Playing it Safe in the Holy Ghost is an evil spirit

Does the Holy Ghost want you to play it safe? I have been haunted by this for the last few weeks. I spoke with some people I have known for a long time. Why doesn't the Holy Spirit move in services like He used to? How long since you have heard a spontaneous message in tongues and interpretation? OR even a word? It's become so rare it is almost non existent. Why??? Playing it safe. What if someone said something really silly? What if someone took the preplanned service off course? What if someone we don't even know spoke a word that caused many to wonder about something that was going on IN THE CHURCH?

I believe with all my heart that the desire on the part of many to "play it safe" has caused the move of God to STOP DEAD. Other than at some of my Black Church venues I don't even hear people pray publicly in tongues any more. It is an illusion that playing it safe from any influence of the Holy Spirit is safe!

I believe playing it safe is the most dangerous place of all and because of that we have dead and dying churches in the western world. Oh sure you can get an occasional move of God but very quickly someone will harness it as being too "Dangerous". Since Pensacola we have drifted downhill. The last time anything significant happened was Lakeland and that crashed. Church leadership has become cowardly as a response to not letting it "get out of hand".   In their hearts they "Don't want another Lakeland".

This move towards safety is P. I. N. O. Pentecostal in Name Only. (Not Rick Pino. He is full on.) We no longer have any discernible expression of Pentecost in churches that once considered themselves to be Pentecostal.  Respectability and caution have become the false gods of the western church.  We have fallen into the trap of becoming acceptable, seeker sensitive and trying to avoid offense. I glad Peter and the other 149 on that early Pentecost morning weren't afraid to be "drunk as you suppose".  You don't see anything like that any more.  We have drifted into an insipid useless state.  As a result 30% plus of the USA no longer has any fear of God whatsoever.  They don't HATE God, they are just NONE.  Our salt is tasteless and our light is flickering out.

Tom Trask before he resigned as General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God prophesied that if the AG didn't turn away from a trend toward "Playing it Safe" they would end up just like the Methodists in 20 years. It only took half that time. They used to be the big guns in the Pentecostal expression.  Oh, the AG is still a very large movement, just not Pentecostal anymore.

I read what Jesus says about Playing it safe. He called it lukewarmness. It's too late for most denominational churches. The angel of the Lord has already nailed an Ichabod sign above those church doors  ...it's not visible, but it's there. It will stay there until leaders decide to allow God to do what he does best (bring about Heaven touching Earth)....and it's not even close to safe. It will blow up your need to have control. I know THIS is the Heart of GOD. Jesus is calling to the Church, "Time to step out of that boat of safety and begin to walk on water". Will you??  Or will you stay behind in the safety and security of a sinking boat?  Peter became a key to building the Kingdom of God after Jesus stepped back into eternity because of his demonstrated willingness to take risks.   He made dumb mistakes, but he was bold.  He was trusted by God to reach the Gentiles.  He was the one chosen to speak to the masses on the day of Pentecost.  That spirit has been quashed by the need to be safe.  Caution can be a spirit, it can even manifest as a demon when you have people around you warning you off from being bold.  Boldness that is needed in this day.  BE BOLD BE STRONG FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU.  Step out -- step up.

"America's darkest hour will be My Church's finest hour" ---- David L. Smith

David Smith is a friend of mine, he is a proven prophet.  I trust his gift...and this word:

During a time of praise & worship, the Lord gave me a vision of America that dropped me to my knees.

The vision opened with me looking down at the outline of - or a map of - the United States. I saw the coasts, the corners, the shape of the United States - and it glowed... the entire map glowed with a golden glow of purified, refined gold. The entire map of the United States appeared as the clear, purified, gold that has been refined by fire.

And I heard the Words that the entire nation will bow their knee before the Lord;  the United States, as a nation, would turn back to the Lord.

...but, there was grieving. It was almost like the Lord Himself was sobbing with great chest-shaking tears.

