Disappointment is something we all experience in life, and many times throughout our life.

How we deal with disappointment when it comes determines whether or not it becomes a stepping stone to greater maturity or the thing that becomes our future and our identity.

I was never known as a power hitter when playing softball.

That is what made the back-to-back home runs extremely surprising. I was a good place-hitter and had a good eye at the plate, so I would very rarely strike out.

But a power-hitter I was not!

We were playing a particularly tough team and not exactly expected to win the game. My first turn at bat in the game was a well-placed low line drive between first and second base mid-deep in right field—a very nice single that drove in a run.

My second turn at bat was a surprising rocket over second base, out of the park, that drove in runners from second base and third base.

When our team batted around that inning, it gave us a big lead. My third turn at bat came at the beginning of the next inning, I was the lead-off batter. The third pitch, I again hit a rocket over second base out of the park, a solo home run.

Crazy excited, I ran down the first base line like I had been shot out of-a cannon. When I rounded first and head for second I stumbled and rolled head over heels into second base. I quickly got up and ran toward third, only to stumble again. Unable to walk or run, I literally pulled myself into third base. Something was wrong in my right leg.

I was unable to complete running out the home run. Coach sent a pinch-runner in for me on third base, while they carried me off the field. My second home was officially recorded as a triple!

What a great disappointment—or should I say what a painful disappointment! I spent six weeks recovering from a torn muscle that was surgically repaired. That was the last home run I would ever hit. Eight years later, however, at 40 years of age, I would bat a thousand for the season, not recording my first out until the final game of the playoffs when I hit a fly ball to center field.

Our coach had fun teasing me because I had hit so well during the season and for the first three games of the championship. He mockingly said, “Did him’s make an out? Awe, so sad!”

Disappointments and regret can be a tool of the enemy to keep you anchored and unable to soar spiritually. Physical pain is difficult to deal with at best and can become a mighty weapon in the hand of the enemy, weakening faith and holding you captive.

Certainly, this story is of a minor disappointment and a small amount physical pain compared to the pain and disappointment someone suffers when they experience a marriage partner’s unfaithfulness; a severe car wreck; the loss of a business; or the diagnosis of a life-threatening disease.

The reality of human life is that disappointment and physical pain come to everyone and they come in all sizes and in all measures of severity.

Jesus said, “It is impossible that no offenses come” (Luke 17:1).

Living in a sinful, fallen world—populated by human beings with a sin nature that can be animated by Lucifer and his demonic hosts—makes it impossible to live free from disappointment and pain. The frailty and imperfect nature of our own being assures disappointments will come, accidents will happen and sickness and disease will be experienced.

That is the human experience.

The real issue is not the reality of disappointments and pain but how to successfully handle them.

How can you live free from the shackles of regret, the dark cloud of disappointment and the prison of pain?

1. Deal with the question: Why?

The apostle Peter gave us the first important clue to handle them well. He wrote, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12 MEV).

You do not handle pain well or conquer regret and disappointment when the feelings of betrayal or abandonment are dogging your emotion: Why did God do this to me? Why didn’t God stop this? Why did God not answer my prayer? It is not easy to accept the fact bad things happen to good people. It is not strange. It is the reality of living in a fallen world.

God has not failed you in some way. God has not abandoned you. Those are lies from the enemy and must be replaced in your mind and emotions with the assurance of God’s love; God’s care for you; and the firm promises, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Heb 13:5), and “No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, and He will not permit you to be tempted above what you can endure, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13 MEV).

It is critical to your well-being that you firmly deal with the question, “Why?” Do not allow it to linger in your mind and to be spoken from your lips. Replace it with a bold declaration of God’s presence, His love and His affirmation. He has your best at His heart. He will make good come of this somehow. You probably cannot see any way good can come from it right now. He already knows. He is faithful. You can trust Him. He will bring good into your life, even out of this.

2. Choose not to allow disappointment to define you.

The second step in dealing victoriously with disappointment and pain requires building strong spiritual muscles and good skills in disciplining your thought life and managing your emotions. You must choose to not allow pain and disappointment to define your life.

