Someone would have to be living completely off the grid not to be aware of the growing division in the United States and around the globe.

At the same time, anyone who believes in Yeshua (Jesus) and the New Testament should be aware of the violent prophetic events described in the words of Yeshua and the prophets, especially those found in the book of Revelation. Every one of these events was foretold so that we would heed their warning and be prepared.

Unfortunately, many within the body have projected these words far into the future, to a time when believers in Yeshua will no longer be on the earth. The result of this faulty end- times understanding is that the body of believers is responding to events unfolding in the same way that unbelievers are responding.

But if we read what Yeshua says in the book of Matthew, we will notice that He is telling His disciples about what is coming. Yeshua warned them that their families will betray them, some even unto death. He tells His disciples that they will be hated for His name, but that those who endure to the end will be saved.

After speaking these words that had to be heartbreaking to hear, Yeshua tells His followers not to fear what is coming and that they should only fear the one who is able to destroy both body and soul. Yeshua’s warning to His disciples is that they should not fear the events that will unfold in the end times because fear would cause them to act in ways that could cost them their soul.

In the closing words of this powerful sermon in Matthew 10:41 (TLV), Yeshua taught His disciples these words, which are vitally important to all of His disciples today:

“He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a tzaddik in the name of a tzaddik shall receive a tzaddik’s reward.”

As we read these words, the first line seems to be easy to understand in context. After all, Yeshua had just given them a prophetic word, which was both frightening and encouraging.

So, it would make perfect sense for Yeshua to remind them of the importance of receiving (believing) a prophet. But, what about the second line of that statement about a tzaddik (“righteous man” in Hebrew) ? Why would Yeshua connect the concepts of receiving a prophet with receiving a righteous man?

To understand this, let’s look at the Hebrew word tzaddik. The word tzaddik means “righteous,” but it also means” justice.” So in order to truly receive a prophet and his message, one must also believe that the prophet and his message are just.

Understanding this statement by Yeshua has ramifications that affect every believer. In order to accept Yeshua as the prophet like Moses or the Messiah, we must also believe that the prophecies given by Yeshua concerning the end times are not only true, but also just. Therefore, our actions in response to fulfilled prophetic events must also be just, or else we are not behaving as though we are His disciples.

So, when we look around our world and see the violent events going on around us, we cannot let those events cause us to act in ways inconsistent with being His disciples. To bring more clarity, let’s look at Deuteronomy 16:20:

“Justice, justice you must pursue, so that you may live and possess the land that Adonai your God is giving you.”

The word translated “justice, justice” is the Hebrew word tzedek, which is the same root word used above for righteousness. When we look one verse back in Deuteronomy, we see these words:

“You are not to twist justice—you must not show partiality or take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and distorts the words of the righteous.”

I’ve watched with dismay as believers watch events take place in cities around the country and choose sides in the conflict based solely on media reports. This jumping to conclusions and rushing to judgement not only adds to the division, it also damages the testimony of our faith.

If we proclaim ourselves to be followers of Yeshua as our Messiah, these words should guide our response to all situations, especially those we may identify as prophecy coming to pass. We cannot react from our feelings, our inclinations or even our experiences in and from other situations. We cannot react to any situation based upon limited and often skewed information provided by the media drenched in their agendas.

We, as believers, must exhibit patience and compassion while we wait for investigations to be completed. We must wait for all witnesses to be heard and all evidence must be considered. If we come to our own conclusions without allowing all evidence to be examined, we fall short of being just, and our unrighteousness will demonstrate our unbelief in Yeshua as our prophet and Messiah.

If the events we see taking place are in fact end-times prophecies coming to pass, then there has never been a time when it was more important for believers to demonstrate our faith by acting justly. {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.

I’ve been troubled in my spirit for some time over what I call the “monthly prophecy” trend. We see prophets—and even those who don’t claim to be prophets—releasing a brand-spanking new, shiny, happy, prophetic word chock-full of super-duper life-changing promises each and every month.

You’ll hear them prophesy “it’s the month of this” or “the month of that” or “the month of the other.” Every first of the month, without fail, they have a freshly minted prophetic word for the body of Christ. Not just one, but scores and scores and scores of monthly prophetic words circulate social media each. Many people are anticipating them with great excitement!