And I FELT - within that sobbing - the words... "oh, but at what a cost. Why did you wait? Why did it have to come to this? Why did America have to go through this refining fire before you would turn back to me?"

America will go through a refining fire. America will be tested and tried. That refining will come to every one - everyone will be given the chance to choose whom - or what - they shall serve.

Those that choose unwisely will be tested by the fires of the circumstances of the world. And many will find the refining fires to be too much.

Those who make it through the fires will see a different America; thus, a different world. And the nation will bow their knee before the Lord - in the midst of the greatest revival that has ever occurred in the history of Man.

oh, but at what a cost... why, America, why?
________________________________________________

One of the most powerful words that the Lord has given me was:

"America's darkest hour will be My Church's finest hour" ... thus says the Lord...

David L. Smith
arrow_for_god@yahoo.com

Where Is the Samuel Generation of Prophetic Voices? -- Doug Stringer

There was a time in Israel that parallels our current cultural climate. That time is described in 1 Samuel 15. It was a time when the lamp of God went out, the ark of the covenant was lost, and the presence of God departed the land. The priesthood of the nation, under Eli and his sons Hophni and Phineas, was corrupt and morally weak and soon came under God’s judgment. The future appeared dismal.
The spiritual and cultural outlook in our own nation appears much the same today. Our nation’s leaders are either corrupt or standing idly by while others lead us down a morally compromised path. Our religious institutions have allowed their light to dim. Our churches are without the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We have scarcely noticed that God’s presence is departing the land.
I cannot express the gravity of our current state strongly enough. There is a warning sounding within my spirit to prepare for the days ahead. But as I wrote in my previous article, even as God prepared to bring judgment to the house of Eli, He was putting into place His redemptive plan. And I believe that same redemptive plan is at work today.
Restoring Covenant
God always has a thread of redemption. Even when He is in the middle of correcting His people, He has a plan of redemption and restoration. We see this in 1 Samuel 1-4, as well as in Jeremiah 33.
Most of us are familiar with Jeremiah 33:3: “Call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (NASB). What some may not know is that this was spoken during a time of judgment on the nation of Israel. Israel and Judah had broken ties with the Lord and had been taken into captivity as punishment for their sins. And yet in the midst of judgment upon the nation, God had something “great and mighty” to tell Jeremiah—the reconfirming of His covenant and the restoration of a nation.
The rest of Jeremiah 33 shares God’s intentions toward this wayward nation if they would return to Him. His promises included health, healing, an abundance of peace and truth, restoration of their fortunes, cleansing from their iniquity, joy and gladness, fame throughout the nations, and safety from their enemies. All of this was promised if only they would return to the Lord and reconfirm their covenant with Him!
A Redemptive Thread
I remember when my mother became a naturalized citizen, she was given a little flag that had the pledge of allegiance. For years, she kept it on the TV and no one was allowed to touch it! She loved this country, as do I. That’s why I grieve for the tragic and dangerous state our culture is in. But at the same time, I still have hope in God’s redemptive power.
We have been the beneficiaries of the blessings of God in the United States of America. Our nation was founded on godly principles, with a strong Judeo-Christian ethic, and as a result we have known God’s blessings. Even those who are not Christians have become beneficiaries of these blessings. And God’s intention for us, just as with Abraham’s promise, was that we would in turn be a blessing to other nations.
Throughout our history, we have been a blessing to other nations. And it is my belief that from a benevolent standpoint, the church in America has made America great. No matter what difficulties we have gone through, we have always been a generous people. We give to those who are suffering from disasters or hard times, both in our own country and in other nations.
I believe this generosity allows us to hold onto God’s redemptive thread as a nation. By caring for those in need, the church has given the nation access to God’s promise in Isaiah 58:8, that in our time of need for healing, our “recovery would speedily spring forth.”
A Samuel Generation
Samuel was instrumental to the reconfirming of God’s covenant with Israel following Hophni and Phineas’ destructive leadership tenure. Samuel represented a new generation—a righteous priesthood to replace that which was profaned. He was an uncompromised, prophetic voice of courage used by God to call the people back to His ways.
I believe in our own nation, God is going to raise up a new, prophetic voice of courage, one that will call our nation back to God. This Samuel generation will challenge the unjust judiciaries and corrupt politicians. They will refill the lamp of God with the oil of the Spirit and restore His light within the church.
Our restoration as a nation, however, requires that we take an honest look at our true state. We cannot continue on as we have been and expect different results. To remain on the same path will only mean a further moral decline.
God used Samuel to show Israel their true state. His predecessor, Eli, had lost his eyesight. Eli had allowed the evil his sons were committing to continue. He maintained the status quo. As a result, the Lord had to raise up Samuel to expose the true state of Israel’s leadership.
I believe God wants to empower a generation in our land who will serve this same purpose. They are unwilling to allow the evil that is being committed to continue unchecked. They are not interested in maintaining the status quo. Their concern is for the true state of the church and of the nation, and they will be courageous in speaking forth God’s truth.
Who Will Save America?
My question to you is, “Will you be a Samuel in your generation?” Will you be one whose life is dedicated and set apart to the Lord? Will you be one who listens to hear the voice of God and who answers in obedience? Will you be a voice of courage to a wayward generation?
I recently had a dream in which I awoke with the following words echoing in my spirit, over and over. “Save America! Save America! Save America!” Who will save America? Who will answer the cry?
The Lord Jesus Christ is the only hope for our wayward nation. He alone is Savior and it is only by His blood that our redemption and restoration comes. But God is looking for a generation to partner with Him in his restorative work. He is looking for a people who will be part of his redemptive work to save America.
The Lord is looking for Samuels in this generation. Our nation needs their voice, now more than ever.
Doug Stringer is founder and president of Turning Point Ministries International, which birthed an international movement known as Somebody Cares. He is also a sought-after speaker at religious, political, educational and civic gatherings.

