“Do you hear the sound of My footsteps walking and moving among the earth at this time?” says the living God. “And yet you have stood in the place of the spirit of agreement with Me, declaring: ‘Let the Lion roar!’ Do you really understand what you have added your decree and agreement with? For I say, look about the earth; you will see the manifestation of My roaring as protests are arising, and the sound of roaring is ‘We want our freedoms!’ This is not just human resistance, but this is a prophetic sound of the Lion of Judah and My roar, reforming and reviving the nations.

The United Kingdom and Three Nations Standing as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

“Why do you think the nation of the Lion (United Kingdom) stood and said, ‘We’ve had enough of the narratives, the lies, the mandates, the decrees’?” God says, “They were the one to arise because the Lion of Judah has been roaring loudly through the nations, and you are seeing it as with United Kingdom. But now pay as the days when Nebuchadnezzar demanded decrees that those who [were] of his kingdom must bow—this has been the same spirit and mentality among leaders, demanding of their people to steal their freedoms, to dictate to them what they must do, as Nebuchadnezzar [did].

“But as the fire was turned up hotter, even seven times hotter, yet there were three; I said there were three,” says the Spirit of God. “They were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and they would not bow to the decree and to the mandates, and it brought a breaking of the spirits of darkness who were using government to afflict man.

“I speak this to you so that you may understand that this is not just a story, but this is happening once again as the Lion is roaring. Therefore, as there was a Shadrach, and there was a Meshach, and there was Abednego, who did not bow, there are three nations that shall arise at this time that shall break the mandates and break the powers of darkness in the earth.

Pay Attention to the Sound of the Lion in Canada, Australia and the United States!

“Listen closely. Keep your eyes upon the sound of the lion of Canada. Pay attention to the sound of the Lion of Judah that shall roar through protests in Australia. And pay attention to the sound of the Lion of Judah in you, United States. It shall be Canada, United States and Australia that shall arise in their numbers and in their protests of things that shall break a decree and a sound that has touched this globe.

“There will be other nations that will arise.” God says, “Pay attention, because in Australia, Canada and in you, United States—your resistance to bow and your standing up shall release a change of leadership, and those who rule, [so] that you will never face this fire of affliction again. And those who cooperated shall be like Nebuchadnezzar, where they will be seen in the craziness and the foolishness of their deeds as he who ate grass.“

Husband and Wife to Lead in Australia

Listen to me, those who are in Australia. God is raising up a “Sheila” and raising up a mate. There is a husband and wife—and they’ve already been chosen of God, selected of God and appointed of God—that shall rise up out of the midst of your fire and shall bring you, Australia, from upside down to right side up and back in order. It’s coming. Therefore, do not back down; do not bow; stand and you will see the salvation of God and God introducing something … it’s almost like a parental spirit that’s coming because of what they’ve done to you and to the children of your nation. {eoa}

For the rest of this prophetic word, visit .

Hank Kunneman is the senior pastor of Lord of Hosts Church, a thriving church in Omaha, Nebraska, and founder of One Voice Ministries. As an uncompromising voice that God is using to stir up the body of Christ, he is known for a strong prophetic anointing as he preaches. He travels and ministers extensively as he and his wife, Brenda, preach together at conferences, churches and national television programs throughout the United States and overseas. Together, the Kunnemans also host their own nationally and internationally televised weekly program, New Level with Hank and Brenda, airing on Daystar Television Network, Victory Television Network and Faith Broadcasting Network. Pastor Hank is a published author with both Destiny Image and Charisma House, with his most recent books being The Lord Himself Is Stepping In, Prophesy with the Wind in Your Mouth, My Heart Cries Abba Father, The Revealer of Secrets, Barrier Breakers, and Don’t Leave God Alone. He has also written and created several children’s books.

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What do you think about when your head hits the pillow at night?

What is your last thought as you sleepily close your eyes and contemplate the next few hours of blessed sleep? What words are fleeting across the caverns of your anxious brain, as you try desperately and diligently to turn off the tumultuous thoughts that bully you and threaten to usher in fear?

I don’t know about you, but I can generally take every thought captive during the daylight hours. I am able to re-program myself to think happy thoughts, to ruminate on powerful possibilities and to contemplate all of the hope that lies before me during the day, which is the place where light rules and reigns. However, when the sun goes down and the moon comes up, my thoughts tend to argue with my theology and play tug of war with my value system.

I know many women—and men for that matter—who deal with the germs of rancid thinking only at night. There is something about the dark that bids us to wander down pathways that are not healthy nor are they safe. There is something about the midnight hour that justifies our friendship with worry and anxiety. It twists our thought lives and warps our hope.

“O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.

You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways” (Ps. 139:1-3, NKJV).

At the very moment in life, when we falsely believe that our thoughts are not seen or known by anyone, God is searching our hearts. He has the Holy Spirit sifting through the thought particles that bounce around in our gray matter, even in the dead of night.

God cares what we think about. He cares very, very much. His intimate concern for our thought lives doesn’t cease when the lights turn out and when the shades go down. He is aware what we are thinking about in the morning, during the afternoon hours and when it is past our bedtimes. He knows, He sees and He cares.

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (Ps. 19:14, NASB).

