Too many people are stuck in the valley of decision. Indecisive about following Christ, they straddle the fence and have one foot in the church and one foot in the world. This lack of commitment leads to a life of compromise and mediocrity. Jesus cautioned, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). We are called to sell out for the cause of Christ.

Perhaps you’ve heard the story about the pig and the hen that were walking along the road. They saw a church sign that posted the sermon topic, “What can we do to help the poor?” The hen suggested they provide bacon and eggs. The pig thought for a moment and protested, “Wait a minute; for you that’s only a donation, but for me it requires total commitment!” That’s exactly what God wants from us—total commitment.

Wikipedia explains, “The point of no return is the point beyond which someone must continue their current course of action, either because turning back is physically impossible, or because to do so would be too expensive or dangerous. The term originated as a technical term in air navigation to refer to the point on a flight at which, due to fuel consumption, a plane is no longer capable of returning to its airfield of origin. After passing the point of no return, the plane has no option but to continue to some other destination. In this sense, the phrase implies an irrevocable commitment . . . Another aviation use is the point during the takeoff roll when there is no longer enough runway ahead of the plane to safely stop; at this point the aircraft is committed to taking off.”

At the point of no return, pilots have to make a critical decision—turn back now or go all the way. Every Christian must make a similar selection. Decisions determine our destiny. Destiny is not a matter of chance but of choice. Jesus issued this stern warning, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32). Lot’s family, you recall, was being escorted by angels out of Sodom when his wife turned back. God provided an escape route, but she refused to take it. This was not just a curious glance over her shoulder to see what was happening. She was so enamored with sin city that she looked back with a longing to return. Consequently, she was turned into a pillar of salt and preserved in her rebellion. This is a vivid reminder for us once we are saved not to turn back to the world.

Once we determine to follow Christ, we can’t afford to waver in our commitment. Once we are saved, we must stay saved. Once we are freed from sin, we must remain free. Once God ignites His fire in our hearts, we must maintain the flame. The old-time preachers used to say, “It’s sink or swim, hot or cold, live or die, all the way or nothing.” We need to decide once and for all that we are going all the way with God. Get past the point of no return and never look back. The Bible demands of us a decision:

• Joshua issued an ultimatum: “Choose today whom you will serve” (Josh. 24:15b).

• Elijah challenged ancient Israel, “How long will you stay between two opinions?” (1 Kings 18:21).

• Jesus insisted, “No one can serve two masters … You cannot serve God and money” (Matt. 6:24).

• Paul declared, “Let each one be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Rom. 14:5b).

• James informed us, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8).

• Jesus advised, “I wish you were cold or hot” (Rev. 3:15b).

Joshua’s determination to serve God is legendary. He was one of the original 12 spies Moses sent to scout the land of Canaan. He served Moses faithfully for over 40 years and became the captain of Israel’s army. Then, he led the Israelites during the conquest of Canaan. At his farewell address, he passed the baton of leadership, and his words still inspire us today, “Yet as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15c). No indecision there. Only total commitment to the cause.

Most Christians know the popular song “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” Wikipedia tells the remarkable story behind it:

The lyrics are based on the last words of a man in Assam, India, whose family was converted to Christianity by a Welsh missionary in the 1800’s. The man, his wife and their two children professed faith in Christ and were baptized. The village leaders wanted to make an example out of him, so they arrested the whole family and demanded that he renounce Christ or see his wife and kids murdered. When he refused, his two children were executed by archers. Given another chance to recant, the man again refused, and his wife was also struck down. Still refusing to recant, the man followed his family into glory as a martyr.

Witnesses later told the story to the Welsh missionary. The reports said that when asked to recant or see his children murdered, the man said, “I have decided to follow Jesus, and there is no turning back.” After seeing his children killed, he reportedly said, “The world can be behind me, but the cross is still before me.” And after seeing his wife pierced by the arrows, he said, “Though no one is here to go with me, still I will follow Jesus.” This display of bold faith led to the conversion of the chief and many others in that village.