Kim Clement: What In the World Have I Created?

John 17 I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to me, and they have kept Your word...

But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

Jesus (the Word) was not sent to the earth at the most perfect time with the most perfect environment. The Bible says, "One day, however it happened, Jesus invited Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow Him." What would our world be like if that had never happened? These were not perfect creations, but human beings with many flaws. At the end of their time together they had not caused much of a stir. If you could have been there on that day after Jesus died...if you could have seen the Roman Empire and its Pax Romana, its 250,000 miles of roads, its extensions from Asia to Africa to Europe, and its history of dominance and social status that was envied throughout the Mediterranean... and then if you could have seen a few dozen failed, frightened, demoralized, defeated, confused former followers of an executed carpenter... If someone had asked you to place a bet on which group would still be around in 2,000 years, all the smart money would have been placed on the Roman Empire...which is now EXTINCT. God took what He had created and formed something so powerful that these few chosen disciples turned the world upside down...or right side up. 

What You Have Created Cannot Be Uncreated. So What Can Be Done About Our Present Pathetic State?

 The trouble is that we have been in a pathetic state of maintaining. To maintain means "to keep in existence or to keep in a specified state or position." There is a huge difference in "keeping in existence" and "bringing into existence." As I've taught before, there are two realms of divine truth: historical truth and creative truth. Both are equally as important, and in fact, the one cannot exist without the other. The trouble is that historical truth is easier to maintain as it has already been born and is established. Another term that I use for historical truth is "truth in the tomb."
Gaston Bachelard wrote, "One must always maintain one's connection to the past and yet ceaselessly pull away from it. To remain in touch with the past requires a love of memory. To remain in touch with the past requires a constant imaginative effort." Creative truth, on the other hand, removes all of these efforts, and instead of imaginative effort, we are now plummeted into a whole new world of creative imagination.

