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The prayer list at Expectant Prayers is getting longer and longer.  Everywhere we look we see the battles raging.  Does anyone else see that we are living in the end times - the period of time right before the return of Christ?  The devil knows his time is short so he is seeking out whomever he can destroy.  He targets weak, defenseless, wounded - but he is also going after those who are making an impact for the Kingdom of God.  We as Christians should not even be starting our day without praying, putting on the full armor of God, clothing ourselves with righteousness, and relying on the Holy Spirit to guide, empower, discern, impart wisdom, and encourage.  God is also our peace in the midst of the storm.   For the body of Christ, we must assume positions like Aaron and Hur when they held up Moses' arms to win the battle against the Amalakites.  Intercession is very needed!  We must stand in the battle together.  We also need to encourage one another more and more!

 We must pray, pray, PRAY! 

PS - If you have a prayer request, feel free to leave it in the comments!  Blessings!

Do you remember this old Spiritual? 

 LET MY PEOPLE GO:

When Israel was in Egypt’s land,
Let My people go!
Oppressed so hard they could not stand,
Let My people go!

Refrain:
Go down, Moses,
Way down in Egypt’s land;
Tell old Pharaoh
To let My people go!

No more shall they in bondage toil,
Let My people go!
Let them come out with Egypt’s spoil,
Let My people go!

Oh, let us all from bondage flee,
Let My people go!
And let us all in Christ be free,
Let My people go!

You need not always weep and mourn,
Let My people go!
And wear these slav’ry chains forlorn,
Let My people go!

Your foes shall not before you stand,
Let My people go!
And you’ll possess fair Canaan’s land,
Let My people go!

Back at the end of 2009, I heard the Lord saying, “Only take into 2010 what you absolutely need.  Leave everything else behind.”   It was so significant to me that I wrote it on my calendar and reminded myself of it every month.  This word came in very handy as we were moving and having to sort through almost 20 years of stuff we’d accumulated over our married years.   I kept reminding myself to let go of the things I really didn’t need.  Eventually we “let go” of two large trailers full of items, plus several lawn and leaf bags full of clothing, toys, etc.    We also put everything else that wasn’t essential (but we wanted to keep for our new house) in a storage unit.  It’s funny that after we moved, we ended up getting rid of even more things that we had stored!  

Allowing the Holy Spirit to move in our lives in such a way that He refines and purifies is a good thing.  He can bring radical change – even re-prioritizing our relationships and attachments.  This is not only true for possessions, but of matters of the heart and spirit as well.

We also must be careful that things we feel like we just have to hold onto may in the end have a hold on us!  Think about that statement for a minute.   

I am not alone in the Spiritual Spring Cleaning concept.  This theme also seems to running through my circle of prayer friends for 2011... "Let things go!"   

I also find that in God's numbers 11 is the number for destruction.  What does that mean for the church?

Be Prepared for a challenging year....

There are so many people that say, “Ah, I wouldn’t want to repeat 2010”, but I think in many ways people are going to be affected even worse than in 2010 in various ways.  Not only do we need to learn to let go, but I feel like the oppression of the enemy is going to be very great and God’s people will cry out once again, “Let my people go!” We must declare in authority to the devil, “Let GO!”

 But, I also feel the Lord saying that when the enemy comes in like a flood, He will raise up a standard against it.  Even in the darkest of nights, His light still shines and we will be like the children of Israel in Goshen.  Darkness fell across Egypt, but there was still light in Goshen and it poured forth from their homes.  Those in the darkness marveled at the light and asked “How can this be?”  

Even if circumstances around us seem to crumble, God will be the sustaining force in our lives.  Now will be the proof of the work he has done in our hearts – as we shine for Him.   I also feel like this destruction will boomerang on the devil as far as the righteous believers he tries to overcome.  The foot of the righteous will hold firm, but the works of the enemy are going to be destroyed!

For the church, the true remnant will be revived...

For those who allow it, God will revive and they will be infused with power from on high!  Even in the midst of turmoil, His glory shining through their lives will be bright - as the sun.   The trials of life will bring out the best in the body of Christ.  Pressures will cause purity to arise.   Out of the abundance of their hearts their mouth will speak - praise, glory, honor, and power to God!

