Fasting, voting, and the nations

Here at IHOP-KC, we are as a body giving ourselves to two forty-day fasts during the remainder of 2008, one beginning today and ending 08/08/08, and the second beginning Sept. 26th and ending on election day (Nov. 4th). For every four days of fasting it takes one day to break it, so a forty day fast should take ten days to break – this then gives us forty days of a normalized diet in between the two fasts. The purpose of the first is for the glory of God to break in; that we’d love Jesus more; to ascend the mountain of the Lord – this fast will be very devotional in nature. The second is obviously directed at having a God-fearing president in office, and will be heightened spiritual warfare.

While praying a simple ninety-second prayer for revelation concerning these two fasts, the Lord answered. He told me that the first was in preparation for the second, and that one without the other would be very ineffective. He said that to enter into the first with an understanding of the purpose of the second would posture us for faithful endurance for both fasts, which will impact not just America, but Islam, Israel, and China. We must have a president who will support Israel militarily, who will keep the troops in Iraq until governmental structure is put into place there (allowing us access to influence or even override administratively without question for something like the next ten years), and who fears God. Being pro-life is also paramount, but I will have to discuss that at another time.

Some quick info to help connect some dots: Saddam Hussein was a Sunni Muslim, as were those in power under him, though the nation of Iraq’s majority of Muslims are Shiite (the ratio being about 2:1). When we removed Saddam from his place of authority, suddenly the Shiites, who for so long were under the oppression of the Sunni leaders, saw an opportunity to snatch the open position. The American soldiers found themselves as aliens in the middle of a civil war. For a short time the Shiites had genocidal intentions, until they were suppressed by our confused but able Army. Were our next president to call our troops home and abandon the opportunity, even the responsibility, to have a hand in rebuilding legislation, surely the Shiites would once again shed the blood of their brothers, and elect a radical Shiite Imam (a leader). And were this to happen, Iran would certainly unite with Iraq (Iran’s ratio of Shiite to Sunni is 9:1).

[There are several major theological differences between Sunnis and Shiites. Sunnis believe that Allah can act aimlessly, does not show mercy or give grace, can command people to commit sin, and would be just if Allah sent a prophet to hell and Satan to heaven, because they do not believe in cause and effect; also, that we do not have free will in even the least of things, that prophets can sin, and that their leaders are not infallible. Shiites on the other hand believe that Allah only ever acts with a purpose, is merciful and gives grace, and could never command a person to commit sin; also, that we have free will in everything, that prophets cannot sin, and that their leaders are as Allah - infallible. If the Shiite leader is peaceful, his followers are peaceful; if blood-thirsty, then his followers are blood-thirsty.]

Now to discuss Israel. A generation of Jews have come and gone since 1967, which was when Jerusalem was seized and reunified by Israel, putting the whole of their chief city under their sovereignty. However, even this new generation does not love Jesus, the true God of Abraham (John 8:58), though their dwelling in the promised land was always contingent upon their faithfulness to Him. If this new generation is not a “Joshua generation”, what are we to expect but that God will raise up a wicked nation to judge them? Before the world’s eyes, America is a Christian nation – were our next president to no longer support Israel, who will intercede militarily for God’s chosen people? Just as when their fathers advanced upon Ai, putting their trust in the ark but presuming God to be with them, today’s Jewish Army trusts in their Air Force. What they will get – apart from corporate repentance – is a massive defeat, and, hopefully, a wake-up call.

Who our next president is, then, will also either alleviate or worsen the church in China’s end-time ministerial focus known as B2J: Back to Jerusalem, where they train up prophetic evangelists to give their lives that the Muslim nations immediately surrounding Israel would abandon Islam for Christianity, which, in effect, would provoke the Jews to jealousy – “and so all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 10:19; 11:25-27).

