The enemy has activated a new attack on America, Pastor Carl Gallups tells Jim Bakker.

As liberal activists fight for abortion rights and LGBT equality, Gallups says this is proof of the enemy’s agenda.

“The attack on fatherhood, motherhood, family, womanhood, manhood, childhood, the attack on personhood is horrendous. It is demonic, it is ubiquitous,” Gallups says in a recent episode of The Jim Bakker Show. “It is global, but particularly in our culture because America represents the largest Christian nation the world has ever seen.”

Gallups says he believes the attacks stem from centuries-old spiritual warfare because the United States was founded upon God’s truth.

“So Satan hates what we stand for, and the bedrock of our culture is the family,” Gallups says.

But we are not without hope.

Watch the video to see why.

{eoa}

This past week was one of the most amazing gatherings ever. We continue to witness the apostolic-prophetic army arising and maturing for the future. Every speaker was incredible. In Dutch Sheet’s message, Dutch used several number sequences to describe what the Lord is doing in the world and His Kingdom people. The last number sequence was 5-5-5. Five (5) is the number for grace! He said, “I keep seeing 5-5-5 … it’s triple grace. It’s a season of grace!” He went on to share how:

• There’s grace to go up higher to a new administration and governmental realm.

• There’s grace to come out of the confusion, disarray and disorder.

• There’s grace to bind and loose.

• There’s grace to open doors and close doors.

• There’s not just grace or double grace, but triple grace! The Lord is going to release an explosion of grace! 

Before the service, someone had come to give me a water bottle with 5-5-5 written on the outside with three $5 bills inside. I went up and shared this when Dutch released the word, and he shouted:

“I’m telling you – it’s a Word from the Lord! It’s an explosion of grace! We’re about to move into a mega-grace season! I’m not decreeing that just as a hope; I’m prophesying to you as a Word from the Lord. We’re about to move into a mega-grace season that will be explosive in nature! dynamite grace, dunamis grace, power and grace mixed together. There is an explosion of the miraculous coming.” He then decreed how there will be:

• An Explosion of provision
• An Explosion of revelation
• An Explosion of authority
• An Explosive Level of harvest and strength

This is a season for triple grace, grace, grace. This is the time for mega-grace, mega-healing, mega-deliverance and mega-breakthrough. This is a time for the grace of God to be released over:

• your mind,
• your home,
• your ministry,
• and over generational weaknesses, infirmities, and iniquities!

What the enemy has had in you and in your family line for generations will be broken by the explosion of grace that’s coming to you. This is your season of breakthrough. Fear will be broken off of you in this season. Generational weaknesses and iniquities will be bound and broken off of you. Perversions and addictions that try to rise up again will be eradicated from your DNA and genetic code.

God is breaking that off of you because grace is greater than the sin of your parents and grandparents; every generational iniquity and weakness that the enemy has used to hold you back will be broken. Generational poverty and failure are being broken off of you because an explosion of grace is coming to you now! 

21-Day Prayer Focus for You to Shout Grace and Receive Favor:

Day 1: Read Romans 6. Grace is kindness and goodness shown without regard to the worth or merit of the one who receives and in spite of what is deserved.

Day 2: Read Exodus 34. Grace is one of the key attributes of God. The Lord God is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in goodness and truth” (Ex. 34:6b).

Day 3: Read Psalm 23. Grace is the source of help and brings deliverance from distress.

Day 4: Meditate on Deuteronomy 9:5-6. The Hebrew people from Egypt were redeemed and then established in the Promised Land in spite of their unrighteousness.

Day 5: Read Psalms 4:1, 6:2, 25:15/ Receive the gracious assistance from the Lord.

Day 6: Read and meditate on Psalm 31:9, 86:3, 86:16, 123:3! Receive more assistance.

Day 7: Meditate on Amos 5: is only enjoyed within the covenant. The gift is given by God, and the gift is received by man, through repentance and faith.

Day 8: Ponder Malachi 1:9 and read Malachi 3-4. Grace is to be humbly sought through the prayer of faith.

