ElijahMantle's blog

Rick Joyner: A dream he had about America 2011

 

 

On October 22, 2010 I dreamed I was walking through a log cabin that was 

the United States. Every room was a different part of the country. Small fires 

started breaking out in every room, which were easy to stomp out. As I started to 

walk to the door another fire ignited that I went over to put out. I saw that it had 

burned through the subfloor so I looked through it to see if I could determine what 

was causing these fires. The entire foundation of the house was covered in hot 

burning coals. I knew the house was about to go up into flames so I started to turn 

aside to grab my laptop. When I started to turn I heard the voice of the Lord say, 

“You don’t have time for that. Get your wife, and the fire hose.” The dream ended.

INTERPRETATION: Our national problems are much worse than we realize, the 

whole foundation of our nation is being consumed by a fire that is much bigger than we 

can now see. It is this bigger fire burning the foundation that is causing the little ones to 

break out continually. We look for and put out the source of these little fires now breaking 

out. My wife represents the church, and she alone has what can put out this fire—the 

truth, which is represented by the water from the fire hose.  

 APPLICATION: It was the pulpits of America that woke up America so that she 

could throw off the tyranny being imposed on her to become a free and independent 

nation. It is going to take the same kind of courage, boldness, and willingness to sacrifice 

to save our nation that it took to found it. It is going to take the preachers of America, the 

prophetic voices that are here for such a time as this—to again arise and stand for the 

truth, and to encourage all who have been entrusted with the truth to arise and stand for it 

without compromise. The battle for our future is far from over—it has just begun. The fire 

that is threatening to destroy our house is attacking the whole foundation and it is yet 

unseen by most. We have to wake up to this immediately and pour the truth out like never 

before or our country will very quickly go up in flames. 

 2011 is going to be one of the most trying years in our history. We are not fighting 

an enemy that can be defeated by elections, and there are times coming when it will look 

like a victory just to have an election in 2012. If the church awakens to her purpose by the 

end of 2012 we can be back on the course to a future brighter than any time in our 

history. If the church does not arise, and become the prophetic voice she is called to be, 

America will go into a terrible bondage and darkness.

COMING BEAR MARKET? 

 A week after I had the dream I shared above, a friend had a dream that I felt 

corroborated my dream. Following is an abbreviated version of what he sent to me (I am 

withholding his name because he is a missionary in a very dangerous part of the world): 

I had a dream on the evening of October 29 and again during the afternoon 

on October 30. I saw a giant grizzly bear running rampant through the US and the 

rest of the World, though primarily in the US. It was large enough that it could 

swallow a man whole in a single bite. People everywhere were cowering in fear. I 

watched in horror as it swallowed person after person with alarming speed, and left 

a swath of destruction behind it. As it approached where I was standing, that fear 

and panic started to overcome me, and then suddenly I felt a peace. That was 

when I noticed the Lord was standing next to me. He said, "Come with me, you 

have seen all that you need to here. There is something else you need to see."   

He took me to what looked to be a classic steepled church. When I walked 

inside while it still had the feel of a house of worship it looked more like a hunting 

lodge filled with trophies. Suddenly I saw what looked at first to be the rampaging 

bear. Then I realized that, no, this bear was considerably smaller, and while still 

menacing, it was nowhere near as fearful as the rampaging bear that I had seen 

earlier.  After a moment I realized that it was another trophy. As I approached I saw 

a plaque at the bear’s feet that said, "The Great Bear of 1929." Even knowing that 

it was a long-dead trophy I still stood trembling before this Bear. The same fear 

and confusion seemed to radiate from it as was radiating from the rampaging 

bear. Again I felt calm come over me as the Lord stepped up to my side. When I 

turned to Him, He said, "You need to stand in my peace to see clearly what must 

be done."  As I looked back at the bear I noticed a rifle in a case next to it.  It 

looked like an Old M1 Garand in .30-06 caliber. When I looked at the manufacturer 

information inscribed in the barrel it said, "Mission and Intercession Armory." In 

place of model number were two verses, "Matt. 6.33 & Matt.6.10."  As I was 

marveling at the rifle an old hunter came up.  He was dressed in a field jacket of 

WWII vintage. He said, "That rifle is great for killing bears. We used it to take down 

the Great Bear here. It is available for any who are willing to take it up now. One 

well aimed shot at the heart is all it takes." The dream ended. 

 INTERPRETATION: In both of these dreams there is an answer to the crisis. In 

dreams and visions bears usually represent fear, or as in this case, a ―bear market,‖ 

which is actually the result of fear. Though I was not told this in my dream, I felt that the 

fear that was devouring our foundation, and would soon consume the entire house, was 

an economic fear. In my friend‘s dream it was a bear bigger than the bear of 1929. Often 

the time when we have or wake up from a prophetic dream can have significance, 

indicating a date or a Scripture verse. That he had this dream on ―the evening of October 

29th‖ also speaks of 1929. Such a stock market crash is what we are now approaching. 