As I was laying on my bunk, receiving all that the Lord was releasing, He then began to speak of the first forty-day fast, tying the two together. Though the first will start out with the intention of me, an individual, falling more in love with Jesus, by His hand it will expand to nations giving themselves to an intimate relationship with Christ; not just America, but China, Israel, and the Muslim nations of the Middle East. As we intercessors climb the mountain of God, we must do so as priests and as kings of righteousness and peace, that when we stand as mediators in Christ we would have the mercy and grace from God to help in our time of need.

Celebrating Salvation

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Open wide for the Lord ye gates to the east,

here riding cherubim and no common beast!

The glory of the King is now entering;

fattened calves are ready for the wedding feast!

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Clap with the trees! With the prevailing hills sing!

Come with harp and bowl full of incense burning:

He who made Himself least, we crown as High Priest,

and stand on Mount Zion with palm boughs waving!

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I *will* speak in the tongues of men and of angels!

As some of you well know, I have been without a personal prayer language for the three and a half years I’ve been saved. For the first year I was not a little bitter about it, once even yelling at God in my car. The second year came and went, which was hard, seeing as we attend a church where nearly every worship cycle prays and sings in tongues for ten to thirty minutes. I did, however, receive a phrase (shoo-rrah-bah-kah) and its interpretation (receive the Holy Spirit), but it only caused me to become more frustrated about not having a *language* to pray in, especially considering it was an effort to say the phrase, and not “carried along” by the Spirit. During the third year, some friends and family received *their* love language, and it was difficult (but I did it!) to be excited for them and thankful. I was finally brought to a place of complete abandonment, and laid down all my desires. After some time and some testing, I can now say with excitement, praise the God of all spirits – those days are over!

While here at my Army Annual Training (AT) in Fort Leonard Wood, I’ve been contending for tongues in a very focused way. I woke up an hour early (and we were already waking up before the sun rose) and paced out on the lawn, babbling away. I would do this during my lunch break, and for an hour before bed. And in between, when I felt spurred to, I’d go pretend to talk on my phone. :)

At night I’d call my wife Kelly, who has had tongues since before I was saved, and ask her questions. All I wanted was to *know* if it was Spirit led, or just me speaking sweet nothings. I kept saying that: “I just want to KNOW. I just want to KNOW.” I also told her that in the midst of all the nonsense, a word would keep coming to mind that, when said, didn’t seem to fit. It sounded Spanish: “see-em-prray”. Surprisingly, Kel told me that it was *indeed* Spanish, and meant, “always”. Of course, I thought, “Cool, but I need more confirmation here before I believe all this babbling is You, God, and not me.”

After hanging up the phone, I went inside and started watching a David Pawson seminar on the book of Revelation. Not long into the DVD, he told about how he had once asked God for a name of His to pray that was the English equivalent to Yahweh, and to my utter astonishment, he said the immediate reply from the Spirit was: “Always”…! Suffice it to say, I was now convinced – I have the gift of tongues! And though it’s only been a few days now, the difference has been like night and day. Thank You, Father, for giving good gifts to Your children, and I ask for strength to continue in this gift as I had when pursuing it!

Be teachable

In a debate there are winners and losers.

In a discussion there are teachers and students.

Selah.

I’ve gone and stayed up all night!

For the past four months or so I’ve been devouring the scroll of Hebrews. Tonight, I thought I’d just have a late night “snack”, but somehow it turned into an all night “feast”! I ended up writing posts about the importance of rightly understanding priestliness in the end times, and why I believe there will be a millennial temple with mandated sin offerings from Jesus the Slain Lamb Himself. It won’t be until later today that I’ll wonder if I couldn’t have just put it off until a decent time, but for the moment I’m feeling rather good.

The sun has not yet advanced over the horizon, but its colorful banners are waving triumphantly in the distance, and the birds are even now heralding its victory over the night’s sky. Because Kelly will undoubtedly not understand as to why I’ve neglected my sleep, I think I’ll make her a nice breakfast in hopes to win her approval of me staying home and napping while she takes Z to the prayer room. One can dream, anyway.