The problem is, most of those prophecies fail. They fall right to the ground with a loud thud that echoes. The prophetic word did not prosper because it did not come out of God’s mouth. Rather, it returned void. And yet the very next month, these social media prophets—motivated by clicks, likes and CashApp cha-chings—pontificate about prophetic promises that must surely come to pass in a 30-day window. Is there no shame?

Calling Out Monthly Prognosticators

I was writing entries for my Seer’s Dictionary when I came across this Scripture that made my jaw drop. We find it in Isaiah 47:13-14 (NKJV, emphasis mine) reads:

“You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels; Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, and the monthly prognosticators stand up and save you from what shall come upon you. Behold, they shall be as stubble, the fire shall burn them; They shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame; It shall not be a coal to be warmed by, nor a fire to sit before!”

What is a prognosticator, you ask? One who foretells from signs and symptoms, according to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. Here’s how it works: One of the monthly prophets felt the wind blow, and suddenly it’s the month of the wind of God. God didn’t say it, but it tickles people’s ears and loosens their purse strings.

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

I dream a lot of dreams from God, mostly symbolic, and the one I’m about to share was mostly literal. This has been bathed in prayer over the last week since I received it.

Close friends, prophets and ministers I know have been praying, and others have sent me similar dreams but perhaps from another angle. This one has been submitted to a prophetic roundtable, and I discussed it with several prophets to whom I am close before publicly sharing it.

However, I state this with reverence, awe, holiness and responsibility for God’s intervention and will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Most of my prophetic ministry is for equipping others to hear God and prophesy through encouragement, comfort and edification. However, when God sends warnings, there is a weight and responsibility to steward them in prayer, seek counsel and confirmation and release it if God leads, so that a divine strategy can be implemented as the church prays, repents and prepare to be agents of healing and revival.

I want to say it clearly here that in no way was this a personal spiritual attack on me. I don’t want anyone “binding and rebuking” my dream. When I awoke, I did so as I normally do from God’s dreams: not frightened nor alarmed but peacefully praying. This dream is not God’s will, but I believe it reveals the strategy of the evil one and is a warning and call to pray and minister healing.

Within the dream, it was as though I were looking over the shoulder of the person who was in the center of it, seeing these events as closely as possible through their eyes, with their feelings and emotions connected to mine. So, when you read ‘I’ in the dream, know it was not necessarily me personally:

Thursday, Aug. 20, I woke up from a dream. The events I saw in the dream were disturbing, but on waking, I was not terrified but stirred to immediate prayer. I believe God still sends warnings so His bride will pray, intercede and decree into the spirit, and outcomes and events that the enemy has planned can be thwarted, nullified, canceled and deleted.

But even if the enemy’s plans which were revealed do come to pass, all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes. And we obeyed God to pray, fast and call people to Him, warning them of the devil’s lies, deceit and plans to steal, kill and destroy.

In my dream, I was at a place like a festival. I was reminded of an event like a fairground or concert area, perhaps an amphitheater. A big event was taking place, and I was making sure things were going smoothly behind the scenes. I may have been part of the security team, but a well-known Christian bishop was there, and I quickly relayed the message to him that the band—perhaps a worship band or other music—was ready. After this, I had to go up the hill to get something, but this event was about to start.

However, as I walked up the hill, I heard screaming and then saw some people running as a car careened down the hill. I had to jump over to avoid being hit by the car, as many other people were hit by it. Shock overwhelmed everyone with what transpired.

As people started getting up and others ran to victims who were hit by the car to try to help, another vehicle came flying down the hill, crashing into people.

The feeling that this was intentional swept over me at this point, and within the dream, I was reminded of the feeling on 9/11 when the world watched live when the second plane hit the Twin Towers and knew we were under attack.

As the second car came crashing into people, I then heard quick and numerous semi-automatic gunfire, some in rapid succession, which was nearly automatic fire, coming from above. I heard hundreds of people screaming and then saw lots of people running in every direction.

It was at this point I realized I was unarmed and unprepared for what was taking place. And the dream ended.

But I awoke with the need to pray. I was not frightened or scared but knew this was a summons and call to pray against the devil’s plans.

