Battered by the winds of a pandemic, social unrest and an especially contentious election season, America is now poised to answer a call to repentance and restoration signaled from the lighthouse of a grassroots church movement known as “The Return: National and Global Day of Prayer and Repentance“ — now set to kick off one day earlier, with a newly added worship and prayer service called “The Return: Next Generation.”

Scheduled for Sept. 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. EDT on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the special service known as “The Return: Next Generation” welcomes the general public, young people, families—all can join as a precursor to the main gathering of “The Return” on Sept. 26, which will draw tens of thousands in person and online.

“The Return: Next Generation” will honor our military and law enforcement, and Mike Lindell will be launching his new national addiction Lindell Recovery Network. It will also feature national music artist Danny Gokey and other artists alongside a moving key note message given by Nicky Cruz.

Attendees should enter the special Sept. 25 gathering at 12th Street and Madison Drive and are encouraged to observe appropriate social distancing, aided by fencing provided by the crew of “The Return: Next Generation.” Food trucks and portable restroom facilities will be available.

In ancient times, the Greeks referred to kairos to mean “opportunity,” a sailing term that literally means “toward the port.” Sailors used it to describe the precise moment when the tide and winds were favorable to make it safely to port. They would set their sails to take full advantage of it. Pastor Kevin Jessip, along with New York Times‘ bestselling author Jonathan Cahn —co-chairs of “The Return” —believe Sept. 25 and 26 represent America’s kairos moment.

“When God is at work, as He is now, we must wake up to that opportunity, set our sails to His favor and ride in His boat, using the wind and tide,” Jessip said. “The time has come for each of us. We have been called to seize the moment! We are at the threshold of the greatest move of God in our time.”

Jessip believes the opportunity is time-sensitive and demands courage of the American church, and that the moment could easily be lost by those who hesitate.

“‘Opportunity’ implies ‘the right moment which may only last for a moment,'” Jessip said. “Kairos means a God-given opportunity is being offered to mankind at a specific moment in time. However, the word also implies there is a risk of faith. In other words, as time moves on, the opportunity can be missed.”

That’s why Jessip and Cahn, along with many Christian leaders throughout America, are urging people to attend “The Return: Next Generation” worship service on Sept. 25 in person or online, as well as the main Sept. 26 gathering that will call the American church to prayer and repentance.

“We are living in a kairos moment today,” Jessip continued. “We believe that working together in unison under the leadership of Jesus Christ, we will be honoring the appeal of the apostle Paul when he said in Romans 15:5-6, ‘May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity amongst yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.'”

Cahn recorded a special video about the event, which already has nearly two million views. In addition, online resources are available, including videos and downloads for individuals, pastors and churches. Daily devotionals also encourage personal repentance and consecration.

“The Return” is for all believers who love the Lord from all denominations and backgrounds. Leaders already on board with “The Return” include Jonathan Cahn and Kevin Jessip (co-chairs), Mike Lindell, Michele Bachmann, Pat Boone, Dr. James Dobson, Mark Gonzales, Robert Morris, Marcus Lamb, John Kilpatrick, Pierre Bynum, Gen. William Boykin, Carter Conlon, Bishop Harry Jackson, Alveda King, Anne Graham Lotz, Pat and Gordon Robertson, Kevin and Sam Sorbo, Stephen E. Strang, E. W. Jackson and many more supporters listed at

“The Return” is set for 40 days before the presidential election, and on the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower, in the days of America’s founding and dedication to God. Surrounding the “The Day of Return” on Sept. 26 at the Washington Mall will be 10 days, known from ancient times as the Days of Awe, to be set as a special time of prayer and repentance from Sept. 18-28.

Coordinated events within “The Return” movement will also take place throughout America’s cities, towns, houses of worship and homes, as well as in multiple countries around the world, as many believe the nation has been given a critical window of opportunity to repent and return to God.