My son and I were returning home from the store with a quart of eggnog. It was Christmas Eve, 1992. According to our family tradition, our first eggnog was enjoyed the afternoon or evening of Christmas Eve. Don’t know why—it was just a fun tradition established early in our marriage.

Half a block from home, a drunk driver ran a stop sign and hit a car broad-side. That car, speeding at forty-five miles an hour in a residential neighborhood, hit our car head on. The severe injuries suffered in that accident filled my body with pain 24 hours a day. Six months later, my life was being defined by pain. I had “bad pain days” and “not-so-bad days.” Depression was creeping under the doors of my life and impacting my days. It was affecting my attitude and my work.

I had to make a choice. Would I allow my physical man and the pain in my body to determine my identity and my future and to dictate my behavior? Or would I allow Holy Spirit who dwells within me to rule my thoughts and my emotions and to dictate my behavior?

It is a choice we all have to make on a regular basis, when dealing with temptation and daily circumstances. In the case of disappointment and physical pain, it is more challenging and much more difficult because it is part of us and so constant. It is a choice we must make, nonetheless.

Jesus Christ lives in us. Holy Spirit empowers us. Ephesians 3:17-21 gives the assurance we need to make such a difficult choice.

1.  We can be strengthened with supernatural might by Holy Spirit in the inner-man.
2.  Jesus Christ dwells in us and anchors our life in the love of God. His care for us and firm resolve for our best is always at the center of His heart.
3.  Our life is filled with all the fullness of God, no matter what we suffer physically or emotionally.
4.  He will do exceedingly above all we could ask or even think.

Therefore, I can choose joy over pain. I can choose to walk past disappointment into a future filled with hope and assurance.

Holy Spirit fills my life with the supernatural power of almighty God. My pain and my disappointment do not weaken or diminish the scope of His power in me. My faith and my choice are the only factors regulating the measure of His power and influence in my life.

When the truth of these verses filled my mind and my heart, I embraced the reality of Holy Spirit influence in my life. I chose love, joy and peace over my pain-filled days.

It was not easy. It was “painfully” difficult at first, and would only last for about an hour or two. But, as I built those spiritual muscles and discovered how very personal and real Holy Spirit is in my life, He gained greater and greater influence over my mind and my emotions.

It did not lessen the pain or change the reality of how that accident on Christmas Eve impacted my life and my family.

But it has transformed my days.

Depression no longer clouds my mind. Pain no longer dictates the quality of my life. Love, joy and peace from Holy Spirit fill my emotions, control my thinking and rule my tongue.

Oh, I still have to make the choice on a daily basis. It is not a one-time choice for a lifetime.

While it is initiated with a single choice to no longer allow disappointment and pain to rule your life, it must be a choice you make daily. Sometimes it is an hour-by-hour choice to live by Holy Spirit influence over your thoughts and over your emotions, so that physical pain or past memory are not in control.

The reality of the apostle Peter’s exhortation has deepened in my life over the years. I don’t know if one can fully grasp the measure of truth revealed in his words until we have allowed Holy Spirit to walk us through deep disappointment and severe pain. I pray the depth of his words become very real for you, as well.

“But rejoice insofar as you share in Christ’s sufferings, so that you may rejoice and be glad also in the revelation of His glory” (1 Pet. 4:13 MEV).

Dr. F. Dean Hackett has served in full-time Christian ministry since October 1971. He has ministered throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, serving as pastor, conference speaker and mentor. He has planted four churches, assisted in planting 15 others, and currently serves as lead pastor of Living Faith Church in Hermiston, Oregon. Dr. Hackett founded Spirit Life Ministries International in 2001 to facilitate ministries in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to open a training center for workers in those nations. You can find him at F. Dean Hackett – Foundational, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

When I was 19, I moved to Israel to join the army. I came with intense Zionism and a deep sense of responsibility to protect my people.

Since I am Jewish, it only made sense, and when I landed on Israeli soil I had only one thing in mind—drafting into the Israeli Defense Forces. After arriving and getting settled, the army finally called me up. The months of basic training felt like nothing compared to the fire inside of me.