I believe this is a warning dream—to pray into, seek Jesus and be prepared for an attack. It may be a coordinated attack on a Christian or public event. But we are to be prepared to help, serve, protect and if need be, fight. Some may take this symbolically, while others may pass it off, but I think it is more literal with some symbolism in the dream. The symbolism includes the prominent bishop (I think he represented a prominent well-known person present at this event/festival, and it could be a Christian concert/event). That’s because I’ve been a dreamer from God for many years, and the symbolic dreams are usually interpreted quickly, but the literal ones are prayed into heavily but aren’t interpreted like the symbolic ones until things happen.

I’ve had similar warning dreams before, and warnings don’t come to me often, though I’m available for them. But I’d dreamed of some events like Columbine and hijacking a plane with a knife (9/11) and have had groups pray against them. Although these things then took place, we don’t know what our prayers released into it or what God did through them as we obeyed Him and He worked through the circumstances.

And I know scripturally that God answers the cries of the martyrs of the faith; His justice prevails through tragedy; and revival can take place (see Rev. 6:9-11).

I’ve submitted this to a prophetic roundtable I know along with other close prophetic friends and several prophets and prophetic ministers. Most respond in prayer, saying they feel the weight to pray into it. And they respond saying they think it is literal, seeing the enemy’s plans to pray against.

Please pray, bathing it in prayer and intercession if God leads you, and take to Father’s heart and throne room. Pray for God’s protection; that the enemy’s plans be canceled, deleted and thwarted; that God’s justice prevails, lives are saved and souls come into personal relationship with Jesus. We need to return to our first love, repent of our sins and be agents of healing for our land. {eoa}

Jared Laskey, M.Div., M.A. Christian Ministry, is the founder of Fireborn Ministries and host of the Adventures in the Spirit podcast. He lives to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of the Holy Spirit. Jared loves teaching people how to hear God. He has recently published the Spirit-Empowered Journal, available on Amazon, and e-course, Entry Level Prophecy. His testimony of how God supernaturally healed him of PTSD is in Joan Hunter’s new book, Miracles for Veterans.

If Donald Trump were to find the cure for cancer tomorrow, his critics would accuse him of putting doctors out of work. They would use the full media apparatus to try and discredit his announcement and label him and his groundbreaking discovery fraudulent. They would tell people not to get the treatment, go on a full media blitz about why it is so “dangerous” and do their best to put fear into the hearts and minds of innocent Americans who truly need the help.

We know this because if the president were to get positive coverage of the very successful and monumental achievements of his first term in office, he most likely would have the highest approval ratings of any president in recent history. Just look at the crowds he was able to attract when he was having his rallies. Even with the media spin, many Americans are waking up to the extreme bias.

Never have we seen the mainstream corporate media so united against anyone in our lifetime—especially a president. I remember in the anti-Vietnam War era the intense hatred toward Richard Nixon. Since then former presidents Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Clinton and George W. Bush have had their challenges with the press, but nothing like this.

Why the hatred of Trump? It must be that Trump is onto something; otherwise why would the six corporations that control 90% of the mainstream media (including Fox News) be so united in their attempt to take this man down? Their efforts are tireless—even relentless. They also attempt to wear down those who support the president.

In the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen that same media apparatus continue with its vicious and daily attacks. Think about what Trump has had to endure. The same week Democrats were trying to impeach him, he banned travel from China to the United States when it became clear that the pneumonia-like virus that, as late as January 14, the Chinese said could not be transmitted from human to human, was getting out of hand. In typical nature the Left continued with its usual accusations, screaming that he was “xenophobic.”

The truth is, the president has shown tremendous leadership in all of this. His quick action in implementing the travel ban from China on January 31, and then from Europe in mid-March, probably saved hundreds of thousands of lives. As bad as the coronavirus is and as many lives as it has taken, it would have been far worse had he not acted so quickly.

The good news for Trump is that people don’t forget easily, and there is an army of social media influencers who show the Democrats’ own words over and over again to those who may have forgotten. There is nothing more convincing than simply replaying leftists’ own interviews and clips on social media so people can see just how hypocritical they are. That’s because in the facts war, Trump wins hands down. That is one reason the socialist and Deep State opposition are so afraid.

The Left is especially fearful because of the great gains Trump already brought to our economy. Even secular observers such as Dr. Michael Busler, professor of finance at Stockton University, agreed in a Townhall op-ed that President Trump’s achievements are truly remarkable.

