God's Presence: Angels are not to be worshiped. They are servants of the Most High God. They are always connected to His Presence and His will in any situation. When Joshua saw the Angel of the Lord on the plane before Jericho, he asked, "Are you for us or against us." The glorious One said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." Angels are under the command of the God of Israel, and they are present where He is. If you want to experience more of God's angelic intervention, become a person who seeks His Presence. As Moses said in Exodus 33, "If Your presence will not go with us, I will not go." Angels are powerful; angels are wonderful messengers of God, but our focus is His Presence. Faith will bring you into Presence. His Presence will bring you into promise – and His hosts of angels will be right there to bring His promises to pass.

Face to Face with an Angel

The more congruent you become with His word, the more you will invite the presence and intervention of angels. When an angel burst in on me, Mahesh, a few years ago, he was full of vim and vigor and the exultation of victory. His armor was smoking from battle, and I could tell he had just popped in before heading to another. He looked at me with a huge grin on his face and asked, "How big is your chair?" God is enthroned on our praises. The more we stay in a place of praise, worship, thanksgiving, the more we will come into harmony with the atmosphere of complete peace, joy, love, and victory of His throne. We become a carrier of His presence where angels move and dwell.

No matter what our circumstances, we can fill our atmosphere of His glory and power by making His chair big in our hearts. Paul knew this secret. While a prisoner in the hold of a ship for his final "missionary journey" his heart was at rest in assurance of God's promise to keep his appointment in Rome, no matter unfavorable circumstances. When the ship was in grave danger of destruction in the storm, Paul got in the glory. He was fearless in faith, and God sent an angel with strategic direction and gave Paul the life of every man on board (see Acts 27:23-24). Where the servant of the Lord is, the word of the Lord is, the angel of the Lord is, and not one life will be lost. That's you right where you are today. You are anointed. Tap into the glory of His presence for your family, your finances, your inheritance in your nation. Let faith come where there has been fear. Let hope replace despair. Steep yourself in the promise God has for you today.

The God-of-Angel-Armies is for you, and He is loosing angels to carry the vibrations of His glory into your situation. Help is on the way.

Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda
Chavda Ministries International
Email: info@chavdaministries.org

Crooks of the Worst Kind... Preachers Bilking the Church

This is a powerful statement that EVERY Senior Leader of EVERY church must read. There is a terrible day of the Lord coming to blasphemers; many of whom will stand in the pulpit next Sunday. Read, Tremble and Return to the Fear of the Lord or be prepared for Judgement. I don't know many of whom Robert speaks personally, but I know a few. That is too many. Read what Robert says:

Robert Blackburn

‎"Write what's on my Heart. That's a tall challenge. Preachers bilking the church while they live in splendid houses and drive expensive automobiles. Them buying and selling houses and property using the churches Tax exemption status to become wealthy, hiring shady CPA's to help them cover their dirty work and beat the system. All off the backs of the local church people who work hard and all give them a part of their income because that's what they were told they had to do to go to heaven. Living like fat cats while appearing to be doing great work for God. You would have to have lived in their homes to know the real truth behind this righteous facade they present to the public. Some have been buying and selling like this for over 40 years and managed to stay ahead of the IRS and the saints too. They still keep everything in the Churches name but they have free reign of all the finances and live like Kings, moving to a new house and church building every few years, each one grander than the one before. People think they're really spiritual because they have so much. They're crooks, of the worst sort. It's not just TV preachers, it's ministers on the local level too who think they're Untouchable.

Okay, I'm writing under the surface about something but I'm allowed to do that. I've asked myself for years and I've even asked God, why has He let this go on in this manner. That's not all of it. These same sharks, and that's what they are, have condemned everybody to hell who does not comply with all their rules and it's their way or the highway. I'm not talking about good Pastors, I'm talking about the rotten ones who have driven untold numbers of people into the street while they ruled with an iron fist and flattened anyone who got in their way. Those who could not comply were called ungodly, reprobate and the worse of sinners while these got richer every day. Some of us believed their words and felt we were no good and godless folk because we could no longer abide such tyranny. We left the church in shame and fell into all kinds of bad worth because we believed what they said about us. It's taken some of us an entire lifetime to get our senses back, go back to loving God who we learned never stopped loving us and recover from some of the garbage laid on us. Many still haven't returned to any kind of faith and they're lost between what they once believed and what they know is real today. So many years wasted, never realizing that much of that wasn't about God to begin with. It takes years to get over being bitter at everything and return to your first love. What hurts a lot is when you still see good people, even young people who do not know any better falling for these ministries that are not what they appear to be. How many more must be pulled in and used up before God says enough.

So many young people's lives destroyed, married to people they never wanted to marry, even before they were grown adults, because the preacher said so. And so many divorces to show for it, lives broken and scattered in all directions. So many mistakes made through lack of self-worth, addictions and failings that never should have happened while the ring leaders seem unscathed. Oh, I know, we are told that they will get their just due one day. And then you see them hurt someone else. Another report came to me about new souls, flattened, torn down, made to comply or get out, hearts that really love God but have fallen into such a church. I wasn't going to say all this but I must be real. These false preachers, and I don't care what their names are and what group they belong to, just better hope and pray that all of these struggling to make their way back to the Lord don't get too discouraged and stop their recovery. These cast out souls just might decide to not be seeking to follow the fruit of the Spirit and start telling everything they know on these evil doers who have been hidden and covered all these years. It's tempting, I won't lie one bit. People died thinking God and His people didn't love them and these have flown so high, living like rich princes and sucking God's people dry. Those of us who fell and made mistakes have learned to take responsibility for our own failures. We're drawn away by our own lusts, that's the Word. Our business was shouted from the housetops but don't worry, before it's all said and done, what they are and what they've done will also be shouted from every roof. The Word says that God has a special punishment and accountability measure for those ministers who have destroyed and scattered His sheep. That's also the Word whether anyone wants to hear it or not. It's not easy to keep the right Spirit when you see new people getting hurt by the same back breakers.