During training we learned many things: Zionism, Israeli politics, Judaism, and Hebrew—and we also learned about the Holocaust. This had a particular influence on my unit as most of them were great-grandchildren of survivors. Our commanders emphasized to us: “Never Again!” or, in Hebrew: LeOlam Lo!

Shortly after basic training we became “official” soldiers in the IDF, and to do so we had swear into the army. During this special ceremony we swore to “Never Again!” allow such horrors to befall our people. We understood that our training allowed us to make sure that the Jewish people would remain forever safe in our homeland. It was a powerful moment for us as we stood with our guns and swore that “Never Again!” would an enemy annihilate the nation of Israel.

Reminiscing about it now makes that day since I completed my service and was released—nearly two years ago—seem like a very distant memory for me. But all of my training and service came back to me recently when we pulled up to the courtyard at Dachau in Germany.

A long pathway dotted with sturdy, tall trees welcomed us. The silence of the place was eerie as we started walking down the gravel road. Each step drawing closer to the gates ahead, the tour guide didn’t say a word and the only sound was that of our footsteps against the stony ground. It was hot and the sun seemed relentless, as the heat of summer should have faded by then, but instead it felt like a cruel punishment on such a long day.

Arbeit macht frei, “work for freedom” sprung into my head as the gate became visible. I didn’t know German, but I knew what the sign said. They made us study it in basic training. Work for freedom. What a distortion. Freedom meaning death. Work to death … work to freedom.

It was the first time I had ever entered the snare of a Nazi death camp. The tour guide stopped us just before entering the gate; she explained that Dachau was the first concentration camp ever built by the Nazis, and it was to be used as an example camp. It was known to be especially brutal.

For me, the tour was personally moving. Being Jewish myself, I was painfully affected by the thought that thousands—if not millions—of my people were tortured, neglected and murdered inside these very walls. Our guide explained to us the cruelties my people endured. The reality of everyday life was unbearable to comprehend. Here, my people died, simply because they, like me, were Jews. The tour led us around the entire campus—from the fields where prisoners endured harsh labor, to the barricades, to the processing offices, and then to the showers.

Later in our tour, the guide brought us to a long narrow corridor. She explained to us that these chambers were used for torture by the SS guards. She turned her attention towards the non-Jewish victims of the Nazis and explained how several Christian pastors were also victims and died at the hands of Nazi torture. Amongst the millions of prisoners, three barracks towards the back of the camp were reserved only for Christians: those that stood strong in their faith and refused to align themselves with the monstrous beliefs of the Nazis.   

The hall was long and cold. The only noise heard was the sound of our breathing. Looking down the hall you could see small rays of sun blasting through the tiny windows on the doors, proving that perhaps there still can be light in the darkest of places. We walked down the hall together, trying to comprehend what had taken place in these cells.

We were in the torture chambers.

The hall was cold and rooms held their own demons. The chamber seemed to go on forever—so many rooms, so many horrible acts committed here. The hall just kept going and going to what felt like the length an entire football field. I stopped and peeked through each door to the rooms inside. Each room was entirely empty, cold, and the paint was peeling off the walls. The windows had large black shades that had been pulled back to let the sun in, but when prisoners were in these rooms I am sure it was entirely black.

Each room brought with it a new spirit of evil and each room seemed to get darker and darker, letting in little to no light. I felt like I couldn’t go on any longer imagining what had happened in these torture closets. I wanted to scream, run out, and find the sun light I had complained about earlier. I felt the darkness consuming me. Jews, Christians, politicians, scientists, professors, fathers, brothers, humans were all kept here under the worse conditions that are still incomprehensible to us.

The last door on the right side of the corridor had light shining through the small window. It was guiding me to the end. As I reached the end I looked into the window where the light was coming from. There in the middle of the room, on a small table, arms spread out and legs bound, was a small crucifix of Jesus Christ. On his head was etched the words “King of the Jews.”