Busler observes that when Trump was elected in 2016, the nation was in a ten-year economic slump averaging only 2% growth—the first time in history the economy did not hit 3% growth in a decade. That led to poor employment prospects and stagnant wages, which led to resentment, causing some citizens to embrace socialism and reject capitalism. “The country was headed in an un-American direction,” Busler wrote.

But then Trump came along. His “Make America Great Again” mantra emphasized a return to prosperity. His policies made the economy boom, and he also rebuilt the military and adopted a foreign policy of “peace through strength.”

Busler concluded: “History will note that Donald Trump was remarkable. In spite of more than 90 percent of media coverage of him being negative, in spite of every Democrat consistently opposing anything he wants to do and in spite of some members of his own party being against him, he has managed to change the direction of the country.”

Regardless of the relentless attacks, this president is like a bulldozer. He may be the only person I can think of who could have taken such a daily beating and yet continue to win, pushing back against the nefarious agenda and those who seek to destroy him and our country. This is most likely why God chose him to lead us through this very significant time in history as we battle for the very future of our country. {eoa}

This article was excerpted from Chapter 5 of God, Trump and COVID-19 (Charisma House 2020).

Don Pickney realizes that the midst of a pandemic is not the optimum time or season for a pastor to teach on prosperity. But then, Pickney says, he does not have a stereotypical teaching on the subject.

The author of A Prosperity Phenomenon: A Revelation of the Day of Jehovah, says an economy in shambles and staggering unemployment in the middle of COVID-19 could very well represent God’s agenda to transfer the immense wealth of the world into the hands of those who serve Him. And this idea can bring you a renewed sense of hope during this time of global turmoil.

“Interestingly, the concept of this book is not so much the typical blessing of God’s people that many ministries and Christians try to reach out for,” Pickney, pastor of Word of Faith Community of Believers’ Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of Greenelines on the Charisma Podcast Network.

“Rather, it is God taking charge at the very end of this age to bring a blessing to the church. It is actually called in Isaiah 61, verse two, ‘a vengeance to comfort,’ for all who mourn in Zion to give them beautiful ashes. So, it’s not your typical prosperity where the nation prospers.

“It is actually just the opposite. It is God bringing a shaking to the nations and dismantling their power and bringing to light a blessing from God out of that. So, if it’s ‘a vengeance to comfort,’ it means the vengeance has to come to bring the comfort. In Isaiah 61, when he begins to talk about that, he leads us into a great time of prosperity for the church, but he describes it as a coming out of ‘the shaking of the nations,’ which we see happening right now with COVID. Every home, every church, every part of society, every level of society … So, this COVID-19 period is actually very interesting that it is happening right now. Literally, this is the greatest shaking I believe in the world has ever seen in modern times, perhaps since the flood.”

For more about Pickney’s insights into this prosperity phenomenon, listen to the entire podcast. {eoa}

This year has been one of the most difficult and most miraculous years. We have seen both tragedy and triumph.

Unfortunately, when difficulties arise for many believers, our eyes and hearts are so focused on the events taking place that we can lose our focus. We spend more time reading the news than we do the Bible, which allows an inroad for false prophecy to enter into our minds.

Charlatans of all kinds will use disasters of all kinds to distract our ears from what they are really selling. I call this using “slight of mouth.” Snake oil salesmen are nothing new, and religious snake oil salesmen can be found early in the biblical text. Men and women who are opportunistic will never let a crisis go to waste.

This year during the COVID-19 pandemic, (which, by the way, according to CDC guidelines, no longer qualifies as a pandemic, yet everyone is still calling it that) we have seen all kinds of “prophets” arise with varying messages of doom and gloom. One such message being shared through social media is that “the Bible has warned us about a time when the world would become a cashless society.”

Now, before you begin to pick up stones to throw at me, I am not saying that it isn’t possible or even probable that we will, at some time in the future, become a cashless society. However, if you search your Bible, you will not find a single verse that states anything about a cashless society.

The closest thing you will find is in Revelation 13:16-17 (TLV):

“He also causes all—the small and the great, the rich and the poor, the free and the slave—to receive a mark on their right hand or upon their forehead. And so no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark—either the name of the beast or the number of his name.”

The plain text simply says one will have to have the mark to buy or sell. It doesn’t say that you will use the mark to buy and sell. Anyone who is familiar with membership stores will understand that in order to buy in those stores, you have to be a member. In order to enter the store and make a purchase, you must show your membership card. However, once you show that you are a member of the store, you still have to use a form of payment to make your purchase.