During the midnight hour, I must hold onto the hope of my relationship with my Creator. I must speak with Him and not with my heart. I must listen to Him and not to my own fears, insecurities or discouragement in the shadowy moments of bedtime. He is with me in the dark and He is with me in the day. What a glorious and sustainable truth! I am not alone and I am not forsaken. The dark has no power over my thought life.

Perhaps the dark was given to me to be in tender, private and uninterrupted communication with the One who knows me best and loves me most.

“If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You” (Ps. 139:11-12, NKJV).

Perhaps it is in the nighttime that my conversation with the Father was designed to be the richest and most sincere.

“Rejoice always {…even upon your bed at night!} Pray without ceasing {…especially when it is dark!} In everything give thanks for this is the will of God for you in Christ matter what time of day it might be!” (I Thess. 5:16-18).

Perhaps it is when everything else has been stripped away, when the busyness of my day has ceased and when no one else is around that He bids me into His presence where there is always fullness of joy. As I drift off into the slumber that He has designed for me, I meet Him there. And He lights up my night.

He gives me safety and fights off my fears. He reminds me that the Father is home and that my life is in His good, good hands. {eoa}

Carol McLeod is an author and popular speaker at women’s conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. She has written five books, including No More Ordinary, Holy Estrogen!, The Rooms of a Woman’s Heart and Defiant Joy! Her most recent book, Refined: Finding Joy in the Midst of the Fire, was released last August. Her teaching DVD The Rooms of a Woman’s Heart won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award for excellence in religious programming. You can also listen to Carol’s “A Jolt of Joy” program daily on the Charisma Podcast Network. Connect with Carol at .

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What is truth? Where can we find it?

I love words. So, I went to the dictionary to find out what truth means to people. It tells me that truth is five things. It is: 1. the body of real things, events, and facts; 2. the state of being the case; 3. a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true; 4. sincerity in action, character, and utterance; and 5. a transcendent fundamental or spiritual, God, the supreme ruler of ultimate reality.

The problem we have today is that the first four definitions can be skewed as to what we want to think. Notice, what we think is not on the list of what truth is.

I propose only the last two answers are right. Truth is what God says is truth. Truth is what God says is a fundamental, spiritual reality.

Truth Embodied

We as Christians believe that Jesus Christ is truth embodied. He told Thomas, in John 14:6 (AMP), “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

He goes on to tell the disciples in John 14:15-17: “If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever—The Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.”

Truth is still coming to us from Jesus through the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Christ. For the disciples, this was much more difficult to understand. They could see Jesus. They could touch Jesus. They could hear Jesus, but what about this nebulous person called the Holy Spirit?

Jesus and the Holy Spirit

In John 14:26, Jesus says, “But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.”

What He was telling the disciples was that He and the Holy Spirit are acting in one accord. Jesus is truth because He is the member of the Godhead who came to us as a person like us.

He is the one who knows us completely because He has experienced all that we have. When He tells us He will strengthen us through the power of the Holy Spirit, we believe that because we know Jesus was strengthened by that same Spirit.

Why Did I Base My Life on a Lie?

Here’s the big question I had to ask myself: If I believe that Jesus is the truth, why for years did I base my life on a lie? I looked back over my life and saw that my entire life, up to about 2009, had been based on a foundational lie that foods made with processed sugar and flour were necessary for my survival. I felt they were necessary to help me keep my emotions in check, to ease any pain, anger, shame or fear and to help me maintain a calm demeanor.

Living in the midst of this lie is what kept me stuck in super morbid obesity for years. I had chosen to eat those kinds of foods as my coping mechanism to deal with life. I didn’t want to see the truth.

I didn’t want to understand or accept the truth. I pushed it away because that might mean I’d have to give up the foods I had come to love more than anything. Pushing the lie away only made room for more lies to come alongside it to prop it up. Then, the truth got so buried I didn’t know if I could ever find it.

I thought if I stopped eating those kinds of foods, my world would crumble around me without being able to indulge in what had become my crutch. Once I began to believe my own lie, I had to tell myself other lies so I could keep up some vestige of being a put-together Christian. In doing this, I was ignoring some basic core truths about God.

Breaking Strongholds

Breaking free of lies is impossible on our own. We first have to recognize we are living in a house of cards that can topple at any moment. This is hard when we’ve been carefully constructing our dream house built of pretty, little lies. We’ve put every block in place exactly as we want it and we don’t want anyone, not even God, messing with what we feel is working. The problem is, it’s not working.

I was about to go through the arduous task of uncovering not just the lies I believed, but how those had become specific strongholds God wanted broken and replaced with His truth. These strongholds were going to have to be broken before I could surrender completely to God.

I had to learn how to fit all my loose thoughts, emotions and impulses into the structure of life shaped by God’s Son, Jesus. Instead of believing lies, I had to take my thoughts, feelings and impulses captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5, MSG).

God was more than willing to teach me His truths, which would break the strongholds I had allowed to be erected in my life. He knew this would bring me closer to fulfilling the destiny He had planned for me.

He would lead me. I just had to be willing to listen. {eoa}

Teresa Shields Parker is the author of six books and two study guides, including her No. 1 bestseller, Sweet Grace: How I Lost 250 Pounds. Her sixth book, Sweet Surrender: Breaking Strongholds, is live on Amazon. She blogs at . She is also a Christian weight loss coach (check out her coaching group at Overcomers Academy) and speaker. Don’t miss her podcast, Sweet Grace for Your Journey, available on CPN. This article first appeared on .