Years later, an American hymn editor, William Reynolds, composed a new arrangement of the song that became a regular feature of Billy Graham’s evangelistic meetings. “I have decided to follow Jesus … no turning back.” Another verse declares, “Take this whole world, just give me Jesus …” Friend, it’s high time to move past the point of no return once and for all and never look back. {eoa}

Ben Godwin is the author of four books and pastors the Goodsprings Full Gospel Church. To read more articles, visit his website at and take advantage of his four-book bundle for $25.

It’s hard to pick a favorite, but certainly, my top five of Bible books includes the one titled “The Acts of the Apostles.” It is the book of the history of the Holy Spirit working in, among and through the church. It not only chronicles the happenings in the early church but sets the pattern for the church era.

I believe that the title given to the book in our Bibles is a misnomer. It shouldn’t be titled the Acts of the Apostles, because it chronicles the work of the Spirit in the lives of many who were not apostles. Because of this, some suggest it should be called, “Acts of the Holy Spirit,” but I believe it would more aptly be titled, “Acts of Spirit-Filled Believers.” It is, of course, the Holy Spirit who does the work, but it is redeemed people He chooses to work through.

Regardless of the title we give it, Acts is undeniably a book of action. The action in the book highlights the essence of Christianity: faith in action. Christianity is about believing and doing! Believing always leads to action. A belief that doesn’t lead to action isn’t believed. James said it this way, “.. I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18).

Grab the Pendulum

It seems that a significant portion of today’s church is too cerebral, whereas another is far too emotional. The pendulum seems to swing violently between the headiness of higher-learning and the swooning of emotional highs. On the one side, supposed grasp of knowledge produces cold, calculated, dead religion. On the other hand, the emphasis on emotional experience delivers highs followed by hard crashes and people ever searching for the next “fix.”

Meanwhile, a generation is hungrily looking for something more. This generation hungers for that which is beyond the ordinary, beyond the norm. The giant leaps in technology with instant access to a myriad of possibilities make everyday living more and more of a chore. Millennials are groomed for the supernatural. Just look at the books, TV shows and movies that raised them: Harry Potter, Twilight and others ensure that this generation is open to a dimension beyond the one they know. The church must wake up, step in and fill the vacuum. Today is the church’s hour to grab the pendulum, stop viewing the issue as an “either/or” and understand it is “both/and.” We must step in and answer the cry of hungry hearts and searching minds.

Return to the Pattern

Truly reaching this generation requires a return to the pattern of the Acts: the pattern of Christians rooted in truth and ever-growing in the knowledge of the Lord while at the same time ever-increasing in the freedom of the grace of His Spirit. The church should shine with such brightness that we turn this generation from false teaching and the manifestation of counterfeit spirits to the truth and the genuine works of the Holy Spirit. To do this, we cannot be a “cereal” church, filled with fruits, flakes and nuts. Being Spirit-filled doesn’t mean you check your brain at the door! It isn’t either being smart or anointed – the Church is called to both.

But being intelligent doesn’t mean we are led by our heads. Our generation deserves more than a hard-shell, stuffy gathering of those who think themselves intellectually brilliant but possess no life-giving power. Much of the modern church seems content to pat ourselves on the backs and applaud how advanced we are from the old saints, but it much of what we have is a shallow pool of feel-good inspirational self-talk that doesn’t produce the transformation promised by the gospel.

I believe it is time for a Jesus awakening in the church. It’s time for a return to authentic Spirit-filled living like what we see in the Acts. The church life of the first century isn’t meant to be the exception to the rule; it is the rule. What Jesus began to do and teach as recorded in the Gospels, He desires to do through His body, His people, His church in our generation.

His instruction to the first disciples is our instruction as well, “Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. … Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them. … teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you … These signs will accompany those who believe: In My name, they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; if they drink any deadly thing it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:15-18, Matt. 28:19-20). His last words must always be our first priority. We are to go into everyone’s world with the proclamation, explanation and demonstration of His good news.

Witness the Power

No one should go until they receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus instructed His followers to go, but before they were to go, they were to wait for the promise of the Father. Luke records His words in Acts 1:8a, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” The word power is dynamis and means “miraculous ability.” Jesus said when the Holy Spirit comes on us, we receive ability beyond our ability. He adds the super to the natural. The Holy Spirit adds the extra to the ordinary. Our mission is to witness the power of Jesus personally and corporately and then witness this new life to the generations. The power of Pentecost is first the power to live beyond self. It is the power to live for Christ and make Him known. Every other aspect of the power revealed at Pentecost flows out of the foundation that we are called to His witnesses.