 More shaking....

I would not be surprised if we see more and more events unfolding that are going to shake this world.  Just think of what the Word warns us about in the last days... wars, rumors of wars, natural disasters, earthquakes, famine, etc. etc.  The Word also declares that everything that can be shaken will be shaken.  That's not just referring to the physical world, but the Spiritual one as well.  But, He also promises us that He will never let the righteous be shaken.  When these things happen, we will stand unmoved because we are fixed to the foundation – the solid rock, Jesus Christ.   In all this shaking, God wants to get man’s attention so that all may come to Him.  He may allow things in this country that we haven’t seen before or at least in a long time.   

 God never wants us to be in the dark or informed about what is occurring individually or in the world around us.   Therefore, I believe He is giving us a "heads up" on the current conditions.

Concerning the current conditions of the world, I believe God is using something very familiar to all of us to warn us of the days ahead...  9/11. 

I was also reminded that every month this year, there will be a 9/11 (12 total):

  1/9/11, 2/9/11, 3/9/11, 4/9/11, 5/9/11, 6/9/11, 7/9/11, 8/9/11, 9/9/11, 10/9/11, 11/9/11, 12/9/11

 We can already see how January brought the tragedy in Tucson – and so close to 1/9/11.  In fact, most people were hearing about it on Sunday the 9^th.  Then the connection with the little girl’s death and she was born on 9/11/01.  Incidentally, we have a son – Leviticus  - that was born on the morning of 9/11/01!  My heart breaks for these families affected by this tragedy and they are in my heart and prayers.  I can only wonder, however, what might be next….  

 The devil is seeking our destruction.  He is going to reap havoc this year!

God has his plans for "destruction" as well....

 BUT again, when the devil comes in like a flood, God will raise up a standard for His children.  God is seeking to destroy the works of the devil this year.  He will display His power in many ways. He will show Himself mighty and His name will be glorified.  Watch for God to manifest Himself in wonderful ways, but we must also watch and beware because the false is going to flow.  Only those close to the Lord will be able to tell the difference and guard themselves!

I do not share these things to inflict fear or doubt... but to share with you what God has placed on my heart so we can watch and be in prayer.  These things are to protect us, not wound.

Conclusion:

We should only take into the New Year what we absolutely need and nothing else.  Life has enough baggage without us adding to the weight. De-clutter the closets of your life.  Learn to let go.  The time is here to leave the past in the past and move forward.  You cannot put your hand to the plow and turn back.   Turn your eyes toward Jesus and fix them upon Him.  Release those things you do not need in 2011.

What is this message saying to you today?

 

I saw a show on television recently explaining the reproduction of skin cells and the reason our skin looks "aged".  The doctor explained that we begin with the original cells from the time we were Created/born and year after year, our cells reproduce by making a copy.  The problem is that the skin cells make a copy of a copy, each time losing a little more authenticity.  He then likened it to a copy from a printer.  He said, "Just imagine what your copies would look like if you made copies of copies and could only use the last copy as the master. If you did this year after year, you can imagine what it would look like - not very much like the original!"   It does bring a vivid image to mind. 

I began to hear a Spiritual message in this analogy. I am reminded of how we pass the things of the Lord down from generation to generation.  Our responsibility to pass down "authentic" information and testimonies of our experiences with Christ to the next generation is very important, yet, have we lost some key elements in the reproduction?   I'm not talking about the translations of the Word of God, necessarily, but some even argue the validity of certain translations.  What I'm referring to is more about our personal responsibility in passing on Christ to others and future generations.  It's about our personal ideologies/ beliefs/ standards.  Have our beliefs changed and become watered down?   Has deception clouded our view of sin?  Do we even view the Word as the authoritative rule of faith and conduct for our lives - or do we rely on other man made resources to give us the bulk of our spiritual food and revelation?  Do we even have a clear understanding of what we believe and why? 