The sight took my breath away. I grew up as a Messianic Jew, believing in Jesus—or, as I grew up calling him, Yeshua—as my Messiah. I stood there for a very long time contemplating the meaning of this moment. The Nazis attempted to eliminate the King of the Jews from the face of the earth by eliminating his people, his family—his flesh and blood—and attempting to silence those who stood tall in faith of Him. I take it as a great responsibility, being a Jew and one who believes in Messiah Yeshua, to never forget all those that died in these chambers. Both my spiritual brothers and sisters as well as my physical brothers and sisters.

As we left the chambers I took off my backpack and pulled out my Israeli flag and my unit patch that I earned serving in the IDF. It was only just a couple of short years ago that I swore into the ranks of the army. I swore that nothing like what I just saw would ever happen again. During the ceremony I chose to swear in on both the Old Testament and the New Testament, combining the heritage of my fathers with the faith of my redemption. That day, I stood with an Israeli flag in hand and swore once again: “Never Again!” I affirmed that “Never Again!” would my people be led to the slaughter.

Messianic Jews also have the duty of never allowing the name of the Messiah Yeshua to be defamed in such a horrible way. As the Jews were being led to the gas chambers or to the mass graves, the Messiah was not merely mourning their suffering, rather He was suffering with them. The fact that some of His followers allowed, or even encouraged this to happen, has left a dark black stain on the name of Jesus in the eyes of the wider Jewish people. As a Messianic Jewish believer, I’m also strongly connected to my duty to assure that the stain is taken from the name of Jesus and that it become known that He was suffering with the Jewish people, not causing it.

Messiah came for all of humanity. He came to save us, redeem us and give us the message of the kingdom of God. We do not always hear stories of Jews and Christians being slaughtered next to each other during the Holocaust. We sometimes forget about the faithful Christians who raised their voices in protest against the murder of the Jews, and against the evils of Hitler and his minions. But they were there. We were all together, and Christ was also with us, suffering right alongside us.

Today, the Christian voice for Israel is stronger than ever. Evangelicals are some of the loudest voices for pro-Israel advocacy. The Christian voices lost in the Holocaust are resurrecting in our day. As Jews and Christians, let us join our voices together and ensure that something as atrocious as the Holocaust will never again happen. May we, as the people of God, followers of Jesus our Messiah, take this stance together and raise this cry in unison: never again. {eoa}

S. Michael works as a writer for First Fruits of Zion () a Messianic Jewish ministry based in Israel, Canada and the United States. She works within the Messianic Jewish communities both in Israel and in America. She is currently a student in Israel with hopes to continue in ministry work.

I’ve had enough.

I’ve heard the lies too many times. It’s time for them to end.

The lies are about pastors and staff. They are false statements that seem to have some traction. They are diminishing the respect of pastors. And, for the most part, they are undeserved.

Sure, I know there are some bad apples in the bunch. Those bad examples make the news, the gossip groups, the blogs and social media. But those bad examples are the exception. They are not the norm.

It is ridiculous to assume an entire family line is bad because one or a few of the family members brought shame to themselves.

It is absurd to state that an entire race or ethnic group is bad because of a few bad exceptions.

And it is totally wrong to make categorically false statements about pastors because you know a few negative examples.

Please stop the lies. Here are five of the most common:

Lie No. 1: “Pastors are in it for the money.” Are you kidding? Have you truly seen the financial struggles of most pastors? Have you ever seen a pastor purchase a car, only to be castigated by a church member who decides the pastor is making too much? Most pastors could make a lot more money in another profession with a lot less stress.

Lie No. 2: “Pastors work a few hours a week.” Yes, there are some church members who really believe a pastor works about ten hours a week. I challenge those members to look at the lives of pastors. Look at how pastors are on 24/7 call. See the pastor called back from vacation to do a funeral. Wake up with the pastor who was at the hospital all night with a family whose child was in an auto accident. See how long it takes to prepare a good sermon. Look at the total expectations of pastors by church members.

Lie No. 3: “Megachurch pastors don’t care about the members.” Pastors of large churches and megachurches (over 2,000 in average worship attendance) are getting the brunt of these criticisms. The assumption is that large is bad and unloving. Here is the reality. A church of over 150 in attendance is a large church compared to most of the 350,000 churches in America. And even the pastor of a church of 150 cannot give ongoing personal attention to every member. Most large church and megachurch pastors do really love their flock.