My prayer is that the church will again live out the book of Acts. I pray the actions of Spirit-filled believers in the 21st century will again impact our culture as the first-century believers impacted theirs. Awakening is our prayer. Jesus is our message, and Holy Spirit-enabled action is the proof. {eoa}

Keith Nix is the founding pastor of a thriving congregation, The Lift Church in Sevierville, Tennessee. He has traveled as an international evangelist since 1993 carrying a unique prophetic message of awakening to this generation. The year 2018 marks his 21st year of leading an impacting youth camp: for information. He and his wife, Margie, have one daughter, Isabella. To learn more and get a free audio download you can visit . You can connect with Keith on Twitter here:

Is your married life a constant whirlwind of activity? Or maybe it’s comfortably tedious? Possibly a little of both? Regardless of where you are, the key concept in terms of the best romantic getaways is the word “getaway.” Whatever your schedule, romance often falls victim to routine—that’s why you want to get away.

Most importantly, getaways promote the idea that you love each other passionately and that you’re motivated to rearrange your schedule—even if only for 24 hours—in order to nurture the relationship that is so important. Maybe you appreciate the thought, but you’re at a loss regarding how to start. Here are 10 ideas that will help you have one of the best weekend getaways ever.

1. Use some imagination.

Avoid the same old, same old. Go somewhere new. Skip the hotel and try a bed and breakfast. Detailed thoughtfulness and caring in planning a getaway with your wife can lead to romance when you arrive.

2. Present the idea via a handwritten invitation.

Instead of “Wanna go to the shore…?” try a fountain pen on classy stationery. “Mr. John Doe requests the accompaniment of his lovely wife, Jane, for a weekend of romance at the B&B on Honeymoon Beach….” At the very least, go Hallmark.

3. Make all the arrangements yourself.

Make the getaway a true gift and do the legwork yourself. It may be a cliché to say that the journey is as important as the destination. But there’s no doubt romantic getaways work best when romance is included every step of the way.

4. Plan to be uninterrupted.

Make necessary arrangements for emergency contacts, but the cell phone is off, period. Email too. Romantic getaways need to be just that—a getaway.

5. Pack some candles and matches in your suitcase.

This is a twofer: not just romantic candlelight, but the loving touch of thoughtfulness ahead of time.

6. Plan at least one a year.

Romantic getaways accrue a cumulative value. Make them a regular element of your relationship.

7. Keep notes on dreams, wishes and so on.

Keep an idea log. Do you know what kinds of destinations your spouse enjoys, or what restaurants or fun activities? Don’t wait for a moment of panic when you know you have to book something in 24 hours. The added value of paying attention is a growing sensitivity that puts your mate first as a matter of course.

8. Don’t break the bank; the stress will ruin the weekend.

Nothing kills romance like stress. Save up, look for deals, go camping, swap houses for the weekend—do whatever it takes, but keep inside your budget.

9. Arrange ahead.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to arrange flowers, chocolates or some other gift to be there when you arrive. The thoughtfulness will go a long way.

10. Do not watch sports.

OK, does this even need to be said? Unfortunately, yes! Better yet, don’t watch TV at all (unless you have a “date-friendly” movie planned). The idea is simple uninterrupted time together. That’s a gift you can’t overgive.

What kind of getaway have you taken your wife on? {eoa}

This article originally appeared at .

Mark Batterson has some great quotes like, “Prayers turn into goals and goals turn into prayers” or “Pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on you.” But would you even know if God answered your prayer?

Kevin Senapatiratne is head spiritual pyromaniac for Christ Connection. Kevin speaks around the United States, helping Christians find the fun of prayer. He is the author of Enjoying Prayer. You can learn more about his ministry at .

I’ve been meditating on Colossians 3:1-4 lately. It’s one of my favorites. In it, Paul instructs us to set our hearts and minds on Christ. In fact, Paul goes on to say that Christ is our life. What does that look like?