This passing down/ copying of information is very much what it must have been like in the Old Testament.  Think of it.  Most of what the original followers of God knew and understood about Him was passed down from word of mouth.   This probably started with Adam and Eve and their children.  Can you imagine those first parents telling their kids, "We were driven from the garden because of sin?" and then explaining to them what sin was.  Can you imagine them talking about the serpent and how he deceived them and what it was like when their eyes were open to sin?  They even hid from God who loved them so much!  You would have thought that those children would have been very eager to avoid sin at all cost - because they knew firsthand the consequences.  Yet it was in this first generation of offspring that we see the first murder when Cain killed Abel.   Doesn't it make you wonder about what might have been said in those first generations? What led some to believe and others to ignore the truth?  Why did some possess faith while others didn't? 

This scenario also brings to light that even the very presence of God walking among His people does not guarantee that they will be obedient.   Even the existence of the law doesn't mean that there will never be any law breakers.  We have willful choice as to whether we will obey Him and His Word.

By the time Moses received the divine inspiration to write the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Old Testament:  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) many, many generations had passed.   In fact, by most credible resources it is suggested that the dates of those original Mosaic writings was somewhere around the fifth or sixth centuries Before Christ (or BCE as they like to call it today).  That's 500-600 years from the Creation of man!  So, you can see that up until that time, people would have had to know something about God from the ancestors (Adam and Eve).    Yet, they did not live without sin.  Even after the burning bush experience and the receiving of the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai, the people were still prone to sin.   Bibles weren't in existence and the law was literally read to them.  It took a long time to transcribe the Word onto parchment scrolls and distribute them and those who desired/hungered for the Word weren't fed as often as they may have wished.  Again, the most important aspect of knowing about God in those early days was the passing
down of information from generation to generation verbally!

Eventually people began to write things down (Scripture) and bind them to their arms or write them above their doorposts.  God impressed the importance to relay the miracles that they had seen to their children.  They were also to pass down the knowledge and understanding of the law.   There were passages such as in Deuteronomy that God told them to know and teach to their children. 

Fast forward to the time of Christ when the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.  He not only fulfilled all the Old Testament Prophecy, but He also fulfilled all the law.  Yet, even with Jesus walking among them, performing miracles, and proving His Divinity, people chose to disbelieve.    But, thankfully, the eye witness accounts of Jesus, His life, and teachings were recorded by eye witnesses for the rest of us to learn from.  We don't have to imagine what was said or felt, because it was written down.  These accurate historical documents don't just give us a feel for the facts, they are light and life.

So, to bring this all around to my thoughts today.  We are so immersed in being spiritual, to have "experiences" during our church services, and have all the Bibles in multiple translations that we could possibly want.  We have devotionals, 24/7 prayer call in lines,  every resource imaginable...yet, does this mean that we are closer to the Lord?  OR, could it mean that it makes it harder in some ways to know who God really is???

What is it that WE are passing down to our children?  Is it our own version of God?  It is emotionalism or human knowledge?  Is it simply whatever the bandwagon is following?   Do we have personal testimonies and experiences to share with others that would compel them to trust, depend, or believe in the Almighty God?    OR, are we like the photocopies:  relying on our parents’ faith - or others, which may or may not be an accurate depiction of Him?

My challenge for us today is to go back to the original.  Let Him, His Word, and the power of the Holy Spirit ignite us.   Let's not "settle" for a copy.   Let's get to know Christ and His fullness personally and for that to be our testimony.    We are all called to be imitators of Christ and nothing/no one else!  Let's prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to shine the spotlight on areas that are "imitations" and compel us to seek the original.  Let's become less so that HE will become greater in our hearts and lives!

My reading this morning took me to the Thessalonians where Paul is commending Silas and Timothy for the work they are doing.  I would recommend reading both first and second Timothy for inspiration today, but I will close today with some of his words...

"We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.  We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.   For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.  You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers..." 1 Thess. 1:2-7

Blessings and prayers that we will be "originals" - made new each day because of Jesus! 

I am dedicating my blog today to my Aunt Joyce McKnight who was a devoted reader of my blogs and a wonderful aunt!   She passed away peacefully yesterday surrounded by family.  I am told they (her husband and daughters) were singing as she went into glory!

What can one say to sum up a life other than that they lived life well, loved others, was devoted to God and family?  She wasn't rich or famous to the world, but she was rich in character and famous to us who knew her.  She was one of the younger sisters in a family of eight children, including my dad.  Dad always talked of her as a "little sister".  To us, she was an integral part of the family framework - and she will be greatly missed!   Now with her passing, there are only three of the eight siblings remaining.   They lost a brother, Robert, six months ago and a sister, Margaret, just a month ago.  It's been a hard time for the family losing all these loved ones in such a short amount of time - including my mom who passed almost two years ago.