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As narrated in the book of Acts, the New Testament Church is both a prescriptive and descriptive account that illustrates a pattern for contemporary congregations.

The following are eight essentials the contemporary church must embrace for missional movement:

1. We need corporate seasons for insight and reflection before a movement is properly birthed (Acts 1). Acts 1 shows how 120 of the disciples of Jesus spent ten days together in prayer, comparing Scripture and making leadership decisions. This ensured that the foundation of the burgeoning movement would be secure. Their goal was to work toward oneness as it related to the understanding and preaching of the Good News of the Messiah considering His bodily resurrection and ascension as King into heaven. Without this period of waiting upon God and reflection, the massive, spontaneous addition of 3,000 people after Peter’s first sermon could have resulted in chaos and destroyed the movement. The contemporary church must take adequate time every season to wait upon God in prayer and biblical reflection in order to be ready for the gospel’s movement.

2. The growing church devoted itself to the essentials of the faith (Acts 2:42). Acts 2:42 says that immediately after the Day of Pentecost, the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ doctrine, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Visitors to Jerusalem that converted abandoned plans to go back to their homeland so they could sit under the apostles’ teaching. This apostolic doctrine shaped their social gatherings, common meals and corporate prayer. Without this, the activities of the church would have been based upon subjective experiences and opinions of gatherers. The contemporary church must also establish believers in the first principles of the faith if they are going to experience a prolific gospel movement.

3. The ethical standards of holiness must be maintained (Acts 5:1-11). Acts 5:1-12 relay the narrative of the judgment upon Ananias and Saphira. This illustrates how the standard of holiness and the fear of the Lord must be maintained to ensure the health of the church. If God allowed them to continue lying, manipulating and receiving honor deceptively through giving gifts (which amounts to dirty politics), it would have spread like yeast and eventually would have corrupted the church. It is not an accident that God began to do extraordinary miracles as soon as this couple was removed from the church (Acts 5:12-14). The contemporary church must understand that we limit the capacity for God to move through us whenever we allow unbiblical standards to permeate our church.

4. Unbiased care and compassion for all (Acts 6:1-7). Almost immediately after the birth of the Jesus movement, ethnic sectarianism and bias reared their ugly heads. This took place when the Greek-speaking widows were being overlooked when food was being distributed. Peter had enough wisdom to appoint seven men of integrity and wisdom who would oversee this ministry, resulting in every widow’s needs being met, the Word of God spreading and the number of disciples multiplying. The contemporary church must understand the principle that there is a strategic challenge to overcome before every great move of God.

5. Faith is not worth believing if it is not worth dying for (Acts 7). The martyrdom of Stephen, as recorded in Acts 7: 54-60, demonstrates an amazing pattern for us to follow in the contemporary church. God cannot bless a gospel movement if the saints are unwilling to give their lives to advance His kingdom. Even Paul said that he was always given over to death so that the life of Christ might manifest through him (2 Cor. 4:11). A contemporary church filled with people who only gather to have their felt needs met will never advance the gospel. Jesus said we would have power after the Spirit comes upon us to be His witnesses. The word witness comes from the word martyr. Hence, a faithful witness overcomes the enemy when he is not willing to shrink from death (Rev. 12:11).

6. The church must function during persecution (Acts 7:58-8:8). The early church did not skip a beat but continued to thrive after mass persecution broke out against them. Even though they were forced out of their homes and lost everything, their minds were on spreading the gospel! Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Word. This resulted in major churches being planted in the cities of Samaria and Antioch, and resulted in their chief antagonist, Saul, being converted and becoming the greatest of the apostles. Perhaps Saul would not have respected them enough to join their movement if they had cowered away because of the persecution. The contemporary church must also persevere amid persecution (similar to the powerful gospel movement we see today through the persecuted churches in Iran, China and India).

7. The church must embrace all ethnic peoples (Acts 10:1-48). Although Jesus commanded His followers to make disciples of all the nations, the early church initially only focused on reaching Jewish people (Matt. 28:19). It took persecution for them to preach to the Samaritans, and it took a vision from Jesus for Peter to preach the Word to Gentiles. Even the apostles had difficulty thinking outside of their ethnic and social comfort zones, which illustrates how difficult it is to overcome ethnic bias. Consequently, the contemporary church must be open to all people, irrespective of the color of their skin and cultural background, if they desire to experience a true gospel movement.

8. Church leaders should give themselves over to fasting and prayer for divine strategy (Acts 13:1-2). Instead of being bogged down with endless church committees and deliberations, the Antioch church elders spent adequate time ministering to the Lord and fasting. Giving God space to move upon them released a divine strategy that changed the entire world. The contemporary church must also prioritize seeking the Lord and waiting for the strategic Spirit to illuminate our hearts so we can labor for the things God ordains instead of asking God to bless our agendas. {eoa}

Dr. Joseph Mattera is an internationally-known author, consultant and theologian whose mission is to influence leaders who influence culture. He is the founding pastor of Resurrection Church and leads several organizations, including The U.S. Coalition of Apostolic Leaders and Christ Covenant Coalition. Dr. Mattera is the author of 13 bestselling books, including his latest, The Purpose, Power and Process of Prophetic Ministry, and is renown for applying Scripture to contemporary culture. To order his books or to join the many thousands who subscribe to his newsletter, go to .