Day 9: Read John 1, Acts 1. The grace of God was supremely revealed and given in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He was the embodiment of grace. Embracing Him is the only way mankind can receive salvation.

Day 10: Read Romans 3, especially verses 23-26. Grace is restoration of the broken fellowship between God and His people—both Jew and Gentile.

Day 11: Read Ephesian 2. Grace can be yours through salvation.

Day 12: Read Ephesians 4. Meditate on Hebrews 10:29. Grace is applied by the Holy Spirit, who is called “the Spirit of grace.” The Spirit of God is the One who binds Christ to His people so that they receive forgiveness, adoption to sonship and newness of life, as well as every spiritual gift of grace.

Day 13: Read Acts 4, especially verse 33. Receive great grace. Great grace was upon the early church. They saw great miracles. The Greek word for “great” is “megas,” from which we derive the English word “mega.” They saw great signs, great wonders, great miracles … mega- miracles. Why did they see mega miracles? Because they had mega grace.

Receive Favor

Day 14: Read Isaiah 60. Grace and favor are a necessary handshake for triumph. Favor is where someone shines their eye on you and you begin to shine.

Day 15: Read 2 Kings 4:1-6. Favor is received through an act of obedience.

Day 16: Read 2 Kings 8:1-6. Favor is extended to you from another source.

Day 17: Read Ruth 2. Think of a time when favor was extended to you. Praise God for it.

Day 18: Read 1 Kings 12:1-16 and Esther 6. Think of someone you need to honor. Call or write that person to honor them. Honor must be reciprocated to maintain favor.

Day 19: Read Matthew 9. Favor comes from those who have authority to release favor.

Day 20: Read Judges 1:12-15 and 2 Samuel 9. Favor can be released by you!

Day 21: Read Zechariah 3 and 4. Decree that the Lord is re-clothing you with a new identity. Shout grace to the mountains that stopped you from advancing in the last season. Shout grace seven times! 

In Possessing Your Inheritance, I share a powerful account of how even in the midst of life’s greatest losses, God truly does extend the grace we need to press through. Gerald L. Sittser, an associate professor of religion at Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington, is an incredible example. In the fall of 1991, while he was driving home with his family, his minivan was hit head-on by a drunk driver. His mother, wife and young daughter were all killed in the accident. In his book A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss, Sittser writes of his tragic experience and how God has helped him through it. He says:

“Above all, I have become aware of the power of God’s grace and my need for it. My soul has grown because it has been awakened to the goodness and love of God … God is growing my soul, making it bigger, and filling it with Himself. My life is being transformed. Though I have endured pain, I believe that the outcome is going to be wonderful.

“The supreme challenge to anyone facing catastrophic loss involves facing the darkness of the loss on the one hand, and learning to live with renewed vitality and gratitude on the other. This challenge is met when we learn to take the loss into ourselves and to be enlarged by it, so that our capacity to live life well and to know God intimately increases … Loss can diminish us, but it can also expand us. It depends, once again, on the choices we make and the grace we receive. Loss can function as a catalyst to transform us. It can lead us to God, the only One who has the desire and power to give us life.” (Zondervan Publishing, 1996; pp. 180-181)

By reaching out toward God’s wonderful grace, our loss can actually become a bittersweet blessing that leads us to knowing God on a deeper and more intimate level. Though we mourn the loss, we gain a new maturity in life, and a deeper understanding of God’s awesome grace and hope.

These are days of receiving and extending mega-grace! {eoa}

Charles D. “Chuck” Pierce serves as President of Global Spheres, Inc. (GSI) in Corinth, Texas. This is an apostolic, prophetic ministry that is being used to gather and mobilize the worshipping Triumphant Reserve throughout the world. Chuck also serves as President of Glory of Zion International Ministries, a ministry that aligns Jew and Gentile. He is known for his accurate prophetic gifting which helps direct nations, cities, churches and individuals in understanding the times and seasons in which we live. Chuck and his wife, Pam, have six children and seven grandchildren. He has authored over 20 books, including the best-sellers Interpreting the Times, Redeeming the Time, and Time to Defeat the Devil.