Floods of memories sweep over your mind - snippets of events that rush in and whisk you back to a different time .  I can't think of Aunt Joyce without thinking of a few things:  hearty meals, the braided rug that I used to play on, home movies, the 3 girl cousins (her daughters) that were older than me and I adored them, Boots the cat, Trixie the dog, that her house was in a great location for some of my friends at school, the time they remodeled the house, watching "The Price is Right", that she was a great mother and even somewhat 'fostered' a girl from church who is like family to us now, her miracle granddaughter, Megan,  loving their upstairs bathtub, and the fact that you could stop in whenever and they were always glad to see you.   Her husband, Uncle Bob - is quite the funny guy, too.  He always made us laugh and still does.  I pray that his heart still finds joy - because JOYce would have wanted it that way.  And we re-JOYCE that she is in heaven with no more pain, no more sorrow, no more trials or cares of this life.  She is free and can see her Savior face to face!  We don't grieve without hope.

When my mother died two years ago - there was Aunt Joyce.  She was ailing in her health at that time, but she was sure to come to the family meeting, the funeral, and over to the house.  She brought chicken and noodles that the girls helped her make.  She made it because she knew how much I loved her homemade noodles!  They carried in more food than you could ever imagine!  What a blessing.

Uncle Bob was a pall barer for mom.  And two years later here we are.  It's time to say goodbye on earth as she begins her eternal life in heaven.

What else can I say except, "I love you.  I will miss you.  We will all see you again soon!"


In her honor, I want to share the following poem someone shared with me when my mom died.  When my mom died, her birth date and her death date were very close together.  She was born on the 13th of March and died on the 19th of March in '09.  Aunt Joyce was born on January 6th and died on January 4th.   She would have turned 72 this year.   That got me thinking about the engraving on the headstone, which reminded me of this wonderful poem.  

Aunt Joyce lived her dash well!

The Dash Poem  - by Linda Ellis

I read of a reverend who stood to speak
at the funeral of his friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth…
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard…
are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left.
(You could be at "dash mid-range.")

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile…
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy’s being read
with your life’s actions to rehash...
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent your dash?

With blessings and love - and a reminder to cherish the loved ones around you today... Jenni



  

It’s an honor to touch the throne of God through the united prayers; in our personal lives and when we gather together on behalf of needs throughout the world through ministry groups such as Expectant Prayers.  The Word declares where two or three are gathered, He is in the midst of them. 

We have been blessed to gather and experience God’s powerful presence during our prayer time.  We are confident God has heard and been in our midst. We stand on His promise that  prayers offered in faith by the righteous are both powerful and effective. 

During our personal prayer times as we pray over the requests for others, our nation, or whatever we may be petitioning God for,  we mayfeel like our prayers aren’t doing much.  We must remember that   WITH GOD and the agreement from our members in the body of Christ–we ARE making a spiritual impact in this world -  one prayer request at a time!  God has a way of multiplying our efforts that we may never realize.    We must stand firm on His promise that His Word does not return void.   Bless you for standing in the gap and your commitment to pray!

 As 2010 closes and the new year begins, we reflect on our answered prayers.God is still making a way where there seems to be no way.  He is still a miracle working God. We give Him the praise and glory for all He has done and what He is going to do.

 He has been (and will continue to be) our strength, our hope, our redeemer, our deliverer,our comfort, our defender, our joy, our light, our constant friend, and our healer.  What a mighty God we serve.

We also anticipate the coming year with expectation and uncertainty, yet confidence in Him that He is working all things together for our good.  As we look around we see the need of those around us.  People are desperate and seeking whatever it is they think will fill that need.  It is our prayer for 2011 to be instruments for His purposes and that He will use our lives any way He can.  May He use us in a variety of ways to reach those in need.  

Here is a prayer for us as we enter 2011…

Hello Expectant Prayers Friends and Family!

