Note: This is the second of a two-part series. For part one, click here.

Last week in the first part of this article, I listed several reasons why repentance and introspection are needed in the charismatic/prophetic church today.

Here are several more:

— Repentance for equating themselves with the Old Testament prophets as in 2 Chronicles 20:20. Since God spoke verbatim through the Old Testament prophets, belief in prophetic words was equal to belief in God’s word (2 Chron. 20:20). However, this is no longer the case in the New Testament (Heb. 1:1-2). It is a hermeneutical mistake to quote 2 Chronicles 20:20 for present-day prophecies. In the New Testament, we only prophesy in part and are required to test prophecies before we believe and act upon them (1 Cor. 13:9, 1 Thess. 5:19-21).

— Repentance for using the gift of prophecy to influence the national election. The primary use for prophecy is to glorify God by edifying the church (1 Cor. 14:2-4). I have found that very few prophetic voices are consistently accurate when they go beyond personal prophecies and give prophecies for a nation. They are usually prophesying beyond their level of authority and faith (Rom. 12:7). Also, prophecies have to align with the Lordship of Christ according to 1 Corinthians 12:3. Even in the Old Testament, prophecies of nations were spoken through the lens of their relation to the plan and purpose of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:11). Since Jesus is inheriting all nations, I believe prophetic words from Him are still needed regarding their alignment with His Lordship (1 Pet. 2:8-9). However, these words should not be rife with mere political motivations.

— Repentance for falling into mass prophetic delusion through groupthink. Similar to instances when the majority of the Old Testament prophets prophesied what they believed was good for their nation (instead of the true word of the Lord), many of today’s prophets have fed off one another and fell into a corporate spirit of deception (1 Kings 22).

— Repentance for engaging in Q Anon predictions as a presupposition for prophetic words. It is almost hard for me to believe, but several mature prophetic leaders informed me that many in their camp are being influenced by Q posts. Q Anon is cryptic and originated in the dark web. It is anonymous and is often wrong. Hence, it violates many of the basic principles of the word of God. Scripture admonishes us to know those who labor among us, have nothing to do with anything done in darkness and judge all words given (1 Thess. 5:12, Eph. 5:11, 1 Corin. 14:29). How can we judge an anonymous source?

Furthermore, the Bible blames the human dilemma on sin, while Q Anon blames all societal evil on a secret cabal of Democrats supposedly involved with human trafficking (Rom. 3:23).

The Significant Consequences

Unfortunately, many of the erroneous prophetic words have influenced millions of naive, sincere Christians, who longed to see the candidate of their choice get elected so that he could “save the republic.” There most likely will be some dire consequences for them unless they have strong pastoral guidance (woe to those who are not in a mature Gospel-centered church!).

Some possible consequences are detailed below.

— Masses of rank and file naive Christians being disillusioned with the charismatic gifts. It would not surprise me that one significant backlash from these misleading prophecies is that tens of thousands of Christians will leave the charismatic movement (especially churches that strongly espoused the prophetic) and turn instead to cessationist Christian expressions of the church.

Even worse, many may even become disillusioned with Christianity itself if their faith was intrinsically integrated with the prophetic. Hence, when these false prophetic words are deconstructed after Jan. 20, there will be a deconstructing of these leaders’ shallow grasp of the gospel.

— Movements built upon the prophetic will be shaken to their core. Some charismatic networks and movements have bought into the prophetic excess mentioned in this article. Those networks will likely have seismic aftershocks that may even threaten their very existence soon if they do not honestly repent and make immediate changes.

— Young prophetic leaders separating from some of their older prophetic mentors/peers. My experience has been that younger evangelicals generally eschew extreme political connections to Christianity. That being said, many young leaders in the prophetic movement may distance themselves from both their movement and their mentors. They will not want to be connected to those who made false national prophecies and those who aligned themselves with conspiracy theory-laden, far-right activists.

— The secular world lumping all evangelicals/charismatics together. As is always the case, the world will also attempt to excoriate all Christians (especially white conservative evangelicals) because a minority of them went along with Q Anon prophetic type activism.

— The world questioning the validity of all our historical beliefs. The world will likely be inclined to question the validity of all of the beliefs of those who confidently prophesied things that did not come to pass. Unfortunately, this includes the historic belief in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ; he is our only hope and is Himself the gospel.