Leaving vengeance to God is not always easy. It's a test to see if you can keep the right spirit and not be distracted or brought down again by such heartless ones. I know there are millions upon millions of hurt souls that still need someone to understand and tell them, "It was as bad as you thought it was, but there is a way out. It's the same path you started down a long time ago. The one that's walked only by those who truly love the Lord and love His people." I'm still a bit angry over all this but I won't let it destroy me this time. We've come too far, we've worked too hard. I even prayed for those hard heads today. And that my friend, is progress. God will handle it. I have to control my spirit. Sometimes, I don't want to.

An Article on Getting out of Poverty

I just completed a long article on getting out of poverty. It is not directly prophetic, yet it is filled with prophetic meaning. If you are interested, you can read the whole long thing HERE.

As Things Escalate...

As Things Escalate...

We are approaching a day and time that will be like nothing we've seen before. Are you and your family ready? In the past few years we've shared several words that God has given us regarding the days ahead, such as Days of Wonder and Days of Dread, Like Never Before – Prepare Yourself, and Entering a New Day– Everything Will Change (see these below).

Keep Your Eyes on Me and On My Glory
As things escalate and get darker in the earth it is vital the Church has her gaze fixed upon the right things, on her King and the joy set before her! If we are going to carry out and complete our mission in the midst of confusion and chaos in the earth, it will require that we stay very close to the Commander and Chief, and absolutely focused on our mission in the earth.

Several months ago as I (Cindy) was in prayer, I felt somewhat overwhelmed regarding the levels of wickedness in our nation and the world, and grieved for what I saw could be coming to America if repentance didn't come. As I felt almost overcome by this, the Lord spoke these words so clearly to me, He said, "Keep Your Eyes on Me and on My Glory!"

He does not want us to fix our gaze on or be overwhelmed by the darkness in the earth, but we must fix our gaze upon Him and His promise to reveal His Glory in His Church and in the earth for all flesh to see! This is the joy set before us and the greatest thing is we have eternity with Him in Glory to look forward to! This is not a time for us to be overcome by evil, but to overcome it with good as Romans 12:21 instructs us!

Gross Darkness & a Great Light!
As a Christian you may have also felt overwhelmed at times by the sin and corruption in our culture and the world around us. In 2 Peter 2:7 we see that a just man named Lot was also feeling very overwhelmed. Scripture tells us that he was vexed because of the wickedness around him. And Noah, who was a preacher of righteousness probably felt this way as well. Yet, he continued to preach righteousness and continued to carry out the plan of God for him and his family!

Jesus Foretells
In His Word Christ forewarned us of these days so we could be ready and prepared. He does not want us caught by surprise (Matthew 24). We must remember that God has a plan and is in control even when it seems like everything is out of control, even in the midst of gross darkness. This is why we must stay very close to Him. He is our rock, our fortress, our counselor, our joy, and the one who will guide us through to a complete victory. If you want the 411, as some would say, then you need to stay very close to the one who has and knows it all.

The Greatest Days of the Church
We do believe the greatest days of the Church are ahead of us! We also know that as we move forward we are going to see a greater divide (see When Lines Are Drawn in the Sand), a greater contrast between darkness and light – a greater separation. Isaiah 60: 1-3 in action. We may also experience greater persecution, yet in the midst of it, the Glorious Church will rise up and shine with the the only answer for the nations – the true Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

"Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." Isaiah 60:1-3

The Glory of God Being Revealed
God is calling us to rise up and reveal Christ and His Glory in the earth, to seek and save the lost, and to be a shining light in the darkness. We can only do this when our hearts, our eyes and lives are completely fixed on Him, filled with light, which is Jesus Christ and His message of salvation. He said “I am the light of the world (John 8:2)” We must keep the JOY of His glory set before as we move forward! We must keep our focus on the promises of God. Yes, things will continue to escalate in the earth, but in the midst of it all His Glory will be revealed in and through His Church! This is the joy set before us. Let's keep our eyes on Christ and His Glory! Let's believe to see the nations on their knees crying for His salvation!

The Breaking Point Where Shift Happens -- Jason Hooper

Come Away

We are on the verge of a significant spiritual shift. Can you feel it? The Lord is drawing many into times of intimacy and preparation for what He is prepared to pour out.

He is inviting us to encounter Him in secret. Along with this invitation, many are feeling a desire to return to the contemplative spiritual disciplines of generosity, prayer (including meditation), and fasting as outlined in Matthew 6. With these disciplines come a great grace for spiritual hunger and the revealed Word.

Jesus said when we respond to this invitation by coming away with Him, then our Father would reward us openly in the days to come (see Matthew 6:6, 18). The reward is not our motivation, He is. However, He is a rewarder of our diligent and faith-filled – longing to experience more of Him as we position our hearts to be flooded with the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of Him (see Ephesians 1:17).

This is a season where we will transition as a people from knowing about Him to knowing Him. It is my hope that we, with Job, will soon be able to say, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You (Job 42:5)."

Becoming the Wave

On Wednesday, May 16, 2012 I had a brief spiritual encounter related to this truth. This experience gave some definition to the season I am experiencing, and may be helpful to many of you in the same place.

I was standing on a beach looking out into the water that was drawn to sea, in preparation for a coming wave. I noticed the ebb of the water continued for much longer than I thought it should have. As I pondered why it could be taking so long for the tide to turn from the place of ebb into the coming flow, all of a sudden, I became the water.