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Charismatics, Pentecostals and non-cessationists are expected by Scripture to be able to teach naysayers of tongues what the Bible says about it. But many are not so equipped due to lack of teaching.

The Holy Spirit was given with the manifestation of speaking in tongues in AD 33 on the day of Pentecost, about 1500 years after the law was given at Sinai with the manifestation of fire. Fire was present at both events, which denotes the presence of God through His Spirit. In all four occurrences in the New Testament, in which Gentiles and Jews were said to receive the Holy Spirit, tongues was manifested by all of them. The four dates of these occurrences were AD 33 in Jerusalem in Acts 2:1-4 (Jews), AD 39 in Samaria in Acts 8:14-17 (Samaritans who were of mixed ancestry—Jewish and Gentile), AD 41 in Caesarea in Acts 10:44-46 (Gentiles) and in AD 54 in Ephesus in Acts 19:1-7 (Jews).

Subsequently, there are three occurrences in the epistles where the apostles Paul and Jude give orders to all believers to continue speaking in tongues: in AD 55 in 1 Corinthians 14:5 and 29; in AD 64 in Ephesians 6:18; and with the Holy Spirit in AD 70 in Jude 1:20.

Since the Holy Spirit was given four times in the New Testament, with the manifestation of speaking in tongues up to 21 years after the day of Pentecost, and believers are ordered to continue speaking in tongues in the epistles up to 37 years after the day of Pentecost, and we today are the New Testament church, where is the historical line drawn where tongues ceased?

If you ask naysayers this question, they cannot answer it; it silences them. Some may begin gaslighting you by twisting your sense of reality, because reality then hits home that they are without excuse for not speaking in tongues. They realize that their arguments are futile and not based on Scripture, and this is unbearable to them. They use unscriptural arguments to validate their lack of experience, worldview and the way they were taught, and this makes them either blow a fuse, go nuts or short circuit their wires.

However, we ourselves will lose credibility by telling Christians that they do not have the Holy Spirit unless they do speak in tongues. That’s false doctrine. The apostle Paul said, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if any man does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him” (Rom. 8:9, MEV). This means that if one is saved, he has the Holy Spirit indwelling him.

So then, when a believer speaks in tongues for the first time, we are not talking about receiving the Holy Spirit because he already received the Spirit at salvation. Rather, we are talking about manifesting the indwelling Spirit who already resides within them by speaking in tongues, which is synonymous in terminology with praying with the spirit or in the Spirit.

It’s like a car with a battery. The car has the battery inside, but when the key is turned on, the power within it is manifested and it can go somewhere. Until the key is turned on, the power of the car is useless and the car cannot go anywhere. The same is true with believers. The purpose for speaking in tongues is to turn the power on. This is how building up oneself occurs according to the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:4 and the apostle Jude in Jude 1:20.

Furthermore, the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church have documented speaking in tongues and signs and wonders for the past 2,000 years. All the commands and teachings in the New Testament are for us believers today, because we today comprise the New Testament church. There is no historical line drawn.

Keeping the power on within ourselves through an active life of praying in the spirit, and being equipped to share our faith based on Scripture, will make us effective witnesses for Christ to both fellow believers and unbelievers. {eoa}

James F. Linzey has taught and ministered on the baptism with the Holy Spirit around the world for about 40 years in conferences, churches and on television. He is the chief editor of the Modern English Version, graduate of Vanguard University of Southern California and Fuller Theological Seminary, and a non-cessationist Southern Baptist Convention minister. He is the founding president of Military Bible Association.

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The Chinese Communist Party, China’s ruling regime, has been on a mission to rewrite the Bible through a communist lens. This quest has reportedly resulted in shocking distortions of Scripture and Gospel truth.

Todd Nettleton, spokesman for The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), a persecution watchdog serving Christians across the globe, told Faithwire about the Chinese government’s ongoing efforts to reimagine the Bible.

“This is a project that the Chinese Communist Party announced in 2019. At the time, they said it would be about a 10-year process … to release a new translation of the Bible,” he said, noting it would include Confucian and Buddhist principles, among others. “This new translation … would really support the Communist Party.”

A Shocking Example of a Bible Rewrite

VOM recently shared a reimagined version of the Bible’s revered story centered on Jesus’ love and corrective compassion for a woman caught in adultery.

“The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced plans to update the Bible to ‘keep pace with the times.’ The revisions will include adding ‘core socialist values’ and removing passages that do not reflect communist beliefs,” a VOM Facebook post read. “In a textbook for high school students released in September 2020, the authors included a passage from John 8, as revised in their new version.”

Before we explore the revised communist version, let’s look at John 8 as it stands in the genuine and authentic Bible.

As the famous forgiveness story goes, the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery before them and challenged Jesus, proclaiming, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”

The Bible notes that these Jewish leaders were “using this question as a trap” to accuse Jesus. Still, Christ started writing on the ground with his finger (it’s a mystery what He was writing) and then uttered some transformational words (verse 7): “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

After the people—clearly shaken by Jesus’ words—walked away, Christ and the woman were left standing together, and their exchange went as follows (NIV):

Christ: “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

Woman: “No one, sir.”