 APPLICATION: At this writing the market is going up around the world, with some 

reaching highs they have not seen since the 2008 crash. They may go up higher still, 

which is what happened in 1929. Even so, we are facing a bigger bear market than we 

did in 1929. This is when we can expect a great transfer of wealth like we did in the 

1930‘s, which is when some of the great and enduring fortunes in America were made. As 

one prophetic friend who has a very accurate record in national and international events 

told me last week, ―We‘re going to the  ̳bargain basement.‘‖ When I asked what he meant 

he said stocks are going to the basement, but that‘s where the bargains are.  

 I have followed this strategy of investing after a crash with my retirement accounts, 

which I did after the 2008 crash, and have done very well. Even before the dreams above 

I felt we were in for a big correction and began selling all of the holdings in my retirement 

accounts except for gold and silver. I am doing this to get ready to buy in ―the bargain 

basement,‖ and I am sharing this because I am so often asked what I‘m doing with my 

investments. However, much more important than what we are doing with our retirement 

accounts or holdings is that we heed the message of this dream in Matt.6:10 & 33—that 

we calm our hearts with the fact that His kingdom is going to come, and His will is going 

to be done right here on earth as it is in heaven. We are here to prepare the way for His 

kingdom, and to proclaim it. If we really believe this it would be where our biggest 

investments are going. As Jesus said, ―Where our treasure is, there will our heart be 

also.‖ Where are we putting our treasure? 

The courage and boldness of our founding fathers was demonstrated by their 

willingness to sacrifice their lives and their fortunes, and many of them gave up their lives 

or their fortunes. They got a bargain for their investment and treasure that is laid up where 

it cannot be lost or corrupted. There are many today who have likewise been given great 

fortunes for this same purpose. Will the truly great souls arise today as they did then?   

The election on November 2 was important and a step in the right direction for our 

nation. We should be encouraged by it. However, the crises we are now facing will not be 

solved in Washington. Too many times Christians have seen their candidates elected and 

then relaxed, feeling that things were now going to be okay, but they continued to get 

worse, if only a bit slower. We should support and pray for our leaders, but what we are 

now facing is beyond their ability to cope with. Voting is important, but prayer is more 

important than any vote. Prayer is crucial, but we must add to it the proclamation of the 

truth. Above all—get close to the Lord. 

 

Paul Washer - Shocking Message (full length)

 

Life Testimony of Jaeson Ma

嘻哈牧師~Jaeson Ma

Snippets 1040 movie

Jaeson Ma - Love (feat. Bruno Mars)

Prophetic Evangelism with Van Ness Wu 吴建豪, Jaeson Ma, Ed Huang 黃立全- 1040 Movie

Mike Bickle Interview- 1040 Movie

"1040" movie - Christianity in the New Asia

"1040" Movie - Teaser Trailer

1040 is an explosive documentary that focuses on the rapid changes in Asia and the significant shift of religious landscape in the area known as the 10/40 Window- the regions between 10 degrees and 40 degrees North Latitude on the Eastern hemisphere. Pastor Jaeson Ma takes us on an exciting journey through the Asian countries in the window, showing us the dramatic changes happening on the ground. We visit China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia. Through incisive observations, intimate interviews with prominent leaders and celebrities, and powerful, never-before-heard stories, 1040 Movie dynamically explores a part of our globe that is experiencing vast socioeconomic expansion and profound shift in identity.

Featuring Jaeson Ma, MC Jin, Van Ness Wu, Mike Bickle, MC Hammer, Philip Mantofa, David Wang.

Say Goodbye to the Untouchable Preachers

God is shaking His church and removing corruption. But we share the blame for giving charlatans a platform.

Al Capone once controlled all of Chicago. The notorious 1920s gangster bribed the city's mayor, bought the police and presided as king over an empire of casinos, speakeasies and smuggling operations. He dodged bullets for years and lived above the law—and earned the nickname "untouchable" because no one could bring him to justice.

Before Capone finally went to prison in 1932, he justified his crimes by saying: "All I do is satisfy a public demand." He didn't take responsibility for the pain he caused because he knew mayors, policemen, community leaders and bootleggers supported him the whole way.

"There is no way we can know how many unbelievers rejected the gospel because they saw the church supporting quacks who swaggered, bragged, lied, flattered, bribed, stole and tearfully begged their way into our lives—while we applauded them and sent them money."

I hate to compare any minister of God to a gangster. But the sad truth is that today there are a handful (well, maybe more) of unscrupulous preachers who share some of Capone's most disgusting traits. They are notoriously greedy. They are masters of deception and manipulation. They have bought their way into the charismatic religious subculture and used their uncanny hypnotic ability to control major Christian TV networks.

And, like Capone, their days are numbered. Justice will soon catch up with them.