Lie No. 4: “Pastors have adopted the CEO mentality.” I’m not sure most of the critics even know what they mean by this barb. I guess it is something like autocratic leadership, which is a bad CEO model itself. No, most pastors are servant leaders. Don’t assume they are dictators just because they demonstrate a modicum of leadership.

Lie No. 5: “Pastors only care about ‘nickels and noses.'” I want my pastor to know how many people are present. I want my pastor to know the stewardship realities of my church. But that does not mean my pastor cares about numbers more than people. Critics often set concern about people in opposition to numerical awareness. They are not mutually exclusive. And most pastors love the Lord, their families and their church members before they ever think about the statistics of the week.

No pastor is perfect. And there are a few pastors who do indeed bring shame to the calling. Almost everyone knows such an example. But the great majority of pastors are dedicated, hard-working, and servant-minded.

It’s time to stop the lies. {eoa}

Thom S. Rainer is the president of LifeWay Christian Resources. For the original article, visit .

The liberal mainstream media has made a big deal of the Bush family’s reluctance to support Donald Trump, as well as the small group of former Bush administration officials who have publicly supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

But a new group turns that narrative on its head.

The Bush Alumni Coalition, which was launched this week, is a group of more than 50 former Bush appointees who have announced their endorsement of Trump for president. The group is led by of former Attorney General John Ashcroft, former Education Secretary Bill Bennett, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Treasury Secretary John Snow, and former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson.

They drafted a letter of endorsement that reads:

“We, the undersigned, citing the need for bold leadership, a strong national defense, sound economic policy and a Supreme Court committed to preserving the freedoms framed in the Constitution, launch this coalition of former Cabinet officials, Presidential Appointees and campaign alumni of the George H.W. and/or George W. Bush Administrations … we commit our support for Republican Presidential Nominee Donald J. Trump and Governor Mike Pence for President and Vice President of the United States.”

Other members of the coalition include former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, former White House political director Matt Schlapp, former Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi, and former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer. Click here to see the complete list of endorsements.

“Americans want to trust our leaders again, to know that they are fighting for everyday Americans by creating jobs, growing our economy, defending our nation from terrorism, and respecting the voters enough to be straightforward and honest with them,” said Thompson, who also formerly served as governor of Wisconsin. “Donald Trump and Mike Pence will put America first, and make our country great again.”

I have a friend who is a gifted worship leader, a loving husband and an affectionate father. He’s funny, smart, passionate about his faith and wholeheartedly committed to his church. People who know him say he’s a model Christian.

But underneath this joyful exterior is a lot of pain. He struggles with depression, and then he condemns himself because Christians are supposed be happy. When emotional heaviness drags him to a low point, he knows how to put on his convincing “church face.” Nobody knows the dark thoughts that torment him.

My friend is not unique in this struggle. Countless Christians I know engage in a daily battle with the enemy of their souls. And Satan is relentless in his attacks. He is described in Scripture as “the father of lies” (John 8:44), and the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10). He wags his bony finger of condemnation and tries to deny us access to the Lord’s love and mercy.

You will never find victory in the Christian life if you don’t expose, confront and renounce Satan’s groundless accusations. If the devil has been replaying his lies in your head, you must hit the “EJECT” button now! The spirit of condemnation always makes these outrageous statements listed below:

1. Jesus can’t use you if you have a weakness. The devil is always ready to remind you that you are fat, unattractive, prone to depression or addiction, sexually broken, traumatized or fearful. But guess what? The people God used in the Bible were far from perfect. Every Christian has flaws. God made us weak so we would find our strength in Him. If you were perfect, you wouldn’t need a Savior.

2. You should give up if you constantly struggle with sin. Many Christian men I know feel spiritually disqualified because they haven’t totally overcome their addiction to porn. They feel bad for being tempted, and then if they stumble, they feel defeated for weeks. This can lead to discouragement and despair—and then they lose all hope of overcoming the habit. The secret to victory is not sweating and straining to resist; instead we must meditate on the love of God and allow His Spirit to rise up inside of us to override sin’s power. If you are struggling, do not give up! The Spirit will help you!