We pray that all of you had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year with hope and expectancy.  As we close a year and begin a new one, we often reflect on what the previous year held and anticipate what will be written on the blank pages of the next.  Without a doubt I can say that no matter what 2011 holds, we are CLOSER to God's promises; His promises that He's spoken into our spirits as well as the promise of His sure return.  For that, we can rejoice!

To quickly recap the Highlights of 2010:

In the beginning of the year (Jan. and Feb.), we were anticipating moving.  We had been wanting to move for several years to accommodate our big family, but the timing wasn't right.  Now was the time.  We were packing and had found a house we wanted.  The Lord had opened the door and it was time to walk through it.  Of course, we rode on the roller coaster of selling and buying a house, but God came through.  In the year of the worst housing market - God gave us a huge blessing.

In March, we passed the one year mark since my mother's passing.  My father decided that he was ready to sell their condo and move out this way to be closer to our family (and my sister).  So, we put his house on the market and it sold.  We moved him out here in April to a retirement condo, but with the anticipation that he would build onto our new house.  The day we moved him back, we got the call that our house had sold and we were getting our new house for sure!  March was also Fine Arts, which my kids entered in several categories.  It was a lot of fun and they did well. 

Right after dad got out here to Missouri (end of April), he developed a kidney stone.  He battled with it in April and May.  Eventually he had to have it blasted to break it up.  Since that time, he has had no more problems with kidney stones.  He has remained in good health the rest of this year and even got down to 5 meds in reduced dosages.   Praise the LORD!

Also in March and April, we lost both the Grandmother's on Peter's side of the family.   Our loss here on earth was heaven's gain!   They were laid to rest in Ottawa, Kansas.   They were the grandmas I never had and I feel so blessed that they were a part of my life for the past 19 years! 

In April, we added 2 new puppies to the house:  a toy poodle named Pierre (boy) and a miniature schnauzer named Charlie (girl). 

During the first week of June, we moved into our new house.  We did a lot of painting, redecorating, adding walls and started finishing the basement.  Right after we moved in, our poodle got out of the yard and was gone for a full 24 hours.  We searched and searched for that little guy.  A positive note from the search for Pierre  -  we met SO MANY NEW NEIGHBORS!!  We had exhausted our search until we almost gave up.  We prayed and set out one more time - and found him almost immediately.  Our Shaddy (who was 2 at the time) said that Pierre was sitting in the mud near the orange farm.  We found him sitting in the mud by the house with the orange brick that's on a huge property.  God always amazes me through these little ones!

We really love our new place and especially appreciate the country feel even though we are still in the Kansas City limits.  God is so good.  We have deer, wild turkey, owls, almost everything you can imagine... and skunks.  We had skunks living under our porch that we had to deal with right after we moved in.  In fact, there were several issues that crept up right away, but again - I see a positive side to that.  We like knowing ALL about our house.   Two downsides were: the flood in the basement, which resulted in us having to re-landscape the front of the house, remove a tree, add foundational dirt around the house perimeter, and seal and drylock the basement.  Secondly, our air conditioner also went out in the summer - during the hottest month.  But, now we have a working air conditioner on the opposite side of the house.

Near the end of June, my dad lost his brother, Bob.  We didn't go back to Ohio from the funeral since dad was just getting over kidney stones and the trip is hard on him.

By July we had contacted our contractor friend to begin work on the addition for my dad.  In August, the project was in full swing.  We really enjoyed building!   My husband and I also started teaching the College and Career Sunday School class at church. 

In August, our oldest son, Titus, turned 15 and got his driving permit.  He passed his test with 100%.  Personally, I think he's a better driver than some adults.  There's only been two times in 6 months that I was the least bit nervous.  I enjoy having a chauffeur!   He also earned the Gold Medal of Achievement through Royal Rangers earlier in the year, but had his awards ceremony in August.  It is equivalent to an Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts with an added spiritual/ Bible emphasis.  I am SO proud of him!