Nothing Exists Until Or Unless It Is Observed

Prophecy presents an image to the hearer. One of the words for image in the Greek means "logos." Remember, the divine word/image is a seed that, once planted in your soul, will grow. How does it grow? In the imagination! So, once the future is revealed to an individual, the next step is creative observation.

Observation Is Creative

How is it that people keep thinking about what they don't want even when they're hugely motivated to manifest something new? It's simple. What you don't want has affected you because you've experienced it in the past, dragged it into your present, and therefore it is foremost in your mind. We have to ceaselessly pull away from it. You must refrain from thinking and focusing on its continuation. Before something that you desire can manifest, you have to discontinue manifesting what you DON'T desire becoming or being. Let me give an example. Why is that when my intention is wealth, I'm still poor? Why is it that when I pray for and desire a new career, I'm still stuck in the old one? There is no such thing as observation without creation. Don't spend time observing your present misery!

There has to be a MANIFESTATION of your IMAGE – your prophetic word. What has God shown you about yourself that is NOT manifesting yet? Write it down.

Uncreating Is Impossible

You cannot "un-create" what you've already created (or manifested). Remember, in every deed there is a seed. Our actions create our future, good or bad. It's your choice. Someone once wrote, "Today is the tomorrow you dreamed about yesterday." We can add to this, "Today is the tomorrow you prayed about yesterday." However, prayer is not enough. Faith without works is dead. Deeds make seeds. Once something has manifested in your reality, it's too late to un-create it, and the more you OBSERVE it, the more it is perpetuated. How about destroying the bad you've created? It's not that easy. Well, how about recreating what you've created? I love the words that God speaks through Isaiah about Jacob:

"But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel..." (Isaiah 43:1).

Take note that God says that He created Jacob. Remember, Jacob was a supplanter (schemer/deceiver). To supplant means "to take the place of another." In fact, he ran from his brother who desired to kill him and ran from his house after deceiving his own father. God didn't kill Jacob, but he "formed" ISRAEL out of this mess. Think about this for a minute. God is the Creator and creates Jacob who turns out to be...not so nice. God has a plan. Form something out of this mess. And He does a great job of it! We need to follow this example and possibly take note of the mess that we've created and form something beautiful out of it. God could easily have looked at Jacob lying on the ground in the city of Luz and chosen to wipe him out. That's the easy way out.
Let's look at the words "created" and "formed." Every day we create life and/or death by our words and our actions. In the Hebrew language the word create is "bara," a primitive root that basically means "to create, to select and to feed." So, when you create something by your actions, you have the choice to continue feeding it in its present state or recreate it. The word "form" used in Isaiah is "yatsar," which means "to squeeze (into shape), to mold into a form; figuratively, to DETERMINE." Another explanation is "to place purpose into something." Look at some of the things you've created and are in existence today because of your bad choices and actions. Do you see any purpose in it?

Then make purpose. Shape it.
The story of one of the greatest presidents of Harvard College, Charles William Eliot, is worth recalling. Born with a serious facial disfigurement, he discovered as a young man that nothing could be done about it, and he must go through life with this mark. When his mother brought to him that tragic truth, it was indeed "the dark hour of his soul."

His mother told him, "My son, it is not possible for you to get rid of this handicap. We have consulted the best surgeons, and they say that nothing can be done. But it is possible for you, with God's help, to grow a mind and soul so big that people will forget to look at your face."

It's impossible to focus all your attention on the future without thinking of the present. How can you not think about being broke if you don't have the money to pay your accounts? That's where the prophetic comes into being, and it works! Even though your history may have brought you present misery, your destiny can bring you manifested freedom; and once you taste of that freedom, you are driven and motivated to move toward your goal rapidly. So we are stuck with our present situation – how do we make it go away?

As I said, you can't un-create it, but you can form something out of it, give it a purpose, and actually conquer it. The beginning of prophetic imagination is to begin CONQUERING your mountain. A mountain doesn't always disappear, but it can be conquered. Step-by-step, foot-by-foot, it can be conquered.