May mature apostolic and prophetic voices arise today. May they eschew unbiblical practices. May they guide the charismatic church into a glorious future that will see the advancement of His kingdom. {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 12 bestselling books, including his latest The Jesus Principles, 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 .

After several years as a Christian broadcaster and licensed health professional, Fred Antonelli never expected to wind up back at Elim Bible Institute and College, where he was a student in the 1970s.

But, with the way secular institutions are teaching young people a much more liberal view of the world these days, Antonelli says he’s proud to return to the small, historic Pentecostal school in upstate New York as president—and with a keen sense of duty to make sure students are fed by the Word of God and led by the Holy Spirit.

“We as a charismatic Bible College have never veered from who we are,” Antonelli told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of Greenelines on the Charisma Podcast Network. “We are Spirit-filled. We believe in prophecy, speaking in tongues, healing, moving in the Spirit of God and worshipping in the Spirit.

“So, the spiritual formation is unbelievably powerful, and also the teaching of the biblical, spiritual perspective,” Antonelli says. “That’s what you get here at Elim. If you come for a theological degree or a business degree or whatever, you are going to get the emphasis of a Spirit-filled, Holy Ghost-empowered, revival-oriented Bible College.”

Students often receive spiritual care—such as teachers stopping instruction in a classroom simply to pray for someone in need.

“We have just come out of a week of prayer,” Antonelli said. “I’m telling you, the Spirit of God was moving. It was healing. People were filled with the Holy Spirit. There were addictions broken. There were mental disorders that were put to flight. That goes on in the classroom. We don’t compromise. Not only do we pray, which is immensely important, but we do it from a Pentecostal perspective. It’s wonderful, evangelical, but it’s charismatic. We will never veer from that kind of moving in the Spirit with this Bible college.”

For more about Elim Bible College, listen to this entire episode of the Greenelines podcast.{eoa}

Follow breaking news like this and more in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

Want to hit the spiritual reset button this year? After what we have gone through in the last year, do you feel the need to draw closer to God and hear from Him about your life and the days in which we live?

I sure do! So, I invite you to join me for a life-changing journey through the Bible in 2021. As we spend time each week in God’s Word, you will find your faith renewed, your spirit empowered and your walk with Him deepened.

We will do this by reading together through the Bible chronologically, and each week on the Out of Zion podcast I will share tidbits of background that will make the stories come alive and make so much more sense.

I am here to help you, and my goal is that you not just read the Bible but understand what you are reading on a whole new level and walk away from this year excited about the greatness of our God and the truth of His Word. I want to see your life transformed one page at a time!

I first experienced my Bible come alive when I went to Israel for a study program at the age of 19, and I have never been the same. I look forward to sharing with you some of the things I have learned over the years studying the Bible where it all took place. Modern archaeological finds are substantiating the Bible in truly exciting ways. In addition, understanding the cultural and religious context makes so many passages make more sense.

Join me today by downloading our Bible Reading Plan and get started reading right away. Invite your friends and family to join us. I can’t wait to Walk Thru the Bible with you! {eoa}

Dr. Susan Michael is USA director of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem and host of the Out of Zion podcast.

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

Strategic teacher and consultant Lance Wallnau says MorningStar Ministries’ founder Rick Joyner nailed it when describing the prayers of many Christians during the 2020 presidential election.

It’s not that believers weren’t praying fervently for then-President Donald Trump and for the country. It’s that their prayers weren’t executed in humility and focused on God’s will.

“I was listening to Rick Joyner recently, and Rick said something to the effect that we didn’t give God the house he wanted,” Wallnau said in a recent Facebook video. “And for this reason, I don’t think we saw the prevailing success we were looking for.

“The Lord spoke to Rick about 2 Chronicles 7:14, which says, ‘If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.’ The Lord told Rick that most of the prayers that were prayed were for temporal issues. They weren’t seeking, in a sense, for the kingdom to come; they were praying for an election, a temporary intervention of God, not the kingdom. Few humbled themselves, and even less were seeking His face.

“I don’t know that we were seeking His face, meaning seeking regardless of the election, regardless of the socialist takeover of America. We shouldn’t have been praying just to get a result in the election, but just to seek His will, His heart, His desire, His presence and His communion.

“The Lord said, ‘There is a lot of prayer, but few are humbling themselves,’ and even less were turning from their wicked ways. … We don’t even know what is grieving His Spirit. Many people sought for an outcome but they were not seeking His face.”

