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Published by Regal Books From Gospel Light Ventura, California, U. .!. !
ll "ripture #uotations, unless other$ise indi"ated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright % &'(', &')*, &')+ by ,homas -elson, .n". Used by permission. !ll rights reser/ed. 0ther /ersions used are ASVAmerican Standard Version, &'*&. !1P2 "ripture taken from ,34 !1PL.F.45 B.BL4, 0ld ,estament "opyright % &'67, &')( by the 8onder/an Corporation. ,he !mplified -e$ ,estament "opyright % &'7), &')( by ,he Lo"kman Foundation. Used by permission. JSB "ripture taken from the Jewish Study Bible % 09ford Uni/ersity Press, +**:. KJVKing James Version. !uthori;ed <ing =ames Version. -! B2 "ripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, &'6*, &'6+, &'6:, &'6), &'(&, &'(+, &'(:, &'(7, &'((, &''7 by ,he Lo"kman Foundation. Used by permission. -.V> "ripture taken from the Holy Bible, New nternational Version!. Copyright % &'(:, &'(), &')? by .nternational Bible o"iety. Used by permission of 8onder/an Publishing 3ouse. !ll rights reser/ed. N"# "ripture #uotations marked $N"#% are taken from the Holy Bible, -e$ Li/ing ,ranslation, "opyright % &''6. Used by permission of ,yndale 3ouse Publishers, .n"., @heaton, .llinois 6*&)'. !ll rights reser/ed. #"B "ripture #uotations marked $#"B% are taken from #he "i&ing Bible, "opyright % &'(&. Used by permission of ,yndale 3ouse Publishers, .n"., @heaton, .L 6*&)'. !ll rights reser/ed. '"#'oung(s "iteral #ranslation, publi" domain. % +**( Chu"k 5. Pier"e !ll rights reser/ed. Library of Congress Cataloging2in2Publi"ation 5ata Pier"e, Chu"k 5., &'7:2 GodAs unfolding battle planB a field manual for ad/an"ing the <ingdom of God C by Chu"k 5. Pier"e, p. "m. . B- '()2*2):*(2??(*2& Dtrade paperE &. piritual $arfare. +. <ingdom of God. .. ,itle. BV?7*'.7.P7?7 +**( +:7A.?2d"++ +**(*++&&*
+ : ? 7 6 ( ) ' &* C &* *' *) *(
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Contents
Acknowledgments..................................................................7 Preface.......................................................................................9 @ars !re !l$ays Unfolding Introduction............................................................................15 ,he Changing tru"tures of @ar Chapter 1.................................................................................31 Be"oming a @arrior in a eason of @ar Chapter 2.................................................................................51 ,he 1ind @ar Criti"al ,imes Re#uire Criti"al ,hinking Chapter 3.................................................................................73 ,he Blood @ar 4mpo$ered in oul and pirit Chapter .................................................................................97 ,he ,ime @ar Praying to Reorder Four 5ay Chapter 5...............................................................................125 ,he Presen"e2and2Glory @ar .s Four Lampstand BurningG Chapter !...............................................................................1!1 ,he Po$er @ar @ho !re Fou in !greement @ithG Chapter 7...............................................................................195 ,he @ealth @ar 5efining Four Boundaries Chapter "...............................................................................217 ,he @ar of the -ations @ill the Real Ruling -ation Please Rise
Chapter 9...............................................................................251 ,he 3ar/est @ar <eep Praying and ProphesyingH #ndnotes................................................................................2!7
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
proIe"t like this is ne/er done independently be"ause God didnAt make us to do anything independently. First, $e depend on 3im. e"ond, $e depend on others. !mong these, . $ant to thank my $ife, Pam, and my "hildren, $ho allo$ me to gi/e so mu"h of my time to the Body of Christ. ,hey kno$ that my heart is that of a $arrior and that . am dri/en to see us $alk in /i"tory. . $ant to thank Peter and 5oris @agner for being an en"ouragement to my life and a "o/ering for our ministry. . $ant to thank Brian <ooiman, Robert and Linda 3eidler, and =ohn 5i"kson, $ho assisted me in $riting. . ha/e su"h a $onderful staff at Glory of 8ion .nternational 1inistries, and . bless them all. . $ant to thank Bea =ohnson, a lifelong friend from anta Fe, -e$ 1e9i"o, $ho played a /ery great role in helping me resear"h this book. Finally, . $ant to gi/e a spe"ial thanks to all of the Body of Christ $ho in/est in my propheti" ministry. @ithout your prayers and support, . "ould ne/er $ithstand the $ar unfolding around me.
PREFACE
Wars Are Always Unfolding
ha/e a dear friend in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, named !postle Larry Bi;ette. @e first met in +**: $hile . $as on a tour of all 7* states to rally the Body of Christ to pray, and . ha/e sin"e returned to his "hur"h se/eral times to minister. Larry is a General George C. Patton fanati"> and for good reason. 3is father, Larry r., fought for Patton in the -ormandy in/asion and $as $ounded at t. Lo, Fran"e, $here he sa/ed a friendAs life during a battle. Larry r. also fought in the Battle of the Bulge and after the $ar $as honored $ith the Purple 3eart, the Four2Leaf Cluster, four Battle tars, the Bron;e tar and the Good Condu"t 1edal. 3e is no$ an a"ti/e member and honorary elder in his sonAs "hur"h in Baton Rouge. Larry has al$ays admired his father for laying his life on the line for his "ountry. !nd $hen the si9tieth anni/ersary of the -ormandy in/asion took pla"e, he tra/eled $ith him to Fran"e to honor those $ho "hanged the "ourse of the $orld. ,he trip pro/ed to be more meaningful than he e9pe"ted, ho$e/er. 3ere is LarryAs a""ount of $hat his father re/ealed to him $hile thereB
0n the night of =une &+, &'??, my father and his "ompany, $ith the +'th .nfantry 5i/ision, arri/ed at 0maha Bea"h. ,hey mo/ed about one mile inland and set up "amp at appro9imately &* p.m. !round midnight, German for"es atta"ked his "ompany of nearly +** men. ,he battle raged on through the night until Iust before daybreak. !s the sun "ame up, the "asualties be"ame more /isibleB ,here $ere only +: men of his "ompany left. ome of his best friends had been killed.
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GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan
4/en though he $asnAt a Christian at the time, my dad "ried out to the Lord and asked 3im $hy he $as still li/ing $hile others had died. @hat had he done to es"ape deathG .t didnAt make sense $hy he $ould be spared. For years this "ry to the Lord stayed $ith him, though he ne/er re"ei/ed any understanding about $hy he sur/i/ed that night in -ormandy. Fears later, in &'(), my father $as sa/ed and filled $ith the 3oly pirit. !bout three months after his sal/ation e9perien"e, he had a dream. .n it, he $as brought ba"k to that s"ene in -ormandy, on =une &+, &'??. 3e $itnessed the bodies s"attered around. 3e sa$ himself "rying out to God after the battle. But then something mira"ulous o""urredB 3e sa$ =esus standing there near his fo9hole. ,he Lord spoke to my father and told him the reason he $as spared that night $hile others $ere sa"rifi"ed for the "ause of freedomB J.n your loins $as an apostleHJ =esus said. J. sa/ed you be"ause . kne$ that this leader $ould go to the nations of the $orld and ad/an"e 1y kingdomHJ ,hat, of "ourse, $as me>La$ren"e DLarryE Bi;ette =r., born on =uly +6, &'?). GloryH
,here is mu"h in $ar that $e do not understand. @ar al$ays in/ol/es "asualties, and, at the same time, di/ine inter/entions of $hi"h $eAre una$are. ometimes $ar makes no sense to us. Fet $ar is a part of life. !nd as $e fa"e the unfolding $ar that lies ahead in both the natural and spiritual realms, it is "ru"ial that $e adhere to PaulAs $ords to the people of 4phesusB
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the po$er of 3is might. Put on the $hole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the $iles of the de/il. For $e do not $restle against flesh and blood, but against prin"ipalities, against po$ers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of $i"kedness in the hea/enly pla"es. ,herefore take up the $hole armor of God, that you may be able to $ithstand in the e/il day, and ha/ing done all, to stand. tand
Prefa"e
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therefore, ha/ing girded your $aist $ith truth, ha/ing put on the breastplate of righteousness, and ha/ing shod your feet $ith the preparation of the gospel of pea"e D4ph. 6B&*2&7E.
.n the midst of "onfli"t, $e must learn to stand Iust as LarryAs father did on the ro"ky shoreline of -ormandy. @e must stand until $e see pea"e, until the perfe"t plan of God is manifest. @e must stand until e/il for"es that oppose GodAs $ill are pushed ba"k. !s long as the pirit of God is still in the earth realm, 3e $ill use 3is people to stand against the e/il that attempts to rule our $orld.
! Battle Plan from 3ea/en

. $as in a "ar dri/ing to -e$ 0rleans $ith Larry $hen he told me his fatherAs story. @e $ere on our $ay to pray for a "ity left in ruins by a $ar of another sort. ,he $ars most of us fa"e today are not bet$een !9is or !llies, -orth or outh, terrorists or di"tators. ,hey are often e9pressed in the earthly realm, yet their origin is al$ays in the spiritual. .n fa"t, as . $as dri/ing $ith Larry, . heard the pirit of God say to me, )#here will always be wars and rumors o* war. #here will be many battle*ields that un*old in the days ahead. 'our *uture will be determined by how you trust +e on the battle*ield. "ean not on your own understanding. n the midst o* your con*lict, ha&e a ,lan- #here are some things that are still hidden *rom you. #rust +e so that in +y ,er*ect timing can mani*est why called you to stand.) !s you read this book, let faith arise in you to stand. God has a plan for 3is people to triumph in these times Dsee 5an. (E. 3is kingdom is e/erlasting, and 3e has a strong people $ho $ill do great e9ploitsH Granted, this book is not meant to gi/e you all the ans$ers. .n the midst of $arfare $e ne/er ha/e all the ans$ers. 3o$e/er, $e do kno$ that if $e $ill stand and be faithful to the LordAs purposes, $e $ill e/entually understand the J$hysJ of life.
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,hroughout these pages . ha/e attempted to "apture some key issues $e $ill be $arring $ith in the days ahead. By the end of your reading, you should understandB &. How to de&elo, an identity and wholeness in .hrist that allows you to withstand e&ery looming ,loy o* the enemy. ,his $ill in"lude ho$ to prote"t and se"ure the uni#ue portion that God has for you through 3is "o/enant blessings. +. #he great ,ower o* .hrist(s blood that cleanses us. ,he $ar o/er blood is one of the great "onfli"ts the Body of Christ must understand in the "oming days. :. #he dichotomy o* good and e&il that is *orming. @e are entering a season of polari;ation in $hi"h $e must be trained to dis"ern good and e/il Dsee 3eb. 7B&?E. ?. How the .hurch will *ellowshi, in this shi*ting season. ,hough $e are mo/ing into a season of de"entrali;ed fello$ship, $e $ill need to "ome together to re"ei/e GodAs building plan and model for the future. 7. #he continuing wars between the lines o* shmael, saac/Jacob and 0sau. 3o$ do $e make sense of the ongoing "onfli"ts in the 1iddle 4ast and of our "onne"ting roots to that "ru"ial landG 6. #he world trade systems that will emerge under satanic in*luences. Lu"iferAs "asting out from hea/en in/ol/ed Jthe ini#uity of KhisL tradingJ D4;ek. +)B&)E. 3o$ are $e to deal $ith Jtrade ini#uitiesJ that ha/e ne/er been o/erthro$nG (. #he disci,line o* ruling by night. By keeping a night $at"h throughout our spheres of authority, our day $ill be ordered and light $ill be e9tended to us.
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). Satan(s strategies to mani,ulate times and laws. ,here is a la$ Jma"hineJ and an ungodly handshake that GodAs people must understand. '. How to ,low so that we de&elo, and culti&ate the *ields *or true har&est. 0ur har/est fields ha/e "hanged drasti"ally, yet $e are still "alled to reap. &*. #he conce,t o* the lam,stand. .s yours burning brightlyG 1y prayer is that as you del/e into these pages your eyes $ill be opened to the looming "onfli"ts $e $ill en"ounter in days ahead. 1ay you find both strategy and an assuran"e of /i"tory for the unfolding $ar ahead. 5r. Chu"k 5. Pier"e Glory of 8ion .nternational
INTRODUCTION
The Changing Structures of War
ike it or not, $e are at $ar. !lmost a year before the tragi" e/ents of 'C&& unfolded, . began prophesying throughout this nation that $e as a "hur"h $ere entering into a se/en2year season of $arfare like none $e had seen before. .t $as not a popular message, yet after that fateful day it be"ame "learerB God $as re#uiring 3is people to fa"e battles that $ent beyond retaliating against terrorist atta"ks or liberating the .ra#i people from a tyrant. ,hese $ere spiritual battles, to be fought by spiritual $arriors. ome $ars $ere to be $aged inside our o$n borders, others on foreign soil. @e are no$ at the tail end of that se/en2year period, and the $arfare has "ontinued to es"alate in intensity. Fet the #uestion is still the same as it $as $hen this season beganB Are we ,re,ared1 ,o $age $ar>and $in>$e must ha/e a battle plan. 1ore than +* years ago God began preparing me for this time of $ar and re/ealing to me 3is plan for the unfolding days. . $as not hea/ily a"ti/e in propheti" ministry at the time, nor $as . looking for some di/ine strategy from God. But the /ision . re"ei/ed from the Lord on 5e"ember :&, &')7, fore/er "hanged my life. . ha/e $ritten about it before in #he 2uture 3ar o* the .hurch, but . feel this /ision still remains so appli"able that it is $orth sharing for those $ho ha/e not heard it.
0n -e$ FearAs 4/e, . opened my Bible to read and pray in preparation for the "oming year. !s . $ent before the Lord, . felt a nudging to "lose my Bible, lay
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aside my prayer list, and Iust $ait for God to speak to me. !s . $aited, God indeed began re/ealing many things to me. . felt 3e $as sho$ing me ho$ the Chur"h $as to prepare for the future. 3e began by saying that $ithin &+ years from that time, the go/ernment of the Chur"h $ould "hange to refle"t the pattern gi/en to us $hen =esus as"ended to hea/en. ,he Lord then said 3e $ould release re/elation and gifting for ne$ administrati/e methods that $ould "ause 3is people to be"ome influential and /i"torious in the ne9t season of history. .n this /isitation God sho$ed me three distin"t go/ernmental stru"tures on this earth and their importan"e for the future of so"iety. &. #he 04isting .hurch Structure God first sho$ed me the "hur"h as . kne$ it. !t the time, . $as a member of a mainline denomination and . really didnAt kno$ any other method of doing "hur"h. . had al$ays been open to a mo/e of God, but as far as "hur"h go/ernment $as "on"erned, . kne$ only the demo"rati", "ongregational form of de"ision2making in "hur"h matters. .n my /ision, that form of "hur"h appeared to me as a large building of about 7* stories. 4a"h room in the building $as brightly lit and the stru"ture $ell built, though the building $as also fle9ible. Fet as . $at"hed, the building be"ame more and more rigid and un"hangeable. !s it gre$ rigid, the lights gre$ dim, e/en though there $as still some light emanating from the rooms. ,he stru"ture began to look more like a prison than a fle9ible organism of "hange. !nd God said, ) will ha&e an o,,ortune time when many will come out o* this church go&ernment and begin to *low into another go&ernment structure that will arise.) +. Ad&erse Antichrist 5o&ernments God then sho$ed me t$o other buildings rising up. ,he first building $as labeled 1ilitant Religious Go/ernments Dthe J2.smsJE. ,his building $as being "onstru"ted rapidly and had great strength. . sa$ rooms that represented religious systems from nations around the $orld, in"luding the United tates. ,he Lord sho$ed
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me the effe"ts these religious systems $ould ha/e on our so"iety in the days ahead. . sa$ strategy rooms $here plans for terrorist a"ti/ity $ere being de/ised. ,he proposed a"ts of terrorism $ere designed to "reate great fear in the target areas, meant to "ause people to "on/ert to these religious systems and to "ause $ealth that God intended for 3is kingdom to be $ithheld and "ontrolled by other religions. . then sa$ the LordAs heart for those ensnared by and $orking in these religious systems>3e longed to see them released and their trapped gifts liberated for <ingdom purposes. 0ne key religious system God sho$ed me $as .slam, $hi"h $ill ha/e great influen"e on 4arth in the days ahead. D0ne important note on this pointB @hen . refer to .slam, . am not talking about the 1uslim people per se, $hom God lo/es and for $hom =esus died. . am referring, rather, to the religious stru"ture of .slam, $hi"h is "ontrolled by satani" prin"ipalities and po$ers.E . sa$ that .slami" religious for"es $ould be positioned in key pla"es throughout the $orld. ,he .slami" religion understands the spiritual prin"iple of treading to gain territory Dsee =osh. &B:E. First, they mar"h militantly to gain "ontrol of territories. ,hen they establish their authority through $ar, bloodshed or $hate/er else may be ne"essary to maintain and se"ure the ground theyA/e gained. .n this portion of the /ision, there $as another smaller building lo"ated in front of the 2.sms. ,he smaller building $as "alled La$lessness. .n this building, there $ere hidden la$less for"es linked $ith se"ret so"ieties su"h as the <u <lu9 <lan and Freemasonry. . sa$ the influen"e of this building begin to result in a"ts of /iolen"e and murder taking pla"e in s"hools, "hur"hes, shopping malls and supermarkets. ,he building of La$lessness $as a"tually "onne"ted in form and administration to the religious systems lo"ated in the 2.sms building behind it. . thought this pe"uliar at first, but the Lord began to sho$ me that the same type of religious spirit "ontrolled both of these entities. . then sa$ ho$ the go/ernments of the earth
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$ere being influen"ed by these stru"tures and ho$ some of these go/ernments $ere trying in /ain to resist them $ith their o$n strength. ,he Lord then sho$ed me $hat the foundations of these t$o buildings $ere made of. @ords appeared on their foundationsB mammon, Ashteroth, Je6ebel, Ahab, Babylon and Baal. -e9t to these $ere anti2 emiti" slogans and 3indu philosophies, among others. God said that if $e "ould understand ho$ these stru"tures operated, $e $ould ha/e keys for /i"tory in the future $hen the stru"tures of the 2.sms and La$lessness $ould rise up and attempt to gain "ontrol. :. #he .hurch o* the 2uture God then sho$ed me a third pi"ture, of a building filled $ith light. ,he Lord "alled it J1y Future <ingdom !uthority.J ,he building $as /ery small. .t $as Iust beginning to form and $as still la"king in si;e and shape. 4/en so, the stru"ture $as nothing but light Dsimilar to a hologramE and glory. e/eral $ords appeared on its foundation. ,hey $ere the fi/e as"ension gifts listed in 4phesians ?B&& that make up the go/ernment of GodB apostles, prophets, e/angelists, pastors and tea"hers. God $as bringing order to these fi/e gifts and pla"ing them in the foundation. 4a"h time one gift $as set in order, the light $ould in"rease tremendously. 3e said that this order $ould be"ome /ery /isible o/er the ne9t &+ years. 0n"e the proper order had been established, 3e $ould rapidly transfer 3is people to the ne$ stru"ture. . sa$ many leaders from the first building Dthe 49isting Chur"h tru"tureE mo/e their offi"es from the old building to this ne$ stru"ture. !s they turned out the lights of their offi"es in the old stru"ture, that building gre$ darker and mu"h more rigid, and it $as unable to $ithstand the 2.sms and La$lessness. 3o$e/er, the LordAs ne$ stru"ture began to arise, and it had the ability to resist the 2.sms and La$lessness stru"tures and "ould o/er"ome their go/ernments.
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God then said to meB )#his is the go&ernment o* the .hurch o* the *uture that will arise and s,read +y light throughout the world in the latter days. #his go&ernment will o&ercome all other go&ernments. 3hen this go&ernment is in order, you can then command go&ernments o* the earth to come into order. #his will be the go&ernment that +y latter7 day blessings will rest on. #his will be the go&ernment in which +y glory will be seen. #his will be the go&ernment that comes into a double7,ortion anointing and will dethrone the systems o* Babylon on this earth. #his go&ernment will not be one o* com,romise but o* determined commitment to +y ,ur,oses.)8
! ?*2Fear Plan in &*2Fear .nter/als

!s you "an tell by this /ision, God $as preparing me> and the rest of the Chur"h>for the future. ,he pre"ision $ith $hi"h 3e sho$ed me things $as remarkable. ,his detailed re/elation "ame in &*2year in"rements, beginning $ith the "oming year, &')6, and in"luding JsignpostsJ that $ould o""ur in &''6, +**6, +*&6 and +*+6. . do not kno$ $hy God only sho$ed me through +*+6, but that is ho$ re/elation $orksB Fou only see $hat 3e is ready to re/eal to you. For instan"e, the Lord sho$ed me in =anuary &')6 that by the end of =anuary &''6, the go/ernment of God $ould begin to "hange. Fou "an go ba"k and reread that /ision and ho$ it progressed from building to building. ,hen 3e sho$ed me that by the end of +**6, 3is go/ernment $ould be in a ne$ mature state. ,his meant that a ne$ $ineskin $ould be operating, and the $ay "hur"h had been done from &'66 to +**6 $ould "ome to an end. @e are seeing this happen. . "ould do"ument page after page of "hanges from /arious authors, but anyone $ho reads this book $ill kno$ $e are li/ing in a different "hur"h era. Peter @agner has "alled it the -e$ !postoli" Reformation. ,he Lord sho$ed me that by +**6, la$lessness $ould
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ha/e many a/enues of operation throughout the $orld. !nd indeed, $e ha/e seen la$lessness arise greatly. By +*&6, in an effort to "ontrol this "haos, many la$s $ill ha/e been established that $ill se/erely restri"t our freedom. 1u"h of $hat . $ill "o/er in "hapter ) regarding the future of spe"ifi" nations $as also re/ealed to me in this /ision. ,he Lord sho$ed me that there $ould be a great "hange in Russia by +**(, and that the Russians $ould begin to rede/elop their plan of $orld domination. !t the time, . had a solid understanding of the former o/iet blo" "ountries be"ause of my $ork there throughout the &')*s. Fet . sa$ that this time they $ould ha/e to realign $ith other nations, predominately those in the 1iddle 4ast. 3e ga/e me insight into 4ngland and sho$ed me ho$ the one2time dri/ing for"e of the $orld $ould be JboughtJ by other nations be"ause of its o$n "ompromise. ,here $ould be a manifestation of this by +*&6. DLet me reiterate that . do belie/e any of this "an "hange by prayer.E 3e ga/e me the greatest understanding about the nation of China. .n &')6, 3e sho$ed me ho$ China $ould rise to po$er. 3e said that by +**6 it $ould ha/e a greater influen"e and the eyes of the $orld $ould start turning to$ard this nation. China has no$ been "hosen as the host for the +**) ummer 0lympi" Games. 3e re/ealed to me that by +*&6 this $ould be the most finan"ially influential nation in the $orld. By +*+6, the Chinese "ould a"tually rule the $orld and Russia $ould begin to submit to their leading. @hen . re"ei/ed this first /ision, . $as on staff at a denominational "hur"h as pastor of Prayer and Bene/olen"e. . $ent to my pastor and shared $hat had happened to me. J. really donAt understand all of this,J he responded, Jbut . think you should prepare to tea"h GodAs people about ho$ to pray so that they are ready to meet the future head2on.J . had ne/er really thought about ho$
.ntrodu"tion
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. $ould tea"h a /ision. -o$ it has be"ome a $ay of life for me.
! e"ond Vision of the Coming @ars

. am an early riser. .n 1ay &''', . got up early as usual and $ent do$nstairs to pray. !ll of the sudden, it $as as if the Lord dropped a bla"kboard in front of my eyes. 0n this bla"kboard 3e began to $rite /arious phrases $ith 3is fingerB Anti7Semitism. +ilitant slam. 3omen arising in the *uture. ncreased terrorism. 9rayers that outwit the enemy. 9re,are *or war- . asked 3im $hat 3e $as sho$ing me. 3e said, )#his is the *uture war o* the .hurch.) 3is $ords prompted me to $rite the pre#uel to this book, #he 2uture 3ar o* the .hurch, in +**&. in"e then, $e ha/e already entered into a season $hen more re/elation is needed>thus, the spark behind the book you are no$ reading. @e may be nearing the "on"lusion of a se/en2year period of $ar, but our need to prepare for $ar is greater than e/er. Part of that preparation is understanding $hat lies ahead for us both as a "orporate Chur"h and as indi/iduals. Be"ause $e prophesy in part and prophe"y is a pro"ess, many times $e see a portion of GodAs re/elation and then 3e begins to refine $hat $e ha/e seen. . belie/e that is no$ the "ase $ith understanding GodAs unfolding battle plan for these times. @hat $as deli/ered to me in part more than t$o de"ades ago is no$ being refined. ,herefore, let me present $hat . belie/e is a more detailed understanding of the $ars $e $ill $age in "oming days. . $ill go into full detail on many of these in the "oming "hapters of this book. For no$, it is important to get a sense of Iust $hat $e $ill be standing against as $e de"lare GodAs reign in this $orld. $he %ind &ar ,his is essentially a $ar for ,eace. 3o$ $e de/elop our
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identity in God, ho$ $e represent GodAs kingdom plan in the earth realm, ho$ $e strategi;e for the future a""ording to the 3oly piritAs guidan"e, ho$ $e establish pea"e and se"urity in the midst of $ar ... /i"tory in this $ar stems from the Lord ha/ing full "ontrol o/er our minds. ,hey are also issues that $ill "reate great "onfli"t $ith so"ietal and philosophi"al stru"tures, as $e $ill dis"o/er in "hapter +. ,he "hallenge of todayAs Chur"h is to transform its $ay of thinking so that it truly represents GodAs kingdom in an es"alating "onfli"t $ith the kingdom of darkness. Phrased another $ay, $ill the Bride put on her $ar garment and pla"e her Jarmy bootsJ on the headship of the enemy in e/ery area of so"ietyG Remember, Romans &6B&'2+* says, J. $ant you to be $ise in $hat is good, and simple "on"erning e/il. !nd the God of pea"e $ill "rush atan under your feet shortly.J ,here is a di"hotomy of good and e/il that is forming in almost e/ery arena of life. ,here $ill be a fine line o/er ho$ $e dis"ern. @e must train our senses to dis"ern good and e/il. 3ebre$s 7B&? says, JBut solid food belongs to those $ho are of full age, that is, those $ho by reason of use ha/e their senses e9er"ised to dis"ern both good and e/il.J @e dis"ern by the @ord and the pirit. ,hat means that the @ord of God must "ome ali/e again for many of usH ,his is my greatest "on"ern for the generations that are arising. . do not see the foundation of the @ord built $ithin the ne9t generation. ,herefore, the enemy $ill attempt to "ounterfeit spiritual dynami"s. . also see that those $ho ha/e been in/ol/ed in "essation theology D$hi"h says that God stopped demonstrating 3is po$er "enturies ba"kE $ill ha/e a diffi"ult time in days ahead. ,here $ill be "ir"umstan"es that $e $ill only be able to kno$, see and dis"ern by the pirit. !llo$ me to share a dream that one of my mentors, La"elia 3enderson, had many years ago. ,he dream has stu"k $ith me through the years, probably be"ause it
.ntrodu"tion
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seems more rele/ant no$ than e/erH

.n the dream, . had gone $ith friends DCharles and CharleneE to a "abin they had in the $oods. @e $ere dressed for bed $hen someone kno"ked at the door. Charlene started to ans$er the door and . $aited in the bedroom. . said . $ould hide ba"k there $hile she ans$ered the door. .f it $as a friend . $ould "ome out, and if $as not . $ould Iump out the $indo$ and run for help. @hen she opened the door, these men "ame in $ho $ere dressed in army fatigues. ,hey "ame in like the Gestapo and took the pla"e by storm K"aptured itL. .n the meantime, . Iumped out of the $indo$ in my nightgo$n. @hen they sa$ the open $indo$, they kne$ that . had es"aped. ome of them ran outside and got in a /ehi"le like a =eep to look for me. .t $as /ery, /ery dark. . $as alone and /ulnerable in my nightgo$n. ,heir eyes $ere pier"ing as they s"anned to and fro trying to spot me. @hen they $ere not looking my $ay, . $ould run from tree to tree. .t $as all /ery intense, and . had little time to get behind the ne9t tree before they looked ba"k my $ay ea"h time. Finally, . "ame to a "learing and sa$ some houses. But . kne$ that . had to "hoose the house . ran to "arefully. .t had to be someone $ho kne$ me and trusted me. . kne$ that on"e . stepped out into the "learing that . $ould be spotted. . also kne$ that $hen . ran to a house to use the telephone to "all for help, . $ould not ha/e time to e9plain the situation to get permission to use the telephone. .f . took time to e9plain, . $ould be "aught and stopped by the enemy. 0n"e . got to the house . had to be able to run straight to the phone to make the "all for help.+
,his dream re/eals to us the $ar ahead o/er dis"ernment. @e $ill ha/e to kno$ $hen to hide oursel/es, $hen to boldly "ome forth $ith a $ord, $hen to run, $hen to fall, $hen to stand, $hen to make our $ay through a "ro$d, $hen to embra"e re/elation Dand $hen
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not toHE, $hen to be #uiet and $hen to loudly release the sound of the Lord. $he 'lood &ar .n the Chur"hAs #uest to be re"ei/ed by so"iety, the po$er of the "ross and the o/er"oming dynami" of =esusA blood are no longer prea"hed in their fullness. Re/i/al and a$akening o""ur $hen the pirit of God "omes ali/e in our blood system, produ"ing a "leansed "ons"ien"e. ,he enemy $ars $ith all of his might to keep the "ons"ien"es of GodAs people blinded. .f he "an do this, he "an blo"k the anointing that $ill break his yoke in the earth realm. Be"ause of the $orldAs influen"es, our "ons"ien"e struggles to stay pure so that $e "an see God. ,hat means that in the midst of the $ar, $e must be fer/ent and dis"iplined in the battle o/er our "ons"ien"e. ,his is key to our o/erall /i"toryH .n "hapter :, . $ill address the /arious issues surrounding the $ar o/er our blood. . see a ne$ breakthrough "oming in the spirit realm that $ill "ause the "ons"ien"es of GodAs people to be "leansed. ,hat, in turn, $ill spark many breakthroughs in the realm of healing. ,his $ill ha/e to o""ur be"ause the health "are system throughout the $orld is be"oming more "orrupted and "ontrolling. $he $ime &ar 1ost of us end our day by "ollapsing on the "ou"h and "at"hing up on our fa/orite sho$s, reading a good book or simply "hilling out. @eA/e trained oursel/es to $ind do$n after an e9hausting $orkday. Unfortunately, most of us ha/e forgotten GodAs definition of a day>$hi"h, in 3is terms, begins $ith the e/ening. @e ha/e gi/en up the domain of the night by rendering it as the time $hen darkness of all sorts emerges. . belie/e the $at"hes of the night are key to re"laiming this time in $hi"h God often
.ntrodu"tion
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"alls 3is $arriors to stand guard $ith 3im. Chapter ? e9plains the "on"ept of the night $at"h and ho$ it allo$s God to reorder our day. @hen $e allo$ 3is light to shine through e/ery form of darkness, $e $ill see ne$ breakthrough $ith e/ery da$n. 3o$ $e learn the dis"ipline of ruling by night $ill determine ho$ $e $alk in 3is presen"e throughout the day. $he Presence(and()lor* &ar @ithout the presen"e of God going before us, $e are unable to $in any $ar in the earth realm. @e must learn ho$ to usher in the presen"e of God and in/ite 3im to take o/er our atmosphere. ,he more $e $orship, the more $e sense the atmosphere of hea/en around us, $hi"h ushers in GodAs life2"hanging glory. ,hat, in turn, brings so"ietal transformation. ,he best understanding of ho$ to transform so"iety "omes from analy;ing the se/en "hur"hes that are presented in the book of Re/elation. . do Iust that in detail in "hapter 7. @hat $e $ill see emerge in the future are territorial strategies that refle"t this model. @e must go beyond trendy Jspiritual mapping.J @e must see ho$ the go/ernment of God in a territory is being established. !re key an"hor "hur"hes "onne"ting togetherG ,o "hange so"iety, . belie/e $e must do three thingsB First, $e ha/e to define our indi/idual or "orporate target field or realm of authority. e"ond, $e ha/e to identify the stru"ture of the enemy that is holding that area. ,hird, $e ha/e to define ho$ our authority or go/ernment "an influen"e this territory. .f a "hur"h is /ibrant in its assigned arena, it should be the most influen"ing stru"ture in that region. ,his is a maIor $ar for our future. $he Power &ar @e read in Genesis &B+62+) that God J"reated man in
+6
3is o$n imageM in the image of God 3e "reated himM male and female 3e "reated them. ,hen God blessed them, and God said to them, ABe fruitful and multiplyM fill the earth and subdue itM ha/e dominion o/er the fish of the sea, o/er the birds of the air, and o/er e/ery li/ing thing that mo/es on the earth.AJ GodAs plan $as for humans to take authority and rule in the earth realm. . think $e all belie/e this, but most of us hate the thought of being responsible for ho$ a territory prospers or a land fails. .tAs hard enough being responsible for our o$n familiesH God is so/ereign. 3o$e/er, in 3is so/ereignty 3e $at"hes for us to respond to 3im. ,his is ho$ $e e9er"ise our faithB @e act rather than sit passi/ely. . am not here to dis"uss theology or philosophy, but . do belie/e that in the midst of this season of $ar $e "annot ha/e a ):ue sera, sera, $hate/er $ill be, $ill beJ mentality. @e must be passionate and a"ti/e in seeking God so that 3e "an empo$er us to o/erthro$ our enemy. Romans 6B&? "learly says, J in shall not ha/e dominion o/er you.J But do $e truly belie/e thatG ,his /erse means that God ne/er planned for e/il to rule and reign o/er my life and territory. ,his also says that . am ne/er to fall into agreement $ith the anti"hrist spirit by failing to take a proa"ti/e stand against him. . am to take dominion o/er my enemyH !n interesting noteB ,he anti"hrist system seems to be forming a great di"hotomy bet$een Christians and militant .slam. ,hose $ho $orship !llah and re/ere 1ohammed belie/e in the "on"ept of taking dominion. .n fa"t, most ha/e a better understanding of this than those in the Chur"h. Belie/ers, $e must "hange our /ie$s about ho$ the go/ernment of the Chur"h is meant to be so that $e "an ha/e a greater influen"e against e/il in the $orld. .f $e donAt, and if $e fail to a"t, $e $ill be gi/ing o/er e/ery nation to an anti"hrist for"e.
.ntrodu"tion
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$he &ealth &ar ,he goal here in $inning this $ar is not to a"#uire ri"hes for trendier "hur"h buildings, ni"er "ars or fatter $allets. ,his is for <ingdom ad/an"ementH ,he $orldAs e"onomi" system is not Iust based on @all treet or 5o$ =ones>there are spiritual for"es at $ork that for generations ha/e su""essfully "ut off the supply lines for GodAs people. .n "hapter (, . $ill e9plain ho$ the treasurer of this $orld, 1ammon, holds s$ay o/er nationsA e"onomies. . belie/e one of the biggest "atalysts for $ar in the "oming times $ill re/ol/e around the transfer of $ealth. @ill 1ammon ruleG 0r $ill the people of God understand 3is plan and position themsel/es to re"ei/e the $ealth transfer in the futureG $he &ar of the +ations Chapter ) del/es into one of the fier"est $ars that lie ahead, the $ar that $e $ill see shifting a"ross the globe. Go/ernments $ill "ontinue to /ie for po$er. -ational boundaries $ill be "ontested and altered. trategi" alignments $ill be made a""ording to nationsA relationships $ith .srael. @ars and "onfli"ts $ill "ontinue to rage, yet $e must remember, abo/e all else, that $e are <ingdom people. @hile the earthly kingdoms $e li/e in may rise and fall, our purpose is to establish GodAs kingdom abo/e all else. @e $ill do $ell to keep the e9ample of 5aniel in mind as $e fa"e the days ahead, ser/ing our "ountries yet depending on the higher purposes and "alling of God. Go/ernments of the $orld "annot fully "hange until the go/ernment of God here on 4arth aligns itself and represents the order of God. ,hat means leaders in the Chur"h must get their a"t togetherH . see many denominations or $ineskins of the past fading and be"oming irrele/ant by +*&6. ,here ha/e already been many "hanges. @e ha/e be"ome a$are of GodAs
+)
foundational plan of apostles, prophets, e/angelists, pastors and tea"hers. @e are learning ho$ to intera"t $ith ea"h other. @e are letting go of old methods of operation and embra"ing ne$ $ays of $orship. ,he real $ar in days ahead $ill "ome o/er ho$ $e fello$ship. @e $ill ha/e to learn ho$ to operate in de"entrali;ed fello$ship. .n other $ords, $e $onAt all be going to "hur"h e/ery unday. ,hat form of $orship is "hanging rapidly. !t the same time, "orporate $orship gatherings in "ertain territories $ill break through into ne$ le/els of re/elation. . am not talking about e9tra2 bibli"al re/elation>the Bible has been "anoni;edM it is the established @ord of God. 3o$e/er, . belie/e there is re/elation "oming that $ill "ause the @ord to be"ome e/en more appli"able for this age, $hile also gi/ing us strategies to defeat the enemy. 1any of $hat are no$ "orporate $arfare $orship gatherings $ill turn into times of tra/ail and the result $ill be "hanged nations. !s $e "ome together and $orship in su"h settings, $e $ill gain ne$ strategies for ho$ to go/ern in our spheres of authority. $he ,ar-est &ar ,he final theater of $ar $ill be the $ar of har/est. 3ar/est time is $hen $e are at the end of a season, the "rops ha/e matured and no$ there must be a gathering. Re/elation &?B&72&6 says, J!nd another angel "ame out of the temple, "rying $ith a loud /oi"e to 3im $ho sat on the "loud, A,hrust in Four si"kle and reap, for the time has "ome for Fou to reap, for the har/est of the earth is ripe.A o 3e $ho sat on the "loud thrust in 3is si"kle on the earth, and the earth $as reaped.J 3ar/est is a pro"ess. ,he grain must be "ut $ith a si"kle. @hat has been "ut is then gathered into shea/es and taken to the threshing floor, $here tools or animals are used for the threshing. ,he grain is $inno$ed, tossed
.ntrodu"tion
+'
into the air, $here the $ind separates and blo$s a$ay the "haff from the hea/ier kernels of the har/est. ,he last phase of har/est is $hen the kernels are shaken in a sie/e so that the har/est "an be stored. ,his is the point of the pro"ess $here the $ar dynami" of har/est is maturing at this time. @e are in a shaking pro"ess. @hat "an be shaken $ill be shaken. ,he Lord is shaking a$ay the ini#uities in our li/es, "orporate gatherings, "ities and nations that $ould make us less Jmarketable.J ,he key to our har/est is the $eight of 3is glory. .n the $inno$ing stage, the $eightier kernels do not blo$ a$ay. .n the season ahead there $ill be many issues that "ause us to be tossed to and fro. @ithout the $eight of 3is glory resting upon us, 3is people, $e $ill be blo$n a$ay and $ill not "omplete the har/esting pro"ess that God has released into the earth. ,he har/est is a pi"ture of GodAs Iudgment. =esus used this as a metaphor to make us reali;e that there $ill "ome a time $hen 3e gathers those $ho belie/e. ,he har/est has already begun. .t began $hen =esus first "ame and no$ is maturing rapidly. Fet there is a Jtug2of2$arJ in hea/enly pla"es o/er $ho $ill "ontrol the har/est and bring the resour"es into the storehouse. Luke &*B+ says, J,herefore pray the Lord of the har/est to send out laborers into 3is har/est.J -ot only are $e being har/ested, $e are the har/esters for the futureH
C,AP$#. 1
Becoming a Warrior in a Season of War
uring a re"ent trip to 4urope, . $as able to /isit my motherAs familyAs homeland of Lu9embourg. 3er family des"ended from the 3uguenots, the s"rutini;ed and perse"uted Protestant reformers $ho dared #uestion the Roman Catholi" Chur"h during the tumultuous si9teenth "entury in Fran"e. .n fa"t, one of my motherAs an"estors married the daughter of the <ing of Fran"e. !t the time, the Roman Catholi" Chur"h despised the 3uguenots for their harsh opposition and pointed "riti"ism of papal hypo"risy. ,he "onfli"t $as so bad that there $as a strategy to kill this prin"e during his $edding "elebration. 3e es"aped from Fran"e and settled in Lu9embourg, and then later, $hile seeking freedom from perse"ution, emigrated to the Carolinas here in !meri"a. ,his $as Iust one of the fas"inating pie"es of history . dis"o/ered $hile in Lu9embourg. .t turns out that my motherAs royal lineage is full of feuds, s"andals, "onfli"ts and $ars. 3undreds of years marked by hundreds of $ars. Fet $ith ea"h ne$ story, . $as stru"k by the notion that all of us ha/e similar bloodlines. @e all, $hether des"ended from royalty or not, ha/e a history of $ar in our blood. @e are a /iolent ra"e fore/er standing on the
:+
pre"ipi"e of "onfli"t. .n fa"t, a group of a"ademi"s and historians released a report in the early &''*s stating, J in"e :6** BC, the $orld has kno$n only +'+ years of pea"e. 5uring this period there ha/e been &?,:7& $ars, large and small, in $hi"h :,6?*,***,*** people $ere killed. ,he /alue of the destru"tion infli"ted $ould pay for a golden belt around the earth K'(.+ milesL in $idth and K:: feetL thi"k. in"e 67* BC, there ha/e also been &,676 arms ra"es, only &6 of $hi"h ha/e not ended in $ar. ,he remainder ended in e"onomi" "ollapse.J& =esus said that there $ill al$ays be $ars and rumors of $ar until 3e returns for a &,***2year earthly reign. @ar is "onfli"t. !nd in the midst of "onfli"t and seasons of $ar, $arriors must arise. Fet as anyone $ho has e/er fought in battle "an attest, simply being a $arrior does not guarantee /i"tory against the opponent. .t takes skilled $arriors to $in. @e are "urrently in a season $hen skilled <ingdom $arriors must arise to stand in the gaps $here e/il reigns in the earth. ,hese $arriors must "ontend for pea"e and $holeness as the for"es of darkness "lose in $ith in"reasing strength and skill. .n su"h a time of dire"t "onfli"t, ho$ are $e to pro"ess the $ars and rumors of $ar that surround usG 3o$ do $e deal $ith the $arfare of one kingdom against another> both spiritual and physi"alG @ith the $orld around us "hanging so rapidly, $hat $ill the $ar look like in the futureG 3o$ "an $e be"ome mighty $arriors in a <ingdom abo/e all earthly kingdoms so that $e might establish that <ingdom on 4arthG ,hese are Iust some of the #uestions $e must ask as $e mo/e for$ard and establish GodAs presen"e in the days ahead. ,hey are also the #uestions $e $ill begin to ans$er throughout this book.
General Plans
Be"oming a @arrior in a eason of @ar
::
@hile . $as in Lu9embourg, . also /isited the area gi/en by that nation to !meri"a to bury its dead from @orld @ar ... ,he memorial site dedi"ated to those $ho ga/e their li/es $as simultaneously sobering, inspirational and re/elatory. Fet for me, one thing stood out. 0n this site $as the gra/e of General George . Patton, one of the greatest leaders among the !llied for"es of @orld @ar ,$o. J0ld Blood and Guts,J as he $as ni"knamed, $as reno$ned for being harsh in both language and a"tion. 3e $as "ertainly not the most popular "ommander among his troops, $ho under his leadership $ere for"ed to adhere to a stri"t grooming "ode. !nd yet these soldiers ultimately respe"ted the hard, humorless general and preferred ser/ing under someone $ho they belie/ed ga/e them a better "han"e of returning home. !s . knelt at PattonAs gra/e, the Lord began re/ealing to me the "onne"tion bet$een su"h reno$ned past "ommanders and our future season of $ar. 3e ga/e me a glimpse of $hat it $ould take to $in the spiritual $ar in days ahead, of the types of $arriors, the types of leaders and the strategi" assignments ne"essary to defeat the enemies of the future. @e are in a different time than PattonAs. @e are a different generation. @ar has "hanged and the $ay $e battle is "ompletely different. Fet $hat still remains the same is the importan"e of strategy. Patton did not enter into any en"ounter $ithout ha/ing a "arefully formed plan of atta"k. .n the same manner, $e "annot e9pe"t to be /i"torious $arriors in the spirit realm>no matter ho$ skilled $e are>$ithout first kno$ing GodAs plans. ,he hea/enly battlegrounds are no pla"e for lone rangers. . $rote this book to offer $hat . belie/e is the LordAs strategy for fa"ing the unfolding $ar ahead. @e, as GodAs "hildren, are the de"iding fa"tor in this $ar, and $e must understand the times. e"ond ,imothy +B:2? says, JFou
:?
therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of =esus Christ. -o one engaged in $arfare entangles himself $ith the affairs of this life, that he may please him $ho enlisted him as a soldier.J .n the midst of "onstantly "hanging times, God "an train you for the $ar ahead.
@hose ide !re Fou 0nG

!sk any soldier $hat matters most $hen youAre on the battlefield and youAll likely get a t$ofold ans$er. First, itAs "ru"ial to kno$ $hose side you are on. @ho enlisted youG @ho trained you for $arG @hose ta"ti"s do you adhere to, and $hose "ommands $ill you follo$ to deathG !s Christians, $e are $arriors $ho ha/e been "alled and enlisted by the 3oly God of this uni/erse. @e are $arriors of the "ross. .n the heat of battle, $e must remind oursel/es of these truths about the God $ho enlisted usB 3e is the God abo/e all gods. 3is on has paid the pri"e for our ultimate /i"tory. atanAs headship has already been broken by the po$er of the "ross. =esus has already "on#uered death, hell and the gra/e. @e need not fear death but only resist its sting. ,he pirit of God still reigns supreme in the earth to "omfort us in the midst of distressing times. 3e is the only restraining for"e of e/il and is there to gi/e us strategies to o/er"ome e/ery ploy the enemy has set against our li/es. ,he earth belongs to God, and 3e has a plan linked $ith the fullness of time. @e, 3is "hildren, might get kno"ked do$n, but $e $ill ne/er get kno"ked out. 3e is lo/e, and perfe"t lo/e in us $ill "ast out all fear of the future. @ith e/erything going on in the earth, $e must ne/er forget that 3e is God. @e kno$ that 3e is al$ays in "ommand. Fet if thatAs the "ase, $hy is there so mu"h "onfusion around usG @hy are nations fore/er in "onfli"t and people groups $arring against ea"h otherG @hy does la$lessness "ontinue to es"alate throughout the $orldG .f 3e is God and has already $on the /i"tory, $hat e9a"tly is
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our role in the midst of the $arfare $e en"ounter on a daily basisG ,he truth is, $e are fully engaged in a "o/enant "onfli"t, $hi"h means that $e are $arring to see the blessings of a holy, supreme God spread throughout the earthly realm. Psalm +?B& de"lares that the Jearth is the LordAs, and the fullness thereofJ $KJV%. God has a plan of fullness for the earth. 3is desire is for $holeness. Fet the $ar bet$een God and e/il is unfolding, $hi"h $ill determine ho$ 3is fullness $ill be manifested in the earth in our generations and those to "ome.
<no$ Four 4nemy

.tAs "ru"ial to kno$ $hose side youAre on $hen engaged in a battle. But thereAs another element to $arfare thatAs Iust as importantB @ho are you fighting againstG Paul ans$ers this #uestion in 4phesians 6B&+B JFor $e do not $restle against flesh and blood, but against prin"ipalities, against po$ers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of $i"kedness in the hea/enly pla"es.J 0ur $ar is and $ill "ontinue to be $ithB &. Satan Dsee Gen. :B&7M + Cor. +BllM =as. ?B(M l Pet.7B)M l =ohn :B)M Re/. &+B&(E +. 2lesh Dsee =ohn )B??M Rom. (B+:M & Cor. 'B+72+(M + Cor. &+B(M Gal. 7B&(M & Pet. +B&&E :. #hose who delight in e&il Dsee Pss. :)B&'M 76B+M 7'B:E ?. #he world Dsee =ohn &6B::M & =ohn 7B?27E 7. ;eath Dsee & Cor. &7B+6M 3eb. +B&?2&7E @e already kno$ that the headship of atan has been broken fore/er. 3e $as defeated the moment Christ rose from the dead and "on#uered death. Ultimately, $e are fighting a $ar in $hi"h $e are destined for /i"tory. @hy
:6
bother, you askG Be"ause $e must "ontend $ith the $orldly po$ers, prin"ipalities and dominions that "ontinue to $ithhold the manifest blessings of this age. atan may be defeated, but he is "ertainly not going do$n $ithout a fight. !s ChristAs representati/es on this earth, it is our "alling to see 3is /i"tory through. !nd that means $arH .f $e $in the $ar in this generation, the generation that follo$s $ill e9perien"e blessings. ,he enemy still belie/es he has a right to shut the portals of hea/en so that $e, as GodAs "hildren, $ill be "onfined to a de"aying earth realm $here death attempts to "ast a shado$. -ot soH God has made all $isdom a/ailable for 3is "hildren. @e "an a""ess that $isdom today. @e "an as"end into hea/enly pla"es and gain $hat is ne"essary to release in the earth. !s blood2bought, redeemed "hildren of a 3oly God, $e "an $ield the s$ord of the pirit in the earth and de"lare, J0n earth as it is in hea/enHJ ,hough the enemy has attempted to pre/ent GodAs blessings from manifesting in the earth, $e "an prepare a $ay for those blessings to be re/ealed. ,his is a "ru"ial time for belie/ers. @e ha/e the opportunity to be as J$ise as serpentsJ D1att. &*B&6E by being like the sons of .ssa"har. ,hese $ere men from the reno$ned tribe in .srael $ho ser/ed as "ounselors to <ing 5a/id. "ripture re"ords that they $ere a group J$ho had understanding of the timesJ D& Chron. &+B:+E. .n the same $ay, $e must dis"ern the times, taking full ad/antage of the other$orldly $isdom God offers us. @hen $e do, $e $ill be prepared for the unfolding $ars of our time.
4ntering .nto a eason of @ar

!s e/iden"ed by the title, this book is all about dis"erning the times and, more important, understanding GodAs unfolding plan for the "oming days. @e $ill spend se/eral "hapters del/ing into the details of $hat . belie/e
:(
is di/ine, de"isi/e re/elation for belie/ers. But for no$, it is important that $e look to the near past and re"ogni;e the greatest emerging for"e in the end timesB the anti"hrist system. .n 0"tober +***, . prophesied throughout the nation that $e $ere embarking on a season of spiritual $arfare like ne/er before. . added that a physi"al $ar $as imminent and $ould o""ur by eptember +**&. @hen . "ommuni"ated this, . met some resistan"e be"ause it $as diffi"ult for people to understand the relationship bet$een spiritual $ar and physi"al $ar. 1any times, $hat goes on in a spiritual $ar manifests naturally. Later on, $e $ill dis"uss this Re/elation &+ prin"iple more in2depth. For no$, understand that $hen the Body of Christ at large engages in spiritual $arfare, it affe"ts e/ery aspe"t of natural so"ietyB religion, politi"s Dlegal and militaryE, e"onomi"s and edu"ation. ,herefore, God raises up worshi,ing intercessors in ea"h one of these arenas of po$er. . belie/e so"iety is shifting be"ause more people are no$ inter"eding. God is raising up an army of inter"essors $ho $ill "ontend in the hea/enly realm>but many more must be enlisted. . $ent on to share that $e had entered into a se/en2 year $ar season. !t the end of that period, $e $ould be prepared to enter all the "onfli"ts ahead $ith a mind for /i"tory. ,his is a season in $hi"h the Lord is toughening us up. ometimes $e do not understand that the tough "ir"umstan"es $e are in are simply the training tools of God. ,hese "ir"umstan"es produ"e a reality of 3is presen"e in our li/es. ,hey in"rease spiritual strength $ithin us as $e fight against the destru"ti/e plans of the enemy to $eaken us in the midst of our trials. ,esting produ"es a testimony, and a testimony o/er"omes Dsee Re/. &+B&&E. 5uring trying "ir"umstan"es, God longs for us to dra$ strength from 3is greatness. 3e $ants to be our shield of defense no$ and fore/ermore.
:)
.saiah ?&B&* in the Am,li*ied Bible says, JFear not Kthere is nothing to fearL, for . am $ith youM do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for . am your God. . $ill strengthen and harden you to diffi"ulties, yes, . $ill help youM yes, . $ill hold you up and retain you $ith 1y K/i"toriousL right hand of rightness and Iusti"e.J .ndeed, $hat ha/e $e to fear $hen it is God $ho "ommissions us to fightG /irect Attack @hen . prophesied in +*** about the "oming $ar season, . kne$ that physi"al atta"ks $ere ahead. . shared publi"ly that . felt the first atta"k $ould be in -e$ Fork be"ause of its large =e$ish population. D!t that time, more =e$s li/ed in -e$ Fork City than in .srael. in"e then, .srael no$ has more =e$ish inhabitants than any other pla"e in the $orld.E ,he atta"k in -e$ Fork City $as a physi"al manifestation of the ne$ season $e entered into. ! ne$ type of $ar had begun, using e/eryday tools as $eapons. ome $ould e/en be $illing to lay do$n their li/es for $hat they belie/ed. ,he $ar of faith had begunH !s three "ommer"ial airplanes $ith sui"ide pilots approa"hed the @orld ,rade Center and the Pentagon D$ith a fourth di/erted plane landing in a Pennsyl/ania fieldE, the $orld as $e kne$ it "hanged. ,he resulting "rashes and disintegration of the t$o to$ers and the loss of appro9imately :,*** li/es propelled the United tates> and the rest of the $orld>into an unpre"edented season of "onfli"t that has es"alated o/er the past se/en years. #0posing the Antichrist 1*stem @e all kno$ no$ that the atta"ks of 'C&& did not Iust happen o/ernight. 5o"umentaries, "ommission reports and /arious other resear"h pro/e that the e/ents of that tragi" day $ere long in the $orks. Fet $hat most of these
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fail to "onsider is the spiritual for"e that has been operating behind the s"enes for generations. ,he anti"hrist system, $hile present on this earth for hundreds of years, is no$ establishing itself through distin"t leaders, nations, e"onomi" giants and other influen"es. . $rote e9tensi/ely about the anti"hrist system in #he 2uture 3ar o* the .hurch, and . highly re"ommend it for digging deeper into understanding this end2times opposition. For no$, .All summari;e some of the main points for the sake of "o/ering ne$ material in this "hapter. @hen $e speak of the anti"hrist system, . am not referring to the person of the !nti"hrist. .nstead, the anti"hrist system is the demoni"2based stru"ture that holds as its main mission the destru"tion of the Body of Christ. @hether or not those in/ol/ed in this system are a$are, it is established to dire"tly atta"k the Chur"h and pre/ent 3er from ad/an"ing the kingdom of God. DFor more insight, read & =ohn and + =ohn.E ! "ouple of "lear modern2 day e9amples of the anti"hrist system are -a;ism and Communism, $hi"h ha/e seen their rise and fall, yet still linger in our $orld. ,he anti"hrist system "an "urrently be defined by fi/e distin"t operations, ea"h of $hi"h has been used to "reate a la"k of blessing $ithin the Chur"hAs domain. !s . stated in #he 2uture 3ar o* the .hurch, J atan kno$s full $ell that the blessings of God "annot rest on a region that is "ontrolled by any of these. ,he Chur"h, therefore, is going to ha/e to de/elop a strategy to gain /i"tory o/er these things in the days ahead if $e are to make progress in $inning the $ar for souls.J+ ,hese fi/e elements areB &. Anti7Semitism. !s Gentiles, $e ha/e been grafted through Christ into the holy lineage of GodAs "o/enant nation, .srael. ,he anti"hrist system attempts to "reate a di/ision>a baseless hatred>bet$een the =e$ish people and all
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others $ho $ould other$ise stand beside them. .srael is not only GodAs "hosen people, but she also fore/er stands as a propheti" pi"ture of the Body of Christ. .s it any $onder, then, that atan abhors this ra"e and has tried to destroy them throughout historyG ,hey are, after all, a reminder of his imminent defeatH !t the "ore of the anti"hrist spirit is a spirit of anti2 emitism. +. Abuse o* the ,ro,hetic gi*t. =ust as the Lord has been restoring the propheti" gift to 3is people in re"ent years, atan has raised up a "ounterfeit to "onfuse, alienate and destroy. .n e/ery region of the $orld, people turn to Jpropheti"J /oi"es for guidan"e. ,he sad truth is that false prophets no$ "ontrol entire people groups and regions that on"e adhered to GodAs /oi"e. ,he anti"hrist spirit "ontrolling these prophets is responsible for leading people further from the truth of the gospel. But God has a remnant of propheti" people $ho need to rise up against the /oi"e of the anti"hrist and pro"laim the truth. :. <,,ression o* women. @e "annot fulfill the Great Commission $ithout men and $omen $orking side by side. !s prophetess Cindy =a"obs $rites, J atan "annot afford to ha/e 4den restored and man and $oman standing together as they did in the Garden. ,his $ould bring order to the home and order to the Chur"h.J: !s su"h, the enemyAs ta"ti" to keep the Chur"h from $inning the $ar is to "ause di/ision bet$een genders. @hile $e argue o/er $hat titles $omen "an and "annot ha/e in ministry, the anti"hrist spirit renders the Body ineffe"ti/e for "omplete /i"tory.
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?. 0thnic domination. @here/er one ethni" group is being dominated by another, the anti"hrist spirit is in operation. Fet $here/er ra"ial re"on"iliation is o""urring, there God is at $ork. ,hrough 3is kindness, $e are led to repentan"e Dsee Rom. +B?E, e/en for the sins of generations long past. !nd repentan"e, $hi"h stokes the fires of re/i/al, "reates a spirit in dire"t opposition to that of oppression and domination, $hi"h are energi;ed by an anti"hrist system. 7. Se4ual ,er&ersion. Point to any so"iety throughout history that has allo$ed se9ual immorality to run rampant and you $ill find the anti"hrist system at $ork. ,he enemyAs desire is to lead people into $illful rebellion, $i"kedness and "orruption>all "hara"teristi"s of per/ersion. !s per/ersion be"omes the standard in !meri"an so"iety, $e must understand this is not a pri/ate issueM this is a demoni" stru"ture established to in/ade e/ery fa"et of our "ulture $hile pre/enting GodAs $ill from being done.? A &ar for #-er* )eneration @e $itnessed the fruits of the anti"hrist system on 'C&& and ha/e "ontinued to see it at $ork sin"e. ,his is the primary "ause behind the es"alation of $ars both physi"al and spiritual. ,he truth is, there has been $ar in e/ery generation. ome ha/e li/ed through t$o @orld @ars. ,hey kno$ the pain and glory of /i"tory. 0thers ha/e li/ed through "onfli"ts su"h as <orea and Vietnam. ,hey kno$ the pain and po$er of defeat. @e no$ ha/e a generation that has kno$n the $ar of the desert. .n &''&, the Gulf @ar be"ame a reality and a tyrant $as e9posed. 1y "hildren $ere small then, and .
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still remember them "rying as $e $at"hed the Baghdad bombings on tele/ision. J.ra#J has sin"e be"ome a household $ord. 0peration Freedom has no$ raged on for se/eral years. ,he tyrant has been remo/ed, but the "onfli"t still rages. .n fa"t, it is a rare day that some portion of the 1iddle 4ast isnAt the top story in the ne$s. @e are at a uni#ue stage in our $orldAs history. !t this time, e/eryone in !meri"a has e9perien"ed and been part of some "onfli"t that falls under the definition of $ar. .f you are reading this book and li/e in another nation, you likely ha/e a similar $ar2influen"ed history. Remember, $ar is in our bloodline. 3o$e/er, . am still not sure that the Body of Christ understands the real $ar around us. !fter a "ouple of de"ades spent a$akening from our slumber, $e no$ ha/e an a$areness of the need for spiritual $arfare. Fet tragi"ally, $e often are "lueless $hen it "omes to who or what $e are fighting. Be"ause you are reading this book, itAs safe to say you are not "lueless as to the enemy of our times. 1ost likely you ha/e done your part in "ontending against the po$ers of our age for years, and your desire in reading this book is to in"rease your understanding. .f that is the "ase, . honor you as an astute $arrior. Fet e/ery $arrior, no matter ho$ skilled or kno$ledgeable, kno$s his or her limitations. @e "annot fight this battle>and $in> $ithout the entire Body of Christ alongside us. For that reason, it is "ru"ial that $e all understand the real $ar that $e are fighting.
Life 1atters
5espite $hat the media and "ulture say, the ultimate $ar of our times is not about oil, land or nu"lear po$er. .t is not about terrorism and homeland se"urity. ,he real $ar of our time "on"erns one thingB li*e.
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God pla"es ea"h of us in a spe"ifi" time and spa"e $here $e are meant to e9perien"e life to its fullest. !"ts &(B+?2+( puts it this $ayB
God, $ho made the $orld and e/erything in it, sin"e 3e is Lord of hea/en and earth, does not d$ell in temples made $ith hands. -or is 3e $orshiped $ith menAs hands, as though 3e needed anything, sin"e 3e gi/es to all life, breath, and all things. !nd 3e has made from one blood e/ery nation of men to d$ell on all the fa"e of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their d$ellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for 3im and find 3im, though 3e is not far from ea"h one of us.
.n this age $e must fight to keep those God2appointed times and boundaries. 4a"h day $e li/e is a life2or2death matter. . kno$ that sounds dramati", but it is true. 4/ery day $e fight against the for"es that seek to steal pie"es of our e9isten"e bit by bit. ome days the battle seems minorM on others $e $ar for our /ery ne9t breath. 0ur "ulture $ould ha/e us belie/e that life "an be "ompartmentali;ed and ordered>some areas are $orth dying for, $hile others "an fall by the $ayside if they do not meet our moral "riteria of importan"e. ,his is $hy people "an fight for en/ironmentalism, stem "ell resear"h or human rights yet turn around and Iustify abortion. @e /alue life>at least $hen it is "on/enient for us. But life in/ol/es the $hole person. Life is not Iust our physi"al surroundings or our emotional $ell2beingM it is a spiritual matter as $ell, for e/ery human being. -atural life has a beginning, but it really has no end. By that . mean that our 1aker has established us as eternal beings. Fes, our natural bodies $ill pass a$ay $ith the $ithering of the trees. But our spiritual beings $ill remain. ,here are three aspe"ts to our spiritual beings. ,he first and most important is endless communion $ith the God
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$ho "reated us and ga/e us 3is on to redeem us from our self2imposed prison. J3e $ho has the on has lifeM he $ho does not ha/e the on of God does not ha/e lifeJ D& =ohn 7B&+E. ,hrough =esus $e "an enter boldly into GodAs d$elling pla"e. @e ha/e dire"t a""ess to 3is throne room. ,here is often, ho$e/er, a $ar to get into this pla"e, $hi"h $e $ill dis"uss later. ,he se"ond dynami" of our spiritual being is our testimony. 3o$ $e o/er"ome our tests in life produ"es a testimony that has impa"t not only in the natural realm, but e/en more so in the spiritual. !s $e rely on the mind of Christ rather than on our o$n understanding, $e "an testify to 3is truth. !s $e find strength in 3im rather than our o$n abilities or fortitude, $e bear $itness to 3is po$er. !bundant life in/ol/es dis"o/ering the infinite attributes of God and aligning $ith them through our testimony. !nd ea"h time $e speak out our testimony, $e o/er"ome the enemy and seal our abundant life Dsee Re/. &+B&&E. ntuition is the third fa"et of our spiritual e9isten"e. @e are shaped in the spiritual realm a""ording to ho$ $e per"ei/e or dis"ern good and e/il. @hen $e intuiti/ely display the mind of God, $e $alk in /i"tory. !s our intuition alerts us to the s"hemes of atan before they "ome to pass, $e ha/e the opportunity to th$art the enemy and "on#uer territory both in the hea/ens and on 4arth. ,hat is $hy there is su"h a $ar both o/er and around us. @e are "reated to ha/e endless union and fello$ship $ith God. atan $ants to "reate eternal separation from God. ,herefore, he $ars daily to separate us from God and "ause our "ommunion $ith our 1aker to "ease.
trategies for @ar