Partners of “The Return” include 10 Days, A. Larry Ross Communications, All Pro Pastors International, America’s National Prayer Committee, Anne Graham Lotz’s Angel Ministries, Assemblies of God, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Bless Every Home, Calvary Chapel, Capitol Hill Prayer Partners, CBN, Charisma magazine, Church of God, Collide, CTN, Daystar Television Network, Engage Media Partners, EpicPay, Every Home for Christ, Family Research Council, Family Talk, Gateway Church, Hispanic Prayer Network, House of David Ministries, Intercessors for America, Jensine Bard Ministries, John Kilpatrick Ministries, National Day of Prayer, Museum of the Bible, MyPillow, National Christian Foundation, Outreach, Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America, World Evangelical Alliance, Pre-Born! and Triple Horse Studios.

Visit “The Return” at to register and learn more. Follow “The Return” on social media at Facebook: @ReturnEvent2020; Twitter: @2020_Return; and Instagram: @The_Return2020. {eoa}

Amid America’s chaos, California worship leader Sean Feucht is hosting outdoor worship services—all over the country. A video posted on Instagram from Friday, Sept. 11, in Fort Collins, Colorado, shows people singing, laughing, crying, dancing and praying. People are being baptized in horse troughs, and healings have been reported.

What began as a protest against the state of California’s July 29 ban on worshipping in church has taken on a greater identity—drawing people into the open to accept, celebrate and experience the power of God. The names of the cities and participants change daily, but the outcome is consistent—and trending.

Comments on Feucht’s Instagram reflected people’s enthusiasm for the worship events:

—”My 7 yr old grandson was powerfully touched and baptized,” said @norahsakcips.

—”The video is SO powerful, feeling shock waves of God’s presence the whole time,” said @juliadedmon.

And then there was this, also posted on Feucht’s Instagram: “Better be praying to god when you’re sick from covid,” said @.

The self-funded tour is now in Wisconsin, with three stops through Wednesday, Sept. 16. Then Feucht, his family and band will move onto Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; and Tampa and Orlando, Florida. (For the full schedule, go to ).

There’s no end in sight.

“The fervor to worship God free from government edict and societal persecution drove America’s earliest settlers across oceans and wild frontiers to this beautiful land to create a new nation build on a simple premise that all men are created equal and cannot be denied their inalienable right to life and liberty,” Feucht said.

“It’s time for the church to rise up with one voice and tell our government leaders and the rulers of big tech that we refuse to be silenced,” he added.

From beaches to mountains and under bridges, the group continues to lead people into worship—whether they’re longtime Christians or people just coming to see what’s happening in a world where concerts and festivals have been cancelled throughout 2020.

From the stage, Feucht speaks of spiritual breakthroughs over each cities and the power of worshipping amid persecution, something Let Us Worship has seen plenty of as a result of not enforcing mask-wearing and social distancing.

“I believe that there’s a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, and that there’s a prophetic calling over the Rocky Mountain region to release a revelation of worship that nowhere else in America can,” Feucht said at the Colorado event. “And I believe tonight that there’s a breaking through the ceiling of heaviness and oppression.

“Sometimes you’ve got to sing it before you see it.” {eoa}

Declaring “the dawn of a new Middle East,” President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed historic diplomatic pacts with Israel and two Gulf Arab nations that he hopes will lead to a new order in the Mideast and cast him as a peacemaker at the height of his reelection campaign.

Hundreds of people massed on the sun-washed South Lawn to witness the signing of agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The bilateral agreements formalize the normalization of the Jewish state’s already thawing relations with the two Arab nations in line with their common opposition to Iran and its aggression in the region.

“We’re here this afternoon to change the course of history,” Trump said from a balcony overlooking the South Lawn. “After decades of division and conflict, we mark the dawn of a new Middle East.”

The agreements do not address the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While the UAE, Bahrain and other Arab countries support the Palestinians, the Trump administration has persuaded the two countries not to let that conflict keep them from having normal relations with Israel.

Trump’s political backers are looking for the agreements to boost his standing as a statesman with just seven weeks to go before Election Day. Until now, foreign policy has not had a major role in a campaign dominated by the coronavirus, racial issues and the economy. The pandemic was in the backdrop of the White House ceremony, where there was no social distancing and most guests didn’t wear masks.