As I’ve been meditating on that passage, I’ve grappled with what it looks like to have Christ at the center of my life. Sarah Edwards, the wife of preacher Jonathan Edwards, centered her life on Christ. What’s remarkable is that she had 11 children! Don’t you wonder how she got anything done? As an evangelist, her husband traveled often, so that weight of raising 11 children fell largely on her. Yet she wanted her life centered on Christ, so she found time to cultivate her relationship with Him.

She wrote this about her time in God’s presence: “I was entirely swallowed up in God as my only portion, and His honor and glory was the object of my supreme desire and delight.” Wow! Don’t you wonder how she was able to enter God’s presence so deeply in the midst of raising 11 kids?

I don’t want to diminish the role of grace (and if you’re in the thick of raising kids, you need grace), but I realized that if you’re going to have your life centered on Christ, you have to be intentional. So here are a few thoughts:

Begin Each Day by Surrendering to the Spirit of Christ

In our modern world, it’s easy to forget that our journey with Christ should be a walk of surrender. Paul wrote, “For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). As Westerners, we scream about our “rights.” Here’s the thing: When you chose to follow Jesus, you gave up your rights. Your life is now to be one ongoing act of surrender—His will, His desires, His plans—even when His plans don’t seem fair. It’s so hard to wrap our minds around that. But as I study heroes of the Christian faith, I’m realizing that they understood it. When they followed Jesus, it was a call to die.

When you wake in the morning, make it your practice to affirm the lordship of Christ. Pray before you even get out of bed: Holy Spirit, fill me. Remind me through this day that my life is not my own. I belong to Jesus.

Monitor Your Thought Life

Take a few quiet moments to look deep within. What thoughts fill your mind? Mixed in with positive productive thoughts, you might find resentment, envy, negativity, fear, greed, pride, insecurity or selfishness. Those negative thought patterns get in the way of the spiritual and emotional transformation Christ wants to accomplish in our lives. So it’s important to get rid of them, but how? Certainly the Holy Spirit is the primary agent of transformation and purification in our lives. But we play a part as well.

Teresa of Avila, a famous woman of prayer in the 16th century, understood this. She wrote about her “interior castle,” saying to her readers, “It is necessary that your foundation consist of more than prayer and contemplation. If you do not strive for the virtues and practice them, you will always be small in the faith.” Spend a few moments reading Colossians 3:5-10. Ask the Lord to uproot negative thinking from your life. Instead, when negativity comes to mind, ask the Lord to re-clothe your mind with the characteristics found in Colossians 3:12.

Praise and Thank Him Throughout the Day

Pause throughout your day and thank Him for the good gifts He’s given you. Play worship music in your home and car, and sing along. Learn to live your life as an act of worship to Christ (Col. 3:16-17). Fill your phone with worship music that suits your style, and then let it prompt your praise.

Friend, the bottom line is that you will have to be intentional if you want to center your life on Christ. But it’s worth the intentionality because Christ is your real life. {eoa}

Becky Harling, an author, certified speaker, leadership coach and trainer with the John Maxwell Team, is an energetic and motivational international speaker inspiring audiences to overcome their greatest life challenges and reach their full God-given potential. Her most recent book is How to Listen So People Will Talk. Her husband, Steve Harling, is the president of Reach Beyond, a nonprofit organization seeking to be the voice and hands of Jesus around the world. Connect with Becky at , Facebook or Twitter.

This article originally appeared at .

In her latest book, Sipping Skinny: Drink Away the Pounds (June 5, 2018), Cherie Calbom, a leading authority on health and detoxification, shares her health journey and how a liquid diet turned her life around for the best.

Calbom describes when she developed chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Her body ached all over, and she was constantly feverish, with swollen glands and unending lethargy. When she began juicing, there wasn’t an instant change, and the detox reactions were intense.

“I was obviously very toxic, and my body was cleansing away all that stuff that had made me sick. This caused the not-so-good days in the midst of the promising ones,” Calbom recounts.

But one morning she woke up and felt as if she was in a new body. Juicing had renewed her energy and completely restored her health. With her juicer in tow, Calbom set out to spread the word about this metabolism-boosting, calorie-saving and blood-sugar-balancing diet.