-ot only is there a $ar o/er our /ery e9isten"e, but
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there is also a $ar o/er the manner of life $e li/e. 3o$ $e li/e in the pla"e and time in $hi"h $e ha/e been established determines our manner of life. atan $ants to keep us in po/erty and infirmity. 3e $ants to relegate our spiritual e9isten"e to barren religion, and he $ants to steal e/ery oun"e of Ioy and purpose $e ha/e in life. .f it $ere up to him, $e $ould ne/er kno$ abundan"e, health or freedom in $orship. But 5od- 0ur 1aker has another plan for us, a destiny in 3im. =esus e9presses this in =ohn &*B&*B J. ha/e "ome that they may ha/e life, and that they may ha/e it more abundantly.J Considering that $e li/e in a time of $ar, is this abundan"e e/en possibleG !nd if so, ho$G ,hroughout the rest of this book, $e $ill unfold $hat . belie/e is GodAs plan for belie/ers to li/e abundantly in the midst of the storm. For no$, allo$ me to offer three general strategies as our ans$er to these $arring timesB 1. Praise 2our &a* $hrough #-er* 34stacle @ar is /iolent. ,he mere mention of the $ord in/okes thoughts of artillery and bloodshed. By the same token, $e are "alled by God to be /iolent in the spirit realm. 1atthe$ &&B&+ says, J!nd from the days of =ohn the Baptist until no$ the kingdom of hea/en suffers /iolen"e, and the /iolent take it by for"e.J o ho$ are $e to be /iolent in the spiritG Praise. 1erely de"laring the name of God "auses a /iolent rea"tion from the enemy. @hen $e praise, $e yield a mighty $eapon in the hea/enlies. @e are li/ing in /iolent times, so praise /iolentlyH @orshiping $arriors $ill o/er"ome mountainous obsta"les during these times simply by pressing into the high pla"es that the enemy has ere"ted. !bortion, pornography, human sla/e traffi"king, di/or"e>these are the demoni" establishments brought do$n in part by the double2edged s$ord of praise Dsee Ps. &?'B6E.
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,he -.V translation of =esusA $ords in 1atthe$ reads, J,he kingdom of hea/en has been for"efully ad/an"ing, and for"eful men lay hold of it.J ,he American ;ictionary o* the 0nglish "anguage des"ribes J/iolen"eJ as a J/ehement, for"ible, or destru"ti/e a"tion, often in/ol/ing infringement, outrage, or assault.J7 @e are to be /iolent $ith our praise, assaulting and destroying the $orks of the enemy in the pro"ess. ,alk about $arfareH ,here is more to the re/elation of /iolent praise, though. JPraiseJ "omes from a Latin $ord meaning J/alueJ or Jpri"e.J ,o gi/e praise to God is to pro"laim 3is merit or $orth in e/ery situation. Fou "an shout JGloryHJ Fou "an release blessingH Four heart "an e9press thanksgi/ingH By the =e$ish "alendar, 7(67 is the year of Sameh= Hei, $hi"h embodies the e9pression of JhalleluIahJ or Jpraise the Lord.J .n other $ords, this is the year $e must bring praise and the a"kno$ledgment of God into e/ery "ir"umstan"e of our li/es. .f $e do this, God $ill enthrone 3imself in the midst of our "ir"umstan"es, and 3e $ill take on any strategy the enemy uses to bind, blo"k and "apti/ate us. Praise "an be gi/en through many means, as long as it is a natural heart e9pression and not an out$ard sho$ Dsee 1att. &7B)E. ,he most "ommon in a modern2day "hur"h setting is through musi", both instrumental and /o"al Dsee Ps. &7*B:27E. Paul spe"ifi"ally mentions singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs in the "orporate $orship setting Dsee Col. :B&6E. Fet $orshiping $arriors kno$ there are many other e/eryday $ays to de"lare the name of the LordB offering sa"rifi"es Dsee Le/. (B&:E, physi"al mo/ement Dsee + am. 6B&?E, silen"e and meditation Dsee Ps. ((B&&2&+E, testimony Dsee Ps. 66B&6E, prayer Dsee Phil. ?B6E and li/ing a holy life Dsee & Pet. &B:2'E. Praise also in"ludes spontaneous outbursts of thanksgi/ing in response to a redempti/e a"t of God Dsee 49od. &7M =udg. 7M & am. +M Luke &B?6277,6(2('E. 4a"h of these e9pressions of
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praise "an be"ome /iolent $hen you are determined to ad/an"e in GodAs kingdom plan. 0ne final note "on"erning praiseB 5uring this season of $ar, many of us ha/e gone through /arious trials so that $e "ould learn ho$ to bring GodAs /i"torious sound from hea/en into our atmospheres. 3o$ $e establish this atmosphere of /i"tory around us sets our "ourse for the future. ,his is a season of /i"torious sound. <eep in mind, ne$ songs and sounds $ill break old "y"les and "ause us to ad/an"e, enlarge and define our boundaries for days ahead. 2. 'e 2e +ot Passi-e ,his goes hand in hand $ith /iolent praise. ,oo many Christians ha/e resigned to li/ing defeated li/es be"ause of their misunderstanding of $hat it means to lo/e pea"e. ,hey e#uate pea"efulness $ith passi/ity and a/oid stirring the $aters at any "ost. =esus "ommanded us to turn the "heek, but 3e ne/er on"e told us to be passi/e. Passi/ity and pea"efulness are t$o different things. Passi/ity "auses us to ,ass u, the God2appointed opportunity to de"lare 3im /i"torious o/er the enemy. Ultimately, it renders us ineffe"ti/e to $ar against the enemies of God>$hi"h $e are "alled to doH ,he opposite of being passi/e is praising /iolently. !nd throughout "ripture $e see e9amples of GodAs "hosen people, the .sraelites, spurning a passi/e response in fa/or of e9pressing /iolent praise. 1oses and 1iriam both sang and dan"ed $hen they passed out of 4gypt. D1iriam $as '* years old $hen she led the "ongregation in dan"ingHE ,he .sraelites e9pressed /iolent praise at =eri"ho, resulting in the demolition of an entire "ity. Gideon e9pressed /iolent praise o/er the 1idianites. Paul and ilas e9pressed /iolent praise that broke them out of prison. Fou ha/e the opportunity to take the same a"tions>
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and yield the same bondage2breaking resultsH 5onAt $orry about $hat to say, Iust let your heart respond to God. Psalm )&B&* says, J. am the Lord your God, $ho brought you out of the land of 4gyptM open your mouth $ide, and . $ill fill it.J -ot only $ill the "hains break off and the "apti/es be set free as you praise /iolently, you $ill also release the roar of the Lord that has been held "apti/e in GodAs people. !llo$ me to e9plain. GodAs sound permeates from hea/en and orders mu"h of $hat goes on in the earthly realm. @hen 3e is ready to bring restoration to 4arth, 3e releases 3is sound. !nd "ripture repeatedly indi"ates that =udah, meaning Jpraise,J goes first. @ho leads this praiseG -o less than Christ, the Lion of =udah Dsee Re/. 7B7E. ,he Lion of =udah roarsH !s ambassadors of Christ, that roar of God is $ithin us. !mos : tells us that $hen the roar of the Lord goes forth, a propheti" mantle falls. =oel +B+) paints a pi"ture of $hat this "o/ering looks likeB JFour sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see /isions.J ,he pirit of the Lord longs to be /oi"ed through su"h a propheti" mantle. Let that begin $ith the roar of the Lord announ"ing both 3is arri/al and 3is praise. !s you shake off passi/ity and roar $ith a holy roar, allo$ the Lord to loose those things that lie deep $ithin you. Let 3im break hidden grief that has kept your Ioy "apped. 0pen the gates for 3im to release blessings from $ithin. 3. Change the Atmosphere and 3ccup* the 5and Praise literally "reates a different atmosphere around us be"ause the Lord "omes do$n and inhabits our $orship Dsee Ps. ++B:E. 3e, the God of the uni/erse, d$ells in the midst of our praising 3im. .tAs not hard to imagine, then, $hy this "hanges our measure of faith and gi/es us strength to grab hold of the inheritan"e 3e has for us.
?'
5id you kno$ that you ha/e a portion spe"ifi"ally allotted to you from GodG ,he $ord Jinheritan"eJ means Jmy portion.J @e all ha/e a portion. @e ha/e all been gi/en a spa"e, territory or arena in $hi"h $e ha/e been granted authority. 3o$ $e ste$ard that spa"e is key to our su""ess in the spirit realm. .n fa"t, the "limate of our domain refle"ts our relationship $ith the Lord. ,herefore, our "hief desire should be for the presen"e of the 3oly God to o""upy our inheritan"e. .n 5euteronomy &B) and )B&, $e readB J ee, . ha/e set the land before youM go in and possess the land $hi"h the Lord s$ore to your fathers>to !braham, .saa", and =a"ob >to gi/e to them and their des"endants after them ... 4/ery "ommandment $hi"h . "ommand you today you must be "areful to obser/e, that you may li/e and multiply, and go in and possess the land of $hi"h the Lord s$ore to your fathers.J @hen $e o""upy something, $e take possession of it or keep it in our possession. .n Luke +&B&' $e are "alled to possess our souls. .n $arring against the enemies of this age, $e must learn ho$ to o""upy and possess. @hen $e possess the portion that God has for ea"h of us, $e be"ome $hole, fulfilled and full of pea"e. ,his is $hat $e are a"tually $arring to a""omplishH @e must be a people $ho settle for nothing less than the abundan"e the Lord has for us.
@age @ar on Both Fronts

@e $ar as an army, as the people of God. Fet $e also $ar as indi/idual soldiers, "ommissioned by our hea/enly Father to possess the land 3e has gi/en ea"h of us. .n these "ru"ial times, you $ill find it ne"essary to kno$ ho$ to $age $ar on both fronts. Let /iolent praise be a standard. Resist the enemyAs plans to dra$ you into passi/ity. !nd learn ho$ to enter into any situation and allo$ the high praises of God to "hange the atmosphere.
7*
3e has a battle plan that $ill pa/e the $ay for you to possess your inheritan"e. o take a deep breath, and letAs enter into the unfolding $ar ahead. Fou are GodAs $arrior for the futureH
C,AP$#. 2
The Mind War
Critical Times Require Critical Thin ing
/ery family has its JthingJ>that pastime or e/ent that dra$s its members together. . happen to ha/e a house full of bo$lers. in"e they $ere young, . ha/e taken ea"h of my sons to the alley and en"ouraged them to bo$l. @e ha/e "ountless stories of "lassi" "lashes on the lanes. .tAs al$ays been a fun thing that $eA/e done as a family. But thereAs a problem. 1y sons ha/e all e9"elled $ay beyond my ability. 0ne of them is a pro bo$ler, and a "ouple of the others ha/e $on key bo$ling tournaments. . ha/e been bo$ling for ?* years. But re"ently $hen "omparing one sonAs ++* a/erage $ith my &7* a/erage, . had to ask, 3hat does he =now that don(t1 0b/iously $hat he is doing is $orking better than $hat .A/e done for four de"ades. @ould . be $illing to learn in a ne$ $ay to transform my gameG Better yet, am . too old to learn something ne$G Can the $ay . ha/e thro$n the ball for ?* years a"tually "hangeG ,hese are simple #uestions, yet they are also profound
7+
$hen applied beyond bo$ling. For e/ery pro"ess of mo/ing into a ne$ dimension, "hange is ne"essary. 1indsets ha/e to be altered. 0ld patterns must make $ay for ne$ ones. Ultimately, $e need to think differently. .n the last "hapter, $e identified the "urrent season of $ar that the Body of Christ is in. !s $arriors "alled by God, $e are to "ontend $ith the enemies of our time that seek to th$art any ad/an"ement of the kingdom of God. !s $e unfold GodAs battle plan for these days, $e "an apply di/ine strategy to enfor"e the /i"tory. @ith e/ery strategy "omes ta"ti"s. !nd in this "hapter, $e $ill "o/er one of the primary ta"ti"s that must be applied by any belie/er $ho desires to mo/e into greater /i"toryB "riti"al thinking.
,ime to ,hink
.f . e/er hope to be"ome a bo$ler on a par $ith my sons, . $ill ha/e to "hange my approa"h to the game. ure, . "an t$eak my te"hni#ues, alter my form a bit and see immediate results. But if . truly $ant to enter their league, .All need an o/erhaul on ho$ . see the game. 1y outlook has been great for ?* years, yet to get e/en better like my sons, . must adopt a ne$ perspe"ti/e. ,he same is true for our approa"h to the $ar ahead of us as belie/ers. ,he $ar is unfolding, but are $e e9panding the $ay $e thinkG Contrary to popular belief, you can tea"h an old dog ne$ tri"ks. D.Am li/ing proof of thisHE Re"ently the Lord /isited me $hile . $as in my offi"e preparing to speak at our "hur"hAs Feast of the ,aberna"les "elebration. ) n these critical times, you must thin= critically,) 3e said. ,he statement left a profound mark on me. . kne$ a fe$ things about the pro"ess of "riti"al thinking, but the Lord intended to take me to ne$ depths. ,hrough the years, . ha/e learned that if you $ant to tea"h "hildren to think "riti"ally, you do not gi/e them the
,he 1ind @ar
7:
ans$ersM rather, you gi/e them the #uestions. @hen the Lord /isited me in my offi"e that day, it $as as if . $ere do$nloading a file full of #uestions. ,hey "ame #ui"kly and in abundan"e. . $rote as #ui"kly as 3e impressed them upon me. 3o$e/er, . did not gi/e an ans$er to any of 3is #uestions. . Iust re"ei/ed them. !s . "ommuned $ith 3im, 3e sho$ed me that there $as an ans$er for ea"h #uestion, but in order to get the ans$ers, . had to think the $ay that He thought about the #uestions. .f . trusted my o$n kno$ledge, . $ould miss the mark. But if . had His thoughts, . $ould be in harmony $ith 3im and my spirit $ould bear $itness to 3is pirit of life. )etting Critical .n the last "hapter $e re/ealed that the emerging $ar is not about earthly things su"h as oil or $eapons, but about life. @e are fighting both for our e9isten"e and for abundant life. .t is a "riti"al time, one in $hi"h $e find the enemy ad/an"ing on e/ery fa"et of "ulture. Fet $e should keep in mind that God has a "ompletely different perspe"ti/e. ,he !uthor of all time pla"es ea"h generation in spe"ifi" periods to bring about 3is $ill on the earth. .n doing so, 3e looks for those $ho $ill inter"ede or stand in the gap and mediate bet$een man, the demoni" $orld and 3imself. ,his is our time to do Iust that. Can $e be "ounted onG @hen $e are in the JrightJ time at the JrightJ pla"e, God e9tends our hori;on line so that $e "an see into our future. !nd, thankfully, e/en $hen $e miss the mark, the Bible says $e "an Jredeem the timeJ D4ph. 7B&6E. .t is apparent that time is important to God, yet 3e pla"es a great responsibility on our interpretation of time. 0ur ability to read the times "an be the differen"e bet$een meeting and missing a di/ine appointment. .t also "an be the de"iding fa"tor in $hether $e sei;e the moment to
7?
gain /i"tory in a "onfli"t $e are fa"ing. @hen $e fa"e a "riti"al time>su"h as no$>$e must "losely e9amine e/ery situation before pro"eeding $ith a"tion. @e must think differently. Ultimately, $e must be critical, $hi"h is defined as ha/ing J"areful and e9a"t e/aluation and Iudgment.J& Colonel tephen =. Gerras, Ph5, the 5ire"tor of Leadership and Command .nstru"tion at the U !rmy @ar College, has $ritten a paper "on"erning "riti"al thinking for strategi" leaders. 3e opens the paper $ith a statement that is ne"essary for the Body of Christ to grasp on a deeper le/el during this season of $arB J,e"hnologi"al ad/an"es alone do not "onstitute "hange. ,he most dramati" ad/an"es in military operations o/er history ha/e been borne of ideas>ideas about $ar fighting, organi;ation and do"trine. ,he !rmyAs most "riti"al asset $ill not be te"hnology. .t $ill be "riti"al thinking.J+ @hat Gerras $ants the reader to understand is that this season of $ar is not the same as $hat $e fa"ed during the Cold @ar, or e/en 0peration 5esert torm for that matter. .t is a different time that re#uires different thinking. @hen #he 2uture 3ar o* the .hurch $as released before the tragedy of 'C&&, it Iarred the Chur"h to alter its thinking about the $ar ahead. !fter 'C&&, the book $as easier to understand be"ause the time had "hanged. ,he "onfli"t that on"e $as imminent had be"ome a reality. Con"epts that . $rote about in those pages had transitioned from future to present. GerrasAs $ords ob/iously apply to soldiers. ,hose $ho are fighting in this season, parti"ularly in the 1iddle 4ast, need to be thoroughly "ons"ientious and painstakingly "areful, using all a/ailable resour"es to think through and a""omplish the task at hand. But his $ords go beyond the military. . belie/e the Body of Christ must also e/aluate e/ery resour"e a/ailable to us and think in a different $ay. ,his is a time for leadership to adopt "riti"al thinking
,he 1ind @ar
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methods into their leadership strategies. .n fa"t, $e all must grasp the po$er of e9panding our brains through "riti"al thinking. 'rain Power .n a spe"ial feature in ;isco&er +aga6ine, $riter <athleen 1"!uliffe makes this fas"inating obser/ationB
!t Iust a puny three pounds, the adult brain en"odes our kno$ledge and skills, Ioys and regrets, plans for the future ... e/en our sense of self. But this is not the same brain $ith $hi"h $e first glimpsed the $orld. ,he mental lands"ape of an infant differs strikingly from that of a teenager or an adult. -e$ dis"o/eries shed light on the e9oti" $orld of the ne$born, e9plaining $hy teens are so impulsi/e, re/ealing the re$iring that "ontinues $ell into adulthood and the ne$ neutrons that keep popping up e/en into our (*s.:
0ur brain is "onstantly updating itself. @e $ould be $ise to follo$ its lead and adapt a more fle9ible and analyti"al mindset to interpret the times. !llo$ me for Iust a moment to e9pand on this idea. .t is important for us to understand the physiologi"al aspe"t of "riti"al thinking be"ause our brain ob/iously plays a "ru"ial role in dis"erning the times. Fet there is more than Iust pro"essing ne$ information in/ol/ed here. !meri"an bio"hemist !lbert /on ;ent2Gyorgyi on"e said, J@hate/er a man does, he must first do in his mind.J ,his isnAt Iust an elo#uent #uote. "ien"e pro/es that the simplest mo/ement in a personAs body re#uires an e9plosion of a"ti/ity in the brain. -eurons pass ele"tri"al messages do$n our spinal "ord and feed information to our ner/ous system. ,his information, in turn, triggers mus"le "ells to "ontra"t and "reate an a"tion. Vi"toria "hlesinger, another "ontributor to ;isco&er +aga6ine, $ritesB
,he brain "onsumes +* per"ent of the bodyAs o9ygen,
76
$ithout $hi"h nothing is possible>not e/en a breath, let alone a mo/ement. @ith ea"h inhalation, the lungs pull o9ygen into the bloodstream and the heart speeds it to$ard the brain, parti"ularly to areas of a"ti/ity $hen they need e9tra o9ygen. Blood rushes to the "erebellum, for e9ample, $hen a person prepares to s$ing a baseball bat, a motion that re#uires mus"le and Ioint "oordination. ,ransported through a fine net of "apillaries, o9ygen mole"ules pass from the blood into the sterile gray matter, rea"hing the neurons $ith the help of tiny attending glial "ells, $hi"h outnumber the neurons ten to one.... Like a baton in a relay ra"e, the instru"tions to mo/e must be handed from neuron to neuron. pidery tenta"les "alled dendrites ... e9tend from ea"h neuron body and fun"tion like "ondu"ti/e "omputer "ables.?
@o$H ,his is ho$ "omple9 $e are. ,he $ay $e think is dire"tly "onne"ted to the $ay $e a"t. 0ur body responds to our thoughts. tated another $ay, our a"tions refle"t our thinking. 5oesnAt this inspire you to be"ome passionate in Christ so that your a"tions refle"t your thinking about 3im and 3is lo/e for youG .t is an a$esome "on"ept. .t is be"ause of this thinking2into2a"tion reality that the enemy tries to de/elop strongholds $ithin our thinking pro"ess to blo"k us from a"ting like Christ D$e $ill e9plore this "on"ept later in the "hapterE. !nd thatAs e9a"tly $hy it is essential for us to de/elop "riti"al thinking, to dis"ern $ho or $hat is attempting to influen"e our thoughts>and therefore our a"tions. Profile of a $hinker o $hat e9a"tly is "riti"al thinkingG @hat does it mean to be a "riti"al thinkerG ! "riti"al thinker pro"esses information through a system of filters. !s belie/ers, our primary filter should al$ays be the 3oly pirit, $ho testifies to and perfe"tly aligns $ith the $ritten @ord of
,he 1ind @ar
7(
God. 0ther filters in"lude our o$n e9perien"es, feelings, memories, intuition and insights gathered from the past. ,hinking "riti"ally in/ol/es keeping both an open mind to ne$ re/elation and adhering to the established safeguards of the mind that ha/e been "onstru"ted throughout our years of li/ing. .t is, as Colonel Gerras says, a Jpurposeful, refle"ti/e and "areful e/aluation of information as a $ay to impro/e oneAs Iudgment.J7 Ri"hard Paul and Linda 4lder, $ho are authors and internationally reno$ned e9perts in the field of "riti"al thinking, offer a "omprehensi/e des"ription of a "riti"al thinkerB
! $ell2"ulti/ated "riti"al thinker raises /ital #uestions and problems, gathers and assesses rele/ant information, and "an effe"ti/ely interpret itM "omes to $ell2reasoned "on"lusions and solutions, testing them against rele/ant "riteria and standardsM thinks open2 mindedly $ithin alternati/e systems of thought, re"ogni;ing and assessing as need be, their assumptions, impli"ations and pra"ti"al "onse#uen"esM and "ommuni"ates effe"ti/ely $ith others in figuring out solutions to "omple9 problems.6
,he people of God must be"ome "riti"al thinkers of this high "aliber to su""eed in the days ahead. @e must be able to hear the Lord as 3e asks us /ital #uestions that $ill "hange the $ay $e think. .t is through "riti"al thinking that the Lord $ill do$nload key strategies to 3is people. ,herefore, the Body of Christ must ha/e the ability to e/aluate the rele/ant data "oming from God as 3e speaks to us from the @ord, from re/elation and from e/ents in the earth. @e must spend time rea"hing godly reasoned "on"lusions about these days and then taking the appropriate a"tions. ,he Chur"h must ha/e e9"ellent Iudgment in this hour. ,he "hildren of .ssa"har understood the times and kne$ $hat .srael $as to do Dsee & Chron. &+B:+E. o must GodAs people today.
,he Nuestions of the 5ay
7)
1ost people might assume that "riti"al thinking is all about arri/ing at the right ans$ers. @e ha/e an image of $hat "riti"al thinkers look likeB masterminds sitting around a table, bre$ing o/er the piles of data stre$n e/ery$here, $hen>&oila-a J"riti"al thoughtJ arri/es in the form of an ans$er to all the $orldAs problems. -ot so. ,he heart of "riti"al thinking is not in the "on"lusions but in the pro"ess of asking #uestions. 0ne $ay in $hi"h the Lord "auses us to think differently is by asking #uestions. Consider the many pla"es in "ripture $here God asked 3is ser/ants a #uestionB
God to !dam
J@here J@ho J3a/e
are youGJ DGen. :B'E
told you that you $ere nakedGJ DGen. :B&&E
you eaten from the tree of $hi"h . "ommanded you that you should not eatGJ DGen. :B&&E is this you ha/e doneGJ DGen. :B&:E
God to 4/e
J@hat
God to Cain
J@hy
are you angryG !nd $hy has your "ountenan"e fallenGJ DGen. ?B6E ha/e you "ome from, and $here are you goingGJ DGen. &6B)E is arah your $ifeGJ DGen. &)B'E
,he !ngel of the Lord to 3agar

J@here
God to !braham
J@here J@hy
did arah laugh, saying, A hall . surely bear a "hild, sin"e . am oldGA .s anything too hard for the LordGJ DGen. &)B&:E long $ill these people reIe"t 1eG !nd ho$
God to 1oses
J3o$
,he 1ind @ar
7'
long $ill they not belie/e 1e, $ith all the signs $hi"h . ha/e performed among themGJ D-um. &?B&&E
God to =oshua after the defeat at !i

J@hy
do you lie thus on your fa"eGJ D= osh. (B&*E
God to .srael Iust before =oshuaAs death

JBut
you ha/e not obeyed 1y /oi"e. @hy ha/e you done thisGJ D=udg. +B+E . not sent youGJ D=udg. 6B&?E
God to Gideon
J3a/e
God to 4li
J@hy
do you ki"k at 1y sa"rifi"e and 1y offering $hi"h . ha/e "ommanded in 1y d$elling pla"e, and honor your sons more than 1e, to make yoursel/es fat $ith the best of all the offerings of .srael 1y peopleGJ D& am. +B+'E
God Dthrough the prophet amuelE to aul $hen he made a sa"rifi"e unla$fully
J@hat J3as
ha/e you doneG D& am. &:B&&E
the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sa"rifi"es, as in obeying the /oi"e of the LordGJ D& am. &7B++E you build a house for 1e to d$ell inGJ D+ am. (B7E
God Dthrough the prophet -athanE to 5a/id

J@ould J@hy
ha/e you despised the "ommandment of the Lord, to do e/il in 3is sightGJ D+ am. &+B'E
God Dthrough GadE to 5a/id after numbering the people

J
hall se/en years of famine "ome to you in your landG 0r shall you flee three months before your enemies, $hile they pursue youG 0r shall there be
6*
three daysA plague in your landGJ D+ am. +?B&:E
God to olomon in a dream at Gibeon

J!skH
@hat shall . gi/e youGJ D& <ings :B7E are you doing here, 4liIahGJ D& <ings
God to 4liIah in a "a/e Dt$i"eE

J@hat
&'B',&:E
God to =ob Da sample of many #uestions 3e askedE

J@ould
you indeed annul 1y IudgmentG @ould you "ondemn 1e that you may be IustifiedG 3a/e you an arm like GodG 0r "an you thunder $ith a /oi"e like 3isGJ D=ob ?*B(2'E has pre"eded 1e, that . should pay himGJ D=ob ?&B&&E shall . send, and $ho $ill go for UsGJ D.sa.
J@ho
God in hea/en, heard by .saiah

J@hom
6B)E
God to the priests

J.f
then . am the Father, $here is 1y honorG .f . am a 1aster, $here is 1y re/eren"eGJ D1al. &B6E a man rob GodGJ D1al. :B)E
J@ill JFou J.s
=esus to the multitudes are the salt of the earthM but if the salt loses its fla/or, ho$ shall it be seasonedGJ D1att. 7B&:E not life more than food and the body more than "lothingGJ D1att. 6B+7E you not of more /alue than Kthe birdsLG @hi"h of you by $orrying "an add one "ubit to his statuteGJ D1att. 6B+62+(E $hy do you look at the spe"k in your brotherAs eye, but do not "onsider the plank in your o$n eyeGJ D1att. (B:E
J!re
J!nd
,he 1ind @ar
6&
J0r
$hat man is there among you $ho, if his son asks for bread, $ill he gi/e him a stoneG 0r if he asks for a fish, $ill he gi/e him a serpentGJ D1att. (B'E are you fearful, 0 you of little faithGJ D1att.
=esus to 3is dis"iples

J@hy
)B+6E
=esus to the s"ribes

J@hy
do you think e/il in your heartsGJ D1att. 'B?E
=esus to the t$o blind men

J5o
you belie/e that . am able to do thisGJ D1att. 'B+)E you also still $ithout understandingGJ D1att. &7B&6E do you say that . amGJ D1att. &6B&7E you lo/e 1eGJ D=ohn +&B&72&(E are you perse"uting 1eGJ D!"ts 'B?E
=esus to Peter
J!re
J@ho J5o
=esus to aulCPaul
J@hy
@hen $e e9amine the tea"hings and ministry of =esus, isnAt it interesting that 3e, ha/ing all kno$ledge as the on of God, "hose to ask #uestions rather than Iust supply all the ans$ersG ,he Lord asks us #uestions to "ause us to think differently and "riti"ally. 3e stirs our minds and prompts us so that $e $ill seek 3is $ay. . belie/e the Body of Christ is "urrently being prompted. 0ur hearts and minds are being stirred to ask a #uestion that e"hoes through both 3aggai & and 1atthe$ &6B 3hat time is it1 5o $e truly understand the season of $ar $e are inG !nd Iust as important, $hat should $e be doing in responseG #-er* 6uestion /emands a .esponse
6+
@hen $e look at all of the #uestions abo/e>$hi"h are only a portion of $hat is found in the Bible>$e "an surmise that ea"h one demanded a response. God is still demanding a response today. ,his is $hat makes God so real. ,he Lord has ne/er "eased intera"ting $ith 3is people, and 3e desires a people $illing to gather His thoughts, assess His $ays>and then align $ith His strategies. ,hat is the essen"e of "riti"al thinking for the astute belie/erB aligning $ith GodAs thoughts. . belie/e there are steps ea"h of us "an take to get to that point. Follo$ing are a fe$ keys to sharpen your mind and de/elop "riti"al thinking skillsB &. 5efine your problem and "larify your real "on"ern. +. 4/aluate all the information you ha/e and then pinpoint the missing pie"es so that you "an de/elop a "omplete thought pro"ess. :. 5efine your traps and biases. ?. Clarify your position and authority. 7. .dentify the root "auses of the problem you are addressing. 6. 5etermine $hat point of /ie$ you are using in your analysis. (. Be $illing to shift your perspe"ti/e at any time. ). !sk yourself, Am limiting my thought ,rocesses to only what =now1 Limited thought pro"esses are synonymous $ith self2righteousness. '. .dentify anything that you are taking for granted in your analysis. 5o not allo$ your assumptions to "ause you to be foolish. &*. Che"k to make sure that you are not making intelle"tual Iudgments based on partial truths.
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&&. !sk yourself, Ha&e sim,li*ied things to the ,oint that (m missing out on the ma>or com,onent here1 &+. !/oid being biased or preIudi"ed in the $ay you re"ei/e, per"ei/e and release information. . ha/e "hosen the Bible as the absolute authority that shapes my entire belief system. 1any people adhere to prin"iples in the Bible, but the Bible is far more than prin"iples>it is the @ord of lifeH ,he Bible is a li/ing Book that helps us understand the e9isten"e of God. -ot only "an $e get to =now God through the @ord, $e "an hear 3im. 3is 3oly pirit speaks to us dire"tly through 3is li/ing, a"ti/e $ords. ,his is our foundation for "riti"al thinking. @ith su"h a foundation, $e are able to base e/ery ans$er to e/ery #uestion $eAre e/er asked on this li/ing Book. 4/en the ultimate #uestion about $hy $e e9ist "an be ans$eredB for a relationship to a lo/ing God in pursuit of us, $ho is displayed throughout "ripture. @e "an approa"h problems based on ho$ $e see God approa"hing problems in "ripture. .n fa"t, it is by basing our beliefs on the @ord that $e "an agree $ith 3ebre$s &&B:B JBy faith $e understand that the $orlds Kduring the su""essi/e agesL $ere framed Dfashioned, put in order, and e#uipped for their intended purposeE by the $ord of God, so that $hat $e see $as not made out of things $hi"h are /isibleJ $A+9%. -o matter ho$ "riti"al things be"ome, $e "an be a people $ho think the $ay God thinks and see our $ay into /i"tory.
,he @ar 0/er Four 1ind

.f $e hope to mo/e for$ard in "omplete /i"tory, $e must transform our minds to think the $ay God thinks. @e must adopt 3is thoughts for today rather than our o$n. . am "on/in"ed that one of the greatest "oming $ars $ill take pla"e on the battlefield of the mind. @e must
6?
de"lare 3is reign on the earth through our personal rene$al, starting $ith our minds. !s you might e9pe"t, this rene$al al$ays meets opposition. atan $ould like nothing more than to keep you in old thought patterns, stale mindsets and $orn2out mentalities. .n his book Authority in 9rayer? 9raying with 9ower and 9ur,ose, 5ut"h heets shares the nature of this "onfrontationB
0ur $ar is not physi"al. ,hough atan uses people to ad/an"e his "auses, the -e$ ,estament makes "lear that $e are not $arring against flesh and blood. Unbelie/ers, atheists and those $ho disagree theologi"ally are not our enemies. ,hey are all lo/ed by God, and 3e $ants ea"h of them to be sa/ed. 0ur real enemies are the po$ers of darkness $aging $ar against GodAs kingdom, trying to hinder 3is purposes on the earth. 1ake no mistakeB 0ur $ar $ith these for"es is a $ar for the soul of a nation and the destinies of millions of people.(
,he real $ar is o/er the transformation of our thought pro"esses. .f you are reading this book, your desire is probably to ha/e the mind of God. Fou $ant to see 3is kingdom reign throughout the earth, $hi"h means you $ant to see it in your life and thought pro"esses. !nd yet $e are all on the battlefield ea"h day $hen it "omes to $inning the $ar o/er our minds. 3o$ e9a"tly, then, does the enemy "ontinue to influen"e usG @hat are his ta"ti"sG 3is most po$erful means of influen"e and atta"k are through strongholds. .n PaulAs se"ond letter to the Corinthians, the apostle re/eals this potent de/i"e of atan, $hile also mapping out the spiritual $arfare that is Iust as rele/ant today as it $as during his timeB
For though $e $alk in the flesh, $e do not $ar a""ording to the flesh. For the $eapons of our $arfare are not "arnal but mighty in God for pulling do$n strongholds, "asting do$n arguments and e/ery high
,he 1ind @ar
67
thing that e9alts itself against the kno$ledge of God, bringing e/ery thought into "apti/ity to the obedien"e of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedien"e $hen your obedien"e is fulfilled D+ Cor. &*B:26E.
. suggest that you study all of + Corinthians &*. PaulAs instru"tions to the Corinthians are the key to /i"tory in our o$n battles of the mind. @hen $e "apture a thought and make it obedient to Christ, $e are simply transforming that thought into the $ay Christ $ould think. Paul goes on to tell the Corinthians that if they do not bring their thoughts into "apti/ity, their minds $ill be affe"ted by $rong philosophies and a stronghold $ill be de/eloped. imply stated, a stronghold is a thought pro"ess that has been "onstru"ted and allo$ed to take up residen"e. trongholds "an be either good or bad>5a/id often referred to the Lord as his Jstronghold.J 3o$e/er, $hen $e allo$ atan to establish a stronghold in our minds, $e prote"t his $ay of operation in our li/es. ,his is not a book about strongholds. uffi"e it to say they are one of atanAs most po$erful means to render both indi/iduals and entire parts of the Body of Christ ineffe"ti/e for $ar. o ho$ do $e pre/ent them and a/oid being another soldier taken out of the fightG Paul lets us kno$ in Romans &+B&2+B
. appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in /ie$ of KallL the mer"ies of God, to make a de"isi/e dedi"ation of your bodies Kpresenting all your members and fa"ultiesL as a li/ing sa"rifi"e, holy Dde/oted, "onse"ratedE and $ell pleasing to God, $hi"h is your reasonable Drational, intelligentE ser/i"e and spiritual $orship. 5o not be "onformed to this $orld Dthis ageE, Kfashioned after and adapted to its e9ternal, superfi"ial "ustomsL, but be transformed D"hangedE by the KentireL rene$al of your mind Kby its ne$ ideals and its ne$ attitudeL, so that you may pro/e Kfor yoursel/esL $hat is the good and a""eptable and perfe"t $ill of God, e/en the thing $hi"h is good and a""eptable and perfe"t Kin
66
3is sight for youL $A+9%.
PaulAs statement to the "hur"h in Rome is Iust as /alid today as it $as nearly +,*** years ago. @e "an be"ome "onformed to the $orld in a heartbeat. .n our sinful nature, $e are instin"ti/ely $ired to take on the blueprint of the $orldAs plans, methods and philosophies. Romans )B62( says, J,o be "arnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and pea"e. Be"ause the "arnal mind is enmity against God.J 0ur mind inherently $ars against the kno$ledge and thinking pro"esses of God. ,he sad truth is that $e are more likely to "ome into agreement $ith anti2God thoughts and anti"hrist systems than $e are to "hoose GodAs $ay. 3o$e/er, the Lord offers a solution /ia PaulAs $ords to the Romans. @e are "alled to be transformed. ,he $ord JtransformationJ essentially means to break out of that "onfined plan and blueprint and enter into a metamorphosis of thinking the same $ay God thinks. 3o$ do $e transformG @e be"ome more like 3im, thinking His thoughts and follo$ing His strategies, by the Jrene$ing of your mindJ DRom. &+B+E. Be fore$arnedB =ust as /iolent praise e/okes imminent "onfli"t Das $e dis"ussed in the pre/ious "hapterE, so too does this spiritual rene$al of the mind stir up $arfare. 0ur mind resists re"ei/ing ne$ re/elation. 1any people a/oid propheti" re/elation entirely. ,his typi"ally "omes through religious spirits "on/in"ing us that $e donAt need to kno$ anything ne$ or that $e ha/e already e9perien"ed $hat God has for us. Fet $ithout propheti" re/elation $e a"tually go ba"k$ard. !gain, this is probably the most diffi"ult battle $e fa"e on an indi/idual le/el. @ill $e re"ei/e ne$ thoughts that refle"t GodAs $ay of thinking in this age, or $ill $e settle for our o$n kno$ledge and adhere to the $orldAs mindsetsG ,he en"ouraging truth is thisB .f you make it past this
,he 1ind @ar
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$ar, you "an $alk in /i"tory in e/ery $ar ahead. )od Can Change 2our %ind7 !t this "riti"al Iun"ture in history, the Chur"h is in transition. @e must e/aluate the present Jappointed timeJ and a"t appropriately. ,o do that, . belie/e God is "ausing our minds to shift in a ne$ $ay. .t reminds me of $hat God did to =eremiah. .n "hapter +7 of the book of =eremiah, $e find =eremiah prophesying (* years of desolation for the .sraelites be"ause they $ould not listen, heed the $ord of God and "hange. 3e didnAt bother to temper his $ords as he foretold =erusalemAs "omplete destru"tion. ,he resultG =eremiah $as thro$n in prison. .n the ne9t /erse DdonAt you lo/e those gaps of time in "riptureGE, $e read that the Lord told the prophet to go and buy a pie"e of land at !nathoth, the /ery pla"e o/er $hi"h he had prophesied destru"tion. Be"ause God instru"ted =eremiah to do this, the prophet had to think in a ne$ $ayB J!h, Lord GodH Behold, Fou ha/e made the hea/ens and the earth by Four great po$er and outstret"hed arm. ,here is nothing too hard for FouJ D=er. :+B&(E. 0beying a "ommand that $as so "ontrary to =eremiahAs o$n thought pro"ess "alled for some /iolent praiseH Fast for$ard a fe$ /erses in this same "hapter and $e find God turning the tables on =eremiahB JBehold, . am the Lord, the God of all flesh. .s there anything too hard for 1eGJ D/. +(E. .tAs one thing for you to tell God that there is nothing too hard for 3im>itAs another thing for God to ask if you really belie/e itH 0ur thought pro"esses "an de"ei/e us, but they "annot es"ape the reality of God. ,his is ho$ "riti"al thinking $orksB .t "auses us to be"ome responsi/e to a purpose or goal. .f $e align our thoughts $ith GodAs thoughts, $e are assured su""ess in the future. It8s $ime to Align7
6)
,hat leads us to the ob/ious #uestionB =ust ho$ do $e align our thoughts $ith GodAsG @e ha/e already dis"ussed the ta"ti" of rene$ing our minds, $hi"h sets us up for a sho$do$n against our natural, $orldly mindset. ,here are plenty of opponents $ho $ould rather not see us $alking in union $ith GodAs thoughts and plans> atan and his earthly a""ompli"es, for starters. Fet there is another for"e at $ork against us, one that "omes from $ithin ea"h of usB our o$n emotions. ,o think differently $e must realign our desires and allo$ the 3oly pirit to rule our emotions. ! desire is a fun"tion of our emotions. .n other $ords, our desires are birthed out of our emotions. Remember that desire, fueled by emotion, is $hat "aused 4/e to stray from the mind of God. atan "on/in"ed her that God $as holding out on her by not offering her the fruit of e/ery tree in the garden. he $as not "ontent $ith ha/ing a""ess to ''.' per"ent of the trees in 4den>she $anted them all. ,his shifted her desire from God to something that God had forbidden. 5esire "auses you to seek $hat is most pre"ious to you, often $ithout regard to the "ost. ,his "an be both good and bad. !ll prayer and "ommunion is a result of desire. 5esire is linked $ith passion>$e all burn to embra"e something. 5esire is also linked $ith praise and delight. @hen you feel spiritually dry and are unable to praise, most likely your emotions ha/e been blo"ked in some $ay and your desire fun"tion is not in operation. .f $e donAt allo$ the 3oly pirit to o/ertake our desires, our minds $ill not fun"tion right. 0n the negati/e side, unrestrained desire leads to "o/etousness, presumption, d$indling /ision and o/erall de"ay. @hen desire is not fun"tioning healthily, $e enter into hope deferred. !nd as Pro/erbs &:B&+ says, J3ope deferred $ill make the heart si"k.J @hen the heart is si"k, the mind be"omes infe"ted. !nd if $e lose our e9pe"tation for God to mo/e in our li/es, $hi"h is a fun"tion of desire,
,he 1ind @ar
6'
$e begin to think $ith a mindset "ontrary to the $ay God thinks. Pictures of Alignment .n "riti"al, stressful times, our emotions "an often be"ome bruised and our desires tainted, "ausing us to lose the strength ne"essary to resist the enemyAs plan. 3o$e/er, God is al$ays in the pro"ess of restoring and strengthening. @hen $e rely on 3is strength and not our o$n>on His thoughts and strategies, not ours>then $e "an perse/ere. 0ne of my fa/orite passages that e9emplify this is Genesis &?, $hi"h tells the story of !braham and his nephe$, Lot. Lot found himself in a state of "risisB 3e $as "aptured by fi/e kings. 4/en though Lot and !braham had gone their separate $ays, !braham $ent to $ar to get Lot ba"k in pla"e and repositioned. !braham defeated the fi/e kings, res"ued Lot and "olle"ted the spoils from battle. 3e then met 1el"hi;edek, the king of alem and a high priest, $ho blessed himB JBlessed be !bram of God 1ost 3igh, possessor of hea/en and earthM and blessed be God 1ost 3igh, $ho has deli/ered your enemies into your handJ D//. &'2+*E. .n reply, !braham ga/e him a tithe of all of the spoils of $ar. 0ne of the $ays to align $ith GodAs thoughts is through gi/ing. -oti"e that immediately after !braham ga/e, God "alled 3imself !brahamAs Je9"eedingly great re$ardJ DGen. &7B&E and then made a "o/enant $ith !braham that set the "ourse for the future of all nations. God did not take lightly !brahamAs gi/ing to 1el"hi;edek Da symboli" pre"ursor to =esusE, nor does 3e take lightly our gi/ing today. @hen $e align oursel/es $ith GodAs strategies to go to $ar and regain $hat $e ha/e lost, and $hen our response to /i"tory is to gi/e ba"k to the Lord, $e begin to see our future ordered. !nother great e9ample of "riti"al thinking in alignment $ith the LordAs thoughts "omes from the life of
(*
5a/id. ,he prophet amuel anointed 5a/id as king o/er all .srael, yet it $as years before the young $arrior as"ended the throne. .n fa"t, from that point for$ard, 5a/id had to hide from aul in the $ilderness and seemed to fa"e more "onfli"t than anything else. Fet after remaining faithful and in step $ith GodAs destiny for him, 5a/id $as made king &+ years later. 3is first reign $as o/er t$o tribesM se/en years later, he $as made king of all the tribes of .srael. Fou might think that after all 5a/id had been through, his first assignment might be to get a robe and a throne and rest for a "ouple of years. But be"ause he $as a "riti"al thinker, 5a/id $as more interested in the LordAs plans than he $as in resting on his laurels. !nd the Lord had bigger plans. 5a/idAs first mo/e as king $as to o/erthro$ the =ebusites, a people $ho had ne/er been o/erthro$n before. ,hey had established a stronghold in =erusalem that had ne/er been dealt $ith from the time God established "o/enant boundaries $ith !braham. 5a/id in#uired of the Lord>a "hara"teristi" of "riti"al thinking that he displayed throughout his life>and reali;ed that 8ion $as to finally be the LordAs on"e more. ,his $as no small feat. Generations before, =oshua and the people of .srael had been "ommanded by God to annihilate all those $ho $ere in their $ay as they took possession of their promised inheritan"e. But =oshua &7B6: points out that Jas for the =ebusites, the inhabitants of =erusalem, the "hildren of =udah "ould not dri/e them out.J ,his ini#uitous people had kept their stronghold for eight generations. !nd in 5a/idAs Dand GodAsE eyes, that $as eight generations too many. ,he Bible "ondenses the re"laiming of this long2 standing stronghold into one brief senten"eB J-e/ertheless 5a/id took the stronghold of 8ionJ D+ am. 7B(E.
<eys to @inning the @ar of the 1ind
,he 1ind @ar
(&
@ithout re"ei/ing both instru"tion and strategy from the Lord, 5a/id likely $ould not ha/e had su""ess against the =ebusites. !t least four pre/ious generations had tried and met failure. Fet be"ause 5a/id sought the LordAs mindset, kno$ing that /i"tory lies in His plans, the Bible barely e/en des"ribes it as a battle. .f $e hope to follo$ 5a/idAs e9ample and $in the $ars of our time>no matter ho$ fortified or long2 standing they are>$e $ould be $ise to keep in mind the follo$ing elementsB &. @e must "apture our thoughts and think the $ay God thinks. +. @e must not allo$ strongholds or thought pro"esses "ontrary to GodAs kingdom plans to de/elop $ithin us. :. @e must be $illing to address issues that ha/e ne/er been addressed and o/er"ome. ?. @e must ha/e "reati/e leadership methods so that $e "an enter into areas that ha/e ne/er been penetrated. 7. @e must understand our boundaries and e9er"ise our authority $ithin those boundaries. 6. @e must kno$ $here and $ith $hom $e are building. (. @e must be aligned properly. 0ur fun"tional authority is enhan"ed $hen $e Ioin $ith someone $ho has more authority than $e do in the operation of our gift. ,his is foundational to the transformation in our territory Dsee 4ph. ?E. ). @e must re/ie$ ho$ $e are to build for the future. @hat re/elation got us startedG @hat emotions ha/e hindered usG .s anything too hard for the LordG '. @e must "onsider $ho is gi/ing us "ounsel and
(+
$ho $e are gi/ing "ounsel to. @ars are not Iust $on $ith $eapons. !ny soldier $ho pointlessly barrels his $ay through the battlefield $ith guns bla;ing $ill likely find himself another number on the "asualty list. trategy is essential. 0n the other side of the "oin, ho$e/er, the greatest masterminds behind e/ery $ar "an a""omplish nothing $ithout those $ho $ield the $eapons of $ar. !s Christians, $e ha/e both $eapons and strategy> and both are found in the Lord. .n this "riti"al time, one of the greatest $eapons 3e has gi/en 3is Body is "riti"al thinking. @e "an do more than Iust rea"t to e/ery situation from an emotional le/elM $e "an assess and pro"ess using "riti"al thinking. Fet on our o$n, this amounts to nothing in our fight against the po$ers of darkness. @e must find the LordAs strategy by aligning our minds $ith 3is. 0nly then "an $e fa"e>$ith assured /i"tory>the $ars ahead.
C,AP$#. 3
The Blood War
"m#owered in Soul and S#irit
a/e you e/er heard someone say, J,hat person Iust has bad bloodJG .tAs as if $e e9plain a$ay someoneAs misfortunes, poor "hoi"es, addi"tions, sins or o/erall $eaknesses by "halking it up to geneti"s. J3is father $as an al"oholi", so $hat else $ould you e9pe"t from himGJ J3er mother di/or"ed $hen she $as young>. gi/e their marriage a "ouple of years at the most.J J0h, sheAs al$ays $orrying, Iust like her grandma.J @hether intentional or not, $e speak of Jbad bloodJ as a "urse. . remember $hen $e adopted our first "hild, 5aniel. 3e $as meant for us. =ust as Psalm 6)B6 says, JGod sets the solitary in families,J 5aniel $as ordained by God to "ome into our family. 1aybe thatAs $hy it hit me so hard $hen my aunt asked me, J@hy are you adoptingG Fou ha/e no idea $hat bad blood and problems you are going to get by adopting this "hild.J .mmediately . felt the Lord lead me to respond to her by saying, J!untie, his blood "anAt be any $orse than ours.
(?
!nd he sure "anAt ha/e any more problems than our family has had. ,he Lord "an "hange him Iust like 3eAs "hanged me.J
5i/ine .nter/ention
. am one of those $ho "ome from Jbad blood.J 0ur home life $as filled $ith one traumati" e/ent after another, resulting in death and destru"tion. @e $ere a family that had great potential. 1y father a"#uired land from his family, and the future looked bright>but 5ad $as ensnared by the enemy and lost his life prematurely at age :'. Conse#uently, the land and three generationsA $orth of blessings $ere lost. ,his left great $ounds in both my soul and spirit. !nd yet as . told my aunt, the Lord performed a mira"le in my life. @hen . $as &), God so/ereignly /isited me. . $as in a hospital bed on o9ygen, ha/ing been diagnosed $ith double pneumonia and an enlarged heart. By GodAs masterful design, 3e pla"ed me in a room $ith a Pente"ostal pastor $ho introdu"ed me to a Person . did not kno$B the 3oly pirit. . had a""epted Christ years before, and yet through this pastor, the Person of Christ suddenly be"ame ali/e to me. -ot only did the Lord seem so real and near to me, but so did 3is @ord. . began to de/our "ripture like ne/er before. . remember t$o passages in parti"ular that spoke to me during those t$o $eeks in the hospital. ,he first $as Pro/erbs :B72&*B
Lean on, trust in, and be "onfident in the Lord $ith all your heart and mind and do not rely on your o$n insight or understanding. .n all your $ays kno$, re"ogni;e, and a"kno$ledge 3im, and 3e $ill dire"t and make straight and plain your paths. Be not $ise in your o$n eyesM re/erently fear and $orship the Lord and turn KentirelyL a$ay from e/il. .t shall be health to your ner/es and sine$s, and marro$ and moistening to your bones. 3onor the Lord $ith your "apital and
,he Blood @ar
(7
suffi"ien"y Kfrom righteous laborsL and $ith the firstfruits of all your in"ome. o shall your storage pla"es be filled $ith plenty, and your /ats shall be o/erflo$ing $ith ne$ $ine $A+9%.
. "hose to belie/e $hat the Bible saidB .f . $ould not trust in my o$n mind, thoughts and $isdom, then my ner/es "ould be healed and my bones and marro$ "ould be filled $ith life. D. also sa$ the "onne"tion this /erse makes bet$een health and gi/ing.E ,he ne9t /erse God spoke to me $as Pro/erbs &)B&?, $hi"h says, J,he strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble, but a $eak and broken spirit $ho "an raise up or bearGJ $A+9%. @o$H 1y eyes suddenly opened to a ne$ understanding. @ith a fresh re/elation of ho$ my mind, spirit, health and healing $ere all "onne"ted, . sa$ that it $as possible to $ithstand the si"kness . $as fa"ing. .f . allo$ed God to heal me from the inside, . "ould o/er"ome si"knesses in my body. .n that meeting at the hospital, the Lord sho$ed me the $ar that $as going on inside of me. ,here $as a $ar $ith my e/il nature. ,here $as a $ar $ith sin domination. ,here $as a $ar "on"erning my family and all its do$nfalls and failings. ,here $as a $ar $ith my inheritan"e. ,here $as e/en a $ar $ith my faith>did . really belie/e the @ord of GodG .n that di/ine time . heard the /oi"e of God. !s if re/erberating through a mountainous "a/ern, 3is $ords rang inside meB ) can restore what you ha&e lost. J ,hey e"hoed throughout my entire being, be"oming my lifeline. 3is $ords e/en began a pro"ess in my re"reation. !lmost instantly . "ould sense a breaking of the po$er of loss that $as being held $ithin my geneti" stru"ture. ,his $as the /ery po$er "reating infirmity and disease $ithin my body. #0posing a Curse
(6
. ne/er turned ba"k from follo$ing the Lord after 3e met me so po$erfully. !nd yet there $as another in"ident se/eral years later that brought me understanding regarding $hat $e $ill dis"uss in this "hapter. Pam and . had been married for fi/e years. . $as tea"hing a Bible study at my pla"e of employment. .n the Bible study $ere fi/e sisters in the Lord $ho $orked for me. 0ne of the $omen pulled me aside and said there $as an indi/idual $ho she noti"ed $as dra$n to me, and that . needed to be "areful $ith my relationship $ith her. . $asnAt a$are of anything that $as going on, but $hen . shared this $ith Pam after getting home from $ork, she informed me that during our fi/e years of marriage she had noti"ed . had a stronghold in this area. . $as not sure at that time $hat she meant by stronghold, but . listened to $hat she $as saying. Pam e9plained that if . fell to any temptation su"h as $hat . des"ribed to her that she $ould take "are of me herself. !"tually, her e9a"t $ords $ere J. $ill Iust kill you.J ,hinking she $as Ioking, . laughed it off and replied, J ure, and ho$ $ill you re"on"ile that before the LordGJ @ith a dead2serious tone, she said, J,hatAs not the best $ay, so . suggest you get before the Lord and ask 3im to remo/e anything in your life that atan "ould get a toehold in.J -o$ that spoke to me. . $ent and got before the Lord in the bathroom. 0ne of the things . ha/e al$ays done is read the Bible out loud to the Lord. ,here in the bathroom . began reading Romans 6 and got to /erse &?B JFor sin shall not ha/e dominion o/er you ...J . stopped abruptly and asked the Lord a #uestionB JLord, is this a true statementGJ . heard a /oi"e so loudly that . thought there $as a person standing in the room $ith me. J'es,) the /oi"e said.
,he Blood @ar
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ei;ing the opportunity, . asked another #uestionB JLord, is this Book "ompletely trueGJ 3is reply $as simply, JFes, obey 1y @ord.J !t that moment . kne$ . did not ha/e to submit to sin anymore. .t did not ha/e to be my master. 4/en though . had ne/er been taught this before in any of the "hur"h ser/i"es . had attended, it resonated $ithin me as truth. !nd at that moment, a po$er that had held "ontrol o/er my family $as broken. . kne$ that . ne/er had to do $hat my dad had done. . kne$ that . didnAt ha/e to fall to the same strategies atan had used to enti"e my grandfather a$ay from GodAs best. . kne$ that . "ould $alk faithfully before the Lord and remain in faithful "o/enant $ith my $ife. @hat had been in my bloodline for generations had no$ been dete"ted, addressed and broken. 1y life took a drasti" turn from that moment. $he &ar of the &ord Follo$ing that en"ounter $ith the pirit of God, my daily Bible readings and time of prayer took on ne$ meaning. . "ontinued to read the @ord Iust as . had al$ays done sin"e . $as &), "o/ering three to four "hapters a day. Fet $hen . began to read the ne9t morning, the 3oly pirit spoke to meB );on(t go to the ne4t &erse until you belie&e the one you >ust read.) God $as going to make me a man of faith Iust like those . read about in 3ebre$s &&. 3e $as going to make sure 3is @ord penetrated deep into me and brought all my thought pro"esses into alignment $ith 3is. 3ebre$s ?B&+ saysB
For the @ord that God speaks is ali/e and full of po$er Kmaking it a"ti/e, operati/e, energi;ing, and effe"ti/eLM it is sharper than any t$o2edged s$ord, penetrating to the di/iding line of the breath of life DsoulE and Kthe immortalL spirit, and of Ioints and marro$ Kof the deepest parts of our natureL, e9posing and sifting and analy;ing and Iudging the /ery thoughts and
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purposes of the heart $A+9%.
,his is one of the most in"redible truths . ha/e e/er en"ountered. ,he @ord of God is ali/e. .t is full of po$er and, like a s$ord, "an di/ide a personAs soul from his or her eternal part, the spirit. !s a result of this in"redible po$er, the @ord "auses our hearts to "hange. . belie/e this "hange is both spiritual and physi"al. Romans &*B&( says, J o then faith "omes by hearing, and hearing by the $ord of God.J atanAs greatest strategy is to stop you from hearing $hat God has to say to you. 3e kno$s that $hen the /oi"e of God penetrates you, it goes deep into your bone marro$ and rearranges the "ell stru"tures $ithin your body. 3e kno$s it has a po$erful effe"t on the blood flo$ $ithin your body. @hen the @ord of God su""essfully penetrates us, $hen $e allo$ it to be stored in our hearts and de/elop the $ay $e think, our blood system begins to be purified. ,he pirit of God literally begins to in/ade blood stru"tures. @e $ill dis"uss $hy this is so important in Iust a bitM for no$, it is key to re"ogni;e that there is a $ar going on o/er "ommand of our bloodline. ,he for"es of darkness are "onstantly $orking to pre/ent spiritual life from entering into our physi"al being. . belie/e the enemyAs greatest strategy is to separate us from the @ord and the lo/e of God. .f he "an separate us from the @ord of God, $e lose the po$er of life $orking through our life2gi/ing blood system. @hat is so important about our bloodG !nd $hat does it ha/e to do $ith the 3oly piritAs $ork in our lifeG !llo$ me to take a moment to e9plain some things that $ill be foundational for the rest of this "hapter. @e kno$ that God is spirit, and yet 3e is also the designer of e/ery element $ithin our physi"al $orld. ,herefore, it is safe to say 3is $orks tra/erse e/ery realm of life> physi"al, spiritual, mental, emotional, and so on. @hen
,he Blood @ar
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"onsidering the physi"al and spiritual elements of blood, the same is true. . apologi;e in ad/an"e if some of this brings ba"k memories of suffering through biology "lass. But trust me, you $ill soon see ho$ /aluable that information is in relation to the $ars>physi"al and spiritual>that $e fa"e today.
Understanding the Blood