The agreements won’t end active wars, but supporters believe they could pave the way for a broader Arab-Israeli rapprochement after decades of enmity and only two previous peace deals. Skeptics, including many longtime Mideast analysts and former officials, have expressed doubts about their impact and lamented that they ignore the Palestinians, who have rejected them as a stab in the back by fellow Arabs.

During the ceremony, Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the brother of Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince, thanked Israel for “halting the annexation of Palestinian territories,” although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel has only temporarily suspended its plans to annex West Bank settlements.

“Today, we are already witnessing a change in the heart of the Middle East — a change that will send hope around the world,” al-Nahyan said.

Even the harshest critics have allowed that the agreements could usher in a major shift in the region should other Arab nations, particularly Saudi Arabia, follow suit, with implications for Iran, Syria and Lebanon. Other Arab countries believed to be close to recognizing Israel include Oman, Sudan and Morocco.

“We are very down the road with about five different countries,” Trump told reporters before the ceremony.

In addition to the bilateral agreements signed by Israel, the UAE and Bahrain, all three are signing a document dubbed the “Abraham Accords” after the patriarch of the world’s three major monotheistic religions.

“This day is a pivot of history,” Netanyahu said. “It heralds a new dawn of peace.”

“Despite the many challenges and hardships that we all face—despite all that, let us pause a moment to appreciate this remarkable day.”

The Palestinians have not embraced the U.S. vision. Palestinian activists held small demonstrations Tuesday in the West Bank and in Gaza, where they trampled and set fire to pictures of Trump, Netanyahu and the leaders of the UAE and Bahrain.

A poll released Tuesday found that 86% of Palestinians believe the normalization agreement with the UAE serves only Israel’s interests and not their own. The poll, carried out by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, was carried out Sept. 9-12 and surveyed 1,270 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Even in Israel, where the accords have received widespread acclaim, there is concern they might result in U.S. sales of sophisticated weaponry to the UAE and Bahrain, thus potentially upsetting Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region.

Trump said he is OK with selling military aircraft to the UAE. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also welcomed the agreements but said she wants to learn details, specifically what the Trump administration has told the UAE about buying American-made F-35 aircraft and about Israel agreeing to freeze efforts to annex portions of the West Bank.

Bahrani Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani said Bahrain would stand with the Palestinians. “Today is a truly historic occasion,” he said. “A moment for hope and opportunity.”

And while the UAE and Bahrain have a history of suppressing dissent and critical public opinion, there have been indications that the agreements are not nearly as popular or well-received as in Israel. Neither country sent its head of state or government to sign the deals with Netanyahu.

Bahrain’s largest Shiite-dominated opposition group, Al-Wefaq, which the government ordered dissolved in 2016 amid a yearslong crackdown on dissent, said there is widespread rejection of normalization. Al-Wefaq said in a statement that it joins other Bahrainis who reject the agreement to normalize ties with the “Zionist entity,” and criticized the government for crushing the public’s ability to express opinions “to obscure the extent of discontent” at normalization.

The ceremony follows months of intricate diplomacy headed by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, and the president’s envoy for international negotiations, Avi Berkowitz. On Aug. 13, the Israel-UAE deal was announced. That was followed by the first direct commercial flight between the countries, and then the Sept. 11 announcement of the Bahrain-Israel agreement. {eoa}

© 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Associated Press writers Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

On Friday afternoon, Sept. 11, Liberty Counsel filed an emergency request with the federal Court of Appeals. Within 45 minutes, the court ordered the state to respond by today at 5:00 p.m. (PDT). We represent Pastor Ché Ahn and Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, along with 162 California church affiliates of Harvest International Ministry, which has over 65,000 churches worldwide.

Ahn’s great-grandmother became a Christian during the 1907 revival in Pyongyang, North Korea. During the Korean War in 1950-53, his family immigrated from North to South Korea, and Ahn then immigrated to America. In 1973, God rescued young Ahn again, this time from the drug-laden culture of California. As only He can, God raised this humble preacher up to minister to not only the broken of his region and country, but in all the world.

Sixty-five thousand-plus churches are a tempting target, and Satan has taken aim to shut down this powerful movement for God.