What did Caleb do at the age of 85? He said to Joshua, "Now therefore, give me this mountain" (Joshua 14:12). The mountain was filled with giants, but Caleb knew that unless he conquered the mountain and took control of it, he would never rule over it. If your mountain won't move, then conquer it!

We are focusing on conquering our mountain in 2012, and I believe with my whole heart that many of you will be manifesting freedom from debt, bit by bit, quicker than you could imagine.
God's intention has to catch your attention. Once it's caught your attention, it must be your top priority so that His intention can manifest in your life.

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

Victoria Boyson: The Power of Blessing

A part of giving birth to your destiny is bringing life to the destiny of others.
"A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." Proverbs 25:11
I once knew a young girl who seemed to have a lot going for her, but consistently failed in many areas of her life. I could not understand why – she seemed to choose failure over a successful, happy life. She was beautiful, talented and intelligent, but it was obvious that she did not esteem herself. And she continually made bad choices.
For years I could not understand why she did not see her true value as a person – until I met her mother. Her mother saw her as the biggest failure ever born and told her so. She would vomit out her many objections about her daughter to anyone who would listen to her. With her daughter present she would declare to a roomful of people what a failure she was. It did not take great discernment to see why the girl struggled so. Why should she like herself when the woman who gave birth to her did not see any good in her?
As soon as she was old enough, this young girl ran away from her mother and began living with an older man. Unfortunately, her life was poisoned by the many seeds of destruction and self-hatred her mother had been planting in her since birth.
I believe this is what Proverbs 14:1 is talking about when it says, "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." The girl's mother's physical house was in excellent condition, but the heritage she passed down to her child was devastating and led to her daughter living a very destructive lifestyle.
I have counseled with many people over the years who have struggled with terrible feelings of self-hatred. Usually, in the course of speaking with them, I discover that these feelings began when they were a child and many times originated with words spoken over them by a parent or other people in authority in their life.

The Tongue of the Wise

Years ago my husband and I attended a church where the pastor thought he could help his people by continually telling them what was wrong with them. He found fault with us and, of course, found fault with his entire congregation. It was no surprise to anyone that membership dwindled down to just a few people, and eventually he had to close the doors of his church entirely.
When we left that church, we were left with an ominous, oppressive sense of failure. It felt like a dagger had pierced our hearts. We struggled through life for a few years afterward, enduring one failure after another. We felt as if we were living under a curse – and, indeed, we were. The words of that pastor sowed seeds of destruction that acted as a curse over our lives.
Words are very powerful, especially when they are spoken by someone in authority over you. They can either be words of praise that breathe life into your life or words of criticism and judgment that erode away your sense of well-being. "The tongue has the power of life and death" (Proverbs 18:21).
Once we realized that the effect of this pastor's words over our lives was acting as a curse against us, we sought out ways to release ourselves from its grip. We prayed many prayers, but still this feeling of failure hung on.
It was only when we were led to another man of God who was a true shepherd that the curse was at last broken. Without knowing any of the words that had been spoken over us, he spoke the exact opposite of what had been said. He made us believe in our destiny again. He spoke life into our spirits. And through the anointing that he carried, he broke off the words of failure and planted seeds of life and destiny in their place. The power of blessing brought life to our dreams, setting us free from the power of death and destruction. Satan could no longer keep us from our destiny in God. The power of blessing blasted the power of cursing.
"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Proverbs 12:18