Juicing and souping is not like other diet plans that keep weight off but never quite get to the root of weight gain. Calbom calls for readers to not just lose weight, but to also gain health. She shows how incorporating juices, soups, smoothies and other beverages can be the key to changing your internal landscape.

Sipping Skinny includes insight on her Watercress Soup Diet, which was featured on the cover of Woman’s World magazine and has proven to enable weight loss, internal cleansing, healing and renewed energy. Calbom features watercress recipes so readers can experience this nutrient-rich meal for themselves.

“I try never to promote anything I haven’t tried and don’t believe in. That’s why I know that the suggestions and lifestyle plans in Sipping Skinny work. They can help you find better health and fitness,” Calbom says.

God is raising up Millennial prophetic voices with great clarity and accuracy. But no matter what our age, we can benefit from wisdom in prophetic ambassadorship.

In this video, I share far more than seven wisdom tips for Millennial prophets. In reality, these tips apply to us all.

Do you every wonder if you can stop a worry? Yes, you can!

Think about your mind like a train engine and your thoughts are the box cars attached to engine. Right now, are the boxcars of your mind (thoughts) carrying peace on board, or are they carrying anxious thoughts? Take it one step further: Do you have a short worry train, or is it long enough to hold up traffic and make everyone late for work?

When the boxcars of your mind are filled with worry, those toxic thoughts can derail your hope, joy or happiness. Not only that, but a mind heavy with worry moves slowly. Proverbs 12:25 (NLT) says, “Worry weighs a person down.” It’s hard to figure out what you need or feel because you’re so weighed down by worry.

Even though those toxic thoughts might be contained within your mind, their poisonous fumes leak out and create panic in your heart and wreak havoc on your body.

Is it even possible to stop your unstoppable worry? Yes, it is!

In Matthew 6, Jesus is preaching His famous Sermon on the Mount. In verse 27, He poses a stunning question that would have stirred the hearts and minds of his listeners: “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”

That was a mic-drop moment. Jesus wasn’t just talking to unreligious pagans; He also addressed those in the know. The ones who showed up to church each week, looking spit-shined and spiritual with Sunday Bibles in hand, or at least a YouVersion app downloaded. He was talking to people like us, who had listened to the messages, prayed the prayers and yet still worried way more than they should have. Even today, Jesus wants to know why we’re still worrying, when we know that it doesn’t work.

He’s got us on this one, doesn’t He? All of our worries don’t add a moment to our lives. But they do add cars to our worry trains and slow us down a little each day. Yet, we think that our worry is working for us? Allowing our worry to masquerade as anything other than worry is like pretending our toxin-filled worry train is a hot air balloon.

Notice that Jesus said worry doesn’t add a single moment to our lives. What are some of your favorite life-moments? Some of my precious moments include the first time my husband kissed me, the day I graduated from college as a young wife and mother, the first time I held each of my children and the moment I held my first book in my hands. I could write a list of a thousand favorite moments from my life, and not one of them would begin with “the time I worried about _______________.”

Every worry-filled boxcar weighing down your mind steals a precious moment from your life. None of us want our precious moments with our friends or families or our free time to be stolen by worry. But how do we get those moments back?

If you want to stop your unstoppable worry, it begins with learning how to re-build your mental train of thought. You’ve got to learn how to leave the worry boxcars behind and choose wisdom boxcars instead. Wisdom boxcars are filled with God’s Word, which breathes life and hope into your present and your future, instead of weighing you down like worry does.

I’d like you to try called the “God morning/God night” technique, which equips you to intentionally build your thoughts on God’s peace, courage and strength at the beginning of your day and as you finish the day. Worry often strikes early in the morning before our day begins or at night when we’re reflecting on our day.

For the “God-morning/God-night” technique, you’ll need a “starter train set.” Here are five short verses that can begin your new quest to win your worry battle. Read these verses aloud each morning before you get up and moving each day, and read them before you settle down at night. If you read these verses with the intent to memorize them, eventually they will replace some of the worry boxcars in your mind. The more verses you remember, the more worry boxcars will disappear.

Take a moment and read them aloud right now:

• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Prov. 3:5).
• “In the day when I am afraid, I will trust in you” (Ps. 56:3).
• “I can do all things because of Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).
• “Cast all your care upon Him, because He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7).
• “The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace” (Ps. 29:11).