Despite the fact that President Joe Biden now sits in the White House, Wallnau believes God still has a plan for America.

“God is not done yet,” Wallnau said. “God’s purposes are going to be wrought. Maybe it will happen now because we don’t have Donald Trump as our Maximus in the arena fighting for us. I believe that what we are experiencing is a discipline. Judgment begins in the house of God. Maybe we are experiencing a little adjustment now.

“His discipline is not for our destruction, but it is for the purpose of making us the vessels of deliverance for this nation. Like Paul, we can be there in the storm and turn this circumstance into an occasion for that awakening and vision of God. The unity of God is nonnegotiable, and we are going to come into that unity, but we must remember that humility is the prerequisite of that unity.”

Click here for the entire video. {eoa}

Note: This is part one of a two-part series.

As a preface to this article, I want to go on record to say that I adhere to the continualist movement of believers who belong to the Pentecostal, charismatic and third wave tradition. As a continualist, I function in the gifts of the Spirit, including the gift of personal prophecy (1 Cor. 12:5-8).

However, over the last several years, I have become increasingly alarmed due to the prophecies and practices of those associated with the prophetic movement. Furthermore, since the beginning of 2020, many public national prophecies have not come to pass, which has added to my growing concern.

Two significant erroneous prophecies are the prediction that COVID would quickly dissipate right after the Passover and Donald Trump’s reelection.

(I was part of a prophetic panel in early April in which approximately 80% of the prophetic voices predicted COVID would lift quickly and that Trump would be reelected. I was one of the few dissenting voices who discerned that COVID would be here for a long time. I did not give a word about a Trump reelection. However, if it were not for COVID wrecking the economy and Trump’s excessive off-color tweets, I think he would have, without controversy, won reelection in a landslide.)

What has made it worse regarding these prophecies is that even after former President Trump’s controversial loss on election day, several high-level prophetic voices have continued to contend that he will remain in office. While some prophetic voices have already made public apologies for missing it, others have not.

I have been very burdened about the state of the prophetic for several years. I wrote several articles about why it has gone awry, with my recent article published after election day, “8 Reasons Why Some Prophetic Voices Do Not Have 2020 Vision.” One particular concern is that too many contemporary prophetic voices were going to God merely to “release a word” to their online audience instead of plumbing the depths of God to know and communicate His ways.

(See my article entitled “Are You Pursuing God or the Prophet?”)

Consequently, it is now a week after the inauguration of Joe Biden as America’s new president. This means that the day of reckoning has come for many in the prophetic movement. Judgment begins first in the house of God (1 Pet. 4:17). While many conservative Christians were focusing only on Donald Trump’s reelection, God has been uncovering the sick, shallow underbelly of the contemporary prophetic movement. What good is the reelection of a conservative president if a large portion of the conservative evangelical church is biblically unbalanced? Many are easily sucked into conspiracy theories (such as Q Anon) and shallow, politically-driven prophetic words that are not grounded in Scripture’s fundamental principles. This has resulted in the public humiliation of the prophetic. It’s as bad as any I can remember since the numerous apocalyptic warnings given in the late 1970s that wrongly predicted the looming bodily return of Jesus within a generation of Israel’s birth as a nation in 1948. (See books like The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey.)

Indeed, there is a crisis in the charismatic world.

What is needed in the charismatic/prophetic church are introspection and repentance.

Repentance is needed for the reasons below:

— Prophesying out of a subconscious mind instead of through the sovereign spirit of God. These prophets obviously cannot discern the difference between their human soul/spirit and the Spirit of God (Jer. 23:16).

— Prophesying out of their political bias and the lens of so-called “Christian nationalism.” The Bible teaches us that we know in part and prophesy in part. Hence we all prophesy out of the lens of our own experience, knowledge and worldview (1 Cor. 13:9). I believe that many of the pro-Trump prophetic voices were motivated by their impulse towards various forms of “Christian nationalism.” By “Christian nationalism,” I am referring to the belief that God made a covenant with America similar to the covenant He made with Israel: to represent Him and bless the world. Although I believe God had a particular plan to use America to spread the gospel and bless the world, it was never entirely a Christian nation. This is obvious from our blighted history, starting with legalized slavery.