As you know from my letters and emails, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has shut down all worship in most of the state, even banning Bible studies and fellowship in private homes with anyone who does not live at that home.

In Pasadena, Ahn, Harvest Rock Church and every parishioner face daily criminal charges up to one year in prison and fines every time they worship.

In San Francisco, the city threatened “Abatement”—which is immediate seizure and destruction of Lighthouse Church’s worship and sanctuary buildings should that church continue to meet. San Francisco allows only 12 people to assemble outside in the sweltering heat and smoke-filled air. But “protesters” and rioters can gather in the thousands.

In Santa Clara, North Valley Baptist Church is being fined $50,000 per week for refusing to stop worshipping together.

In Sun Valley, Grace Community Church Pastor John MacArthur will likely face contempt of court and jail time for defying a judge’s injunction demanding he stop “assembling together,” as the Bible commands.

In Los Angeles, the city has threatened to shut off all power and water to churches, including the affiliate churches we represent.

These are just a few examples of the oppression being wrought upon the men and women of God at the hands of the godless leaders of California.

We live in America, the second country in the history of the world to be founded on the Word of God—the land of the free—where the right to worship God without government intervention is constitutionally guaranteed. No wonder Satan seeks to destroy our churches and our country!

The strongest line of attack against America is to silence the Word of God—and that’s what Satan is trying to do through lawless governors and godless bureaucrats shuttering our churches.

The Pattern Here Is Too Obvious to Ignore:

—Black Lives Matter’s founders (declared Marxists) and the Los Angeles leader of Black Lives Matter say their practice of conjuring the dead is central to the organization.

—Antifa has revealed it is a Marxist organization seeking the death of all religious beliefs.

—Governors and bureaucrats have praised these protesters and rioters while placing their heavy hand on churches and houses of worship.

I cannot state this plainly enough: We are—right now—in one of the most epic battles for religious liberty in many generations.

Our Case Is on a Fast Track

The Court of Appeals is fast-tracking our case against Gov. Newsom, ordering the state to respond by 5:00 pm (PDT) today. We are preparing our reply to the court by 5:00 p.m. tomorrow.

The panel of judges at the Appeals Court who will hear our case has not yet been released. Please pray that we will have a good panel.

There Is Plenty of Reason for Hope

This past weekend, another California pastor who is under fire stood in the gap, and souls are being saved. Abortion survivor turned pastor Jack Hibb and his team baptized 1,000 people in the Pacific Ocean. You cannot stop the Holy Spirit! Light will overcome darkness.

There is revival taking place in Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis and elsewhere in the United States. People are being baptized in public meetings despite these restrictions.

Pray and Be Encouraged

Pray for these pastors who face jail and fines. Pray for revival. Pray for Liberty Counsel’s staff and attorneys as we fight to keep these brave men and women free to preach God’s Word. And pray specifically for our case at the Court of Appeals on behalf of California churches. {eoa}

This article originally appeared at .

Amid America’s chaos, California worship leader Sean Feucht is hosting outdoor worship services—all over the country. A video posted on Instagram from Friday, Sept. 11, in Fort Collins, Colorado, shows people singing, laughing, crying, dancing and praying. People are being baptized in horse troughs, and healings have been reported.

What began as a protest against the state of California’s July 29 ban on worshipping in church has taken on a greater identity—drawing people into the open to accept, celebrate and experience the power of God. The names of the cities and participants change daily, but the outcome is consistent—and trending.

Comments on Feucht’s Instagram reflected people’s enthusiasm for the worship events:

—”My 7 yr old grandson was powerfully touched and baptized,” said @norahsakcips.

—”The video is SO powerful, feeling shock waves of God’s presence the whole time,” said @juliadedmon.

And then there was this, also posted on Feucht’s Instagram: “Better be praying to god when you’re sick from covid,” said @.

The self-funded tour is now in Wisconsin, with three stops through Wednesday, Sept. 16. Then Feucht, his family and band will move onto Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; and Tampa and Orlando, Florida. (For the full schedule, go to ).

There’s no end in sight.