Next, grab two sheets of paper or notecards and write these verses down. Leave one card next to your bed and attach another notecard next to your bathroom mirror. Why two? If you oversleep (like me) you might forget to look at the card next to your bed. However, when you brush your teeth, the backup card is right there for you to read. Another option is to type these verses into your phone calendar with a morning and evening alarm.

If you’ve already memorized these verses, then keep building your train with more boxcars of God’s peace and promises. Choose five more verses that directly address worry and write them on note cards. We need to give our minds something to connect to each morning before those worry boxcars link up and spread their toxic fumes all over our lives.

Here’s a final thought: Every worry gets stopped in its tracks by the Word of God. {eoa}

Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about connecting women to one another and to God. Her goal is to equip women to win at life with Christ-empowered strength and dignity. Roose enjoys teaching and encouraging women at conferences and events across the country and abroad. Her latest book is Winning the Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua along with the companion Bible study. Connect with her at , Facebook (BarbaraRoose), Twitter (barbroose) and Instagram (barbroose).

Did you know that your worship continues on long after the songs are over?

The Lord has been highlighting to me for many months the importance of developing our own altar of worship in our daily lives, and that this year would be a year of the “new song.” This “new song” is mentioned seven times in Scripture, but I will use only one here: “Sing to Him a new song; play an instrument skillfully with a joyful shout” (Ps. 33:3).

Holy Spirit has been wooing us for quite some time, to come into His holy presence with such a gentle, sweet calling of His voice, wooing and beckoning to us saying, “Come! Come unto me, in this very moment.” Make wherever you are, an altar for the Lord. You are the sacrifice! You are the altar of the Lord, 24/7! Your worship continues on long after the songs are over.

“You are the song! Worship is a way of life. Wherever you may be, driving down the road, at work, or in the shower—it doesn’t matter. You are the worship song to the Lord. Hallelujah. Your worship is 24/7, every waking moment and every sleeping moment, in the quietness of the night, to dream the dreams of God. Your worship doesn’t stop. You are the 24/7 worship house of the Lord. And right now, you are part of God’s eternal worship team. Holy Spirit quickened this song to my heart: “No rock’s gonna take my place! No rock’s gonna take my place! No rock. No rock!”

He answered them, “I tell you, if these should be silent, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40).

You are a “living stone” in the house of my God. You are a living stone in Him; one that reverberates life, 24/7. The Lord is now strategically placing you by His very hand; where in days past, man has tried to place you, but it didn’t fit. Man tried to force you into a hole where you didn’t belong.

You have been a “living stone” at the altar of my God, where the greatest stonemason in the entire universe has been hammering and hammering on you, and He said, “Not ready yet. Not ready yet.” “Is not my word like a hammer?” He said in Jeremiah. “And I’ve been pounding on you, because there were some rough places that I needed to break off to get just the perfect fit. Oh, the very rocks will cry out. … He’s been hammering on us all, and it’s been painful at times! But we can’t allow our current situation to steal our song! No rock’s going to take my place! No, no, no!

Your personal praise, 24/7, when no one else is watching, will be your primary weapon for your breakthrough. You and God are a majority. Holy Spirit sang this phrase: “I’m looking for one! I’m looking for one!”

“For the eyes of the Lord move about on all the earth to strengthen the heart that is completely toward Him” (2 Chron. 16:9a).

“Can I find one who has made an altar of worship when no one’s watching? One that has brought down the fire of God to already consume the sacrifice that has worshiped at my feet before they stand in the pulpit, for you are the sacrifice! You are the fuel for my fire, and you are going to release the new sound and the new song in your own life, at your own altar, and give a shout of praise when no one else is around.”

“Sing unto Him a new song” (Ps. 33:3). Play skillfully with a loud noise … with a loud noise … with a loud noise. Sometimes you have to release a shout! You have my permission right now, to shout onto the Lord, for He is good. For no rock is going to take my place. He is good! When you have nothing else to say, a hallelujah will do. It means “Let us praise the Lord,” or “Praise Yahweh”! You are releasing the greatest praise that you could ever speak, and it’s the same in every language. (It is a pure Hebrew word and yet is found in almost every language under the sun.) Their word for “hallelujah” is “hallelujah”! “Hallelujah”! There’s no confusion in this word!