The bulk of the summer was spent working on the house and schooling.  We had to work straight through for a few of the kids - which meant year round school from the teacher's standpoint for the past 2 years!!!  But by the end of the summer, our home schooling schedule was finally where we'd hoped it would be.  We had worked very hard for the past two years to get some of the kids combined into grades.  Now Titus and Celeste are combined and Levi and Zeke.  This, again, was a LOT of work, but well worth it.  I have found that both these sets of kids work very well together and it makes for a lot less work for me.  Instead of having 5 different grade levels to keep track of, I now only have 3, well, 4 if you consider Shad's pre-school.   This will make our schedules flow.  2 of the grades  - the kids are using video streaming through our A Beka Academy, so I am really only teaching 3rd grade (and preschool) currently.  Of course, I am supervising the other grades, but it is a lot less work overall.  What a blessing!

The kids also made some new neighborhood friends for which we are grateful.  There are a lot of wonderful neighbors in our little development and we went to a lot of cookouts and potlucks this past summer!

In September, my sister and her husband decided that God was releasing them from Indiana and that they were going to be moving to a new church. 

My best friend in North Carolina (Laura) lost her mother in the fall, too, after a long battle with cancer. 

In October, my dad hit a milestone birthday - 75!  In November, we finished up the addition project coming in under budget and turning out better than we'd ever dreamed.  We moved dad in the day before Thanksgiving.   My sister and her husband tried out for a church in Arkansas.  A few days later, they got hired.  I found out that one of my beloved Pastor's wife (Wanda Clark Hundley) was from that very city!  Small world.   

Also in November, our Uncle John fell and tore a muscle in his leg that required surgery. 

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in our new home and realized that there was so much to be thankful for this year! 

In December, Dad lost his oldest sister, Margaret.   We did not return home to Ohio due to a horrible snow storm.

Also in December, another best friend had her miracle baby (Rhonda - baby Natalie) and my cousin got married   - which is also a miraculous story in itself.  God is faithful!

We celebrated our first Christmas at our new house and it was wonderful.

There are many things to thank God for in 2010.  Even in the highs and lows, we are confident that God's hand was in it all.  We had an excessive amount of loved ones lost and huge amounts of change, but God sustains!

What will 2011 hold?  Only God knows for sure!

We are going to be finishing up our basement over the next few months and a room extension on our daughter Celeste's room.  Then this spring we have plans to work outside getting our yard back up from dad's building project, a garden, etc.  I am excited to finish up at the house.  Are you ever really "finished" though???  It's a relief when your house feels in order, however, and that' s the goal we are striving for.

Finally, I wanted to share that our prayer theme for this year is going to be:  Instruments in the Hands of God.   We want to be used for His purposes in the way that He intended.    I will share more about this later.  

Many, many blessings for the New Year!   Jenni

I've been gripped by the words of Paul found in Romans during prayer throughout the day today:

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities— His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires... " (Romans 1:18-24) Then Paul writes what could be said in "spiritual headlines" about America today:

"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them."

The fire of wrath has been kindled in the heart of the Lord. I'm sure as you read the passage it speaks to you as well and draws your heart to repent for our nation and beg for God's hand not to be removed from us. We see men suppressing the truth with their wickedness and inventing ways to pass this, enact that, remove anything to do with God, rewrite history... Woe, woe, woe. My heart is heavy today.

Tuesday, I kept hearing the word "war" (3-4 times). Then I turned on satellite last night and heard Christian programming talking about the coming "war". Not only are the heavens raging in heavy spiritual battle right now, but the world stage is getting set up for a coming conflict. We must be ready. Reading in Jeremiah 51 Wednesday morning - worth the read if you have time- just substitute the word Babylon for America. This passage stuck out to me as encouragement to the troops- the army of God. Typically this passage would have a negative connotation as He gives warning that He will use Babylon as a hammer to tear down. When I read it this morning - God said, but my righteous ones are spiritual weapons in my hands - for casting down strongholds and bringing thousands of evil spirits to flight...

You are my war club,
my weapon for battle—
with you I shatter nations,
with you I destroy kingdoms...
with you I shatter governors and officials.

Never underestimate the impact of your life when you're used in the hands of a righteous God!

The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. (Ex. 15:3) He will fight for us.

Then this passage in Deuteronomy:
Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by WAR, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides Him there is no other.

God is always in control and the current battles of war are forming a new nation - a new kingdom - that will know NO END!

Put on your armor...
Lift up a banner!
Reinforce the guard,
station the watchmen,
prepare an ambush!
The LORD will carry out his purpose!
(Jer. 51:12)