Furthermore, God has a plan for Jesus to inherit all nations, not just the United States (Ps. 2:8-9). Only individuals can be Christians (John 3:3-8). However, as the salt of the earth, it is proper for all believers to influence a nation’s laws so that a Christian ethos can be reflected in its policies. This results in a country having a culture favorable to Christian values.

— Going to God to get a word rather than prioritizing time with God to discern His ways. The Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles focused on knowing God’s ways. This is evident in Psalm 25:4, Jeremiah 9:23-24, Hosea 6:3, John 17:3, Philippians 3:8-12 and 2 Peter 3:18. Knowing God’s ways is much more important than merely going to God for a prophetic word. When we go to God for a word, we are merely using God to advance our ministries. God desires that we seek Him for His sake because we delight in Him. This is the only way to mature as a Christ-follower. (See Ps. 37:4, Ps. 42, Ps. 63, Ps. 103:8.)

— Repenting from equating their prophecies with the canon of Scripture. Only the Scriptures are purely God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Thus, no other words or experiences are equal to the more sure word of prophecy, which is the compilation of sacred writings we now call the Bible (2 Pet. 1:19-21). Contrary to these teachings, many of these prophets demand people believe their word as if it was the word of God Himself. This is erroneously encouraged, even though we are clearly instructed in the New Testament to judge prophetic words and test the spirits (1 Cor. 14:29, 1 Thess. 5:19-21, 1 John 4:1-3). The greatest prophets merely prophesy in part and know in part (1 Cor. 13:9).

— Repenting from over-reliance upon visions and dreams. In the Old Testament, God primarily spoke to the prophets through visions and dreams (Num. 12:1-8, Ezek. 1). However, in the New Testament, dreams were usually used for guidance before the Spirit was poured out upon the church (such as when God led Joseph in dreams, as shown in Matt. 1-2). We see only two significant instances related to guidance by a vision and dream in the post ascension. The first is when the apostle Peter was in a semi-conscious trance-like (liminal) state. Here, the Spirit instructed him through a vision to not call Gentiles unclean. The second is when the apostle Paul was led to Macedonia through a vision or a dream (Acts 10, Acts 16:9). That being said, most of the time, the leading of the Lord took place by the Holy Spirit collectively speaking to the church or through the individual’s spirit (Acts 13:2, Acts 15:28, Acts 16:7-8, 1 Cor. 2:10-14, Rom. 8:14-16). {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 12 bestselling books, including his latest The Jesus Principles, 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 .

You’ve seen it. Perhaps you’ve even fallen victim to it or, worse, participated in it.

But you may not have seen what I saw. If you did, you would want distance yourself far from it.

What am I talking about? I had a prophetic vision that revealed a sickening demonic assignment against the church—an assignment too many are not resisting.

God gave me this prophetic vision while I was reading Ephesians 4:1-4, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, exhort you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called. With all humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another in love, be eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, even as you were called in one hope of your calling.”

When I read verse four—endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace—my spiritual eyes opened, and what I saw next has stuck with me. I can’t shake it. I have kept this vision largely to myself since before the storming of the Capitol and the subsequent fallout. But with the enemy making such rapid strides in the church, I can no longer stand in prayer with a few faithful intercessors. I need your help on this one.

Opposing Forces Battling

Here’s the vision: Two opposing teams were on a football field. I could sense in the atmosphere these were fierce rivals. These teams had moved behind spirited competition to a spirit of violence. In fact, the violence was more pronounced than anything you’ve ever seen on a football field.

Personal fouls were getting a little too personal. I kept hearing referees crying aloud, “Personal foul!” and “Unsportsmanlike conduct!” All over the field, football players were throwing each other to the ground mercilessly, taunting and trash talking. In reality, they weren’t even playing the game of football anymore.

What I saw was a free-for-all on the field. People were getting seriously injured, and no one cared because they felt justified in their behavior.

Click here to read the rest of this article. {eoa}

Jennifer LeClaire, formerly the editor of Charisma magazine, is an internationally recognized author, apostolic-prophetic voice to her generation and conference speaker. She carries a reforming voice that inspires and challenges believers to pursue intimacy with God, cultivate their spiritual gifts and walk in the fullness of what God has called them to do. Jennifer is contending for awakening in the nations through intercession and spiritual warfare, strong apostolic preaching and practical prophetic teaching that equips the saints for the work of the ministry. Jennifer is senior leader of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, founder of the Ignite Network and founder of the Awakening Prayer Hubs prayer movement.