When We Choose to Curse

God has a strange way of working the curses of others to our advantage. He uses them to refine us and shape us, and then He heals us through the power of His blessing.
Many people in the Bible lived what some would consider cursed lives for a period of time. David, for instance, was chased by King Saul, Joseph lived for years in prison for something he did not do, and Moses was chased into the desert by Pharaoh after living a life of luxury and ease. These are only a few examples.
Actually, God used this destructive period in their lives to shape and refine them. He promised them great blessings, but allowed them to go through the process of refining to prepare them for their destiny.
In order for Christ to fulfill His destiny, He had to suffer betrayal and be given over into the hands of his enemies. But He said in Luke 22:22, "The Son of man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays Him." We may have to endure a period of cursing for a time, but woe to the people who curse us.
In Psalm 109, David speaks about the man who cursed his life. "He loved to pronounce a curse – may it come on him; he found no pleasure in blessing – may it be far from him. He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil" (vv. 17-18).
When we choose to curse others and speak negatively of them, we are really only hurting ourselves. A part of birthing our own destiny is bringing life to the destiny of others. God wants to use us, but He wants to use us to bless others. Any jealousy we harbor towards the destiny of others will actually sabotage our own destiny in God.

Speaking Life

Our mouth is a very powerful weapon and we can either use it to bring a blessing or a curse onto others. When we speak negative words about people, those words act as a curse over them. Even if people never actually hear the words we speak about them, our words still have power and can cause them to experience oppressive heaviness. However, words of blessing can lift them up spiritually.
One day I was feeling exceptionally low. All of a sudden I had this wonderful feeling shoot through me. I felt a tremendous surge of pleasure and I knew everything would be all right. Later that day, a friend of mine called and said that she and her husband were talking about our family. She went on to tell me all the wonderful things they said about us. I asked her what time it was when they had this conversation and it coincided perfectly with the time I had experienced the surge of pleasure. That, my friends, is the power of blessing!

The Blessings of Heaven

One of our greatest weapons against the enemy is the words we speak. There is no question, then, as to why the enemy seeks to gain access to our words. He wants to use our mouths to destroy our own lives and the lives of others.
"The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by Hell" (James 3:6). We can either use our mouths as a passageway for the fires of Hell to gain access to earth, or use them to put out the fires of Hell the enemy has lit in the hearts and minds of others.
You can be God's fire extinguisher. You can put out the flames of Hell with the blessings of Heaven. And wherever you go, you will be like a fountain of blessing that brings healing and life to the nations.
Instead of giving Hell's fires access to the earth, you will bring to earth the very river of life that flows from the throne of God. People will be drawn to you like magnets because of the great power of grace and mercy that radiates from your spirit. And with only a few words you will destroy the curses of generations. This is the power of blessing. This is your destiny in God.
Please pray this with me: Dear Father, I repent of speaking negative words against others, and I ask You to stamp out those words and cause them to be ineffective. I receive Your forgiveness and mercy for my sin. Make me a fire extinguisher with power from Heaven to destroy the seeds of destruction in the lives of those You love. Help me to walk in my own destiny...by blessing the destiny of others.
Victoria Boyson
Speaking Life Ministries
Email: victoria@boyson.org

The Looming War and Coming Harvest By Cindy Jacobs

Rumors of wars seem to be a Middle East staple. Since at least 2008, Iran has been threatening to wipe Israel from the map as it works to build a nuclear program (*Jaseb). Now, an 18-month civil war has destabilized Syria, said to posses 1,000 tons of chemical weapons (*"Obama warns").

Our region has been on the verge of war for years, but I believe the LORD has delayed the conflict. In 2009, the LORD gave me two visions in which I saw Israel's enemies, portrayed as witches, sharks and wolves which were pushed back after intercessors cried out to God. I saw a clock, which moved back from 5 minutes before midnight to 10, then 15 minutes before midnight. (See "Prayer for Israel in a Strategic Time", March 2012).

The purpose of the delay was to allow houses of prayer to be established throughout the Middle East. These regional intercessors will shine a light in the darkness and pull open the doors of heaven. (See "A vision of a 'Gideon' victory in the Middle East", April 2012)
Since 2009, we are in relationship with five houses of prayer in Turkey, three in Lebanon, two in Egypt and two in Dubai. In Israel, in addition to the several houses of prayer in Jerusalem, we know of others established in Tel Aviv, the Galilee and the Golan. Even when God pushes the clock back, it does not stop but continues to move forward. So time has marched on. We must be like the sons of Issachar and discern the times and the seasons (1 Chronicles 12:32).