As I left the shore, the sands receded and exposed hidden treasures, including seashells and other rare and exotic nautical gems the likes of which I have never seen before. It was then that I began to have understanding of this present process, recognizing that while it may appear to some that we are being pulled back or somehow delayed, the truth is that we are being pulled in. This "pulling in" is in preparation for what's about to break.

As the wave continued to build, I realized that it is in this process that we actually become the wave. I watched as the wind (Holy Spirit) continued to blow upon the water (the Word), bringing with it infusions of divine energy that continued to permeate and pulse throughout the current.

The Coming Shift

How long is this season of ebb to be? The answer to that question is two parts: part Him and part us. I believe a lot of God's timing is not recognized by when a spiritual outpouring itself occurs but when the hunger and desperation for it is imparted. This is the initial point on Heaven's timeline.

When those hungry disciples gathered in that upper room they did not know how long they were signing up for, they just knew that they were signing up. Jesus had given them a Promise – the Promise of His Father. He told them to wait in Jerusalem "until" they received power from on high (see Luke 24:49).

A good way to define the coming turning point in this spiritual tide is the word "until." "Until" represents the breaking point where shift happens.

This coming shift will bring with it tremendous breakthrough and blessing. We all have areas where we are in great need of the Lord of Breakthrough, but remember that before God broke through David's enemies, he returned to the stronghold and inquired of the Lord (see 2 Samuel 5:17-20).

Return To the Stronghold

Breakthrough is found in our private devotion and personal pursuit of God when no one is watching. If you are in need of breakthrough, make it a point to "return to the stronghold" and watch what the God of the Breakthrough does for you. When He breaks open, we break out (see Zechariah 9:11-12 and Micah 2:13).

Jesus modeled this profound truth in His own life. We see in Luke 4:14 that His time of fasting in the wilderness produced great power as well as preparing and positioning Him for His next stage of life and ministry. Great miracles along with public demonstrations of tremendous power and authority were often preceded by significant time spent hidden away with His Father in secret.

When we purpose to live a life of sacrificial devotion to our Father in the secret place through contemplative prayer and fasting, we and the world we live in will become greater for it. This is one way that we can say "yes" to the ebbing pull of the Spirit in our daily life.

David found the God of the Breakthrough in the stronghold, not on the field of battle. He is our stronghold (see Nahum 1:7). It is in our returning to Him that He restores, breaks through, and gives back more than what we had lost and better than we had!

The book of Zechariah provides a wonderful promise of restoration in response to our "returning." "Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you" (Zechariah 9:12).

A Door of Great Hope

Many of us feel that we have been pulled into a place that at first we did not see as necessary in our apprehension of God's promises in our life. Truth be told, it is in this place that we are prepared to inherit and fully occupy the promises.

For some of us, it may feel like a wilderness, but if we can embrace His pull we will begin to know and experience the Lord in a new way. It is in the "valley" of our troubles that He establishes a door of great hope (see Hosea 2:14-23).

Properly recognizing and engaging in the wilderness experience is as vitally important to our divine destiny as when the "walls came down" for Israel. There we begin to see God and the treasures of His inheritance in a way that we have never seen before.

Launch Out Into the Deep

At the beginning of this year, the Lord began to speak to me from Luke 5:1-11. As the story goes, Peter had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. They had just returned to shore and were cleaning their nets when Jesus jumps into his boat and asks that they push away from the shore so that He can instruct the multitude that had gathered to hear Him.

Once Jesus had finished teaching, He turned to Peter and instructed him to first "launch out into the deep," and secondly, "let down your nets for a catch." To this Peter replied, "'Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.' And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink."

As great as this "catch" was, it pales in comparison to how radically their lives would be transformed. Verse 11 says, "So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him."

The word "forsook" means to leave behind. In one day, they abandoned their way of life and everything familiar to them to pursue Him and the destiny for which they were created.

What had happened? What made the difference? When Peter was willing and obedient to do what the Lord asked, the harvest of what he had believed for came to him (see Isaiah 1:19). In that moment his previous desires were replaced with a new desire.

In this place of undivided devotion to Him, He captures our hearts and, like the disciples, we abandon everything to pursue Him wholeheartedly. It is in this place that we find Him (see Jeremiah 29:13).

I believe Jesus' invitation to Peter is still being given to us today. Are you ready to leave the shore and become something more?

Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; all your waves and billows have gone over me. Psalm 42:7

Can you feel the depth of God's heart calling to you in this season? Can you feel the depth of your spirit desiring Him more than your next breath? Launch out, my friend, and launch into Him. It is in this place that your wilderness becomes a fruitful field.

A "Catch"

The letting down of our nets has several applications. Firstly, the coming catch is not according to human effort, but trust and rest in Him and His Word to us. Secondly, it is a place where we let down our guards and allow the Lord to go deep in us. It is in this place of humility, willingness, and obedience that He brings to us the very things we have need of as we delight ourselves in Him.

Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

"Delight" means to be pliable, soft, and effeminate. It's a willingness to be molded and changed as He sees fit. "Desires" can be broken down as "de" (of) and "sire" (father) to mean "of your father."

As we situate ourselves on His Potter's wheel (see Jeremiah 18:1-11), He begins to mold us and shape us "until" we are gloriously transformed into a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work (see 2 Timothy 2:21). Through this process, the desires of His heart become the desires of our heart.

Jesus was the exact representation of His Father. He said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). That day, Peter saw his Father – a Father who takes delight in the blessing and prosperity of His sons and daughters, a Father Whose good pleasure it was to give him the Kingdom (see Psalm 35:27 and Luke 12:32).