Let’s go back to the Garden of Eden to show you an amazing fact as it relates to the creation of man. Genesis 2:5 says that God has not sent rain on the earth and, “there was no man to work the ground.”  It appears that God was making all of creation and was looking for man to work it, maintain it, and care for this amazing creation.

Genesis 2:15 confirms this idea of man’s commission to maintain and care for this creation. “The Lord took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

Often when I am sharing this in a marriage conference, I’ll say to the men that all of us are simply maintenance men. God has called each one of us, men and women, to care for the garden He has chosen to give us.

Men, everything in your garden is yours to maintain. Everything and everyone in your garden requires maintenance. This maintenance must come only from you. Only you can maintain the people and things God gives to you in your garden. When I accept this, that it’s my responsibility before God to maintain or care for my garden, it helps me to not be resistant towards doing the dishes, laundry, or big projects around the house. Maintaining the garden is the first calling of all of ours.

Remember that this calling to maintain the garden preceded the law or sin. Adam and Eve’s calling to maintain comes out of God’s design for them, even in a sinless world. The calling to maintain is not a result of the fall. The fall made maintaining more difficult and challenging. The fall added pain to a process that was probably a lot easier before the fall.

To maintain is to be in alignment with you being created in the image of God. To maintain a woman or maintain a man is a calling of God in which he has uniquely equipped you to do. Now in our sin nature we can resist this calling and the blessing of walking in this calling, but it is a calling and responsibility given by God to both of you.

Also I have to remind men that Eve was in the garden too. She also is part of that responsibility to maintain and care for the garden. Eve needs to be maintained by Adam. Eve, Adam is in your garden and yes; he has some needs only you can maintain and that is the blessing of God in marriage to maintain each other.

Maintaining isn’t a popular idea here in the United States. We like to hire someone to do this or that for us. We don’t even wash our cars anymore; we let a machine do this for us called a car wash. In a culture that is moving further and further from the reality of maintenance, we can lose the very fabric that life is maintenance.

The fact that all of life is maintenance can be felt as painful or delightful to you. I enjoy having a house and that house requires maintenance every change of season. I also have a car and it requires maintenance. If I maintain it well, it is more likely to serve me better and longer over the years. However, if maintenance is a burden or painful, you can employ a technique I have seen many addicts employ in their life called denial. You can simply deny life or that your spouse needs maintenance and then have those things break down more often and require even more maintenance later on.

Attitude is a very important aspect of maintenance. How many of you before you eat a great meal, curse God?  “God, why do I have to work to eat, cook and clean up?  Why have you cursed me with this maintenance?”  How about in the shower as you get cleansed and smell great from all the products you have in that shower, do you curse God?  “God, why do I have to spend all this time in the shower, and the cost of soap…?”

Christ doesn’t show up and feed His church irregularly, but daily. If you, as an individual, accept fully that marriage is a daily discipline, marriage can be so much easier. Until you fully accept the daily maintenance of your spouse, you may be angry about it, bargain about it, be sad about it, or even just deny their need for daily maintenance by you, and you alone.

This principle can really set you free, depending upon your response to the very real reality that your spouse requires daily maintenance. If you accept this maintenance principle you have a grateful attitude. Just like you thank God for the food, shower or sleep, you thank God for the spouse and your calling to maintain them.

If, however, you have hardened your heart, the daily maintenance of this child of God will be a burden. You will be burdened by praying with them, sharing your heart, dating, sex, as well as the emotional, and financial cost of a spouse. Maintenance exposes our hearts. If we do this cheerfully, then I think we understand what Jesus feels when He serves His church every day.

If we accept our full responsibility to maintain our spouse this process leads us into the glorious creation of a Godly marriage on earth. When you have a heart of grateful maintenance, you will just try to meet the needs of your spouse’s heart, body, sexuality, financially, and parenting, without judging their validity against your own preconceived grid. In the beginning of this article we laid down the idea that we are all called to maintain our garden. God has placed your spouse in your garden. You fully accept your daily maintenance without a negative attitude. To be Christ like is to accept the maintenance of your spouse with a good attitude.