3. God’s promises are for other people, not you. Do you feel God’s goodness always bypasses you? You may have an orphan spirit. Many Christians don’t believe the heavenly Father loves and accepts them. They may have been rejected by their parents, or lacked parental affirmation. Life’s pain can block our ability to see God as He is. But if you have given your life to Christ, the Father has adopted you, He delights in you, and He has given you full inheritance rights. His promises are yours to claim!

4. God is always mad at you. Many believers base their relationship with God on performance. If they read their Bibles and pray every day, they feel they are on God’s “good side”; if they miss their morning devotions they assume He is upset. The devil loves this legalistic mindset because it prevents us from experiencing God’s grace. You must come to understand that the Father does not love you for what you do; He loves you because you are His child. He is slow to anger and full of lovingkindness. When you allow this truth to soak your soul, you will enjoy true intimacy with Jesus.

5. Your past mistakes disqualified you. I met a Christian man recently who loves God with all His heart, yet he sits in the back of his church every week feeling inferior because he committed adultery 35 years ago. His wife forgave him, and he repented for his sin, but he assumes he wears a scarlet letter around his neck and that he has been banished to a spiritual wasteland. That’s a lie! If you have repented for your sin, God has forgiven and forgotten it! Nothing can separate you from God’s love—not abortion, divorce, sexual sin or any other unspeakable mistake you regret.

6. You have committed the unpardonable sin. I’ve counseled several troubled Christians who read Matthew 12:31-32 and decided that they had blasphemed the Holy Spirit and therefore could not be saved. This is a ridiculous notion, because a person who committed the unpardonable sin mentioned in this passage wouldn’t care if they had blasphemed. If you are worried that you did this, then you haven’t! Your heart is turned toward God and you want to please Him. That alone is evidence of His grace working in you.

Romans 8:1 is one of the most liberating verses in the Bible. It declares: “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This promise is for you! Jesus took your punishment and removed all guilt from your record. And His blood is more powerful than any lie Satan can throw at you.

You are now qualified. Your past is irrelevant. You don’t have to work to win God’s love. When the Father looks at you, He doesn’t see your past sins or present struggles; He sees a robe of righteousness. Renounce the devil’s lies and believe God’s promise. He loves you with an indescribable, unfathomable, unconditional love. {eoa}

Pastor Tim Sheets says God has released more angels on planet Earth than ever before in history. They’ve come for a move of God’s Spirit and to partner with you!

On this episode of Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural, Sheets says it’s time to mobilize your angels.

“I was praying and I heard God say, ‘The greatest days in church history are not in its past. They are in its present and in its future,'” Sheets says. “A great move of God is beginning to unfold and if Holy Spirit will pour out an anointing upon us that is even greater than Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, and He adds more to the angel armies, why can’t we see a great harvest?” {eoa}

“Surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing His purpose to His servants the prophets. The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:7-8).

The Power of Prophecy

What a great description of the power of prophecy. God releases His divine plans, purposes, blueprints and intentions for His people through a power Holy Spirit gift of prophecy. Prophecy through true prophets reveals God’s mind and heartbeat.

In other words, God will not act on the behalf of man unless it is prophesied, spoken or uttered through those who He has authorized to speak—the prophets. We now have access to the Holy Spirit who is the consultant, helper and counselor.

We all have the ability to hear God through the Holy Spirit and prophesy. We don’t substitute prophets for the Holy Spirit’s overall purpose of being sent. God is a prophetic Spirit who framed the worlds into existence through the power of His words (Heb. 11:3). Prophets are still relevant today as they were in the past).

Prophesying Like Roaring Lions

In Amos 3:8 states, “The lion has roared; who will not fear?” This entails that as the lion’s roars forces hearers to fear, so is the sovereign call of prophets, which forces them to prophesy (Jer. 20:9; Ezek. 2:8; 1 Cor. 9:16).