On Sunday morning, Jan. 17, I heard the Lord say, “I am shifting things around you.” Early yesterday morning, He woke me up and showed me a picture of two overturned baskets. He then took me to Jeremiah 24, and began to speak this word:

“There’s a new cadence. There’s a new sound. There’s a new movement. There’s an orchestra in the heavens that’s beginning to come down into the earth realm. This will set a new movement in the earth. Just when you thought you didn’t have the strength to express who I am in you, I can come through with one breath and cause everything in you to come alive again. I am breathing on you. Receive My breath, and strength will come alive!

“What’s been sealed up, what’s been held back—your movement in the earth realm with Me—is beginning to create heat. That which has been sealed up above you is now beginning to melt. Get ready, for I am ready to come through and come down and move in you in a new way. I say to the United States, I am beginning to turn you upright. Get ready, for My people are rising up with a sound that will cause things that are overturned to turn back right again.

Two Baskets

“For a while, this will look like two baskets turned over. There will be difficulty in discerning what is good from the baskets and what is evil from the baskets. However, I will start the sorting. I will watch over the good. These will be times that the evil will mesh together and produce a fruit that has not been seen in modern times. The good will come to know Me in a way they have never known Me. The bad, new fruit will reject Me fully. These will be dealt with based upon their stewardship. Do not eat of the bad. Do not eat from the tree of good and evil. Eat of My tree of life. I breathe life into you today!”

Justin Rana communicated with me today after he heard this word:

I want to share what I saw with the basket prophecy you gave. I see that the outside of this “new fruit” has the word “unity” written all over it. But when you bite into the fruit, the flesh is made of the word “conformity.” True unity comes as one new man. What the world thinks of as unity is actually conformity—where we all look, act, think and speak the same. That is not what the kingdom looks like. We must not conform but unite as one new man as the Lord continues to reveal His agenda.

The Lord is starting the sorting! He is releasing a new movement, a new sound, a new cadence and a new army—and you are part of it! In the midst of what you have been going through, I declare you will feel His new wind of strength and life rising up within you! {eoa}

Charles “Chuck” D. Pierce serves as president of Global Spheres Inc. in Corinth, Texas. This is an apostolic, prophetic ministry that is being used to gather and mobilize the worshiping Triumphant Reserve throughout the world. Chuck also serves as president of Glory of Zion International Ministries, a ministry that aligns Jew and Gentile. He is known for his accurate prophetic gifting which helps direct nations, cities, churches and individuals in understanding the times and seasons in which we live. Chuck and his wife, Pam, have six children and seven grandchildren. He has authored over 20 books, including The Passover Prophecies: How God Is Realigning Hearts and Nations in Crisis and bestsellers Interpreting the Times, Redeeming the Time, and Time to Defeat the Devil. He’s also co-written: Protecting Your Home from Spiritual Darkness, The Apostolic Church Arising and Releasing the Prophetic Destiny of a Nation.

Is it possible that there exists an ancient mystery that’s behind everything from 9/11 to the worldwide pandemic, from the war in Iraq to social unrest and the collapse of the global economy?

Is God sending a prophetic message on which America’s future hangs?

In 2012, Johnathan Cahn wrote The Harbinger, the riveting bestselling book that revealed stunning mysteries which foretold recent American events down to the exact days … the 3,000-year-old mystery that revealed the exact date of the stock market collapse of 2008 … the ancient prophecy that was proclaimed from the floor of the U.S. Senate and then came true … and more. How America is following the template of ancient Israel—falling away from God—which leads to judgment.

The Harbinger was hailed as “stunning,” “prophetic,” “mind-blowing” and “astonishing.” Cahn followed it with his bestsellers The Mystery of the Shemitah, The Book of Mysteries, The Paradigm, and The Oracle. But he always held off on writing a sequel to The Harbinger, believing it was not yet the time. Until now.

What Is Yet to Come

In mid-2019, God gave Cahn the go-ahead to write the long-awaited sequel to The Harbinger. Cahn did not know at the time about the events that would define 2020.

This astonishing book, released on Sept. 1, 2020, is called The Harbinger II: The Return. It reveals the mysteries and prophetic harbingers that have manifested since the first book came out—and the mysteries of what is yet to come.