I have not had the freedom to pray against war, but neither do I sense that this will be a major, end times war such as is described in Ezekiel 37-38 or Zechariah 12-14. What I do sense developing within the next few months is more like a Psalm 83 scenario where a regional confederation menaces Israel.

In the midst of this, I'm hearing three exhortations from the LORD:
Strengthen the Borders.
Build Up Gaps in the Wall.
Prepare for Harvest.

A Level of War for God's Glory

A series of visions the LORD has given me over the past several years speak to that strategy of God. (See "A vision of a 'Gideon' victory in the Middle East", April 2012). In a vision in February 2012, I saw that the LORD had made a protective wall of the blood of Jesus and the positioned angels with their shields and trumpets invisible to His enemies in order to lure them into a trap.
Iran, Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon continue to threaten Israel, as do elements within Gaza and Egypt's Sinai. Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's rants (Jaseb) almost quote Psalm 83:4 (NIV): "Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation, so that Israel's name is remembered no more." It could be that soon, God may allow a level of war to glorify Himself in Israel and among the nations.

Strengthening the Border

In 2011, on the anniversaries of the establishment of the State of Israel and of the Six-Day War, Palestinian refugees and activists stormed the land borders of Israel. The rush was particularly thick from Syria on these nakba (Arabic for catastrophe) and naksa (Arabic for setback) days. I believe they were trial runs to test Israeli defenses.

The LORD has also highlighted to us the coastal border of Israel, the Mediterranean Sea. The new government in Egypt is allowing Iranian war ships through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean. Most recently, Egypt refused to inspect an Iranian ship laden with weapons for Syria (Haaretz). Also, Egypt will reportedly buy two attack submarines from Germany (Miller).

Pray that the Messianic body in the Land will rise up to intercede for Israel. A major group of messianic pastors recently called for three days of fasting and prayer on September 22-24. Specifically pray Psalm 28:5-6, which in part says that the LORD will be "a source of strength to those who turn the battle at the gate." (NIV)
Keep praying that the blood of Jesus and His angels would continue to protect the borders, praying Psalm 29:3 (NIV): "The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters."

Build Up the Gaps in the Walls of Protection

It is vital to fill in the voids in the walls of protection, in our own lives as well for Israel. We are told to "not let the sun go down on our wrath lest we give the devil a foothold" (Ephesians 4:26-27).
While the LORD has set watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem (Isaiah 62:6) He expects the watchmen to repair the gaps. Twice the LORD says in Ezekiel that the prophets were not doing their job of wall building. In Ezekiel 13:4-5, He says that the walls need to be repaired so they"will stand firm in the battle on the day of the LORD." (NIV)

In Ezekiel 22:30, the LORD says He was seeking for someone to stand in the gap so that He could show the nation mercy. It doesn't say fill the gap but stand in it, and in Hebrew it literally means to become the wall, "on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it" (NIV).

The enemy knows the importance of this, so he will try to discourage us in an effort to move us from our position. It is essential to be where God has called each of us when He calls, without envy or jealousy of when and where others may be called to stand.

Prepare for the Harvest

In the psalm, David is reaching for God's presence, His teaching and His mercy. Appropriate to the current rumors of war David also confesses his confidence in the LORD's protection:

The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. (Psalm 27:1-3, NIV)

I sense the LORD saying that He will allow the shaking of warfare and that it will bring in a harvest. So how do we prepare for this? Not by panicking or running away, nor by forcing our positioning on others. Each of us needs to be where God's wants us to be.
We need to be listening and trusting in His timing... and waiting. David reminds us: "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." (Psalm 27:14, NIV)

Submitted in the fear of the Lord!