Amos takes into account his own experience, as a shepherd in the wilderness of Tekoa, having oftentimes hearing lion roars, which caused him to fear, both for himself and the cattle he tended to. “The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy?” 

When the Lord speaks, it is likened to a lion’s roar. Who can do anything but respond to the power, strength and command of His voice? The lion’s roar speaks of the authority, power and strength of God’s Word that demands a response.

The prophetic function signifies “the speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God” (pro, “forth,” and phemi, “to speak”). Prophecy is simply to edify, to exhort and to comfort by biblical standards and parameters (1 Cor. 14:3).

When “the lion roars,” none can help but “fear,” so when the King communicates His prophetic message whether its His blessings, will, mind, intent or judgment, the prophet cannot but prophesy and the hearer cannot but obey. The Bible says that we should desire spiritual gifts but especially to prophesy (1 Cor. 14:39).

“And it will be that, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions” (Joel 2:28).

Roar out of Zion (Zion Lions)

Joel spoke of a day that he saw God’s prophetic spirit being poured out (Joel 2:28). It was God’s prophetic Spirit being released that everyone was prophesying regardless of age, race, gender or background on the Day of Pentecost. God wants to restore the prophetic power, strength and authority through true prophets and prophetic ministry today.

Naturally, lions do not generally roar when they are on the hunt, as this will warn their prey of their whereabouts. On any given night, a lion can be heard roaring seven to eight kilometers away. The strength and tenor of their roar can be heard several miles away. Lion roars are not only used to proclaim, establish and mark their sphere of territory but also to rally cry of any straying members of their pride.

It is likewise in the body of Christ. The Lord is raising up apostolic prophets, churches and ministries that are established by Heaven to mark their territory for Christ as they declare boldly what God is saying. The prophets will release a rally cry to gather the people for battle. The prophets will release the will, counsel, justice and heart of the Lord that will invoke the reverential fear and cause hearts to turn unto Him.

Prophets will prophesy boldly against any injustice, perversion, doctrinal error, deception, confusion and anything that is contrary to the Word of God. Their prophetic roar will be heard among the nations to bring supernatural changes for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom. {eoa}

Dr. Hakeem Collins is a new prophetic and governmental minister with a unique anointing in the prophetic, healings and the supernatural. He is a sought-after conference speaker, produces a weekly radio program called “The VOICE,” and author of Heaven Declares. He is CEO of Champions International based in Wilmington, Delaware, where he resides. Visit .

Evangelist Franklin Graham appeared to fire verbal shots at Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton with a Facebook post following the debate. 

The issue close to Graham’s heart—and the heart of God himself—was not mentioned, though Clinton claims to be a representative of the children. Clinton clearly violates Psalm 139 with her so-called women’s rights positions.  

Graham writes:  

Well the first debate is behind us, and everyone has their opinions about who came out on top. There’s no question, the difference between the candidates is night and day.
I don’t know about your television, but right now mine has more political advertisements than you can watch. Some candidates have entire political ads talking about how they spent their career fighting for the rights of children. Yet they spent their entire career fighting against the rights of unborn children! Since Roe v. Wade in 1973, it is estimated that over 58 million children have been killed by abortion in this country. Doesn’t an unborn child have any right to live? God’s Word says He knew us in our mother’s womb. We need to hold politicians and political parties accountable for consistent positions. You can’t say you’ve spent your life standing up for children when you support killing them in the womb.

The Ted Cruz-Glenn Beck friendship came to a very messy ending Monday morning during the latter’s nationally syndicated radio program.

Speaking from his mock-up of the Oval Office with Cruz over the phone, Beck grilled the Texas senator over his decision to endorse Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. He then questioned Cruz about “selling” his campaign’s email list to the Trump campaign—something every other GOP campaign has done (and has done in past election cycles).

At the end of the interview, Beck told Cruz he strongly disagreed with him, but still respected him. But after the ensuing commercial break, listeners—and viewers on his TheBlaze network—got an entirely different reaction from the radio host.

And now some are wondering if Beck has had some sort of mental breakdown.