For us, I believe "the catch" speaks of much more than resources. It is the revelation that brings resources. Peter had a revelation; therefore the resources came to him. His obedience to "Launch out into the deep and let down his nets..." was a choice he made by faith in response to Jesus' word to Him.

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). This is speaking of the rhema word of God, or the spoken and revealed word of God. That day, Peter heard the Word, Himself, and received a revelation.

Not the Time To Be Complacent

Waking up on the morning of May 24, 2012, I heard the first few words from Isaiah 32:15 echoing in my spirit, "Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high..."

In this passage, Isaiah was speaking to a group of women who had not recognized the season in which they were living and the way in which they needed to posture themselves in preparation for what was coming. Their complacency to act and failure to discern the Lord's voice was leading them to a place of lack, disappointment, and despair if they did not recognize their invitation and adjust accordingly.

As Isaiah addressed the consequences of their complacency, he pleaded with them to recognize the areas of injustice that were being wrought in their day. Sadly, they lacked the eyes to see, the ear to hear, and the heart to perceive what the Lord was asking of them.

Because of their complacency and failure to recognize the Lord's voice, they were told, "In a year and some days you will be troubled, you complacent women; for the vintage will fail, the gathering will not come" (Isaiah 32:10). Their "catch" would not come to them, because they had not first come to Him. Now is not the time to be complacent.

We must also not be like the Shulamite who was not willing to respond to the voice of her beloved in the day of her visitation (see Song of Solomon 5:2-8). She responded to the very invitation that she had so longed for with a list of reasons why His coming wasn't convenient for her.

In verse 6 she looked back with regret, recognizing how her heart leapt within her at the sound of His voice. Let us not look back with regret, but instead do whatever we can to meet with Him when He comes knocking. Her complacency cost her the visitation that she had so desired. When He knocks, we must open!

Partnering With the Promise

We have a responsibility in receiving what we believe for. The Lord gave a promise of power to 500 of His disciples in Luke 24:49, but only 120 were committed to partner with the Promise "until" they received power from on high.

When they were given that promise, it does not say how many went into the upper room, it only says how many were left. How many of those 500 actually desired the Promise enough to go, and at what point did it became inconvenient to stay?

If we were able to interview those 380 today, there would be a number of folks echoing the same regret as the Shulamite. If they could have only discerned how close they were to the Promise knocking at their door.

We are standing at a place in history, poised to see the greatest wave of God's Spirit to ever come upon the earth. He is knocking and He is calling, in this season of ebb, to those who will open the door and launch out as we dine with Him in the deep.

If we will make it our highest goal to receive from Him everything that He has for us in this season, we, like Jesus, will come out with power greater than we have ever known (see Luke 4:14). Let's join Jesus in becoming the water (the Word) breathed upon by His wind (Holy Spirit) that we might, with Him, become the wave!

We are about to cross the line of "Until..."

Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is counted as a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places... Isaiah 32:15-18

Jason Hooper
WhiteDove Ministries
info@jasonhooper.org

DrMatthew L Stevenson III
Here is the advice I just gave a Senior Pastor From Another City; Never allow a member of your congregation to intimidate you because they are a big giver and they threaten to leave! There is nobody there that is beyond being replaced. When People threaten to leave as a means to scare you into doing what they want you to do, promoting them, giving them responsibility that they are not prepared for, HELP THEM LEAVE. Write them letters, pack their boxes and make their transition smooth. Your vision and GOD is too big to allow one talented person to dictate where the Lord is leading you as the chief architect of that house. You CANNOT put a DENT in the ocean, its way too big!

Out of the Heart - or not

About a year ago I met Apple Lau who is now Apple Lau Lepke, wife of Tobias Lepke. She led the song "How He Loves" (David Crowder). It was a small service near UIC. I was invited to speak by Phillip Owens Jr. As Apple led us in that song with just her voice and the guitar I came to a realization, skill and ability are nothing without intimacy with GOD...and out of the abundance of the heart the songs flow and move the hearts of all who hear. Much of our problems in finding competent worship leadership is finding hearts that can worship in spirit and in truth. Anyone can sing. Few can actually lead worship. We don't have a lack of worship leader skill, we have a heart problem, no intimacy with Jesus leads to songs sung but worship not led.

July 20, 2012 Urgent Prayer For Colorado AND Kim Clement Prophesies Over Colorado on July 12th

Editor' Note: In lieu of today's tragic shooting in Aurora, Colorado, we wanted to get this word out from Kim Clement and ask our readers to pray for the victims and families of those effected. As of this early afternoon the Huff Post Denver reported that "71 people had been shot in total and 12 had been killed." Police say the shooter's apartment is booby trapped with explosive devices and trip wires and bomb squads are on the scene determining how to disarm material even now. Let's pray for wisdom for the bomb squads to detonate all material and for no more lives lost. Let's lift up those wounded (as some are still in surgery), praying for healing and wholeness as well as families of those who lost their lives (please notice the date of this prophecy by Kim Clement). -Julie A. Smith, Editor, The Elijah List

July 12, 2012 - Prophetic Alert

(This is for that one moment where I prophesied with my team on our instruments, as David did): Do not harden your hearts against prophecy. Do not harden your hearts because you do not see it happening immediately. Do not harden your heart or despise prophesying when it comes from the Spirit of God, for in so doing you despise the promise of the Lord. God will move when He wants to move, not when we decide it should be done. God is the judge of the earth, and God is the judge of the hearts of men. God knows what is right.