“The fervor to worship God free from government edict and societal persecution drove America’s earliest settlers across oceans and wild frontiers to this beautiful land to create a new nation build on a simple premise that all men are created equal and cannot be denied their inalienable right to life and liberty,” Feucht said.

“It’s time for the church to rise up with one voice and tell our government leaders and the rulers of big tech that we refuse to be silenced,” he added.

From beaches to mountains and under bridges, the group continues to lead people into worship—whether they’re longtime Christians or people just coming to see what’s happening in a world where concerts and festivals have been cancelled throughout 2020.

From the stage, Feucht speaks of spiritual breakthroughs over each cities and the power of worshipping amid persecution, something Let Us Worship has seen plenty of as a result of not enforcing mask-wearing and social distancing.

“I believe that there’s a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, and that there’s a prophetic calling over the Rocky Mountain region to release a revelation of worship that nowhere else in America can,” Feucht said at the Colorado event. “And I believe tonight that there’s a breaking through the ceiling of heaviness and oppression.

“Sometimes you’ve got to sing it before you see it.” {eoa}

A prayer meeting this October—open to everyone—will occur with one clear goal: to ask God for forgiveness for what we’ve done in America. For how we’ve treated others. For the ways in which our nation has turned against the Lord and squandered the countless blessings He has bestowed on us.

This prayer meeting is one day only. The sole purpose? A heartfelt plea to God for His forgiveness.

Pastor Carter Conlon, general overseer of Times Square Church, is heading to Plymouth, Massachusetts, to lead the prayer for God’s mercy on Oct. 6, 2020. This year marks the 400th anniversary of the historic arrival of the first Pilgrims on our soil, a place where they sought to worship God freely and according to conscience. Conlon is asking everyone who believes in God, no matter who they are or where they are, to join him online as the Times Square Church Worldwide Prayer Meeting is livestreamed from Plymouth on Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 7-9 p.m. ET.

There is no fee. No registration is needed. “We are going to ask God for a mercy moment for our nation,” says Conlon. “God called this prayer meeting. The future of America depends on our prayers.”

Adds Conlon, “God said to me, ‘I want you to come back to this very spot where the nation began. And I want you to ask for forgiveness for what you did with the freedom that I gave you 400 years ago.'”

“We’re simply going to God, to the place where the nation began, spiritually speaking, and we’re going to pray and say, ‘Lord, forgive us.’ I’m going to open by listing the sins of America, starting with slavery, and go right on through to the sins of today, including abortion,” Conlon also notes.

Conlon adds urgently, “This is a do-or-die moment for America. We either have a spiritual awakening, or we plunge into darkness. Without God’s intervention of mercy, this nation is finished. This is it. May God help us. May God have mercy.”

The Worldwide Prayer Meeting, which occurs weekly, draws prayer requests from thousands of people in over 200 self-reported countries and dependencies throughout the world. It does so via website submission form and text message.

The weekly live prayer meeting is livestreamed every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Eastern at , and on the Times Square Church Facebook page and YouTube channel.

For more information, visit . {eoa}

Times Square Church is an interdenominational, multinational congregation located in the heart of New York City at 51st Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, founded by Rev. David Wilkerson, author of the best-selling book The Cross and the Switchblade. Over 10,000 people representing more than 100 different nationalities gather to pray together each week, finding true unity through Jesus Christ. Every Tuesday, Times Square Church livestreams its Worldwide Prayer Meeting, which draws prayer requests from thousands of people in over 200 self-reported countries and dependencies throughout the world, via website submission form and text message. The weekly live prayer meeting takes place each Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET at , and on the Times Square Church Facebook page and YouTube channel.

According to several media outlets, it appears the City of San Antonio and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have agreed to an informal settlement in which the city will offer Chick-fil-A a vendor’s spot at the San Antonio International Airport.

The Dallas Morning News reports Chick-fil-A will be offered a lease at the airport after an agreement between the City of San Antonio and the FAA, the federal agency said Monday. However, the fast-food chain said it is not considering a spot at San Antonio Airport after losing its lease last year.