Christ: “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.”

The Chinese Communist Party, though, reportedly has a different vision for how this interaction unfolded—an anti-biblical, faux account that flies in the face of scriptural truth.

In the Chinese government’s new version—purportedly observed in a textbook published in September 2020—the crowd disperses, but then the text states, “When everyone went out, Jesus stoned the woman himself, and said, ‘I am also a sinner.'”

Why is China Rewriting the Bible?

The transformed language directly aims at Jesus’ divinity, something Nettleton said is quite shocking.

“In one sense, it’s just like so arrogant to think, ‘I’m going to rewrite the story of Jesus’… but then you think about denying the deity of Christ,” he said. “If Jesus is a sinner, then he’s not God.”

For anyone wondering why the Chinese Communist Party would take such troubling steps to try and diminish the gospel, Nettleton said it has everything to do with control.

“The issue for the Chinese Communist Party is control. It is always about control,” he said. “And they see the … Christian message as something that would take control away from the communist party.”

Rather than citizens waking up and pledging allegiance to a loving God and pondering ways to serve Jesus, Nettleton said the government’s goal is for Chinese nationals to wake up every day and say, “How can I serve the party today? How can I be a good communist today?”

A Much Broader Persecution Problem

While bombastic and troubling, the rewrite of the Bible is just part of the Chinese government’s ongoing attempts to crack down on the Christian faith. The nation’s Three-Self Patriotic Movement is a Protestant denomination controlled by and registered with the Chinese Communist Party.

The new Bible translation, it seems, is just another step toward anti-biblical anarchy within the Chinese Communist Party ranks. {eoa}

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This is your time to ADVANCE.

As an executive coach to leaders in business, as well as in the church world for 30-plus years, I have had the privilege of high-fiving around the table when things work, movements grow, business rocks.

On the other hand, I have shared in the raw crushing pain of defeat when relationships cave, business tanks or church goes sideways.

Most importantly, I have observed firsthand what it takes to advance again: to recover a mission when vision stalls out, trust is broken or dreams have gotten lost in a stuck world.

The courageous journey upward is where many leaders find themselves now in the wake of 2020 disaster, having been exposed to more chaos than most have encountered in their lifetimes.

Not only can and do leaders find the courage to make the journey upward with new vision and stronger values, they bring their team, friends, family, business or church with them. This is why you must hear your own call to advance in this hour.

The journey upward is real work and is absolutely invigorating because you are moving into a productive path and out of the miry clay of being stuck in a stuck world.

… And it’s so worth it.

If you have lost ground, found yourself thrown off course in the midst of chaos and confusion, I want to encourage you to take a fresh look at your life and remember who God has called you to be … regardless of the circumstances you face.

After countless coaching sessions with leaders in business and the church world, I find moments like this, like the one you’re in now, to be a priceless gift to provoke you to re-focus, perhaps for survival and certainly in order to advance.

Being the serial coach that I am, now I’m going to get in your business if you agree. So pull up a chair and take this free, hundreds-of-dollars-value coaching session to find your next step.

“Why is she doing this?” you may rightly wonder.

Well, this is one of those “God said to” moments and I don’t take those lightly.

So if you’re still reading, picture us at a desk in person, get your coffee or tea, and let’s get started.

My friend, it is essential to reconnect with God’s plans in your life to get your bearings and move from ambiguity to a next step with a plan—especially when circumstances are unstable as they are in society today.

You rightly desire clarity. Clarity brings power to advance and that is why I believe you’re still engaging with me here.

To gain clarity, answer a few questions to reconnect with who you are.

1. Do you feel you have an assignment in life to help certain people? Please elaborate.

2. What realm of life are you drawn to impact, and perhaps even pained by, in this time? (Pay attention to these highlights and indicators of the place you’re called to serve.)

3. What kinds of work and service make you think, “I was born for this!”?

Jot down your first responses to these questions and begin to refocus on who you are and how God has made you to function in this time.

Now let’s move ahead together through these Seven Steps to Advance:

1. Acknowledge the good stuff—No matter how difficult your situation has been, find the places where God showed up. Thank some people. Do a happy dance before God and realize how blessed you really are.

2. Declare your vision again—God has given you a holy calling, and this is the time to reconnect with your vision, speak it out to yourself or a friend and claim it again. Each day, send up your vision to God for help in a prayer. Fill your ears and mind with good things.

3. Value the process—Be willing to play the process to advance (like working through these bullet points for the next 10 days). Decide to be consistent with your work and show up ready every day to do the next thing.

4. Action Plans—Update your plans for the future and put some skin in the game with due dates. This is your life and work we’re talking about, and it’s worthy of consideration. Plans will empower you and give you the roadmap for progress. (Masterclass available when you purchase my signature system at )

5. Note one big thing each day—the top priority for the day, even if nothing else gets done. This practice can change your life.

6. Celebrate the wins and let go of the rest. Finish the day with a few minutes each evening to jot down what you learned, what worked, what you can do better next time and then let it go so you can rest well. Wind down with worship and set your mind to be at peace and hear from God, even as you sleep. Keep a journal by the bed so you’re ready to take notes when He speaks!