Life is in blood. .t "ir"ulates through the body, supplying life2gi/ing nutrients to ea"h part. ,hrough the "ir"ulatory or "ardio/as"ular system, blood is pro/ided to the organs of the body from "ell to "ell. ,he heart, lungs and blood /essels, $hi"h in"lude arteries, /eins and "apillaries, all $ork together $ith about fi/e liters of blood Din the a/erage adult bodyE to "reate this "ir"le of life flo$. @hat is important for us to note is that this blood does more than supply physi"al life. Le/iti"us &(B&& says, JFor the life of the flesh is in the blood . . . the blood makes atonement for the soul.J @e "an already see that blood takes on a spiritual signifi"an"e for our /ery soul. But there is still more. Pro/erbs +:B( says, JFor as he thinks in his heart, so is he.J @ithout taking this /erse out of "onte9t, $e "an see that the heart is at least asso"iated $ith>if not the "ontroller of>our thought pro"esses. 0b/iously, the brain is $here our kno$ledge is stored, yet this /erse indi"ates that it is not the brain that thinks, but the heartH . suggest that if the heart thinks, it in/ol/es both our de/eloped belief systems and the information a""umulated and "ategori;ed in our brains. !nd if that is the "ase, then our "ardio/as"ular system>$hi"h "y"les blood to and from the heart>is responsible for the transportation of our thoughts. @hen the heart pumps blood, it "arries a thought system throughout the entire body. .n essen"e, all of our organs are responding to the $ay our heart thinks.
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LetAs take this a bit further. !s $e kno$, blood "an be broken do$n to a more mi"ros"opi" le/el>$ithin ea"h drop of blood are millions of "ells, $hi"h are the basi" building blo"ks of life. 0n the outside of ea"h "ell is $hatAs "alled a "ell membrane. ,his is a barrier or boundary that ensures that the information $ithin that "ell is "ontained properly. ,hink of the "ell membrane as a gatekeeper that allo$s helpful substan"es to pass inside, $hile reIe"ting harmful substan"es that should not enter the gates of our de/elopment. .n the nu"leus of ea"h "ell are "hromosomes, the rod2 like stru"tures that "ontain the main /ehi"les of geneti"s> genes. @here these genes originated is a maIor fa"tor in $hat kind of "ell is produ"ed. For instan"e, a gene "an be dominant, meaning that it $ill al$ays appear in the ne9t generation, e/en if only one "opy of that gene is passed on. 0n the other hand, a recessi&e gene $ill only appear in the ne9t generation if both reprodu"ing "ells share that same re"essi/e gene. .f . ha/e already lost those of you $ho skipped out on biology "lass, letAs simplify things using the e9"ellent analogy of authors Linda ,agliaferro and 1ark V. BloomB J.f a "ell is like the $orld, then a "hromosome is like a "ountry, a se"tion of a "hromosome is like a state, a gene is like a small to$n, and base pairs D!s, Cs, ,s and GsE are like people and houses.J& ,hese Jbase pairsJ are in fa"t the "ornerstone of e/ery "ellAs life be"ause $hen bound together, they make up the most /aluable information "arried in e/ery "ellB 5-!. imply put, 5-! Ddeo9yribonu"lei" a"idE is the "ode of life. .t is the mole"ular JstuffJ that holds hereditary information passed from one generation to another. .t is $hat "auses us to look like our family members and links us into the mysteries of heredity. @hen "ells reprodu"e, the most "ru"ial thing they pass along is 5-!. ! single "ell be"omes t$o ne$ "ells, yet
,he Blood @ar
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those t$o ne$ "ells "arry bits and pie"es of the original "ellAs 5-!. ,his repli"ation pro"ess is "ontinually o""urring and is essential to the $ell2being of our entire body. 4/erything in a good "ell must be repli"ated into a ne$ "ell for larger stru"tures or organs to "ontinue in health. 'attles for 'lood For those of you $ho use the elements of biology on a daily basis, my simplisti" e9planation of "ell life may ha/e been offensi/e. ,rust me, ho$e/er>it has a point. .t is "ru"ial for us to understand the intri"ate "onne"tions that e9ist $ithin ea"h drop of blood be"ause $e must not forget that e/ery "onne"tion fa"tors into the $ar o/er our blood. @hat $arG !nd why is there a $ar o/er our bloodG @e ha/e already established that blood "ontains life. !s it stems from the heart, the blood holds the key to our thought pro"esses. -o$ "onsider the "on"ept of $arB one people group desiring to impress its life for"e onto anotherM one nation desiring to be the JdominantJ gene to pass on its Jinformation.J .f $e "an see this in the natural realm on a grand s"ale, then $hy $ould it not be so on the mi"ro2"osmi" s"aleG 0ur blood shapes the $ay our minds think. .f the mind is not pure, $e "annot per"ei/e the $ill of God and $e fall into lust, pride and other elements of sin. 0b/iously, this is e9a"tly $hat the enemy $ants, $hi"h is $hy he $ages $ar in the first pla"e. @hen pride enters our bloodstream and $e e9alt our thoughts abo/e GodAs, $e find oursel/es on the side of the enemy rather than on our 1akerAs side. <eep in mind that the $ar is $ithin the blood, but it often pro"eeds out of our mouths. ,he $ar in our hearts $ill release $ords that $ill al$ays "reate strife in the earth realm. =ames ?B&27 saysB
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@here do $ars and fights "ome from among youG 5o they not "ome from your desires for pleasure that $ar in your membersG Fou lust and do not ha/e. Fou murder and "o/et and "annot obtain. Fou fight and $ar. Fet you do not ha/e be"ause you do not ask. Fou ask and do not re"ei/e, be"ause you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. !dulterers and adulteressesH 5o you not kno$ that friendship $ith the $orld is enmity $ith GodG @hoe/er therefore $ants to be a friend of the $orld makes himself an enemy of God. 0r do you think that the "ripture says in /ain, J,he pirit $ho d$ells in us yearns IealouslyJG
,he $ar that is $ithin us $ill manifest outside of us. .t "an "ause families to enter into "onfli"t that spans generations. .t "an lead entire nations to $ar, resulting in blood spilled a"ross the earth. ,herefore, the $hole earth is "rying out for God to redeem it. @hen Cain and !bel brought their sa"rifi"es before God in Genesis ?, blood $as the primary issue. !bel brought a sa"rifi"e of blood, $hile Cain brought a sa"rifi"e of the land. ,he latterAs $as una""eptable. 0nly through a sa"rifi"e of blood "an $e please God Dthus, the fulfillment of =esusE. God reasoned $ith Cain o/er the offering of the fruit of the ground. 3o$e/er, Cain "ontinued to allo$ his emotions to rule him. 3is anger and Iealousy "aused him to open a door of ini#uity, $hi"h began to rule his future. !nger and Iealousy led to murder, and !bel be"ame CainAs sa"rifi"e. !belAs blood then began to "ry from the ground. A Clean &indow for 2our Conscience ,hroughout history, $e see blood al$ays "onne"ted $ith $ar>and for good reason. !ll fragmentation in your soul "omes from the $ar that has entered into your 5-!. atan Jspeaks from his o$n resour"esJ D=ohn )B??E. .f he kno$s that there is something in you that has not "ome into alignment $ith GodAs $ay of thinking, he $ill attempt to take that resour"e ba"k under his domination.
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3is ultimate goal is to /e9 your spirit so that GodAs anointing "annot be released through you to "hange the $orld around you. For this reason, you must guard against a negati/e perspe"ti/e that is the result of a JhardenedJ D+ Cor. :B&?E, JblindedJ D+ Cor. ?B?E, J"orruptJ D+ ,im. :B)E or JdebasedJ DRom. &B+)E heart or mind. ,hink about perpetually negati/e people. ,hey see e/erything from a pessimisti" standpoint. 4ssentially, that means there is something in their blood that has ne/er been energi;ed by GodAs perspe"ti/e. Fortunately, "ripture pro/es that the heart or mind "an be rene$ed Dsee Rom. &+B+E, made pure Dsee + Pet. :B&E, filled $ith the lo/e of God Dsee 1att. ++B:(M 1ark &+B:*M Luke &*B+(E, and implanted $ith 3is la$, $hi"h "reates boundaries for our li/es Dsee 3eb. )B&*E. 3o$e/er, this re#uires the 3oly piritAs a"ting upon our minds, $hi"h means that $e must allo$ 3im to "on#uer $ithin our /ery blood stream. @e must rely moment by moment on the 3oly pirit to "lear the path for us and redeem our hearts and minds. ,he diagram belo$ sho$s ho$ GodAs pirit, flo$ing through our spirits, in/ades our blood systems to "reate a "lear "ons"ien"e $ithin us. Perhaps this $ill gi/e you a pi"ture of ho$, as =esus said in 1atthe$ 7B), the pure in heart "an see God.
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. belie/e the Lord ga/e me this diagram to sho$ ho$ the pirit of God gi/es us re/elation from hea/en and "onne"ts through the spirit into our o$n blood system. 1atthe$ 6B++2+: says, J,he lamp of the body is the eye. .f therefore your eye is good, your $hole body $ill be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your $hole body $ill be full of darkness. .f therefore the light that is in you is darkness, ho$ great is that darknessHJ @hen you look at this diagram, you "an see that God has de/eloped an JeyeJ $ithin us. @hen the 3oly pirit flo$s through our blood system, 3e begins to "leanse our "ons"ien"e. ,he "ons"ien"e is like a $indo$ bet$een our soul and spirit. .f this $indo$ gets dirty, our heart does not per"ei/e the $ill of God "orre"tly. .n the same $ay, if our "ons"ien"e is not "lear, our spirit does not operate properly. @hen $e do not allo$ the 3oly pirit to engage in the $ar o/er our flo$ of blood, our spirit la"ks the truth in our /ery 5-! and $e $ill remain in a darkened state. 4ssentially, $e $ill limit oursel/es to the kno$ledge that $e per"ei/e naturally. Fet if our "ons"ien"e is pure and /ibrant before God, $e $ill be able to see God all around
,he Blood @ar
)7
us in operation. @e must understand that there is a great $ar o/er our "ons"ien"e. ,he enemy $ould lo/e to hold your "ons"ien"e "apti/e. .f he "an stop your "ons"ien"e Dor JeyeJE from seeing God, he "an /e9 your spirit and allo$ darkness to $ork $ithin your soul. .nstead of you being a light to the $orld, the $orld $ill "onform you to its pattern of operation.
,he BloodB ! Co/enant @ar

.f you are still $ondering $hy . am putting su"h hea/y emphasis on blood, look no farther than the @ord of God. ,here $e find this mysterious life2gi/ing li#uid being the "enterpie"e of "ountless passages of "ripture, partially be"ause it played su"h a maIor role in the =e$ish "ulture. Blood is the Ioining element bet$een God and humanity. 3ebre$s &:B+* says, J-o$ may the God of pea"e $ho brought up our Lord =esus from the dead, that great hepherd of the sheep, through the blood o* the e&erlasting co&enant, make you "omplete in e/ery good $ork to do 3is $illJ Demphasis addedE. ,hroughout "ripture, blood is "losely "onne"ted $ith the "on"ept of the "o/enant. ! "o/enant $asnAt Iust a hapha;ard promise. .n the =e$ish "ulture, this $as a binding "ontra"t that established a lifelong bond of fello$ship. .n the 4arly Chur"h, the blood "o/enant "onne"ted you to someone $ho $as not related to you by birth. Four possessions be"ame their possessions Dsee !"ts ?E. Fou "ommitted your all to them, e/en /o$ing to die for them if ne"essary. .n the same $ay that "o/enants $ere made bet$een people, they "ould also be established bet$een indi/iduals and God. .n both "ases, the "o/enant $as sealed by the "utting of a sa"rifi"ial animal into t$o parts, as e9emplified through GodAs "o/enant $ith !braham in
)6
Genesis &7. .n many "ases, both parties $ould $alk bet$een the split "ar"asses, signifying the ne$ blood union bet$een the t$o. .n the !brahami" "o/enant, God 3imself passed through Dsee /. &(E>a symboli" pre"ursor of the ultimate fulfillment of this promise through =esus Christ. Fears later, =eremiah prophesied about the ne$ "o/enant Dsee =er. :&E and spoke of a spiritual "utting that $ould o""ur in our hearts, $hi"h $ould allo$ the pirit of God to enter our bloodstream, rene$ our spirit and gi/e us a ne$ spirit. 0n"e again, GodAs pirit $ould go before us and Jseal the dealJ by $alking through the symboli"ally split pie"es of flesh. Perhaps the greatest>and "ertainly the most fas"inating>thread among these and e/ery "o/enant made bet$een God and man is thisB =esus Christ $as the ultimate fulfillment. Point to any maIor "o/enant>God and -oah, God and !braham, God and 1oses, God and 5a/id>and you $ill find Christ as the a""omplishment of e/ery promise. 3is blood triumphs o/er all. !nd to think that blood no$ "leanses us from the inside outH .n #he 9ower o* the Blood, 3. !. 1a9$ell @hyte $ritesB
=esus $as the only begotten of the Father D=ohn &B&?E and 3is body $as formed and fashioned $onderfully in the $omb of 1ary 3is motherM but the li*e that $as in =esus Christ "ame alone from the Father by the 3oly pirit. ,herefore, this life $hi"h flo$ed in the /eins of the Lord =esus Christ "ame from God. -o $onder 3e said J. am the "i*e.) God imparted 3is o$n life into the bloodstream of =esus... . .f $e "an "learly understand the meaning of the $ord atonement, $e ha/e dis"o/ered tremendous truth. God has pro/ided a substan"e by $hi"h $e "an "o/er things $e no longer $antM God guarantees not e/en to see our sins after $e re"kon by faith that the blood of =esus has "o/ered them @hen God sees blood, 3e does not see sin.+
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ChristAs blood is our ultimate atonement. .t is the surest sign of /i"tory o/er e/ery po$er of darkness. .s it any $onder, then, $hy atan and his for"es $ork so hard to $ar o/er our bloodG 3e kno$s that $ith one drop of =esusA "leansing blood, our /ery 5-! $ill begin to de"lare 3is /i"tory. !t times throughout history, the enemy has e/en $arred o/er belie/ersA "elebration of that sa"red blood at Passo/er. Constantine forbade this "elebration, kno$ing that it $as fine for Christians to ha/e the JnameJ but not the empo$erment of the blood of the 0ne they $orshiped. @hy $ould su"h a "elebration matter to the enemyG 0ne reason is be"ause he understands GodAs name as Jeho&ah7 @o,he, the God @ho 3eals. 5uring the =e$ish e9odus from 4gypt, our hea/enly Father said 3e $ould put none of the diseases from 4gypt upon 3is people Dsee 5eut. (B&7E. @hen you look at this /erse in "onte9t, you find that 3e $as sho$ing 3is people a /ital truthB .f they relied on the Passo/er lamb "ompletely, disease $ould not be able to o/ertake them. ,his is $hy it is important that $e al$ays "elebrate the Passo/er lamb. 4/ery time $e remember ho$ God brought 3is people out of 4gypt and ho$ =esus redeemed us through 3is obedien"e and the shedding of 3is blood, . belie/e our "ells "ry out in "elebration. @orshiping "ells are important to our bodily health. @hen our "ells "elebrate, they mimi" the "elebrating nature of the o/er"oming blood of the Lord =esus Christ. Let us not forget, the $ar $ill al$ays be o/er the blood of our Lord and ho$ $e $orship 3im. ,his threatens an enemy that $ill "ontinue to gain po$er in the earth realm. ,he anti"hrist for"e is al$ays against the blood of the Lord =esus Christ. !s the $ar es"alates, $e must dis"ern this for"e and de"lare the /i"tory of our Lord through 3is $ondrous blood. !s =ohn said, J3e must in"rease, but . must de"reaseJ D=ohn :B:*E. 3is pirit must in"rease in our
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bloodH ,he reason for su"h opposition against ChristAs blood reigning in us is simpleB .t reminds atan of his defeat at the "ross, and it reminds him of his imminent defeat upon the LordAs return. @e must ne/er treat the phrase as "li"heB #here is ,ower in the blood- !s one Bible "ommentary saysB
=esusA blood $as entirely Jpoured outJ of 3is body by the /arious $ays in $hi"h it $as shed>3is bloody s$eat, the "ro$n of thorns, the s"ourging, the nails, and after death the spear, Iust as the blood $as entirely poured out and e9tra/asated Kfor"edL from the animal sa"rifi"es of the la$. .t $as incorru,tible D& Pet. &B&)2&'E. -o "ripture states it $as again put into the LordAs body.... ,he blood itself, therefore, "ontinues still in hea/en before God, the perpetual ransom pri"e of Jthe eternal "o/enantJ D3eb. &:B+*E.:
atan hates to be reminded of our blood "o/enant $ith God, so as anti"hrist for"es in"rease in the blood of humans, they $ill attempt to $ar $ith anyone $ho is "arrying the life for"e of =esus Christ $ithin them. 1ake no mistakeB @e are about to see a maIor shift in $ar. @e are mo/ing from an imperialisti" $arfare, in $hi"h nations and leaders /ie for "ontrol o/er land, to a blood $arfare that finds people groups and nations trying to "ontrol ho$ ea"h other $orships. ,his goes hand in hand $ith Re/elation &+B&*, $hi"h says, J,hen . heard a loud /oi"e saying in hea/en, A-o$ sal/ation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the po$er of 3is Christ ha/e "ome, for the a""user of our brethren, $ho a""used them before our God day and night, has been "ast do$n.AJ ,he a""user of the brethren must $ork $ith humans, yet God designed us for 3is redempti/e plan. ,hat means the only hope the enemy has is to turn us against ea"h other. @hen this happens and people "ome into agreement $ith the a""user, he "an attempt to o/er"ome entire people groups, dominating all those $ho "ome under his thought pro"ess.
,he Blood @ar
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,he 3ealing @ar

0b/iously, atan detests the atoning #uality of =esusA blood. ,hrough it, $e are fore/er redeemed and sa/ed from his fatal senten"e upon us. Fet there is another reason the blood $ill al$ays meet su"h oppositionB .t healsH =esus said that atanAs desire is Jto steal, and to kill, and to destroyJ D=ohn &*B&*E, $hi"h is the opposite of being $hole. ,he enemy of our soul $ould like nothing better than to see us "rippled $ith si"kness. adly, belie/ers often seem to forget the re/itali;ing attribute of the blood and instead gi/e into atanAs atta"ks. ,he Bible says that if $e submit oursel/es to God $e "an resist the de/il and he $ill flee Dsee =as. ?B(E. Fet one of the biggest problems $e ha/e is learning to $ithstand $eakness and infirmity in our li/es, both of $hi"h "an be tools of atan. 4/en though =esus took stripes for our infirmity, $eAre often "aught $earing the prison garb of de"aying health and si"kness. @e must remo/e the impurities in our li/es so that $e "an $alk in di/ine health. @e must learn to break any cycle of infirmity that has de/eloped in our bloodline. .n 5od(s Now #ime, Rebe""a @agner ytsema and . $rote e9tensi/ely about the "y"les of infirmity, po/erty and religion that atan infli"ts on GodAs people. ! cycle is an inter/al during $hi"h a re"urring se#uen"e of e/ents happens. ! "y"le "an also be a periodi"ally repeated se#uen"e of e/ents, something that happens o/er and o/er at a "ertain time. .t "an be linked $ith a spe"ifi" time or e/ent and or"hestrated supernaturally so that a repeating $ound or inIusti"e o""urs from generation to generation. atan lo/es to keep us going around the same mountain or held in a "y"li"al pattern. But God has a remedy for ini#uityH By embra"ing the blood and redempti/e sa"rifi"e of the Lord =esus Christ, $e "an break out of any old patterns.
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J.nfirmityJ is a term that en"ompasses more than Iust si"kness and diseaseM it is also related to suffering and sorro$. 1atthe$ )B&62&( states that =esus J"ast out the spirits $ith a $ord, and healed all $ho $ere si"k, that it might be fulfilled $hi"h $as spoken by .saiah the prophet, sayingB A3e 3imself took our infirmities and bore our si"knessesAJ Dsee also .sa. 7:B?E. .nfirmity "an also refer to a disability of one kind or another. .t "an o""ur as a result of moral or spiritual defe"ts that "ause our $ill to stray from God, or from the influen"e of an e/il spirit Dsee Luke &:B&&E. .nfirmity "an also be linked to an o/erall $eakness in our bodies or $ith anything that "reated the $eakness, su"h as grief. Romans &7B& states that those J$ho are strong ought to bear the $eaknesses of those $ithout strengthJ $NASB%. ,his $eakness is infirmity. -ot only did Christ bear our $eaknesses and infirmities, but $e are also "alled to bear the $eaknesses and infirmities of our brothers and sisters in the Lord. ,his is "alled inter"ession. Romans )B+6 says, JLike$ise the pirit also helpeth our infirmitiesB for $e kno$ not $hat $e should pray for as $e oughtB but the pirit itself maketh inter"ession for us $ith groanings $hi"h "annot be utteredJ $KJV%. @e ha/e been "alled to inter"ede for the si"k, $hi"h allo$s us to bring someone $eaker than oursel/es before the Lord. !gain, is it any $onder $hy atan $ars so /iolently against the bloodG 9esus8 .edempti-e Plan of :reedom ,he Gospels are full of stories about =esus healing si"k people. 3e dealt $ith many organi" "auses of illness, along $ith those affe"ted by madness, birth defe"ts and infe"tions. ,he blind, the deaf, the lame and others $ho suffered approa"hed 3im for help, and 3is response to them $as nothing short of re/olutionary. Fou see, in the 3ebrai" "ulture of the day, most people belie/ed that
,he Blood @ar
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illness $as the dire"t "onse#uen"e of sin Dsee =ohn 'B&2:E. 3o$e/er, =esus shifted this "on"ept by healing a blind man $ho had been si"k sin"e birth. @hen =esusA dis"iples asked, J@ho sinned, this man or his parents, that he $as born blindGJ =esus ans$ered that the si"kness $as not related to the man or his parents, Jbut that the $orks of God should be re/ealed in himJ D=ohn 'B:E. @hat an ans$erH @e kno$ that many $rong "hoi"es produ"e "onse#uen"es that affe"t our bodies, yet =esusA reply reiterated 3is mission of mer"y. .n essen"e, 3e "ame to e9tend gra"e and bring us out from the bondage of sinAs punishment and into healing and $holeness. 3e has the po$er both to forgi/e sin and to heal its reper"ussions Dsee 1att. 'B&2)M 1ark +B&2&+M Luke 7B&(2+6E. =esus healed those $ho suffered from mental illnesses and epilepsy>si"knesses usually asso"iated $ith demoni" po$ers Dsee 1ark 'B&)E. ,he Lord addressed issues of fe/er and dysentery Dsee 1att. )B&?2&7E. terility and barrenness $ere also maIor issues in bibli"al times. 0n se/eral o""asions, =esus used 3is o$n sali/a as an ointment or anointing Dsee 1ark (B:+2:7M )B++2+7M =ohn 'B62 (E. . find this fas"inating be"ause one of the primary $ays 5-! is "olle"ted for testing is through sali/a samples. =esus took 3is o$n sali/a, pla"ed it on the eyes of the blind and $at"hed their eyes be"ome $hole. Regardless of the "ause of their distress, people found that =esus "ould truly help. !nd today 3e e9tends the same healing po$er through 3is healing blood, no$ found in the /ery 5-! of e/ery belie/er. /raw a 'loodline o far in this "hapter $e ha/e e9plored my understanding of the $ar $ithin our bloodstream. @e ha/e identified ho$ the real $ar is o/er GodAs pirit flo$ing through our blood, $hi"h then transforms our minds. .f you $ill re"all, $e learned in the last "hapter
'+
ho$ "ru"ial it is in these times to align our minds $ith ChristAs. ,aking both $ars into "onsideration, it be"omes "lear that the enemy is engaged in a fier"e battle o/er our minds, $hi"h are "ontrolled by $hose 5-! is in usB ChristAs or the $orldAs. @e take on the 5-! of Christ by being transformed by the piritAs blood flo$ing through us, by the @ord of God "hanging our belief systems and by the pirit of God bringing us into unity $ith the mind of Christ so that $e "an do the FatherAs $ill. 3o$e/er, in this "ru"ial blood $ar there is a ta"ti"al offensi/e position $e "an take. =ust as troops must dra$ a line on the battlefield, $e must learn to dra$ a bloodline so that the enemy "annot "ross o/er and enti"e us to do his $ill Dsee + ,im. +B+6E. ,ea"her and author Billye Brim e9plains $hat this bloodline is all about in her book #he Blood and the 5lory?
,he bloodline began in hea/en.... K.tL $as "onsummated $hen the manifested Lamb poured out 3is life in 3is blood on Cal/aryAs altar. ,he "ir"le of the blood turned up$ard again on the third day. 0ur Lord =esus Christ arose>triumphant o/er death, hell and the gra/e>and "arried 3is o$n pre"ious blood into the 3ea/enly 3oly of 3olies $here it $as a""epted for man. ,he resurre"ted Lamb "losed the "ir"le gi/ing glory to God the Father. ,he po$erful, redempti/e blood is returned to its hea/enly terminal. ,here before the throne of the Li/ing God, the blood e/er speaks Jmer"yJ for man D3eb. &+B+?E.?
atanAs goal is to break the "ir"le or "y"le of life that the Father offers us from 3is throne. =esus re"on"iled us ba"k to the Father and has gi/en us a""ess to go boldly into the throne room. Fet through $ar, atan tries to break that "y"le of life that is offered to ea"h one of us. @hen he does that, he "reates his o$n "y"le by operating in infirmity, po/erty and religion. But as Christians, $e ha/e an all2po$erful $eapon.
,he Blood @ar
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@hen $e use the name of =esus and rely on the po$er of 3is blood, $e dra$ a bloodline that says to the enemy, JFou ha/e no right to "rossHJ @e must learn this type of $arfare in days ahead. .t $ill not only prote"t our families and homes, but it $ill also shelter our bodies from disease. =esus dre$ a bloodline $hen 3e $ent to the "ross and poured out 3is blood. @e must not forget that 3is same po$er is a"ti/e in us today Dsee 4ph. &2+E.
Breakthroughs on the 3ori;on

,he blood $ar that is no$ being $aged is a timeless $ar. in"e the moment he $as thro$n from the splendors of hea/en, atan has been trying to enti"e the blood of humans to$ard his darkness. 3is efforts ha/e only intensified sin"e ChristAs /i"tory on the "ross, and today $e find him determined to rule the earth. For that reason, . feel it fitting that . $rite briefly about $hat . belie/e the Lord has sho$n me "on"erning the blood $ar ahead. &. #he war with cancer will shi*t. ,he Lord $ill gi/e 3is Body a ne$ understanding of "ar"inogens, $hi"h are detrimental to our health. @e $ill better understand ho$ to rely on 3im to resist the aggression and destru"ti/e for"es set against our blood systems. @ith $ar es"alating in the earth realm, peopleAs adrenal glands $ill be o/er$orked, and "hroni" an9iety "ould be"ome an epidemi" throughout the earth. tress and an9iety "reate many "an"erous in/asions in our bodies, but $e $ill see a drop in breast and prostate "an"er be"ause of a mo/e of purity in the Body of Christ in days ahead. GodAs people $ill begin to re"ogni;e the stress of the $orld. @e $ill de/elop a pea"e in the midst of the storm and rise abo/e this stress.
'?
+. #he *ear o* ,andemic &iruses and biological war*are will continue to increase in the world, but GodAs people $ill ha/e "onfiden"e that 3e "an "leanse and filter our blood in ne$ $ays. . belie/e that God $ill ha/e people $ho "reate filtering pro"esses that "an "leanse a personAs blood in less than an hour. ,hings su"h as the !R /irus $ill not "reate fear $orld$ide. -ot only $ill God "reate natural $ays to "leanse blood, but 3e $ill supernaturally set a blood barrier for 3is people so that these /iruses "annot enter them. :. An anointing *or healing is going to enter the Body o* .hrist. . $as ministering in a ser/i"e re"ently and it $as as if . had O2ray /ision. . sa$ $here diseases $ere in the bodies of those $ho $ere sitting in the "ongregation. . $ish that $ould happen e/ery dayH ,his kind of anointing $ill be"ome more and more "ommon among the people of God. ?. #he blood7brain barrier will shi*t in days ahead. ,here $ill be a "hange in the $ay the brain operates. -ot only $ill there be breakthroughs in the area of brain te"hnology and progress in !l;heimerAs resear"h, but $e $ill also ha/e maIor breakthrough on ho$ thoughts ha/e been blo"ked by strongholds. ,he po$er of meditation $ill return to the Body of Christ. ,his $ill "reate a ne$ mo/e of su""ess in the Chur"h. 7. #here is going to be a return to the )natural. J ,here is already an in"redible mo/e in the area of homeopathi" healing. !s $e ha/e de/eloped so"iety, $e ha/e lost mu"h understanding about the use of the elements of the land. ,he Lord $ill return us to natural $ays of healing.
,he Blood @ar
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0ur bodies $ill respond better to things the Lord put here naturally than to the syntheti" drug stru"ture $e ha/e depended on. 6. Because o* increased technology in healing we must be care*ul not to try to create a ),er*ect race.) ,he anti"hrist system operates out of a humanisti" standpoint that seeks perfe"tion in humanity. 1any of the same te"hni#ues $e $ill see emerge $ere used in @orld @ar ,$o. @e must $at"h for similar patterns on"e again. GodAs people must "ome to a pla"e $here they trust 3im>and only 3im>to in"rease their strength and /itality.
(. 3ith war escalating casualties will escalate. 5espite a greater number of deaths, . belie/e there $ill be great de/elopment in GodAs people "oming into a re/elation of 3is Body. ,he gift of healing $ill be released as the go/ernment of God and the Body of Christ matures into the $ineskin for this generation. @e must e9pe"t God to mo/e through 3is people as 3e tou"hes humanity and brings us into an a$areness of 3is reality. -o matter $hat the future holds, $e must al$ays rememberB ChristAs blood o/er"omesH
C,AP$#.
The Time War
%raying to Reorder &our 'ay
tra/el "onstantly. ,ypi"ally, .Am a$ay from home about +** days out of the year. @hile getting a firsthand look at $hat God is doing in this nation and around the globe has its ob/ious upsides, and $hile . relish my "alling to minister to the nations, there is one attribute of my JIob des"riptionJ that .Am less than "ra;y aboutB Ietlag. . ha/e lost "ount of the number of times my bodyAs "lo"k has had to be set and reset. 1ost fre#uent flyers and hard"ore business tra/elers find $ays to adIust to the "onstant time "hanges and ho$ that affe"ts their biologi"al "lo"k. !nd to a degree, so ha/e .>but there are times $hen my body is stu"k in another time ;one . . . one thatAs miles and miles a$ayH !ll of our bodies ha/e a biologi"al "lo"k. 0ur entire physi"al being>our inner mo/ements, the rise and fall of body temperature, blood pressure, hormones, our sleep and $ake "y"le>is "onne"ted to this biologi"al "lo"k. Be"ause our "ells keep time, our bodies operate in "y"les and loops. For the most part, our fast2pa"ed modern so"iety tends to ignore these "ir"adian rhythms in an effort
')
to be Jmore produ"ti/e.J But thankfully, more people are no$ returning to the art of listening to the bodyAs natural signals and seasons. .n fa"t, the entire medi"al field of "hronobiology, $hi"h treats patients a""ording to their "oordinating biologi"al rhythms, is be"oming more pre/alent. ! re"ent arti"le in Science ;aily highlighted the dis"o/eries being made in using "ir"adian rhythms to further treatment of diseasesB JFor e9ample, heart and asthma atta"ks are more likely to o""ur at "ertain times of the day. !nd "ertain medi"ations ha/e greater effi"ien"y and lo$er to9i"ity depending on $hat hour they are gi/en.J& .n pre/ious "hapters . ha/e mentioned our need to be"ome like the sons of .ssa"har today, paying attention to and understanding the times Dsee & Chron. &+B:+E. . belie/e God is raising up .ssa"har prophets no$ $ho $ill understand the importan"e of ho$ God designed our bodies and set $ithin us an internal "lo"k. @e must understand that the bodyAs sense of time matters in e/ery phase of life. 0ur bodiesA "lo"ks affe"t our physi"al rea"tions and mental ability. ,hey determine the $ay $e sleep and rise. @hen $e do "ertain things at a parti"ular time in the day affe"ts our profi"ien"y and produ"ti/ity. =ust as plants respond to day and night, our bodies take "ues from the rotation of the planet as it shifts from night to day and one season to another. !s our 1aker, God designed us intentionally $ith a body "lo"k. 3e kno$s our most produ"ti/e times. 1ore important, 3e kno$s the best time for us to seek 3im, and 3e kno$s ho$ to get us in 3is perfe"t timing. But unfortunately, $hen humanity sinned in the Garden and brought the Fall, it affe"ted more than Iust our spiritual alignment $ith the Father. 0ur bodies $ere thro$n aske$ as $ell. -o$ $e find a body that resists "hanges and an internal "lo"k that struggles to "ontrol us. @e must be $illing to allo$ God to order our time so
,he ,ime @ar
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that $e "an seek 3im. =esus displayed this prin"iple $hen dealing $ith 3is dis"iples during a "ru"ial time in 3is life. .n 1atthe$ +6B?*2?&, =esus asked 3is dis"iples a #uestionB J,hen 3e "ame to the dis"iples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, A@hatH Could you not $at"h $ith 1e one hourG @at"h and pray, lest you enter into temptation. ,he spirit indeed is $illing, but the flesh is $eak.AJ .ndeed, our flesh is /ery $eak. 0n"e a "y"le of time begins to "ontrol our bodyAs "lo"k, it is diffi"ult to "hange. @e are no different from the dis"iples. ,he thing $e must remember, ho$e/er, is that =esus fa"ed the same human struggles, temptations, feelings and bodily desires $e do. Gi/en the "onte9t of 3is #uestion, $e see that 3e must ha/e been past e9haustion. 3e $as in tra/ail o/er the redemption of all humanity to the point of s$eating blood Dsee Luke ++B??E. .t $as the middle of the night in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Christ $as in the throngs of anguish o/er our "ondition and 3is need to go to the "ross for us. 1any of us $ould ha/e prayed for a $hile and then Ioined the dis"iples for a snoo;e. 0thers $ould ha/e slept through the $hole night. !fter all, =esus kne$ $hat $as "oming>if anyone had a right to "at"h up on some sleep before the horrible day that $ould follo$, it $as 3e. Fet Christ ignored 3is bodyAs "lo"k. 3e set aside the desires of 3is o$n flesh to align $ith GodAs $ill. =esusA #uestion is Iust as /alid today as it $as for the dis"iples. .n times of $ar and intensity, "an your bodyAs "lo"k shift to operate on GodAs timetableG @e are entering into intense times. .t is essential to kno$ ho$ to respond to the Father $hen 3e "alls us to prayer in days ahead. =esus responded and $anted to kno$ $hy 3is dis"iples "ould not respond the same $ay to $at"h $ith 3im. ,hat is the #uestion . belie/e 3e is asking ea"h one of us. @e are all "alled to $at"h and pray. 3o$e/er, there is something inside us and in the atmosphere that stands against our Ioining 3im
&**
for e/en that one hour 3e desires. 0b/iously, $e should pra"ti"e the presen"e of God all day long. But the real issue for ea"h of us is thisB ).an you watch with +e one hour1) . belie/e the Lord is "alling us to reorder our day to do Iust this.
Reordering 0ur 5ay

!s $e order our prayers, the Lord $ill order our steps. !s $e spend time in the $at"h $ith 3im D.All e9plain this in a bitE, 3e $ill begin to reorder the timeframe of our day. J0rderJ is a mathemati"al and military term. .t is the opposite of "onfusion. <rder. . .

1eans Jto set in a straight ro$J .s a fi9ed or definite plan .s linked $ith the la$ of arrangement and the se#uen"ing of e/ents .s a state or "ondition in $hi"h e/erything is in its right pla"e and fun"tioning properly .s a "ommand, dire"tion or instru"tion .s a re#uest or "ommission
!ll the fun"tions of so"iety are linked $ith orderB ar"hite"ture, finan"e, military, s"ien"e, theology, grades of angels, ranks of "lergy, politi"s, and the list goes on. @ithout order, these stru"tural "omponents of so"iety $ould not $ork properly nor a""omplish their purpose. @e need order for e/ery element of life. !nd as $e stand $at"h as God has "alled us, 3e $ill reorder our day. $he +ight &atches oldiers keep $at"h. Bodyguards, boun"ers and se"urity guards keep $at"h. Poli"e offi"ers, FB. agents and other go/ernment offi"ials all keep $at"h. !ll of these e9amples in/ol/e a similar postureB @hen $e keep $at"h, $e are on high alert. @e patrol, prote"t, keep post and
,he ,ime @ar
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stand guard. .n essen"e, $e stand our ground, remaining prepared for $hate/er "omes our $ay. !nd if a "ommand "omes from higher authority, $e are ready to mo/e in an instant. ,he same is true $hen the Lord asks us to keep $at"h $ith 3im through the night hours. ,he /ery $ord J$at"hJ has al$ays had a military "onnotation. ,he =e$s in bibli"al times, as $ell as the an"ient Greeks and Romans, di/ided the night by military $at"hes instead of hours. 4a"h $at"h represented the period for $hi"h sentinels or pi"kets remained on duty. ,his $as the J$at"h in the nightJ DPs. '*B?E. ,he =e$ish timetable re"ogni;ed only three $at"hesB the first, or Jbeginning,J $at"h Dsee Lam. +B&'E, the middle $at"h Dsee =udg. (B&'E, and the morning $at"h Dsee 49od. &?B+?M & am. &&B&&E. D-ote that the bibli"al day began at sunset K6 p.m.L, $hi"h put e/en more importan"e on $at"hing through the night.E @hen Rome established suprema"y and began to influen"e the 4arly Chur"h, the number of $at"hes $as in"reased to four, $hi"h $ere "ategori;ed as follo$sB

4/ening>6 P.M. to ' P.M. 1idnight>' P.M. to &+ A.M. Breaking of day D"o"k"ro$ingE>&+ A.M. to : A.M. 1orning>: A.M. to 6 A.M.
,here is a t$ofold reason for GodAs establishment of the $at"h of the night. First, $e must $at"h for the enemyAs a"ti/ity. ,o$ard the end of this "hapter, $e $ill dis"uss the strategi" $ays $e "ombat the spiritual for"es of darkness $hile $e are on $at"h. e"ond, $e $at"h to set the standard for the "oming day. !s $e learn to $at"h in the timeframes pres"ribed by the Lord, $e $ill see our JlightJ part of the day reordered $hile $e in"rease in effi"ien"y. !s $e $at"h $ith the Lord, $e $ill begin to see ho$ to build for our future. 0ur alignments and assignments $ill be"ome "lear. @e $ill begin to re"ei/e
&*+
the right "ounsel $e need for our future. 1ost important, $e $ill de/elop 3is mind for in"rease and multipli"ation. 1ark &:B:7 is e9pli"it in e9plaining the reason behind our $at"h, as $ell as pointing out the /arious times of $at"hB J@at"h ye thereforeB for ye kno$ not $hen the master of the house "ometh, at e/ening, or at midnight, or at the "o"k"ro$ing, or in the morningJ $KJV%. #he "i&ing Bible puts it this $ayB J<eep a sharp lookoutH For you do not kno$ $hen . $ill "ome, at e/ening, at midnight, early da$n or late daybreak.J @e must be a people $ho allo$ the burden of God to guide ho$ $e seek 3im. 0ur times are in 3is hands. @e must not be a people $ho simply seek God $hen it is "on/enient for us. ! $at"hman has an assignment from God and a burden to seek 3is moment2by2moment "ommand. 3e or she is "alled to obser/e ho$ to se"ure GodAs purposes in the earth. @e must be like the $at"hmen on the $all des"ribed in the Bible, $at"hing for the enemy and announ"ing $hat $e see. .estoration of the &atch 1atthe$ +?B?: says, JBut kno$ this, if the goodman of the house had kno$n in $hat $at"h the thief $ould "ome, he $ould ha/e $at"hed, and $ould not ha/e suffered his house to be broken upJ D<=VE. . belie/e these $ords of =esus are some of the most important for us to understand today. Let me paraphrase this "riptureB * we watch, we will understand the time o* &isitation o* the "ord. 3e will also recogni6e the thie* when he comes. * we watch, we will not ha&e to be scattered in all directions. 3e will remain whole. ,his /erse has a dispensational "onnotation, but also a reality for today. LetAs briefly e9amine the meanings behind ea"h $at"h and ho$ they apply to us no$ D$eAll go into further detail later in the "hapterE. ,he *irst $e&ening% watch is linked $ith the "all of God on the life of .srael. ,his is synonymous $ith GodAs "all on
,he ,ime @ar
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our o$n li/es. .f $e $ill enter into the $at"h, then $e $ill be alert for 3is time of /isitation. 4/ery nation has this open $indo$ of /isitation from the Lord, Iust as there is a time of /isitation for ea"h one of us. ,he point is not to miss 3is "alling, no matter $hat the hour or season. ,he second $midnight% watch "omes $hen $e get s"attered. .n the /erse abo/e, $e see that if $e do not $at"h, then $e get s"attered. .f you ne/er de/elop a personal dis"ipline of $at"hing, then you $ill find your life being s"attered instead of being ordered. ,he se"ond $at"h also represents times of .sraelAs s"attering. ,he third $coc=crowing% watch is linked $ith the "on"ept of PeterAs denial. .nstead of $at"hing, Peter hid in fear. ,he Lord $arned Peter that he $ould deny him three times before the "o"k "ro$ed. ,here ha/e been times .srael as a nation has denied the 1essiahAs "oming, and yet the Lord desires that 3is people be restored to the truth. 0n a more personal le/el, if $e $ill $at"h prior to the "ro$ing of the "o"k, our faith $ill be made strong. ,his third $at"h represents the trial of our faith. ,he *ourth $morning% watch is the time the Lord re/eals 3is glory. ,here is a breaking of a ne$ day, an ultimate returning of GodAs glory to .srael. 4/en $ith all of .sraelAs problems throughout history, she has a $onderful future as a nation. he is GodAs "hosen nation of e9ample. 0ne day all nations $ill fa"e the de"ision $hether or not to align $ith and re"on"ile their relationship $ith .srael> $ith eternal "onse#uen"es. 0n an indi/idual le/el, this $at"h also represents the po$er of resurre"tion as $e $at"h $ith the Lord. .f you $ill "ontinue to $at"h $ith 3im, then you $ill e9perien"e 3is glory. Four future $ill be established. .easons for .estoration God is restoring the apostoli"2propheti" alignment of spiritual gifts in the Body of Christ. .n 4phesians ?B&&2&6
&*?
and & Corinthians &+B+)2:*, Paul lays out the fa"ets of the Body and dis"usses ho$ ea"h part plays a uni#ue role. .n modern times, the Chur"h has been strong in "ertain areas but e9tremely $eak in others. ,oday God is restoring the essential elements of the apostoli" and propheti". .n essen"e, the foundation of the Chur"h is being realigned. @ealth that has been hidden is being un"o/ered so that the kingdom of God "an ad/an"e. .nstead of being "loistered a$ay in a building, $e are re"ogni;ing that 3is kingdom must in/ade all dimensions of so"iety. @ith great ad/an"ement of the <ingdom, ho$e/er, "omes great opposition. @e must be on $at"h for our li/es, our families, our "ities and the nations of the earth. @ithout the $at"h, the anti"hrist system $ill ha/e a field day during our time of har/est. ,his is one of the reasons $hy $e must mature in the $at"h. @e are not Iust $at"hing on behalf of the Chur"hM $e are $at"hing on behalf of a <ingdom in "onfli"t, one that is ad/an"ing in the earth yet "onstantly meeting opposition. 0n a "orporate le/el, the $at"hes are an integral part of seeing the ,aberna"le of 5a/id restored in this generation. =ust as the nation of .srael spent generations longing for 5a/id to restore the ,emple during 3is reign, the Chur"h has "ontinued a similar "ry for "enturies. 0b/iously, our desire is no$ different be"ause =esus redefined for us $hat the ,emple is. 3e are no$ the "arriers of 3is presen"e, not the !rk of the Co/enant or some e9tra/agant house of $orship. Fet there is still a "ry from the Bride of Christ for the full restoration of GodAs glory. @e $ant 3im to inhabit the earthH ,he $at"hes also in/ol/e personal, daily, signifi"ant re/elation for ea"h one of us. ,he Lord promises to restore the years that the "anker $orm has eaten a$ay Dsee =oel +B+7E. .f $e $ill $at"h, $e $ill see ho$ the thief has entered in and eaten a$ay our blessings. 0n"e $e understand $hat the thief has done, the Bible says that $e
,he ,ime @ar
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"an "all ba"k our losses at up to a se/enfold in"rease Dsee 49od. ++B&M =ob ?+B&*M Pro/. 6B:&E.+ @ithout keeping $at"h, $e miss the signifi"ant seasons of the Lord in our li/es. 3e /isits, but $e donAt re"ogni;e 3im. @e get s"attered and donAt kno$ $hy. @e go through times of trial $herein the "onfession of our faith is "ru"ial, yet $e fail to pass the test, Iust as Peter did. ,he "o"k "ro$s and $e hide in shame. @e are a$akened during the night $ith God attempting to "ommuni"ate 3is $ill for the ne$ day, but in our tiredness $e "hoose to sleep rather than seek. Praise God for se"ond, third and fourth "han"esH 3is gra"e "ontinues to be e9tended for us to enter in to a ne$ dimension of "ommunion. ,hat is ho$ mu"h 3e desires to stand $ith us during the $at"h.
5o @e Really Understand the 5aysG

,o fully understand the $at"h, $e must "ome to grips $ith ho$ mu"h it redefines our "on"ept of the day. For most of us, a normal day goes by $ith us getting up, rushing to $ork, dealing $ith all the "ares of the $orld that "ome into our path and then "oming home to fall e9haustedly and passi/ely into a pla"e of rest. But God has a different plan for our day. !"tually, the day begins $ith the $at"h. God ordered the day to begin at 6 P.M. $ith meditation Dsee Gen. &M +?B6:E. 3e $ants us to seek 3is $ill and be ready to ad/an"e at 6 A.M. into $hat 3e is breaking forth in our li/es. .n other $ords, from sunset to t$ilight $e should be $at"hing>$hi"h in"ludes resting>so that $e are ready to prosper throughout our time of light. ,he first o""urren"e of the term JdayJ in "ripture is in the story of Creation. J-ightJ $as then added to help distinguish the time of light from the time of dark. Fet noti"e in the follo$ing passages $hat the defining
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markers of ea"h JdayJ areB J!nd God "alled the light 5ay, and the darkness 3e "alled -ight. !nd the e/ening and the morning $ere the first day ... !nd God "alled the firmament 3ea/en. !nd the e/ening and the morning $ere the se"ond day . . . !nd the e/ening and the morning $ere the third day ... !nd the e/ening and the morning $ere the fourth day . . . !nd the e/ening and the morning $ere the fifth day. . . !nd God sa$ e/ery thing that 3e had made, and, behold, it $as /ery good. !nd the e/ening and the morning $ere the si9th dayJ DGen. &B7,),&:,&',+:,:&E. .n @estern "ulture, $e think the day begins $hen $e get up and enter into the light. DFor some of us, thatAs 6 A.M. For others, itAs &* A.M.HE Fet the bibli"al "on"ept of the day $as the +?2hour period from sunset to sunset. Psalm &*?B+: says, J1an goes forth unto his $ork and to his labor until the e/ening.J 4/ening is $hen the bibli"al day begins. ,hat is a foreign "on"ept for most of us, yet it is de"lared so by GodAs appointed time. . belie/e in our "ulture $e ha/e /ie$ed JnightJ differently from GodAs plan of e/ening till morning, and $e ha/e therefore missed re"koning the day and redeeming time so that $e o/er"ome e/il and effi"iently and effe"ti/ely prosper. Psalm '*B? says, JFor a thousand years in Four sight are like yesterday $hen it is past, and like a $at"h in the night.J By understanding GodAs timeframe a""ording to 3is @ord, $e $ill be more effi"ient as $e go through the time se#uen"e of $hat $e "all a day. ,he truth is that God has a plan for ea"h rotation of the earth. 3o$ $e rea"t during ea"h rotation Jsums upJ 3is benefits and blessings on our behalf. 3o$ $e seek 3im determines ho$ $e fill the bo$ls of in"ense from our prayers that are poured out into the earth realm Dsee Re/. 7B)2&*E. A $ime 'e*ond
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0f "ourse, there is more to the =e$ish sense of time than a single day from sunset to sunset. in"e Creation, days ha/e made up the $eekly di/ision of time, $hi"h is a se/en2day period>si9 days for man and the se/enth for the Lord, "alled Shabbat Dsee 1att. +)B&M Le/. +:B&7M +7B)M Luke +:B7?E. 1y good friend Robert 3eidler has $ritten a book "alled #he +essianic .hurch Arising? @estoring the .hurch to our .o&enant @oots, $hi"h addresses the fundamental need $e all ha/e for this God2appointed day. 3e $ritesB
.nterestingly, e/en though GodAs instru"tion "on"erning Shabbat K abbathL is $idely ignored and misunderstood by Christians, it is a blessing des,erately needed by all of us in our modern $orld. @e need to see that abbath has nothing to do $ith $hat day $e go to "hur"h. ,he early Christians met daily. But the se/enth day $as still their abbath.:
@eeks make up a month, and months, of "ourse, are linked $ith the moon and its "hanges in relationship to the earth.? 4a"h month there is a blessing to re"ei/e. ,he beginning of the month, .hodesh, begins $ith a Firstfruits "elebration, $hi"h "auses the hea/enly2planned blessing to be released Dsee -um. &*B&*M + <ings ?B+:M Ps. )&B:2(M .sa. 66B+:E. 1onths make up a year, yet this year is different from our modern2day Gregorian "alendar year. ,he Bible $as $ritten in alignment $ith the 3ebre$ year, $hi"h is "omposed of &+ or &: months, depending on the lunar "orresponden"e $ith the solar year. ,his timeframe is linked $ith GodAs pre2appointed feast times, as laid out in 49odus +: D$hi"h, by the $ay, is an important "hapter to understand be"ause God said the feasts should be understood from generation to generationE. ,he offi"ial beginning of the year is "alled @osh Hashanah, $hi"h means Jthe head of the year.J ,his is usually in the se/enth month of the =e$ish "alendar year. ,he first month of that
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year re/ol/es around Passo/er time. ,he Feast of .ngathering, better kno$n as Pente"ost, is the ne9t signifi"ant feast, $hile the Feast of ,aberna"les, $hi"h is in the Rosh 3ashanah timeframe, is a propheti" feast that $ill be fulfilled in all nations Dsee 8e"h. &+2&?E. .f you ha/enAt already gathered, the "on"ept of time in the Bible differs /astly from our modern2day measurements. . belie/e that if $e be"ome more a"#uainted $ith GodAs order of time, our prayers $ill not only be more effi"ient, but $e $ill also understand $hy God is "alling us to "ome near to 3im and /isit $ith 3im at "ertain times. ,hat is $hy $e find 5a/id in Psalm 77B&( saying, J4/ening, and morning, and at noon, $ill . pray, and "ry aloudB and 3e shall hear my /oi"e.J 3e kne$ he must order his prayers in "onIun"tion $ith GodAs timeframe. .f he did this, he $ould al$ays ha/e the anointing to break the yoke upon him and o/erthro$ his enemies.
Let Light 0/ertake 5arkness

=ust as the Bible is filled $ith referen"es to /arious times, GodAs @ord often uses the imagery of light and darkness. Light is a po$erful for"eM so is the dark. 3a/e you e/er been afraid of the darkG 1any of us $ere as "hildren, but $e outgre$ that fear. Fet many of us ha/e yet to o/er"ome our fears asso"iated $ith the darkness of a troubled past. @e ha/e little hope of e/er ha/ing "omplete /i"tory o/er $hat has already happened yet "ontinues to rule us today. o let me ask youB 3a/e you "hosen to lea/e the darkness of your past and enter into the light of your futureG !re you a$are that you ha/e a JyetJ time to "ome in your life, and that it really doesnAt matter ho$ old you areG !re you a$are that there is a hope $aiting for you to grab hold ofG !"ts &(B+6 says, J!nd 3e has made from one blood e/ery nation of men to d$ell on all the fa"e of the earth,
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and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their d$ellings.J God has a pre2appointed time and boundary for you. 5o not fear the dark that is in your boundary, $hether that darkness lies ahead or is in the past. J5arknessJ "an be defined as Jthe absen"e of light, error, e/il, bad lu"k or affli"tion.J 7 .t is a term synonymous $ith "haos, disorder, "ondemnation, ignoran"e or spiritual blindness. ometimes, $hen $e e9perien"e gloom, sorro$ and distress, $e say that it is a day of darkness. !nd then, of "ourse, the Bible uses the $ord JdarknessJ to refer to $orks of atan and the anti"hrist system of unfruitful deeds. .snAt it interesting, ho$e/er, that in the Bible night is ne/er dire"tly "onne"ted to darkness other than the physi"al aspe"t of a time de/oid of light. ,herefore, there is no need for us to fear the night. .n fa"t, the night is our opportunity to seek God the most. .t is the period $hen $e are not $orking by daylight, but instead "an "ommune $ith our Lord and seek 3is $ays. Be $illing to seek God in the night so that you "an bring the true Light into a time of darkness. Light is the opposite of darkness. Light is synonymous $ith illumination, "learness or glory. .t is e#uated $ith kno$ledge and the release of re/elation. Light is also likened $ith purity. .n spiritual terms, $e "an ne/er forget that the light of God d$ells $ithin us. 3is @ord is a light for our path Dsee Ps. &&'B&*7E. ,hat means our path $ill be e/er illuminated, no matter $hat darkness $e ha/e to $alk through. =ohn )B&+ says, J,hen =esus spoke to them again, saying, A. am the light of the $orld. 3e $ho follo$s 1e shall not $alk in darkness, but ha/e the light of life.AJ ,hroughout GodAs @ord, light is dire"tly linked $ith God. "ripture tells us that light. . .