Once again, I am not saying that we won’t ever see a cashless society; I am saying that the Bible does not warn us against a cashless society. For many people, this may seem like a distinction without a difference. I think that it is vital that believers do not say the Bible says something it doesn’t.

The claim of a “biblically warned cashless society” is just one of the many unbiblical biblical claims going around now. While this might seem trivial to you, let me explain why it isn’t trivial at all.

There are billions of people around the world who are vulnerable right now because of all of the upheaval taking place, between riots, politics, assassinations, international virus epidemic and much more. These people are searching for truth.

The answers they are searching for are in the Bible because the Word of G-D is truth. We want every single one of these people to look to the body of Messiah as the people who have truth and share truth. We want them to be able to have trust in what we are saying.

That trust can be irreparably broken if we tell them something like “the Bible has warned us about a time when the world would become a cashless society,” and then they find out we were wrong. These souls searching for G-D can lose faith in G-D because they lost trust in us.

If we simply repeat or share statements that are unbiblical because they seem to fit our understanding of end-time events without actually finding out if they are true, we are guilty of biblical malpractice. The result of this is that many of those we are trying to save will end up injured or lost. {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.

One of my greatest purposes on this amazing ball of humanity is to connect with people around the globe who are pursuing their dreams and desires. These men and women are taking off after heartfelt, life-giving moments that release vision not only for themselves but for others. They are grand influencers.

This week I’m doubling back to have some time with Ian Kilpatrick. In the podcast Heaven Invades Technology from, June 4of this year, Ian and I were discussing a social media creation he created in 2006. It was growing and expanding and had some key values I wanted to come back to as he and his business partners are rebirthing BeenUp2.

I also had a couple questions relating to his process which I believe are God-given. If we listen and respond to these, I believe we too will see the Father pour out kingdom creations that influence the lives of others.

Ian has amazing resilience in that he has started 30 businesses in various fields and endeavors. He once stated that he has started and failed in most of these businesses, and yet what he’s taken away from these are lessons that have made him a successful entrepreneur.

He gained two major lessons that I want to share with you on the podcast New Era Explorers. What I love about these lessons is the requirement to ask others for their insights. To be inclusive. To build a team where wisdom once again enters the picture.

Wisdom—it’s truly amazing. In my book, Leadership Bites, I wrote these words;

“Wisdom is a powerful tool. I have seen wisdom calm an escalating turbulence in a moment. Wisdom often brings hope to situations that have been without answers or even a future. Men and women who carry wisdom have ways, or find ways, that answer core issues and resolve disputes. This ability, this wisdom seems to go beyond head knowledge, although it involves our experience along with God’s ever-beautiful insights.”

These two major lessons Ian shared with me apply to any dream or desire you are pursuing. What are you starting right now? What are you considering? Ask yourself if there are people around you to whom you listen. That you will let them in. Ian’s lessons are powerful tools to look forward as you set off as a “New Era Explorer.”

Listen to this episode of New Era Explorers titled What Ya Been Up2? on the Charisma Podcast Network. {eoa}

Abner Suarez, an ordained prophetic minister with the Apostolic Network of Global Awakening under the leadership of Randy Clark, firmly believes what the Bible says in Genesis, that man was put on this earth for two core reasons—to have intimate fellowship with God and to see God’s kingdom extended on earth as it is in heaven.

He also contends that living with and applying their God-given faith is the key for believers to experiencing both of these callings in greater measure. Because he has a passion to instill that truth into every follower of Christ, Suarez prophesied on an episode of Greenelines with Dr. Steve Greene that this is the season that God will release His fire on His people.

“The Lord says, ‘Did I not say I would baptize my people with the Holy Spirit and fire?’ And the Lord says that this is a season in the earth where the fire of God is being released to His people. It’s the fire of God to stand in the midst of difficulty, the fire of God to speak the word of the Lord; the fire of God to gird his people’s feet; the first of God to cause them to have boldness as ever before.