“This book could not be revealed until the right time,” says Cahn. “I’ve been holding back from sharing for 8 years. I knew that 2020 would be a year of great shaking. I shared publicly at the start of the year that 2020 would be a year of dark events … It would be the resuming of the mystery of The Harbinger. I knew I was to write the sequel to warn those who would hear.”

“The book opens up a prophetic revelation of America’s future,” he continues. “It contains things that have been waiting for years, mysteries that have never before been revealed … from the beginning, to what has happened since and up to this day. It’s truly for such a time as this.”

The Only Hope for America

Cahn says that although American culture has continued to move ever further from God, both of these amazing prophetic books are meant to bring hope in today’s troubled times. “The purpose is not to consign a nation to judgment but to warn it, to wake it up, that it might not be judged,” he says.

“The books reveal what is behind the mystery, where we are heading, and how to get ready. They open up the revelations of God, the voice of God, the plan of God, where we are and what we need to do.”

“If a nation,” he concluded, “returns to God and upholds His ways, then it shall be upheld. But if it should pass judgment upon the ways of God, then upon that nation shall judgment be passed. A return to God and His ways is the only hope for America.”

Find out more about both books at . {eoa}

If you are like most believers, the past year has caused you to have some trust issues. It seems as if between politics, culture wars, inequality, failures of faith leaders, mixed messages by doctors and all that is COVID, most of us have come to a place where we are questioning our leaders in nearly every aspect of our lives.

I was in prayer concerning this loss of trust in human authority that has become very real in the body of Messiah. As I prayed, my attention was drawn to Psalms 146:3 (TLV): “Do not put your trust in princes—in man, in whom there is no salvation.”

As these words became planted in my soul, my heart became encouraged in their message. As you read these words today, please don’t misunderstand their meaning. These words are not saying that we should never trust men.

What would the world be like if we could never trust our parents, teachers, political leaders, military commanders or doctors? Where would we be as the body of Messiah if we could not trust our faith leaders? After all, Ephesians 4:11 tells us that G-D Himself gave us “some to be emissaries, some as prophets, some as proclaimers of the Good News, and some as shepherds and teachers to equip the kedoshim for the work of service, for building up the body of Messiah.”

The issue isn’t trusting; it is in how we are trusting and what we are trusting for. Let’s look at a well-known example. In Exodus 14, we find the Children of Israel caught between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army. They had put their trust in Moses, as we see in verses 11 and 12:

They said to Moses, “Have you taken us away to die in the wilderness because there were no graves in Egypt? Why have you dealt this way with us, to bring us out of Egypt? Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone, so that we may serve the Egyptians?’ It was better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness!”

The problem wasn’t that they were looking for Moses to help; the problem was that they were looking to Moses to help. Think about the words above. They cried out to Moses, “You have taken us”, “Why have you dealt with us”, and “We told you.” Their faith stopped with Moses.

But, let’s look at Moses’ response to them in Exodus 14:13-14: “But Moses said to the people, ‘Don’t be afraid! Stand still, and see the salvation of Adonai, which He will perform for you today. You have seen the Egyptians today, but you will never see them again, ever! Adonai will fight for you, while you hold your peace.'”

Moses directed their eyes through himself to G-D. Moses didn’t step out of the way and diminish his place as their leader. Moses also didn’t tell the people not to trust him. What Moses did do was tell them to look past him for their salvation, not to him for their salvation. In similar language to Moses’, we read in Psalm 46:11: “Be still, and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations. I am exalted in the earth.”

We are supposed to trust those who have been placed by G-D in positions of authority in our lives. But, that trust should never be in them personally. Our trust should always and only be in them as they direct it through them to G-D’s salvation.

In other words, leaders we can trust will always direct us to, “Don’t be afraid! Stand still, and see the salvation of Adonai!” {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.

In adversity, there is often great opportunity. We are living in one of those moments as a nation.

While there is division and unrest, there is unity and wholeness to be found. There are also incredible opportunities for the discerning—for those who will seize the day.

The Latin phrase carpe diem, meaning “seize the day,” was popularized after the 1989 movie Dead Poets Society. In the film, Robin Williams played John Keating, a man who loved poetry and worked as a passionate English teacher at a boys’ Ivy League preparatory school.

In one of the early scenes, John led his class of young men into the school foyer where several trophy cases lined the walls. In these cases were pictures of previous classes and the trophies they had won. Mr. Keating, or “O’ Captain” as some of the boys referred to him, told the boys in dramatic fashion to look closely at some of the old team photos of the young men that preceded them.