Cindy Jacobs with Rick Ridings of Succat Hallel

Once Gay, Always Gay? J. Lee Grady

Not TRULY a Prophetic Word - but worth considering

 

A new law in California tells gay teens it’s impossible to change their sexual orientation. But what if they want to change?

I have a confession to make: I have prayed for many people who struggle with homosexual feelings, and I have asked the Holy Spirit to help them overcome those urges. According to the state of California, that makes me a criminal if the person I prayed for was under 18.

California has banned so-called “reparative therapy,” which is used to cure minors of their homosexual feelings. Upon signing the law in late September, Gov. Jerry Brown said such psychological counseling has led to depression and suicide among gay youth, and he added that any therapy aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation falls into the category of “quackery.”

The law states that no mental health provider can provide minors with therapies to “change behaviors or gender expressions, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same sex.”

Brown, the majority of California’s legislators and leaders of the gay community say it’s hateful to offer a gay person alternatives if they struggle with same-sex attraction. They believe if young people have gay feelings, they might as well embrace their homosexual identity and get busy acting it out. (Meanwhile, a formerly gay student and two therapists have filed suit against the law, claiming that it is a violation of free speech and freedom of religion.)

We all know homosexuality is a complicated issue, and it requires loads of compassion and sensitivity. I will readily admit the Christian community hasn’t always shown love to homosexuals. But as we develop genuine compassion there are three truths we must never compromise:

1. Homosexuality is not necessarily inborn. The prevailing view in the mainstream psychological community is that if a person feels gay attraction, those feelings permanently define him/her. Change isn’t possible, supposedly, because all homosexuals are “born that way.”

Yet any honest psychologist knows certain factors can trigger gay feelings. I have prayed for many guys, for example, who were haunted by unwanted gay desires because they were sexually abused as children or teens. I have also prayed for women who developed sexual feelings for women after being abused by men; for them, lesbianism provided protection from the men who hurt them.

Some boys develop same-sex feelings because they lack a father figure. A boy’s craving for his absent or distant dad’s affection can lead to sexualization of other men in his life. To ignore such environmental or developmental factors is a gross denial of the obvious. To tell a teenage boy that he must automatically embrace gay feelings—especially when his sexuality is still being developed—is a worse form of quackery than Brown has condemned.

2. The Holy Spirit can heal our broken sexuality. I have known many people who struggled with various levels of homosexual desire before they met Christ—and many who continue to resist those temptations as Christians. Some were in long-term gay relationships; some simply experimented with homosexuality; others got hooked on gay porn. But in every case they found freedom from those urges through honest confession, repentance and healing prayer.

If a young man came to me and admitted he was tempted to seduce women, I would not tell him: “You just have a strong sex drive. Go ahead and have sex with as many girls as you want! That’s just who you are!” That would be crazy. If this teen really wanted to change his behavior I would lead him in a prayer of repentance, deal with the root issues of his problem and encourage him to trust Jesus for the grace to exercise self-control. Why wouldn’t I do the same for a teenager who is attracted to the same sex?

3. Many homosexual strugglers want freedom. Supporters of the California law would probably say I’m being “hateful” if I prayed for a young person who wanted to overcome same-sex urges. But I could turn the argument around and accuse the psychological community of hate because they are not giving gay people any options. Wouldn’t it be more loving to ask a person what they want instead of imposing a lifestyle on them?

One of the most basic truths of Christianity is that Jesus gives us a new nature when we experience conversion.  This is the miracle the apostle Paul described in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (NASB). Why would we offer that freedom to those who struggle with other forms of sin or brokenness, but not to those who want to be free from homosexuality?

Let’s stop being naive. California’s tyrannical law is not based on science or solid psychological theory. It is mean-spirited intolerance, and it will become federal policy if defenders of religious freedom don’t challenge it.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. His recent books include 10 Lies Men Believe and Fearless Daughters of the Bible.