These false prophets probably all started out with a genuine call from God, but success destroyed them. They were lured away from true faith by fame and money, and when their ministries mushroomed they resorted to compromise to keep their machines rolling. Now, in the midst of the Great Recession, God is closing in on them.

But before we rejoice that these imposters are being removed from their pulpits and yanked off the airwaves, let's hit the pause button and reflect. How did these false preachers ever achieve such fame? It couldn't have happened without help from us.

We were the gullible ones. When they said, "The Lord promises you untold wealth if you will simply give a thousand dollars right now," we went to the phones and put the donations on our credit cards. God forgive us.

We were the undiscerning ones. When they said, "I need your sacrificial gift today so I can repair my private jet," we didn't ask why a servant of God wasn't humble enough to fly coach class to a Third World nation. God forgive us.

We were the foolish ones. When it was revealed that they were living in immorality, mistreating their wives or populating cities with illegitimate children, we listened to their spin doctors instead of demanding that ministry leaders act like Christians. God forgive us.

We were the naïve ones. When they begged for $2 million more in donations because of a budget shortfall, we didn't feel comfortable asking why they needed that $10,000-a-night hotel suite. In fact, if we did question it, another Christian was quick to say, "Don't criticize! The Bible says, ‘Touch not the Lord's anointed!'" God forgive us.

We have treated these charlatans like Al Capone—as if they were untouchable—and as a result their corruption has spread throughout charismatic churches like a plague. Our movement is eaten up with materialism, pride, deception and sexual sin because we were afraid to call these Bozos what they really are—insecure, selfish, egotistical and emotionally dysfunctional.

If we had applied biblical discernment a long time ago we could have avoided this mess. There is no way we can know how many unbelievers rejected the gospel because they saw the church supporting quacks who swaggered, bragged, lied, flattered, bribed, stole and tearfully begged their way into our lives—while we applauded them and sent them money.

When well-meaning Christians quote 1 Chronicles 16:22 ("Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm," NASB) to cover up corruption or charlatanism, they do horrible injustice to Scripture. This passage does not require us to stay quiet when a leader is abusing power or deceiving people.

On the contrary, we are called to confront sin in a spirit of love and honesty—and we certainly aren't showing love to the church if we allow the charismatic Al Capones of our generation to corrupt it.

J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma and author of the new book The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale. Follow him on Twitter at leegrady.

Read more: http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/fire-in-my-bones/29039--say-goodbye-to-the-untouchable-preachers#readmore#ixzz0vjh7otXm

28 years ago on 28 July, he died at 28 years old. |28|28|28|

Remembering the life of Jesus in Keith Green.

Special Event 28.28.28
http://uofnkona.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=587&Itemid=703&lang=en

Website
http://keithgreen.com/

God's Strategic Plan for Iran

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God's Strategic Plan for Iran

Wednesday, 26 May 2010 09:31 AM EDT J. Lee Grady Newsletters - Fire In My Bones

An Iranian evangelist says a spiritual awakening of unprecedented magnitude is occurring behind the scenes in a nation known for its terrorism.

Most Americans have put Iran on a blacklist. We're concerned about Shiite militants who spread terrorism around the world, we don't trust Iran's nuclear weapons plans and we can't stomach Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's human rights record or his maniac ways.

But my friend Lazarus Yeghnazar, an Iranian evangelist based in England, hopes you will develop some compassion for this part of the world. Most of us associate the Bible with Israel, but did you know that Esther, Daniel, Nehemiah, Ezra and Habakkuk all walked on Persian land that is now called Iran? In fact, the tombs of Esther, Daniel, Habakkuk, Cyrus and Darius are in Iran.

""Yeghnazar says the churches are growing so fast in Iran that some leaders have wondered if they should stop evangelizing. ‘One church leader told me they have stopped sharing their faith because every Iranian they witness to comes to Christ.' "

Yeghnazar points out that Iranians were among the first Christian converts. The people known as Parthians, Medes and Elamites, who were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:9,11), were from what is now Iran. Jeremiah prophesied that God would "restore the fortunes of Elam" in the last days (see Jer. 49:39). Elam is modern-day Iran.

This promise of spiritual restoration is no longer a far-off dream. A vibrant New Testament church is thriving in Iran, in spite of brutal persecution under Ahmadinejad's regime. And this growing spiritual awakening in Iran could play a significant role in end-time events.

"In this repressive atmosphere many Iranians are coming to Christ," says Yeghnazar, whose 222 Ministries is reaching millions through television and Internet broadcasts. Currently more than 3,000 Iranians are converted each month through 222's work, even though the Iranian government has cracked down on satellite television and smashed satellite dishes in Tehran and other cities.

"The need is so great," says Yeghnazar's wife, Maggie, who does special gospel broadcasts for Iranian women. She says the women respond to Christ faster than men because they tend to stay at home.