You have today and the rest of your life to be the most awesome maintenance of your spouse. I say go for the gold when it comes to maintaining your spouse. {eoa}

Doug Weiss, Ph.D., is a nationally known author, speaker and licensed psychologist. He is the executive director of Heart to Heart Counseling Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the author of several books including, Miracle of Marriage. You may contact Dr. Weiss via his website,  or on his Facebook or by phone at 719-278-3708 or through email at heart2heart@.

An atheist group pressured a North Carolina sheriff’s office to make changes to a prayer event with Billy Graham’s daughter, Anne Graham Lotz.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter to the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office earlier this month objecting to the “Time of Prayer” event and the fact that it was being held at the sheriff’s office. The group also complained that the sheriff’s office was promoting the event on its website and social media pages, according to The Christian Post.

FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel says the group made the complaint on behalf of “a concerned local resident.” He also says the sheriff’s office should not associate itself with a prayer event and that the active promotion of the event is an endorsement of religion and a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

The letter demanded that the event be cancelled and that no future religious activities be held on the premises.

A lawyer representing Sheriff Terry Buchanan responded to the FFRF letter addressing several misconceptions about the prayer event.

Attorney Stacy Eggers IV explained that Lotz would be speaking in the parking lot of the sheriff’s office—which does not violate the Constitution. She also pointed out that Lotz’ event “is a protected free speech action.”

“The sheriff’s office parking lot is open to any group which may wish to hold a vigil or meeting at reasonable times and upon scheduling such event,” Eggers wrote.

“Mr. Buchanan has received several requests from individuals regarding this policy, and he has indicated to them he would provide the space to them upon the same terms and conditions which are provided to Ms. Lotz,” Eggers continued.

No Ashe County funds were used to promote the event, according to the letter, and no county employees are required to attend.

FFRF responded with more concerns prior to the event, according to The Christian Post.

“(W)e are concerned that ACSO deputies and perhaps Sheriff Buchanan will be appearing at the event, on government property, in their official uniforms, and may even speak using the titles that come with their office,” Seidel wrote. “This would indeed exacerbate the appearance that the ACSO endorses Christianity, which is already imperiled given the history of the event.”

Eggers again responded, assuring the FFRF that no uniformed officer will speak or participate in the event. She added that any officer in uniform would be a result of their “normal law enforcement duties or to address public safety issues.”

FFRF praised the Ashe County Sherriff’s office in a statement: “The Ashe County Sheriff’s Office did the right thing by avoiding involving itself in a Christian prayer event and estranging non-Christian community members,” said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “The Ashe County officers should focus on their secular duties citizens trust them with.” {eoa}

Copyright The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., All rights reserved.

Have you ever thought that taking care of yourself is selfish?

That it is noble, even holy, to neglect your body’s needs in favor of taking care of others?

I’m about to say something controversial: I think that philosophy is misguided.

Taking care of yourself is one of the best ways to show love to those you care about.

Why do I say that?

After all, what good does it do to others if you always show up for them tired, moody, ill-tempered or have a martyrdom complex (“Look at how I am sacrificing myself for you?”)

No—loving others means self-care. Through taking care of your health, you can give your best to those you love most.

You can give them:

• Your energy
• Your focus
• Your strength
• Your edifying words
• Your joy of the Lord!

Doesn’t that sound like a better way to show up for life every day?

Doesn’t it sound like a better way to show up for your loved ones?

Many people use the following scripture as instruction that it is right to neglect themselves: “Let nothing be done out of strife or conceit, but in humility let each esteem the other better than himself” (Phil. 2:3).

However, they miss the next verse: “Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4).

Did you notice that your interests are included in this instruction as well as other people’s interests? Your motive in taking care of yourself is not selfish ambition nor conceit.

Your motive is loving others and thinking highly of them enough to give them your best.

It’s a situation in which you both win, not “they win, you lose.”

Making daily choices to protect your health is a wise, loving thing.