About Storms Coming to This Nation

"Now there are storms coming to this nation; there are storms coming to this nation. There is a turmoil going on. There are storms coming to this nation, and some will look back and say, 'Could this be as bad as Katrina?'" God said, "I will protect; however, it is as a result of that which is taking place in the heavenlies. The earth is responding; the earth is reacting. But there's also a man-made weapon – a vicious weapon to manipulate and to control certain portions of the earth. It shall be exposed; however, there shall be death and there shall be loss of lives, but I shall bring this to an end abruptly."

Do not despise when the words of the Lord come, and these words are life.

"Canada, keep your sword; keep your shield in front of you. Do not let it down, for they are focusing on you. And even in the winter, there shall be those that shall say, 'What has happened to the Gulf of Mexico?' Wisconsin, Las Vegas, Colorado, you have held on as the fire has come, but this is just the beginning. No! Do not say it is judgment, for," God says, "this is the earth that is responding, but I will destroy those who have eyed the nations that I have put My hand upon. I will take them down as I have promised. Now the time is coming; it is closer. I need you to pray. I need My people to pray. Pray that I may take away this mass destruction that is planned," says the Lord. (Note from Steve Shultz: Who knows how many more would have lost their lives. Let's heed this prophecy and pray - Pray now!)

I've been on a journey of visions – not all the time, but what God deposited in me is coming back to me. There's been a tremendous amount of warfare around me, attacks in the night – not that it's anything unusual, but it has intensified. I thank you, Warriors, for standing with us, for praying. I carry a message. There are many men and women that carry messages to the nations, but when you have access to the conversations of the enemy, you stand in a very volatile position and a very vulnerable position. The enemy focuses in on you. I pray for your protection, I pray for your agreement, that the enemies of Kim Clement be held off.

Lord, I thank You for Your protection and for the people that You've surrounded me with. Bless them; keep them when destruction comes. Redeem their lives from destruction, I pray, and I thank You for it.

"Weather Warfare"

One of the things I wanted to tell you, when I was in the visions, I sensed danger. I was taken in the Spirit. Sunil asked me earlier to explain this to you for those of you that don't understand visions. It is exactly that – it is a limited access to something. Sometimes I see very clearly; sometimes I'll have a vision like you saw me that day. All the information is transferred into your soul, your spirit, but you don't know it all. It comes out later, in stages, because you cannot contain all of that information. You can contain it in your spirit, but your mind can only take so much. So, a lot of it's coming back to me. That's why I told you about the danger that I sensed when I was above the forest and got the letters "A" and "Q." We're getting a little bit of understanding on that.

I was taken quite a bit higher after that, and I just caught a glimpse of that today. What I sensed was danger and I saw the following things: woods (not wood, woods); I sensed fire, metal that was melting, great hailstones, and the smell of earth after being ravished by floods. So, I think there's a period of time where we're going to see this happening. But I knew that there was more, and there were signs of massive spiritual warfare over America and Israel and many other nations, and the termination, which does not necessarily mean the death of, three powerful political leaders who will be brought down.

I also heard, when I was over the forest, words in another language. I couldn't translate it; I thought it sounded like Greek, but it didn't seem to matter. I received the insight of what it was, and the words that were spoken were "Weather Warfare." After I heard those words, I was taken to a higher place and I heard some kind of explosion. It sounded like it was muffled, almost like it was in the earth, and then suddenly I was focusing on Canada (like you heard today), Las Vegas, Chicago, and then the Gulf of Mexico and the situation in winter. I also sensed the fires of Colorado were just the beginning – not in Colorado, but of these outbreaks.

The fact is, this nation is crying out for a manifestation of God. I kept saying though, "It's OK, it's OK, it's OK," because I felt like even though it was bad, it was OK. Having said all that, you are now going to see some of the results of that and I will share more with you over the next few weeks as things come to me. Of course, the greatest is about the future of America and who is going to be our president and leader of this nation.

Kim Clement
Prophetic Image Expressions
Email: hope@kimclement.com

Prophetic Responce from the Prophet Malachi to the Murders in Aurora Colorado

There is a culture of violence that has emerged in the USA that the Spirit of God is judging. It has become our national garment. Some has developed in reaction to terrorism. Some because of out of control government and a growing police state acceptance. Some because lawlessness has increased to almost epidemic proportions in some communities. Some because the divisions in this nation are much deeper ethnically, economically and culturally than they were 15 years ago. We have drifted. Disunity is satan's plan to divide and conquer. He is succeeding because we are willing to be divided.

The national reaction to this violent act will be knee jerk and predictable. When I heard the news I was quickened in my spirit to this passage from Malachi Chapters 2&3 (I have restated this in FIRST PERSON GOD for impact). The prophet was speaking that way...it just helps grasp the gravity of HIS word to us. I have published them in RED because it is God speaking. I removed the ethnic appellations. The italics are mine. This prophecy is as much for us today as then:

You flood the MY altar with tears. You weep and wail because I no longer pay attention to your offerings or accept them with pleasure from your hands. We give and then wonder why the seed we sow falls on dry ground. There is a curse. God defines it further.

You ask, “Why?” It is because I AM acting as witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.

Have I NOT made them one? In flesh and spirit they are MINE. And why one? Because I AM seeking godly offspring from your union. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. Fatherlessness from our easy marriage and divorce culture is breeding violence in the land.

“I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel, “and I hate a man’s covering himself with violence as well as with his garment,” says the Lord Almighty, King of the universe.Violence is glorified in film, music, literature and television has gone out of hand. It is now our garment, not of praise, of violence. We are a violent nation.

So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.
HE warns us to guard our spirit, but I can say that my Christian friends are indiscriminate in what they watch and listen to. I am guilty as well. I prophesy to myself in this area. Guard your spirit Gene

You have wearied ME with your words.
We talk a good talk, but our walk is lacking. What we say we believe is not backed up by our behavior.