Yeghnazar and his wife fled Iran in 1988 to base their operations in the U.K. Their Farsi-language programs not only bring Iranians to faith in Christ but also serve to strengthen the underground house church movement. Yeghnazar says the churches are growing so fast in Iran that some leaders have wondered if they should stop evangelizing.

Says Yeghnazar: "One church leader told me they have stopped sharing their faith because every Iranian they witness to comes to Christ. [The leader] told me, ‘We don't have enough New Testaments to handle the growth.' There is a huge need for discipleship!"

The challenges in Iran are huge. The country has an extremely high rate of drug addiction, and at least one-fourth of the people are depressed. About 60 percent of the nation's 71 million people are under age 26—and many of these are university students who are growing increasingly restless under Ahmadinejad's dictatorship. Police brutality is common—and it is often aimed at Christians who gather in groups smaller than 20 to worship.

"Believers in Iran are not praying for persecution," Yeghnazar told me, "but they know it is helping fuel the growth of their churches."

Yeghnazar is aware of the danger lurking inside Iran. The country has exported trained terrorists for 30 years and has fueled the growth of Hezbollah, the Palestinian Intifada and suicide bombers in Iraq as well as radical Islamic movements in North Africa and the Philippines. Yet he believes there has never been such a huge open door for the gospel in Iran.

The evangelist quotes from Isaiah 65:1 to describe what is happening in his homeland. "God said, ‘I permitted myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, "Here am I, here I am," to a nation which did not call My name.'" Today Iranians are not only coming to Christ in record numbers but they are downloading Farsi New Testaments on MP3 players, receiving smuggled Bibles and training young pastors to start new churches.

"In this repressive atmosphere people are coming to the Lord in record numbers," Yeghnazar says, noting that almost 200,000 unique visitors come to 222's Farsi gospel site each month. Many of them are seeking discipleship because they just gave their hearts to Christ.

I've been shocked to hear some sword-rattling Christians say they hope someone drops a nuclear bomb on Iran to stop Ahmadinejad. Let's put aside hate and open our eyes to what God is doing behind the scenes. The next time you hear bad news coming out of that country, remember that a growing underground church full of new converts is spreading from Tabriz in the north to the southern city of Shiraz, where Esther prayed and stopped a genocide.

J. Lee Grady served as editor of Charisma for 11 years and is now contributing editor. You can find him on Twitter at leegrady. Find out more about the work of 222 Ministries here.

Why Passover? by Chuck Pierce

Why Passover?

Chuck D. Pierce

So many have asked the simple question: Why Passover? In Exodus 12:13-14 we read, The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you when I strike the land of Egypt. This day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord. Throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance.

Robert Heidler

As we approach the celebration of PASSOVER we must remember that Passover is a celebration designed by God! This Feast and event was given to increase our faith and prepare us to enter into the fullness of His blessing! Passover was commanded by God for the Jews in the Old Testament to teach them the importance of redemption by the blood. But it was also observed by Christians in the New Testament to remember and understand God's redeeming work. The Bible tells us it is to be a permanent ordinance…a celebration for all time.

Many Christians don't realize that Passover is just as much a New Testament Feast as an Old Testament Feast. It's all through the New Testament. Jesus and the apostles all celebrated Passover. The original Lord's Supper was a Passover meal. The apostles taught the Gentile churches to celebrate Passover. In 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote to a predominantly Gentile church and said: "Christ OUR Passover Lamb has been slain, therefore let us celebrate the feast!" For hundreds of years, Passover was the most important yearly celebration in the early Church.

What Makes Passover So Important?

Derek Prince once said that the most powerful faith declaration for deliverance is this: "I am redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb out of the hand of the enemy!" He said that if you can make that declaration in faith, and keep on making it, something will happen. You will be delivered from the power of the enemy. That's really the message of Passover. The Feast of Passover is a faith declaration that we are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. It does something in us when we celebrate Passover. When we come together to remember God's great works of redemption, and declare the power of redemption in our lives today, it ALWAYS does something!

Passover is very important to God. But satan HATES Passover. The enemy has worked diligently to steal Passover away. The good news is: God is restoring Passover. But it is a battle! The battle for Passover is the battle for the Blood. Satan wants to give us a bloodless religion, because a bloodless religion has no power. The power is in the Blood!   

There's always a battle for PASSOVER. We see it in Church history. In the 4th century, when the emperor Constantine tried to merge Christianity and paganism, it sounded like a good deal to many. He legalized Christianity. You could go to church without having to fear being thrown to the lions. And Constantine didn't mind Christians having a celebration of Jesus' resurrection…but he did have an issue with PASSOVER. He demanded that Christians not celebrate Jesus' resurrection at the time of Passover. At the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325), he declared, "This irregularity  [observing Passover]  MUST be corrected!"