This is the same principle as putting the oxygen mask on yourself first on an airplane in an emergency. You can’t help anyone if you’re passed out!

If you’ve ever thought that taking time for making healthy meals and exercise is selfish, then I hope you see that it is the opposite.

My question is, why do so many Christians seem to think that it is wrong to pay attention to your health? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

To me, your motivation for making wise choices makes the difference! {eoa}

Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify to God’s healing power to end binge-eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight-loss website . Visit today for inspirational health and weight-loss tips.

This article originally appeared at .

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon revealed new information to the United Nations Security Council Wednesday about Iran’s ballistic missile program and the country’s intention to harm Israel.

In a document distributed to the Council members, Danon provided new satellite imagery from last November, showing the Iranian military using the Star of David as the intended target of the Qiam, a medium-range MTCR category one ballistic missile. The Star of David was painted in white on the ground as the target, and a crater from the impact of the missile is visible next to the Jewish symbol.

Furthermore, the launch was in direct violation of Security Council Resolution 2231.

“This use of the Star of David as target practice is hateful and unacceptable,” Danon stated in a letter to the council. “The missile launch is not only a direct violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, but is also a clear evidence of Iran’s continued intention to harm the State of Israel.”

Last month, the Iranians fired ballistic missiles at targets in Syria and then released statements threatening Israel, the Israeli mission to the U.N. recalled, saying it was a continuation of a series of ballistic missile tests conducted by the Iranians since 2015 in defiance of the Security Council resolution.

“The targeting of a sacred symbol of Judaism is abhorrent,” Danon asserted regarding the blatant display of violent anti-Semitism. “It is the Iranians who prop up the Assad regime as hundreds of thousands are killed, finance the terrorists of Hezbollah as they threaten the citizens of Israel and support extremists and tyrants throughout the Middle East and around the world. I call on the Security Council to respond decisively to these Iranian violations and provocations.” {eoa}

This article originally appeared at .

Wednesday afternoon, President Donald Trump and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and several other members of Congress, met with victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants to hear their stories ahead of Thursday’s final debates and votes on two critical pieces of public safety legislation.

The House is scheduled to take up both the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act, which cuts off federal funding for Sanctuary Cities, and Kate’s Law, which increases penalties for criminal illegals who continue to re-enter the country. Both have strong support from the White House.

Prior to the meeting, the president made a few remarks:

Countless innocent Americans, including the loved ones of many families in the room—and many of these families are friends of mine—great friends of mine that I got to know over the campaign trail because they fought so hard for this. And they are with us. They’ve had members of their family killed by illegal immigrants and, really, people with multiple—in some cases, multiple deportations.

I’m especially honored to be here with so many courageous families whom I did get to know so well over the past period of time …

You lost the people that you love because our government refused to enforce our nation’s immigration laws. And that’s even the existing immigration laws, without new laws. That’s existing immigration laws.

For years, the pundits, journalists, politicians in Washington refused to hear your voices, but on Election Day, 2016, your voices were heard all across the entire world. Right? You better believe it. Nobody died in vain, I can tell you.

Chairman Goodlatte has produced a package of truly key immigration enforcement bills. We’ve been waiting for these for a long time, and I want to thank you, Chairman, for doing that. Great job. And it’s just perfect.

You can see the entire meeting in the video clip above.

A short time prior to that meeting, Acting Immigration & Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan and U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah John Huber discussed the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act and Kate’s Law in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in the West Wing of the White House. Homan also discussed ICE’s new Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office, which is working with families like those who met with the president.

Homan said:

More than 400 calls from victims have been referred to our community relations officers and victim specialists for assistance with accessing resources, getting more information about a specific case, and how the immigration process works. Sanctuary jurisdictions pose a threat to the American public by refusing to work with ICE and allowing egregious criminal offenders back into the community to put the lives of the public at risk. Not to mention the fact, it also puts my law enforcement officers at risk because they have to go back on the street to arrest somebody they could have arrested in a county jail.