God is raising up a people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. We know the word, but we need the spirit with the word to be in a 50/50 balance. You won’t be afraid of getting out of balance. Too much word and not enough spirit, the lampstand falls over and it gives no light. Too much spirit and not enough word- same result! God’s looking for the worshiper! You will worship at His feet before you stand in His pulpit. You’ll be a worshiper before you ever teach the word or play before thousands. You will worship in the fields before anyone invites you to the party.

Little David was not invited. He was worshipping in the field at his own altar. Samuel asked, “Is there another? Jesse, are all your sons here?” The oldest, handsomest, smartest, tallest, and strongest, were all brought before Samuel, the Lord’s prophet.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees. For man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the hear'” (1 Sam. 16:7).

He’s looking for one, with the heart of God. What made David so special? Was he perfect? No. He had the heart of God. Because, then, when you mess up, you are quick to repent. You have the heart of God. He’s not looking for perfection, because we’ve all missed the mark, but He has been molding and shaping the heart of the worshipper.

The Lord sees you all as the Marys who have broken open your alabaster box while worshiping at Jesus’ feet when no one else in the room was willing to honor Jesus for who He was. They had a meal in His honor, and it was customary to anoint the guest. But no one was willing to honor even Jesus at a meal planned just for him. But Mary broke open everything she had—a year’s wages at his feet. The disciples thought it was a waste. To the world it will be a waste. Your worship will be foolish and a waste of time, but you’re building an altar of his anointing for your own life, and that’s all you need.

“For you are my anointed ones,” says the Lord. “Oh my Davids, I am calling you out from the fields, from the place of worship. I’m in need of you now. I’m pouring out my ‘alabaster box’ of costly perfumes upon you now with the anointing of my Son. And this is the anointing of kings! You’re a king in my kingdom, with a small k,” says the Lord. “You are my kings! Right now, this anointing is yours that establishes you as my kings. It doesn’t matter about male or female. God’s not looking at gender. For there are females who are called to preach my word in the earth and to call fire down out of heaven. For now is your time! I have called you for such a time as this.”

“Oh my mighty Davids, come in out of the cold! Come out of the fields, for I am pouring out an anointing of my kings with my power and authority to establish my kingdom here in the earth. The anointing of my son David, in the lineage of Jesus Christ of Nazareth—his anointing—in unlimited portion. You have to get that word, “unlimited.” It’s unlimited! Just receive it all by grace right now. This is a now moment! He’s pouring out His anointing right now in this moment. How big is your cup? How wide is your cup? How wide and how deep is the love of God? How much do you want? He’s not going to stop until you say, “When”! Until you say, “When.” Until you don’t want any more or can’t take any more. Anointings to preach my word in the earth. Anointings for my revelation, of my line between the line. I’m going to open up the Word, and I’m going to share my heart’s desire with you. And I’m going to reveal deep mysteries of my heart to my David’s in this hour. Preachers: You will preach my words with a fresh fire, with a new powerful anointing, that will break the yoke like never before. You will see the captives set free with My Word in the power and demonstration of My spirit,” says the Lord.

“For this is a new day. The dawning of a new day. Where I am making all things new. I’m speaking Revelation 21:5. I’m making all things new. Everything. Your ministries are going to be new and fresh unlike anything else you have ever seen. There’ll be no point of reference for what God is about to do in your ministry, because it’s not anything like the old. It won’t look the same. It won’t sound the same. It will be completely new and completely fresh. God’s pouring out this anointing upon you now to equip us for every good work in Christ. He is sending you out but not in name only but fully weaponized. You won’t lack any one good thing. Your cup runs over. You’ll have too much. And the secret of the kingdom is just to keep giving it away. Freely have you received; freely give, and the more you give the more you’ll receive!”