“I’m sorry if that was too contentious for people,” he said. “I will tell you that’s not what I expected, but there was something in there—and I’m not going to go into it—there is something there and where I have private conversations with people and I know private company I know what was said and I know the story, and for the very first time I heard Ted Cruz calculate.

“When that happened the whole thing fell apart for me, and it’s my fault. It’s my fault for believing that men can actually be George Washington. It’s my fault. I should have said, ‘You know who can win? you know who could beat Hillary Clinton? Marco Rubio, and I disagree with him on the Gang of Eight members, but 80 percent I do agree with him on and he’s kind of a politician but he’s a different kind of politician. He’s a young politician, He’s a Hispanic. He can win, let’s go for it.’

“Instead I said, ‘Let’s find a truly honorable man,’ and that will always let you down. Right now we have become PETA. Shame on all of us. Why not just, ‘You will vote for Hillary,’ or, ‘You will vote for Trump.’ Why not just cover me in a bucket of blood. Why not just shame me in the public square. Why not run them out of business, they’re climate deniers, there is no difference between the two teams anymore.

“Oh sure, one is for a little lower taxes. One is for the border fence, one is not. One is for international rule. One is for national rule. Which one is for the idea that all men are created equal, and that all men have a right to pursue their own happiness and make their own [expletive] decision?

“Which one? Which one? I contend neither of them, and so we will just soak each other in buckets of blood.

“We’ll be a happy little bumper sticker community that shames one another in order to make sure you walk in goose-step with all the other Hillary supporters—or walking in goose-step with all the other Trump supporters, because she’s going to mean the destruction of America. ‘No, no,’ says the Hillary supporter, ‘You must vote for us because he means the destruction of America.’ I contend they both mean the destruction of the idea.”

The nasty breakup continued Monday evening on TheBlaze’s Dana program when Beck told hostess Dana Loesch Cruz endorsed Trump because the senator “lost faith in Divine Providence.” He said “smarmy” members of the Texas GOP establishment threatened to back another candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018, which triggered the change of heart.

He said he’ll never endorse a candidate again.

“I actually said to my wife a year ago, ‘I want to pray on it, because maybe in 2020, 2024, maybe I’ll run for something,'” he added. “Maybe I’ll run, not necessarily for president, I don’t know. But I want to prepare myself to be worthy enough to run.

“Oh my gosh, Dana not only would I not run, I will never endorse. I won’t be around it. It’s a cesspool. It’s an absolute cesspool.”

After hearing that Cruz had praised Trump’s debate performance Monday night, Beck lost his mind again. He told his Facebook followers he thought his head might explode. He wrote:

“Really? God help me I think my head is going to explode.”

Lester Holt is not having a very good Tuesday.

Whether it was the admonition for cheers from Donald Trump supporters—within the rules of the debate—without the corresponding rebukes of pro-Hillary Clinton outbursts, or the frequent “fact checking”—in error, and in violation of the debate rules—of the GOP nominee, but not his Democratic counterpart, Monday’s debate moderator is seeing a lot of criticism.

The host of NBC Nightly News faced additional scrutiny over topics he didn’t cover—although the debate’s scope was limited by the Committee on Presidential Debates beforehand—and questions about follow-up questions that never materialized. So much so the Republican National Convention decided to help out with a list of the top 10 topics he failed to bring up.

Here’s the list:

1. The 5 Aides Given Immunity by the FBI or Her Reckless Secret Server
2. The Multiple False Statements About How Her “Extremely Careless” Actions Endangered Our National Security
3. Her “Basket of Deplorables” Insult Toward Millions of Americans
4. Clinton Foundation Pay to Play Accusations
5. Her Failures and Lies on the Attacks in Benghazi
6. Her Support for Obamacare
7. Her Deep Support From and Ties to Wall Street
8. Veterans Affairs Scandal She Arrogantly Called “Not Widespread”
9. Her Comments About Wanting to Put the Coal Industry Out of Work
10. Her Deception and Lack of Transparency on Her Health

The list, which was published on the GOP’s website, has since been taken down—without explanation.