At the council of Nicea, Constantine outlawed Passover and directed that Christ's death and resurrection be celebrated on "the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox," which is a time associated with the spring festival of the pagan fertility goddess Ishtar also known as Eastre. (That's why in the Church today we celebrate the resurrection at Easter instead of Passover.) Constantine's goal was to remove Jesus from the context of Passover. 

The Battle Continues! Many in the Church resisted Constantine's edicts, so for many centuries after Constantine, the battle for Passover continued. In the sixth century, for example, Emperor Justinian sent the Roman armies throughout the empire to enforce the prohibition on Passover. In his attempt to wipe out the "heresy" of Passover, thousands of men, women and children were brutally murdered. Entire cities were massacred for refusing to stop celebrating Passover. (The battle for Passover has had many casualties.) Pressured by the government, the Roman Church joined in the attempts to stamp out Passover. Notice some of the decrees passed against Passover by various church councils.

A Curse Pronounced!

THE COUNCIL OF ANTIOCH  (A.D. 345) – "If any bishop, presbyter or deacon will dare, after this decree, to celebrate Passover, the council judges them to be anathema from the Church. This council not only deposes them from ministry, but also any others who dare to communicate with them." (The word anathema means "cursed." The Church actually pronounced a curse on Christians who would celebrate Passover!)

THE COUNCIL OF LAODICEA  (A.D. 365) – "It is not permitted to receive festivals which are by Jews."

THE COUNCIL OF AGDE, FRANCE (506) – "Christians MUST NOT take part in Jewish festivals."

THE COUNCIL OF TOLEDO X (7th century) – Easter must be celebrated at the time set by the decree of Nicea.
 
The battle for Passover is seen clearly in Church history! That battle against Passover is nothing new. We see the same thing in the Bible: satan always tries to steal away Passover, because he knows the celebration of the Blood releases power. Look what happened in Hezekiah's day:

Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He repaired and cleansed the temple, tore down the false altars, restored the sacrifices, and Davidic praise. Then Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah, inviting them to come to celebrate Passover. Couriers went throughout Israel and Judah: "People of Israel, return to the Lord." The hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king had ordered. A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast. They slaughtered the Passover lamb and celebrated the Feast for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites sang to the Lord every day, accompanied by instruments of praise. The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David, king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached Heaven, His holy dwelling place (see 2 Chronicles 29-30 for more).

The same thing was happening in Josiah's Day: Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. In the 18th year of his reign, while repairing the temple, they found the TORAH scroll in the temple. When the king heard the words of the Torah scroll, he tore his robes. He went up to the temple with all the people. He read in their hearing all the words of the Covenant. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant. The king ordered them to remove from the temple all the idols made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He tore down the quarters of the male prostitutes, which were in the temple…The king gave this order to all the people: "Celebrate Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this scroll of the Covenant." In the 18th year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem. Not since the days of the judges who led Israel, nor throughout the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, had such a Passover been observed" (see 2 Kings 22-23 for more).

We see a Biblical pattern! In both of these passages, God's people had drifted far from the Lord and turned to idolatry, and the blessing of God was lost. They turned back to God and sought Him, and the first thing God did was restore Passover! As they turned from pagan idols and celebrated Passover, they were restored to God and experienced great joy and blessing. That's an interesting pattern. Over and over again in the Bible, we discover that Passover had been LOST. Even during the Old Testament era, and even among the Jews, generations lived and died without celebrating Passover.

Why had Passover been lost? Satan had STOLEN it away! Satan always wants to steal Passover. Then, as a new generation turned back to the Lord, and began to read the Bible, they read about Passover for the first time. It seemed strange to them. They said, "We've never done this!" (That's exactly what we see in much of the Church today.) But as the Holy Spirit moved on their hearts, they celebrated God's feast of redemption, and God's power and joy were restored!

Why Does Satan Hate Passover?

Satan hates Passover because Passover is the celebration of JESUS. When the Church gave up Passover, it invented other celebrations of Jesus. That is how we shifted the timing of our celebration to Christmas and Easter. It's not bad to celebrate Jesus on those other days. (It's always good to celebrate Jesus.) But the celebration of Jesus that God gave us is called Passover!

The New Testament tells us that Jesus IS the Passover Lamb. When John introduced Jesus He said, "Behold the LAMB!" Paul said: Christ, our PASSOVER LAMB has been slain! Celebrating Passover IS celebrating Jesus! As the Passover Lamb, He shed His Blood to redeem us from the enemy. When His Blood is "on the doorpost" of your life, God delivers you from the destroyer. So if you understand Passover, you automatically understand what Jesus did.                          

On the original Passover night, everything pointed to Jesus. Every father in Israel was told to stand at the door of his house with a basin containing the blood of the lamb. He was to dip a branch of hissop into the blood and smear the blood on the two doorposts of the house. Then he was to repeat the action and put the blood on the lintel over the door. If you can picture the motion he made with that blood-soaked branch of hissop, you'll see he was making the sign of the Cross!