Came into e9isten"e at the de"ree of God .s asso"iated $ith 3is presen"e
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ymboli;es 3is truth Refle"ts 3is glory 49presses 3is righteousness Can be seen on us Brings Iudgment Dsee Rom. &:B&+M .sa. 6*B&2+M & =ohn &B7M Ps. &&'B&*7M=ohn :B&'2+&M 4ph. 7B)E
Light "omes in many forms. .t "an be natural, artifi"ial, mira"ulous, spiritual, symboli" and e9pressi/e. .t is an element that both surprises and brings "hange. !s belie/ers $ho "arry a light $ithin, $e are to both seek out and possess light. Fet the real #uestion is, 3o$ are $e to respond $hen light da$ns on usG Countless people in the Bible fa"ed the same #uestion. ,he Christmas story alone in"ludes se/eral indi/iduals dealing $ith the issues of lightB 8a"harias, $hen an angel /isited him o/er 4li;abethAs pregnan"y to "omeM 1ary, $hen both an angel of the Lord and the 3oly pirit /isited herM =oseph, $hen an angel of the Lord t$i"e /isited him in his dreamsM imeon, $hen the Lord $as brought to be dedi"ated in the ,empleM the $ise men, $hen they follo$ed the light of a spe"ta"ular star in the skyM and, of "ourse, the shepherds, $hen they $ere pri/y to both the e/er2shining of GodAs glory and a radiant "horus of angeli" hosts singing praises to a ne$born a/ior. GodAs light is "ontinuous and undeniable. !nd as these reno$ned indi/iduals "an attest throughout history, 3is light fore/er "hanges a lifeH 'reak the :ear of /arkness and .ecei-e 5ight7 @hen God intera"ts $ith us, 3is holy, penetrating light breaks through our barriers of darkness. 3e o/er"omes our sin, our shame>any area that la"ks light> $ith 3is radian"e. 0n a literal le/el, to JbreakJ means to Jdestroy, #uen"h, or deli/er.J 6 Fet the pro"ess of breaking is also linked $ith inter"ession. .n 5ut"h heetsAs primer
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on inter"ession, ntercessory 9rayer, he e9plains the "on"ept of ,arach, $hi"h means Jto break forth and a$ay from.J @hen $e inter"ede $,aga%, $e literally strike or light upon a spiritual dimension. .t is an a"t of breaking forth $ith light.( .n the same $ay, our faith must break forth. @hen it does, the light of God breaks through any darkness. Faith o/er"omes. !s the promised bearers of su"h po$erful light, $e $ould be $ise to ask God on a regular basis to fill us $ith 3is breaking light. !nd as $e heed 3is "all to enter into the $at"hes from this day forth, $e $ill find the light of God radiating through us in a ne$ $ay. ,here is another $ord, Jda$n,J $hi"h is linked $ith the breaking of light. 3o$ $e approa"h the breaking of a ne$ day is e9tremely important. 5o $e approa"h it $ith praiseG !nti"ipationG !n9ietyG FatigueG Resistan"eG ,his is key. .f our day is ordered and $e ha/e $at"hed $ith the Lord as 3e has "alled us to, then $e $ill break forth into a ne$ day $ith 3is order. @hen $e break forth into a ne$ day, our light $ill gro$ brighter and brighter throughout the day Dsee Pro/. ?B&)M + Pet. &B&'E. Nelson(s llustrated Bible ;ictionary referen"es this breaking of da$n as it appears in "riptureB
,he first appearan"e of light is in the morning as the sun rises D=ob (B?M .sa. 7)B&*M !"ts +(B::E. 1atthe$As a""ount of the resurre"tion of Christ begins $ith these $ordsB J-o$ after the abbath, as the first day of the $eek began to da$n, 1ary 1agdalene and the other 1ary "ame to see the tombJ D+)B&E. 1atthe$ also #uotes the prophet .saiah using the figure of the da$n as the beginning of a $onderful ne$ era of hope and promiseB J,he people $ho sat in darkness sa$ a great lightJ D?B&6E.)
@hen $e $at"h $ith the Lord, da$n takes on an entirely ne$ meaning. ,he sunrise be"omes simply an e9tension of the Light that has already been present
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through the nightH
4ntering .nto the @at"hes

0/er the years, God has trained me in the prayer room. . enIoy being there as mu"h as any pla"e. . ha/e found God /ery "reati/e in ho$ 3e leads us to pray, de"ree and seek 3im. By the same token, there is a uni#ue po$er and anointing $hen the "orporate Body gathers together spe"ifi"ally to $at"h $ith the Lord. .n fa"t, leading "orporate prayer $at"hes is my fa/orite assignment from the Lord. ,he remainder of this "hapter deals $ith the spe"ifi"s of the four $at"hes, but . feel it $ould be helpful to des"ribe $hat goes on during a $at"h. 1any of you reading this may be unfamiliar $ith $hat a $at"h is. !s an e9ample of $hat goes on during a $at"h, here are some notes taken by Linda 3eidler during a se/en2$eek "orporate prayer $at"h. Linda is one of the ministers and prayer leaders of our "hur"hB
.n eptember +**:, Chu"k "alled us to se/en $eeks of prayer during the morning $at"h, at : A.M. to 6 A.M. @e met e/ery Friday morning beginning eptember &' and ending 0"tober :&. Chu"k said that by praying during this time, $e "ould order the day before the enemy ordered his day. ,his $as an ama;ing time of re/elation as $e met $ith the Lord for those se/en $eeks. From the /ery first meeting, $e kne$ that $e $ere in a different time and pla"e of re/elation. 0ne of the first passages the Lord dire"ted us to $as =ob :)B(, $hi"h talks about the morning stars singing together and shouting for Ioy $ith the sons of God. @e sa$ that there $ere "ertain sounds of hea/en and "ertain songs of hea/en that "ould only be heard in the early morning hours $hen the morning stars $ould still be /isible. ,he Lord began to unfold re/elation about ho$ the stars a"tually release sounds>essentially /ibrations that
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"an be heard. ,hese sounds form a song of praise to God as the day breaks. @e began to Ioin in $ith this sound and song, releasing spontaneous praise to God. From there, the Lord opened up a ne$ realm of re/elation from Psalm ++B: about ho$ our praises enthrone 3im. !s $e enthrone 3im, 3is glory "omes do$n among us and "reates a "o/ering o/er us Dsee .sa. ?B7E. From 4;ekiel +) $e sa$ that Lu"ifer $as the J"o/eringJ "herub that Jsealed the pattern of perfe"tion.J @e related this to the t$o "herubs on the !rk of the Co/enant. ,here $ere "herubs on either side of the !rk, but there $as no J"o/eringJ "herub. @here there should ha/e been a perfe"t pattern of three, there $ere only t$o. ,he "herub $ho $as to lead "reation in $orship and form the "o/ering of glory $as not there. .nstead, God "reated man and ga/e him the pla"e of "reating a "o/ering of glory o/er the land in $orship. ,his "o/ering of 3is glory $as to make our land like the Garden of 4den. ,he sound of our praises Ioined $ith the song of the morning stars $ould so "hange the atmosphere of our territory that the land $ould flourish. Psalm 6(B72( sho$ed ho$ the land $ould flourish $hen GodAs people praised 3im. 5uring these days of morning $at"h prayer, Rosh 3ashanah began. 0n Rosh 3ashanah, the only re#uirement is to hear the sound of the sho*ar. ,his is a "all to attention. .t is a "all to assemble and get your instru"tions for the ne9t season. .t is a "all to $ar and a "all to $orship. ,he Lord began to speak to us about the effe"t of sound on solid obIe"ts and ho$ sound $ill re/eal things. @e sa$ that sonar $ould re/eal ships in the $ater. ! sonogram $ould re/eal a baby in the $omb. !nything that resisted the path of the sound $a/es $ould be re/ealed. ,he Lord said that the sound of the sho*ar $ould resonate $ith the sound of hea/en, the /oi"e of the Lord. @hen this sound penetrated into our inner man, it $ould re/eal anything in us that resisted the /oi"e of the Lord. ,hrough this, God $ould re/eal any pla"es in us that $ould hold us ba"k, $eigh us do$n or other$ise
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stop us from mo/ing for$ard in the ne9t year. !s $e re"ei/ed the sound, it $ould "ause things that $ere out of alignment to "ome into alignment $ith God. ,he sound of the shofar $ould also release hidden $isdom by the /oi"e of the Lord. ,he sound $ould re/eal deep things of God into our inner man, $isdom to $hi"h the po$ers of darkness "ould not gain a""ess. .t is a sound that "auses our spirit man to a$aken and hear $hat God is saying. ,he sound of the sho*ar $ould also re/eal stru"tures of the enemy that opposed the plans of God. .t $ould re/eal obsta"les on our path so that $e "ould find our $ay through $ithout getting snared. =eri"ho $as a pi"ture of ho$ the sound of the sho*ar brought do$n an enemy stru"ture that opposed the plan of God. ,he sound of the sho*ar is also a sound of $orship. !s $e heard the sound of the sho*ar and began to resonate $ith it, $e $ould enter into a ne$ realm of hea/enly $orship. !s $e mo/ed from Rosh 3ashanah into the Feast of ,aberna"les, in addition to ha/ing early prayer $e $ere ha/ing nightly meetings. !s $e looked at the s"hedule, $e began to ask the Lord ho$ $e $ere to ha/e the strength to do this. 3e reminded us of se/eral o""asions in "ripture $here 3is people mar"hed all night, then fought all day in order to re"o/er $hat had been taken from them. .n Genesis &?, !bram took the $arriors from his household and pursued those $ho had "aptured Lot. ,hey mar"hed all night and fought all day and re"o/ered not only Lot, but also all those $ho had been "aptured, as $ell as additional plunder. .n =oshua &*, the .sraelites mar"hed all night and fought all day to res"ue the Gibeonites. =oshua "ommanded the sun to stand still so that they "ould take "omplete /i"tory. 5a/id and his men mar"hed all night to o/ertake the !malekites, $ho had sa"ked and burned 8iklag in & amuel :*. ,hey re"o/ered e/erything that had been taken and took plunder from the !malekites. ,he last e9ample of this that $e sa$ $as =esusB 3e
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prayed through the night so that 3e "ould fight all day to gain 3is inheritan"e ba"k from the enemy. ,his "aught the de/il by surprise $ith a strategy and $isdom of $hi"h he had no kno$ledge. ,he Lord said to position oursel/es during the night so that $e "ould fight during the day. .f $e $ould position oursel/es during the night, then $e $ould be at the right pla"e at the right time for /i"tory in the morning. 5uring this $at"h, =ohn K5i"ksonL got the song J@e 1ar"hed !ll -ight.J !lso during these $eeks of prayer, the .slami" "elebration of Ramadan $as taking pla"e. @e noted that 1uslims had many "alls to prayer during the day, but none through the night. @e de"lared, J,his hour does not belong to the po$ers of darkness. @e $ill a$aken the da$n $ith $orshipHJ @e prayed to bind the spirit of fear that .slam releases. @e prayed against the spirits of legalism and la$lessness that $ork together to resist the 3oly pirit. @e "ompleted these $eeks of prayer by dri/ing around our $hole "ity, en"ir"ling it $ith praise as $e $ent. @e printed up sheets $ith the names of God and $ith the 3ebre$ $ords for Jpraise,J and $e praised the name of the Lord all around our "ity. @e also had psalms of praise that $e read o/er our "ity. ,hese $ere $eeks that none of us $ill e/er forget. @e "ame into a realm of re/elation that $as Iust in"redible. ,hrough the $hole time, $e had great parti"ipation. ,he number of people did not drop off as $e $ent through it. God met us e/ery $eek and it $as $ell $orth getting up to hear $hat 3e had to say to us $eek by $eek.
.t is one thing to talk to you about the po$er of the night $at"h and try to "on/in"e you that it truly $ill reorder your life. .t is another to ha/e someone else testify about Iust ho$ life2"hanging it is. .n Candi 1a"!lpineAs book #a=e Bac= the Night, she $rites the follo$ingB
0ne day, during my morning time $ith the Lord, . heard 3im say, J,ake ba"k the nightM it belongs to 1e.J .
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did not think too mu"h of it at the moment, but almost a year later, in my #uiet time, . $as reading Psalm (?. .n /erse &6 . read, JBoth day and night belong to youM you made the starlight and the sunJ $N"#%. .t really attra"ted my attention. !fter repenting for my disobedien"e to the $ord . had pre/iously re"ei/ed from the Lord, . began to resear"h the subIe"t of the night. . $as utterly ama;ed at $hat treasures began to unfold before my eyes. From this point . began $alking through e9perien"es that sho$ed me the /alue and importan"e of the entire season of the night. ,he Lord $anted to redeem 3is purposes, as stated in 3is @ord. .t is from this Iourney that $e begin this Iourney into the night and into 3is light. . pray 3is light $ill be shed abroad in your hearts and minds, and that you too $ill take up the "all of God in this hour.'
Fou "an take ba"k the nightH Remember, the day begins at sunset at the first $at"h. Let the Lord lead you on a Iourney of $at"hing as you $itness all darkness begin to goH 4nter into the $at"h of the Lord. 5et )od .eorder 2our /a*;and 2our 1teps Belo$ you $ill find details about signifi"ant e/ents that o""urred during ea"h $at"h presented in the Bible. .t is "ru"ial during these times that you understand $hat ea"h $at"h means and ho$ ea"h ser/es a uni#ue purpose. ,his $ill help you understand $hy you are feeling the tug of the 3oly pirit to pray at a "ertain time. 0b/iously, $e should pray $ithout "easing. But there are times $hen the Lord $ants to meet $ith us for a spe"ifi" reason. ,here are times $hen 3e $akes us up for an assignment, or simply to be $ith us. !s you reorder your day and prayB

49pe"t ama;ing turns of e/ents in your lifeH Look at issues that ha/e gone before you and e9pe"t a &)*2degree turnaround.
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5e"ree that the enemy $ho has plundered you $ill be plundered. 5e"ree that the po$er of loss breaks and that you e9perien"e a re/ersal of fortune. Get ready to "ountera"t Jfaith destroyersJ that ha/e held you in unbelief. 5e"lare that the enemy $ill not su""eed in any attempt to make your faith empty. @at"h the strategies that ha/e "aptured you and held you in hard labor break.
,he Four @at"hes

,he transition of day to night begins before sunset and lasts till after sunset. ,he "hange of night to day begins before sunrise and "ontinues until after sunrise. Be"ause of these t$o fa"ts, the four $at"hes e9tend from 6 P.M. to 6 A.M. Dsee 1att. &?B+7M 1ark &:B:7E. !"ts &+B? speaks about four parties of four Roman soldiers $:uaternions%, ea"h of $hom had to keep guard during one $at"h of the night. .n the same $ay, . pray the Lord uses your ne$ understanding of ea"h $at"h to make you a good soldier in 3is army. $he :irst &atch< $he #-ening &atch =! P.M. to 9 P.M.) 5uring the e/ening $at"h, $e regroup. 1ost of us ha/e $orked all day and $ould lo/e to Iust to "hill out during this time. @e like eating $ith our family, perhaps reading a book or $at"hing a ,V program>any $ay $e "an es"ape from the dayAs a"ti/ity. 3o$e/er, this is a time that $e need to JstillJ oursel/es from the $orld. ,he oft2 "ited Psalm ?6B&* says, JBe still and kno$ that . am God.J ,here must be a time before $e sleep $hen $e #uiet our hearts. ,he e/ening $at"h is that time for meditation. ,ry
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to find at least :* minutes $hen you "an meditate before going to bed. From your meditation, find time to release your an9ieties to the Lord in prayer. Genesis +?B6: says, J.saa" $ent out to meditate in the field in the e/ening. 3e lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the "amels $ere "oming.J .n his pla"e of meditation, .saa" sa$ his futureB @hen he lifted his eyes, there $as 4lie;er bringing Rebekah ba"k to be his bride. ,his "reated the e9tension of the "o/enant of !braham in the earth. @hen $e meditate, $e get fo"used on GodAs "o/enant plan. =oshua & tells us to Jmeditate day and night on the $ords of 3is mouthJ and $e $ill be assured of su""ess. . like to "all the e/ening $at"h my time of fo"us, $hi"h allo$s me to start my day $ith a mentality for su""ess. . ha/e had many an9ieties in my past, yet the Lord has used the e/ening $at"h to purge me of the fears that $ould keep me from ad/an"ing into 3is perfe"t plan. ,his is the $at"h that =esus also pulled aside into, to find 3is pla"e of #uietness. ,ry to do this before you go to bed ea"h day. &* $he 1econd &atch< $he %idnight &atch =9 P.%. to %idnight> Psalms &&'B6+ says, J!t midnight . $ill rise to gi/e thanks to Fou, be"ause of Four righteous Iudgments.J ,his is a time for thanksgi/ing. ,his is also a time of /isitation. ,he midnight $at"h begins at ' P.M. and goes to the middle of the night, spe"ifi"ally &+ oA"lo"k. ,he $ord JmidnightJ is often used symboli"ally of a period of time of intense darkness or e9tended gloom. 1any times $e try to sleep during this hour, yet sleep es"apes us be"ause of our an9iety. Be sure to remember the po$er of prayer during this $at"h. ,his is also a time $hen God deals $ith our enemies that are trying to keep us from entering into 3is perfe"t plan for our li/es. .t $as at midnight that the Lord stru"k
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do$n all the firstborn in the land of 4gypt Dsee 49od. &&B?M &+B+'E. 0b/iously, midnight "an also refer to the Jhalf of the night.J .tAs interesting to reali;e that in the period before .sraelAs e9ile, it seems midnight $as not a""urately determined. ,he night $as di/ided into three $at"hes, the middle one of $hi"h in"luded midnight. .n -e$ ,estament times, ho$e/er, people used the four2$at"h di/ision, at $hi"h point midnight $as a""urately determined. .n essen"e, midnight is a defining point. $he $hird &atch< $he 'reaking of /a* =Cockcrowing> &atch =%idnight to 3 a.m.> @hat you entered into during the last $at"h "an "arry into the third $at"h. ,his is a $at"h $hen there is mu"h spiritual a"ti/ity o""urring. . belie/e the maIority of dreams from God o""ur during this rime. 1ost of us e#uate this $at"h to PeterAs trial that led him to deny 3is relationship $ith the Lord. .f you are ha/ing trouble $ith doubt, unbelief or the dire"tion of your path, . suggest that you do this $at"h for +& days. . espe"ially $ant to suggest this $at"h if there is a "o/enant2breaking spirit in the region $here you li/e Dfor e9ample, a high fre#uen"y of di/or"e, "hur"h splits, unethi"al business dealings, and the likeE. @hy +& daysG ,his is the time it took 5aniel to break through in prayer and for a prin"ipality to let go of the re/elation God $as releasing to him Dsee 5an. &*B&:2&?E. . do not ha/e a spe"ifi" prayer fo"us for this $at"h, but the follo$ing $ill help you better understand the signifi"an"e behind the J"o"k"ro$ingJ $at"h. .n the 4ast it $as "ommon for a rooster to "ro$ during the night at regular times. ,his ga/e rise to the e9pression J"o"k"ro$ingJ to indi"ate a definite portion of time, as seen in 1ark &:B:7. ,he Romans "alled this the last $at"h of the night. ,his $at"h "ould also be e#uated to Jthe break of day,J $hi"h o""urs at about three oA"lo"k, or $hat
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is kno$n as gallicinium. ,he 3ebre$s designated the "o"k"ro$ing period $ith a phrase meaning Jthe singing of the "o"k.J @ithin =e$ish history, $e find no mention of the flight of the hours of the night e9"ept the "ro$ing of the "o"k.&& JCo"k"ro$ingJ $as an indefinite hour of the night bet$een midnight and morning, referred to by all the e/angelists in their a""ount of PeterAs denial Dsee 1att. +6B:?,(?M 1ark &?B:*M Luke ++B:?M =ohn &:B:)E. !ll other -e$ ,estament referen"es, ho$e/er, des"ribe an a"tual rooster that "ro$ed. ,he "ro$ing of a rooster reminded Peter ho$ easy it is to deny the a/ior. &+ $he :ourth &atch< $he %orning &atch =3 A.%. to ! A.%.> ,his $at"h is linked $ith morning light approa"hing and the day breaking. "ripture "ontains se/eral referen"es to the time of this $at"hB

,$ilight of the morning Dsee =ob (B?M Ps. &&'B&?(E ,he "hange from darkness to light Dsee =ob &(B&+E ,he approa"hing of the morning Dsee =udg. &'B+6E ,he eyelids of the morning Dsee =ob :B'M ?&B&), ASV% ,he as"ent or rise of the morning Dsee =osh. 6B&7, '"#% ,he approa"h of the da$n Dsee 1att. +)B&M Luke +?B&E
1any of .sraelAs $at"hes re"orded in the Bible $ere de/eloped so that prote"tion $ould be established for GodAs people, and possibly none $ere more important for this reason than the fourth $at"h. DFor a great study on this $at"h, read + <ings &&.E ,he fourth $at"h is the last portion of the night, so $e al$ays need to be ready to arise and $at"h. ,he $ord JmorningJ generally refers to the day and means the hour of da$n or soon after Dsee Gen. &'B+M + Chron. :6B&7M 3os. 6B?M Luke +?B++E. !sk the Lord to meet you early so that you are prepared for the
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day ahead.
Prayers of !nother <ind

.n a physi"al "onte9t, a $at"h in/ol/es remaining alert for any potential intruders, atta"kers or signs of harm. ,he same is true $hen keeping $at"h in the spiritual realm. 3o$e/er, this does not al$ays dire"tly in/ol/e JenemiesJ of any sort, but rather spiritual for"es that stand against the ad/an"ement of GodAs kingdom. @ith the "onfli"t of "o/enants o""urring in the earth today, . belie/e it is important to kno$ the .slami" prayer times as the ne"essity for $at"hes be"omes more ob/ious. 1uslims pray at the follo$ing fi/e times ea"h day $ith the purpose of "onstantly being reminded of !llahB

2a>r Dpre2da$nE>performed before sunrise ;huhr DnoonE>in the middle of the $orkday (Asr DafternoonE>before the end of the $orkday +aghrib DsunsetE>as the day begins to "ome to a "lose sha(a De/eningE>prior to sleeping
.n 1uslim "ommunities, people are reminded of the daily prayer times through the J"alling of the adhan,) $hi"h is an inspirational "all to prayer. !s one .slami" $ebsite states, J.n an"ient times, one merely looked at the sun to determine the /arious times of day for prayer. .n more modern times, daily prayer s"hedules are often printed $hi"h pre"isely pinpoint the beginning of ea"h prayer time.J&: @e must understand that the people of .slam are e9tremely de/oted. 1any $ould rather pray than sleep. ,his is $hy they respond to the "all of prayer before sunrise. ,his is also $hy they are mo/ing $ith great authority in the earth realm. @ake up, ChristiansH @e represent the one true God $ho longs to "all us to 3imself
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so that 3is purposes "an already be in order before the sun "omes up. =ust as .slam is a primary for"e that belie/ers must be a$are of during a $at"h, so too are the dark po$ers of $it"h"raft. For instan"e, thousands, if not millions, of spells are "ast around the $orld during the night hours, parti"ularly $ith the onset of /arious lunar seasons. 1any $it"h"raft "eremonies and e9pressions stem from the different phases of the moon Dsu"h as ne$ moon, $a9ing moon, $aning moon, full moonE. Rather than Iust ta"king it up to another Jatta"k of the enemy,J $e $ould be $ise to re"ogni;e the spe"ifi" "ause behind an in"rease in spiritual $arfare during "ertain lunar "y"les. 1any things go on during the night, so $e must learn to rely on the 3oly pirit. .f $e are a$akened and $at"h $ith 3im, $e $ill see $hat $e need to "ountera"t $ith our prayers.
tay !$ake and !lert

,his gi/es you an understanding of $hy the $at"hes are so important and $hy the Lord asked the #uestion, ).an you not watch with me *or one hour1) Remember, in addition to the spiritual for"es opposing our $at"h, our bodies naturally resist our responding to God. @ith so mu"h pushing against our keeping $at"h $ith the Lord, $e need 3is help. @e need to re"ogni;e the po$er of "ommunion. . en"ourage you to make a simple re#uest to the LordB J3elp me to respond to Fou $hen Fou "all me.J .s God our Creator not greater than the $ill of our bodiesG !s a Chur"h, letAs get to the point $here $e "an ans$er 3is #uestion, ).an you not watch with me *or one hour1) $ith a definite yes. belie/e that if $e $ill allo$ the Lord to reorder our day, and if $e $ill get our bodies in syn" $ith 3im, then many blessings, in"luding healing and prosperity, $ill begin to break forth in our li/es. . also belie/e that $e $ill gain kno$ledge in the night that $e need to rule during
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the day. 5arkness $ill "ontinue to "o/er the earth. But GodAs people $ill rule in the midst of darkness and radiate $ith 3is presen"e.
C,AP$#. 5
The %resence)and)*lory War
+s &our ,am#stand Burning-
ha/e al$ays been an irregular sleeper. ome people use the term Jlight sleeper,J but that doesnAt e9a"tly fit me. .A/e ne/er de/eloped good sleep patterns be"ause of the turmoil and trauma that . gre$ up in. ,his has had some negati/e effe"ts on my health, but on the positi/e side, itAs also allo$ed me to "ommune $ith the Lord and keep $at"h $hile most people are fast asleep. .All ne/er forget one night in parti"ular. Pam had gone to bed at our normal time of && P.M., but . "ontinued to stay up to read the Bible and pray. . $as immersed in the @ord, ha/ing a $onderful time $ith the Lord, $hen . suddenly felt the pirit of God "ome do$n into the room of our home $here . $as praying. 3is presen"e $as tangible. . then heard 3is /oi"e say an interesting thing to meB )'ou can turn Satan into his own *ire. 3hen his *iery darts come against you, re,el those darts and return them against him.) Like most anyone $ould ha/e rea"ted in that same situation, . $as a little stunned. . $asnAt e9a"tly sure $hat
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GodAs $ords meant, but . kne$ by the pirit that they had done something $ithin me. !t the time, Pam and . $ere seeing great breakthroughs in our li/es personally and in other areas in $hi"h $e $ere seeking 3im. . had been praying for lost people in our "hur"h and they $ere getting sa/ed. . $as being fa/ored in the $orkpla"e. 0/erall, . $as learning to pre/ail in prayer. o e/en though . $asnAt too sure about the meaning of GodAs $ords, . kne$ for "ertain that 3e $ould re/eal $hat . needed to kno$ in time. !t about t$o in the morning, . turned off the lights and $ent to bed. 0nly an hour later, Pam and . $ere suddenly a$akened by our dog, =osh, $ho had Iumped into bed $ith us and $as yapping as if there $ere a burglar in the house. @e sat up and dis"o/ered the real sour"e of distressB tanding ne9t to our bed $as a presen"eH ,o me, the presen"e had a distin"t physi"al form, dressed like a $oman $ith a manAs /oi"e. Pam, ho$e/er, sa$ it differently. he said it $as a green2like slime form $ith fiery eyes. DLooking ba"k, this is yet another reminder of ho$ most of us see into the spirit realm but per"ei/e things differently, e/en though $hat $e per"ei/e is a"tually the same.E !lmost immediately . said, J@ho are you and $hat gi/es you the right to be hereGJ J. am !shteroth,J the presen"e replied, Jand . ha/e "ome to take your "hildren.J -ot your a/erage houseguest, thatAs for sureH !t that moment, Pam and . had the "hoi"e to be gripped $ith fear o/er this /isitorAs presen"e and its mena"ing $ords, or turn to the Lord. @e "hose 3is truth. . instantly stood up and said, J.n the name of =esus, you ha/e to lea/e this houseHJ Pam and . then began to "lap and shout, o/er$helmed $ith Ioy. Fou see, up to that point in our li/es, $e $ere barren.
,he Presen"e2and2Glory @ar
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@e had been seeking God for "hildren but $ere unable to "on"ei/e. .t $as disheartening, yet $e trusted the Lord. ,his for"e had "ome and announ"ed the $ill of darkness to take our "hildren. But instead of us falling to the ploy of the enemy and submitting in fear and "onfusion, $e reIoi"ed. @hy $ould $e be happy o/er this presen"eG Be"ause $hat this e/il for"e $as really announ"ing $as that $e $ere going to ha/e "hildrenH Fes, there $ould be a $ar o/er the "hildren, but . kne$ the Lord $ell enough to kno$ that on"e $e had "hildren . "ould trust 3im to keep $hat 3e had blessed us $ith. ,here $as another element to this en"ounter that dramati"ally "hanged our li/es. @hen . "ommanded this for"e to lea/e our house, . $as also de"laring that any familial spirit that had been in our bloodlines and had been sent against us $ould no$ ha/e to fully let go and remo/e itself from our sphere of authority. ,he "hange $as instant>as "ra;y as it sounds, the room a"tually lit up. GodAs presen"e so flooded our bedroom that it be"ame as bright as day. @hen $e resisted e/il, 3is glory "ame in and o/ertook our atmosphere.
take Four Claim

,he in"ident that night re/ealed a le/el of $arfare $e had ne/er been in before, but that $as not the most important thing. ,he main point $as that GodAs manifest presen"e $as no$ free to rule this parti"ular area of our li/es. !nd $hat $as re/ealed $as a truth that is key to this "hapterB 0n"e e/il is "onfronted in our atmosphere, then GodAs presen"e has the liberty to repla"e e/il $ith glory. 5id you "at"h thatG @eAll dis"uss it further throughout this "hapter, but for no$ . $ant to make sure you understand the basi" "on"ept. GodAs desire is to flood this earth $ith 3is glory. 3abakkuk +B&? says, JFor the earth $ill be filled $ith the kno$ledge of the glory of the Lord,
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as the $aters "o/er the sea.J ,he thing that pre/ents GodAs glory from doing so is the e/il in this $orld, and this is the essen"e of the presen"e2and2glory $ar $e $ill dis"uss in this "hapter. ,here is a fier"e $ar that $ages o/er o""upying the atmosphere of this earth. -eighborhoods, "ities, regions, nations, "ontinents>ea"h has atmospheri" boundaries that ha/e either been de"lared for the purposes of darkness or for housing GodAs glory. .f $e read 3abakkuk +B&? $ith this understanding, $e see that the Lord already has a plan to remo/e e/il that is blo"king 3is presen"e and glory from in/ading the entire earth realm. 3is @ord de"lares that Jthe earth will be filledJ Demphasis addedE, $hi"h means that the plan of fullness 3e has for the earth must be manifested. .t also means that in the midst of our "onfli"ts, $e must ne/er forget that God has a plan for our li/es. 1any times darkness $ants to rule through fear to stop us from entering into the ultimate plan the Lord has for us. @e must ne/er forget that 3is plan is good. .n "hapter +, $e dis"ussed the a""ount from the book of =eremiah in $hi"h God asked the prophet to stake his "laim on the future by buying a field that $as about to go into desolation. @hat . didnAt mention $as ho$ in the midst of all the darkness that $as surrounding =erusalem, =eremiah prophesied that God $ould e/entually restore .srael and =udah, and a remnant $ould be sa/ed. .f $e stray from the Lord, 3e offers a $ay to bring us ba"k and restore 3is plan for us. 3e has a future of prosperity for us. =eremiah :&B+:2:: saysB
,hus says the Lord of hosts, the God of .sraelB J,hey shall again use this spee"h in the land of =udah and in its "ities, $hen . bring ba"k their "apti/ityB A,he Lord bless you, 0 home of Iusti"e, and mountain of holinessHA !nd there shall d$ell in =udah itself, and in all its "ities together, farmers and those going out $ith flo"ks. For . ha/e satiated the $eary soul, and . ha/e replenished e/ery sorro$ful soul.J !fter this . a$oke and looked
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around, and my sleep $as s$eet to me. JBehold, the days are "oming, says the Lord, that . $ill so$ the house of .srael and the house of =udah $ith the seed of man and the seed of beast. !nd it shall "ome to pass, that as . ha/e $at"hed o/er them to plu"k up, to break do$n, to thro$ do$n, to destroy, and to affli"t, so . $ill $at"h o/er them to build and to plant... Behold, the days are "oming that . $ill make a ne$ "o/enant... not a""ording to the "o/enant . made $ith their fathers ... but this is the "o/enant that . $ill make $ith the house of .srael... . $ill put 1y la$ in their minds and $rite on their hearts and . $ill be their God and they shall be 1y people.J
0n"e =eremiah staked his "laim on the future, it really didnAt matter that there $as darkness that $ould attempt to o/er"ome his land>be"ause God had a plan. .f $e trust 3im in the midst of our $arfare and obey 3im to do the faith a"ts 3e re#uires of us, God $ill se"ure our future e/en in the midst of $ar. =eremiah ::B: says, JCall to 1e and . $ill ans$er you and sho$ you great and mighty things, fen"ed in and hidden, $hi"h you do not kno$ Kdo not distinguish and re"ogni;e, ha/e kno$ledge of and understandLJ $A+9%. Be"ause God has a great future for us, $e "an shout loudly and get 3is attention in the midst of our $arfare so that 3e sho$s us things $e "ould not normally see. .n the midst of $hate/er ha;iness presents itself in the no$, 3e $ill sho$ us our future. 1ost of us are used to $at"hing out for $hat $e presently ha/e and $hat is dear to us. But $e must also $at"h after our future. &ith ,is Presence Comes ?ision @e "an neither $at"h a*ter nor *or the future if $e do not ha/e the presen"e of the Lord. .t is 3is presen"e that allo$s us to see into our future. adly, many Christians get ner/ous $hen talking about seeing into the future. @e gi/e this the same stigma asso"iated $ith fortune2tellers and palm readers. Let me say this as "learly as . kno$
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ho$B GodAs people must ha/e foresightH @e must ha/e /ision for $hat lies ahead, or $e $ill be unprepared. !nd in these times, preparation and readiness are essential. ,he enemy "an only mimi" the truth. ,his has al$ays been the "ase. @e find plenty of people in the Bible $ho $ere able to predi"t the future, yet they had aligned themsel/es $ith the enemy. 3o$ mu"h more, then, is the God of all truth $illing to re/eal 3is plans for the future to 3is o$n "hildrenG Prophe"y>$hi"h is simply the testimony of =esusA reign in the "oming days>is all about /ision. !nd in the presen"e of God, there is perfe"t /ision. 3abakkuk +B&2? saysB
. $ill stand my $at"h and set myself on the rampart, and $at"h to see $hat 3e $ill say to me, and $hat . $ill ans$er $hen . am "orre"ted. ,hen the Lord ans$ered me and saidB J@rite the /ision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run $ho reads it. For the /ision is yet for an appointed timeM but at the end it $ill speak, and it $ill not lie. ,hough it tarries, $ait for itM be"ause it $ill surely "ome, it $ill not tarry. Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in himM but the Iust shall li/e by his faith.J
@hen $e li/e in the pirit and see by the pirit, $e gain /ision for our future. -ot only does God reorder our time, but 3e also positions us in a pla"e so that 3e "an e9tend the hori;on line of hea/en and "ause us to JseeJ $hat 3e sees. ,his is $hat makes us a propheti" people. !"ts &(B+?2+( saysB
God, $ho made the $orld and e/erything in it, sin"e 3e is Lord of hea/en and earth, does not d$ell in temples made $ith hands. -or is 3e $orshiped $ith menPs hands, as though 3e needed anything, sin"e 3e gi/es to all life, breath, and all things. !nd 3e has made from one blood e/ery nation of men to d$ell on all the fa"e of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their d$ellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope
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for 3im and find 3im, though 3e is not far from ea"h one of us.
@hen $e are at the right pla"e at the right time, the Lord Qprohori;onsR us, or e9tends our hori;on line so that $e "an see farther than e/er before. @e are not a people limited to the finite spa"e that $e are in. @e are a people filled $ith /ision. @e "an sense 3is presen"e, feel 3is presen"e, see 3is presen"e and mo&e in 3is presen"e. !s . mentioned before, God has promised to "o/er the earth $ith 3is glory Dsee 3ab. +B&?E. . belie/e this $as 3is original intent $hen 3e planted the Garden and ga/e it to the human ra"e. 3e $anted us to "ulti/ate that garden and li/e in "ommunion $ith 3im so that 3e "ould gi/e us a /ision of ho$ to effe"ti/ely in/ade the $hole earth $ith 3is presen"e. 3o$e/er, $hen $e listened to the enemy, our perfe"t "ommunion $as broken $ith God and our /ision be"ame hindered. ,he same prin"iple applies today. .f $e adhere to the plans of atan rather than listening to GodPs /oi"e, $e limit GodPs presen"e from mo/ing through us and in"reasing our boundaries. Be"ause of this, there is a huge $ar raging o/er 3is presen"e. ,he enemy does all he "an to pre/ent us from seeing $hat the Lord $ants us to see. atan longs for us not to ha/e /ision for our future. Remember, $ithout a /ision, $e perish Dsee Pro/. +'B&)E. 1eeing &hat Is on the ,ori@on @hen Pam and . had our en"ounter $ith the enemyPs for"es that night, it left us $ith a /ision for the future. @e kne$ that $hat the enemy had planned for harm, God meant for good Dsee 49od. 7*B+*E. !nd so $e began to "ry out for our "hildren. ,$o years later, $e re"ei/ed our first "hild, 5aniel. ,$o years after that, Pam $as healed and $e "on"ei/ed our se"ond "hild, Rebekah.
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0ne of the primary reasons God allo$s us to see into the future is for the benefit of the generations $ho are arising. @e must prepare the $ay for GodPs best in the li/es of those $ho $ill follo$. ,he Lord doesnPt gi/e us glimpses Iust to titillate us or make us long for better days ahead. ,he /ision of God>$hi"h $e all need>al$ays has a di/ine purpose. !nother reason God supplies propheti" /ision, one $eP/e already hinted at, is simply for strategy. @e "annot be /i"torious against the for"es of darkness that rule our $orld $ithout the pre"ise, perfe"t plans of the Lord. 3ere are some dire"ti/es that . belie/e are important for ea"h of us to trust the Lord for in days aheadB &. As= *or three generations to agree ,ro,hetically o&er what 5od has said. ,his refle"ts the tri2 generational nature of our God>that 3e $as the God of !braham, .saa" and =a"ob. .t also aligns $ith .saiah 7'B+&, $here $e find God pronoun"ing a "o/enant that 3is $ord $ill be in the mouths of three generations. @hen this happens, 3e $ill unlo"k the hea/ens and manifest 3is presen"e in the earth. +. #rust that He will e4,and your borders and rede*ine your s,here o* authority. @hen this happens, you $ill see people running to find out $hat you are about. ,he Lord $ill se"ure your inheritan"e of souls $on for 3im. ,here "ame a time $hen -aomi said to Ruth, Q5aughter, ho$ shall . se"ure your inheritan"eG -ot only do you ha/e a future, but you "an begin no$ to se"ure itHR Dsee Ruth :B&2?E. :. See your storehouse as *ull. Before you "an do that, ho$e/er, you must de*ine your storehouse. @hat areas of pro/ision has God established in your lifeG Let 3im sho$ them to you, and ask 3im ho$ to fill them. 3e $ill gi/e you the
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strategy. ?. ;on(t allow your ,ast to rule you. God "an take situations from the past and bring them into the present so that you "an re"on"ile your o$n mistakes and failures. @hen your past is re"on"iled, your future is unlo"ked. 7. Belie&e that you can de*eat your enemy- ee your enemy. ee his headship broken o/er your life. 5o not be afraid to dis"o/er ho$ his /oi"e has ruled your bloodline. Remember =esusH ,he "ross broke the headship of atan. 5ri/e a stake through his headship and you $ill begin to hear $hat God has for your future. 6. Ne&er *orget that you ha&e been gi&en the ability to connect hea&en and 0arth. Let the Lord tea"h you to pray today, J,hy $ill in hea/en, "ome to earthHJ (. 3atch *or your di&ine connections. ,hey are on your path already. u""ess means that the Lord has positioned help on the $ay ahead. @hen you see a di/ine "onne"tion that God has pla"ed on your path, $at"h 3im de/elop that "o/enant relationship to help you establish your future. ,hese se/en points are "ru"ial to our su""ess in the "oming $ars. ,hey also emphasi;e the need for GodAs presen"e to be stronger than e/er in our li/es. Remember, $hen $e establish 3is presen"e, $e for"e out e/ery po$er of darkness. 3is glory al$ays o/er"omesH
! Change in the !ir

5o $e really understand this presen"e2and2glory $ar that is being foughtG ! better $ay to approa"h this may be from an understanding of the atmosphere. !""ording to the American ;ictionary o* the 0nglish "anguage, the
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atmosphere is the $hole mass of fluid, "onsisting of air, a#ueous and other /apors, that surrounds 4arth. ,he $ord is rooted in the intera"tion bet$een /apor and 4arthAs sphere. Vapor "onsists of the fumes, moist floating substan"e or in/isible elasti" fluid that en"ompasses 4arthAs sphere. ,he Bible e/en refers to this in Psalm :'B7 $hen it says, JCertainly e/ery man at his best state is but /apor.J Fet $hen most of us speak of Jthe atmosphere,J $eAre referring to a generi" sense of an airborne aura surrounding us. @hat does the atmosphere ha/e to do $ith a $ar o/er GodAs presen"eG !"tually, e/erything. @e ha/e an atmosphere about us that affe"ts the $ay the earth operates. ,he atmosphere $e "arry affe"ts the land $e $alk on. ,he more $e are in union $ith God and 3is purpose for the earth, the more $e "reate a right atmosphere around us. ,o usher in GodAs presen"e re#uires a "hange in the atmosphere, and $e are assigned the task of bringing this aboutH ,he Bible establishes that atan is the god of this $orld, the Jprin"e of the po$er of the airJ D4ph. +B+E. Fet ho$ is this so if Psalm +?B& says, J,he earth is the LordAs, and all its fullnessJG First, $e must understand the terms used in those t$o /erses. ,he Greek $ord for JearthJ is to,os, $hile the $ord for J$orldJ is cosmos. ,his means that any stru"ture that protrudes or is abo/e the to,os is subIe"t to $arfare. e"ond, $e must reali;e the Bible establishes that there are three hea/ens. God and all 3is hea/enly beings d$ell in the third hea/en. atan, as the ruler of the air, attempts to rule from the se"ond hea/en to illegally legislate in the first hea/en>that pla"e $here $e physi"ally stand abo/e the earth. !postle <im 5aniels, in her book 5i&e t Bac=, e9plains it this $ayB
4phesians +B+ des"ribes the assignment of the prin"e
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of the po$er of the air. 0ne name for the Greek god of the se"ond hea/en is 8eus. ,he se"ond hea/en is the demoni" head#uarters that is strategi"ally set up to "ontrol people like puppets on a string. .n the spirit, that is e9a"tly ho$ it looks>like a puppet sho$H 4/ery human being is "onne"ted to either the se"ond or third hea/en. People $ho are bound by se"ond hea/en a"ti/ity are "onne"ted to the se"ond hea/en by demoni" stings. ,he hydra is the god of re"urring "urses and is also seated in the hea/ens. .t is one of the "onstellations or groups of stars that abide in the hea/ens. ,he po$er of the air Dor un"ons"ious "y"lesE is a subliminal bondage, $hi"h is "ontrolled from the air. ,his spirit hides behind the "o/er of natural habits, and its /i"tims ne/er suspe"t that they are under its "ontrol. Before people are deli/ered from addi"tions and habits, demoni" strings must be "ut in the spirit to se/er their allian"es $ith the se"ond hea/en. !fter this, ground2 le/el deli/eran"e "an take pla"e.+
@e must determine $ho is in "harge of our atmosphere. !re $e going to legislate GodAs rule in our atmosphere or $ill our enemy "ontrol itG ,his is one of our greatest $arfare dynami"s to understand. .n Authority in 9rayer, 5ut"h heets $ritesB
@here God and atan are "on"erned, the issue has ne/er been po$er, in"luding "ontrol of the earth. God is all2po$erful . . . it is al$ays a #uestion of authority. ,he same is true $ith us and our struggle $ith the kingdom of darkness. atan didnAt gain any po$er at the Fall and didnAt lose any at the "ross. 3is po$er or ability didnAt "hange at either e/ent. 3is authority, or the right to use his po$er, did. .n fa"t, though Christians often state other$ise, "ripture no$here says that Christ deli/ered us from or dealt $ith atanAs po$er at Cal/ary. 3e dealt $ith atanAs authority.:
@e must learn to legislate our realm of authority, $hile understanding that it is not the same thing as $ielding po$er. 0ur realm of authority in"ludes both
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hea/en and 4arth. ,hat is $hat makes up our atmosphere. =esus broke atanAs headship and remo/ed his legal authority at the "ross. 3e then o/er"ame death, hell and the gra/e. 3e liberated the "apti/es. 3o$e/er, $e must keep atanAs po$er neutrali;ed and defeated in the pla"e in the earth $here God has "alled us to be 3is ste$ards. ,hat is $hat 4liIah did $hen he "ommanded the hea/ens to $ithhold rain for three and a half years Dsee & <ings &(E. ,hen, kno$ing it $as GodAs perfe"t time for rain, he birthed a "loud into his atmosphere. ,he atmosphere $as then filled $ith rain. Is a Curse &orking in 2our %idstA atan has a million different $ays in $hi"h he tries to e9tend his dominion of the air. ,his "hapter is not dedi"ated to identifying all those opposing ta"ti"s, but . do feel it ne"essary to highlight one in parti"ularB "urses. Passed do$n through time, "urses $ork $ith ini#uitous patterns that ha/e de/eloped in our bloodline. LetAs look at ho$ "urses play a maIor role in our re"laiming the atmosphere around us. ,hough it seems almost too simple, one of the $ays that you "an dete"t a "urse is by re"ogni;ing the absen"e of GodAs glory or presen"e. !""ording to #he 0ncyclo,edia o* Jewish +yth, +agic and +ysticism, a "urse is a J/erbal in/o"ation to bring harm, e/il or detriment on another. 1ore than a threat or a $ish, a "urse is assumed to ha/e the po$er to make the desired harm a reality.J ? Curses result from not hearing GodAs /oi"e or from re"ei/ing another /oi"e that is "ontrary to GodAs plan for your life. Curses $ill agree $ith internal defi"ien"ies $ithin us, su"h as rebellion, lust or any other sin of the flesh. 5erek Prin"e $rote a $onderful book "alled Blessings or .urses? 'ou .an .hoose. .n his analysis of 5euteronomy +), he says there are se/en main "ategories that "urses deal $ith. ,hey areB &. 1ental andCor emotional breakdo$n
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+. Repeated or "hroni" si"knesses Despe"ially if hereditaryE :. Barrenness, a tenden"y to mis"arry or related female problems ?. Breakdo$n of marriage or family alienation 7. Continuing finan"ial insuffi"ien"y 6. Being Ja""ident2proneJ (. ! history of sui"ides and unnatural or untimely deaths7 Be"ause . tea"h so mu"h on breaking old "y"les, . $ant to be sure that you re"ogni;e that "urses "an be timed and se#uen"ed so that they reo""ur from generation to generation. ,his $ill "ontinue to take pla"e until the ini#uitous pattern in a bloodline or the ini#uitous /iolation on a pie"e of land has been addressed. . ha/e mu"h e9perien"e $ith both of these patterns. .n fa"t, my $ife Iokes that .Am #ualified to tea"h on demoni" po$ers all o/er the $orld be"ause my family had all of them in operationH 1any of those "urses operated on the land that $e o$ned. . $onAt tell all of those stories here, but . $ill say thisB ,he Lord took me through a :*2year pro"ess going ba"k and forth to pla"es $here ini#uitous defilements o""urred in our family. 3e then $ould ha/e me repent and release 3is presen"e to repla"e the $orking of e/il. . read many books on "leansing the land and dis"o/ered that there are four maIor areas of ini#uity that "ause "urses to ha/e a right to operate in a landB "o/enant breaking, idolatry or blood sa"rifi"e, illegal bloodshed, and se9ual immorality. 1any Christian leaders make light of the "on"ept of "urses. . do not $ant to do that. . do belie/e that "urses are "onditional. . am $ell a$are that they "an "ome through $ords, timing and astrologi"al influen"es, or magi"al in"antations and a"tions. 1ore important, ho$e/er, "urses "an be broken.
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! man on"e approa"hed me $ho $as from a denominational ba"kground. ,he group he $orked $ith had bought a ne$ pie"e of land to build a s"hool and ministry on. @hen he and some of his "o$orkers $ere $alking on the land, they got to a pla"e $here e/eryone immediately sensed a "hange in the atmosphere. 4/ery hair on his body seemed to stand up. 3e asked me $hat that meant. J@hen that happens, it means you ha/e dis"erned a presen"e of e/il,J . ans$ered. J.t is the 3oly pirit manifesting in you $ith the gift of dis"erning e/il spirits.J 3e then asked me $hat he should do and ho$ he should pray. . said, J@ell, first of all, you pray until all the hair on your body goes do$nH ,hat means you ha/e "ommanded the presen"e of e/il to let go of the pla"e $here you are standing and the atmosphere has been "leansed.J ,he group later found se/eral pla"es $here satani" sa"rifi"es had been made on their land. Planning for the Presence 1any of us need to re"laim territories Iust like this group did. @hile this "an "ertainly in/ol/e "laiming /i"tory o/er the dark history behind a pie"e of physi"al land, more often than not it in/ol/es "leaning out areas of our li/es in $hi"h GodAs glory is not fully seen. @e must be"ome people of 3is presen"e, "onsumed $ith 3is habitation throughout e/ery in"h of our atmosphere. <ing 5a/id $as su"h a person. 5espite making some maIor mistakes during his reign, 5a/id lo/ed the presen"e of God and had a heart that $as turned after God. 3e $as al$ays $illing to rely on God to sal/age his failures and restore him. .n + amuel 6, $e find an a""ount of ho$ 5a/id first attempted to bring the !rk of the Co/enant into =erusalem, $here he li/ed. 3is desire $as pureB 3e $anted the presen"e of God to surround his life. Fet his
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e9e"ution $as fla$ed and left one of his men dead. !s a result, 5a/id feared transporting the !rk to his house and instead left it at the home of 0bed24dom. "ripture says, J!nd the Lord blessed 0bed24dom and all his household,J and this $as relayed to 5a/id. @hat is interesting is that this 3ebre$ $ord for JblessedJ is bara=, $hi"h at its root means Jto kneel.J =eff !. Benner, on his !n"ient 3ebre$ Resear"h Center $ebsite, gi/es an understanding of this $ord as, JFah$eh Dhe $ho e9istsE $ill kneel before you presenting gifts.J 6 ,he !rk $as only $ith 0bed24dom for three months, yet there $as a dis"ernible "hange in his situation that "aused others to re"ogni;e that he $as being blessed, that Fah$eh $as presenting him $ith gifts>all be"ause of the presen"e of the !rkH ,he mistake $asnAt in 5a/idAs heart or in his la"k of preparation. 5a/id had already built a site for the !rk. 3e had established a spe"ial pla"e for GodAs presen"e to d$ell. -o, the lesson 5a/id learned $as simply thisB How we in&ite the ,resence o* 5od and how we honor His ,resence are &ery im,ortant. 5a/id ser/es as a $onderful e9ample be"ause although he made a great mistake, he dis"o/ered ho$ to properly bring the !rk to the City of 5a/id. 3e then entered a Jseries of "on#uests $hi"h greatly e9tended and strengthened his kingdom D+ am. )E. .n a fe$ years, the $hole territory from the 4uphrates to the ri/er of 4gypt, and from Ga;a on the $est to ,hapsa"us on the east, $as under his s$ay D+ am. )B:2&:M &*E.J( !""ording to Leen and <athleen Ritmeyer in 2rom Sinai to Jerusalem? #he 3anderings o* the Holy Ar=, the !rk $as pla"ed right ne9t to 5a/idAs pala"e, in his yard. ) Li/ing on his property, in his bac=yard, $as the God $ho brought him giftsH ,he ,aberna"le of 5a/id $ould ha/e remained there for about :* years. . belie/e this is $hat ga/e 5a/id great "redibility in $ar. @hat an in"redible prin"ipleH @hen $e ha/e the presen"e of God in our
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homes, the gifts of God are besto$ed abundantly on our li/es and $e are su""essful in $ar. 3o$e/er, . also belie/e this is $hy 5a/id $as Iudged so se/erely $hen he didnAt go to $ar and fell into passi/ity, lust, manipulation and murder after "o/eting Bathsheba. @hen $e "ommit open sin $hile in GodAs presen"e, our problems es"alate. ,his is $hy it is more disastrous $hen a minister hides a lifestyle of sin than for an e/eryday Christian to do so. 0b/iously, sin is sin, but the influen"e that $e ha/e from the presen"e of God in our midst is not to be taken lightly. . belie/e $e are more a""ountable $hen $e are a$are of GodAs presen"e in our midst and $e do not a"t a""ordingly. =ohn 5i"kson, a fello$ minister and friend of mine $ho "o2authored #he 3orshi, 3arrior $ith me, $rites the follo$ing about 5a/idB
@hat $as uni#ue about the ,aberna"le of 5a/id $as that it $as a hea/enly paradigm in an earthly setting. @hen 5a/id brought in the !rk, there $as already a ,aberna"le spe"ifi"ally designed to house itB ,he taberna"le of 1oses $as Iust do$n the road in Gibeon Dsee + Chron. &B?27E. But God said of 5a/id that 3e $ould J"arry out 1y program fullyJ D!"ts &:B++, A+9% and so $e find 5a/id setting up a different kind of tent on 8ionAs hill $ith no bra;en altar, no la/er, no lampstand, no altar of in"ense, no table of sho$ bread and>most importantly>no /eil. ,he $orshippers entered the /ery presen"e of God fa"e2to2fa"e, Iust like they did in hea/en. ,he $ay they $orshipped $as also Iust like in hea/enB @ith no forms or rituals, they sang and dan"ed and prophesied and $arred before the Lord as the minions of hea/en are seen doing in the book of Re/elation. ,here in that ,aberna"le on 8ionAs hill, God enthroned 3imself on their praises Dsee Ps. ++B:E and from that throne 3e stret"hed forth 3is s"epter Dsee Ps. &&*B&2:E, issued 3is "ommands Dsee Ps. &::B:E, de"lared
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3is blessings Dsee Ps. &+)B7M &:?B:E, heard the prayers of the destitute Dsee Ps. &*+B&(E and punished 3is enemies Dsee .sa 66B6E. ,hat $ord enthroned implies in the 3ebre$ that God not only "ame to sit as Iudge, but also to stay or to d$ell>e/en to marry. God $as not going to lea/e on"e 3is J$orkJ $as done. 3e had found a suitable d$elling pla"e for 3is presen"e to "ontinually d$ell on earth. Psalm &:+ says JFor the LORD has "hosen 8ionM 3e has desired it for 3is habitation. ,his is 1y resting pla"e fore/erM here . $ill d$ell, for . ha/e desired itJ DPs. &:+B&:2&?, NASB%. .n 5a/idAs ,aberna"le, God $as in the midst of "ontinual praises. .t $as Iust like 3is holy hill, by the same name, in hea/en. !s a matter of fa"t, Psalm () says that God built 3is san"tuary on 1ount 8ion Jlike the heightsJ DPs. ()B6(26'E or Iust like it $as built in hea/en. GodAs presen"e, $hi"h $as "ontinually manifested in hea/en, $as no$ "ontinually manifested on the earth. 3is people "ould "ome into that small tent and e9perien"e that presen"e Iust like the inhabitants of hea/en. 3o$ $onderfulH'
,hroughout the Bible, $e see that God is enthroned in praise. @e glorify 3im through our $orship. ,hat is $hy praise and $orship are essential to e9perien"ing GodAs glory. Praise is that element of "elebration that "an transport us into the throne room of God. 0n"e $e are in the throne room at 3is feet, the only suitable response is to $orship and adore 3im. !s $e $orship 3im in that intimate pla"e, 3e begins to re/eal 3is glory to us. God is looking for true $orshipers $ho $ill $orship Jin spirit and truthJ D=ohn ?B+?E, and as 3e finds those $orshipers, they are able to e9perien"e the reality of hea/en, $hi"h is GodAs glory.
,he Lights @ent 0ut, But the Lamp @as LitH

,hroughout the Bible, GodAs glory is often seen in terms of radiant light. .n his $ell2kno$n introdu"tion, Gospel2$riter =ohn des"ribes Christ as Jthe Light $hi"h gi/es light to e/ery man "oming into the $orldJ D&B'E. .n
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Re/elation, the same apostle des"ribes the -e$ =erusalem as ha/ing Jno need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. ,he Lamb is its lightJ D+&B+:E. =esus de"lared 3imself Jthe light of the $orldJ D=ohn )B&+E. @hat is often Iust as interesting to me is that Christ "ro$ned those of us $ho follo$ 3im $ith the /ery same title. .n 1atthe$ 7B&?2&7, 3e said of belie/ers, JFou are the light of the $orld. ! "ity that is set on a hill "annot be hidden. -or do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gi/es light to all $ho are in the house.J .n the remainder of this "hapter, . $ant to del/e into the deeper meaning of this /i/id imagery of lights and lampstands. !llo$ me to start by offering a $onderful illustration of the importan"e God pla"es on 3is on>and us>being the light of the $orld. . tra/el all o/er the "ountry and usually find myself in 3ouston se/eral times a year. .n -o/ember +**+, . $as ministering at the @orship Con/i/ium in 3ouston, hosted by Lora !llison. . had been sharing a message on my heart from =eremiah &B&&2&+, $hi"h is part of =eremiahAs initiation as a $at"hman prophet. .n those /erses, the Lord asks =eremiah an important #uestionB )3hat do you see1) ,his $ould be "ru"ial to our meetings that $eek. Friday morning $hen $e "ame to the meeting, . shared $ith Lora that . felt the Lord $as going to do something ne$ and $e $ould ha/e to follo$ 3im to e9perien"e $hat 3e $anted. !fter the first song in $orship, . felt . $as to stand up and gi/e a tea"hing instru"tion o/er $hat God $as saying and ho$ it related to $hat $e $ere singing. . then made a de"laration that God $as going to transform 3ouston, but it $ould be in 3is $ay. . sat do$n after about &7 minutes of speaking and $e started to $orship again. uddenly, the $hole pla"e $ent pit"h bla"k, $ith no ele"tri"ity for instruments, lights,
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sound or anything else plugged in. D! trans*ormer had blo$n in the 3ouston area $here $e $ere ha/ing the meeting.E !lmost immediately the Lord said, )"et +e lead you into the sound ha&e.) . stood up and asked the #uestion to the $hole groupB J@hat do you seeGJ 0f "ourse, $e sa$ darkness. ,hen someone brought in a lampstand or menorah $ith se/en "andles lit. . responded by saying to the Lord, JLord, . see your lampstand in the midst of the darkness.J o the Lord said, )'es, dar=ness is coming u,on the earth, but am lighting a lam, in the midst o* the dar=ness. #his will be a season where those with +y light will shine brightly. #his will also be a season o* remo&ing. will remo&e +y lam,stand *rom certain churches, cities, states and nations.) . $ent on and prophesied for another hour. 5uring this time, God added ea"h sound that 3e $anted to bring forth. .t $as one of the most in"redible gatherings .A/e e/er been in. .t $as as if the $hole pla"e kne$ $hen to dan"e. ,he /iolin kne$ e9a"tly $hen to play, the drums $hen to beat, the horns $hen to resound and the singers $hen to "ome out front and sing propheti"ally. .t $as definitely a JtransformingJ time. Fet the $ords $e re"ei/ed that day still ring true todayB ,he Lord $ill "ontinue to mo/e us out of the soulish realm of $orship that $e are presently operating in. ,he methods and mindsets "on"erning $orship are "hanging. !nd in the midst of our darkness, the Lord $ill send for the light that $ill guide us. Is 2our 5ampstand 'urningA Propheti"ally, . belie/e it is "ru"ial for us to understand the lampstand. ,his simple de/i"e is one of the key items that God is using to tea"h us about both the general future as $ell as the spe"ifi" $arfare $e fa"e ahead $ith the po$ers of darkness. .n the book 5od(s "am,, +an(s "ight, theologian =ohn 5. Garr statesB
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Be"ause of the e9treme attention to detail gi/en to the design of the menorah, it is "lear that it is more a symboli" form, a $ork of art, rather than a mere "ulti" apparatus. 1oses $as instru"ted by God to Jmake a lampstand of pure gold. ,he lampstand and its base and its share are to be made of hammered $ork. . . si9 bran"hes shall go out from its sidesM three bran"hes of the lampstand from its one side, and three bran"hes of the lampstand from its other side.J ,he menorah is a "on"rete symbol of God himself, the sour"e of light. .ts "entral lamp is "alled by the =e$s ner 0lohim Dthe lamp of GodE. 5a/id e9"laimed, JFou are my lamp, 0 LordM the Lord turns my darkness into light,J thereby identifying God $ith the menorah as 3e $ho illuminates the darkness. ,he Psalmist obser/ed that God J$raps himself in light as $ith a garment.J Rather than bede"k 3imself in the brilliant "olors asso"iated $ith the pagan deities of the an"ient $orld, God "lothes 3imself in pure $hite light as a mantle. GodAs di/ine presen"e, the She=inah, $as manifested as a Jfiery light.J @hen 4;ekiel sa$ the temple, the earth shone $ith GodAs glory, the same glory that the prophets sa$ as Jfire.J GodAs maIesty illuminated the temple as the fiery light of a golden lamp. ,he sages noted that the J3oly one, blessed be he, $as "onstrained to d$ell $ith mortals in the light of a lamp . . . and so a Apure menorahA "ame do$n from hea/en.J&*
adly, many Christians donAt understand the signifi"an"e of the menorah. .n our modern $orld, $e ha/e lost mu"h of the understanding of artifa"ts in the Bible, along $ith its sa"red symbols and elements. Be"ause of this, $e ha/e lost spiritual understanding as $ell. Garr goes on to sayB
,he truth is that the menorah is GodAs lamp, as "ripture "learly de"laresB J,he lamp of God . . . in the temple of the Lord, $here the ark of God $as.J ,he menorah is not merely the =e$ish "andlesti"k or the taberna"le lampstand or the temple "andelabrum. .t is JGodAs lamp.J .t belongs to all of GodAs people, both =e$s
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and Christians. .ts ri"h symbolism is appropriate to both faith "ommunities, representing GodAs light radiating into manAs $orld, the po$er of /ision and insight that "omes to belie/ers in God, both =e$ and Gentile, through GodAs @ord. ,he @ord of God is like a light that shines in a dark pla"e, "learly pointing the $ay. .t "hannels the path of the Iust to$ard the Jday starJ $ho arises in the hearts of belie/ers. .t dispels the darkness, the "onfusion, the ignoran"e, the fear, the superstition and the dangers inherent in human e9isten"e. .n spite of the ominous obs"urity of the human situation, one small ray from the 4ternal @ord dispels the darkness, brings "larity of purpose and unmistakably marks the $ay to the tree of life so "learly that no one $ho $alks in that light $ill stumble.&&
,he lampstand or menorah a"tually symboli;es sal/ation through the @ord of God. 3is se/enfold pirit Da menorah has se/en "andlesE is offered to us to bring us stability into our li/es and link us into the eternal flame that is burning in 3is throne room. @hen $e fail to understand this "on"ept of the lampstand, $e rob oursel/es of GodAs glory as $e $ar against po$ers and prin"ipalities. Psalm &&'B&*7 says the J$ord of God is a lamp to KourL feet.J !s the li/ing @ord, the anointed 0ne and the 1essiah, =esus "an do nothing less than refle"t GodAs glory. Both =esus and GodAs $ritten @ord illuminate our lamp. !nd $hen our lamp is illuminated, $e "annot be o/er"ome by prin"ipalities and po$ers. @hen the @ord of God is manifesting $ithin our li/es, the light of God shines through us and dispels the darkness. @ith GodAs lampstand burning in us, $e truly be"ome a light to the $orld. 1any mountains "ome into our path as $e $alk through this life. 1u"h $arfare o""urs around us, but $e need to keep our lamp burning brightly. .f $e do that, $e $ill be able to shout JGra"eH Gra"eHJ to e/ery mountain, and the po$er of light in the sound of our
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/oi"es $ill "ause the mountain to fall.
,he e/en Chur"hes of Re/elation

,he Lord has gi/en us keys to /i"tory during these times of darkness. . belie/e one of those keys is found in Re/elation &. ,here, the apostle =ohn sees a /ision of se/en golden lampstands. .n "onte9t, . belie/e these are se/en menorahs, that is, these are se/en Jse/en2bran"hedJ lampstands. ,he Lord then tells =ohn that these se/en lampstands represent se/en "hur"hes. @hat are these se/en "hur"hesG First, $e kno$ that they $ere literal "hur"hes. =ohn lists se/en of the "hur"hes that e9isted in his day in the Roman pro/in"e of !sia. But itAs "lear that these "hur"hes are more than Iust se/en "hur"hes "hosen at random. ,hey are "alled the se/en "hur"hes>in some $ay, these se/en "hur"hes represent all of the Chur"hH ome ha/e suggested that these se/en "hur"hes represent se/en eras of Chur"h history, that ea"h of the se/en "hur"hes pi"tures a different histori"al time period, beginning $ith 4phesus as the 4arly Chur"h and ending $ith luke$arm Laodi"ea as the Chur"h today. ,he problem $ith that interpretation is that it doesnAt $ork. ,he Jeras of Chur"h historyJ interpretation might sound "on/in"ing to Christians li/ing in !meri"a, $here many "hur"hes mat"h the des"ription of the luke$arm Laodi"eans. But the !meri"an Chur"h is only a fra"tion of the Chur"h $orld$ide. .n pla"es su"h as China or !fri"a, maIor segments of the Chur"h today are filled $ith life and po$er in the midst of se/ere perse"ution. ,he fa"t is, the maIority of the Chur"h today $orld$ide is not Laodi"ean. . belie/e a better e9planation of these se/en "hur"hes is that they represent se/en =inds of "hur"hes. ,hese "hur"h types e9ist in e/ery age of history, although at "ertain times and in "ertain pla"es, ea"h tends to be more
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representati/e than the others. ,hat means that e&ery "hur"h>and e&ery Christian>is to be found some$here among these se/en "hur"hes. .n these se/en "hur"hes, $e see all the different strategies atan uses to keep GodAs people from fulfilling their "all. But in ea"h $e also hear a $ord from =esus. 3e is $alking among the lampstands, tending to ea"h one, and offering instru"tions to ea"h "hur"h for ho$ to be"ome a brightly burning lampstand. . am fortunate enough to minister $ith Robert 3eidler, one of the most profoundly straightfor$ard theologians . kno$. . belie/e RobertAs in"redible tea"hing on the se/en "hur"hes of Re/elation is /ital for us today if $e are to "ontinue to pray for transformation in our regions. ,he se/en "hur"hes represent regions>they are lampstands in a region, the menorah lights of a region. 4a"h has an array of "hara"teristi"s>some good, some bad. ,hat is $hy the Lord "ommended ea"h "hur"h and then re/ealed any $eak point that needed to be addressed for these "hur"hes. Belo$ is an analysis of ea"h "hur"h, "ompiled from RobertAs audio series, How s 'our "am,stand Burning? Anderstanding the Se&en .hurches o* @e&elation. Re/ie$ your region and see ho$ the lamp of God is burning. Ephesus: $he Church $hat 5ost Its :er-ent 5o-e ,he first "hur"h is the "hur"h at 4phesus, $hi"h represents the "hur"h that has departed from its first lo/e. 4phesus had been a brightly burning lampstand. =esus "ommended those in the 4phesian "hur"h for se/en things.