“How have we wearied THE LORD GOD?” you ask.

By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them” We support evil people by our efforts. We hold up as good those who are evil in the sight of God. Look at our entertainers, our music artists, our sports figures, even our politicians. Christians support them as well and call evil good by our patronage and votes. Consider the near beatification of fallen entertainers recently who did not deserve to be held up as beacons of light yet many winked at the evil they did and called them good. Rebellious sinners preached into heaven by rebellions preachers. Was he PLEASED with them or with us? Then we wonder why our children fall into perdition. WE set the example.

or “Where is the God of justice?” You Mock Me by your words. We blame God and ask for justice when HE is saying, you are my Body, YOU bring it to pass. I have given you everything you need for Life. Now walk it out.

“See, I have sent MY messenger, who will prepare the way before ME. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to MY temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. It is only Jesus coming to our TEMPLE that is our Salvation from this violence.

But who can endure the day of HIS coming? Who can stand when HE appears? For HE will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. HE will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; HE will purify the Levites (those in spiritual leadership) and refine them like gold and silver. It is spiritual leadership first in line for purification. The billions of dollars poured by well meaning persons into Churches and Ministries that has been squandered foolishly is now being judged. That money would have provided expansion of the kingdom. It was used for bigger buildings, bigger barns, bigger houses, bigger cars and larger lifestyles. God is not going to stand still much longer. He will purify the Levites first.

Then , I the Lord God of ALL will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness acceptable to ME, as in days gone by, as in former years. THEN the offerings brought WILL be for building the kingdom and not foolishness.

“So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but they do not fear ME,” says the Lord Almighty, King of all the universe. This last paragraph speaks to the corruption, the distortions, the outright lies told in our nation by those with a voice that is accepted even by Christians. The kinds of injustice that has caused people to fall into lack because of the lies they have received that put them in chains.

I have not tried to read more into this then is already there. I heard this passage clearly when this all came down. There is a call for repentance. Will we? Our nation is at stake. The levites are failing to do their job. I am one. I am convicted.

The Lord has spoken it. Now what will we do?

Cynicism - enemy of faith

I have recently been involved in discussions with well educated intelligent people who are Cynics. They know God but if they met HIM face to face would question the encounter. Cynicism is an enemy of faith. Not the only enemy, just the one I have most recently encountered as I have attempted to show a way out of bondage.

Every person who comes to God has some doubts. Faith without some doubt exercised is poor faith. Doubt gone bad is faith seen through the eyes of a cynic. A cynic is in worse shape than the skeptic because they aren’t honestly seeking answers, they are offering conclusions about situations, circumstances and the world around them. We can recognize these people by the way that they paint the world in a negative light. “Give a skeptic a hug, and she will doubt that you really mean it. Give a cynic a hug, and he will check for his wallet to see if you’ve picked his pocket.”

Scratch the surface of any cynic, and you will find a wounded idealist underneath. Because of previous pain or disappointment, cynics make their conclusions about life before the questions have even been asked. This means that beyond just seeing what is wrong with the world, cynics lack the courage to do something about it. The dynamic beneath cynicism is a fear of accepting responsibility.

The danger of cynicism is that this isn’t an answer. It’s no answer at all. It’s just a way to avoid the question. Cynicism is the opposite of a trumpet call; it is the call to inaction.

Let’s look at Pontius Pilate—the biblical example of a cynic.

John 18:28-40
When Pilate asked, “What is truth?” He was really saying was: “How can you truly be certain of anything? What kind of knowledge do you think you have? What kind of difference do you really think you can make? Why don’t you just stop trying to save the world, and all this trouble will go away?”

Has there ever been a time or season in your life when you asked these questions? Is there any area or corner of your life that is influenced by cynicism? How can we best respond to cynicism in the lives of others or even in our own?

Churches can be breeding grounds for cynicism. The dirty little and poorly kept secret of many churches is that the most cynical people in them are often on the payroll. Do you think that is true? If so, why are churches places where cynicism is alive and well?

I have been cynical in the past. I probably will be again in the future. It's a trap we all fall into. If you are in ministry, its easy to go there. No one who isn't very mature should work in a Church. It can be a nasty place.

Yet God himself wants to deliver us from Cynicism. He want's to take that hardness and break it, replacing it. He wants us to be free from our doubt, skepticism and cynicism.

HE said: I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. Ezekiel 36:26

Let him take away your Cynicism and heal your wounds. He took stripes on his back for your healing.

When you see darkness only...the kingdom is not being manifest

I spent a good bit of time in a tough neighborhood in Chicago. I walked, prayed, listened and tried to get a sense of what God is saying.

Here's what I heard.

Those who live in darkness long to see a great light. Those who bear the light must bring it to those who have none. They will begin to emerge from the darkness as the darkness is pushed back by the light.

The darkness is deception. It is fear. It is despair. It is abandonment of hope.

Until they see me clearly, they cannot walk toward me.

They need to hear my voice, "This is the way, Walk ye in it".

Now the lightbearers must come forth.

Is the USA headed for the Grave?

There is much being revealed as the campaign heats up. Some of it is going to be profoundly disturbing. I heard such today. I won't repeat it. I'll let others. I am coming to the conclusion that if we don't stop the headlong plunge we are on right now as a nation, no matter how weak the alternative, how flawed, how imperfect he is, the country you grew up in will cease to exist. It will die. Is that worth inquiring about or will we all just whistle as we head for the graveyard of history. Not passing by.