On Passover night, every father in Israel made the sign of the cross in the blood of the lamb. And as result, the family experienced redemption from the power of the enemy! God's deliverance always comes by His Cross and by His Blood. That's what Passover celebrates. You see, it was not by accident that Jesus died on Passover. God could have had Jesus die any time of year. But it was God's will for Him to die at Passover, so we would recognize that He is the Passover Lamb!

Passover is so important to God that He chose to have the most important event in history (the death and resurrection of Jesus) take place at Passover. God went to great lengths to CONNECT the sacrifice of Jesus to Passover. (This is interesting: Constantine's goal was to separate the work of Jesus from Passover, while God's goal was to connect Jesus' work to Passover.) God wants us to think of Jesus in the context of the Passover celebration!

The Timetable of Passover

It's interesting to compare the timetable of Jesus' crucifixion with the Passover celebration. According to the Torah, at the time of Passover a number of events had to take place in a specific order, and at very specific times.

1. The Passover Lamb had to be selected on a specific day. Exodus 12 instructs that the Passover lamb be chosen on the 10th day of 1st month. By the time of Jesus, only lambs from Bethlehem were considered eligible to serve as Passover lambs. So the lamb born in Bethlehem was chosen and brought into Jerusalem from the east (down the Mount of Olives) and entered the city through the sheep gate. On the 10th day of 1st month Jesus, the Lamb born in Bethlehem, came down the Mount of Olives and entered Jerusalem through the sheep gate. (This is called His "triumphal entry.") As He entered, the people waved palm branches and shouted "Blessed is he that comes in the name of the LORD! Save us, Son of David!" By mass acclamation Jesus is designated as Israel's Messiah! The crowds had chosen their Passover Lamb!

2. The Lamb then had to be examined. The Torah instructed that once the lamb was chosen, it had to be carefully examined for blemishes. Only a perfect, spotless and unblemished lamb would suffice for the Passover. After arriving in Jerusalem, Jesus went to the Temple to teach. While there, He was approached by the Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians and the teachers of the Law. Each group posed difficult questions, trying to trap him. Essentially, they were looking for any blemish which might disqualify Him as Messiah. But no one could find fault with Him. He was without blemish.

3. The Leaven (impurity) must be cast out. Torah instructs that before the feast, all leaven (impurity) must be cast out of every Israelite home. Each mother took a candle and searched out impurity, removing it from her house. This regulation is still observed today. Passover is a time to cleanse every house. Every observant Jewish family carefully cleans their house before Passover. Every trace of impurity is removed. After Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, He entered the Temple and cast out the moneychangers. He was following the Biblical instruction to prepare for Passover by cleansing His Father's house.

4. The Lamb is taken to the altar for public display. On the morning of the 14th day of the 1st month, when all has been set in order, the lamb was led out to the altar. At 9 a.m. that morning, the lamb was bound to the altar and put on public display for all to see. On the morning of the 14th day of the 1st month, when all had been fulfilled, Jesus was led out to Calvary. At 9 a.m. that morning, just as the lamb was being bound to the altar, Jesus was nailed to the Cross and put on public display at Calvary.

5. The Lamb was slain at a specific time. At exactly 3 p.m. the high priest ascended the altar. As another priest blew a shofar on the temple wall, the high priest cuts the throat of the sacrificial Lamb, and declared, "IT IS FINISHED!" At 3 p.m. on that high holy day, at the moment the Passover lamb was killed, Jesus cried with a loud voice, "IT IS FINISHED," and gave up His spirit. In Greek, "It is finished" is tetelistai! It means, "The debt has been paid in full!"

The Celebration of Jesus!

Do you see how God chose to connect Jesus with Passover? It's no wonder John introduces Jesus by saying, "Behold the Lamb!" It's no wonder Paul writes "Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been slain!" Passover is all about Jesus! Do you see that Passover is all About JESUS? 

• He came as the LAMB of God!
• His Blood redeems US!
• By His Blood…judgment turned away!
• By His Blood…the power of the enemy is broken!
• By His Blood…we are released from bondage and oppression.
• By His Blood…we are set free to enter into God's Promise!

Passover is the "JESUS" Celebration! The more you understand Passover, the more you appreciate Jesus! If you don't understand Passover, you have a hard time fully understanding what Jesus did. As you celebrate Passover, you are declaring your faith in the power of His Blood and His redemption. That's why one of strangest things in the world is that Christians all over the world have accepted satan's lie that Passover is not a "Christian" thing! Satan tries to steal away Passover, because he knows the celebration of the Blood releases power! When the celebration of Passover was stolen away, the power left! But when Passover is restored, the power RETURNS!