,heir li/ing faith Dtheir deedsE ,heir diligen"e Dtheir toilE ,heir standards Dthey did not tolerate e/ilE ,heir dis"ernment Dthey tested apostles to see $ho $as trueE ,heir perse/eran"e Dthey kept going despite
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oppositionE

,heir enduran"e Dthey $ere in it for the long haulE ,heir strength Dthey had not gro$n $earyE
But the 4phesian "hur"h had a problemB omeho$, in the midst of all their $ork, they had lost the lo&e of God they had on"e kno$n. ,hey still did a lot of good things, but the fer/ent lo/e that on"e moti/ated them $as no longer there. ,he result $as that their lampstand had begun to go outH Be"ause of this, =esus ga/e them a $arningB JRepentH... 0r . $ill "ome and remo/e your lampstand out of its pla"e.J !ll the $ork in the $orld "ounts for nothing if youA/e lost your lo/eH =esus then sho$ed them the path to restoration. ,o regain $hat they had lost, they needed to do three thingsB &. Remember from $here they had fallen. +. Repent to "hange their dire"tion. :. 5o the deeds they did at first. Smyrna: $he Persecuted Church myrna $as a large and prosperous "ity, a seat of learning and "ulture. ,he myrnans $ere proud of their "ity and had a fanati"al loyalty to Rome. @ithin this "ulture, the highest form of $orship $as $orshiping the Roman 4mperor, and the myrnans had no toleran"e for those $ho $ould not $orship the 4mperor. !s a result, the "hur"h there suffered for its faith. .n 1ark &*B+'2:*, =esus promised that along $ith many blessings, $e $ould re"ei/e perse"utions. ,he "hur"h at myrna had e9perien"ed that perse"ution and $as about to go through more. But =esus had a promise for 3is perse"uted "hur"hB J5o not fear any of those things $hi"h you are about to suffer.... 3e $ho o/er"omes shall not be hurt by the se"ond deathJ DRe/. +B&*2&&E. =esus assured them that
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$hile they may fa"e suffering and e/en physi"al death, they had eternal life. 4ssentially, 3is message to myrna $as, J.n the midst of perse"ution, be *aith*ul-) Jesus identified 3imself to them as the 0ne J$ho $as dead, and "ame to lifeJ D/. )E. 3e $as reminding them that death is not the end>if you are faithful, you $ill re"ei/e a /i"torAs "ro$nH 4/en if you suffer in this life, itAs $orth it to follo$ =esus. 4/en if you die for your faith, you still ha/e $onH Pergamos: $he Bnfaithful Church Pergamos $as a "enter of paganism. 0n the hill abo/e the "ity $as the Pergamos a"ropolis, "ro$ded $ith pagan temples. ,he most striking feature of the a"ropolis $as a huge temple, shaped like a giant throne. .t $as the altar to 8eus, ruler of all the Greek gods. =esusA message to the "hur"h in Pergamos began $ithB J. kno$ your $orks, and $here you d$ell, $here atanAs throne isJ D/. &:E. False gods are demons, $hi"h means the $orship of false gods is the $orship of demons. 8eus, as the ruler of false gods, represented the head of all demons, atan>$hi"h means that abo/e the "ity of Pergamos $as a huge throne dedi"ated to the de/ilH =esus later added that their "ity $as J$here atan d$ells.J !s the $orship of God brings GodAs presen"e, so the $orship of 8eus had "aused Pergamos to be a pla"e $here atanAs presen"e d$elt in a dis"ernable $ay. ,his "hur"h $as "alled to stand in a hard pla"e, and =esus immediately a"kno$ledged that they had held fast to 3is -ame. Unfortunately for them, =esus also had some issues $ith their "urrent state. 3e told them that they had fallen into the trap of the -i"olaitans. ,hese $ere false tea"hers $ho per/erted the idea of freedom in Christ. ,hey taught that sin"e $e are free in Christ, $hy should $e in/ite perse"ution by being legalisti"G ,heir /ie$ $as, JPagan gods are nothingH ,hey donAt e9istH .t doesnAt hurt to eat at a pagan feast. .t doesnAt hurt to put in"ense on an altar.J
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,he Christians at Pergamos had been sedu"ed by this tea"hing. ,hey "ompromised $ith the pagan $orld, e/en Ioining in feasts gi/en to honor demonsH =esus "ompared this to the trap set for .srael by Balaam Dsee -um. ++2+?E. .f Ioining in pagan feasts $as the e#ui/alent of forni"ation, to be sedu"ed by the $orld is adultery. !s a result, =esus ga/e this "hur"h a harsh $arningB JRepent, or else . $ill "ome to you #ui"kly and $ill fight against them $ith the s$ord of 1y mouthJ D/. &6E. ,hankfully, =esus also promised a re$ard to those $ho $ould repent. Thyatira: $he Church In-aded 4* a .eligious 1pirit ,hyatira $as a "ity kno$n for its purple dye and fabri"s. .t $as home to "orporate guilds of potters, tanners, $ea/ers, dyers and robe makers. ,o hold membership in these guilds, it $as ne"essary to feast at the temple of !pollo. Guild business dinners $ere held there and $ere usually follo$ed by orgies. 0b/iously, this made it diffi"ult for Christians to prosper in ,hyatira. =esusA issue $ith the "hur"h $as thisB JFou allo$ that $oman =e;ebel, $ho "alls herself a prophetess, to tea"h and sedu"e 1y ser/ants to "ommit se9ual immorality and eat things sa"rifi"ed to idolsJ D/. +*E. ,he main problem at ,hyatira $as that the "hur"h tolerated the tea"hings of a false prophetess. !n influential $oman in the "hur"h had identified herself as a prophet and Iustified the pra"ti"e of forni"ation, idol $orship and eating of meat sa"rifi"ed to idols. @e "an presume this false tea"hing $as $el"omed be"ause it allo$ed "hur"h members to Ioin the guilds. Fet it is interesting that =esus ne/er said e9a"tly what this $omanAs tea"hing $as, 3e simply identified the spirit behind it>that of =e;ebelH .n "ertain "hur"h "ir"les, the term J=e;ebelJ is tossed around fre#uently no$adays. ,he problem is, many belie/ers do not a""urately understand the =e;ebel spirit. ! =e;ebel spirit is not a JfemaleJ spirit>in fa"t, many men
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ha/e a =e;ebel spirit. .t does not al$ays $ork behind the s"enes. @hat a"tually "hara"teri;es a =e;ebel spirit is that it is al$ays religious. ! =e;ebel spirit seeks a position of influen"e among GodAs people so that it "an promote a false system of religion. 3ere are some "hara"teristi"sB

! =e;ebel spirit seeks to dra$ GodAs people into *alse religionany kindH .t operates through "ontrol, manipulation and intimidation. false tea"hing,
.t often identifies itself as a defender of the faith and promotes false prophets. .t opposes the 3oly manifestations. pirit and all of 3is
.t hates the true propheti" $ord and perse"utes GodAs prophets.
! =e;ebel spirit is a mean spirit. .t sho$s no mer"y. .n this passage, =esus personally de"reed Iudgment on =e;ebel. ,o those $ho had not follo$ed her, 3e had a $ord of en"ouragementB J3old fast until . "omeHJ ,hyatira $as a good "hur"h. .t did not ha/e a lot of problems> apart from =e;ebelH imply put, =esus $as saying, J5eal $ith her and youAll do greatH <eep mo/ing for$ardHJ Sardis: $he Comforta4le Church ardis $as one of the most pleasant pla"es to li/e in the an"ient $orld. .t $as a "enter of $orld$ide trade and one of the most affluent "ities in the $orld. Life $as easy in ardis. 4/en in the pagan $orld, ardis had a reputation for materialism and de"aden"e. ,he pagans there $ere e9tremely a""epting and didnAt "are if you $orshiped their gods or not>they Iust $anted to make money and ha/e a good time. ,he "hur"h in ardis $as also "omfortable. ,here is no mention of perse"ution or opposition $hatsoe/er, no issue of false tea"hing or heresy. ,hey $ere "ontented and $ell2
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off>yet =esus had nothing good to say about this "hur"hH 3e told them, J. kno$ your $orks, that you ha/e a name that you are ali/e, but you are deadJ D:B&E. 0u"hH .n other $ords, =esus $as saying, JFou ha/e an appearan"e of lifeM you loo= good. Fou are doing lots of good things>but thereAs no li*e-) ,he "hur"h at ardis $as the Chur"h of the Li/ing 5ead. ,hey had be"ome too atta"hed to the $orld. ,hey lo/ed all the lu9uries ardis had to offer and their hearts $ere "aptured by the affluen"e of the "ity. =esusA e9hortation to the "hur"h at ardis $as to wa=e u,- D ardis $as not all dead, but it $as losing strength fast.E J trengthen the things $hi"h remain, that are ready to die, for . ha/e not found your $orks perfe"t before GodJ D/. +E. 3e then told the people, JRemember therefore ho$ you ha/e re"ei/ed and heardM hold fast and repentJ D/. :E. ,hey didnAt need a ne$ messageM they needed to hold on to $hat they re"ei/ed, turn ba"k and get on the right path. =esus $arned the ardites that 3e $ould "ome to e9amine 3is "hur"h. ,he $ord 3e used a"tually suggests an audit. .f they $ould stay as they $ere, they $ould forfeit their destiny. But if they $oke up and o/er"ame, they $ould take their part in ministry among 3is priests, and 3e $ould "onfess them before the Father and all the angels. Philadelphia: $he Church of )od8s :a-or Philadelphia $as lo"ated on the Royal Road, the main east2$est trade route into the interior of !sia. Be"ause of this, it $as built as a missionary "ity. .t $as designed as a sho$pla"e for Greek "i/ili;ation in !sia to spread Greek language, "ulture and religion to the barbarians of the 4ast. .n fa"t, it had so many temples it $as kno$n as Jlittle !thens.J .n AD &(, a massi/e earth#uake stru"k and the "ity $as literally destroyed o/ernight. 4mperor ,iberius rebuilt the
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"ity and restored its beauty, but massi/e aftersho"ks "ontinued to hit the "ity for de"ades. ,he result $as that the maIority of its people li/ed in the surrounding "ountryside. Fe$ $ere bra/e enough to li/e in the shaky "ity. ,he Philadelphia "hur"h had e9perien"ed shaking also. ,hey had been through seasons of perse"ution. ,hey had been through a hard season, and they felt $eakened. But =esus had a $ord for them>the most positi/e $ord gi/en to any of the se/en "hur"hes. 3e told them, JFou ha/e suffered for your faith, but you perse/ered ... and thatAs something /ery important to God. Fou kept 1y @ord and did not deny 1y -ame. Fou endured patiently. !nd be"ause you ha/e remained steadfast, God has opened up a door for you that no one "an "lose.J .n short, Philadelphia had passed the test and, as a result, no$ had a golden opportunity. For the Philadelphians, this in"luded an open door to their "ity. ,hey had been falsely a""used, and their reputation in the "ity had been tarnished. Fet =esus promised /indi"ation. 3e said that e/en their enemies $ould a"kno$ledge that God $as $ith them. ,heir open door $as also one to the entire $orld. Philadelphia $as "alled to be a missionary "ity. ,hrough the Chur"h, Philadelphia $ould begin to fulfill its destiny as a gate$ay to the $orld. Philadelphia indeed be"ame a gate$ay "ity for the gospel. @e kno$ from history that missionaries $ent out on the Royal Road that ran through Philadelphia and established thri/ing "hur"hes in Persia, .ndia and e/en as far as China. Laodicea: $he 5ukewarm Church Laodi"ea $as a maIor trade "enter and banking "apital. .t $as built on the "rossroads of se/eral trade routes, and its banking system and the many "ara/ans that "ame
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through made it a $ealthy "ity. .t $as also an important medi"al "enter. Built at the foot of a /ol"ani" mountain kno$n for its hot mineral springs, the "ity had many health spas $here the si"k "ame for treatment. =esus des"ribed 3is relationship $ith this "hur"h in Re/elation :B+*B JBehold, . stand at the door and kno"k. .f anyone hears 1y /oi"e and opens the door, . $ill "ome in to him and dine $ith him, and he $ith 1e.J ,hatAs probably the most famous /erse in Re/elation. @e fre#uently talk about =esus Jkno"king on the doorJ of an unbelie/erAs heart. Fet fe$ Christians really understand this /erse. .n its "onte9t, =esus $asnAt kno"king on an unbelie/erAs heart>3e $as kno"king on the door of 3is Chur"hH .tAs important that $e understand this pi"ture. ,he se"ond and third "hapters of Re/elation sho$ =esus mo/ing from "hur"h to "hur"h. 3e is tending 3is lamps to keep them burning brightly. 3e "omes to ea"h one to "orre"t and en"ourage>but $hen he "omes to Laodi"ea, He can(t get in0ther "hur"hes had problems, but Laodi"ea had gone a step farther. omething about the "hur"h at Laodi"ea shut the door against =esus "oming into their "hur"h. =esus des"ribed the problem in Laodi"ea $ith one $ordB lu=ewarm. .f anyone understood $hat it meant to be luke$arm, it $as the Laodi"eans. ,he hot springs up on the mountain $ere $onderful for the health spas, but by the time the hot $ater flo$ed through the a#uedu"ts to the "ity, it "ooled off. ,he "ityAs $ater $as luke$arm mineral $ater, and it $as "onsidered almost undrinkable. .n fa"t, it $as nauseatingH =esus said to the belie/ers of Laodi"ea, JFour "hur"h is like your $aterHJ 3e then added a surprising t$istB J. $ish you $ere "old or hot.J ,o be "old is to reIe"t =esus, yet =esus "an deal $ith reIe"tion. .f you are "old to 3im, it Iust means you ha/e ne/er kno$n 3is lo/e. ,he truth is, there is great hope for
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those $ho are "old. @hen they see $ho 3e really is, they "an #ui"kly "hange from "old to hot. 0n the other e9treme, to be hot is to be on fire for =esus. 1adly and passionately in lo/e. ,hatAs $hat =esus is looking forH ,hatAs $hat 3e deser/esH 3e ga/e 3imself "ompletely for us, and 3e $ants us to gi/e our hearts "ompletely to 3im. ,he Laodi"eans $ere neither "old nor hot. ,hey $ere luke$arm>about as middle2of2the2road as you "an get. ,hey didnAt oppose =esus, but they $erenAt e9"ited about 3im either. ,hey $ere indifferent to the 0ne $ho ga/e 3is life for them. ,o that attitude, =esusA response $as harsher than any of 3is others to the "hur"hesB J. $ill /omit you out of 1y mouthJ D:B&6E. Vomiting is a /iolent in/oluntary rea"tion to something that is totally unpalatable. .t is a knee2Ierk, natural response that re#uires no thinking. !nd here =esus is saying, JLuke$arm Christianity makes me $ant to pukeHJ ,hatAs $hat kept the door "losed for =esus. 3e "ouldnAt "ome into a "hur"h like that. But =esus did not gi/e up on Laodi"ea. 3e $as still kno"king at the door, "alling out for someone to open it. .n fa"t, the Lord had high hopes for itB J.f you $ill open the door, . $ill "ome inHJ ,heir solution $as to gain a ne$ perspe"ti/e on life. ,hey thought they $ere ri"h and needed nothing. =esusA responseG JKFouL do not kno$ that you are $ret"hed, miserable, poor, blind and naked>. "ounsel you to buy from 1e gold refined in the fire, that you may be ri"hM and $hite garments, that you may be "lothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be re/ealedM and anoint your eyes $ith eye sal/e, that you may seeJ D//. &(2&)E. =esus $anted the Laodi"eans to see their need and "ome to 3im as their sour"e. 3e promised that if they $ould open the door to 3is presen"e, 3e $ould be
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faithful to "ome in. ,hey $ould feast $ith 3imH -ot only $ould they feast $ith 3im, but Re/elation :B+& guarantees that if they $ould o/er"ome in the battle before them, they $ould also gain a pla"e on 3is throne. =esusA $ord to Laodi"ea $as simply thisB J.tAs a battle to break out of the luke$arm. But if you o/er"ome, Fou $ill gain great authority in the earth. 'ou will reign with +e-)8B @hen . "annot hear God, or re/elation seems to be blo"ked, . ha/e learned to do t$o things. First, . al$ays ask God $hat . should gi/e. . find that if . obey God in gi/ing after the pattern 3e "reated for us in redemption, then things around me $ill begin to mo/e in a ne$ $ay. Faith $ill begin to rise, and . $ill see $hat . need to see. e"ond, . read =ohnAs Re/elation of the se/en "hur"hes and . ask God, J@hat "hur"h am .GJ .f . am in inter"ession, then . ask, J@hat "hur"h am . dealing $ithGJ ,his al$ays points me to my lampstand first to see if it is burning brightly. Remember, =esus said that before $e deal $ith our brotherAs sin, $e must first e9amine our o$n short"omings Dsee 1att. (B:E. o it is $hen $e sear"h for a reason behind the absen"e of 3is /oi"e or re/elation. ,his also allo$s me to see ho$ po$erful the fire is burning in the atmosphere of the group $ith $hi"h . am $orshiping. . al$ays feel that the group or ministry $here . ha/e been assigned refle"ts one of the "hur"hes mentioned abo/e. ,his gi/es me great insight for ho$ to pray.
@ar .s Coming into 1y !tmosphere

0n aturday, !pril &?, +**(, ,ri"ia 1iller, a friend of mine from ,yler, ,e9as, sent me the details of a dream that she felt $as a $ord from the Lord. -ot only do . agree $ith her, but also . "anAt think of a better $ay to "apture the heart of this "hapter than sharing it as . "on"lude my thoughts on the presen"e2and2glory $ar. ,he dream began
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$ith ,ri"ia in a hotel, $here she $as preparing to go to a retreat of the apostoli" net$ork that she is part of. 3ere is the rest as told by ,ri"iaB
. $as /ery agitated and "onfused. . "ould not get anything done. ,hen t$o ladies "ame into my room and began to take o/er. @hen . asked $hat they $ere doing in my room, they responded that they $ere going to $ait in my room until their room $as ready ne9t door. . be"ame so frustrated that . left the room and began to dri/e do$n the high$ay. uddenly . reali;ed that . $as almost to the meeting pla"e but $as still not ready, so . made a U2turn under an o/erpass. ,he ne9t thing . kne$ . $as $alking through a store or pla"e of business releasing the glory of the Lord. !n old $oman "ame up behind me and $as s"reaming at me to not do that. he $as yelling, JFou donAt ha/e a right to do thatH . donAt $ant that done in this pla"eHJ till, . "ontinued. he then began to "all for her husband to stop me $hen . e9ited the building. . dro/e again and "ame to the meeting, $hi"h $as in an old "hur"h building painted $hite and $ith a steeple. . $as still in that state of frustration and agitation. ,he group $as doing normal meeting things, and . be"ame so agitated that . left the meeting and $ent outside. 1y thought $as, J. "anAt do thisHJ @hen . got outside, . sa$ large $heat fields in front of me. . looked up and sa$ about +* to :* enemy planes "oming "loser. K.n the dream, these looked like @orld @ar ,$o planes.L ,hey began to drop bombs and shoot ma"hine guns at the fields. . turned, $ent ba"k inside and $as trying to get to the apostoli" leader to let him kno$ that $e $ere in trouble. . "ould hardly make itM . $as "ra$ling and pushing $ith all my strength to get to him. @hen . finally rea"hed him, . told him $hat $as happening outside and that $e $ere in trouble. 3e had the people break up in prayer groups. . remember seeing his $ife and another leader that . $as familiar $ith in the room. . $as still in that state of frustration, but by no$ .
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had reali;ed that the reason . $as feeling this $ay $as be"ause the 3oly pirit $as sho$ing me $hat $as "oming. . $ent ba"k outside and $as $at"hing the bombing $hen the planes turned and started to$ard us. . $as going to run ba"k into the building but reali;ed if . did, they $ould see me and shoot me. o . "rou"hed do$n $hile they fle$ o/er. . then ran in the building to tell e/eryone to get out. !t this point . $oke up from my dream.
!s .A/e said throughout this book, the Body of Christ has entered into a season of $ar. @eA/e dis"ussed the $ars o/er our minds, our blood and our time. -o$ $eA/e e9amined the "ru"ial fight that is o""urring o/er the atmosphere. @ill the for"es of darkness o""upy our territories, or $ill GodAs glory finally flood the earthG adly, the Body of Christ is also in a pla"e of frustration. @e ha/e the appearan"e of getting many things a""omplished, yet in reality $e are not getting anything done be"ause things are "hanging so #ui"kly. 0ur busyness, if $e do not keep it in "he"k, is "ro$ding out our efforts to see GodAs presen"e established in our territories. 0n an indi/idual le/el, it has be"ome more diffi"ult to find our abiding pla"e in 3im be"ause people keep interrupting our time of preparation. ,his season, . see the glory of God getting released in the marketpla"e before 3e manifests 3imself in the Chur"h. But noti"e in this dream that the har/est fields $ere being atta"ked. @e ha/e not defined our har/est fields, nor ha/e $e gathered the har/est that is before us. ,herefore, the enemy is atta"king the har/est field. ,his dream e/en seems to imply the reasonB ,he "urrent Body of Christ, as $ell as its leadership, is gathering $ithout understanding the atmosphere around us. @e are failing to re"ogni;e both the har/est fields in our rea"h and ho$ the $ar is es"alating in our midst. . belie/e that the leaders of todayAs Chur"h, if they
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$ere fully a$are of the $ar that is at hand, $ould be ready to "all the Body to prayer. 3o$e/er, it is almost as if $e ha/e to be under atta"k before $e "all the spiritual army into battle. @e must be preparedH -e/ertheless, the Lord is telling those $ho are 3is propheti" $at"hmen for this hour to be a prote"tion to the present gathering. @e must stand $at"h in 3is perfe"t timing, a$aiting 3is signal. !nd $hen $e see those for"es approa"hing, $e must "ry loudly, signaling the battle "ry, so that the Body $ill be alerted to the $ar in the har/est fields.
C,AP$#. !
The %ower War
Who Are &ou in Agreement With-
like po$er. . am sure you enIoy a bit of it, too. .n our $orld, ha/ing po$er is seen as a good thing>it means that you are not $eak, that you ha/e "ontrol o/er "ertain things. in"e the beginning of time, the #uest for po$er has been at the heart of /irtually e/ery "onfli"t. atan fell be"ause he $anted more of GodAs po$er for himself. 3umanity fell for basi"ally the same reason. -ations ha/e fallen and "ontinue to fall in the e/er2 shifting balan"e of po$er throughout this $orld. !s an all2po$erful God, our hea/enly Father is the author and "reator of po$er. ,herefore, it is perfe"t and good $ithin itself. ,he problem $ith po$er is $hen it falls into the $rong hands>or hands that be"ome "orrupted by its allure. @e "hara"teri;e su"h people as Jdrunk $ith po$er,J Jpo$er2hungryJ or ha/ing an Jinsatiable lust for po$er.J Fet these are often the people $ho "hange the "ourse of history. @e are "urrently in a time in our nation $hen "ertain indi/iduals are /ying for the po$er to shape our history.
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0ne of the strongest fights for su"h influen"e is no$ taking pla"e in our "ourtrooms. !uthor 1ark utton agrees $ith this assessment in 3al= #hrough the 3all, America, an eye2opening, key propheti" book for this hour. 0ne of uttonAs many e9"ellent points is that our Iudi"ial system is #ui"kly be"oming out of "ontrol $ith its leading figuresA unrelenting, un"he"ked pursuit of po$er and authority. JBy making "onstitutional la$, federal Iudges "an bypass demo"ra"y and, in many respe"ts, rule !meri"a from the Iudi"ial ben"h,J utton $rites. J ome federal Iudges ha/e repeatedly and $ithout any fear of "onse#uen"es effe"ti/ely amended the U. . Constitution for more than 7* years. ,he resulting Iudge2made "onstitutional amendments are an un"onstitutional a"t, be"ause Iudges are not permitted by the Constitution to make "onstitutional la$.J& 3o$ are federal Iudges getting a$ay $ith thisG ,he "he"ks and balan"es system on $hi"h our !meri"an go/ernment is based keeps CongressAs and the PresidentAs po$er in "he"k /ia the U. . upreme Court. 3o$e/er, there are /ery fe$ "he"ks in pla"e to keep Iudges from redefining and amending some of the "ore elements of our nationAs la$s, $hi"h is espe"ially likely $hen legislation is poorly $ritten. =udges must "larify and interpret la$s, and $hen la$s are ambiguous, Iudges sometimes make de"isions that rightfully belong to the Legislati/e Bran"h D$hi"h represents the peopleE. ,he 49e"uti/e Bran"h has the po$er to appoint Iudges, but it is e9tremely diffi"ult to remo/e a Iudge on"e he or she has been s$orn in. ,his means that if a handful of Iudges begin to o/errea"h their Constitutional po$ers, there is little that "an be done to stop them. ! perfe"t e9ample, as utton points out, is $hat is no$ termed the Jseparation of "hur"h and state.J ,oday, the maIority of people in our so"iety simply a""ept this as a Constitutional do"trineB Go/ernment and religion must be
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kept separate. ,he fa"t of the matter is that our nationAs forefathers "onsistently melded the t$o. J,he 4stablishment Clause of the First !mendment $as designed to, among other things, ,re&ent the new *ederal go&ernment *rom inter*ering $ith the religious pra"ti"es of the state and lo"al go/ernments,J utton $rites. J.n. &'?(, the 4stablishment Clause $as altered to mean, in many respe"ts, the opposite of $hat $as originally meant. !""ording to the U. . upreme Court, the 4stablishment Clause no$ means that the *ederal go&ernment must inter*ere $ith most interfa"es bet$een religion and state go/ernments.J+ ,his is Iust one e9ample of ho$ la$s ha/e drifted from GodAs purpose and been used against GodAs kingdom plans. 0ur so"iety has almost remo/ed the "on"ept of God2"ons"iousness from its midst through "hanging la$s in this time. !s frightening as this sounds, it reminds me of GodAs $ords in .saiah &B
Four "ountry is desolate, your "ities are burned $ith fireM strangers de/our your land in your presen"eM and it is desolate, as o/erthro$n by strangers. o the daughter of 8ion is left as a booth in a /ineyard, as a hut in a garden of "u"umbers, as a besieged "ity. Unless the Lord of hosts had left to us a /ery small remnant, $e $ould ha/e be"ome like odom, $e $ould ha/e been made like Gomorrah.... J,o $hat purpose is the multitude of your sa"rifi"es to 1eG ... Come no$, and let us reason together,J says the Lord.... J. $ill restore your Iudges as at the first, and your "ounselors as at the beginningJ D//. (2',&&,&),+6E.
,his is not a gloom2and2doom "hapter, though it might feel that $ay from ho$ it has begun. 1y point is not to dis"ourage you, but to emphasi;e the rele/an"e and immedia"y of the $ar that $e $ill dis"uss in this "hapter. . belie/e that one of the greatest battles in this and many other nations is for Iudges $ho rule the Iudi"ial system to ha/e an a$akening of $ho the ultimate =udge of the earth
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is. !nd yet that fight, as "ru"ial as it is, is but one of the battles in a $ar that has raged for millennia. ,his is the po$er $ar. 0r stated a better $ay, this is the $ar o&er po$er. in"e the Fall, atan has used his limited po$er to enti"e "ountless people into fighting this $ar. 3istory has sho$n us "lima"ti" glimpses of this through su"h anti"hrist figures as 3itler and 3erod. Fet possibly the most destru"ti/e $eapon the enemy has used is religion. Later in this "hapter $e $ill dis"uss ho$ religion has partnered $ith go/ernments to "ome against GodAs plans. God is represented by us, 3is people. ,herefore, the $ay $e e9er"ise our authority in God and demonstrate 3is po$er through us determines ho$ 3e rules in the earth. 1ost of us are fully a$are that there is a relentless opposition that stands against us taking su"h dominion, yet it is "riti"al for e/ery belie/er to grasp Iust ho$ strong this fight is>and $hy. @e are not only fighting for authority, po$er, "ities or e/en nationsM $e are fighting for souls, for a hea/enly <ingdom. 3o$ $e take dominion in the future and influen"e the $orld $ith our <ingdom perspe"ti/e is key to unlo"king the har/est.
Find the !n"ient Path

. re"ently had a dream. .n it, the !n"ient of 5ays took me by the hand and led me to a three2by2fi/e2foot bo9 made of a pearl2like substan"e that shimmered like gold. .n the bo9 $ere appro9imately :** tightly rolled maps or blueprints standing on end. ,he Lord told me to "hoose the ones . $anted. . "hose three, and $hen . unfurled them, . found that they $ere an"ient maps of pla"es in the earth realm. 0ne $as a blueprint of my an"estral lineage> $here my family "ame from and the lands that they belonged to. ,he !n"ient of 5ays then spoke to me and said, ) am ready to unseal re&elation that ha&e been holding since ancient times. 3hen you return to the ancient ,aths, you
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will mo&e *orward to unloc= treasures *or your *uture.) @hen . a$oke, . thought of t$o passages. ,he first $as =eremiah &)B&7B JFet 1y people ha/e forgotten 1eM they burn in"ense to false gods, they ha/e been "aused to stumble in their $ays and in the an"ient roads, to $alk in bypaths, in a $ay not graded and built up Knot on a high$ayLJ $A+9%. .n the "onte9t of this /erse $e find that the people of God had forsaken the li/ing $aters offered them, and their "isterns had begun to leak. ,his $ould keep them from ha/ing $ater in the desert. ,herefore, they $ere pre/ented from un"o/ering the desert treasures they other$ise "ould ha/e had a""ess to. ,he Lord $as "alling them to return to the an"ient paths from $hi"h they had lost their $ay, the high$ays that held all of the blessings 3e had for them. . belie/e the !n"ient of 5ays $as saying the same thing to meB J. am returning +y ,eo,le to a ,lace o* reco&ery. #hey will reco&er what they missed when they de&iated *rom +y ,aths and +y highway. am remembering now what has ne&er been accom,lished. am o**ering +y ,eo,le the blue,rint to return, unco&er and reco&er the hidden treasures that they ha&e ne&er gained access to.) ,he an"ient paths $ill lead us into the future. &isdom from the Ancient of /a*s ,he se"ond passage . thought of after $aking from my dream $as 5aniel (. .n this key "hapter for our times, $e find that 5aniel had a re/elation of GodAs e/erlasting reigning po$er. J. $at"hed till thrones $ere put in pla"e, and the !n"ient of 5ays $as seated.... and behold, 0ne like the on of 1an, "oming $ith the "louds of hea/enH 3e "ame to the !n"ient of 5ays ... ,hen to 3im $as gi/en dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should ser/e 3im. 3is dominion is an e/erlasting dominion, $hi"h shall not pass a$ay, and 3is kingdom the one $hi"h shall not be destroyedJ D//.
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',&:2&?E. GodAs po$er "an ne/er be in doubt. ,he !n"ient of 5ays is named so for 3is rule o/er all time. 3is name implies dignity, enduran"e, Iudgment and $isdom. !s the !n"ient of 5ays, 3e releases an"ient $isdom for present2 day /i"tory. First Corinthians +B62&*, a passage that has re/olutioni;ed my prayer life, speaks of thisB
@e speak $isdom among those $ho are mature, yet not the $isdom of the age, nor the rulers of this age, $ho are "oming to nothing. But $e speak the $isdom of God in a mystery, the hidden $isdom $hi"h God ordained before the ages for our glory, $hi"h none of the rulers of this age kne$, for had they kno$n, they $ould not ha/e "ru"ified the Lord of Glory. But as it is $rittenB J4ye has not seen or ear heard, nor ha/e entered into the heart of man the things prepared for those $ho lo/e 3im.J But God has re/ealed them to us through the pirit.
3ere are Iust some of the details about the Jhidden $isdomJ re/ealed to us as $e pray in 3is piritB

God has $isdom greater than any $orldly $isdom $e see. Po$ers and prin"ipalities do not ha/e a""ess to this $isdom. ,he authority of demoni" for"es is limited. ,here is $isdom that has been hidden sin"e the beginning of time, for 3is glory. ,hrough the redempti/e "ross of =esus Christ, $e ha/e a""ess to this $isdom. God is prepared to release this $isdom to us as $e get to kno$ 3im intimately through prayer. ,his $isdom $ill o/erthro$ high pla"es and release "apti/es. @isdom dismantles demoni" dethrones thrones of ini#uity. stru"tures and
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@hen the Lord sho$ed this to me, . kne$ any demoni" for"e holding a territory "apti/e "ould not $ithstand the $isdom that God $ill release to 3is people. . kne$ that if the pirit of the Lord burdened me to pray for a "ity, . had authority to gain the keys for the release of its inhabitants. ,his is a day $hen the Lord is e9tending a fresh "all of prayer to 3is people. ,here is a purpose2filled urgen"y. 3e $ill sho$ us a spe"ifi" territory to "on#uer as it really is and say to us, )<&ercome e&ery obstacle that is =ee,ing these ,eo,le *rom coming to =now +e. <,en the door *or +y House to be built within them so that they may e4,erience +y "o&e throughout eternity. #hrough ,rayer, gain wisdom that will dethrone the thrones o* ini:uity where&er they ha&e been established. #hen establish +y #hrone that many may worshi, +e and gain li*e e&erlasting-) ,his is ho$ entire "ities $ill e9perien"e sal/ation. ,his is ho$ $e $ill o/erthro$ thrones of ini#uity and see GodAs "o/enant plan for $hole territories flourish in days ahead. .n 5aniel &*, $e find 5aniel seeking God $ith intensity for +& days. !t that point, the !n"ient of 5ays sent the aid of 1i"hael, the !r"hangel. Re/elation $as then released into the earth realm>re/elation that $e are $alking in today. 5anielAs /ision is re"orded in (B+&2++B J. $as $at"hingM and the same horn $as making $ar against the saints, and pre/ailing against them, until the !n"ient of 5ays "ame, and a Iudgment $as made in fa/or of the saints of the 1ost 3igh, and the time "ame for the saints to possess the kingdom.J .n this passage $e see that the !n"ient of 5ays is going to fa/or us Dthe saintsE in days ahead. 1ake no mistake, the time will "ome for the saints to possess the kingdom. ,hat means $e will take dominion, go/ern, pre/ail and dominate the $orld po$ers around us. 3o$e/er, in /erses +? and +7 $e find thisB
,he ten horns are ten kings $ho shall arise from this kingdom. !nd another shall rise after them, 3e shall be
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different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. 3e shall speak pompous $ords against the 1ost 3igh, shall perse"ute the saints of the 1ost 3igh, and shall intend to "hange times and la$. ,hen the saints shall be gi/en into his hand for a time and times and half a time.
-oti"e $hat "ripture says the enemy does. 3e $ill attempt to "hange both times and law. ,here $ill be a great struggle in days ahead as atan attempts to perse"ute the saints by getting us out of GodAs timing or "ontrolling us so that $e "anAt enter into GodAs timing. 0ne of his ta"ti"s $ill be to "hange the la$s around us. 1any la$s are being and $ill be de/eloped to stop or "onstri"t GodAs "hildren from operating in freedom. ,his is $hy it is so "riti"al for us to understand GodAs timing and the spiritual boundaries 3e has gi/en us through 3is la$, not the $orldAs. .f not, de"eption $ill easily enter into our li/es. $rial 4* :ire;and 5ions 5aniel tea"hes us another important lesson through his re/elation e9perien"e $ith the !n"ient of 5ays. -oti"e that prior to his grand /ision "ame his lionsA den e9perien"e. ,he thing . most like about 5aniel is his "onsisten"y in praying and seeking the Lord in the midst of ad/ersity. .n truth, $hat often got him in that hard and trying pla"e $as his "onsistent prayer life. 3e prayed three times a day. @hen de"rees and go/ernmental shifts o""urred that forbade seeking a 3igher our"e, he did not "hange his "ommunion $ith God but kept his "onsisten"y in seeking re/elation. @hen Iealousy and de/ised e/il "ame against him, he "onsistently prayed. @hen he $as in the lionsA den, . do not think he "hanged his "onsistent praying. ,herefore, God sustained him in the fa"e of $hat "ould ha/e been "atastrophe. Consistent praying o/er"omes our ad/ersaryH 5anielAs lionsA den e9perien"e sho$s us the $ar that all
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of GodAs saints $ill ha/e in days ahead. @e $ill ha/e to maneu/er our $ay past ungodly de"rees that attempt to stop our "ommuni"ation $ith a holy God. . belie/e itAs important to understand that 5aniel did not defy the go/ernmental de"ree. ,he de"ree a"tually stated that "iti;ens "ould not pray in publi" or re#uest a spe"ifi" blessing from another god. 5aniel $ent to his room and prayed. ,he ungodly authorities then $orked this against him in an attempt to o/erthro$ GodAs "o/enant man $ho had been positioned for a time su"h as this. . a"tually belie/e God "ame do$n as the Lion of =udah and shut the mouth of the other lions that "ould ha/e martyred 5aniel for his faith. 5anielAs faith o/er"ame in the pit. ,herefore, God ga/e him a""ess to a greater re/elation of 3imself. 3e also sho$ed him in "hapter ( that all of GodAs people $ould be perse"uted in the future and the enemy $ould try to J$ear do$n their minds.J But e/entually, $e $ould pre/ail.
,he Politi"al2Religious 3andshake

5aniel $as an influen"er in the politi"al arena. 3is faith ne/er on"e kept him deta"hed from his go/ernmental duties. . belie/e GodAs people "an follo$ his e9ample. @e should be right in the middle of politi"s and should influen"e the go/ernment. @ith the $isdom of God at our disposal, $e "an look at the past to understand the present. Fet $e must al$ays understand that $e are from a <ingdom abo/e all kingdoms. !lthough earthly kingdoms "an refle"t the kingdom of God, $e as 3is people must al$ays demonstrate our <ingdom identity no matter $hat earthly "iti;enship $e hold. Ultimately, $e ser/e a higher purpose. =udas had a maIor problem $ith this. 3e $anted =esus to "hange the earthly kingdom to benefit the people of that day. =esus kept saying, JBut 1y kingdom is not like this kingdom.J =udas "ould not grasp this, and as a result, his
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politi"al ambition and unrestrained ;ealous attitude "aused him to betray the 0ne $ho "ame to redeem him from the prison of this $orld. =udas $as the perfe"t e9ample of $hat . term Jthe handshake bet$een the politi"al and religious arenas.J 3is desire $as to use religious po$er for politi"al means, and /i"e /ersa. . belie/e this is $hy =esus said, J,ake heed, be$are of the lea/en of the Pharisees and the lea/en of 3erodJ D1ark )B&7E. ,his $as one of =esusA maIor $arnings to us as 3is "hildrenH ,here is a fine line bet$een taking dominion in the sphere of authority that God has pla"ed us in and falling into the snare of the ruling system of the day. =udas fell into this trap, as ha/e "ountless others. 3o$ do politi"s and religion "ome together to stop the kingdom of God from freely ad/an"ing in the earthG ,hat is the heart of this "hapter. ,he ungodly union of politi"s and religion is one of the greatest $ars $e fa"e. @e must al$ays remember that =esus ne/er on"e gratified the Pharisees $ho longed for 3im to /alidate 3is identity $ith signs and mira"les. ,heir moti/e $as impure be"ause their ultimate goal $as to ensnare 3im. Religious for"es long to ensnare the mo/e of God in the earth. ,hey $ant to ha/e "ontrol o/er it rather than yielding po$er to an unseen, higher for"e. =esus $as grie/ed o/er the hardened hearts of these people. Religion hardens our heart. @hen a religious group of leaders refuses to keep mo/ing in $hat God is doing, they be"ome politi"al. .n this "ase, 3erod $as also desirous to see mira"les $rought by Christ. @hen =esus did not satisfy either side, the t$o for"es Ioined together to stop $hat Christ $as doing. =esus $as trying to present the FatherAs plan to the people. 3e $anted to sho$ them the $onderful kingdom of God that turns e/ery earthly reign upside do$n. But . doubt the dis"iples of =esusA day understood $hat 3e $as really trying to tea"h them. Like$ise, . am not sure todayAs dis"iples understand the prin"iple of ho$ religion $ill
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al$ays "ome dangerously into agreement go/ernmental for"es to stop the mo/e of God.
$ith
$he Church 5oses Power 4* 2ielding to )o-ernment ,his handshake bet$een religion and politi"s al$ays "reates a loss of po$er in the earth. .n =une +**7, . sa$ this firsthand $hen . tra/eled to the J,hree RomesJB 1os"o$, .stanbulCConstantinople and Rome. ,he purpose of this trip $as to retra"e, pray and break the stru"tures asso"iated $ith the lost po$er of the histori"al Chur"h so that the Chur"h today "an enter into a ne$ po$er. .n 1os"o$, the Russian 0rthodo9 Chur"h "alled itself the J,hird Rome.J ,he "hur"h embellished its status as the ,hird Rome and brought all Christianity into the realm of Russian "ontrol. ,he belief $as that 1os"o$ $as "hosen by God. ,he se"ond leg of our Iourney led us to .stanbul, the e"ond Rome. .stanbul is a beautiful "ity that blends se/eral "ultures. 0n"e kno$n as Constantinople, .stanbul $as de"lared the J-e$ RomeJ $hen Constantine established the "ity as the head#uarters of the Roman 4mpire in the fourth "entury. .n its early history, the streets of the "apital $ere sometimes de"ked $ith flo$ers and dren"hed $ith blood on the same day. u"h "lashes $ere usually a result of "onfli"ts bet$een religious and go/ernmental stru"tures. Constantine, $ho be"ame the sole master of the Roman 4mpire, determined to make this "ity the future "apital of the $orld by produ"ing a unity of religion and blending $orship $ith "ulture. !s you enter the "ity today, you see mos#ues surrounded by minarets a"ross the skyline. !ltogether there are +,?** mos#ues around the "ity, some of $hi"h are the largest in the $orld. Fet our guide informed us that although the population of the "ity a""epts the religion of .slam, the /ast maIority does not pra"ti"e this Dor perhaps anyE form of organi;ed $orship. 1ost do not gather as ritually
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pres"ribed. .t $as from Constantinople that the offi"ial Jpagani;ationJ of the Chur"h $as "arried out, resulting in hundreds of thousands of belie/ers dying for their faith. For this reason, one of the main pla"es $e purposed to /isit $as the Chur"h of 3agia ophia D3oly @isdomE, $hi"h $as a perfe"t pi"ture of $hat happened in the Chur"h during this time. ,his enormous stru"ture $as originally built by Constantine as the sho$pla"e of his ne$ "hur"h, and $as later re"onstru"ted by =ustinian. For its "onstru"tion, the builders used huge marble "olumns from the temple of 5iana in 4phesus, along $ith other items from a pagan temple in Pergamum D$hi"h =ohn "alled Jthe seat of atanJE. ,his $as a physi"al pi"ture of ho$ elements of paganism $ere in"orporated into the Chur"h, resulting in a ne$ religion that had $orldly po$er but la"ked the presen"e and po$er of God. ,he domed 3agia ofia is physi"ally impressi/e, standing &(7 feet high $ith a dome of &*+ feet in diameter. .n fa"t, this $as the largest "hur"h in the $orld for almost &,*** years. =ustinian hoped this immense "hur"h $ould turn a ne$ page for the Chur"h in that region. 3o$e/er, $e dis"o/ered that the "hur"h ended up as a mi9ture of /arious religions. .n &?7:, the 3agia ophia $as "on/erted to a mos#ue $ith the arri/al of the ,urks. .n fa"t, most of the other mos#ues in the "ity $ere patterned after this $orld2reno$ned JChristianJ stru"ture. A 5oss $hrough Bnit* !s the ar"hite"t behind this "ityAs fusion of religions, Constantine $as arguably the most influential figure in the Chur"hAs in"lusion into politi"s. ! history shaper, he made Christianity, $hi"h had suffered bloody perse"ution until that time, the religion of the empire. 3is goal $as to blend the monotheisti" $orship systems of =udaism and Christianity $ith the $orship of the sun, the /eneration of
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1ithras D$hi"h $e $ill dis"uss laterE and other pagan forms of religion. 3e longed to produ"e a unity of religion. Conse#uently, this "ombination of $orship remo/ed the perse"ution of the Christians>but only for those $ho $ere not e9treme in their $orship. Constantine not only prote"ted Christians, but he also prote"ted the heathensA rights. 3e suppressed any di/ination or magi" that $as being using pri/ately in homes and de"lared that any pra"ti"e of heathen $orship $ould be done on publi" altars and in sa"red pla"es. .n general, he prohibited family sa"rifi"e and made e/erything publi", $hi"h formed a so2"alled Junity of religion.J .n a"tuality, $hat this did to the Christian Chur"h $as slo$ly dilute its foundational beliefs and God2ordained pra"ti"es. 1ost of the early belie/ers $ere strongly rooted in =e$ish "ulture. !"ts &7B7 speaks of "hur"h members $ho $ere still a"ti/ely in/ol/ed in the parry of the Pharisees. .n !"ts +&B+*, =ames boasts that in =erusalem there $ere many Jtens of thousandsJ of =e$s $ho belie/ed in =esus yet remained ;ealous for the ,orah. Repeatedly, $e see Paul and other members of the "hur"h still taking -a;arite /o$s, pra"ti"ing =e$ish rituals, obser/ing abbaths and feasts and bringing offerings to the =erusalem ,emple Dsee !"ts +&B+:2+6M +?B&?2&(E. Paul ne/er spoke of his =udaism in the past tense. 3e proudly pro"laimed, J. am a =e$HJ D++B:E and J. am a PhariseeHJ D+:B6E. .n the /ery last "hapter of !"ts, Paul meets $ith =e$ish leaders in Rome and assures them that he still identifies himself $ith =udaism and has done nothing to /iolate =e$ish "ustoms. Fet ConstantineAs tossing of Christianity into a great melting pot of religion led many belie/ers to in"orporate pagan pra"ti"es into their faith, $hile abandoning their =e$ish roots. Perse"ution may ha/e lessened for the 4arly Chur"h, but there $as a great loss to GodAs original intent of influen"e and po$er that 3e desired for us to display in
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the earth. @hat e9a"tly $as lostG

,he ability of Christians to gather in /ibrant $orship ,he 3ebrai" attitude to$ard God ,he 3ebrai" attitude to$ard "ripture ! loss of the emphasis on the home ! loss of the 3ebrai" approa"h to life ! Ioyful Christianity, as instead po/erty and suffering $ere seen as /irtues ! loss in the bibli"al "y"le of life
,he God2gi/en =e$ish "elebrations $ere designed to tea"h GodAs "hildren the prin"iples of life $ith 3im. God instituted the feasts so that 3is "o/enant people $ould al$ays be reminded of $ho 3e $as and $hat 3e had done in the past. ,hese feasts $ere also gi/en to remember GodAs great a"ts of sal/ation, deli/eran"e and healing gra"e. 3e kne$ that if $e $ould remember 3is po$er displays of the past, $e $ould ha/e faith to see 3im mo/e today and in the future. By parti"ipating in the pres"ribed feasts DPasso/er, Pente"ost and ,aberna"lesE, .sraelAs $orship $ould remain fresh, /ibrant and properly aligned $ith its 1aker. 0ut$ardly the Chur"h as an institution "ontinued to gro$. Con/ersions had on"e been pro/en through manifestations of GodAs po$er. Beginning $ith Constantine, "on/ersions $ere no$ obtained through e"onomi" in"enti/es, as $ell as go/ernmental and military po$er and alignment. ,his brought entire nations into JChristendom.J ,he Chur"h gained $ealth and prestige, but lost its true identity. RomeB ,he 0riginal hift !$ay from GodAs Best .f Constantinople sa$ a perse"ution2less yet diluted Christianity, Rome $as $here the Chur"hAs JGreat CompromiseJ $as made under Constantine. 0ne of the most interesting pla"es $e /isited during our tra/el to the
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J,hree RomesJ $as the Cathedral of an Clemente. .n the basement of this "hur"h, e9"a/ators ha/e dis"o/ered a 1ithras temple. 1ithras $as the god $orshiped by Constantine, and it $as from 1ithraism that many pagan "on"epts $ere brought into the Chur"h. .n the Basili"a of an Clemente, the 1ithras temple $as literally the foundation of the "hur"h. @hat a pi"ture of $hat happened to the Chur"h in Rome in the fourth "enturyH Constantine di/or"ed the Chur"h from its bibli"al foundation and married it to a pagan one>and the Chur"h a""epted this to a/oid perse"ution. Fet as long as the Chur"h had been $illing to endure perse"ution, it mo/ed $ith great spiritual po$er and had o/er"ome the Roman system. @hen the Chur"h "ompromised, it immediately "ame under the Roman system, "hanging its makeup from that time on. . share this be"ause of the lesson $e find in 5anielAs life. 5aniel endured perse"ution from three other leaders $ho de/ised a la$ to rob him of religious freedom. !s he perse/ered and held fast to his "on/i"tions, the !n"ient of 5ays re/ealed 3imself to him. Perse"ution entails the $earing do$n of our minds and emotions by the enemy. ,his is e9a"tly $hat $ill o""ur and begin to intensify in the future. ,he snare for us $ill be to Ioin in a politi"al handshake $ith go/ernment /ersus "ontinuing to be on the "utting edge of GodAs reformation plan in the earth.
Breaking the Fear of Perse"ution