When some law enforcement agencies fail to honor detainers or release serious criminal offenders, they—it undermines ICE’s ability to protect public safety and carry out its mission. Most work with us, but many don’t in the largest cities, and that is where criminal aliens and criminal gangs flourish. It is safer for everyone if we take custody of an alien in a controlled environment of another law enforcement agency as opposed to visiting an alien’s residence, place of work, or other public area. Arresting a criminal in the safety, security, and privacy of the jail is the right thing to do.

Beyond the issue of sanctuary jurisdictions, the two executive orders signed by the president earlier this year have finally allowed my officers to do what they do best:  uphold the integrity of our borders and our immigration system by enforcing the laws as they were written.

ICE’s job is to execute a mission within framework provided us, that framework meaning laws, policies and executive orders. Our job and our sworn duty is to enforce the laws of this country. The current numbers show that the executive orders and the policies are working. Immigration and illegal crossings on the border has significantly decreased. No one can argue that.

Huber added:

Utah perennially leads the interior states and districts in criminal alien prosecutions. Every year, we prosecute hundreds of federal felony cases.

Now to be clear, these are criminal aliens—drug traffickers, gang members, domestic violence abusers, human traffickers, child exploiters. From my perspective, in Utah, where it should be a presumptively safe mountain haven, criminal aliens significantly impact our quality of life by exposing our nation to unwarranted risk of violence.

That is why Attorney General Sessions has directed myself and my colleagues as U.S. attorneys to prioritize these cases in our prosecutions. If it’s a problem in Utah—and it is; 40 percent of my caseload, my felony caseload in Utah are criminal alien prosecutions. If it’s a problem in Utah, it’s a problem for the nation. Law enforcement officers and prosecutors need more tools and unfettered coordination to address the challenge.

So this pending legislation—Kate’s Law on one hand and the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act on the other hand—advance the ball for law enforcement in keeping our communities safe. The laws, if passed, would give officers and prosecutors more tools to protect the public. Stiffer penalties for reentry offenders make sense. It just does.

The status quo is not deterring the criminals from returning. As an example, just today in Salt Lake City, my office initiated one more prosecution in what is projected to be over 300 felony prosecutions this year against a criminal alien. This defendant’s record indicates that he has been convicted four times for drug trafficking. He has been convicted two times for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. And, well, he’s back in Utah, and what do you know—in 2017 he was arrested yet again for drug trafficking.

Kate’s Law enhances our ability to stem the tide of criminals who seem to almost always return to victimize us. On the other hand, moving unnatural impediments between local and federal law enforcement will enable coordination that we need to keep our country and our neighborhoods safe. The priority for public safety overrides and wins out against what these so-called sanctuary policies promise.

We don’t gamble with our public safety. Criminal aliens don’t need encouragement to reside in our beautiful cities. Criminal aliens warrant handcuffs and removal. Law enforcement professionals are very good at what they do, and we should not impede them from their excellent work in keeping us safe. {eoa}

If you watched Saturday-morning cartoons or read comic books, you know about superheroes. These defenders of humanity were very strong and always showed up in the nick of time, ready to “save the day!”

But real life isn’t at all like cartoons. And it’s definitely more serious than a comic book. But even though we may feel like we have no one to help us in hard times, there is a superhero we can count on at all times. Through our faith in Christ, we have access to the extraordinary, supernatural power of the Holy Spirit every day of our lives.

When we accepted Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit came to dwell on the inside of us. That means a lot more than we can imagine, because He brought with Him all the power, the peace and the presence of God. He came to live in us and have constant fellowship with us.

Jesus told His disciples in John 16:7 (AMPC), “I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].”

What they didn’t understand at first was that Jesus was with them, but the Holy Spirit would come to live in them. He is the same Holy Spirit—Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, and Standby—who lives in us today! And all of His authority, strength, comfort, creativity and help are available to us as we need it. All we have to do is ask.

He’s the real-life superhero who doesn’t just show up in the nick of time, but He is always there! And He is available to help you right now.