7. Expect progress—Believe this is going to work, my friend. Believe in your own turnaround and work the plan every day.

My friend, there’s something powerful about getting behind the wheel of your life again, getting ready to advance. I believe God is inviting you to a new level of progress with greater clarity than you’ve had before.

The world stage is set for those who will join God in new focus and advancement to bring victories our world is crying out for. Will you be that leader?

Thank you for noting the Seven Steps to advance. I pray God speaks to you as you print this out and work through the bullet points over the next 7-10 days. {eoa}

Linda Fields is an executive coach, entrepreneur, conference speaker, author and leader of the Onfire Global movement launching leaders in passion and purpose to change the world. Stay in the conversation over at . Linda works internationally with business and church leaders to clarify vision and mobilize plans to accomplish the vision. Linda’s book, Impact Your Sphere of Influence, endorsed by Mike Bickle of International House of Prayer, is a guide for leaders who want to fulfill their callings to impact society and is available here.

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As a rabbi, I can honestly say I have had more anxiety over the past few years than in any previous season of my life. I imagine most of those reading this today, regardless of their vocation, could probably make a similar statement. As time advances and we see biblically prophesied events unfold before our eyes, I expect we will experience much more anxiety as our futures become our present.

However, as I experience more and more anxious moments, I find myself being more and more thankful for the gift of anxiety.

You may be wondering if my recently increased level of anxiety has caused me to lose my mind. Let me assure you, I am still as sound of mind and faith as I have ever been. However, while I have definitely experienced higher levels and more frequent anxiety over the past few years, I have also learned to appreciate those times of anxiety as a gift from G-D and not as a curse from the enemy.

After all, anxiety is an emotional response to a chemical reaction within our bodies. In order for us to have that type of response to a stimulus, that response has to be pre-programmed into our minds and DNA.

Said another way: G-D programmed our bodies to have anxiety. Likewise, if G-D programmed anxiety as part of our operating system, then anxiety must be good. Yet, as with all other good things, if we don’t use our gifts according to His instructions, those gifts can and will become detrimental rather than advantageous.

According to the dictionary, anxiety is “distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune.” Said another way, anxiety is distress or uneasiness caused when we face a situation or circumstance that is beyond our ability to control or resolve.

To put this into a word picture, anxiety is the little man inside our mind who aggressively waves red flags to warn us that we are about to enter a situation that is outside our ability to handle on our own, or, as one of my favorite young people once said: “Anxiety is when we come upon a situation for which we lack a file folder in our emotional and rational file cabinet.” Anxiety is G-D’s warning light on our hard drive, warning us that we do not have the available space for what we are trying to download.

Or better said: anxiety is a G-D given warning sensor provided to His children so we will know well before we go beyond our abilities that whatever is happening must be turned completely and totally into G-D’s hands. Anxiety is a warning label that screams loudly into our minds: “Do not try to fix this yourself; call the expert.”

The reason we get overwhelmed with anxiety is because we do not listen to the warning when it first begins to sound. The longer we try to solve whatever problem we have, even though we know we have no ability to solve it, the louder the warnings get, and the more anxious we become. The more we attempt to do the undoable, the more problems we cause, which results in more anxiety, until we finally, simply release the situation into G-D’s capable hands.

To put this into biblical context, you would have a hard time finding one situation which resulted in sin within the Bible that didn’t result from a man or woman trying to deal with a situation beyond their control. Just look at Adam and Eve, the people of Babel, Abraham and Ishmael, Moses killing the Egyptian, Peter chopping off the guard’s ear, Paul arresting and killing believers in Yeshua, and ultimately, those who choose to take the mark of the beast. Each case is the result of resisting the gift of anxiety, and instead of looking at anxiety as an invitation to call upon our heavenly Father for help, we try to fix the problem ourselves, even though we know we know from the start that we are ill-equipped to do so.

So, if you are like me and anxiety has become a frequent visitor to your mind and heart, please accept it as the gift that it is and accept G-D’s invitation to handle all of those things that are beyond our ability to control. {eoa}

Eric Tokajer is the author of Overcoming Fearlessness, What If Everything You Were Taught About the Ten Commandments Was Wrong?, With Me in Paradise, Transient Singularity, OY! How Did I Get Here?: Thirty-One Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Entering Ministry, #ManWisdom: With Eric Tokajer, Jesus Is to Christianity as Pasta Is to Italians and Galatians in Context.

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Nik Walker wants everyone to know that when he encounters sin, he won’t back down in calling it out. But Walker also wants people to know that is not what his ministry is all about.

The 25-year-old evangelist, who has recently made headlines for helping to bring about revival in depressed areas of West Virginia, says he would much rather bring the authentic, genuine message of Jesus to the masses, a message that will give people, including the youth of America, hope for their future instead of the negative narrative fed to them daily by their schools and by culture.

Walker’s humble strategy seems to be working. Sunday will mark the beginning of his fourth week preaching in West Virginia—his home state—and the results have been quite tangible. Hundreds of youth in schools, and others, attending multiple services at Christ Temple Church in Huntington have come to Christ. Many have been baptized into the kingdom in an incredible move of God that is beginning to capture the attention of the nation.