5uring our time in Rome, $e kne$ that to re/erse $hat had been done and break the Chur"hAs "ompromise $ith pagan religions, $e needed to identify $ith pla"es $here perse"ution and imprisonment had o""urred. @e asked the Lord to order our steps, to send us to key pla"es $here $e "ould unbraid the religious "ord that seems to be "hoking out the po$er for GodAs Chur"h today. ometimes $e are una$are of ho$ religious influen"es of
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our past keep us from being free in the present to $orship and operate in boldness. @e also remain in the dark as to ho$ prin"ipalities hold religious stru"tures in pla"e. 0ur goal $as to "hange that. @e began our first day by /isiting the 1amertine Prison. ,his is a ro"k2he$n, "a/e2like underground prison $here both Peter and Paul $ere likely held for their faith. @hile there, $e prayed for an anointing to be released to the Body to perse/ere under perse"ution and to finish the "ourse in /i"torious faith. @e began to "lap, sing and praise. 5espite the offi"ialsA protest, $e "ontinued. in"ere praise is al$ays hated by the religious2politi"al stru"ture. @e then $ent to Cir"us 1a9imus, $here mu"h of the martyrdom of the 4arly Chur"h took pla"e. @e asked the Lord to redeem the blood in this earth through $orship, and to tea"h us ho$ to partner $ith the blood of the martyrs. "et the sound that is in the ground ,recede us so that the sound o* hea&en is released- !s . ha/e $ritten in other books, e/ery time perse"ution of faith results in bloodshed, the ground "ries out until the earth is re"on"iled ba"k to God and the enemies of the gospel are dealt $ith. !s you /isit many of the "hur"hes in Rome, it be"omes easy to spot the po$er of religion in operation. 0ne pla"e that stands out in my mind is anta 1aria 1aggiore. ,he "eiling of this building is "o/ered in gold patterns, and in the front #uadrantAs "eiling se"tion, there is an image of a bull. .t is no "oin"iden"e that the bull god, or !ipes, $as a 1ithrai" image. @e stood under that image and de"lared that the influen"e of 1ithraism in the foundation of the Chur"h $ould be broken. @e also broke lines of "ommuni"ation bet$een the li/ing and the dead. ,hroughout the building you "ould see symbols of spiritism that $ere aligned to hold the Chur"h "apti/e. @e asked the pirit of God to "onfuse the "ommuni"ation bet$een the Nueen of 3ea/en and religious systems of the
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earth, and $e de"lared that many $ho are held "apti/e by these "onfused religious forms $ould be set free. @e also /isited the baptismal room, $hi"h features the symbol of the e/il eye o/erlooking the baptismal. .n front of the baptismal is the skull and "ross bones aligned $ith the head of a "obra. ,hese $ere all symbols used to produ"e fear in indi/iduals so that they $ould repent. @e asked God to unlo"k the defilement that holds indi/iduals "apti/e e/en from infant baptism and that keeps them from e/er e9perien"ing a true relationship $ith the li/ing God. !nother strategi" pla"e $e /isited $as the Cathedral of t. =ohn Laterano. !s $e entered this large stru"ture, $e noti"ed that the ins"ription dire"tly abo/e the entran"e read JChrist the a/ior Chur"h.J ,his $as the same name of the large "athedral re"ently built in 1os"o$. ,he Cathedral of t. =ohn Laterano $as originally built by Constantine and is still the Basili"a of the Pope. ,his "athedral has statues of ea"h of the original apostles. @e began to de"ree that a restored true apostoli" foundation $ould arise in the Chur"h. @e also asked the 3oly pirit to mo/e mightily on the Catholi" leadership, $hi"h $ill produ"e great "onfusion and di/ision. 1any times the Lord brings the s$ord of di/ision to produ"e 3is $ill. ,here at t. =ohn Laterano, . prophesied of a maIor di/ision in the Catholi" leadership that $ould be in the ne$s by 0"tober +**7. DPope =ohn Paul .. died on !pril +, +**7, $hi"h "alled for a ne$ pope to be ele"ted.E !s $e left, $e noti"ed a tile mosai" in the floor pi"turing the do/e returning to -oah in the ark $ith an oli/e bran"h in its mouth. ,his $as the "ripture referen"e from Genesis that the Lord had gi/en me at the beginning of the year>that by the tenth month $e $ould begin to see the ne$ foundation. !ll &* of us "ir"led around that do/e and de"reed that at the end of 0"tober there $ould be a noti"eable "hange in the Catholi" religious stru"ture.
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@e /entured to the famous t. PeterAs #uare, $here the Pope "omes out to speak before massi/e "ro$ds. .n the "enter of this grand s#uare is an obelisk, $hi"h has 4gyptian origins. @hen the Pope "omes out to speak, many times the shado$ of this obelisk o/ershado$s him as he "ommuni"ates. . find it interesting that .saiah :*B&2: says, AJ@oe to the rebellious "hildren,A says the LORD, A$ho take "ounsel but not of 1e, and $ho de/ise plans, but not of 1y pirit, that they may add sin to sinM $ho $alk to go do$n to 4gypt, and ha/e not asked 1y ad/i"e ... and trust in the shado$ of 4gyptHAJ ,he PopeAs /oi"e is heard throughout the $orld. ,his produ"es a system of "ommuni"ation that holds "ountless people "apti/ated to a $rong stru"ture of $orship. @e de"lared that the shado$ linked $ith 4gyptian idolatrous $orship $ould be remo/ed from the "ommuni"ation system of the Catholi" Chur"h. @e felt like this $as the pla"e for true "ommunion to be restored, and so $e stood around the obelisk, took "ommunion and de"lared that the lines of "ommuni"ation that produ"e false $orship around the $orld $ould begin to be broken and "onfused. ,here is also a pla"e in t. PeterAs #uare $here you "an stand and, no matter $hat point you look at, all the "olumns on that side of the s#uare are perfe"tly aligned. @e ea"h stood on that spot and made a de"laration of realignment "on"erning the authority of the Chur"h. ,his $as a po$erful time of inter"ession. A :oundation of %ithraism 0ur last pla"e to /isit $as the Basili"a of t. Clemente. !s . mentioned abo/e, this parti"ular "athedral $as built on the ruins of the "ult of 1ithras. ,he Christian Chur"h "ompromised and, as part of ConstantineAs Junity of religion,J allo$ed mu"h of this "ultAs beliefs to infiltrate the minds of belie/ers. Be"ause it has su"h a stronghold in
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the history of the Chur"h, . feel itAs important that $e understand the beliefs in/ol/ed in 1ithraism to e9pose the "ounterfeit attempts of the enemy. 1ithraism $as a foundation of ConstantineAs $orship, as it $as for thousands of his $arriors $ho spread their beliefs as they e9panded the Roman 4mpire. ,he god 1ithras $as originally a Persian deity "onsidered to be the mediator bet$een humanity and !hura 1a;da, the god of light. 1ithras o/er"ame e/il and brought life, both animal and /egetable, to humankind. tatues of this god "hara"teristi"ally sho$ him holding a bull by the nostrils $hile plunging a knife into its ne"k. ,he Romans identified 1ithras $ith the sun god and held three "onfli"ting theories related to his birthB D&E 3e $as born of an in"estuous relationship bet$een !hura 1a;da and his o$n motherM D+E he $as born of an ordinary mortalM D:E he $as born from a ro"k. 0nly males $ere allo$ed to $orship this god, and those $ho $ere initiated formed asso"iations bound together by se"ret rites and symbols pe"uliar to their "ult. ,hese asso"iations met regularly $ith a designated leader, sometimes in houses. 1ore often than not, ho$e/er, the $orshipers of 1ithras met in a stru"ture "alled a 1ithraeum, designed to imitate the "a/e in $hi"h 1ithras killed the bull, $hi"h $as the "entral a"t of this "ultAs mythology. 3a/ing no professional "lergy to "ondu"t "eremonies, the "ult $ould initiate ne$ belie/ers through se/en stages that supposedly prepared the initiate for as"ent to the god of light. D1ale "hildren $ere e/en allo$ed to parti"ipate in the lo$er stages.E .n an"ient rural settings, part of this initiation a"tually in"luded slaying a bull. ,he initiate $as pla"ed in a pit "o/ered by an iron grate. ,he bull $as then slain on the grate, $hile the initiate attempted to "at"h its sa"red blood $ith his tongue.: 0f all the Jmystery religions,J as they are "lassified, 1ithraism be"ame the strongest ri/al to Christianity. ,his
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$as primarily be"ause of the /irtual mimi"ry of 1ithraismAs maIor belief "omponents to those of Christianity. Like Christ, 1ithras $as supposedly born of a /irgin Dob/iously pro/ing t$o of the birth theories $rongE in a stable around the time of the $inter solsti"e, and $as attended by shepherds $ho brought gifts. .nterestingly enough, the emperor !urelian de"lared 5e"ember +7 to be the offi"ial birthday of 1ithras around +(* AD. 3o$e/er, in :&: AD, Constantine, despite being a follo$er of 1ithras, de"lared 5e"ember +7 the offi"ial birthday of Jesus and adopted the J"ultJ of Christianity as the state religion. unday $as the holy day of 1ithraism, and follo$ers ate a sa"red meal on the day. !fter his redempti/e $ork on 4arth $as finished, 1ithras partook of a last supper $ith some of his de/otees and then as"ended to hea/en, $here he "ontinues to assist the faithful in their struggle against demons. 1ithraism also held a belief in a final Iudgment. ,hose $ho $orshiped 1ithras belie/ed in eternal life for the righteous and punishment for the $i"ked. ,he $orld $ould finally be destroyed by fire. ,he belief $as that 1ithras did not die, but instead as"ended to hea/en. From there he $ould return at the end of time to raise the dead in a physi"al resurre"tion for a final Iudgment, sending the good to hea/en and the $i"ked to hell. 0ften in artisti" renderings 1ithras is sho$n $ith a nimbus, or halo, around his head. ,he head leader of 1ithraism $as "alled a JpapaJ DpopeE, $ho ruled from Vati"an 3ill in Rome. ,hey also "elebrated sacramenta Da "onse"rated meal of bread and $ineE, in remembran"e of the last supper of 1ithras.? @hy am . sharing this and fo"using on so many detailsG Be"ause $e must reali;e the degree to $hi"h false religions $ill try to dupli"ate the po$er of God that is found in 3is people. @hen $e lose the po$er of God and "hoose form, $e de/elop a foundation of operation that is
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"ontrary to the $ill of God and instead embra"e demoni" hosts that lead us astray from GodAs purpose. First ,imothy ?B&27 e9pli"itly statesB
-o$ the pirit e9pressly says that in latter times some $ill depart from the faith, gi/ing heed to de"ei/ing spirits and do"trines of demons, speaking lies in hypo"risy, ha/ing their o$n "ons"ien"e seared $ith a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and "ommanding to abstain from foods $hi"h God "reated to be re"ei/ed $ith thanksgi/ing by those $ho belie/e and kno$ the truth. For e/ery "reature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is re"ei/ed $ith thanksgi/ingM for it is san"tified by the $ord of God and prayer.
First =ohn +B&),++ statesB

Little "hildren, it is the last hourM and as you ha/e heard that the !nti"hrist is "oming, e/en no$ many anti"hrists ha/e "ome, by $hi"h $e kno$ that it is the last hour.... @ho is a liar but he $ho denies that =esus is the ChristG 3e is anti"hrist $ho denies the Father and the on.
!nd & =ohn ?B: saysB

4/ery spirit that does not "onfess that =esus Christ has "ome in the flesh is not of God. !nd this is the spirit of the !nti"hrist, $hi"h you ha/e heard $as "oming, and is no$ already in the $orld.
By looking deeper into the an"ient 1ithras "ult, many alarms should go off in our spirits about our $orship forms today. ,he Roman "ult shifted the Chur"h far a$ay from GodAs original intent of po$er and 3is as"ended life for us in the earth. @hen $e mo/e from 3is plan of go/erning 3is people and "hoose an earthly form, $e lose po$er and enter into "apti/ity. @e shift from a hea/enly pattern to an earthly pattern that refle"ts an earthly go/ernment. @e lose the po$er of God and are left $ith form in/aded by demoni" hostsH
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,his is not a ne$ ploy of the enemy. !"tually, this is the same thing that happened to the .sraelites $hen they "ame out of 4gypt and $ere un$illing to $ait for the Lord to establish 3is la$ as their guiding $orship boundary. ,hey made the golden "alf and $ent $ith a different form. @e must $ait "arefully for the LordAs Iusti"e this hour. 0ur problem is that $e ha/e gi/en o/er so mu"h po$er to the enemy that $e are no longer being ruled in a so"iety go/erned by GodAs authority.
@hi"h @ay .s .tG

Go/ernments are shifting. @e "urrently find an ongoing $orld$ide politi"al battle o/er $hi"h $ay administrations $ill leanB left or right. ,he Britannica .oncise 0ncyclo,edia links the politi"al left to egalitarianism in its desire for the people to "ontrol e/ery maIor state institution. JLeftists tend to be hostile to the interests of traditional elites, in"luding the $ealthy and members of the aristo"ra"y, and to fa/or the interests of the $orking "lass. ,hey tend to regard so"ial $elfare as the most important goal of go/ernment.J7 0n the other e9treme is the right, $hi"h in the United tates is synonymous $ith "onser/atism. !s #he .olumbia 0ncyclo,edia e9plains, JConser/ati/es /alue the $isdom of the past and are generally opposed to $idespread reform of so"iety.J 6 ,hey generally prefer a limited means of so"ial $elfare. o $hi"h is right>correct, that is>and $hi"h is $rongG Left or rightB @hi"h $ay should $e leanG @e must remember, the nation of !meri"a $as not birthed out of "onser/atism, despite $hat many Christians belie/e. -or $as our faith birthed out of a "onser/ati/e philosophy. Leftist go/ernments usually fall into rebellion and drift from the moral Iusti"e of God. Fet gi/en the history of both sides, . am not sure that either of these is right or $rong in pra"ti"e. !nd here is $here <ingdom people many times get mi9ed upB ,hey model GodAs
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kingdom after "i/il stru"ture, and, as a result, go to $ar $ith the left or the right. 3o$e/er, $e are a people $ith a different foundation. Both the left and the right "ontain philosophies that dra$ us both "loser to and a$ay from GodAs kingdom plan. @hat $e must reali;e, ho$e/er, is that the key to <ingdom rule is adhering to the @ord of the Lord and bibli"al absolutes as our final authority, not the stru"ture of one politi"al party or system. For instan"e, $hile leftist go/ernments speak to the needs of the $orking "lass and poor, the Bible has, for generations, addressed the issue of po/erty and gi/ing to those in need. .n fa"t, in the ,orah, the first fi/e books of the 3ebre$ "riptures, 1oses relates that there $as to be no po/erty in the landB
,here shall be no needy among you>sin"e the Lord your God $ill bless you in the land that the Lord your God is gi/ing you as a hereditary portion>if only you heed the Lord your God and take "are to keep all this instru"tion that . enIoin upon you this day. For the Lord your God $ill bless you as 3e has promised youM you $ill e9tend loans to many nations, but re#uire none yourselfM you $ill dominate many nations, but they $ill not dominate you D5eut. 8C?D7E, JSB%.
From the establishment of GodAs people in the $ilderness, there $as an understanding that the Lord intended there be no po/erty in .srael. 3e kne$, ho$e/er, that it $ould e9ist and has many instru"tions that address the treatment of the poor. Rashi, a famous =e$ish rabbi of the ele/enth "entury, e9plains 5euteronomy &7B?26 elo#uently by $riting, J!t a time $hen you perform ... the $ill of the 0mnipresent. . . there are destitute among others . . . but not among you. !nd $hen you do not perform . . . the $ill of the 0mnipresent ... there are destitute among you.J( .n 0&eryman(s #almud, rabbini" sages tea"h that gi/ing to the poor is not Jan a"t of gra"e on the part of the donor, but a duty. By gi/ing alms he is
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merely pra"ti"ing righteousness, i.e., performing a deed of Iusti"e.J) .n other $ords, the 0mnipresent 0ne e9pe"ts 3is "hildren to "are for the needs of those around them. .n the -e$ ,estament, =esus dis"usses doing "haritable deeds in the ermon on the 1ount Dsee 1att. 6B&2?E. 3is main point in this te9t $as to sho$ that gi/ing $as to be done in se"ret. .f you gi/e in se"ret $ithout ostentation, the Father $ill re$ard you openly. =esus also "hided =udas by reminding him that the poor $ill al$ays be $ith us Dsee 1att. +6B&&E. . belie/e 3e $as also re/ealing the FatherAs heart to us o/er the need for e9tra/agan"e at times. ,he key to the 4arly Chur"h $as that its go/ernment ruled their gatherings, and from their gatherings they influen"ed so"iety. ,heir apostoli" rule that $e find in !"ts +B??2?7 refle"ted the $ay they operated in their deeds. ,hat Body of belie/ers pro/ided for all $ho $ere in need in their assemblies. .t appears that they made a "on"erted effort to pro/ide for the poor. A 5ean to the 5eft ,hroughout history there ha/e been "ountries $here so"ial mo/ements, /oting or re/olution ha/e "hanged the go/ernment. 1any of these "hanges ha/e been born out of e"onomi" depri/ation and "ollapsing e"onomies. 5uring the last "entury there $ere numerous instan"es $hen nations mo/ed to the left as a result of national leaders $ho brought great harm to their nation. 0ne su"h "ountry $here this o""urred $as Germany. !fter @orld @ar 0ne, the German e"onomy e9perien"ed many finan"ial diffi"ulties. Fran"e in/aded a part of the nation to sei;e "oal deposits and "o/er unpaid reparations. ,o pay the $orkers at these mines, the German go/ernment de/alued the Rei"hsmark. ,his ba"kfired dramati"ally, as from =uly &'++ to the end of &'+:, the mark $ent from ?': to the dollar to ?.+
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trillion to the dollarH ,he go/ernment e/entually stabili;ed the e"onomy, only to ha/e the Great 5epression of the &':*s hit. ,he German people soon be"ame disillusioned $ith the status #uo and turned to the -ational o"ialist German @orkers Party, other$ise kno$n as ,he -a;i Party. 3itler be"ame Chan"ellor of Germany in &'::, and the rest is history. ' ,hrough him, the anti"hrist system sei;ed "ontrol of the "ountry and attempted not Iust to annihilate GodAs "o/enant people, the =e$s, and sei;e their resour"es, but to take "ontrol of the $orld. .t $as not his time. .n the last fe$ de"ades, Latin !meri"a has seen a mo/e to$ard the left. -ations su"h as Vene;uela, Uruguay and Boli/ia ha/e all mo/ed to$ard more so"ialist go/ernments. .n an arti"le "on"erning the shift to the left in this area of the $orld, Iournalist BenIamin 5angl $rites, J,hese leaders, $hose /i"tory in offi"e is due largely to these so"ial mo/ements in the street, ha/e pledged to fight po/erty and prioriti;e the needs of the people o/er the interests of @ashington and international "orporations.J &* Leaders su"h as 3ugo Cha/e; and 4/o 1orales are promising to help the poor. .n fa"t, Vene;uelaAs Cha/e; has e/en offered to assist the poor in the United tates $ith "heap heating oil.J Change Can 'e )ood . am not a politi"al analyst, and . donAt intend for this "hapter to disse"t the /arious go/ernmental mo/ements of the $orld. 1y point is simply thisB Go/ernments "hange. ome go/ernments "an e/en take a radi"al, stru"tural, &)*2 degree turn $ithin a matter of years gi/en an e9treme "ondition. 0ften those "hanges are ne"essary for the sur/i/al of the "ountry. Fet the main problem does not lie in poli"ies, presidents or politi"al stru"turesM it is in a "ontinual disregard for the hea/enly go/ernment of the !n"ient of 5ays.
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.srael $ent through its share of go/ernmental "hanges in the Bible. 0ne reason for these "hanges $as the "hara"ter and performan"e of the leadership, as $as the "ase during the transition from 4li to amuel to aul. ,his $as also true during the "hangeo/er from olomon to RehoboamC=eroboam, $hen the kingdom $as split into the &* northern tribes D.sraelE and the t$o southern tribes D=udahE. .n the early "hapters of & amuel, $e find 4li ser/ing .srael as both priest and Iudge Dsee & am. +B+(2:*M ?B&)E. 4liAs sons $ere gi/en authority as priestsM ho$e/er, they $ere found to be "orrupt before the Lord, and 4li did not "orre"t them. God spoke to 4li through a ser/ant and said, J@hy do you ki"k at 1y sa"rifi"e and 1y offering $hi"h . ha/e "ommanded in 1y d$elling pla"e, and honor your sons more than 1e, to make yoursel/es fat $ith the best of all the offerings of .srael 1y peopleGJ D& am. +B+'E. ,hese sons of 4li are des"ribed as not kno$ing the Lord Dsee +B&+E, taking offerings meant for the Lord and for the people Dsee //. &:2&(E, and ha/ing relations $ith the $omen $ho ser/ed at the entran"e to the ,ent of 1eeting Dsee /. ++E. .n "hapter + /erse &+, these priests are referred to as Jsons of BelialJ $KJV%, though some translations simply say they $ere J"orrupt.J ,he term Belial means J$ithout profit, $orthlessnessM by e9tension destru"tion, $i"kedness.J&+ #he nterlinear Bible translates the phrase as Jsons of $orthlessness.J&: ,hese sons did not kno$ the 5i/ine and had no re/eren"e for 3im. ,hey $ere greedy and took that $hi"h $as dedi"ated to the Lord and that $hi"h the Lord had determined $as the property of the one gi/ing an offering. 4liAs sons $ere not "ontent $ith the share pres"ribed for them. .t is not surprising, then, that the "ripture states, J-e/ertheless, they did not heed the /oi"e of their father, be"ause the Lord desired to kill themJ D& am. +B+7E. 5uring times of transition, godly leadership, $ith a mind to holiness, is imperati/e. Go/erning
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authorities should al$ays be "ons"ious of the needs of those they are shepherding, as $ell as the re#uirements the Lord has pla"ed upon the flo"k. God sent t$o propheti" $ords of $arning to 4li. 0ne "ame in the person of a man of God and the other through amuel. .n the first, the man of God prophesied to 4li and "aused him to understand that he $as about to lose both of his sons in a day, his lineage $ould be "ut off from the priesthood, God $ould raise up a faithful priest for 3imself, and those left in his house $ould "ome and bo$ do$n to this ne$ anointed priest Dsee & am. +B+(2:6E. .n a se"ond $arning that "onfirmed the first propheti" $ord, the Lord spoke to amuelB JFor . ha/e told him that . $ill Iudge his house fore/er for the ini#uity $hi"h he kno$s, be"ause his sons made themsel/es /ile, and he did not restrain them. !nd therefore . ha/e s$orn to the house of 4li that the ini#uity of 4liAs house shall not be atoned for by sa"rifi"e or offering fore/erJ D& am. :B&:2&?E. in"e 4li kne$ $hat his sons $ere doing and did not "orre"t them, his family suffered the "onse#uen"es fore/er. ,he nation transitioned to a go/ernment ruled by a IudgeCprophetCpriest D amuelE, and 4liAs family did not parti"ipate in that leadership. 5eadership Issues adly, amuel repeated the "y"le $ith his o$n "hildren. .n & amuel ), $e read that amuelAs sons, =oel and !biIah, desired Jdishonest gain, took bribes, and per/erted Iusti"eJ D/. :E. !""ording to one 0ld ,estament di"tionary, Jdishonest gainJ means to Jtake a "ut. . . greased palms and e9penses padded.J? amuelAs sons la"ked the moral "hara"ter #ualities re#uired for priesthood. ,he $riter of & amuel relates the follo$ing immediately after the des"ription of the sonsB J!ll the elders of .srael assembled and "ame to amuel at Ramah, and they said to him, AFou ha/e gro$n old, and your sons
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ha/e not follo$ed your $ays. ,herefore appoint a king for us, to go/ern us like all other nationsAJ D& am. )B?27E. ,he sins of the leaders "aused the people to re#uest a different form of go/ernment. ,his re#uest might seem appropriate, e9"ept for the fa"t that they $ere essentially reIe"ting the Lord as their <ing. Put in terms . pre/iously mentioned about go/ernments making an about2fa"e, .srael simply $ent from one $rong e9treme to the other. ,he people needed a "hange in stru"ture but $ent too far >. belie/e, too far left>and ended up $ith a stru"ture God ne/er intended. ! king $as going to "ost the .sraelites. First amuel ) "ontinues by des"ribing $hat the ne$ king $ould re#uire of themB a tithe of their grain and /intage, along $ith the best of their fields, /ineyards and oli/e gro/es. -e/ertheless, .srael still $anted a king. ,hen there is the history of olomon. olomon $as kno$n for re"ei/ing from God unsurpassed $isdom. ,he Nueen of heba "ame from her nati/e land to see this great $ise man. 3o$e/er, he turned his heart a$ay from the Lord and built shrines to Chemosh and 1ole"h. "ripture says thisB
,he Lord $as angry $ith olomon, be"ause his heart turned a$ay from the Lord, the God of .srael, $ho had appeared to him t$i"e and had "ommanded him about this matter, not to follo$ other godsM he did not obey $hat the Lord had "ommanded. !nd the Lord said to olomon, JBe"ause you are guilty of this>you ha/e not kept 1y "o/enant and the la$s $hi"h . enIoined upon you>. $ill tear the kingdom a$ay from you and gi/e it to one of your ser/ants. But, for the sake of 5a/id, . $ill not do it in your lifetime. . $ill tear it a$ay from your son. 3o$e/er, . $ill not tear a$ay the $hole kingdomM . $ill gi/e your son one tribe, for the sake of 1y ser/ant 5a/id and for the sake of =erusalem $hi"h . ha/e "hosenJ D& <ings &&B'2&:, JSB%.
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,his prophe"y $as fulfilled by the hand of God. 3e sent a propheti" $ord to =eroboam. !hiIah re/ealed to him that he $ould be the leader of the &* tribes being taken a$ay from olomonAs son, so =eroboam $aited in 4gypt until the death of olomon. !fter olomonAs son, Rehoboam, as"ended the throne, =eroboam led the people of .srael to Rehoboam and asked him to relie/e them of the burdensome ser/i"e that his father had pla"ed on them through all of his building proIe"ts. Rather than listening to the $ise "ounsel of the elders $ho spoke to his father, Rehoboam listened to Jthe young men $ho had gro$n up $ith him, $ho stood before himJ D& <ings &+B)E. Rehoboam denied their re#uest, $hi"h "aused the people to rebel and thro$ off his leadership. ,he tribes $ere adamant about their de"isionB J-o$ $hen all .srael sa$ that the king did not listen to them, the people ans$ered the king, sayingB A@hat share ha/e $e in 5a/idG @e ha/e no inheritan"e in the son of =esse. ,o your tents, 0 .sraelH -o$, see to your o$n house, 0 5a/idHA o .srael departed to their tentsJ D& <ings &+B&6E. ,he &* northern tribes "ast off the entire 5a/idi" dynasty be"ause Rehoboam refused to lighten their burden. ,hus, $hat God had spoken propheti"ally $as a""omplished in the earth. ,he Lord $as not pleased $hen the leadership of the nation stepped a$ay from 3is La$. .n fa"t, the king $as to "opy the La$ $ith the impli"ation that it $as a guide to rule by. 3e remo/ed leaders from their positions of authority $hen there $as a maIor /iolation of 3is @ord. ,his remo/al manifested in sudden death D4liAs sonsE, in a re#uest for a "hange in go/ernment Din the "ase of amuelE, and in a refusal to be go/erned by the 5a/idi" dynasty Din the "ase of =eroboam and the &* northern tribesE. .t is interesting that in ea"h of these "ases, the general publi" disliked leadership that did not ha/e godly "hara"ter. ,his "hara"ter $as e/ident in their treatment of
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the people and their la"k of obeying the Lord and lo/ing 3is @ord. Remember that people usually opt for a leftist go/ernment $hen they see that their leadership is not $orking for the "ountryAs good but ha/e be"ome selfish, greedy, self2ser/ing and, in many "ases, too po$erful. .t is then that people $ill tend to try to o/erhaul the status #uo and for"e a "hange in go/ernment. Leftist go/ernments ha/e a reputation for being "on"erned for the $orking "lass, the a/erage person on the street. @hen people ha/e been under a go/ernment that does not appear to be that $ay, they look to leftist politi"al parties for help. !s $e ha/e already dis"ussed, this "an ser/e as a snare.
,he Real <ingdom

,hese are $onderful but dangerous times. ,he Body of Christ is maturing, but itAs not yet mature. Perhaps more than at any other time in history, the Chur"h is in a "risis of "ompetition for har/est $ith other organi;ed religious for"es, in"luding .slam, Buddhism, 3induism and a host of other 2.sms. Confrontations $ith demoni" for"es behind opposing belief systems $ill be the norm for the future, and God is "alling 3is Body to prepare for the $arfare $e are entering e/en no$. Part of our preparation is to de/elop an understanding of our role in the future establishment of go/ernments. Both the Body of Christ and the go/ernments of nations are already "hanging drasti"ally. ,hrough these "hanges, ho$e/er, our most important understanding is ho$ $e are aligned in <ingdom go/ernment. <ingdom rule is different. ,he <ingdom is good news.n the <ingdom, Christ a""omplishes 3is mediational authority. 3e rules in the earth realm through 3is hea/enly <ingdom, $ith 3is subIe"ts responding to 3im from both an indi/idual and a "olle"ti/e identity. .n other $ords, $e respond to 3im as both a single "iti;en of 3is kingdom and through the "orporate Body. ,his is essential to
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understand if $e are going to affe"t a territory. 4/ery kingdom has a king. ,his king has ultimate authority o/er the rule of his kingdom. Fet through the LordAs di/ine plan, $e as 3is subIe"ts ha/e been gi/en <ingdom po$er. @e "an enter and rule with 3im. @e find this uni#ue system of go/ernmental rule e9pounded upon in 4phesians ?B&&2&6B
!nd 3e 3imself ga/e some to be apostles, some prophets, some e/angelists, and some pastors and tea"hers, for the e#uipping of the saints for the $ork of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till $e all "ome to the unity of the faith and of the kno$ledge of the on of God, to a perfe"t man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of ChristM that $e should no longer be "hildren, tossed to and fro and "arried about $ith e/ery $ind of do"trine, by the tri"kery of men, in the "unning "raftiness of de"eitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in lo/e, may gro$ up in all things into 3im $ho is the head>Christ>from $hom the $hole body, Ioined and knit together by $hat e/ery Ioint supplies, a""ording to the effe"ti/e $orking by $hi"h e/ery part does its share, "auses gro$th of the body for the edifying of itself in lo/e.
@e also find the order of GodAs kingdom listed in & Corinthians &+B+)B J!nd God has appointed these in the "hur"hB first apostles, se"ond prophets, third tea"hers, after that mira"les, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, /arieties of tongues.J .n 4phesians +B+*, the foundation of this <ingdom go/ernment is on"e again mentioned as Jha/ing been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, =esus Christ 3imself being the "hief "ornerstone.J ,he <ingdom is made up of people $ho ha/e submitted themsel/es to be ruled by God. 3is kingdom is not made up of la$ but is go/erned by gra"e. 3is kingdom has an administration. ,here are $ays that 3e Jdoes ministryJ in 3is kingdom. 4/ery kingdom has a "ultureM so
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does this <ingdom ha/e a "ulture. . belie/e this is the most diffi"ult "on"ept for us to understand. 1any times $e be"ome a part of the <ing of kingsA kingdom, yet $e "ontinue to operate in the "ulture of this $orld. -oH ,he LordAs kingdom is not based Iust on needs. 3e has $ays to take "are of all the needs in 3is kingdom. .t is not based on $orldly patterns. @hen <ing 5a/id de/iated from the LordAs pattern, he found himself in trouble or "reating trouble. .t $as the same $ay $ith 1osesM $hen he stru"k the ro"k the se"ond time instead of speaking to it, he de/iated from the pattern of hea/en. ,his "aused him to lose the right to enter into the promise that he $as pressing and leading the people to$ard. @e "an ne/er forget that GodAs kingdom "annot be "omprehended by the natural mind. 0ur mind is in transition until it is fully o/er"ome by the pirit of gra"e. Until then, the "arnal mind remains in enmity $ith God Dsee Rom. )B72)E. 0ne final thought on GodAs kingdomB .t "annot be obtained by ambition. ,his is $hat =udas had to learn. .t is easy to point the "ondes"ending finger at =udas, but $e must remember that =ohn and =ames, the ons of ,hunder, had to learn the same lesson. =esus said to them, JFou do not kno$ $hat manner of spirit you are ofJ DLuke 'B77E. ,he <ingdom "annot be postponed. .t is here and no$ $ithin those $ho ha/e submitted to the <ing. .t is filled $ith glory. !nd it is GodAs intent for the ambassadors of that <ingdom to "arry 3is glory throughout the $orld until the $hole $orld has e9perien"ed true transformation >the kind that brings real life and freedom to allH
Be Like 5anielH
Considering all that $eA/e talked about in this "hapter >the fight for po$er, the inter$ea/ing of religion and politi"s, the shifting of go/ernments, the basis for real earthly authority>most readers $ill probably be left $ith one #uestionB 3hat is my role in all this1 .tAs a great
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#uestion, one that $e must al$ays ask of our <ing. "ord, what would 'ou ha&e me do *or 'ou1 0ne of the best e9amples . "an think of to ans$er this #uestion is on"e again 5aniel. ,his young man, $ho possessed $isdom far beyond his years, li/ed in a "i/il kingdom but represented another <ingdom. 3e ministered to the king of Babylon, yet he ser/ed the <ing of the =e$s. 3e ruled in the midst of e9ile and "apti/ity. 4arlier in this "hapter, . talked about the !n"ient of 5ays. 5aniel de"lared of the Lord, J3e re/eals deep and se"ret things . . . light d$ells $ith himJ D5an. +B++E. .t is no "oin"iden"e that $hen this prophet /ie$ed the !n"ient of 5ays, he obser/ed that Jhis eyes $ere like tor"hes of fireJ D&*B6E. @hen the apostle =ohn sa$ the throne of God and the Lamb, the apostle obser/ed one $ith Jse/en eyesJ that he identified more than on"e as Ja flame of fire.J 8e"hariah de"lared that these se/en flames of fire are the Jeyes of the Lord, $hi"h s"an to and fro throughout the $hole earthJ D8e"h. ?B&*E. @hen $e look into the eyes of the <ing, that $hi"h is "arnal $ithin us melts a$ay. @hen $e look through the eyes of the <ing, $e see the $orld as 3e sees the $orld. @e see the nations as 3e sees the nations. @e see our assignments differently. @hen $e look through 3is eyes, $e see ho$ to rule and take dominion. @e need to be like 5aniel if $e are going to make it in days ahead. 5aniel had an e9"ellent spirit. @e de/elop e9"ellent spirits by allo$ing our minds to be transformed to refle"t the <ingdom "ulture that $e are a part of. 5aniel allo$ed his "hara"ter to be tested. 3e understood ho$ the <ingdom that he $as a part of operated in re/elation and information. !nd he de/eloped propheti" interpretation skills that ga/e him a greater understanding than anyone in the earthly kingdom around him. .n other $ords, he re"ei/ed <ingdom re/elation. 3e $as separated unto God. ,herefore, the supernatural atmosphere around him $as
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not a threat to him. 3e kne$ that he "ould gain re/elation from God and triumph o/er the o""ult. 3e understood past prophe"y so that he "ould prophesy into the future. 3e had an un"ompromising, dis"iplined prayer life. 3e did not fear the future but simply predi"ted it. 3e sa$ into a different spiritual dimension and then re"orded $hat $as being re/ealed to him. 3e had a <ingdom understanding. 3e understood ho$ to operate in the earthly kingdom he $as a part of, "alled BabylonM but he operated from a holy God $ho ruled hea/en and 4arth. .f $e desire to represent the Lord $ell in this earthly $ar o/er po$er, $e must gain a <ingdom perspe"ti/e Iust as 5aniel did. God is greater than any earthly king or kingdom. 3e sees the hearts of religious leaders $ho manipulate their flo"ks for politi"al purposes. 3e is a$are of go/ernmental shifts and is far abo/e the latest politi"al leaning. 3e establishes thrones and brings them do$n. !nd in 3is glorious $isdom, 3e has in/ited 3is people to rule and reign on this earth $ith 3imH
C,AP$#. 7
The Wealth War
'efining &our Boundaries
he first $ar humanity e/er fa"ed $as in the Garden of 4den. ,here, the serpent approa"hed 4/e and "on/in"ed her to $ant something she "ould not ha/e. !dam "ame in agreement $ith his $ife, and the "ouple $as immediately introdu"ed to Jgreed and unbridled ambition,J as one Bible "ommentator says. & By listening to the "unning serpent and then admiring the fruit, 4/e a"#uired a desire that $as so strong that it "ountered the e9pressed $ill and purpose of God. ,ogether, she and !dam entered into a $hole ne$ $orld of unholy, unintended and unfulfilled desire that put them at $ar $ith their 1aker. . ha/e talked about desire more than on"e in this book. .n "hapter +, . made a "onne"tion bet$een desire and the mind. . established that desire, in its basi", neutral form, prompts you to seek something to possess. @hat you desire be"omes that $hi"h is most pre"ious to you. Gi/en that definition, $e "an safely say that desire ultimately leads to an appraisal of /alue. .n the last "hapter, . alluded to the link bet$een po$er and desire. @hen desire goes
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a$ry and remains un"he"ked, there e9ists an open door for manipulation and "ompromise. @arfare is soon to follo$. @ithout godly desire, $e $ill remain in "onfli"t $ith God, Iust as !dam and 4/e "ame to be in the Garden. 1ention the $ord JdesireJ in a room full of people and you $ill undoubtedly get a /aried response of asso"iated $ordsB Jambition,J Jlust,J Jpo$er,J Jse9, J$ant.J Fet $hat has been the one "ommon thread through the maIority of historyAs $ars, di/or"es, arguments, "onfli"ts and s"andalsG 1oney. ,he desire for material goods. .n short, wealth. .t is human nature to $ant more. Fet in !meri"a, $e ha/e rea"hed an all2time materialisti" high>or should . say lo$G For de"ades, !meri"an "ulture has kno$n nothing but plenty. @e are a nation bursting at the seams $ith a belief in the almighty dollar>and $hy notG ,hose $ho "an re"all the lean years of the Great 5epression are literally a dying generation. @e ha/e enIoyed abundan"e for so long that $e no$ e#uate happiness $ith a fully loaded ?*&DkE and a di/ersified finan"ial portfolio. ,hat, of "ourse, and a "omfortable pie"e of real estate, the latest shiny UV and all the high2te"h gadgets a "redit "ard "an hold. Clearly, our desire is out of alignment.
,he Root of !ll 4/ilG

@hat is the Chur"h to do in a "ulture enamored $ith possessionsG Christ e9pli"itly and repeatedly taught about the dangers of the lo/e of money. .n fa"t, $e ha/e all probably sat through enough sermons on tithing, gi/ing or finan"ial ste$ardship to kno$ that money is a big deal to God. .t is the one subIe"t =esus spoke about more than any other. !nd yet, as Christians, $e ha/e typi"ally responded one of t$o $ays to money throughout historyB @e ha/e either looked do$n on it, holding up po/erty and
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meagerness as the higher path to <ingdom li/ing, or $e ha/e fallen in lo/e $ith it, using an assortment of bibli"al misinterpretations to Iustify a lifestyle of e9"ess. .t is time for us to align $ith GodAs thoughts on money and $ealth. @e must reformat our beliefs $ith 3is truth, not our o$n stigmas and mis"on"eptions. ,hough it has be"ome almost "li"he to say this, $e seem to forget again and againB +oney is not the root of all kinds of e/il>the lo&e of money is Dsee & ,im. 6B&*E. . belie/e $ealth is an essential element to the kingdom of God. !nd $hy notG 3e is, after all, the Creator Dand therefore the 0$nerE of all things. 3e is the 1aster, the Gi/er, the upplierM $e are simply ste$ards. !s Psalm 7*B&* says, 3e o$ns Jthe "attle on a thousand hillsJ>and then someH o $hy is $ealth su"h a tough subIe"t for the Chur"h to graspG .f it is essential as a tool to e9pand influen"e and effe"ti/eness>and ultimately to bring the har/est in> $hy are there so many "onfli"ting thoughts and theoriesG @ill the people of God finally understand 3is plan and position themsel/es to re"ei/e the $ealth transfer in the futureG @hy ha/e so many $ho at one time kept a proper perspe"ti/e on money no$ fallen into its trapG @hat kind of po$er lies behind this undeniable for"eG ,hese are the #uestions $eAll address in this "hapter. Understand that . am merely s"raping the tip of the i"eberg in this "hapter $hen it "omes to addressing the issue of $ealth and the Chur"h. .n fa"t, it is su"h a deep subIe"t that . plan to $rite another book to go $ith this series that is primarily about the $ar o/er $ealth. For no$, ho$e/er, $e must grasp "ertain elements to ade#uately prepare oursel/es for that $ar, $hi"h . belie/e $ill be one of the fier"est battles in the future.
Let the Boundary @ars BeginH

. gre$ up among the oil millionaires of ,e9as. 1y
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father $as ne/er one of these men, but $e $ere surrounded by those $ho had hit the oil Ia"kpot. 0ne of the first things you learned $hen you li/ed around land that potentially held oil $as the "on"ept of boundaries. 0$ners took the boundaries of their land &ery seriously> and $hy $ouldnAt they, gi/en the potential it held for "hanging their li/es o/ernightG !n established, legal boundary made the differen"e bet$een $ho got ri"h and $ho didnAt. From a more bibli"al perspe"ti/e, it de"lared dominion and authority to both sides o/er their respe"ti/e properties>$hi"h ob/iously be"ame a bigger deal $hen oil or gas $as dis"o/ered. 0n the land my family o$ned, $e not only had possession of the land, $e also had the rights to the minerals of that land. .f our land $as e/er sold, $e still kept the mineral rights inside those boundaries. ,his $as not un"ommon in our area, $hi"h meant not only $ere there boundary $ars, but there $ere $ars to maintain the rights of $hat $as underneath the surfa"e of the land. ,hough our family lost the boundaries that en"ompassed the land $e on"e o$ned, . still ha/e the rights to many of the minerals underneath the land and inside those boundaries. 5ominion is al$ays linked $ith boundaries. ,he #uestion is, 3o$ $ill you o""upy and rule in your sphere of authorityG Fou see, boundaries are the personal property lines that ea"h of us has been gi/en. ,hese "ome in all different forms. 3enry Cloud and =ohn ,o$nsend, in their book Boundaries, share $ith us that boundaries "an be physi"alB ,hese help us to determine $ho may tou"h us and under $hat "ir"umstan"es. Boundaries "an be mentalB ,hese gi/e us freedom to ha/e our o$n thoughts and opinions. ,hey "an be emotional, helping us deal $ith our o$n feelings, attitudes, beliefs, beha/iors, "hoi"es, /alues, limits, talents, thoughts and desires, and allo$ing us to disengage from the manipulati/e emotions of others.
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Boundaries "an also be spiritualB ,hese help us to distinguish GodAs $ill from our o$n and gi/e us a rene$ed a$e for our Creator. piritual boundaries also prote"t our beliefs and faith.+ ,here is and $ill "ontinue to be a great $ar o/er boundaries. .ndi/iduals, people groups and entire nations $ill be Iostling for authority through e9pansion of their boundaries. Fet $hat $e must reali;e is that most often the greatest impetus behind this is not a need for more landF it is the $ant of greater su,,ly. .t is easy to gro$ dissatisfied $ith the supply lines established $ithin our o$n boundaries and de"ide that $e $ant to take something from someone elseAs boundary. ,his is ho$ dominion $ars began ages ago, and ho$ they $ill "ontinue to rage in the "oming days. !s . mentioned earlier in this "hapter, desire, if not san"tified, manifests as "o/etousness and leads us into lust and $ar, espe"ially o/er $hat belongs to our neighbors. 5esire is linked $ith the deepest longing $e ha/e. @hat $e $ish for and $hat a"ti/ates our appetites are linked $ith desire. 4/en $hat begins as a godly pursuit of something "an be"ome e/il if $e ignore GodAs $ill for our li/es. ,hat desire turns into lust. Lust leads to "o/etousness. Co/etousness leads to delusion. 5elusion leads to murder. 1urder leads to death and ungodly rule. -ot only ha/e $e seen indi/iduals go do$n this destru"ti/e path of mispla"ed desire, but also nations do the same. ,he desire for material $ealth dri/es the human ra"e. 3o$e/er, this desire "an be"ome a destru"ti/e for"e in the earth if not "hanneled and submitted to GodAs rule. 4/en $ithin the Chur"h, if this "urrent message of $ealth transfer is not "ommuni"ated properly, there $ill be many pitfalls that o""ur. .n days ahead, $e $ill see many "hanging boundaries in the earth. ,here $ill be an attempt to illegally rearrange
+**
the boundaries of nations. Go/ernments $ill align to o/ertake lands that $ere ne/er destined to be o/ertaken. @e must $at"h these $ars "arefully in the natural earth realm be"ause they are linked $ith a #uest for $ealth.
!n 4ye for 4/ery 5ollar

3a/e you e/er really e9amined a dollar billG Right there, on the flip side of e/ery George @ashington, is an e/il eye imbedded in the paper. ,o fully tra"e the history behind this $ould be diffi"ult. 3o$e/er, there is a thread that goes from -imrod to 3orus to the "ontra"tor of olomonAs ,emple, 3iram. ,his thread then $ea/es into the fabri" of our nationAs history /ia the royal so"iety of 4nglish s"ientists and engineers dedi"ated to the $onders "reated by the JGreat !r"hite"t of the Uni/erse.J .n "olonial a/annah, Georgia, $e find the pra"ti"es and order of the Grand Lodge making their $ay onto !meri"an soil. ,hese $ere then propagated through the Freemason2dominated Founding Fathers of our nation and those asso"iated $ith them. !s the United tates matured, this Jse"ret so"ietyJ based upon an"ient 4gyptian $ays began to manifest its philosophy $ithin !meri"an "ulture. George @ashington, our first president, took his oath of offi"e on the 1asoni" Bible. .n &('+, @ashington laid the foundation of the @hite 3ouse. ,his $as the same year the dollar $as adopted as the unit of "urren"y for the United tates of !meri"a. .n #he Hiram Key? 9haraohs, 2reemasons, and the ;isco&ery o* the Secret Scrolls o* Jesus, Christopher <night and Robert Lomas tra"e the lost se"rets of Freemasonry from the beginnings of 4gypt to and through our "ulture todayB
,he symbol for the dollar is an J J $ith a double /erti"al strike2through, although, in print, it more usually appears today $ith a single /erti"al lineB S. ,he J J $as borro$ed from an old panish "oin, but the t$o /erti"al lines $ere the -asorean pillars of J1ishpatJ and
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J,sede#,J better kno$n to the 1asoni" founders of the United tates as JBoa;J and J=a"hin,J the pillars of the por"h$ay to <ing olomonAs ,emple. ,oday the dollar bill bears the image of a pyramid $ith an eye set $ithin it, $hi"h is the most an"ient of all images in daily use be"ause it has "ome do$n to us from before the time of e#enenre ,ao, es"aping the purge of 4gyptian motifs of the king2making "eremony "aused by the prophet 4;ekiel during the Babylonian "apti/ity of the =e$s. .t represents God Din the form of !men2ReE ha/ing an e/er2present eye, "asting 3is ga;e o/er 3is people to Iudge e/ery a"tion they make in life, so that they $ill re"ei/e their Iust deserts in death. ,he $hole basis of 1aAat $as a measurement of the goodness done in life as seen by God. 0n the ob/erse of the one dollar bill is Brother George @ashington, and on the no$2 defun"t t$o dollar bill $as the image of another famous Freemason, Brother BenIamin Franklin.:
%ammon in the 5and ,o re"laim our nation from the hold of these an"ient spirits, $e $ill ha/e to be like the people of .srael $hen it $as time to go into the Promised Land. @e must re"ogni;e that $e are up against o""ult for"es that are holding the $ealthiest nation of the $orld "apti/e. .n 5euteronomy )B&), $e find that as the Lord prepared 3is "o/enant people to enter the land 3e promised, 3e told them that 3e $ould gi/e them the po$er to get $ealth. 3o$e/er, 3e also kne$ this $ould entail a spiritual $ar $ith 1ammon. @hen you study Canaanite history, you find that the ruling god of the Canaanites $as Baal. BaalAs greatest ruling for"e in the earth $as 1ammon. ,he assignment or mission that =oshua and the tribes of .srael had to a""omplish $as transferring the $ealth from all of the inhabitants of that region into GodAs "o/enant, <ingdom plan. ,herefore, 1ammon had to be defeated and the $ealth held by its false $orship transferred.
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,here are t$o e"onomi" systems on the earth. God has one e"onomi" system, and 3e tea"hes the ne"essity of being a good ste$ard in this system. atan has another e"onomi" system that is ruled by 1ammon. ,his god, through demoni" for"es, "ontrols the administration, transfer and distribution of $ealth $ithin this system. 1atthe$ 6B+? refers to the "omplete differen"e bet$een the t$oB J-o one "an ser/e t$o mastersM for either he $ill hate the one and lo/e the other, or else he $ill be loyal to the one and despise the other. Fou "annot ser/e God and mammon.J 1ammon "ontrols the $orldAs finan"es, espe"ially the issue of su,,ly and distribution. 3e is assisted by other demons in the relay of $ealth. Linked $ith the Babylon system, 1ammon is both a prin"e of e"onomi"s and of religions. !gain, "ripture makes an allusion to the "onne"tion bet$een these t$o for"es $hen it says that $e "an transfer the chayil of sinners to the righteous Dsee Pro/. &:B++E. ,his 3ebre$ $ord means J$ealthJ or Jri"hes.J !nd yet it also has a militaristi" "onnotation in its meanings of Jarmy,J Jstrength,J Jpo$erJ and>most fittingly for our future times>the spoils of $ar or fruits of $arfare. ? Pla"ing this /erse in the "onte9t of our $ar $ith 1ammon, $e ha/e a promise that $e $ill gather the spoils of $ar after triumphing o/er this earthly prin"e. ,here $ill be a transfer of $ealth from his tight grip on the $orldAs e"onomy into the hands of GodAs kingdom army. A-oid the $rap ,his transfer of $ealth into the hands of the Chur"h sounds easier than it is, ho$e/er. -ot be"ause God "annot bring it about D$hi"h 3e $illE, but be"ause $e all must be "areful not to fall into the trap "ountless other belie/ers ha/e su""umbed to. ,here is a subtlety to 1ammonAs $ays, and he is e9"ellent at enti"ing those $ho ha/e a hidden lo/e of $ealth. ,his $ill be espe"ially true in the
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future for those $ho $ill be handling the finan"ial reaping from the transferen"e. Be"ause the e/il eye is in/ol/ed in our money system, $e must guard oursel/es against the lo&e o* money Dsee 1 ,im. 6:10). 9hilarguria, the Greek $ord used for the phrase in that /erse, refers to a/ari"e Dan inordinate desire to gain and possess $ealth7E and to "o/etousness Dan eagerness to possess something and an e9treme greed for material $ealth6E. .f $e are not "areful, this is the fruit that money "an produ"e in our hearts. @e must also be$are of $hat 1ark 4:19 "alls the Jde"eitfulness of ri"hes.J ,his deals primarily $ith the per"ei/ed po$er that "omes $ith money. ,his produ"es a heart attitude that seeks to manipulate through false pretenses and appearan"es. 1oney is good $hen it is a ser/ant to us. 3o$e/er, $hen $e be"ome a sla/e to its dominion, $e are in trouble. ,he @ord highlights se/eral people $ho $ere "ursed by $ealth or had impure moti/es to gain $ealth, su"h as =udas, 4sau, Geha;i, !nanias, apphira, Lot and !"han. !ll of these indi/iduals $ere trapped by impure desires. !s $e mo/e for$ard against the enemy, $e must renoun"e e/ery issue of "o/ertness that is tied to 1ammon. &ealth Can 'ecome an Idol 0b/iously, $e all need material things. Pro/ision is ne"essary for our li/es to be fun"tional in the $orld $e are part of. 3o$e/er, the Lord says to be in the $orld but not o* the $orld Dsee 1 =ohn 2:15-17). @hen the .sraelites left 4gypt, God prompted the 4gyptians to gi/e them all kinds of goods. 49odus 12:36 says, J!nd the LORD had gi/en the people fa/or in the sight of the 4gyptians, so that they granted them $hat they re#uested. ,hus, they plundered the 4gyptians.J .magine these former sla/es ha/ing their hands filled $ith sil/er and gold>from their mastersH ,his is an e9ample of $hat the Lord still $ishes to do for 3is
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"hildren as 3e breaks us out of the system $e are in and points us to$ard 3is "o/enant blessings. God ga/e 1oses a detailed plan for 3is people, but the people did not $ait on 1oses. .nstead, they gre$ impatient. ,hey took all of the pro/ision that had been gi/en to them and, in their dis"ouragement, $andered ba"k to the same gods from $hi"h they had Iust been liberatedH 49odus 32:4 says, J!nd he K!aronL re"ei/ed the gold from their hands, and he fashioned it $ith an engra/ing tool, and made a molded "alf. ,hen they said, A,his is your god, 0 .srael, that brought you out of the land of 4gyptHAJ -ot only $as this molded "alf a familiar god that had been in 4gypt, but this bull "alf $as also $orshiped in Canaan through the religious system that had been ere"ted in Canaanite $orship. @hen $e do not offer God 3is portion and make our pro/ision holy before 3im, $e open oursel/es to the operation of the e/il eye $orking o/er our finan"es. ,he e/il eye aligns $ith our idolatry, and our idolatry is aligned $ith 1ammon. !s a result, $e fall under the "ontrol of this false god. Co-etousness and #n-*< A )reen(#*ed %onster Besides turning $ealth into an idol, there are other $ays $e "an /eer from the plan of kingdom ri"hes that God intends. =esus said in Luke &+B&7, J,ake heed and be$are of "o/etousness, for oneAs life does not "onsist in the abundan"e of the things he possesses.J ,hese $ords are parti"ularly hard to s$allo$ for us !meri"ans $ho define oursel/es by $hat $e possess. @e are used to "o/eting. ,o "o/et means to ha/e a strong desire for something to the point of en/y. ,his sin is linked $ith un"ontrolled, inordinate, selfish emotional desire. ,hat is $hy the enemy lo/es to lead us into illi"it forms of idolatry. .dolatry misdire"ts our desires from a holy God to flesh2filled, demoni"2inspired forms of las"i/iousness.
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,his is $hat =ames is talking about $hen he says, J@here do $ars and fights "ome from among youG 5o they not "ome from your desires for pleasure that $ar in your membersGJ D?B&E. .t is essential during these times that $e stay in GodAs "o/enant timing. @hen $e a"#uire $ealth out of GodAs timing and out of 3is $ay, $e $ill get the "urse that is on that $ealth. 1oney "an often ha/e "urses atta"hed to it. .f you donAt belie/e this, . in/ite you to resear"h all the mega2dollar lottery $inners $ho, after $inning, fa"ed nothing but problems. i"kness. Betrayal. Family deaths. 5i/or"e. Bankrupt"y. .f $e donAt kno$ ho$ to break the "urse before $e get "ursed money, itAs a sure thing that $e $ill $ind up $ith the same "urse that money has "arried through the years. !s 1ala"hi : tells us, one $ay to break the "urse off of money is to tithe and gi/e offerings. Co/etousness and en/y are not to be taken lightly, espe"ially for todayAs belie/ers. @e must pray for the Body of Christ in this area. 4n/y is linked $ith the e/il eye. @hen $e look at something or someone else $ith an unholy desire, $e fall into the po$er of this demonAs grip. 4n/y is not Iust another form of Iealousy>it is an open door for the enemy to $ork in our li/es. Pro/erbs +(B? unders"ores Iust ho$ po$erful en/y isB J@rath is "ruel, and anger is outrageousM but $ho is able to stand before en/yGJ $KJV%. 4n/y "annot be an a"#uaintan"e of any belie/er. .t must be kept out of our li/es at all "osts. @e must san"tify $hat God gi/es us and be satisfied $ith our portion.
Prospering @ithin the Boundaries

Being satisfied $ith our portion "an be diffi"ult $hen that portion amounts to barely s"raping by. . ha/e kno$n many belie/ers $ho belie/ed that to Jget "loser to God,J they needed to strip themsel/es of all possessions and li/e as the poor do. ,heir basis, as you might guess, is $hen
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=esus told the ri"h young man, J.f you $ant to be perfe"t, go, sell $hat you ha/e and gi/e to the poor, and you $ill ha/e treasure in hea/enJ D1att. &'B+&E. J=esus al$ays seemed to fa/or the poor,J they add. .t hasnAt helped that sin"e the first monk s$ore off material possessions, the established Chur"h has held up the /o$ of po/erty as a higher "alling. Let me set the re"ord straightB Po/erty $as ne/er in the heart of God, nor $as it in 3is plan for humanity. @hen the Lord planted the Garden of 4den, 3e pla"ed humans $ithin its boundaries to "ulti/ate and $at"h after that domain until it $as multiplying and in"reasing. ,here $as not to be any la"k in the land, God "ontinued to e9press this mindset in the earth $hen 3e "alled !braham from Ur of the Chaldeans and promised him prosperity. !braham, in turn, pro/ed himself a faithful ste$ard. @e see this first $hen he defeated those $ho had kidnapped his nephe$, Lot, and responded by releasing his booty to 1el"hi;edek the priest. .n fa"t, . ad/ise you to read the a""ount in Genesis &?, $hi"h is one of the most important transitional "hapters in the Bible. ,his "hapter integrates $ar, gi/ing, prosperity and a "o/enant alignment that is perpetuated through the ages. !braham is a model for belie/ers of $hat to do $ith ri"hes. 1ore than on"e, the Bible makes mention of the tremendous e9tent of his $ealth. .n the sho$do$n $ith his nephe$As "aptors, Genesis &?B&? relays that he took $ith him :&) of his trained ser/ants>$ho kno$s ho$ many total ser/ants he a"tually hadH Fet !brahamAs $ealth ne/er seemed to get in the $ay of his faithfulness to God and his obedien"e to the LordAs "alling. =ust as important $as that !braham understood the boundaries God had established in his life. @ithin those boundaries, he prospered. @hen he stepped out from those lines Dsu"h as $hen he lied to Pharaoh about arah being his sisterE, he didnAt prosper.
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God ne/er allo$ed !braham to make a "o/enant $ith Pharaoh in 4gypt, yet in Genesis +&, $e see him making a God2ordained "o/enant $ith !bimele"h of the Philistines. !s e9pe"ted, he prospered in that "o/enant relationship. .t is interesting to see ho$ the blessings of this "o/enant e/en poured do$n to !brahamAs son, .saa", $ho later /entured to Gerar. ,here, in the midst of famine, .saa" stood out $ith his fruitfulness. J,hen .saa" so$ed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfoldM and the LORD blessed him. ,he man began to prosper, and "ontinued prospering until he be"ame /ery prosperousJ DGen. +6B&+2&:E. ,his $as not the Promised Land $here .saa" $as to prosper, yet it sho$s ho$ God allo$s us to flourish e/en $ithin the boundaries of our "apti/ity, as long as 3e has determined those boundaries. !braham transferred his su""ess and prosperity to his "hildren. .n fa"t, many of the prophe"ies linked $ith his "hildren had to do $ith $ealth. Generations later, !sher, the son of =a"ob, re"ei/ed a blessing of abundant $ealth. !""ording to 1osesA $ords, found in 5euteronomy ::B+?, !sher $ould dip his feet in oil. .n the same "hapter, $e see that he $as to share this $ealth $ith his brothers, and the family $ould "ontinue a lineage of abundan"e. Verse +) states, J o .srael $ill li/e in safety aloneM =a"obAs spring is se"ure in the land of grain and ne$ $ine $here the hea/ens drop de$J (NIV). Part of !sherAs prosperity $as his possession of ,yre and idon, key "ities on maIor trade routes. ,hese trading "ities $ere filled $ith ini#uity. .n fa"t, =esus addressed both of the "ities be"ause of their ini#uitous patterns. Fet $hen you re"ei/e a propheti" blessing from God and your boundaries ha/e been determined by 3im, you ha/e authority e/en o/er ini#uity. Fou ha/e a right to all that the ini#uitous stru"ture is ruling. ,his is ho$ the transferen"e of $ealth $ill o""ur in days ahead. God $ill ha/e indi/iduals take dominion o/er "ities ruled by
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ini#uity. @e find this promised by =esus in the parable of the minas, found in Luke &'B&&2+(. 1any points "ould be made from this parable, but in terms of understanding the "on"ept of boundaries, the lesson is simply thisB ,hose $ho operate in godly ste$ardship $ith $hat $as gi/en in the boundaries they $ere assigned $ill inherit the rule of "ities. @hat a promise for those $illing to $ar righteously in the "oming days o/er dominion, authority and the transfer of $ealthH
! Fier"e 0pponent in a Fier"e Battle