The youth began to look with awe and wonder as Mr. Keating, like an old sage, declared:

“They’re not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they are destined for great things, just like many of you. Their eyes are full of hope, just like you.

“Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it?—Carpe—hear it?—Carpe, carpe diem. Seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary!”

Throughout the movie, this impassioned English teacher strove to impart zeal, creativity, his love of poetry and life into these boys. Some received freedom from their fears and timidity and attempted that which they thought was otherwise impossible. Still others brazenly misdirected their zeal and passion toward wrong pursuits. Mr. Keating saw the potential in these boys and dared them to live life to its fullest, and to make their lives matter—to become extraordinary people.

Years ago, I was deeply impacted by this movie. I was in my late twenties and discouraged about how life was going. I thought to myself, “Seize the day—make your lives extraordinary—that’s a truth everyone needs to be reminded of daily.”

I realized that our ability to overcome fears, hurts and past failures determines the richness of our lives today and the legacy we leave for tomorrow. Change and transformation is the path forward for overcomers.

As I write, my mind recalls times when I seized the day and later saw the fruit of my pursuit, even though sometimes years would pass before the realization of a goal or dream. I also remember days and seasons of my life when I missed opportunities. There were times when I found myself hindered by a past event or overcome with feelings of inadequacy.

The truth is that we will all be “fertilizing daffodils” one day. Each day is a gift; our time is our most precious commodity, and we choose daily how we spend that time.

I was painfully reminded of this reality last week. First, our family dog of 15 years, Mya, suddenly passed away. It’s never easy to lose a devoted family dog. More tragically, a friend in Florida lost his wife after a 6-month battle with sudden and aggressive cancer. My heart breaks for Brian in losing his wife, Ann. To say life is short is an understatement—each day is a bonus friends—use them wisely!

Paul exhorted the Ephesians about time:

Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “See then that you walk carefully, not as fools, but as wise men, making the most of the time because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” The Common English Bible translates verse 16 this way: “Take advantage of every opportunity because these are evil times.”

Evil surrounded the people of Paul’s day, and we face the same dilemma. We must learn to be careful and intentional about how we spend our time—that’s wisdom—despite evil and contradictory circumstances. Paul would write Timothy later, “Know this: In the last days perilous times will come.” (See 2 Tim 3:1-5.) Evil has always beset humanity; our day is no different.

The Founding Fathers of our nation also understood evil in their time. The tyranny of the King of England reached a tipping point. They acted and redeemed their day, envisioning freedom and a new nation. Two hundred and forty-four years later, the United States of America is the greatest example of democratic government, freedom and civil liberties our world has ever known. Our nation is not perfect, neither were our Founding Fathers. Despite their flaws, God worked through them to envision a government by the people and for the people that is unparalleled today. America is a great nation, despite our past failures and blemishes.

COVID-19, the lockdowns and economic hardship and uncertainty pushed our nation to a tipping point this in 2020. The tragic death of George Floyd triggered pent up anger and hostility in many. What started out peaceful, quickly became violent. Peaceful protests for racial injustice and police reform largely have been taken over by leftist extremists bent on culturally changing our nation—and our history. Yet, despite this turmoil, God is still in control and is working among His people to be the light amid darkness. Church in America, we have an opportunity to pray and seek God for revival and healing in our land—we must seize the day!

God often brings major transitions during times of uncertainty. While this may seem like an inopportune time to pursue dreams, it may be the moment to act on what God has revealed to you. You are the only person who can “seize” your day. You must wisely use your time and learn to live in God’s will to fulfill your desires and calling. Learn to invest your time, treasure and talent—it’s like putting money in the bank; you gain dividends!

You are God’s masterpiece, His special creation in Jesus destined to accomplish the good things He planned for you long ago. In some respects, you have to try hard not to be extraordinary! {eoa]

Bob Sawvelle is the founding and senior leader of Passion Church in Tucson, Arizona. Passion Church is a vibrant, kingdom-minded church in the heart of Tucson that values God’s love and presence. He is a doctor of ministry, doctoral mentor for the Randy Clark Scholars cohort at United Theological Seminary, an adjunct professor teaching master’s-level classes in evangelism, discipleship and church planting with the Global Awakening Theological Seminary and an online course facilitator for Global Awakening’s Christian Healing Certification Program and Christian Prophetic Certification Program.