“I would much rather be preaching about what I am for than what I am against,” says Walker, who was mentored during his youth by Perry Stone, a fellow native of West Virginia and the founder and leader of Perry Stone Ministries in Tennessee. “We preach the same message in schools as we do in church. This generation is looking for something real, authentic, genuine, and that’s Jesus Christ. They want something more than what they’ve been exposed to—the calamity, the confusion and chaos of this culture.

“When they come into our meetings, we offer them hope, joy and peace,” he adds. “Kids who are depressed leave our meetings with a smile on their face and peace. They can breathe again. They know their lives have eternal implications, and their hope comes from having a purpose in life. They leave knowing their identity as sons and daughters of God.”

Walker, the leader of Nik Walker Ministries in Cleveland, Tennessee, isn’t naive. He knows we are in the midst of an intense spiritual war for the souls of not only the youth of America but the older generations as well. And he knows there are spiritual forces that are lining up against him and his ministry.

But those spiritual forces don’t include human beings.

“Anyone with skin is not my enemy,” Walker says. “We don’t have any enemies in the natural realm, although we’ve had some bad reactions from those who disagree with us. We know that society will be society, and the culture will be the culture. But this is a spiritual war, as it says in Ephesians 6: ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’

“There are very heavy spiritual strongholds in this region, and that’s why we’re here,” the evangelist explains. “We have come here preaching against the principalities that try to rule this region. They hear freedom in the gospel of Jesus. They are tired of the hypocrisy in the church. They want to see the real authentic power of Jesus demonstrated by the body of Christ. What they see causes them to question are they just following rules and reading a storybook, and is Jesus as real today as when the Scriptures were put to pen and paper. They want to see an authentic move of the Spirit in culture and in life.”

Walker says he has two spiritual fathers: Stone and Pastor Jay Morgan, his pastor in his hometown of Mullens, West Virginia. Both, he says, have been influential in his spiritual upbringing. He met Stone in 2016, and said it was as though he had known him all his life. The two became fast friends, and Walker has leaned on Stone’s wisdom to strengthen his leadership skills and his spiritual life.

Walker says he affectionately refers to Stone as “Dad.”

“I’ve been very fortunate to have those strong leaders in my life and for the seeds they have planted in me,” Walker says.

Walker began preaching at 17. His first sermon was delivered at his own high school under the umbrella of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, of which he was a member.

He began preaching in other public schools as well in West Virginia. “I’ve always told the school administrators, ‘If you can open the door for me, I’ll walk through it,'” he says.

For the past three weeks, Walker has preached several messages at Christ Temple Church and at multiple schools in the area. Walker did not inquire about preaching in the schools—the students requested he come.

The only pushback he has received was when he went to Huntington High School. Some students were upset that they were “forced” to attend the assembly. But that was unintentional, and it was a misunderstanding by a couple of the teachers at the school. The West Virginia American Civil Liberties Union and the Freedom From Religion Foundation chimed in, but the foundation of their claims is unsubstantiated.

“We weren’t there to break the law,” Walker says. “Again, we have no enemies, including the ACLU. It’s unfortunate how things went down at Huntington High. That was not the intention or the goal of the ministry. It was only to bring Jesus to the students who wanted to be there.”

Chuck Lawrence, lead pastor of Christ Temple Church in Huntington, says Walker’s presence in their area over the past few weeks has been a godsend. Huntington has been a depressed area for decades and has had high drug and alcohol addiction rates as well as high rates of suicide.

But the presence of Jesus and the area people’s faith is changing that narrative.

“We are so grateful for [Walker],” Lawrence says. “He speaks well and speaks well for this generation. The message he is speaking is one that maybe we have forgotten over the last decade or so. He’s just preaching God’s Word, straightforward. It’s a new day for many to be reawakened to the time-honored truths of the Bible. The real truth is God can bring us life and peace.

“The narrative here is beginning to change,” Lawrence adds. “It has become a defining moment. I believe this is all part of a setup here to bigger and better things. Revival is timely, and it brings revitalization. You can see the vibrancy here now in people’s eyes.”

Walker says he’ll continue to preach in West Virginia as long as the spirit of God continues to move or God calls him elsewhere.

“Jesus has come to Huntington,” Walker says. “And we believe He is here to stay.”

Shawn A. Akers is the online editor for Charisma Media.

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Editor’s Note: The opinions of this writer and the dates he has mentioned for specific events are not necessarily shared by Charisma Media.

The ever-restless drums of war are sounding ever more rapidly. Mankind’s enduring addiction to violent conflict is sure to reach a crescendo as nuclear weapons in the hands of despots signal a certain ending to hopes for peace.

China’s frenetic expansionism, the North Korean madness, Russia’s return to forceful USSR-sized collectivism and wooing of Islamic acolytes such as its current military support of Kazakhstan’s Moscow-educated strongman are but the beginning. Stir in the rebirth of Turkey’s desire to re-establish its Ottoman glory days while adding huge gulps of Islamic suicidal deism and we begin to understand the depth of the threat.

And it doesn’t end there. As Iran quickens its march to nuclear Armageddon, other elements of the former Persian Empire will be drawn into the fray via financial as well as religious hegemony. The final serving will engulf at least a fourth of all mankind in a like-minded brew of hatred and warfare. Given these logistics, it’s easy to accept the numbers promised in the book of Revelation wherein a third of mankind will be killed (Rev. 9:15-18).