!s $e ha/e already seen, money is not inherently e/il. .t is anything but a sin to be $ealthyM in fa"t, in GodAs timing 3e is sear"hing for those pure2hearted ste$ards $ho "an be sho$ered $ith 3is ri"hes>and kno$ ho$ to handle them a""ordingly. 3o$e/er, money $ill al$ays be "onne"ted $ith the for"es of e/il as long as it is of this $orld. ,he reason for this, as $e ha/e mentioned, is 1ammon, $ho "ontrols the $orldAs finan"es. Fet as the earthAs treasurer of sorts, he $orks for someone $ho holds a higher offi"eB atan, the prin"e of the po$er of the air Dsee 4ph. +B+E. . belie/e it is important for us to understand Iust $hy the $ar o/er $ealth $ill be so fier"e in "oming times. @e are talking about a transfer of ri"hes from earthly minded, pride2filled, demoni"ally influen"ed kings, presidents, C40s and moguls to hea/en2bent belie/ers, many of $hom $ill "ome from a past of modest means. @e "an e9pe"t more than a little oppositionH !nd $e must reali;e this opposition $ill not be Iust from the ri"hest men and $omen on the planet, it $ill be from atan himself. ,he prin"e of darkness $ill do e/erything he "an to th$art GodAs plans on earth>in"luding 3is plan to besto$ on 3is "hildren the ri"hes ne"essary to bring in the har/est of souls. LetAs look at $hat "ripture has to say about the
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"onne"tion bet$een saysB
atan and money. 4;ekiel +)B&:2&)
Fou $ere in 4den, the garden of GodM e/ery pre"ious stone $as your "o/eringB the sardius, topa;, and diamond, beryl, ony9, and Iasper, sapphire, tur#uoise, and emerald $ith gold. ,he $orkmanship of your timbrels and pipes $as prepared for you on the day you $ere "reated. Fou $ere the anointed "herub $ho "o/ersM . established youM you $ere on the holy mountain of GodM you $alked ba"k and forth in the midst of fiery stones. Fou $ere perfe"t in your $ays from the day you $ere "reated, till ini#uity $as found in you. By the abundan"e of your trading you be"ame filled $ith /iolen"e $ithin, and you sinnedM therefore . "ast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of GodM and . destroyed you, 0 "o/ering "herub, from the midst of the fiery stones. Four heart $as lifted up be"ause of your beautyM you "orrupted your $isdom for the sake of your splendorM . "ast you to the ground, . laid you before kings, that they might ga;e at you. Fou defiled your san"tuaries by the multitude of your ini#uities, by the ini#uity of your tradingM therefore . brought fire from your midstM it de/oured you, and . turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all $ho sa$ you.
.n this "hapter $e see that ,yre had a prin"e. ,he first half of the "hapter is addressed to this prin"e D+)B+EM the se"ond, to the king of ,yre D/. &+E. @hile these passages "an "ertainly be read literally as a $ord from the Lord to these t$o royal figures, the "ommon interpretation "onsiders the prin"e as a false messiah, $hile the king is atan himself. @ith that in mind, $e see that one of the reasons Lu"ifer $as "ast out of hea/en $as be"ause of Jthe ini#uity of KhisL tradingJ D/. &)E. !s a sinless angel made perfe"t for GodAs holy presen"e, atan held the highest position of anything e/er "reated. ,his position apparently also in/ol/ed some type of trading. Fet . find it fas"inating that God does not "all this mer"enary trait out as his sinM instead, it $as the fa"t that atan be"ame /iolent and
+&*
en/ious of God Jby the abundance of KhisL tradingJ D/. &6, emphasis addedE. atan, the one $ho lures his /i"tims into the lo&e of money, fell into the /ery trap he no$ sets for others. .t seems he $as ne/er satisfied $ith $hat he had> he al$ays had to ha/e moreH .t $as through this that the seed of ini#uity entered the Garden. ,he /oi"e of this bad seed influen"ed the $oman to be mo/ed from the spiritual boundaries God had pla"ed upon her. 1an D!damE $illfully shifted. ,he serpent planted the seed of ini#uity in the $oman and the man so that they $ould ha/e the "apa"ity to make Iudgments as to their o$n $elfare. ,hese "hoi"es $ould be made independently of God. in"e then, any time $e defy the la$ and boundaries of God, $e remo/e the path of freedom in our li/es and the li/es of those around us. ,his is $hat "reates $ar. -oti"e also that the issue returns on"e again to boundaries. @hen $e operate $ithin the boundaries and authority God has gi/en us, $e $ill find su""ess. @hen $e /enture outside those boundaries, $e set oursel/es up for "onfli"t and failure. ,his is a uni/ersal prin"iple that God established, one that . "annot stress enough. .n the Bible, $e find that $ithin ea"h boundary that is mentioned there are key so"ietal stru"tures that are de/eloped. ,hese stru"tures allo$ us to rule and reign in the "i/ili;ation that $e ha/e been positioned $ithin. @hen $e read Genesis ?, for instan"e, $e "an gain insight into ho$ "i/ili;ation de/eloped. 1ore spe"ifi"ally, $e see the order in $hi"h "i/ili;ation de/elopedB agri"ulturally Din"luding the breeding of li/esto"k, sheep and "attleE, urbanisti"ally, pastorally, musi"ally and religiously. . belie/e all $ars attempt to undo the de/elopment of a so"iety in this order as $ell. @ar affe"ts our land, $hat $e eat, our urban de/elopment, the $ay $e are taken "are of, the $ay $e reIoi"e and e9press Ioy through sound, and the $ay $e $orship. Can you see no$ ho$ atan atta"ks
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from ea"h of these anglesG 3e $ants us roaming outside our God2appointed boundariesH
.tAs !bout the 3ar/estH

,he $ar o/er the transfer of $ealth is one of the most "ru"ial of the "oming days. .f $e hope to ha/e unpre"edented <ingdom influen"e throughout the $orld, $e must ha/e the ne"essary supply lines. !nd if $e hope to ha/e a""ess to those supply lines, $e must first take possession of them. !s $e ha/e dis"ussed, that re#uires an understanding of our appointed boundaries>those in both the earthly realm and the spirit realm. @e "annot forget, ho$e/er, the ultimate reason behind this $ar o/er $ealth. .t is not to personally gain as mu"h ri"hes as possible. Fes, God desires to bless ea"h one of us, and 3is infinite abundan"e $ill lea/e us astounded for all of eternity. But in these times, our primary goal has to be the ad/an"ement of 3is kingdom. @e must ha/e a /ision to see the har/est "ome inH .f not>if our /ision is for oursel/es>then $e lose the purpose and blessing of the Father, $ho, as =ames &B&( says, is the gi/er of Je/ery good gift and e/ery perfe"t gift.J 4ssentially, the $ar o/er $ealth is not about $ealth at all. .t is about the har/est. People. Souls. @e all kno$ that $e are to pray for the Lord of the 3ar/est to send har/esters into the har/est fields. But $e also ha/e to understand our o$n har/est fields and "all forth har/esters $ho are spe"ifi"ally meant for those fields. ,imes are "hanging. @e "annot send har/esters $ith old methods into todayAs har/est fields. 1any of the fields are filled $ith !.5 and homose9uality. Per/ersion rules in other fields. ome are "ontrolled by 1ammon, $hile others ha/e been "aptured by .slam, Buddhism or 1ormonism. @e must learn to define our har/est fields and understand the enemy that is holding ea"h one "apti/e.
+&+
.n 1atthe$ &+B+72:*, the Lord saidB

4/ery kingdom di/ided against itself is brought to desolation, and e/ery "ity or house di/ided against itself $ill not stand. .f atan "asts out atan, he is di/ided against himself. 3o$ then $ill his kingdom standG !nd if . "ast out demons by Beel;ebub, by $hom do your sons "ast them outG ,herefore they shall be your Iudges. But if . "ast out demons by the pirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has "ome upon you. 0r ho$ "an one enter a strong manAs house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong manG !nd then he $ill plunder his house. 3e $ho is not $ith 1e is against 1e, and he $ho does not gather $ith 1e s"atters abroad.
=esus kne$ ho$ the religious $orld thought, so 3e ga/e those $ho $ere listening to these $ords a spiritual prin"iple. 3e said that unless you bind the strong man, you "annot take ba"k his goods. .t is no different $hen relating to the "oming har/est on this earth. 0n"e $e define the har/est fields and understand the strong man that is guarding and keeping those fields inta"t, $e "an then bind him and take ba"k the field. 0n"e the field is under our authority, $e "an begin to plo$ differently, "ulti/ate that field and e/en raise up a ne$ "rop in days ahead.
1andates for Vi"tory

,he truth of the matter is that $e $ill o/er"omeH Re/elation &+B&*2&+ says, J,hen . heard a loud /oi"e saying in hea/en, A-o$ sal/ation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the po$er of 3is Christ ha/e "ome, for the a""user of our brethren, $ho a""used them before our God day and night, has been "ast do$n. !nd they o/er"ame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the $ord of their testimony, and they did not lo/e their li/es to the death. ,herefore reIoi"e, 0 hea/ens, and you $ho d$ell in themH @oe to the inhabitants of the earth and the seaH For the
,he @ealth @ar
+&:
de/il has "ome do$n to you, ha/ing great $rath, be"ause he kno$s that he has a short time.AJ 5aniel &&B:+ adds, J,hose $ho do $i"kedly against the "o/enant he shall "orrupt $ith flatteryM but the people $ho kno$ their God shall be strong, and "arry out great e9ploits.J 0ur future may be filled $ith "onfli"t, but the Lord has de/eloped an o/er"oming anointing in us. . define o/er"oming like thisB #he ability to recei&e a su,ernatural ,ower or strength to con:uer or de*eat anything that is distressing you or attem,ting to sto, you *rom ad&ancing on your ,ath. @e all $ant to ad/an"e on our path, not only as indi/iduals, but also as a "orporate Body. ,o do so, here are si9 mandates that . belie/e the Lord $ould gi/e us. &. 3e must understand authority. !uthority is the key to po$er. -o greater faith had =esus seen in all .srael than that of the man $ho understood authority Dsee 1att. )B72&:E. ,he Lord sho$ed me that if . $ould begin to understand and analy;e e/ery authority that had influen"e in my life, . $ould begin to operate in a ne$ le/el of faith. ,o the e9tent that $e submit to the authority God has pla"ed in our li/es, our faith has the opportunity to be stret"hed and strengthened. Faith is the o/er"oming agent that GodAs people ha/e on this earth Dsee =ohn &?B&+EM therefore, if the Chur"h is to o/er"ome, $e must understand and submit to proper authority. +. 3e must deal with our greatest *ears. ,he spirit of fear "reates an unsound mind, $eakens po$er and negates lo/e. ,he Lord sho$ed me that at the end of ea"h &*2year period, a ne$ mo/e of holiness $ould begin to emerge among 3is people that $ould unleash a genuine fear of the Lord. 3e also sho$ed me that a ne$
+&?
administrati/e mo/e of God had to "ome into ea"h time frame. ,he fear of the Lord releases $isdom, and $isdom $ill unlo"k and dismantle demoni" for"es. Fou "annot shout do$n prin"ipalities and po$ers>they are a stru"tured hierar"hy that forms a go/ernment, and go/ernments ha/e to be dismantled. @isdom "auses false go/ernments to topple. .f $e $ill tear do$n the spirit of fear that is hindering us and mo/e into a ne$ fear of the Lord, $e $ill topple ini#uitous patterns that allo$ prin"ipalities and po$ers to blind unrea"hed people groups, "ities and e/en entire nations to the light of the gospel. :. 3e must increase our discernment. 4/ery time . re"ei/e a /ision of the future, the Lord has also spoken $ords that ha/e gi/en me "ourage. JBut Lord, . do not ha/e the ability to dis"ern at this le/el,J . ha/e often said. !nd ea"h time, it $as as if the Lord said . did not ha/e a "hoi"e. );isci,line yoursel* in the 3ord and e4ercise +y S,irit within your s,irit,) 3e said, )*or it will ta=e both 3ord and S,irit to cause the reality o* +e to be seen in days ahead.) .f $e #uen"h the 3oly pirit in our li/es, or if $e do not $ash oursel/es $ith the $ritten @ord, $e fall out of spiritual balan"e and open oursel/es to delusion. Under those "onditions $e "an ne/er rea"h the le/el of dis"ernment $e $ill need for the "riti"al times ahead. ?. 3e must =now who labors among us and who comes into our s,here o* authority. =une Rana has $orked for me for more than &7 years no$. he is my offi"e manager. 3o$e/er, she is also the $at"hman $ho keeps post at the door to see $ho "omes in and out, $hat they are bringing
,he @ealth @ar
+&7
in, and $hat they are attempting to re"ei/e on"e they "ome into my sphere of authority. @ithout her, our sphere "ould be penetrated by ad/erse for"es trying to lead us astray. . ha/e said it pre/iously, but . $ill say it againB .t is imperati/e that GodAs people "ommuni"ate ne"essary information to one another effi"iently during these times. ,he Lord sho$ed me that 3e $as going to start building true unity of purpose and fun"tion $ithin 3is Body from territory to territory. . began to see a net$ork that $ould form a net. @hen this net $as "ompleted, 3e $ould begin to drag it through "ities and nations, "olle"ting a great har/est. . sa$ that e/eryone in the regional Body $ould need to be "onne"ted to ea"h other, $ith e/eryone $orking to a""omplish GodAs purposes for that territory. 0ne reason $e $ill need to kno$ ea"h other and be linked together is to help dis"ern $hen infiltrators attempt to undermine GodAs purposes. 7. 3e must not allow the world to con*orm us to its blue,rint. 3o$e/er, $e must not fear the $orld, either. ,he prin"e of the po$er of the air rules this earth. atan lo/es to find pla"es in our human nature $here he "an ensnare us to do his $ill. ,o pre/ent this, Christians often distan"e themsel/es from the $orld>they be"ome separatists, and the root of their a"tions is fear and religious pride. @hen $e get "leaned up, $e are al$ays a little afraid that the temptations of this $orld $ill get us dirty on"e again. But $e are to be like =esusB in the $orld but not Jof this $orldJ D=ohn )B+:E. ,he Lord is planning for the glory that 3e is about to release in 3is Chur"h to permeate the earth. @e "annot spread 3is glory if $e hide out.
+&6
6. 3e must understand this wealth trans*er that is being ,re,ared *or the =ingdom o* 5od. @e ha/e talked about this throughout the "hapter, but let me reiterate that . belie/e the Lord is dis"iplining us so that 3e "an send us forth $ithout being trapped by 1ammon. @e must allo$ purifi"ation to "ome into our li/es $here/er money is "on"erned. God is planning a great transferen"e of $ealth to 3is people. @ealth does not Iust mean ha/ing money but also ha/ing strength and the spoils of $ar Din this "ase, a har/est of soulsE. . belie/e God $ants us to understand money and finan"es so that $e $ill be good ste$ards to ad/an"e 3is kingdom in the future. .f $e allo$ God to purify us and make us holy, 3e $ill then be able to trust us $ith great $ealth. @hen the Lord is on your side, you "annot be silen"ed or stopped in your #uest for taking dominion. in $ill ha/e no authority o/er youH 4/il $ill not be able to reign in your atmosphere. ,roubles $ill not o/er$helm you $hen you are $alking $ith an o/er"oming strength in your spirit. Refuse the enemyAs /oi"e. 5o not allo$ him to $ear do$n your mind and "on/in"e you that you are defeated. 3e $ill try many different ploys to oppress you, get you depressed and pre/ent you from fulfilling your destiny. ,here $ill be rumors of $ars and /isible "onfli"ts as nations rise against nations and the ungodly attempt to gain territorial dominan"e. But GodH 3e has a pre/ailing, o/er"oming people. @e $ill $in this $ar o/er $ealth, di/ide the enemyAs spoils and be able to agree $ith $hat our Lord said in =ohn &6B::B J,hese things . ha/e spoken to you, that in 1e you may ha/e pea"e. .n the $orld you $ill ha/e tribulationB but be of good "heer, . ha/e o/er"ome the $orld.J
C,AP$#. "
The War of the 1ations
Will the Real Ruling 1ation %lease Rise
hese are intense but glorious times throughout the $orld. ,urmoil is es"alating as nation rises against nation. 0f .shmael, =a"ob and 4sau, $ho $ill pre/ailG 0f Persia, .ran, 4lam, 4gypt and Philistine, $ho $ill a$aken and $ho $ill go to sleepG 5oes Babylon ha/e a fighting "han"e to rule in the days aheadG .s there a 1agi $ho is seeking the Christ Child todayG @ill the nation that rages the loudest rule the longestG ,hese are the pertinent #uestions of our day. 1ean$hile, the Chur"h from nation to nation is arising. . see a ne$ hunger for propheti" re/elation so that the /ision of $hat God is doing in this hour "an be"ome more and more "lear Dsee Pro/. +'B&)E. @ithout propheti" re/elation in this hour, $e $ill lose our $ay. ,he Chur"h must ha/e re/elation for ho$ to $ar against a gro$ing anti"hrist for"e in the earth. @e must ha/e a ne$ mo/e of the 3oly pirit in the Chur"h to prepare and strengthen us for the times ahead. !nd $e must reali;e that the 3oly pirit is the only restraining for"e against e/il.
+&)
@hy do $e bother praying for the nations if it seems they $ill al$ays rage and $age $ar $ith ea"h otherG @hy should $e e/en be "on"erned about the e/er2present "onfli"ts surrounding usG ,he main reason is found in Psalm +. Be"ause of the issues addressed in this "hapter, . feel itAs important that $e e9amine the entire te9tB
@hy do the nations assemble $ith "ommotion Kuproar and "onfusion of /oi"esL, and $hy do the people imagine Dmeditate upon and de/iseE an empty s"hemeG ,he kings of the earth take their pla"esM the rulers take "ounsel together against the Lord and 3is !nointed one Dthe 1essiah, the ChristE. ,hey say, Let us break ,heir bands Kof restraintL asunder and "ast ,heir "ords Kof "ontrolL from us. 3e @ho sits in the hea/ens laughsM the Lord has them in derision Kand in supreme "ontempt 3e mo"ks themL. 3e speaks to them in 3is deep anger and troubles Dterrifies and "onfoundsE them in 3is displeasure and fury, saying, Fet ha/e . anointed Dinstalled and pla"edE 1y <ing KfirmlyL on 1y holy hill of 8ion. . $ill de"lare the de"ree of the LordB 3e said to 1e, Fou are 1y onM this day K. de"lareL . ha/e begotten Fou. !sk of 1e, and . $ill gi/e Fou the nations as Four inheritan"e, and the uttermost parts of the earth as Four possession. Fou shall break them $ith a rod of ironM Fou shall dash them in pie"es like pottersA $are. -o$ therefore, 0 you kings, a"t $iselyM be instru"ted and $arned, 0 you rulers of the earth. er/e the Lord $ith re/erent a$e and $orshipful fearM reIoi"e and be in high spirits $ith trembling Klest you displease 3imL. <iss the on Kpay homage to 3im in purityL, lest 3e be angry and you perish in the $ay, for soon shall 3is $rath be kindled. 0 blessed Dhappy, fortunate, and to be en/iedE are all those $ho seek refuge and put their trust in 3im $A+9%-
@hy should $e "ontinue to pray for the nations in the midst of their $arsG Be"ause they are the LordAs inheritan"eH ,hat is also $hy the abo/e #uestions must be
,he @ar of the -ations
+&'
ans$ered. 3aggai, that $onderful restorati/e prophet, portrayed the Lord as the J5esire of !ll -ations.J .ndeed, 3e is more /aluable than all of the /aluable possessions of the heathen. !ll the gold and sil/er in the earth "annot mat"h the "ost of 3im in our midst. 3e $ill shake the nations and produ"e 3is desired effe"t in them. 3e $ill do $hate/er is needed until 3is ,emple is filled $ith glory. 3e is the J$ealth of all nationsJ D.sa. 6*B7E, and though they $ar and rage, 3e $ill ha/e the ultimate say in the affairs of the earth.
! @orld !ligning
.n this "hapter, . $ill deal spe"ifi"ally $ith the nations and regions the Lord has spoken to me about. . belie/e there are maIor shifts about to o""ur in the alignment of po$er throughout the earth. @e kno$ from the Bible that nations $ill align and realign themsel/es a""ording to $hom they are ser/ing. 1ore important, ea"h nation $ill be ultimately Iudged by God for its a"tions and alignments. ,here are t$o elements that fa"tor into GodAs Iudgment. First, 1atthe$ &: and +7 make it e/ident that nations $ill be Iudged by their relationship $ith the 0ne ,rue God. ,hat Iudgment also fa"tors in the LordAs preeminent "o/enant $ith !braham>a "o/enant that $ill produ"e either a blessing or a "urse in the earth realm. 4ssentially, $e $ill be able to put e/ery "ountry on the map into one of t$o "ategoriesB JGoatJ or J heep.J ,his is ho$ the peoples of the earth $ho are grouped in politi"al spheres $ill also be "lassified in days ahead. e"ond, nations $ill align themsel/es>and be Iudged a""ordingly>based on their lo/e or hatred for GodAs "hosen people, .srael. ,hese alignments $ill be"ome religious as $ell as politi"al, stirring up the $aters of
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demoni" po$er that $e talked about in "hapter 6. 0ne su"h nation that $ill align $ith others to "ome against .srael is Russia. he and her "hildren, Gog and 1agog, $ill arise $ith ne$ strength in days ahead and attempt to rule. 4;ekiel :)B:26 saysB
Behold, . am against you, 0 Gog, the prin"e of Rosh, 1eshe"h, and ,ubal. . $ill turn you around, put hooks into your Ia$s, and lead you out, $ith all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly "lothed, a great "ompany $ith bu"klers and shields, all of them handling s$ords. Persia, 4thiopia, and Libya are $ith them, all of them $ith shield and helmetM Gomer and all its troopsM the house of ,ogarmah from the far north and all its troops>many people are $ith you.
!s a result of RussiaAs ne$found aggression, the United tates and other nations $ill begin to distan"e themsel/es from Russia. .n fa"t, +**) $ill be the defining year for Russia. For a season, a ne$ fa/or $ill arise and rest upon Russia so that ne$ alignments "an be formed. ,he nations listed in 4;ekiel Dob/iously $ith their modern2day namesE $ill begin to align $ith this po$er from the north that is seeking a rene$ed role in $orld influen"e. ,he Cold @ar is o/er, and the tha$ has o""urred. -o$ these nations $ill be"ome JhotJ in the ne9t &* years. ! ne$ ri/er of terror $ill begin to flo$ from the north. But GodH ,he 4uropean Union is $ell $orth $at"hing. ,here $ill be a ne$ rise of anti2 emitism among these nations. ,heir greatest attempt to stop GodAs plan $ill be through finan"ial "ontrol. .slami" influen"e in these nations $ill in"rease, and e/entually they $ill align $ith anti2.srael for"es in the 1iddle 4ast. For many 4U "ountries, the relian"e on so"ialism $ill ha/e "reated a de"lining birthrate. By "linging to the attitude of JLet me lo/e my life and be se"ure $ith my pension,J older generations $ill ha/e established a stronghold of selfishness that stops the
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future from being birthed. !s a result, the need for family $ill slo$ly be remo/ed from these "ountriesA so"ieties. ,herefore the need to $ar $ill shift. . see a full "ompromise $ith anti2God for"es in the ne9t &* years. But GodH 4ngland is slo$ly being bought and "ontrolled. .n fa"t, 4ngland $ill ha/e fe$ original 4nglanders before long. For the "ountryAs e"onomi" state to "ontinue and ha/e any maIor influen"e in the $orld, it must realign itself. London $ill be"ome a ruling .slami" finan"ial "enter. D1ore on this later.E But GodH China $ill be"ome the most influential nation in the future Dalso "o/ered laterE. ,he 5ragon and her "hildren, other !sian nations, $ill arise. ,hey are "reating a so"iety in dire"t "ompetition $ith GodAs kingdom plan. ,hese nations $ill ha/e a great mo/e of God, but then the opposing for"e $ill arise and attempt to stop $hat is being birthed by the Chur"h. Great perse"ution $ill arise from these nations. ,he perse"ution $ill "ome in the form of religious "ontrol. ChinaAs booming e"onomy $ill set the pa"e for the rest of the $orld. . belie/e this shift began in +**6, $ill mature by +*&*, $ill influen"e all trade by +*&6, and put China in full "ontrol of other nations by +*+6. But GodH !fri"a $ill be"ome a model for shifting rule. -ations $ill "ontinue to $ar, $hile go/ernments fold and are #ui"kly repla"ed. !s the 1iddle 4ast dominates the $orld finan"ially $ith its influen"e, it $ill seek to "ontrol hidden ri"hes in !fri"a by manipulating the $ars in these nations in the ne9t +* years. !t the same time, !fri"a $ill be kno$n as a religious hotbed. ,he greatest influen"ing for"es in the 4uropean nations $ill be the !fri"ans, and be"ause of their passion, 4urope $ill look to these nations to #uen"h its o$n spiritual dryness. outh and Central !meri"a $ill be"ome finan"ial disasters and adopt a re/olutionary mentality. ,he leftist
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go/ernments of these nations $ill align $ith China and Russia. ,he "onfli"ts throughout these "ontinents $ill mo/e north. !t the end of +**' and pro"eeding into +*&*, 1e9i"o $ill ha/e a great shift and the Jborder $arsJ $ith !meri"a $ill es"alate. -orth !meri"an trade agreements $ill be ree/aluated be"ause of terrorism mo/ing from border to border. By +*&6, ,e9as and California may begin to re2"reate state la$s and appear to lea/e their statehoods to be"ome nations. But GodH @hy do . make the statement, JBut GodHJG Be"ause He is in "ontrol and has a Jstrong peopleJ arising in the earth. ,his people is a Jpe"uliar people,J $hom God has "hosen for 3imself, a Jnation abo/e all nationsJ D5eut. &?B+, KJV%. . am not referring e9"lusi/ely to !meri"ans or .sraelis or any other spe"ifi" earthly nation>this is a <ingdom peopleH ! people "hosen by God throughout the earth to e9e"ute 3is plan of "o/ering this planet $ith 3is glory.
,he United tates of !meri"aB @ill ,hey Remain oG

.t has almost be"ome "li"he to say this, but it is nonetheless trueB !meri"a is at a "rossroads. 0ur "ountry "ould easily fade from its illustrious glory $ithin the ne9t &* years. @e are "aught in an intense battle in the an"ient area that $as on"e "alled Babylon, and any Bible s"holar "an tell you that despite the name "hanges and de"onstru"tions o/er the "enturies, Babylon $ill rise to house the $orldAs final di"tator, the !nti"hrist. @hether $e are approa"hing that time remains to be seen, but it does gi/e an indi"ator as to $ith $hom !meri"a is dealing. !t the same time, $e are standing on the pre"ipi"e of $hat "ould be the greatest spiritual a$akening this "ountry has e/er seen. @hether that o""urs in the near future also remains to be seen. @hat $e do kno$,
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ho$e/er, is that $e are in a se/en2year season of $ar that has been appointed by God. . belie/e a dream God ga/e me on eptember +?, +**&, sheds some light on our "urrent stateB
. $as standing looking at a huge lake that $as "o/ered $ith a "oat of thin i"e. 4/ery no$ and then, a pu;;le pie"e $ould drop from hea/en, and . $ould $alk out on the i"y lake and put the pie"e in pla"e. Before long, . re"ogni;ed that the pu;;le that $as "o/ering the lake $as a map of the United tates. . finally laid the last pie"e of the pu;;le>the state of -e$ 1e9i"o>in pla"e. 0n"e . did that, it $as as if . as"ended three le/els into the hea/ens. ,he best $ay to des"ribe this as"ension is as a stair"ase as"ending up. 0n ea"h floor there $as a meeting room $here . "ould $at"h a go/ernment2type "oun"il "on/ene to dis"uss their plans. 0n"e these meetings $ere done, . then $alked up to the ne9t le/el. ,he first go/ernment "oun"il $as that of the enemy. 3is go/ernment $as unable to see the plan of destiny that $as in pla"e o/er our nation. .n this meeting, the "oun"il members "ontinued to plot their $i"ked s"hemes o/er ho$ to disrupt and bring "haos. 0n the se"ond floor $as the "oun"il of "i/il go/ernments. ,hese people $ere able to better understand the present times and issues regarding the United tates, and they $ere dis"ussing ho$ to prote"t this nation. ,he third floor held the "oun"il of God. 3is go/ernment had been "alled into "oun"il o/er ho$ to ad/an"e 3is kingdom in the United tates. 0n this third floor, . $as able to $alk into the "oun"il and see all the key issues regarding the United tates and her future. Be"ause . $as at a higher le/el, . "ould fully see the key pla"es in the United tates $here the Chur"h needed to reinfor"e itself. . "ould also see key "ities that needed to be on $at"h against the enemyAs plan. .t seemed as if . "ould also see the timeframe that $as ne"essary for the Chur"h to inter"ede so that the $isdom of God "ould "ome into full maturity and be
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e9e"uted in the earth realm. @hile . $as $at"hing from this third floor, someone from the se"ond floor began to approa"h the pu;;le map that $as in pla"e on the lake. . began to yell, J-ot yetH -ot yetHJ 3o$e/er, he "ould not hear my /oi"e and pro"eeded $ithout "aution, $hi"h "aused the i"e to break and the entire pu;;le plan to fall into the lake.
. then a$oke, and almost immediately the pirit of God began to speak to me and gi/e me a portion of the interpretation of the dream. 3e said, ) ha&e a clear ,lan *or America. am calling the Body o* .hrist into a new, mature strength. am calling +y ,eo,le into intercession now. #his ,lan will ,roduce &ictory in days ahead and will bring >ustice that will a**ect the world. am calling +y ,eo,le to ,ray *or the ci&il go&ernment o* this land. am a 5od who ,uts leaders in ,lace. ha&e ,ositioned the leadershi, o* this nation *or such a time as this. 0&en though the ci&il go&ernment is gaining a clearer direction o* +y ,ur,ose, the ,lan that is *orming and maturing is on &ery thin ice at this time. #he ci&il go&ernment o* this nation has de&elo,ed a unity and is gaining timely wisdom. Anless my ,eo,le ,ray, this ,lan will not be in *irm ,lace to ad&ance, and much destruction can occur. * +y ,eo,le, who are called by +y name, will ,ray, not only will heal and secure their land, but *rom their land will touch the world in an incredible way, re&eal +y glory and call *orth +y inheritance in e&ery nation. can *oil the ,lans o* the enemy that are set against cities in this nation and cause many cities to e4,erience a swee,ing mo&e o* +y S,irit. Howe&er, the ci&il go&ernment o* this nation must mo&e in +y ,er*ect timing.) . belie/e this dream $as linked $ith the @ar on ,error that $e ha/e been propelled into during this se/en2year $ar season. 4/en though this dream "ould ha/e se/eral meanings and be applied to se/eral situations in our nation, . belie/e it $as most signifi"antly about mo/ing for$ard in .ra# to dethrone a strongman $ho "ould ha/e $orked great destru"tion in the $orld. But after uprooting that tyrant, our plan to rebuild and restore $as $eak at
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best and non2e9istent at $orst. Be"ause of ho$ the .ra# @ar has progressed, the United tates $ill lose "redibility among the nations. ,his $ill release great politi"al and finan"ial "ompromise in days ahead. Politi"ally, the United tates $ill realign herself $ith the nation that seems to be gaining the most "ontrol and influen"e in the $orldB China. ,he U. . $ill not be trusted by the nations of the 1iddle 4ast. he $ill promote pea"e in an attempt to regain "redibility $ith the nations of the $orld, and $hile doing this, $ill greatly "ompromise her relationship $ith .srael. ,his $ill also be her do$nfall $ith God, though it $ill not stop the a$akening 3e has planned for this nation.
Veering from the Past

,he !meri"a that $as defined by pilgrims, patriots and pioneers>all of $hom $ere propelled by the "o/enant of God to find a pla"e of freedom to $orship>is not the same !meri"a $e li/e in today. ,he multi2ethni"ity of !meri"a has redefined our $ay of operation and the a"tual fruit of our nation. 1any Christians belie/e the same root of godliness remains, but in a"tuality, so many tolerant belief systems ha/e been grafted into this on"e great tree that itAs anyoneAs guess as to $hat type of fruit is no$ being produ"ed. ,he "ultural re/olution of the &'6*s "hanged the thinking pro"ess of our nation, and the fruit of that re/olution has no$ "ome into fullness. Can the produ"e of that matured generation be har/estedG .s this fruit edible and $ill it nurture our futureG 0nly if a serum of absolute truth is re2inIe"ted, one that "an re/i/e the original seed of faith that "reated this great land. @e must remember that moral absolutes "reate faith and establish a demonstration of integrity and "hara"ter that leads to $holeness. @hen a nation loses its moral absolutes, the a"tions of its people shift. 1orals are redefined. Poor "hoi"es are made. !nd o/erall la$lessness
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rises. ,o "ontrol la$lessness, therefore, more la$s must be established. !nd e/entually, the freedoms that $ere an original dri/ing for"e of life in the nation must be restri"ted and "ontrolled. ,his is the dilemma !meri"a $ill fa"e. e9ual freedom "reates an unhealthy $omb. @e as a nation ha/e but one "hoi"e at this time in order to sustain a futureB @e must go and sin no more. ,his $ill take a re/olution that is greater than any re/olution $e ha/e kno$n. ,he ne9t se/en years $ill determine $hether our nation be"omes healthy again or loses its /irility to produ"e a /ibrant generation. But GodH ,he female gender, their rights and their leadership are keys to the future of this nation. 1others nurture. . am not proposing that all $omen stay home and ha/e "hildren. 3o$e/er, . am en"ouraging $omen to be"ome the nurturers of the ne9t generation. 3o$ $omen /ie$ families and lead the family unit into the future is "riti"al to the armies of the earth. 3o$ $omen are allo$ed to influen"e the kingdom of God $ill be key to $inning the $ar against the for"es of e/il. . also feel that the !fri"an des"ent in !meri"aAs heritage is key to its future. ,he "i/il rights mo/ement in the &'6*s $as pi/otal to the re/ersal of oppression in this nation. ,he danger no$ lies in the hands of the younger generationsB @ill they "hoose to make the same mistakes, lash out in re/enge and oppress the ne9t minority groupG 0r $ill they take the lead, "hampion Iusti"e and e#uality, and release the strength of enduran"e that is so key to our nationAs foundationG ,hese generations may $ell be the serum of faith needed in this nation. ,hey represent more than a generation>they represent the hope of the family stru"ture. ,ragi"ally, $e ha/e "ome to a time $hen family must be rein/ented. Be"ause of our ini#uity, our "hildren no$ fa"e the "hallenge of o/erthro$ing the idols $e ha/e
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ere"ted. Re"ently at an annual gathering of the propheti" prayer mo/ement in 5enton, ,e9as, 5ut"h heets shared that he felt the ruling spirit in !meri"a $as that of Baal. Baal $as the demoni" ruler of Canaan, the most prominent idol mentioned throughout the Bible. .n =udges $e read about God "alling Gideon Dprobably at a young ageE to destroy his fatherAs altar to Baal. ,his $as no small task. ,o o/erthro$ the altar of Baal in GideonAs day $as not only an offense to those $ho $orshiped this god, but it $as also a dire"t slap in the fa"e to the ruler of that land>$ho, "oin"identally, held authority o/er GideonAs o$n father. 5estroying the altar of Baal meant that the ruler of that land $as dethroned. 4ssentially, Gideon $as putting a death senten"e on his entire family, in"luding his father. !fter offering a fe$ e9"uses Dand putting out a "ouple of flee"esE, Gideon obeyed and led a people to realign $ith the God of their father, !braham. ,he entire nation of .srael mo/ed ba"k into a pla"e of restoration be"ause of a single young $arrior. @e need a generation of Gideons to arise in !meri"a today. ,o "hange this nationAs "ourse, the arising generation must ha/e a "ounter2re/olution fueled by the pirit of God. ,he ini#uities of the father must be o/erturned for the ne9t generation to ad/an"e. .f $e go to $ar against the for"es of darkness $ithout re"ogni;ing our fathersA ini#uity, $e $ill be $eakened in the heat of battle. ,he Chur"h must be on full alert at this time. ,his is a time of re/elation, and the Lord is "alling together spiritual "oun"ils to release $isdom and dire"tion into the earth realm. !postoli" leadership in "ities a"ross our nation must rise up, and it is essential that these leaders ha/e full "ommuni"ation $ith those $alking in GodAs inter"essory propheti" dimension. @e as a Chur"h "an "ome into agreement $ith the throne room of hea/en and release re/elation to the earth so that "i/il go/ernment $ill gain "larity of GodAs
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purposes of Iusti"e in the earth realm. ,hese are times to fully find our footing so that $e $ill kno$ ho$ to stand in the future. .f $e gather the re/elation God is releasing from hea/en, $e "an see GodAs plan shifted into pla"e. @e must de/elop a <ingdom mentality. God also has a plan to release the $at"hman anointing in e/ery key "ity in our nation. . see the Chur"h standingH Fet if the Chur"h does not find its firm footing at this time, $e $ill see "i/il go/ernment "ontinue to mo/e outside of GodAs timing. . mentioned the importan"e of this in "hapter 6, but let me repeat the key /erseB 5aniel (B+7 says, J3e shall speak pompous $ords against the 1ost 3igh, shall perse"ute the saints of the 1ost 3igh, and shall intend to "hange times and the la$.J God has a perfe"t plan of /i"tory, but $e must re2e/aluate ho$ $e are $at"hing and $hat $e are seeing. @e must surround GodAs plans $ith prayers and inter"ession. @e must rene$ our prayer life for this nation.
,he 1iddle 4astB @ill ,here 4/er Be Pea"eG

,here is no region of the $orld that re"ei/es more media attention than the 1iddle 4ast. !t the same time, there is no area that is in su"h a perpetual state of "onfli"t. @e "ontinue to look for pea"e in the 1iddle 4ast, but pea"e $ill only "ome $hen the purpose of God is "ompletely fulfilled. !round the $orld, people remain di/ided by their staun"h loyalty to either .srael or the Palestinians. Go/ernments remain at odds based on $hether they are pro2 or anti2.srael. ,his perspe"ti/e "an e/en di/ide homes and families. 1any ha/e o/er$helming mer"y to$ard the Palestinians, and for good reason. ,heir o""upation and so"ietal gro$th $ithin the present2day boundaries of the tate of .srael prior to &'?) made them to appear to be a nation deser/ing of its o$n land. 1ean$hile, .srael appeared to be nothing but usurpers as they reo""upied
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and de/eloped their God2gi/en boundaries beginning in &'?) and a""elerating until &'6(. Until the last days, $ars $ill fore/er es"alate o/er these boundaries. 0n the other hand, many sympathi;e $ith $hat seems to be an .sraeli nation battling terrorists from $ithin $ho use methods of fear to "reate "haos throughout the land. !s =e$s, they ha/e be"ome a besieged nation surrounded by .slami" e9tremists $ho $ould rather see .srael "ompletely e9terminated than "ompromise or yield the land they belie/e is theirs. ,he Bible is e9pli"it that .srael is GodAs "hosen people. But does lo/ing the =e$s inherently mean that $e as the Body>1essiah2belie/ing =e$s, Gentiles and God2fearing =e$s>belie/e that all 1uslims should be reIe"tedG ,he ans$er is a resounding No- God has as mu"h "ompassion for the !rabs as 3e does the udanese, <enyans or .rish. !s a matter of fa"t, God $ill establish a house of prayer for e/ery ethni" group. God $ill ha/e a remnant that "omes to 3is holy mountain. ,he real issue of dissension and "onfli"t "omes from the spirit, !llah, that dri/es a people to hate GodAs "o/enant plan. @hen people $orship this spirit, this e/il for"e de/oid of gra"e, they be"ome bound and moti/ated $ith a deep2seated hatred for GodAs plan and for the la$ of lo/e that =esus "ame into the earth to bring. @e must respe"t the heart, desire and purpose of a holy God to set aside a people and a land for 3is purpose. 3o$ $e, as nations, "hoose to relate to this land and its people determines our future standing $ith God. @hether $e are sheep or goat nations re/ol/es around our relationship to the preeminent "o/enant 3e e9tended to !braham, .saa" and =a"ob. $he ConseCuences of #ncroachment Pam and . both "ome from the oil and gas $orld. Pam a"tually $orked for years in the 5epartment of Rates and
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Regulatory !ffairs, analy;ing "ontra"ts that dealt $ith the Federal 4nergy Regulatory Commission. ,his agen"y regulates $hat "rosses boundaries and ho$ harnessed energy is transferred to destinations that need energy. Pam $ould petition this agen"y on behalf of maIor energy "ompanies for permission to mo/e needed resour"es from one area to another. Companies "ould a"#uire energy from one pla"e, but it "ould not "ross a boundary $ithout permission. . also dealt $ith physi"al boundaries in the $orkfor"e. Before . finished my undergraduate degree in "ollege, . pipelined during the summer. -ot only did $e lay ne$ lines for gas transportation, but $e also did maintenan"e on an e9tensi/e net$ork of gas lines around the outh. 0ne of my Iobs $as to see if anyone had en"roa"hed on the pipeline right of $ay. . $ould report this, $hi"h then prompted an analysis of the original legal "ontra"t. .f needed, the Js#uatter,J as they $ere kno$n, $ould then be asked to mo/e $hate/er had entered the boundaries of the land. Fes, it seemed hurtful and heartless at times, but if trespassers remained $ithin a boundary $here they did not belong, they $ere in danger. ,hese are t$o e9amples of the need for boundaries and the authority that boundaries bring. God establishes boundaries. 5euteronomy &'B&? says, JFou shall not remo/e your neighborAs landmark, $hi"h the men of old ha/e set, in your inheritan"e $hi"h you $ill inherit in the land that the LORD your God is gi/ing you to possess.J 0n"e God determines a boundary, that boundary is inta"t in hea/en. 4arth must refle"t the boundaries in hea/en. @hen 3e planted the Garden in Genesis &, 3e determined boundaries. @hen 3e made "o/enant $ith !braham, 3e determined the physi"al boundaries of that "o/enant. 3e promised !braham and his des"endants /i"tory o/er e/ery enemy $ithin that boundary and made them ste$ards o/er all the resour"es $ithin those boundaries.
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4/en through the unfaithfulness of these des"endants, God has remained faithful to both 3is established boundaries and resour"es. 3o$e/er, the earth realm has been in "onfli"t $ith GodAs purposes. !t the "ore of the boundary $ars in the 1iddle 4ast is the #uestion of $ho really has authority. .n &'?), God began to restore 3is boundaries in hea/en ba"k in the earth realm. 3o$e/er, those follo$ing a spirit in dire"t opposition to God "ontest these boundaries, e/en refusing to re"ogni;e the legality of established offi"ial do"uments. !n online ne$sletter from <oinonia 3ouse offered this take on the "onfli"tB
.n &'?(, $hen both =e$ and !rab $ere offered their o$n states, only the =e$s a""epted. ,he original British 1andate in"luded land on both sides of the =ordan Ri/er, but the area no$ kno$n as =ordan $as gi/en to the !rabs. By the time the "arnage of the 3olo"aust be"ame fully kno$n, the =e$s and !rabs had been fighting o/er Palestine for de"ades and British efforts to re"on"ile the sides had not su""eeded. .n &'?(, the United -ations stepped in and /oted to partition Palestine into t$o separate states>one Palestinian and one =e$ish. ,he =e$s $ere not happy $ith the partition plan but agreed to the "ompromise. ,he !rabs, ho$e/er, maintained an all2or2nothing position and refused to a""ept the U.-.As plan. 3ad they agreed, the Palestinians $ould ha/e had their state in &'?(. -o$ that $hi"h $as agreed upon and legally a"#uired by the =e$s is longed for and "o/eted by the !rabs.&
,he problem $ith many radi"al .slami" groups is that they $ill only a""ept pea"eful terms if the nation of .srael is destroyed and the "ity of =erusalem is under their "ontrol. 0b/iously, these are not Jpea"eful "onditions,J yet the "ondoning of terrorism to "reate and $eaken a people is a maIor philosophy upheld in the many e9tremes of the 1uslim "ulture. ,his mindset does not only target .srael but also anyone $ho blesses and aligns as an ally.
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$he &ar Against Israel .n 2rom ra: to Armageddon, <eith .ntrater, a highly respe"ted 1essiani" leader and friend of mine, $rites the follo$ingB
,he satani" strategy to stop the return of Feshua has, by its /ery nature, three lines of atta"kB ,he terrorism of .slami" fundamentalism against .srael, the lusts of the se"ular humanisti" $orld to $eaken the Chur"h, and the reIe"tion of Feshua by rabbini" =udaism against the mo/ement of =e$ish belie/ers in Feshua. . am not speaking here of militant .slam, liberal humanism or rabbini" =udaism per se, but rather of "ertain spiritual for"es operating through them. ,hose three spiritual enemies are sui"ide terrorism, the lusts of this $orld and religious reIe"tion of Feshua.+ @hen $e speak of the physi"al des"endants of !braham, $e must re"ogni;e not only the =e$ish people, but also the other JseedJ of !brahamB the !rab people. ,hey are the physi"al des"endants of !braham through .shmael. .shmael $as born of 3agar, arahAs ser/ant. Fet he and the nation born of him are blessed be"ause they are also !brahamAs seed.... @e should ha/e a great lo/e for the !rab peoples. !s a =e$, . see them as our "ousins in the 1iddle 4ast. 5espite the horrible "onfli"ts that our t$o peoples ha/e e9perien"ed in this "entury and throughout history, $e should maintain the hope of re"on"iliation and pea"e is a/ailable through Feshua ... Both .saa" and .shmael $ere !brahamAs physi"al seed. Both of them $ere blessed be"ause of GodAs fa/or on !braham. .n order to prote"t the lineage of the 1essiani" seed, God had to separate the des"endants of .shmael and .saa" Dsee Gen. +&B&+E. 3o$e/er, that does not restri"t GodAs lo/e for the !rab peoples. !ll of the blessings of !braham are for the !rabs, e9"ept for t$o spe"ifi" aspe"ts of the 1essiani" "o/enantB ,he lineage of Feshua and the o$nership of the land of .srael... . !ll of the spiritual blessings of !braham are a/ailable to !rabs through faith in Feshua. -ot all !rabs are
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1uslims. ome of them ha/e maintained their faith in Feshua in the midst of a hostile 1uslim $orld.... .t is GodAs $ill for !rab and =e$ to be re"on"iled through the "ross of Feshua Dsee 4ph. +B&?2&7E. Ultimately, it is GodAs destiny for .srael and the !rab nations to be united in 3is kingdomT. Let us pray for a mighty re/i/al of faith in Feshua in the !rab nations, Iust as $e pray for .srael to be sa/ed.:
God lo/ed .shmael, but 3e hated 4sau Dsee 1al. &B+2:E. ,here are t$o different spirits dri/ing the 1uslim people. God $ill redeem one stream, and the other $ill "hoose ne/er to ser/e 3im. 0ne stream $ill find itself $ithin 3is boundary of gra"e. ,he other stream $ill be outside of gra"e, embra"ing hate and greed and al$ays attempting to take ba"k $hat it ga/e up in the beginning. 1any nations $ill "on/erge to en"roa"h on GodAs land and the resour"es 3e has gi/en !brahamAs seed. .n the 5ay of the Lord, 3e $ill go forth and fight against the nations that embra"e this attitude. 3e $ill send natural disasters to $ork on 3is behalf. ,his brings us ba"k to the #uestion originally askedB @ill there e/er be pea"e in the 1iddle 4astG . belie/e that 8e"hariah &? offers the ans$er. ,here $ill be many nations that stream to the 1ount of the Lord to parti"ipate in the Feast of ,aberna"les. ,hose nations $ill be sa/ed in the days ahead. 0thers $ill stream to GodAs "o/enantal boundaries $hile harboring the intent to o/ertake and rule in 3is stead>but they $ill be destroyed. Pea"e $ill "ome, but at the "ost of agreement $ith GodAs boundaries. 5e4anon< &atch for &ar 0n =anuary +', +**6, . $as ministering at =ubilee Chur"h in Camarillo, California, $hen the Lord began to speak to me about Lebanon. 0ne of the things they do at =ubilee is pray for the nations ea"h unday. @hen . sa$ the flag of Lebanon, the Lord began to #ui"ken a propheti" $ord to me. )3atch "ebanon,) 3e said. -ot only $as 3e
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speaking to the people of that "hur"h for them to $at"h o/er the nation of Lebanon, but . felt like 3e $as speaking to all of us as 3is people that Lebanon $ould be"ome a real prayer fo"us and issue this year. . $as hesitant to interrupt the ser/i"e and gi/e this $ord be"ause . $as not "onfident if anyone in the ser/i"e $ould understand the "on"ept of Lebanon today. 3o$e/er, . am glad that . heeded the LordAs /oi"e that 3e $as "alling us to pray for Lebanon this year. . heard the Lord say the follo$ingB
n the midst o* the summer, at the hottest ,oint, you will begin to see the snow o* "ebanon melt. 3atch as 9alestine and Syria *orm an ungodly alliance with "ebanon, *or "ebanon is at a *or= in the road o* change *or the +iddle 0ast. "ebanon will become an issue that causes the +iddle 0ast to go one way or the other. n the midst o* the beauty and grandeur o* this ,lace will begin to write a new scri,t o&er how the nations will realign. <ut o* "ebanon a new wines=in will *orm and a new ri&er will begin to rise. will bring con*lict into "ebanon because it is the boundary that will deal with this year concerning +y ,romised land o* srael. #he warli=e tribes o* "ebanon will once again arise. But in the end will win this war, and the riches that ha&e been withheld *rom +y =ingdom ,lan will be released. 3atch and see, *or there is a new &ision. 2or in the days ahead you will hear a cry arise *rom the dee, a**liction and mourning that comes out o* "ebanon. <ut o* the ancient city o* ;amascus, you will see a cara&an arise. , the Ancient o* ;ays, will create a con*lict in ;amascus. +y ,ower will be dis,layed to the world when brea= the con*ederation o* demonic hosts that are aligned against +y co&enant ,lan. <ut o* ;amascus will come a new mo&e o* +y S,irit. +any con&ersions and miracles will occur in the region that surrounds ;amascus. 3atch because am realigning the nations o* this region. will send angelic *orces to guard +y ,lan. No matter how Syria arises against that ,lan at this time, will ha&e warring angelic *orces that will counteract the ,lans o* men that are aligned with e&il *orces to create ha&oc. Sing the songs o* the Ancient o* ;ays, *or it is those songs that will create the sound o* &ictory o&er the lands o* this region.
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.n =une +**6, Iust as this $ord prophesied, .srael and Lebanon entered into $ar. .srael $as surprised at the strength of 3e;bollah that had de/eloped underground o/er the pre/ious ?* years. ,hough no one J$onJ the $ar, .srael $as stunned. ,his pro/ed the strength of the enemy mounting against .srael in days ahead. @e must $at"h yria no$H in"e bibli"al times, she has ne/er fully sho$n her animosity against .srael. 3o$e/er, as she is ba"ked by .ran and Russia, this $ill soon be seen. Iran< Is $here Another %agi 5ooking for the Christ ChildA 0ne of the greatest studies in the @ord of God is of the nation of .ran, $hi"h is fully represented in the Bible. .n the early &''*s . began to look at <urdistan and found ho$ the hope to this region $as the re/i/al and a$akening in the <urds. .tAs possible that the J$ise menJ that "ame to the birth of =esus $ere from Persia be"ause the same term $as used in 5aniel &B+*M +B+( and 7B&7. @e also find referen"es in the Bible to Persia, 1edes and 4lam>all of these referring to modern .ran>and Persian kings su"h as 5arius, Cyrus the Great, !hasuerus DOer9es the GreatE and !rta9er9es. !ll of these $ere sympatheti" to GodAs "o/enant plan. ,his $ill o""ur again. 3o$e/er, a great anti"hrist spirit has al$ays risen in this land. Presently $e find this happening. ,his area of the $orld, its people and politi"s $ill be in great "onfli"t o/er the ne9t &* years. 3o$e/er, God $ill enter these lands and on"e again resurre"t the fa/or 3e has for 3is people, .srael. ,here $ill be a great re/i/al among the <urdish people.
4nglandB Four ,ime .s -o$>!$akenH

. lo/e 4ngland. . ha/e been pri/ileged to /isit there and minister se/eral times. ,he last fe$ times . ha/e gone, $hile ministering, the Lord has spoken that no$ is the
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time for the "ountry to arise. .n 1ay +**?, the Lord e9horted the 4nglish as follo$sB
9ro,hets in 0ngland, you(&e got your wor= set out be*ore you. 'ou are in a di**icult time. #his is a season when ,ro,hets need to meet together, worshi,, cry out and ,ress into re&elation. #he enemy has a ,lan to su,,ress the &ision o* 5od in this land. ;o not get discouraged. 'ou need to =ee, saying what needs to be said, e&en i* it seems no one in this land is listening. #here is an unholy alliance being negotiated now in this nation. #his alliance will be de&astating to this nation in the days ahead. #his is a &ery *ormati&e time *or the *uture o* this nation. ha&e wor=ed in times ,ast to ,re&ent this nation *rom *orming this ty,e o* alliance. Howe&er, now it will be your choice whether you align wrongly or align with +e. say to the ,eo,le o* 0ngland, you will be contending concerning this alliance. 9ro,hets need to contend. ntercessors need to contend. A,ostles need to rise u,. #his is a time o* choice. will ensure that +y message is heard in this land so that the choice is clearly determined. #wo ,ro,hets in this land will go into high ,laces o* go&ernmental authority to tell them the dangers o* this wrong alignment. 2or i* this alignment ta=es ,lace, in *i&e years you will be o&erta=en by *alse gods. 'ou are on the &erge o* being o&erta=en now. Howe&er, there is still time to choose +e. 'ou ha&e three years o* choice that will set your course and determine your direction *or the ne4t se&en years. am raising u, the intercessory call in this nation. 3atchmen must ha&e a single eye in the land. #his is not a time *or di&ided minds and double7mindedness. will o**er an o,,ortunity *or this land to align with +y co&enant ,eo,le, srael. Howe&er, i* they re>ect this alignment they will *ind another alignment with 5ermany and 2rance at their door. Syria will also be a ,art o* this wrong*ul alliance and coalition. 0ngland, you ha&e a choice ... am calling +y ,eo,le in this nation into a time o* worshi, to create ,ortals that +y glory and *a&or can enter into the nation and bring +y choice o* li*e. #here is a sound in 0ngland that is li=e none other in +y ,eo,le. Join that sound with +y sound *rom hea&en now, and this sound will begin to co&er and ,ermeate into high ,laces in this nation. * you will allow worshi, to de&elo, in a
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new way in this nation, +y ,resence will begin to rule in a new way throughout the land. Join your ,resent sound o* intimacy and e4altation o* +e with +y sound o* war. ;o not >ust sing these songs with your mouth but allow the message o* these songs to ,ierce and acti&ate your s,irit7man *or war. am *orming doors in hea&en. As you worshi,, these doors will mo&e into the earth realm and gi&e you o,,ortunity to enter in and ,resent +y message to this land. am calling you to celebrate in a way that your enemies come to +y table. am ,re,aring a table be*ore you and anointing your shield *or war. ;o not resist in this season o* war. @aise your shield o* *aith high. ;o not become com,lacent and sym,athetic with the enemy that is in your land. * you do, your land will be o&erta=en. 3atch the =ey ban:uets that are occurring in this land. 5o&ernmental and social ban:uets should be watched care*ully. 9re,are the way *or +e to enter in and mo&e during these ban:uets. will gi&e ,ro,hets and intercessors and the watchmen o* this land *a&or in these eighteen months. 2rom the center o* this land a gate is being *ormed. ;etermine at this gate whether hell will rule or will rule. #he rulershi, at the gate o* 0ngland is being determined now.
$he 1word in the 1k* . returned to 4ngland briefly on 1ay +', +**7. !s . $as $aiting in London for a flight to -igeria $ith my tra/el "ompanions, $e looked out the $indo$s and sa$ an interesting pattern in the "louds. ,here $as "learly a s$ord embla;oned in $hite a"ross the sky. @e kne$ the Lord $as "ommuni"ating about the s$ord that had "ome into the atmosphere o/er London and 4ngland. -ot only did $e see this $hen $e $ere "oming through 4ngland on our $ay to -igeria, but also $hen $e arri/ed ba"k in London for our o/ernight stay. !nd $hen $e got to our hotel and looked at a pi"ture o/er the desk in our room, the sky o/er London in this pi"ture $as the formation of a s$ord $here t$o Iets had interse"ted their "ontrailsH haron tone, a dear friend and key propheti" leader in 4ngland, initiated a prayer effort similar to $hat 5ut"h
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heets and . did in !meri"a as $e $ent from state to state in our nation. God so/ereignly ordained us to be in 4ngland for a layo/er so that $e "ould be a part of the histori" 1iddlese9 County gathering in London. D@e met in the heart of this area, $hi"h hosts the finan"ial and go/ernmental "apitals of the United <ingdom.E @hile speaking to those gathered to pray, . said, J. see a stru"tural $eakness that God is addressing in the system of go/ernment in the U.<. .f God does not inter/ene no$, 4ngland $ill be absorbed by the 4uropean Union.J . e9plained that $e Jsa$ a s$ord in the hea/ens o/er London and 4ngland.J . then led the people to ask God $hat that meant at this time and e9plained propheti"ally that any /ision or supernatural phenomenon must be interpreted in light of the @ord of God. .n the Bible, a s$ord "an ha/e the follo$ing meaningsB $ar, pending Iudgment, a mali"ious tongue bringing di/ision, the po$er of truth, a $eapon linked $ith the armor of God or a pie"e of armor used in $arfare to produ"e /i"tory. . shared $ith the group /arious s"enarios from the @ord of God linked $ith the s$ord. .n 1atthe$ &*B:?, =esus stated, J5o not think that . "ame to bring pea"e on earth. . did not "ome to bring pea"e but a s$ord.J . shared that this $as a time that the s$ord $as being a$akened in the atmosphere o/er London. 0ne "ripture passage of importan"e that began to surfa"e $as -umbers &?. ,his is the "hapter in $hi"h .srael refuses to enter Canaan and 1oses begins to inter"ede for the people. . "on"entrated on t$o /erses. .n -umbers &?B:, the "ongregation "ries out, J@hy has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the s$ord, that our $i/es and "hildren should be"ome /i"timsG @ould it not be better for us to return to 4gyptGJ ,hey a"tually tried to ele"t leadership that $ould take them ba"k to their familiar "apti/ity. ,he other "ripture $as -umbers &?B?:B JFor the !malekites and Canaanites are there before you,
+:'
and you shall fall by the s$ordM be"ause you ha/e turned a$ay from the LORD, the LORD $ill not be $ith you.J . shared that the Lord $as saying this $as a "riti"al time, that the ne9t ?* days "ould determine the re/ersal of the po$er of unbelief that $as holding the Chur"h "apti/e in that nation. ,his is the "hapter in $hi"h $e read that the people $ere punished after they $ere un$illing to go to $ar $hen they sa$ the giants in the land. . sensed the Lord $anted to take a s$ord and "ut from the British the po$er of unbelief and passi/ity and the fear to $ar for their inheritan"e. . ended $ith =oshua 7 and sa$ a tremendous pattern that God $as trying to bring forth. ,his "hapter in"ludesB &. ,he "on"ept of "rossing o/er to ad/an"e to$ard your inheritan"e +. Cir"um"ision, or "utting a$ay, of the reproa"h linked $ith your past "apti/ity and unbelief :. ,he pro/isional "hange from eating manna to eating the produ"e of the ne$ land ?. ,he /isitation of the 1an of hea/en $ith the dra$n s$ord @hen $e sa$ the s$ord in the hea/ens o/er London, the hand holding and guiding the s$ord that $ould determine the future of this nation $as not seen. . belie/e this is the situation in many nations around the $orld today. @hat hand $ill guide and rule ea"h nationG ,his is the key #uestion for a remnant in ea"h nation to ask the so/ereign Lord $ho rules the nations. .n 4ngland . de"reed that tradition $ould not guide the Chur"h, nor $ould false religion Dthe s$ord of .slamE be able to be"ome the guiding for"e o/er 4ngland. From this passage . felt like God $as saying, ) want to ta=e charge o&er 0ngland and "ondon *or this hour. want to be the commander in chie* o&er how you ,rogress *orward *rom this day on. want to trans*er a new ,ower o&er you so that you can
+?*
*ace that which has been in&incible in your ,ast. .ontend *or +y sword to lead you in &ictory against the giants that you ha&e been unwilling to *ace in the ,ast. #his is your time.) . de"lared that if the people of 4ngland did not pre/ail no$, the s$ord of .slam $ould fall upon the nation. $he $ime ,as Come7 0n =uly (, +**7, . $as a$akened at ?B:* A.M., unable to breathe. !round 7 A.M., the Lord told me to turn on the tele/ision and $at"h the ne$s. . had been praying about a trip to 4ngland and $as e9"ited to return there $ith 5ut"h heets and a ministry team. . kne$ that the ?*2day period that had been prophesied $as no$H @hen . turned on the ne$s, . sa$ ,ony Blair making a statement that London had been atta"ked by terrorists. ,he underground transportation net$ork and bus net$ork in "entral London had been suspended due to se/eral bombings. !"tually, one of the buses that had been atta"ked>the one sho$n on the ne$s>$as dire"tly in front of the hotel that $e $ere s"heduled to stay in. t was the *ortieth day- @hen $e arri/ed in 4ngland, the Lord said, );o not resist in this season o* war. @aise your shield o* *aith high. ;o not become com,lacent and sym,athetic with the enemy that is in your land. * you do, your land will be o&erta=en.) 3e again reminded me that $e needed to keep a "areful eye on go/ernmental and so"ial ban#uets. .n +**(, . returned to 4ngland $ith a team and ga/e another $ord. haron tone, =ulie !nderson and Pastor am 0nyenuforo "o2hosted an in"redible propheti" gathering. ,hey e9pe"ted ?** people, but almost &,*** "ame. Fou "ould feel the atmosphere "hange $hen the $orship began. God began to release a propheti" anointing. . talked to the group about ho$ 4ngland $ould be"ome an .slami" "enter for finan"es, and ho$ situations $ould arise in their nation that $ould "ause them to align $ith the 1uslim $orld in a different $ay. ,his $ould
+?&
then "reate an opportunity for them to tou"h the 1uslim nations. . shared that if they $ere going to redeem their "all as an apostoli" nation, they must see a shift no$H . also shared that there $as a differen"e in $hat God $as doing in the nation and ho$ 3e $as "alling forth 3is kingdom people for this hour. 3ere is the prophe"yB
#here is a sound in 0ngland *rom +y ,eo,le that must come *orth now. will use national situations and *orces to cause your &oice to rise u, to +e. am going to resha,e the economic structures and go&ernment systems o* this land. ha&e determined this year to bring you to the end o* the o,en window that ha&e rested o&er you. #his nation will not sur&i&e without the &oice o* +y ,eo,le rising in this land. want to remember +y co&enant with youF want you to share in +y co&enant blessings with +e, but must hear your &oice. #he sound o* the &oice o* +y ,eo,le must come *orth now. 'ou are carrying that sound within you. ;o not be a*raid to allow a cry to arise in the midst o* this land. am doing one thing in this nation and another thing in +y ,eo,le. will use ad&erse circumstances in this nation to bring *orth the co&enant sound that has been held ca,ti&e. 3hen +y ,eo,le were in 0gy,t, they did not cry out to +e while they were building until remo&ed the straw that they were using. #he circumstances ahead will cause +y ,eo,le to arise and come *orth beyond the ,olitical correctness that they ha&e wal=ed in the ,ast. K.nterestingly enough, the ne9t day ne$s broke about &7 British troops "aptured for JtrespassingJ in .ranian $aters.L say to this nation? Alliances, di&ine alliances- How you align now determines the change in this nation as the world =nows you. Be care*ul not to allow the North, those o* the @ussian go&ernment, to in*luence you wrongly. * you ma=e alliance with the go&ernment o* the North, this will be contrary and wor= ad&ersely to the will o* +y ,eo,le in this land. 3atch &ery care*ully *or hidden meetings with hidden agendas that could cause this land to be ca,ti&ated and become a stronghold o* the antichrist ,lan. ;o not allow the enemy to threaten you as +y =ingdom ,eo,le and ,ersecute you in the *inancial arena.
+?+
'ou ha&e been a land that has used the sword many times, but this is the year that +y eye is u,on you. =now your comings and =now your goings. see the sword that is ho&ering abo&e you. Howe&er, l am o**ering +y sword to you. * you recei&e +y sword, then +y &oice will be heard in this land. #here is a generation that has ne&er heard the sound o* +y &oice that is rooted so dee,ly in this land. @each u, now and will cause +y sword to be ,ut in your mouth, and the world will hear +y &oice *rom 0ngland.
.f you feel like this prophe"y is part of your inheritan"e, or if it tou"hes a root in you, re"ei/e this $ord for yourself and pray for 4ngland in a ne$ $ay. Unless 4ngland be"omes a $arrior again, it $ill be "ontrolled and influen"ed by others.
ChinaB ,he leeping Giant !$akens