A question was asked by someone else:
Is it possible that we are fighting the inevitable? Is it possible this is what 'musts be' according to apocalyptic scripture? Is the demise of the US as a world power part of the Lord's plan for Israel to become totally dependent on Him and turn to Him, in lieu of her allies? As prophets, ought we not be seeking the Lord about 'what meaneth this?' Seriously and honestly, I am praying into this. Not as a throwing in the towel deed, but as a recognition that greater purposes are at work that I have no power to change. Is it time to sound THAT shofar and rejoice? I am in and of the Kingdom. I am the Lord's. I and mine will be cared for. This I know but as the Lord speaks, we must prepare His people.

A comment from a friend:
When Moses came down from the Mount after meeting face to face with God, he stood between an angry God and an unrepentant people, not willing to give up on them. His appeal to God came even tho God promised to raise up a great nation from HIS line (Levite) ... all Moses had to do was get out of the way and watch. After all, HE was secure in HIS relationship... maybe that was what God was interested in after all... but Moses had the intestinal fortitude (guts) to stand between God and the total destruction of Israel, reminding God of His promises. We today have an obligation to others to "stand in the gap" for our country. God is not willing that ANY should perish. Have we come so far from valuing life that we say, "good riddance - kill 'em all and let God sort it out?" It has become so easy to rationalize away an out and out rejection of God in the workplace, in "polite" society and even in the church that we do listen to God's voice predicting impending judgment and instead go directly against Him. (Jer. 6:16) May God have mercy on US.

Something is WRONG...Sinister ---- From Loren Sanford

Loren Sanford is a Pastor and a Prophetic voice out of Colorado. I respect him and post his words:



Why have I been unable to stay out of political discussion during this election cycle? It is so unlike me and I am uncomfortable with it. I realized today the reason why and I apologize for any extreme or inaccurate statements I may have made as I have grappled with what I'm sensing, seeking to understand.

Part of my prophetic gifting is that I just know things. I don't know how I know, but there are things that just settle inside of me and I know. For instance, even while most Democrats were joining Republicans in voting for the invasion of Iraq because of all the supposed evidence being presented, I "knew" that it was wrong somehow (aside from my aversion to war) and that it would cost us dearly. The evidence turned out to be faulty, the WMD's non-existent or simply not there, and it has cost us dearly in lives lost, in lives damaged and in the financial cost of war. A couple of years ago I knew that fires were coming to the western U.S. That year in both Texas and Oklahoma wildfires burned many thousands of acres and now this year is much worse across the entire west. I knew before I investigated the computer realities that the Y2K prophecies of doom and gloom were wrong and I alienated some people by boldly saying so. I knew in my gut that something was terribly wrong with the Lakeland Revival back in 2008 and again made some people angry by issuing a warning. The immorality in its leader was exposed less than two months later and it all came crashing down. I could make a longer list.

What I "know" today with certainty is that something sinister, deeply hidden, wrong and dangerous is going on at a national governmental level. It is moving this nation down a path that will harm us greatly and alter our country beyond recognition if not stopped. Truth be told, I can't with confidence blame it solely on Obama, Democrats, Republicans or Romney. I suspect it goes deeper than any kind of party affiliation or individual office holder and that many of these people are simply pawns on a chessboard, whether they know it or not. I only know that what I sense is real, it is huge and it has my insides in knots. I don't know whether or not it will be revealed at some point and issue in a huge public scandal or whether it will continue in hiddenness, molding and shaping our lives in ways we don't even fully realize now. I just know it's there and growing in destructive power.

Am I being paranoid? Yes. But with good reason.

No matter what side of the political spectrum you identify with, these are times for prayer for the will of God to be done and for the church of Jesus Christ to be granted more time to prepare for the troubles that certainly lie ahead. No matter what happens, we rule and reign in Christ as we have been entrusted with the power of the Kingdom of God to love and to heal people. Let us rise to the occasion!

Ten Scriptural Reasons to Speak in Tongues By Rodney W. Francis

One of the great blessings of the Pentecostal experience is the gift of a spiritual language (or languages) known as speaking in other tongues.

All of God's gifts are given for specific purposes and all are so the people of God and the Church "can profit withal" (1 Corinthians 12:7, KJV).

Rather than Spirit-filled Christians being caught-up in arguing with negative believers over the "rights and wrongs" of tongues (God told us way back in Isaiah His people would refuse to accept Him speaking via the avenue of tongues - Isaiah 28:11-12), we need to know the positive purposes of why we should speak in tongues regularly. Let the Scriptures speak and let us receive with an open heart all that He desires for us in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I have discovered in Scripture why believers should speak with other tongues:

1. God Speaks to us Through Tongues: "For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people ..." (Isaiah 28:11-12 and 1 Corinthians 14:21).

2. We Speak to God: "For he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not to man, but to God" (1 Corinthians 14:2).

3. In the Spirit we Speak Mysteries ("secrets between friends; what is known only to the initiated"): "For he that speaks in an unknown tongue ... speaks unto God ... in the Spirit he speaks mysteries" (1 Corinthians 14:2).

4. We Edify ("build up") Ourselves: "He that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself" (1Corinthians 14:4 and Jude 20).

5. Tongues and Interpretation are Gifts of The Holy Spirit: "To another many kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues" (1 Corinthians 12:10).

The nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 are given to unite and build up the Church via the individuals who exercise (or manifest) them in the love of Jesus. These two gifts are specific gifts which not every Spirit-filled believer exercises, while general speaking in tongues is for all. "I would that you all spake with tongues" (1 Corinthians 14:5).

6. Tongues is our Spirit Praying: "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays" (1 Corinthians 14:14).

7. Tongues are for Speaking, Praying and Singing unto God: "What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also ..." (1 Corinthians 14:15-17).