Do you need a Comforter? In 2 Corinthians 1:3, He is called the God of all comfort. When we are hurting, many times we look to other people to help us feel better, and often, we find they don’t have everything we need. But the Holy Spirit, who dwells on the inside of us, knows us better than anyone else, so He knows exactly how to bring the strength, healing and comfort we need. He will often use other people to comfort us, but we need to turn to Him first.

Maybe you need a Counselor. When you have a problem, who do you tell your troubles to? People can only help you to the degree that God enables them to help you. But it is amazing what can happen when we ask the Holy Spirit for answers to our problems. Now, I’m not saying don’t ever ask people for advice; the Bible tells us there is safety in seeking wise counsel. But if we seek the Holy Spirit first, He will guide us, either by giving us the answer directly or leading us to the right counsel.

Do you need the Helper? For years, I felt like it was okay to come to Him with my “serious” problems, but I didn’t want to bother Him with “small” things. The truth is it doesn’t matter whether it’s a serious issue, such as conflict in a relationship, or something as simple as fixing your hair in the morning. God is bigger than any of our problems, and He cares about everything that concerns us. The most spiritual prayer we can pray sometimes is simply, “Help me, Lord!”  

How about an Advocate or Intercessor? The Holy Spirit prays for us and through us. The Bible says He not only intercedes on our behalf to the Father, but He also helps us to pray when we don’t know how or what to pray (see Rom. 8:26). And as our advocate, He is always ready to stand with us or to defend us. No matter what, He is always on our side!

Do you need a Strengthener? It’s the strength of the Holy Spirit that enables us to do whatever we need to do in life. I never start my day without asking Him to strengthen me—physically, mentally and every other way. Because no matter how strong, talented or capable we think we are, every single one of us needs God’s strength to accomplish His will in our lives.

As a believer in Christ, the Holy Spirit is in you. He wants to enable you to live your life to the fullest. He knows exactly what you need when you need it, and He is always ready and willing to help. He knows you better than anyone, and if you let Him, He will lead you according to His perfect plan for your life! {eoa}

Australian police on Thursday charged Cardinal George Pell, a top adviser to Pope Francis, with multiple historical sex crimes, bringing a worldwide abuse scandal to the heart of the Vatican.

As Vatican economy minister, Pell is the highest-ranking Church official to face such accusations. He asserted his innocence and said the pontiff had given him leave of absence to return to Australia to defend himself.

“I am looking forward finally to having my day in court. I repeat that I am innocent of these charges. They are false,” the 76-year-old told a news conference. “The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me.”

Pell’s high-profile departure, even if only temporary, poses a dilemma for a pontiff who has vowed zero tolerance for such offenses.

It may also have implications for Francis’ drive to reform Vatican finances, which has been spearheaded by Pell, who also sits on a panel of nine cardinals from around the world who advise the pope.

Police in the Australian state of Victoria, where Pell was a country priest in the 1970s, said he faced “multiple charges in respect of historic sexual offenses” from multiple complainants.

They did not detail the charges against Pell or specify the ages of the alleged victims or the period when the crimes were alleged to have occurred. He was ordered to appear before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on July 18.

‘Clear My Name’

Pell, who declined to take questions, decried a “relentless character assassination” by the media and said he wanted to “clear my name and then return to my work in Rome.”

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said Pell would not appear in public church services for the time being.

Pell had told an Australian government inquiry into institutional child abuse last year that the Church had made “catastrophic” choices by refusing to believe abused children, shuffling abusive priests from parish to parish, and relying too heavily on the counsel of priests to solve the problem.

But he angered victims by saying he was too ill to fly home, testifying instead from Rome.

Then, last July, Victoria police confirmed that Pell himself was being investigated on suspicion of child sexual abuse.

He indicated on Thursday that he would now go to Australia: “I have spoken to my lawyers about when I need to return home and to my doctors about how best to do this.”

Francis said last year that Pell should not undergo trial by media, adding: “It’s in the hands of the justice system and one cannot judge before the justice system … After the justice system speaks, I will speak.”

But the latest development was a blow to the pope and put pressure on him to make good on promises finally to root out sexual abuse in the Church and act against those who cover it up.