.n +**6, . took a histori" mission trip to China $ith Peter @agner, Che !hn and a $onderful inter"essory team. @e met $ith key leaders representing all the mo/ements in China. 5uring our time in 3ong <ong, $e spoke at a "onferen"e $ith thousands attending the night rallies. . also gathered $ith inter"essors from all o/er the "ity. .n BeiIing, $e "on/ened $ith many of the Christian leaders in that area. ,here is hunger for God in China. ,his is the nation of $orld$ide influen"e in days ahead. .t $as ama;ing to be in this "ountry. . had $aited years for this moment. @hen the Lord /isited me at the beginning of &')6 $ith a profound /ision Dthe one . shared in the introdu"tion to this bookE, mu"h of the re/elation 3e ga/e me $as about China. Peter asked me to be the first to speak to the leaders that had assembled from all o/er the nation, and . felt led to tell them about the /ision and prophe"y . had re"ei/ed in &')6. .n this /ision, the Lord "learly re/ealed to me $hat $ould happen in the ne9t ?* years in &*2year in"rements. 1u"h of $hat 3e sho$ed me re/ol/ed around this nation, its leadership and its people. 3ere are the details from my /ision that
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in/ol/ed ChinaB
8GHE? ,his $ill be the turning2point year. ,he go/ernment of the land $ill arise, and from its oppression mu"h "hange $ill begin to o""ur in the people. D,his $as the year of student re/olutions forming. ,he ,iananmen #uare protests then o""urred in &')', resulting in a massa"re.E 8GGE? .n this year, the go/ernment of the Chur"h $ill begin to arise in a ne$ $ay. !n apostoli" a$areness $ill enter the earth, and leadership $ith a mind for "hange $ill arise a"ross the earth. D,his $as the year Peter @agner "on/ened the -ational ymposium on the Post2denominational Chur"h at Fuller eminary. Bishop Bill 3amon regards it as the histori"al turning point for publi" re"ognition of the ne$ apostoli" mo/ement, of $hi"h the .nternational Coalition of !postles>leaders from around the $orld aligned in a net$ork to hear $hat the pirit is saying to the Chur"h>is no$ a "entral part of this mo/e. 4/en though God did not sho$ me the apostoli" "hur"h arising in China, . feel like the "onte9t of the o/erall /ision timeline in"luded China. @hen $e arri/ed in China for our /isit in +**6, the leadership of the Chur"h there ga/e a loud J!menHJ as . shared the o/erall /ision. ,hey also informed me that their greatest JleadershiftJ began in &''6.E BIIE? China $ill "ome into the $orld pi"ture. ,his $ill be the year China $ill take its rightful pla"e in the ne$ season. D!s the trip approa"hed, those in/ol/ed "ould all see $hy our Chinese ummit $as not held in +**? or +**7, dates $e had pre/iously $orked on, but in +**6. . also shared pri/ately $ith Che !hn that this /ision $ould be sealed $ith a Chinese mayor of Los !ngeles. Che mentioned that in 1ar"h +**6 a Chinese $oman $as ele"ted mayor
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of ,emple City in Los !ngeles County.E
BI8E? By Rosh 3ashanah D eptemberC0"toberE, China $ill take its pla"e as the most influential nation in the $orld e"onomy. .ts e"onomy $ill be se"ond to none. !t this point the United tates $ill realign itself $ith China and they $ill be allies. BIBE? ,he Chinese people $ill be the most dominant and influential people on 4arth, and China $ill ha/e the prin"ipal role of bringing in the $orld har/est. D5uring our trip, Peter shared $ith me that for some years he had been prophesying that by +*+7 China $ill be sending more Christian missionaries to other "ountries than any other nation.E
5uring our assembly $ith the Chinese "hur"h leaders, 5a/id @ang, a key apostoli" business leader, noted three signifi"ant obser/ationsB D&E the de2Christiani;ation of !meri"a, D+E the kingdomi;ation of the Chinese "hur"h, and D:E the Christiani;ation of China. .n +**7, China passed its first la$ regulating ta92free "haritable gi/ing that $ent into effe"t in 1ar"h +**(. 1ore re"ently, the Chinese 1inistry of Ci/il !ffairs approa"hed 5a/id to ser/e as a go/ernment "onsultant for formulating the la$s regulating "harities in China 3e has also been appointed to a go/ernment "ommittee "omprised of &** delegates $ho $ill ad/ise leaders on the lifestyle of ChinaAs youngest generation. .nterestingly enough, 5a/id also shared $ith us fi/e emerging themes among the Chinese people that $ould "ontribute to the histori"al pro"ess . had prophesiedB &. ! youthful population +. ! spiritual re/i/al $ith a fo"us on outrea"h :. 3igher edu"ation ?. 4"onomi" po$er 7. ! strong spirit of /enture
+?7
$he Church Is .ising in China ,he Christian mo/ement in China has three broad segmentsB the ,hree2 elf "hur"hes Dthese are the only "hur"hes registered $ith the go/ernmentE, the house "hur"hes Dthose that are unregisteredE and the ,hird Chur"h Dthose "urrently in formationE. ,he ,iananmen #uare massa"re of &')' "aused the ,hird Chur"h to be birthed o/ernight. ,his is a $hite2"ollar, hard2$orking, elite "onstituen"y of businesspersons and professionals numbering probably one million families. ,here are many ,hird Chur"h groups a"ross the "ities of China, but they ha/e /irtually no "ommuni"ation among themsel/es. ,hey, of "ourse, do not meet in formal "hur"h buildings. ,heir leaders are bright and passionate to ser/e God, but they ha/e /irtually no understanding of Chur"h go/ernment. ,hey ha/e a""ess to enormous #uantities of material resour"es, but they ha/e no $ay of systemati"ally deploying these resour"es. ,he ,hird Chur"h is fo"used on e#uipping its leaders and must de"ide if it is to be"ome a "losed "hur"h or an open "hur"h that $ill "hange the so"iety in China. @hile $e $ere in China, the Lord impressed Peter @agner to "ommission one of the leaders as a hori;ontal apostle to the ,hird Chur"h. ,his $as a turning point for this leader, follo$ed $ith a personal prophe"y. !s Peter began to take the authority to release the apostoli" mo/ement on the leaders of that nation, . reali;ed that the fulfillment of the /ision God had gi/en me +* years before $as happening. Peter began to de"reeB J,he ,hird Chur"h in China $ill "ome into unity, not in an e"umeni"al form, but in an apostoli" form for the transformation of this nation.J !t this point, . began to prophesyB
2or ha&e chosen you *or such a time as this. #he leaders o* the #hird .hurch will be li=e the +ordecais at the gates o* city a*ter city a*ter city. 'ou will begin to hear the ,lots o* the
+?6
enemy that are wor=ing in entire cities. ha&e caused the #hird .hurch to arise because this is the third day. 'ou will be ushered into ,olitical arenas to o,en the gates *or +y glory to come in. 'ou will understand +y times and seasons. am going to remo&e the trauma o* your birth. 2or the trauma in the #hird .hurch in its birth will now become the *oundation o* its destiny to change the ,olitical course o* this nation. 2ear not, *or those enemies o* your ,ast will not become an entryway to your *uture. t is the resource structure o* your in*luence o* this church that will redirect the course o* the +iddle 0ast. #his will be the church leadershi, that *orms a ,ath through hostile nations and ,a&es the way bac= to +y city, Jerusalem. #oday am ,utting the anointing o* ;a&id u,on you. Sta=e your claim *or the *uture-
America %eets the +ew 1uperpower .n #he nde,endent, Clifford Coonan pro/ided the follo$ing assessment in !pril +**6B
@hen President 3u =intao of China shakes hands $ith President George Bush in @ashington tomorro$ and gi/es one of his fi9ed grins for photographers, it $ill not be Iust another meeting bet$een the leader of a large de/eloping "ountry and the "hief e9e"uti/e of the ri"hest nation on earth. China is rising fast and is e9pe"ted to e"lipse the United tates e"onomi"ally in the future>its gross domesti" produ"t is tipped to o/ertake that of !meri"a by +*?7. @hile 1r. Bush has only gi/en 1r. 3u an hour of his time for a state lun"h, the global balan"e of po$er is "hanging and in future meetings, the Chinese $ill set the timetable. ,he rise of China is posing a$k$ard #uestions for the U. ., along $ith the reali;ation that its days as the $orldAs e"onomi" superpo$er are numbered.?
!s !meri"a de"lines e"onomi"ally, thanks in part to a debt2ridden, bloated middle "lass, China has managed to help its poor. China has "ontributed more to global gro$th than any nation o/er the last fe$ years. -o$ the most
+?(
populous nation in the $orld $ants its a""omplishments to be re"ogni;ed by the other $orld po$ers. !lthough =apan is a dri/ing for"e in !sia, China is in"reasing its e"onomi" gro$th rate ea"h year at a greater rate. China has already o/ertaken Britain and Fran"e to be"ome one of the $orldAs largest e"onomies.7 Coonan goes on to say, JChina, the emerging !sian superpo$er, is ruled $ith an iron fist by the Communist Party, $hi"h has transformed a on"e "entrally planned e"onomy into a free market one>Aso"ialist $ith Chinese "hara"teristi"s.AJ6 China is not a demo"ra"y, and many are angered o/er its attitude to$ard human rights and the Communist PartyAs treatment of organi;ed religions. ,he @est sees China as fa/orable to nations su"h as -orth <orea and .ran. !lso, China plays fa/orites to the oil2ri"h pro2militant2.slami" nations of !fri"a and "entral !sia. ays CoonanB J,he $ar in .ra# or .ranAs nu"lear ambitions are side issues "ompared $ith the #uestion about ChinaAs Apea"eful riseA and $hat to do $hen it de"ides to fle9 its mus"les. <een to keep the spin positi/e, senior Chinese foreign affairs offi"ials said 1r. 3uAs /isit $ould Apro/ide an opportunity for !meri"ans to better understand ChinaAs poli"y of seeking sustainable de/elopment and pea"eful gro$th.AJ( ,his is $hat . sa$ in the /ision God ga/e me in &')6. ,his is $hat is no$ be"oming a reality. 1y son, 5aniel, had a re"urring dream that he "ommuni"ated to meB
. $as in a "amp leading an army. @e $ere positioned on top of a mountain. @e $ere staying in old2style, "an/as tents. .t $as night, and . re"all looking up at the moon, $hi"h $as shining through a tree. ,he tree $as one that you $ould see in 0riental pi"tures and "ar/ings. . mo/ed to the edge of a "liff, $ith my army standing behind me. Belo$ in the /alley $as an en"ampment of enemy soldiers. . kne$ . $as /ie$ing
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into the Chinese army. ,here $ere far more of them than there $ere of us. 3o$e/er, . had a sense of pea"e. . kne$ the army ba"king me "ould defeat them. . also kne$ that $e "ould not mo/e for$ard until the da$n broke forthH
! ne$ day is breaking in the Chur"h. ,here are har/est angels that are being sent to ba"k the army of the Lord and 3is "o/enant people. China $ill be Jthe -ation of 5i"hotomy.J .t $ill ha/e an army set against the purposes of God and 3is People. !t the same time, China $ill send forth the greatest army of har/esters the $orld has e/er kno$n. Be at pea"e>the $ar ahead is already in the hands of the Lord.
,he ,ime for Fulfillment .s 5ra$ing -ighH

@ith e/ery nation and region . ha/e mentioned in this "hapter, the same #uestion e9istsB 3ho will rule1 @ill "ountries side $ith the po$ers of this $orld, or $ill they seek the $ill of the LordG @ill the kingdom of darkness ad/an"e, or $ill the <ingdom of Light e9pandG Psalm +?B& tells us that Jthe earth is the LordAs, and all its fullness.J JFullnessJ means that there is a pla"e of abundan"e Dsee =ohn &*B&*E. Fullness o""urs $hen something fills up or "omes to "ompletion Dsee 1att. 'B&6M 1ark +B+&M 6B?:M )B+*E. .n terms of seeing GodAs fullness in the nations, $e must remember that GodAs definition of this in"ludes a parti"ular number of Gentile sal/ations Dsee Rom. &&B+7E. !""ording to Paul, that is part of GodAs re#uirement for "ompleteness. 3a/e no doubtB ,he Lord will "omplete 3is plan of fullness in the earth. 3o$e/er, mu"h of that plan, as it applies to today, in/ol/es $ho $ill rule the nations. Go/ernments and leaders $ill al$ays /ie for $orld po$er, yet =esus promised that the meek $ould inherit the earth Dsee 1att. 7B7E. God $ill rule, and $e $ill e/entually reign. ,herefore, fear notH 4/en $ith the nations aligning
+?'
and mounting against the God of hea/en and 4arth, 3e $ill rule. 3e $ill see to it that the earth remains 3is, and it $ill be made full of 3is purpose and plan. @ill the nations rageG ,he ans$er is yes- 3o$e/er, ne/er forget that there is a God on the throne. 3is on ga/e 3is life to sa/e the people of the earth. 3e $ill always ha/e the last $ordH LetAs listen and stand "arefully.
C2A%T"R 3 The 2ar4est War
5ee# %raying and %ro#hesying6
ife is full of transition. @e are al$ays Iourneying from one stage to another>from "hildhood to adoles"en"e, from singleness to marriage, from ine9perien"e to e9pertise. 4a"h transition presents the opportunity for preparation. @hen you pre2 ,are something, you get it ready, put it together, frame it. ,he $ord "an also mean to get ready for a"tion, to gird, to bra"e, to fortify or to strengthen. God belie/es strongly in preparation. ,hroughout the Bible, $e find 3im urging 3is "hildren to be a people prepared for $hat 3e has "alled us to do. .t is no different no$. @e are "urrently in a time $hen preparation is essential. @ars $ill ne/er be $on by those "aught off2guard. ,he more $e are prepared for the enemies of our time, the more effe"ti/e $e $ill be in our battles to further GodAs kingdom. . belie/e there are &* $ays $e "an prepare for $ar during this seasonB &. <no$ $hy $e are at $ar.
+7+
+. <no$ $ho our enemy is and ho$ he operates. :. <no$ $ho $e are and ho$ God is preparing us for this future $ar. ?. 3a/e a strategy for /i"tory. 7. ,hink propheti"ally. 6. tay alert to a"ti/ity and anything unusual around us.
(. <eep our spirits ali/e and a"ti/e so that $e dis"ern properly. ). <no$ ho$ to get in tou"h $ith ea"h other immediately. '. Learn to understand ea"h otherAs $ays and methods of "ommuni"ation. &*. !/oid letting petty issues distra"t us>they may be the $ork of religious spirits. 3opefully by no$ you ha/e a grasp of the o/erall pi"ture of the days ahead. @e fa"e a multitude of $ars in /arious dimensions and from e/ery front. .n the ne9t +* years, all nations $ill re"on"ile around .srael, $hile some $ill arise to be"ome dominant on the $orld s"ene. ,he United tates of !meri"a $ill attempt to find its /oi"e ne$ and fresh but $ill not be heard as loudly as in the past. 1ammon $ill be the greatest influen"ing for"e of rule in the $orld. Bloodlines $ill "ontinue to "onfli"t $ith other bloodlines simply be"ause nations are "omprised of people $ith unredeemed blood. ,he "arnal mind $ill "ontinue, as al$ays, to be in enmity $ith God and resist 3is kno$ledge. !nti"hrist $ill "ontinue to ha/e a plan to rule the earth. 3o$e/er, the earth>again, as al$ays>$ill still be the LordAs and the fullness thereofH
,he Pe"uliar -ation

But then there is our role. ,hroughout this book . ha/e dis"ussed our response to these "oming $ars. . ha/e tried
,he 3ar/est @ar
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to offer insight and propheti" understanding in hopes that $e, as a Body, $ill be prepared and ready for the times. trategy is key, but so is a heartfelt passion to see the $orld full of the LordAs glory. @ith that in mind, let me offer this final "hapter as one "ontinuous $ord of en"ouragement. ,reat this as a "ommen"ement of sorts. 1ost of us ha/e attended a graduation "eremony. .tAs a "ulminating e/ent, a final "lima"ti" moment $hen those $ho ha/e labored for years finally $alk a"ross the stage $ith heads held high and re"ei/e their diplomas. !nd yet, $hen you think about it, the primary goal of the day is not to ha/e some long "eremony based on an offi"ial pie"e of paper being handed o/er. -o$adays you "an skip the "eremony and Iust ha/e your diploma sent in the mailH -o, the underlying purpose of a graduation "eremony is to send out those $ho ha/e passed e/ery test, $ho are ready to step into the ne9t realm, in the spirit of hope, en"ouragement and /i"tory. Graduation day is a "elebration, a sealing and a breaking>sealing the past and breaking into the unkno$n future. .t is a day of blessing. . hope these final $ords "ome $ith a similar $eightiness. @e no$ kno$ the $ars ahead, and $e $ill "ontinue to gain re/elation and understanding in an effort to be prepared. -o$ let the passion for seeing GodAs kingdom "ome ali/e e9pand in you. 0ften that starts by being reminded of $ho you are. 49odus &'B7 in the King James Version says, J-o$ therefore, if ye $ill obey my /oi"e indeed, and keep my "o/enant, then ye shall be a pe"uliar treasure unto me abo/e all peopleB for all the earth is mineHJ Psalm &:7B? adds, JFor the LORD hath "hosen =a"ob unto 3imself, and .srael for his pe"uliar treasureJ $KJV%. @e are a people of GodAs o$n possession. .n fa"t, $e are a spe"ial possession or property that is o$ned and guarded by the <ing of all kings. @e are a pur"hased possession that has been
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bought to refle"t a different type of <ingdom. @e are a superabundant superpo$er in the earth realm. @e are a pri/ate property, an e9traordinary possession, treasured by 3im. @e must ne/er lose this understanding. .f $e lose the "on"ept of $ho $e are and $ho $e belong to, $e lose the $ar in the hea/enlies and in the earth. But $hen $e are assured of the mystery of Christ in us, $e "an be used by God to master any situation in the earth realm that needs to be brought under 3is rule. First Peter +B'2&7 e9pounds on our identity and "harges us to $alk in a type of "ondu"t that $ill gi/e God reign in our life and in the earthB
But you are a "hosen ra"e, a royal priesthood, a dedi"ated nation, KGodAsL o$n pur"hased, spe"ial people, that you may set forth the $onderful deeds and display the /irtues and perfe"tions of 3im $ho "alled you out of darkness into 3is mar/elous light. 0n"e you $ere not a people Kat allL, but no$ you are GodAs peopleM on"e you $ere unpitied, but no$ you are pitied and ha/e re"ei/ed mer"y. Belo/ed, . implore you as aliens and strangers and e9iles Kin this $orldL to abstain from the sensual urges Dthe e/il desires, the passions of the flesh, your lo$er natureE that $age $ar against the soul. Condu"t yoursel/es properly Dhonorably, righteouslyE among the Gentiles, so that, although they may slander you as e/ildoers, KyetL they may by $itnessing your good deeds K"ome toL glorify God in the day of inspe"tion K$hen God shall look upon you $anderers as a pastor or shepherd looks o/er his flo"kL. Be submissi/e to e/ery human institution and authority for the sake of the Lord, $hether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to go/ernors as sent by him to bring /engean"e Dpunishment, Iusti"eE to those $ho do $rong and to en"ourage those $ho do good ser/i"e. For it is GodAs $ill and intention that by doing right Kyour good and honest li/esL should silen"e Dmu;;le, gagE the ignorant "harges and ill2informed "riti"isms of foolish persons $A+9%.
@e ha/e been pi"ked and gathered as an e"le"ti"
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group of hea/enly saints. @e ha/e been gi/en great po$er to rule in the earth. @e are a dangerous people that the $orld must re"kon $ith from generation to generation. @e re"ogni;e $ho $e are and $ho $e represent. @e are not a people of fear. @e are not unstable or unsound in our representation to so"iety. @e are a people filled $ith the lo/e of God, intera"ting $ith angeli"al for"es and de"reeing the message of God in the earth realm. @e are redeemed $orshipers $ho $ill fulfill the promises of a holy God. @e $ill gro$ loud as $e shout JFesHJ and J!menHJ to the promises 3e has spoken. ,he $orld $ill hear our /oi"e. 0ur priestly duties "ontinue to unfold from generation to generation. Fet our obedien"e in fulfilling these duties $ill al$ays "ause $ar in the earth $ith a foe $ho is in rebellion to God and attempting to lead mankind do$n a similar path. !s $e $orship, $e $ill rule and take dominion in the earth. &e &ar with 3ur Prophecies First ,imothy &B&) says, J,his "harge . "ommit to you . . . a""ording to the prophe"ies pre/iously made "on"erning you, that by them you may $age the good $arfare.J ,o be /i"torious, a propheti" people must be an inter"eding, praying band of $arriors $ho kno$ ho$ to use their s$ord. Like =a"obAs son, Gad, $e $ill be a troop that o/er"omes at the last Dsee Gen. ?'B&'E. @e shall "ro$d out the enemyAs plans and in/ade his territories and strongholds. @e may fall se/en times, but $e $ill arise from defeat and "hange into a garment of /i"tory. !ge $ill not stop this pe"uliar tribe. @e $ill be like Caleb and "ry, JLet us arise and o/er"omeJ Dsee -um. &:B:*E. @e are a strong people $ho $ill be able to endure perse"ution and suffering, be tempted yet resist until 3is blood in our /eins is on"e again spilled. @e are a people $ho see that 0ne has broken the "urse that ruled our li/es,
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and $e $ill resist any operation of the "urse from ruling us no$ and fore/erH @e are a people $ho are "oming out and J"rossing o/er.J @e are mo/ing from /i"tory to /i"tory. @e are re"ei/ing ne$ strength to blossom forth in the days ahead. @e $ill o/errun our enemies and all the strategies that are being de/eloped to o/er"ome and entrap us. Luke &&B++ says, JBut $hen someone stronger atta"ks and o/erpo$ers him, he takes a$ay the armor in $hi"h the man trusted and di/ides up the spoilsJ $N V%. @e will "on#uer, o/er"ome, pre/ail and get the /i"tory $hen "hallenged by the for"es of the $orld that $ould "onform and "ontrol us. @e will take our fields and bind the enemy from operating and holding the spoils for kingdom ad/an"ement. Romans &+B+& $ill be our mottoB J5o not be o/er"ome by e/il, but o/er"ome e/il $ith good.J 0ur latter end $ill be greater than our former. First =ohn +B&:2&? sheds light on $ho $e areB
. $rite to you, fathers, be"ause you ha/e kno$n 3im $ho is from the beginning. . $rite to you, young men, be"ause you ha/e o/er"ome the $i"ked one. . $rite to you, little "hildren, be"ause you ha/e kno$n the Father. . ha/e $ritten to you, fathers, be"ause you ha/e kno$n 3im $ho is from the beginning. . ha/e $ritten to you, young men, be"ause you are strong, and the $ord of God abides in you, and you ha/e o/er"ome the $i"ked one.
!gain, =ohn adds this #ualifier of $ho $e areB JFou are of God, little "hildren, and ha/e o/er"ome them, be"ause 3e $ho is in you is greater than he $ho is in the $orldJ D& =ohn ?B?E. !nd though it has been gi/en unto the de/il to make $ar $ith the saints and to o/er"ome us, $ith po$er gi/en him o/er all kindreds and tongues and nations, we will be a strong ,eo,le who do e4,loits in the earth and ,re&ail in the end. For, $e, this pe"uliar nation, represent the Lord of lords, and <ing of kings, and they that stand against the
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enemy are "alled, "hosen and faithful. !s Re/elation &+B&& says, J!nd they o/er"ame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the $ord of their testimony, and they did not lo/e their li/es to the death.J @e $ill o/er"omeH &e %o-e in the 1uddenlies Be"ause $e are a "hosen people, $e must "hoose our $ars "arefully in days ahead. ,here are many "onfli"ts around us that "ould trap us as $e try to right e/ery $rong. @e must allo$ our General to gi/e us a dire"ti/e and then mo/e as skilled $arriors to o/er"ome the enemy #ui"kly. .n #he Art o* 3ar, un ,;u saysB
.n general, the method for employing the military is thisB Preser/ing the KenemyAsL state "apital is best, destroying their state "apital se"ond2best. Preser/ing their army is best, destroying their army se"ond2best. Preser/ing their battalions is best, destroying their battalions se"ond2best. Preser/ing their "ompanies is best, destroying their "ompanies se"ond2best. Preser/ing their s#uads is best, destroying their s#uads se"ond2best. For this reason attaining one hundred /i"tories in one hundred battles is not the pinna"le of e9"ellen"e. ubIugating the enemyAs army $ithout fighting is the true pinna"le of e9"ellen"e.... ,hus the highest reali;ation of $arfare is to atta"k the enemyAs plansM ne9t is to atta"k their allian"esM ne9t to atta"k their armyM and the lo$est is to atta"k their fortified "ities.&
@e must be a strategi" people, $iser than the serpent and gentler than the lamb. @e must mo/e in the suddenlies of God, taking our assignments and shifting #ui"kly. @e ea"h ha/e been gi/en a portion of garden to $at"h after, prote"t, "ulti/ate and multiply. 4/en no$, $e are ad/an"ing in 3is glory, and that glory is in/ading other fields. ,his is the in/asion that is threatening the enemyH
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un ,;u "ontinues $ith these in"redibly rele/ant and propheti" $ordsB

@hen employing them in battle, a /i"tory that is long in "oming $ill blunt their $eapons and dampen their ardor. .f you atta"k "ities, their strength $ill be e9hausted. .f you e9pose the army to a prolonged "ampaign, the stateAs resour"es $ill be inade#uate. @hen the $eapons ha/e gro$n dull and spirits depressed, $hen our strength has been e9pended and resour"es "onsumed, then the feudal lords $ill take ad/antage of our e9haustion to arise. 4/en though you ha/e $ise generals, they $ill not be able to a"hie/e a good result. ,hus in military "ampaigns . ha/e heard of a$k$ard speed but ha/e ne/er seen any skill in lengthy "ampaigns. -o "ountry has e/er profited from protra"ted $arfare. ,hose $ho do not thoroughly "omprehend the dangers inherent in employing the army are in"apable of truly kno$ing the potential ad/antages of military a"tions. 0ne $ho e9"els in employing the military does not "ons"ript the people t$i"e or transport pro/isions a third time.+
@hen $e e9haust the $ealth of an enemy, the enemy must submit.
@e Pray $ith !ll <inds of Prayer, But !re @e till PrayingG

. am so thankful that the Lord or"hestrated my path to be $ith Peter and 5oris @agner. ,he @agners, $hen asked by the !5+*** 1o/ement to find leaders in nations $ho "ould mobili;e prayer for the &*C?* @indo$, immediately surrendered to the mission. ,o pray for this least2e/angeli;ed area in the $orld, they began to rely on the many leaders they had trained in the "hool of @orld 1ission at Fuller ,heologi"al eminary. ,his shift laid the ground$ork for ho$ prayer $ould be /ie$ed in the global Body of Christ. Global 3ar/est
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"reated $hat be"ame kno$n as Jthe prayer mo/ement.J .ndi/iduals and teams $ent on prayer Iourneys to all the nations inside this $indo$ of the $orld and learned about spiritual $arfare, prayer $alking, "onfronting the enemy, and $at"hing and inter"eding for har/est in a ne$ $ay. ,his "hanged the $ay $e /ie$ed the enemy of God $ho $as "ontrolling the har/est fields of the $orld. 5oris e/en took a team to the highest of high pla"es, 1t. 4/erest, to "ommand the enemies of the gospel to Jlet goJ of the har/est. ,his task of praying for the &*C?* @indo$ had a target date of +*** to "omplete the assignment. .n the o/erall pro"ess, Peter and 5oris s"heduled an e/ent kno$n as Celebration 4phesus to gather a prayer army at the ruins of the amphitheater in 4phesus for a four2hour praise and $orship "elebration. 1ore than 7,*** parti"ipants from 6+ nations gathered to $orship and praise the <ing of kings for all 3e had done during the de"ade. 5uring this prayer mission, the number of unrea"hed people groups $ent from &,(** to around 7**H !ma;ingH !t the end of &''', it seemed the prayer mo/ement $as not ending but Iust beginning. Peter and 5oris "alled us to shift our prayer fo"us from the &*C?* @indo$ to the ?*C(* @indo$, an area that begins in ."eland, en"ompasses all of 4urope, "rosses northern !sia and rea"hes to the northern tip of =apan. ,his "o/ered a region $here the gospel had on"e had an impa"t but that $as no$ "old and gripped by religion. ,eams entered all 6? nations of this $indo$. 3o$e/er, the prayer mo/ement had matured from the &''*s. ,hese teams $ere not Iust prayer $alking, but they $ere no$ also sear"hing and "onne"ting $ith the "hur"hes of the J-e$ !postoli" ReformationJ in the area. ,he #uestion $as being askedB J@here are the inter"essors, apostles and prophets, and are they "onne"ted and prayingGJ !s if heeding the "all,
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inter"essors $ere suddenly a$akened to the need to "onne"t $ith prophets and apostles in territories. .f prophets and apostles did not e9ist in "ertain territories, the inter"essorsA assignment $as to bring them to birth. By the end of this assignment in +**7, Global 3ar/est had matured tremendously. ,he ministry $as hosting global gatherings ea"h year. Peter $as leading the Body of Christ into a rene$ed understanding of our need for apostles and prophets today. ,his $as "ausing the prayer mo/ement to "hange drasti"ally. ,he ne9t assignment or prayer target $ould be"ome $hat Peter named the ' C & & @indo$>the area of the $orld $here most 1uslims li/e and the regions $here .slam is ad/an"ing rapidly. 5uring this same timeframe, 5ut"h heets and . heard the "all to /isit ea"h state in !meri"a and e/aluate the army of God in this nation. Fou "an read about that in"redible Iourney in @eleasing the 9ro,hetic ;estiny o* a Nation, the only kno$n propheti" history book of the entire United tates. ,he prayer army has made a great shift. -o longer are $e a group of inter"essors trying to find our $ayM $e ha/e be"ome prayer $arriors $ho are aligning in a ne$ $ay. +ew &ine Coming into the &ineskin From state to state in our nation, mobili;ation has begun again. 3o$e/er, this time the "onne"tions are differentB !postles are praying, prophets are prophesying $ith "larity, and inter"essors are birthing the future. -ot too long ago, the Lord "learly said to me that )the ,rayer mo&ement needs to be the wine *or the wines=in that is *orming.) 3e re/ealed to me that as the apostoli" go/ernment of the Chur"h matures, the prayer mo/ement has to stay fluid and remain ne$ as a drink offering to their region. 3e sho$ed me ne$ people in e/ery state $ho are to be in/ol/ed. 3e sho$ed me ho$ many of you had been faithful in the past season, but ho$ you $ill
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need to e9pand your "onne"tions. !n apostoli" go/ernmental anointing in the prayer mo/ement has no$ emerged. !s $e dra$ "loser to the end times and see spiritual $arfare intensify, $e need to pray in su"h a $ay that $e may re"ei/e re/elation for the battle and li/e in su"h a $ay that $e $ithstand the s"hemes of the enemy. ,he Lord so/ereignly positioned me $ith 1ike and Cindy =a"obs at the beginning of the &''*s. . $as a prayer $arrior, and Cindy $as an inter"essor. he has had great influen"e in my life. . listen "losely $hen she prophesies to the prayer mo/ement. Re"ently she spoke the follo$ingB ) t is time to shi*t the ,rayer mo&ement. 3e must become a,ostolic in our e4,ression. 3e must *ind the intercessors and the ,ro,hets and align them with the a,ostles in each state. * each leader o* the ,resent mo&ement will shi*t, their state will shi*t. * this shi*t does not occur, the "ord(s =ingdom will not be established *rom state to state and a nation will su**er greatly.) $he Current %o-ement o $here are $e as a BodyG Get a sense for the $onderful mo/ement of God through the follo$ing Dand itAs only the tip of the i"ebergHEB 1ike and Cindy =a"obs are presently leading an initiati/e to pray for the high$ays of our nation, fo"using on .nterstate :7. !postoli" prayer thrusts are arising throughout our nation. 5ut"h heets has de/eloped the -ational Go/ernmental Prayer !llian"e to align those interested in the area of go/ernmental inter"ession for dire"ted, pre"ise prayer. . "ontinue to surround our nation as . did $hen . /isited its maIor port "ities in +**7. D@e are no$ seeing more "learly the reason the Lord said to go to all these key ports.E 0ne of the greatest models of "orporate praying has de/eloped in 0klahoma, $here =ohn Benefiel and =ay $allo$ ha/e seen a re/i/al among the -ati/e !meri"an
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people as they "onne"t $ith the mo/ement of God for this season. <ansas and other states ha/e Ioined $ith 0klahoma to ad/an"e the prayer army in that region. !postles =ohn and =ay, along $ith =ean teffenson, ha/e stood faithfully to see the host people of our land restored, and they are trusting the Lord for the Resolution of !pology to the -ati/e Peoples to mo/e for$ard. ,his resolution re"ogni;es and honors the importan"e of -ati/e !meri"ans to this land and to our nation>in the past and today>and offers an offi"ial apology to the -ati/e peoples for the poor and painful past "hoi"es our go/ernment sometimes made to disregard its solemn $ord. .t is a step to$ard healing the $ounds that ha/e di/ided us for so long>a potential foundation for a ne$ era of positi/e relations bet$een tribal go/ernments and the federal go/ernment. !nother initiati/e that has begun is to pray for the ri/er systems throughout /arious states. Venner and Bill !lston of @is"onsin, Regina hank of 1issouri and many others a"ross the nation are pioneering this. =ames -esbitt led a group to pray for the Great Lakes. Barbara Foder has led many initiati/es in 1i"higan, in"luding a ?*2day $at"h for the "ity of 5earborn, $here .slam has its greatest "on"entration in our nation. -e$ Fork and -e$ =ersey ha/e t$o of the most /ibrant territorial mo/ements that are fo"used on praying the prophe"ies o/er their states. California has a great grassroots mo/ement and has been leading teams to pray for the distri"t "ourt system. .n ,ennessee and !labama, ,ammy !lsup de/eloped the first tate !postoli" Coun"ils to mo/e for$ard and see a region transform. Prayer "enters are de/eloping in Chi"ago and Las Vegas, and $e are establishing a @at"h Center in 5enton, ,e9as. ,ruly, the remnant in e/ery state of our nation "ontinues to rise and mature in the midst of the enemyAs raging influen"e o/er our "ulture.
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Changes ha/e been made $ithin the prayer mo/ementAs "ommuni"ations. @ith $ars in"reasing and $arfare intensifying, $e must be"ome more JintenseJ in our praying. God is leading us into ne$ le/els of strategi" praying so that the enemy does not o/ertake and defeat us in days ahead. ,his is a season of building for our future. @e are maturing into the re/elation that the apostle Peter de"lared>that =esus is the Christ, the 1essiah. 0n"e Peter gained that true re/elation, then the Lord "ould say, JUpon this re/elation . $ill build 1y "hur"hJ Dsee 1att. &6B&)E. .n 3ebre$, the "on"ept of building a"tually means to add sons and daughters>e9a"tly $hat $e $antH =esus added, J,he gates of 3ades shall not pre/ail against it Kthe Chur"hL. !nd . $ill gi/e you the keys of the kingdom of hea/enJ D/. &)E. .f the Chur"h is built properly, then $e ha/e the authority to unlo"k 3is kingdom purposes in the earth. Pra*ing for $ransformation ,he prayer mo/ement must mo/e into the ne9t dimension of influen"e in ea"h state of this nation and other nations throughout the $orld. !s $e pray, $e must make Jso"ial transformationJ more than Iust a bu;;$ord. .t must be"ome a reality. 5i/ine "onne"tions must o""ur for the army to "ommuni"ate effi"iently and effe"ti/ely. Communi"ation "omes from our connections and commitments. ,ransformation "omes $hen $e align $ith the mind of Christ and ha/e a "ommon purpose in ea"h territory to refle"t 3is spe"ifi" $ill for that territory. @e must kno$ $hat "ommuni"ation net$orks are operating in a region and $hat audien"es $e are influen"ing. Prophets must mature in their prophesying. 3ere is a #uestion . ha/e asked manyB !re you wine or a wines=in1 5o you flo$ predominately in the "ategory "alled $ine Dre/elationE, or are you de/eloping a $ineskin for others to pour intoG .f you are wine, $hat are you being poured
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intoG @here are you being pouredG .f you are a wines=in, $ho pours into youG God is raising up a <ingdom army full of prayer $arriors $ho kno$ their sphere of authority. @e are being sent againH @e must embra"e the shifting paradigms that are being "ommuni"ated this hour from hea/en. @e must assist in the de/elopment of strategies to unlo"k the nations of the earth. God $ill use this pe"uliar people in the earth to "hange the $ay 3is kingdom ad/an"es. Are we still ,raying1 ,he ans$er is a loud yes- ,he army of God is gro$ing stronger and stronger daily. !sk the Lord to rene$ your prayer life. Pray $ith $ords and pray the @ordH ,ra/ail and pray $ithout $ords. Pray in the pirit $ith $ords unkno$n. Commune $ith your 1aker and be bold in the earth realm $here you ha/e been positioned as a $itness to 3is lo/e, gra"e and po$er. peak and de"ree the @ord. @ar $ith your prophe"ies. 5o not let the "onfusion around you "reate a /eil of darkness that stops you from mo/ing for$ard.
,he Veil of 5arkness Can Be 0/er"omeH

0ur son 5aniel is a poli"eman. @hen he $as se/en years old, he and . $ent to a missions "onferen"e at Christ for the -ations in 5allas, ,e9as. @e $ere looking at e9hibits and he glan"ed up at a map that in"luded nations in the 1iddle 4ast. ,hey $ere painted in bla"k be"ause at this time in history they had not really been penetrated by the gospel. 3e then looked at me and said, J5addy, you are "alled to those dark nations.J . struggled $ith this $ord, but . kne$ it $as rightM . $as "alled to pray for those nations. . "ould see past the map and noti"e the /eil of darkness o/er those nations and ho$ it $as holding ba"k har/est in that part of the $orld. 0ut of the mouth of babes . . .
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. no$ ha/e /isited some of those nations and $ill "ontinue to ask the Lord to remo/e the /eil in that area of the $orld. Re"ently, =ohn 1ark, another of our sons Dthe bo$lerE $as in a bo$ling "ontest. .n this "ontest, they dropped a bla"k /eil in front of the lanes. ,here $as only one foot of lane /isible and then the "urtain hid the remaining 7' feet. For a bo$ler $ho bo$ls $ell, this is a great test to thro$ a ball $ithout being able to see do$n the lane. 5uring the pra"ti"e time, . sa$ that =ohn 1ark $as struggling. 3e $as relying upon his mind to gi/e him a strategy to o/er"ome. . finally said to him, J5onAt let the /eil of darkness "reate fear and "ause you to "hange your game plan. ,his is a spiritual issue.J 3is first thought, of "ourse, $as, J5ad, do you ha/e to see something spiritual in e/erythingGHJ 3o$e/er, he listened. Before long he $as thro$ing as if the /eil $ere not there. !fter his se/enth strike in a ro$, . kne$ he had mastered the /eil and $as hitting the mark. @e are to do the same. -o matter ho$ dark so"iety around us gets, $e must stay fo"used and Jhit the markJ $ith our prayers. @e must not "hange our game plan. ,he out"ome is already kno$nB the Lord $ins in the end. @e are simply "ollaborating $ith 3im in the /i"tory. !s the $ar unfolds, $e must be prepared and open to trying ne$ methods of $arfare to gain /i"tory. ,he $ar will "ontinue to unfold. But $e are a people $ho "ontinue to mature into the pe"uliar treasure that $ill ha/e the greater influen"e in the earth today.
#
Introduction< $he Changing 1tructures of &ar
&. +.
+ / + 3 $ # 1
Chu"k 5. Pier"e and Rebe""a @agner ytsema, #he 2uture 3ar o* the .hurch DVentura, C!B Rene$ Books, +**&E, pp. +)2:+. Chu"k 5. Pier"e and Rebe""a @agner ytsema, 3hen 5od S,ea=s DVentura, C!B Regal Books, +**7E, pp. ):2)?. -orm Chomsky and Carlos Peregrin 0tero, @adical 9riorities D1ontreal, Nuebe"B Bla"k Rose Books, &')&E, p. &7(. Chu"k 5. Pier"e and Rebe""a @agner ytsema, #he 2uture 3ar o* the .hurch DVentura, C! Regal Books, +**&E, p. 7?. Cindy =a"obs, 3omen o* ;estiny DVentura, C!B Regal Books, &'')E, p. &7:. Pier"e and @agner ytsema, #he 2uture 3ar o* the .hurch, pp. 7?26+. American ;ictionary o* the 0nglish "anguage, D an Fran"is"oB Foundation for !meri"an Christian 4du"ation, &')(E, J/iolen"e.J @illiam 1orris, ed. #he American Heritage ;ictionary o* the 0nglish "anguage, -e$ College 4dition DBostonB 3oughton 1ifflin Co., &'(6E, J"riti"al.J tephen =. Gerras, J,hinking Criti"ally !bout Criti"al ,hinkingB ! Fundamental Guide for trategi" Leaders,J =une +**6. httpBCC$$$.au.af milCauCa$"Ca$"gateCarmy 2usa$"C"ritUthkgUgerras.pdf Da""essed 1ay +**(E. <athleen 1"!uliffe, JLife of Brain,J ;isco&er +aga6ine, pring +**(, p. 7. Vi"toria "hlesinger, J,he 1otor Cy"le 5iaries,J ;isco&er +aga6ine, pring +**(, p. :'. Gerras, J,hinking !bout Criti"al ,hinkingB ! Fundamental Guide for trategi" Leaders.J "hlesinger, J,he 1otor Cy"le 5iaries,J p. :'. 5ut"h heets, Authority in 9rayer DBloomington, 1-B Bethany 3ouse Publishers, +**6E, p. &(+. Linda ,agliaferro and 1ark V. Bloom, #he .om,lete diot(s 5uide to ;ecoding 'our 5enes D-e$ ForkB 1a"millan Publishing, &'''E, p. +7?.
Chapter 1< 'ecoming a &arrior in a 1eason of &ar

&. +. :. ?. 7.
Chapter 2< $he %ind &ar

&. +.
:. ?. 7. 6. (.
Chapter 3< $he 'lood &ar

&.
+6)
+. :. ?.
3. !. 1a9$ell @hyte, #he 9ower o* the Blood D pringdale, P! @hitaker 3ouse, &'(:E, pp. &+2&(. Robert =amison, !ndre$ Fausset and 5a/id Bro$n, eds. Jamison, 2ausset J Brown(s Bible .ommentary, on 3ebre$s &+B+?. Billye Brim, #he Blood and the 5lory D,ulsa, 0<B 3arrison 3ouse, .n"., &''7E, pp. 7&27+. JResear"hers 5is"o/er 1e"hanism ,hat 5ri/es 5aily Body Rhythms,J Science ;aily, =anuary &&, &'''. httpBCC$$$.s"ien"edaily."omCreleasesC&'''C*&C''*&&?* (7+?'.htm Da""essed 1ay +**(E. For more on this po$erful "on"ept, . en"ourage you to read 9ossessing 'our nheritance DVentura, C!B Rene$, &'''E by Chu"k Pier"e and Rebe""a @agner ytsema. Robert 3eidler, #he +essianic .hurch Arising D5enton, ,OB Glory of 8ion .nternational 1inistries, +**6E, p. )6. .f you are interested, there is a $onderful, propheti" .ssa"har "hool "ourse on ho$ the Lord orders our steps through ea"h month of the year. Anderstanding the +onths 9ro,hetically is a/ailable for pur"hase through $$$.gloryof;ion.org or by "alling &2)))2'672&*''. Nelson(s llustrated Bible ;ictionary D-ash/ille, ,-B ,homas -elson Publishers, &')6E. nternational Standard Bible 0ncyclo,aedia D eattle, @!B Biblesoft, .n"., +**:E. 5ut"h heets, ntercessory 9rayer DVentura, C!B Regal Books, &''6E. Nelson(s llustrated Bible ;ictionary. Candi 1a"!lpine, #a=e Bac= the Night DLake 1ary, FLB Creation 3ouse, +**7E, p. &. ,here are prayer fo"uses asso"iated $ith ea"h of these $at"hes. ,hey are in"luded in the book @eordering 'our ;ay, a/ailable for pur"hase by "alling &2)))2'672&*'' or through $$$.gloryof;ion.org. #he New Anger(s Bible ;ictionary DChi"ago, .LB 1oody Press, &'))E. nternational Standard Bible 0ncyclo,aedia. J alah,J @ikipedia.org. httpBCCen.$ikipedia.0rgC$ikiC.slami"UprayerV,heUfi/eU dailyUprayers Da""essed 1ay +**(E. American ;ictionary o* the 0nglish "anguage D an Fran"is"oB Foundation for !meri"an Christian 4du"ation, &')(E, Jatmosphere.J
Chapter < $he $ime &ar

&.
+. :. ?.
7. 6. (. ). '. &*.
&&. &+. &:.
Chapter 5< $he Presence(and()lor* &ar

&.
4ndnotes
+6'
+.
<im 5aniels, 5i&e t Bac= $"a=e 1ary, FLB Charisma 3ouse, +**(E, p. &6). :. 5ut"h heets, Authority in 9rayer DBloomington, 1-B Bethany 3ouse Publishers, +**6E, p. +*. ?. Geoffrey @. 5ennis, #he 0ncyclo,edia o* Jewish +yth, +agic and +ysticism D@oodbury, 1-B Lle$ellyn Publi"ations, +**(E, p. 7). 7. 5erek Prin"e, Blessing or .urse? 'ou .an .hoose DGrand Rapids, 1.B Chosen Books, +**7E, p. ?7. 6. =eff !. Benner, J-umbers 6B+?2+(,J !n"ient 3ebre$ Resear"h Center, hebre$.org. httpBCCan"ient2 hebre$.orgC?*Unumbersl.html Da""essed 1ay +**(E. (. 1atthe$ G. 4aston, J5a/id,J Bible 0ncyclo,edia, Christian!n$ers.net. httpBCC$$$. "hristianans$ers.netCdi"tionaryCda/id.html Da""essed 1ay +**(E. ). Leen and <athleen Ritmeyer, 2rom Sinai to Jerusalem? #he 3anderings o* the Holy Ar= D=erusalemB Carta, +***E pp. 7+27(. '. =ohn 5i"kson, personal "ommuni"ation dated !pril &', +**(. &*. =ohn 5. Garr, 5od(s "am,, +an(s "ight D!tlanta, G!B Restoration Foundation, +**&E, pp. &:2&?. &&. .bid., pp. &62&(. &+. Robert 3eidler, How s 'our "am,stand Burning? Anderstanding the Se&en .hurches o* @e&elation DGlory of 8ion .nternational 1inistries C5 eries, +**6E.
Chapter !< $he Power &ar

&. +. :.
?. 7. 6.
1ark utton, 3al= #hrough the 3all, America DLong$ood, FLB Oulon Press, +**7E, pp. 9i9299i. .bid. .nformation regarding J1ithraismJ from @ikipedia.org httpBCCen.$ikipediaC $ikiC1ithraism Da""essed =une +**(EM 4d$ard =ayne, J1ithra Versus Christ,J 4d$ardIayne."om, httpBCC$$$.ed$ardIayne."omC"hristologyCmithra.html Da""essed =une +**(EM =. P. 3olding, J1ighty 1ithai" 1adness,J ,ektoni"s.org, httpBCCtektoni"s.orgC"opy"atCmithra.html Da""essed =une +**(E. .bid. JLeft,J 4n"y"lopedia Britanni"a 0nline. httpBCC$$$.britanni"a."omCeb"Carti"le2':6''7* Da""essed =une +**(E. JConser/atism,J #he .olumbia 0ncyclo,edia, i9th 4dition, +**&2 *7. $$$.battle by."omC67C"oC"onser/atsm.html Da""essed =une +**(E.
+(*
(. ). '.
&*.
&&.
&+. &:. &?.
Rabbi -osson "herman and Rabbi 1eir 8loto$it;, ed., @ashi, #he Art Scroll Series DBrooklyn, -FB 1esorah Publi"ation, Ltd., &'''E, /ol. 7, p. &6&. !braham Cohen, 0&eryman(s #almud D-e$ ForkB "ho"ken Books, &'?'E, p. +&'. JFederal Republi" of Germany,J 1 - 4n"arta 0nline. httpBCCen"arta.msn."omC en"y"lopediaU(6&7(6'&(U+:CGermany.html Da""essed =une +**(E. BenIamin 5angl, JLatin !meri"aAs Leftist hiftB 3opes and Challenges,J A,side ;own 3orld, 1ar"h &:, +**6. httpBCCupsidedo$n$orld.orgCmainC"ontentC/ie$C ++7C&C Da""essed =une +**(E. JCha/e; Boosts 3eating 0il Program for U. . PoorM ,akes $ipe at Bush,J ASA #oday, eptember +&, +**6. httpBCC$$$.usatoday."omCne$sC$orldC+**62*'2+&2us2 "ha/e;U9.htm Da""essed =une +**(E. =ames trong, Strong(s .om,lete ;ictionary o* Bible 3ords D-ash/ille, ,-B ,homas -elson Publishers, &''6E. =ay P. Green, r., gen. ed. and translator, #he nterlinear Hebrew7Aramaic <ld #estament, se"ond edition DPeabody, 1!B 3endri"kson Publishers, &')7E. @illem !. VanGemeren, gen. ed., ;ictionary o* <ld #estament #heology and 04egesis, /ol. & DGrand Rapids, 1.B 8onder/an, &''(E, pp. 6'?26'7. -ahum 1. arna, #he J9S #orah .ommentary, 5enesis DPhiladelphia, P!B ,he =e$ish Publi"ation o"iety, &')'E, pp. +?, :&. 3enry Cloud and =ohn ,o$nsend, Boundaries DGrand Rapids, 1.B 8onder/an Publishing 3ouse, &''+E, n.p. Christopher <night and Robert Lomas, #he Hiram Key D-e$ ForkB Barnes and -oble Books, &''6E, p. :76. Vine(s 04,ository ;ictionary o* <ld #estament 3ords, PC tudy Bible, /er. 7 D eattle, @!B Biblesoft, .n"., &'')2+**(E. American ;ictionary o* the 0nglish "anguage D an Fran"is"oB Foundation for !meri"an Christian 4du"ation, &')(E, Ja/ari"e.J 5i"tionary."om, 3ordNet! K.I. Prin"eton Uni/ersity, httpBCCdi"tionary.referen"e."omC bro$seC"o/etousness Da""essed =une +**(E.
Chapter /7 $he &ealth &ar

&. +. :. ?. 7. 6.
Chapter "< $he &ar of the +ations
4ndnotes
+(&
&. +. :. ?. 7. 6. (. &. +.
J0n Behalf of .srael,J <oinonia 3ouse 0nline, =une &(, +**:. httpBCC$$$.khouse.orgC ene$sUartideC+**:C7(( Da""essed =une +**(E. <eith .ntrater, 2rom ra: to Armageddon D hippensburg, P!B 5estiny .mage Publishers, +**:E, p. )?. .bid., pp. 6726(. Clifford Coonan, J!meri"a 1eets the -e$ uperpo$er,J #he nde,endent, !pril &', +**6. JList of "ountries by G5P DnominalE,J @ikipedia.org. httpBCCen.$ikipedia.orgC $ikiCListUofU"ountriesUbyUG5PU W+)nominalW+' Da""essed =une +**(E. Coonan, J!meri"a 1eets the -e$ uperpo$er.J .bid. un ,;u, #he Art o* 3ar, Ralph 5. a$yer, trans. D-e$ ForkB Barnes and -oble Books, &''?E, pp. &(:2&(?. .bid.
Chapter 9< $he ,ar-est &ar
2or more in*ormation about 5lory o* Lion nternational +inistries and other resources a&ailable *rom .huc= ;. 9ierce, ,lease write or call?
Glory of 8ion .nternational P.0. Bo9 &6*& 5enton, ,e9as (6+*+
PhoneB D'?*E :)+2(+:& Fa9B D'?*E 7672'+6? 4mailB planternXaol."om httpBCC$$$.glory2of2;ion.org

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Published by Regal Books From Gospel Light Ventura, California, U. .!. !

+ : ? 7 6 ( ) ' &* C &* *' *) *(

Wars Are Always Unfolding

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

! Battle Plan from 3ea/en

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

The Changing Structures of War

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

! ?*2Fear Plan in &*2Fear .nter/als

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

! e"ond Vision of the Coming @ars

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

seems more rele/ant no$ than e/erH

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

Becoming a Warrior in a Season of War

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

Be"oming a @arrior in a eason of @ar

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

@hose ide !re Fou 0nG

Be"oming a @arrior in a eason of @ar

<no$ Four 4nemy

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

4ntering .nto a eason of @ar

Be"oming a @arrior in a eason of @ar

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

Be"oming a @arrior in a eason of @ar

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

Be"oming a @arrior in a eason of @ar

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

Be"oming a @arrior in a eason of @ar

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

trategies for @ar

Be"oming a @arrior in a eason of @ar

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

Be"oming a @arrior in a eason of @ar

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

Be"oming a @arrior in a eason of @ar

@age @ar on Both Fronts

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

The Mind War

Critical Times Require Critical Thin ing

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

,he 1ind @ar

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

,he 1ind @ar

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

,he 1ind @ar

,he Nuestions of the 5ay

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

are youGJ DGen. :B'E

told you that you $ere nakedGJ DGen. :B&&E

,he !ngel of the Lord to 3agar

,he 1ind @ar

God to =oshua after the defeat at !i

do you lie thus on your fa"eGJ D= osh. (B&*E

God to .srael Iust before =oshuaAs death

ha/e you doneG D& am. &:B&&E

God Dthrough the prophet -athanE to 5a/id

God Dthrough GadE to 5a/id after numbering the people

GodAs Unfolding Battle Plan

+ : ? 7 6 ( ) ' &* C &* ' ) *(

! ?2Fear Plan in &2Fear .nter/als