“We are always evaluating potential new locations in the hopes of serving existing and new customers great food with remarkable service,” said a statement from Chick-fil-A, Inc. “While we are not pursuing a location in the San Antonio airport at this time, we are grateful for the opportunity to serve San Antonians in our 32 existing restaurants.”

As CBN News reported in March of 2019, Councilman Roberto Trevino led the charge for a vote to remove Chick-fil-A from the concessions contract, citing its history of giving to organizations he categorized as anti-LGBTQ. Chick-fil-A’s owners have donated to Christian groups like the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. And critics have accused Chick-fil-A of discriminating against the LGBTQ community by supporting groups that may hold biblical views about sexuality.

The San Antonio council’s action drew fire from many conservative groups across the country. Texas Republicans responded to the move by passing the “Save Chick-fil-A” bill, a law that prohibits the government from taking “adverse action” against an individual or business based on contributions to religious organizations. The law went into effect on Sept. 1, according to The Dallas Morning News.

The FAA launched an investigation into the incident after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and religious liberty watchdog First Liberty Institute asked the US Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to look into whether the city broke federal law. The agency announced the informal resolution with the city in a letter to Paxton dated Sept. 10.

An FAA spokesman also said the agency will continue to monitor the matter.

Click here to read the rest of this story from our content partners at CBN News. {eoa}

“The Masculine Journey” is full of training modules. Unfortunately, as others handle (and mishandle) our hearts for many formative years, we find ourselves in need of healing moments as well. Check out this episode of Exploring More with Michael Thompson on the Charisma Podcast Network to discover those healing moments.

“The Masculine Journey” has its stages. You don’t trust an 8-year old with a chainsaw or to drive a car, but you can and should trust him to bring order to his room, choose whether he wants broccoli or green beans, the red T-shirt or the blue one. Similarly, you trust a 14-year old to get his chores done without being nagged (easier said than done) and don’t pick up after him or dress him anymore (although I’m 56, and my wife does a pretty good job of selecting what I can and cannot wear). The older I get, the more I see the “Masculine Journey” which my heart has been on and the need I have to be fathered. With privileges come responsibilities, and growing up is the growing up of both privileges and responsibilities.

The kingdom of God works the same way. God’s love is unconditional, but His trust has parameters. He won’t give us more than we can handle (1 Cor. 10:13) and with what we do handle, He is committed to giving us more (Matt. 25:21).

For men in particular, provision is an important aspect of how we bear God’s image. “Provider” a significant role we try to play. Providing for our families, from “the sweat of our brow,” (Gen. 3:19b) is a good thing. It is a place where I can be rocked by God’s generosity or shaken to my boots when in need and waiting for God to come through. The enemy loves to use provision to bring God’s goodness into question.

There was a moment not too long ago—and there have been several of these moments in my journey—when I was asking God to provide. I prayed, “Father, please, please bring me a check.”

I heard Him answer by asking me a question: “Do you want Me, or do you want a check?” I knew what the Father was getting at. So like a boy who asked for dessert while the peas were still on my plate or to go play when I hadn’t yet picked up my room, I was quiet. But in that awkward silence waiting for what God whispered next, I wasn’t expecting:

“I am the check.”

I smiled, and then prayerfully whispered back, “Yes, You are.”

More than a reminder that God is my provider, it was an important recurring lesson in my training that the Father often likes to answer my questions with a question of His own. Questions are the secret to dialogue, to a glorious ongoing conversation. I believe it is what Paul meant when he wrote, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). The only way to do that is dialogue, and to dialogue, we need questions.

Monologue prayer, where I am the one doing all the talking, gets old. When I take my requests and questions to God, the table is set for intimate conversation—if we will slow it down and settle into the important training where God’s instruction settles my heart and reminds me He is with me and for me.

There is a deep correlation between to whom we ask our questions and the hope we have that they will answer. Ultimately, to whom I am asking the questions of life expresses and defines whom I believe and trust is looking out for me. “I am the check.” How kind and good is that?