Marie Collins, the top non-clerical member of a papal commission on abuse, resigned in frustration this year, citing “shameful” resistance to change within the Vatican.

Global Scandal

Church sexual abuse broke into the open in 2002, when it was discovered that U.S. bishops in the Boston area had simply moved abusers to new posts instead of defrocking them.

Thousands of cases have come to light around the world as investigations have encouraged long-silent victims to go public, shattering the Church’s reputation in places such as Ireland, and more than $2 billion have been paid in compensation.

“I would suspect (the charges against Pell) are going to be stunning to the Vatican and to the pope himself,” said Thomas P. Doyle, the U.S. priest whose report on sexual abuse in the Church led to the discovery of cover-up practices in Boston.

Under previous popes, the Vatican, a sovereign state in the middle of Rome, sheltered officials wanted by other countries.

In the early 1980s, the Vatican refused an Italian request to hand over Archbishop Paul Marcinkus—an American who was then head of the Vatican bank and was wanted for questioning about the fraudulent bankruptcy of a private Italian bank.

Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston moved to Rome after a sexual abuse scandal erupted in his diocese, and has been living in the Italian capital for more than 15 years.

Victims groups were outraged when Law, now 85 and retired, was given a plum job as chief priest at a Rome basilica by the late Pope John Paul II.

However, Francis was tough in the case of Jozef Wesolowski, a former archbishop who was accused of paying for sex with minors while serving as papal ambassador in the Dominican Republic.

Wesolowski was recalled in 2013, defrocked and arrested in the Vatican in 2014, but died shortly before his trial was due to start in 2015. {eoa}

© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.

The deep state revealed. The liberal mainstream media declared fake news. The swamp that is Washington, D.C., finally being drained after decades of impropriety.

Terrorist groups seemingly rising up out of nowhere. Members of the axis of evil threatening our safety and security.

It’s a scary, troubling time and sobering for many. But, as John Mark Pool, co-founder of Word to the World Ministries, wrote for Elijah List on Thursday morning, this is all part of God’s plan to expose the enemy’s hand and to bring closure.

“The Lord recently gave me three words: Exposure, closure and victory!” he wrote. “These three words seem to summarize where our nation is in relation to God’s kingdom.

“Our nation is observing one of the greatest seasons of exposure ever experienced.

“Evil agendas have been demonstrating the intentions of the enemy’s hand to kill, steal and destroy. This exposure is God’s plan to allow the spirit of lawlessness to show its hand and thus allow ‘closure’ to the enemy’s exposure.”

Pool encouraged readers to not be filled with fear at the enemy’s current intimidation tactics. He said the Lord is about to “annihilate the son of perdition.” As others have noted, God is going to deal with terrorism and will put an end to the conflict in Korea.

But, he had a special word for America:

Our nation of America is being shaken! When the enemy’s hand is revealed, the righteous right hand of God will demonstrate His lifting up a standard against evil for His bride. This is dealt with in very visible ways such as recent special elections won for the conservative platform, chaos in Europe and fake news finding nothing in their continual witch hunts in plans to destroy God’s choice for our current president, Donald Trump. What will remain is a shaking that multiplies our country with God’s fruitfulness. Remember, the enemy is now in exposure for God’s closure!

Our nation was birthed to be one nation under God where, in our new land, we could be free to worship God in His kingdom without tyrannical oppression of an earthly king. The enemy has tried everything to take us under a false kingdom of darkness, to overpower us and take our nation out of its destiny. Yet, it has only exposed the deep state of darkness and is being drained, exposed and removed!

God is now answering many thousands of appeals to heaven. We are definitely going to see darkness get darker and are being set up for the intense light of God’s glory to outshine evil. God will now close the door of the enemy’s attempt at overthrowing our founding roots to be a Christian nation! We are now partnering with the King of kings together to advance God’s kingdom in a fresh wind of fire for a new desire!

I heard the Lord say, “The law of God will again override the plans of the enemy!”

Click here to read the rest of the article at the Elijah List website. {eoa}