The Good News is—God is RESTORING Passover! All over the world churches are again celebrating Passover! And the POWER is returning! We invite you to celebrate the power of Jesus' Blood. We invite you to join with Christians all over the world in the restoration of Passover. Join with us in proclaiming: We are REDEEMED by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB, out of the hand of the enemy!

If you would like to know more about Passover and see suggestions for celebrating it, we recommend the book The Messianic Church Arising! by Dr. Robert Heidler.

Blessings,

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

Impt Message From Dutch Sheets - America

Dear Steve,

It is 5:00 a.m. I have been up all night praying and agonizing over the condition of America. While praying for the nation in general, and also concerning a gathering this summer to cry out for awakening in America, I felt drawn to the book of Joel. While reading it, this word began to stir in me for our nation. I know it is lengthy, but please read it prayerfully. Not since October of 2000 have I been so burdened for America. At that time I issued a call to prayer, which, due to the favor and anointing of the Lord on it, went viral. Millions received it and prayed. My heart cry is that the same thing happens with this word, for I am actually more burdened now than I was then.

America is in a horrendous crisis of monumental proportions, a season much like Israel in the days of Joel. This Old Testament prophet warned of devastating judgment coming to Israel, but laced the warning with hope and God's mercy if certain things occurred. That is precisely where we are in America. We Americans are a confident and optimistic people, which is often good, but can also create a dangerous denial and crippling passivity. This is happening with many. But please do not be deceived by those who are saying everything is fine. The truth is that we, as a nation, are in serious trouble. Listen to these words from Joel—they are accurate for us today:

What a day! Doomsday! God's judgment day has come. The strong God has arrived. This is serious business!...Shake the country up! God's judgment's on its way—the Day's almost here! —Joel 1:15, 2:1 (The Message)

The State of the Nation (America)

If God brought corrective but serious judgment to Israel, we are horribly deceived if we think it will not happen to us. If something doesn't happen to lessen this judgment—and it can be lessened—we are headed for very difficult times. The economy is going to be devastated. The stock market will go well below where it went a few months back—a crash is coming, and soon. More terrorism and violence will occur in our land, perhaps even war. In my spirit I've seen buildings crumbling and cities burning. Devastating natural disasters will take place. In general, hard times will be prevalent. Why is this so? Because we have turned from God and His ways. Consider the true condition of America. This assessment is bleak but accurate.

1) Our government is in decay. The current leaders of Congress promote homosexuality, abortion and socialism, while arrogantly ignoring God and the wishes of the people. They are proud, power-hungry, self-serving, career politicians, not the statesmen/women we so desperately need. Our President fits the same description. Along with the above, while honoring—in the White House—the Muslim day of prayer, homosexual activists and a coalition of atheists, he refused to honor the time-honored traditions surrounding the National Day of Prayer. And along with Congress and the President, we have many Judges with no regard for God's Word, the Constitution or our true history. The predictable verdict is in: America is in a moral and spiritual crisis of such magnitude that it is almost unbelievable.

2) What does this look like practically? From my grandparents' day until now, we have gone from 65% of Americans having a biblical worldview to now 4% of today's young people sharing these beliefs. This is staggering! Apart from an absolute miracle, which I believe is still possible, we have lost a generation of Americans to satan and secular humanism. Generally speaking, we are a narcissistic, self-loving nation that has accepted a culture of death, perversion, drugs and violence. We have murdered 51 million babies in the womb, and to satisfy the cry for a toleration of immorality and perversion, we are ready to throw away 6,000 years of honoring God's definition of marriage and family.

3) The Church, which is supposed to be salt and light for this mess, is neither. Though a remnant has remained faithful, for the most part the Church of America has become totally irrelevant and completely ineffective. We have produced lukewarm Christians and a generation that doesn't know God or His ways. Our pulpits are filled with smiles, not tears; entertainment, not passion; and self-help stories, not prophetic truth. Our feel-good messages and mega fun-centers have anesthetized us to the reality of our condition and, as opposed to offering solutions, are actually part of the problem. We, the Church, are not changing our world, we're being conformed to it. It's easier to find the truth about our condition as a nation on talk radio than in our churches. We have left our first love and abandoned our cause. In short, an apostate church, an ungodly government and a culture of death, perversion and self-centeredness has earned us an appointment with judgment.

There Is Still Hope for America

But there is still hope. God desires to bring a Third Great Awakening to America. It can be truly amazing—millions saved and delivered; all of society impacted in a huge way; the youth of America finally introduced to the true Christ in all of His power. But please hear me when I say this: Our prayers and actions will determine the magnitude and timing of this awakening; and the level of awakening will determine the magnitude of our judgment. Again, the hope-filled words of the prophet Joel are very pertinent:

But there's also this, it's not too late—God's personal Message!—"Come back to me and really mean it! Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins!" Change your life, not just your clothes. Come back to God, your God. And here's why: God is kind and merciful. He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot. This most patient God, extravagant in love, always ready to cancel catastrophe. Who knows? Maybe He'll do it now, maybe He'll turn around and show pity. Maybe, when all's said and done, there'll be blessings full and robust from your God! —Joel 2:12-14 (The Message)

What powerful words of hope! Re-read them. Our God is so ready to show mercy. But not to the proud and indifferent! The prescription to turn a crisis such as Joel warned of and that which we face today, and the trigger that releases the spirit of awakening to offset it have never changed: repentance, humility, prayer and fasting. Please hear me: This is our only hope for a reduced sentence. Judgment cannot be fully averted, but it can be lessened.