I hope the person to whom you are asking life’s questions is good, that they have your heart in mind and want to see you grow in wisdom and favor. If they are, then how they answer will have something to say about what they see in you and in their relationship with you. I’ve learned over the years that God is after more than merely “providing” for me—He is actually after me.

For more on the “Masculine Journey,” I invite you to download this Free King Me Audio Session.

Sign up for The Warrior’s Heart blog at

Listen to the full episode of Exploring More with Michael Thompson here. {eoa}

On Friday afternoon, Sept. 11, Liberty Counsel filed an emergency request with the federal Court of Appeals. Within 45 minutes, the court ordered the state to respond by today at 5:00 p.m. (PDT). We represent Pastor Ché Ahn and Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, along with 162 California church affiliates of Harvest International Ministry, which has over 65,000 churches worldwide.

Ahn’s great-grandmother became a Christian during the 1907 revival in Pyongyang, North Korea. During the Korean War in 1950-53, his family immigrated from North to South Korea, and Ahn then immigrated to America. In 1973, God rescued young Ahn again, this time from the drug-laden culture of California. As only He can, God raised this humble preacher up to minister to not only the broken of his region and country, but in all the world.

Sixty-five thousand-plus churches are a tempting target, and Satan has taken aim to shut down this powerful movement for God.

As you know from my letters and emails, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has shut down all worship in most of the state, even banning Bible studies and fellowship in private homes with anyone who does not live at that home.

In Pasadena, Ahn, Harvest Rock Church and every parishioner face daily criminal charges up to one year in prison and fines every time they worship.

In San Francisco, the city threatened “Abatement”—which is immediate seizure and destruction of Lighthouse Church’s worship and sanctuary buildings should that church continue to meet. San Francisco allows only 12 people to assemble outside in the sweltering heat and smoke-filled air. But “protesters” and rioters can gather in the thousands.

In Santa Clara, North Valley Baptist Church is being fined $50,000 per week for refusing to stop worshipping together.

In Sun Valley, Grace Community Church Pastor John MacArthur will likely face contempt of court and jail time for defying a judge’s injunction demanding he stop “assembling together,” as the Bible commands.

In Los Angeles, the city has threatened to shut off all power and water to churches, including the affiliate churches we represent.

These are just a few examples of the oppression being wrought upon the men and women of God at the hands of the godless leaders of California.

We live in America, the second country in the history of the world to be founded on the Word of God—the land of the free—where the right to worship God without government intervention is constitutionally guaranteed. No wonder Satan seeks to destroy our churches and our country!

The strongest line of attack against America is to silence the Word of God—and that’s what Satan is trying to do through lawless governors and godless bureaucrats shuttering our churches.

The Pattern Here Is Too Obvious to Ignore:

—Black Lives Matter’s founders (declared Marxists) and the Los Angeles leader of Black Lives Matter say their practice of conjuring the dead is central to the organization.

—Antifa has revealed it is a Marxist organization seeking the death of all religious beliefs.

—Governors and bureaucrats have praised these protesters and rioters while placing their heavy hand on churches and houses of worship.

I cannot state this plainly enough: We are—right now—in one of the most epic battles for religious liberty in many generations.

Our Case Is on a Fast Track

The Court of Appeals is fast-tracking our case against Gov. Newsom, ordering the state to respond by 5:00 pm (PDT) today. We are preparing our reply to the court by 5:00 p.m. tomorrow.

The panel of judges at the Appeals Court who will hear our case has not yet been released. Please pray that we will have a good panel.

There Is Plenty of Reason for Hope

This past weekend, another California pastor who is under fire stood in the gap, and souls are being saved. Abortion survivor turned pastor Jack Hibb and his team baptized 1,000 people in the Pacific Ocean. You cannot stop the Holy Spirit! Light will overcome darkness.

There is revival taking place in Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis and elsewhere in the United States. People are being baptized in public meetings despite these restrictions.

Pray and Be Encouraged

Pray for these pastors who face jail and fines. Pray for revival. Pray for Liberty Counsel’s staff and attorneys as we fight to keep these brave men and women free to preach God’s Word. And pray specifically for our case at the Court of Appeals on behalf of California churches. {eoa}

This article originally appeared at .