Once again, tiny Israel is a swivel point of conflict sure to also bring North America, Australia and the now-strengthening Japanese and European nations into the global maelstrom. Even we casual Bible readers have recently joined the scholars in clearly detecting and deciphering biblical prophecies of end-times readiness. ‘Tis the season!

It is not an accident that I recently discovered some very scholarly and level-headed studies of the so-called Dead Sea scrolls, fragments, bits and pieces. Upon recovery of these writings over the years 1947 to 1956, a plethora of eager fortune seekers, egomaniacs and grifters, along with well-meaning amateur researchers and students of archaeology research, engendered a bewildering mix of disinformation and falsehood lingering to this day.

But truth now reigns as qualified (sometimes overqualified) scholars spun from prestigious halls of learning have had enough time to complete their studies and issue reasonably accurate reports on the findings from Qumran (the region of Israel in which the storage caves and niches reside). Disagreements remain, of course, but the bulk of what they report is solidly graven truth.

Scholars Ken Johnson, Josh Peck and Jodi Magness have issued widely acclaimed scholarly works browsed by this writer. Excerpts from these works follow. I recommend everyone read them, but the following summary offers what we consider the most essential topics as they relate to our daily lives as Christians.

1. The Qumran findings were originally compiled and hidden away by a group of Jewish prophetic writers called the Essenes. The collected writings fill a 400-year gap between the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible.

2. These writer/prophets continued unbroken the work of the Old Testament author/prophets, but had to go underground because of the takeover of Israeli ruling authority by pagan empires and by the priestly Sadducees and Pharisees (whom Jesus later derided as “hypocrites” and “whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean” (Matt. 23:17b, NIV).

3. Most (probably all) of the prophecies in the Essenes’ writings manifested in later centuries, ultimately fulfilled as recorded events in the New Testament. This leaves little doubt of their validity as remarkably smooth contributions to God-inspired projections and events moving smoothly through Genesis to the Revelation.

4. The Qumran texts clarify many points of discussion and debate in the New Testament, especially (but not limited to) issues of timing and date setting. Apparently, the unfortunate switch from solar to lunar calendars by those who forced the Essenes underground interjected many errors into later calendar-and-time-driven events, resulting in prophetic inconsistencies and simultaneous misunderstandings seemingly undermining relevant passages of Scripture. (It’s complicated but critical. I recommend Josh Peck’s book The Lost Prophecies of Qumran to gain a full understanding of just how important those errors were in relation to biblical verity.)

5. Most importantly, we are greatly in debt to the Essenes because events such as the Second Coming and rapture of the saints can be pinpointed with much greater accuracy. Twelve feasts, festivals and other significantly-commanded Jewish events/observances are tied (cemented) together in parallel with 12 paramount interventions by God into the total human story from Eden to heaven (and hell).

It takes a heavy book to find space and time for a full understanding of the mechanisms and timing of all the prophetic interventions, so we’ll focus solely on the issue of the coming rapture. Josh Peck tells of his “unexpected” switch from post-tribulation to pre-tribulation rapture of the saints. Your writer found the arguments for this switch to be unassailable and has adopted a new, solidly pre-tribulation expectation for the rapture.

And the dating of the event can now be pinpointed within a two-year period. The new evidence points to an end of the church age (season of grace) in the year 2025. The rapture fits into the new calendar as a 2024 or 2025 event. It would be pointless to get into a complicated argument about the above dates when Peck and Johnson have already published lengthy essays on the topic which are more than convincing. Look them up!

My personal calculations favor a scenario in which the church is raptured in the Israeli spring of 2025, followed by a year of wedding and reunion festivities. This heavenly celebration would also be an opportune time for Jesus to call our names and give us a white stone, each bearing our new, eternal name. But others have predicted the heavenly party will last 42 months, with a mid-Tribulation return to earth. They’re probably right; they’re scriveners.

At any rate, considering both schedules, these festive happenings are followed by a return with Jesus to do battle on earth in the spring of 2026 or 2029. (Either way, can’t wait to hug my sainted grandfather, a dirt farmer. I so often listened to him hoeing endlessly in the fields, singing hymns. Incredibly hot and dirty work was heaven on earth to him because he was certain of his destiny. And he had a livelihood, a wife who excelled at cooking, along with clothing and housing. What else is there?)

Assuming the church takes their studies of the Essenes’ writings seriously, years 2023 and 2024 will result in a crescendo of evangelism such as mankind has never seen.

Author’s Note: I must emphasize one critical point. The writings of the Essenes are but a linking of the new and old. They are an enhancer and clarifier of Scripture, not a replacement in any way. My love of the New Testament in particular is greatly enhanced because of the clarifying factors. I’m exceedingly grateful for the superb labor of Bible scholars dedicated to this difficult holy work. {eoa}

Ron Dee Mallett studied business, journalism, economics and mass communications at Denver, Colorado (Boulder) and Stanford Universities. An Air Force veteran and former news reporter for the Denver Post and others, he also worked 20 years as a corporate executive and consultant for IBM, ITT and other multinationals. He later served as director of Shekinah jail, prison, nursing home and Mexico outreaches based in Longmont, Colorado, and stays active in a men’s intercession ministry called the SWAT Team (Spiritual Warfare Attack Team). At age 84, he remains an active columnist for Charisma and other media outlets.

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