A Joel 2 Gathering: Wilderness Outcry

With this in mind, I now believe more fully than ever that a strategy recently given to some colleagues and me is from the Lord. There are and will be numerous opportunities for Americans to gather corporately and cry out to the Lord, but this is one that I know God has ordained and will use greatly. Through dreams and other confirmations, He has spoken and directed several national spiritual leaders to call for a "Joel 2 gathering." We are calling for tens of thousands of Believers to join us this June 14-18, for five days of worship, prayer and some form of fasting (a meal a day, etc.) in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. (Though we will have worship Monday and Friday, the heart of what occurs will be three days, Tuesday through Thursday.) Listen once more to the words of the prophet Joel—he articulates what we are calling for:

Blow the ram's horn trumpet in Zion! Declare a day of repentance, a holy fast day. Call a public meeting. Get everyone there. Consecrate the congregation. Make sure the elders come, but bring in the children, too, even the nursing babies, even men and women on their honeymoon—interrupt them and get them there. Between Sanctuary entrance and altar, let the priests, God's servants, weep tears of repentance. Let them intercede: "Have mercy, God, on your people! Don't abandon your heritage to contempt. Don't let the pagans take over and rule them and sneer, 'And so where is this God of theirs?'" —Joel 2:15-17 (The Message)

A Call to the Entire Nation

Can you hear the passion and desperation in these words from the prophet? One translation says: "Sound the alarm." No one was exempt from Joel's call: spiritual leaders had to come; young and old had to come, even nursing babies; honeymoons had to be postponed! No one was excused. And this sweeping appeal is no less appropriate today. I plead with you to hear the call: We have come to a Joel 2 time in America! So much hangs in the balance! How we respond to Him today will decide what America looks like for the next 50-100 years!

This Joel gathering will be led by individuals who have truly been mantled by God for such a time as this: Lou Engle, who carries the greatest mantle of our day for solemn assemblies and Nazirite consecration, will lead much of the gathering. Lou feels this could launch the next phase/generation of the Nazirite movement that was embodied in TheCall gatherings of the last 10 years. (Please go to www.wildernessoutcry.com to read a dream one of Lou's spiritual sons had about this gathering.) Karen Wheaton and Damon Thompson of the Ramp will also be leading the gathering with Lou and me. Without question, the Ramp has the greatest mantle of/for awakening that I know of anywhere. They will be releasing this anointing. There will be approximately 25 very anointed worship leaders joining us—the worship will continue 24 hours a day, pausing only for a few short messages—as well as other national leaders from around the nation. This is not a concert and it isn't a festival. It will truly be "presence" driven, and the Holy Spirit is going to hover over us for these special days and nights as we humble ourselves before Him. Can you imagine what it would be like if thousands of people from all 50 states did this in one accord for several days? I don't know if there has ever been a gathering quite like it.

Many of those attending will be camping in tents and campers on the land. We have room for 35,000-40,000 people to camp on this incredible property. (Go to www.wildernessoutcry.com to register for a site.) Many others will camp in nearby campgrounds, and for traffic flow reasons, be bussed back and forth throughout the day and night. Still others will stay in nearby hotels and also be bussed in. Even if you have to stay as much as an hour away, I assure you that these days will be some of the most significant of your life! And just think, in Joel's day they walked for hours—probably days—to join the gathering.

Please come! It is not too late for America. Together we can release the transforming effect of a Third Great Awakening. If Woodstock 40 years ago could change a nation, what could thousands of Believers crying out to God for several days accomplish?! We would like to have people from all 50 states, all ages and all walks of life. We can do this! (We already have a group coming from Hawaii.)

It is a small thing to ask for the Lord and the future of this nation. Help us sound the alarm. Even if you absolutely cannot attend, spread the word. Send this email to everyone you know.

I hope to see you in Poplar Buff, Missouri, as together we answer the call and cry out for mercy and awakening. Here is a final quote from Joel that states what I am believing for, not just through this gathering, but because of the many prayers and the true repentance that I believe will take place in the coming days in our land:

At that, God went into action to get His land back. He took pity on His people. —Joel 2:18 (The Message)

May it be so, Lord!

For awakening and reformation,

Dutch Sheets
Dutch Sheets Ministries
Email: kelli@dutchsheets.org