8. Tongues are to Bless ("to speak well of, praise, as men toward God") and Give Thanks to God: "Else when you shall bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupies the room of the unlearned ("one who has no professional knowledge" - of the Spirit; has not been initiated or sealed - Ephesians 1:13) say Amen at your giving of thanks, seeing he understands not what you are saying" (1 Corinthians 14:16-17).

9. Tongues are for a Sign to Unbelievers: "Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not" (1 Corinthians 14:22).

10. Tongues are for All to Benefit Spiritually: "I would that you all spake with tongues ... I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all ... Wherefore, brethren ... forbid not to speak with tongues" (1 Corinthians 14:5, 18, 39).

Let me encourage ALL to "press in" to the Holy Spirit more and more to gain the benefits of "speaking mysteries to God."

"Now on the final and most important day of the feast, Jesus stood forth and He cried in a loud voice, 'If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! He who believes in Me - who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me - as the Scripture has said, Out from his innermost being springs and rivers of living water shall flow (continuously). But He was speaking here of the Spirit, whom those who believed - trusted, had faith - in Him were afterward to receive. For the (Holy) Spirit had not yet been given; because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honour)" (John 7:37-39, Amplified Bible).

Jesus has now been glorified!

The Holy Spirit has now been given!

You and I can now be gloriously filled with the Spirit and speak forth in other tongues to fulfil the purposes of God for our day!

Jesus said: "These signs shall follow them that believe; In My name ... they shall speak with new tongues" (Mark 16:17).

In Jesus' Name I am doing it!

How about YOU?

Rapid changes may lead to radical shifts toward the persecution of Christians - Ken Koontz

“The Arab Spring” may well be the “Christian Winter” in the Middle East and North Africa. A cruel deception is camouflaging the signs of a coming nightmare for believers in the Arab world and the name of that deception is social and political democracy.

Democracy has been heralded as the stabilizing structure for every nation on earth, because there is a freakish rumor initiated by the West that somehow democracy erases inequality and racism and is a forum for redistributing wealth and provision of education for the masses. It has even been elevated to the status of a religious cult espousing that democracy offers some aspect of eternal liberty as if salvation is at hand. Make no mistake, democracy in the hands of the unredeemed is the force of future, systematic, governmental atrocities against followers of Christ.

Historically, persecution is random and sporadic in nature, otherwise there would be no living survivor of the tribulations suffered by our ancestors. In the current environment of majority- sanctioned government, Christians do rather well because a root of our Christian heritage remains as an anchor to all of our relationships on every level. However, when Love, Forgiveness, and Justice based on Christ is removed, then Democracy mutates into a fiend. Its mandate is to eliminate all opposition to self -rule. Those who call on the name of the Lord are the natural prey of the government that is by and for the people.

Innocence, honor and excellence are the casualties of Christ-less Majority. Perhaps you can see I am not hopeful of the outcome of the revolution in Egypt and Syria and their neighbors.

But don't all people have a right to self- rule and self determination? Okay! Let's look at that for a minute. Man is born into conflict because his nature is infected with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Everyone needs redemption. Yet mankind is raging for freedom because he is orphaned and has no identity without which there is no security upon which to base his world view. He struggles trans-generationally, only to find an endless list of human casualties upon his head.

Only Christ offers redemption. Only through him alone is there any hope of liberty that begets absolute life. Isn't that the utopian promise- that democracy offers yet cannot deliver? From the beginning of man’s walk on earth, he has pursued the antithesis of redemption and calls it self determination. Historically, every generation is marked by the rule of individual despots. They cruelly oppress those who would replace them if they could. Generations of mankind have been descending, spiraling into depravity because of its own twisted nature to cast off the sovereignty of God.

Along came the great thinkers who looked for another way and they eventually hit upon the idea of a representative form of government. It is called a Republic, which is a government of peers (not all the people) who all possess a monolithic world view (Christian) and who basically share the same intelligence and wealth, status and philosophy. They are all leaders and hold to basic truths. For a season, the Republic transformed this nation and propelled man into great works of art and science, philosophy and engineering. Tragically, without fail the nature that resides within us all eats away at the higher moral ingredients necessary for a Republic to stand. It degrades to the level in which the prosperity that they so enjoy perverts the integrity of the individuals who must keep faith with the ideals (Christian world view) of the Republic.

The fallout in a single generation produces either a dictator or a social democracy, neither of which are able to achieve what their expressed goals are. In the case of Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Tunisia and Syria, who are now accelerating their push toward democracy the most radical form of Islam will probably prevail. There is a season of fantastic relief that the old oppressor is gone. Hope is rising and democracy is being embraced. For the Christian, it begs the question: Will democracy protect them from annihilation?

I hope for that peace and I pray for that perfect environment in which our brothers and sisters may live and worship freely. My knowledge of history and discernment of the age in which we live tells me, however, that there are hard times coming that will exceed the persecutions that history records.

We live in a great land and we wield great power. Let us therefore stand in the gap between the raging mob and the children of God who they will demand to crush.

What can we do?

1. Prayer for all Muslims during Ramadan, beginning July 20^th.
2. Adopt a Christian family to support and encourage.
3. Write your political representatives to encourage them to support Christians in the Arab nations.
4. Create a Bible- based discussion group to share the need for prayer and protection of the saints.
5. Engage Muslims in your community. Make friends with them and share your story with them.
6. Support and send those who are called to go into the Arab world with the mission to save souls.
7. Help us with the message by sharing our newsletter with your friends.

Thank you for participating in the greatest evangelistic field in history.

Ken Koontz