“You will preach my Word with my fire,” says the Lord. “You’ll preach my Word with a fresh fire, and fresh anointing like you have never known before. For I am taking the coal and touching your lips to cleanse and purify your speech! You’ve said, ‘Here I am.’ It’s the anointing of Isaiah 6 in the throne room as the seraphim cried out “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty. For it is through your worship, as you cried out ‘Holy, holy, holy,’ the coal is going to touch your lips and bring My refiner’s fire in you to speak My words in the earth. This will literally consume every sacrifice around you. If there’s a tree within 100 miles around you, My fire will consume it! My people are trees, and My Word will consume every tree around you. You will cause forest fires wherever you go, in Jesus’ mighty name. You’ll set this world on fire! And I’m seeing many mighty forests yet to be consumed. And I’m seeing many blazing forest fires all across the USA and into the nations of the earth!”

In many places in Scripture, people are trees symbolically. You are oaks of righteousness. You are the palm trees, cedar trees and olive trees. The sweet fragrance of the Lord. Humanity is seen in the burning bush; a tree set on fire with the glory of God. I’m seeing the church as many burning bushes coming together to form one mighty forest fire in this time. “You are my burning bushes! You are the sacrifice, the altars of my worship. You are humanity set on fire with the glory of God with nothing left to be consumed in you, where everything else is burned to a crisp,” says the Lord your God.

This is where we are right now in the body of Christ, in this our now time, and that’s what we need. If it’s not God’s; we don’t want it anyway, and we say, “God, send your fire upon this sacrifice. Send your fire, Lord! {eoa}

David Lebo of Tidal Wave Ministries, has a passion for awakening among the nations boldly proclaiming the word of the Lord as a voice of “one crying in the wilderness”. He ministers in freedom to release the fullness of God’s Kingdom! He is author of the book: Abiding Under The Shadow.

Dr. Mike Evans, New York Times best-selling journalist and founder of the Friends of Zion Museum, hosted a gala in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday to celebrate Israel’s 70th birthday as well as the successes Israel and her allies have had over the past few months: the strengthening of relations, the move of the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel’s capital Jerusalem, the move of the Guatemalan Embassy to Jerusalem and the promise of many more to come.

These successes of Israel and her people feel just as strong for Israel’s Christian allies. In Dallas, 1,100 Christian Zionist leaders celebrated the state of Israel just as Israel’s allies did at the Friends of Zion Embassy Gala Event. On May 13, just a day before the United States moved its embassy to Jerusalem, Dr. Mike Evans and the Friends of Zion held an event in Jerusalem, Israel, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. At the event, the organization awarded the Friends of Zion Award to U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, U.S. Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Senior Adviser to the President Jared Kushner and Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt. The award is given to world leaders who have gone “above and beyond” for the state of Israel.

Other than these true warriors for Israel, other friends of Israel who attended were U.S. Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin, Senior Adviser to the President Ivanka Trump, Israeli Minister of Education Naftali Bennett, Governor of Florida Rick Scott, Congressman Lindsey Graham and former Senator of Connecticut Joe Lieberman.

The Friends of Zion, including our late international chairman, Israel’s ninth President Shimon Peres, presented awards to President George W. Bush, Crown Prince Albert II of Monaco and Former President of Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev for their unwavering support for the state of Israel and Jewish people. Dr. Mike Evans and President Shimon Peres had met with Pope Francis in Vatican City. They co-wrote a resolution condemning violence in the name of religion. In December, Dr. Mike Evans presented the Friends of Zion Award to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

A little over a week ago, President Trump’s Middle East envoy, United States Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, Senior Adviser to the President Jared Kushner and Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt were all awarded the Friends of Zion Award at the Friends of Zion Gala Event celebrating the moving of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. The Friends of Zion also recently honored President Jimmy Morales of Guatemala for moving the Guatemalan Embassy to Jerusalem. He had been awarded the Friends of Zion Award when he announced his intentions to move the embassy in January.

The Friends of Zion has promised it would give the award to any world leader who moves his or her country’s embassy to Jerusalem. The Friends of Zion Heritage Center has become one of the central institutions in the state of Israel, influencing the world and strengthening Israel’s relations globally while fortifying the pillars of the Israeli society. The Friends of Zion Museum is one of the newest attractions in the very heart of Jerusalem, inviting visitors from all over the world to experience the courageous stories of the non-Jews who have supported the Jewish people and the state of Israel in the last 200 years.