“But this is also a season of revelation. I just see God releasing a spirit of revelation. I see Jesus touching people’s eyes to see and their ears to hear His voice as never before. I see Jesus putting his hand on people’s hearts and just marking them for His fellowship and kindness as never before. I see the door opening. I declare the door is opening into an encounter with the Lord—encounter after encounter after encounter. I see the seeds of the Word of God falling on many of you. He’s calling people to make their houses, houses of prayer. …

“And the Lord even says to America today, that your destiny will be determined by the posture of God’s remnant people. The Lord says, ‘My desire is to roar like a lion as never before in this nation.'”

For more of Abner Suarez’s prophecy, listen to the entire podcast. {eoa}

I have recently had the strong sense that our nation is in the balance and can totally implode without divine intervention! There are at least four significant potential scenarios in the national elections, that if any were to be played out, would trigger violence, unlike anything we have seen since the 19th century Civil War.

Some secular experts, who deal with geo/political/economic issues, predict that if Trump were to win only through the Electoral college, losing the popular vote, we would see a national uprising that could call for a change to the Constitution. The far-left radicals strongly believe that another Trump term is an existential threat to their way of life. They will do anything to stop it.

Another scenario is if Biden wins by a narrow margin, and Trump contests the election by claiming voter fraud and refuses to vacate the White House. Such a scenario would incite America’s alternate right to action, which can lead to major unrest.

In my opinion, another possible scenario would be Biden winning by a landslide. This would embolden radical groups like Antifa, who would then step up their violent subversive protests (as we have seen in Portland). If such radical groups believe that Biden’s administration doesn’t go far enough to reform or deconstruct the nation, we would see violent uprisings, similar or higher in scope than Portland, spread to every major city in America.

Another scenario is that if Trump wins by a landslide, then the violent revolutionaries in the nation will become desperate and engage in greater measures to overthrow the present political and economic system.

Hence, I opine that there is a looming existential threat to the USA, no matter how the national election turns out. That being said, what we have seen recently in terms of civil unrest is nothing compared to what is looming. Therefore, there is a great need for divine restraint or spiritual awakening.

Of course, God’s kingdom does not depend upon political or revolutionary tactics to heal a particular land. Jesus said in John 18:36 that His kingdom is not of this world. Notice He did not say His kingdom is not in this world, but that it is not of this world. This means His kingdom does not originate or receive its power and authority from any human government or person. Thus, He uses other means than mere earthly politics to manifest His will in nations.

If we review the commonly quoted passage in 2 Chronicles 7:14, we will gain much insight into God’s cultural transformation method. God spoke to King Solomon saying, “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 will heal their land.”

It is important to note that this passage shows that repentance has to first come from God’s people (in this case, the church) before there is any external blessing. Hence the internal transformation that has to precede any visible results. Even though this passage was written to the nation of Israel, we can still apply the principles of this passage to our nation. America already has a critical mass—more than 20 percent of the population—of bible-believing churches and Christians (even though we are not a theocracy, the church wields major influence in the life of the nation).

Abraham was able to intercede for a people group/city, not in covenant with Jehovah. That group would have been spared God’s judgment if there were at least 10 righteous people (Gen. 18). In America, even in proportion to Sodom, I believe we have much more than the 10 people based on our comparative numeric population percentage. Furthermore, Jeremiah 18:7-10 shows that any nation in general that turns away from wickedness will experience God’s mercy.

The prayer focus that is based upon 2 Chronicles 7:14 has 5 major components:

1. The, “If my people” phrase shows that the prayer focus has to be towards the church more than the nation. Unfortunately, contrary to this passage, the primary focus of many corporate prayer events are merely for the national elections or for better public policy. While the elections are important, I believe that it is offensive to God for half baked, half-committed, back-slidden Christians to pray for the elections. Their primary motive likely has to do with not having persecution so they can continue to live a comfortable “Christian” life without paying the price. Since the focus of this passage is God’s people, then by implication, the key for national healing is not merely a change in presidents, but a shift in the attitude of the church towards God. Consequently, the state of a community, city and nation is a direct reflection of the state of the church in that region.
2. The “Will humble themselves” phrase shows that the Church in North America has to repent of pride. This arrogance comes with our national economic affluence and power, as well as a lack of dependence upon God for its provision and sustenance.
3. The phrase, “Will pray and seek my face,” illustrates that the primary focus of the gathering must be seeking God’s face more than His hand or His blessing. Hence the focus should not be praying for the United States, the elections or for peace and prosperity. There should be repentance in which the church turns away from seeking its own benefit more than God’s plan and kingdom. There must be a shift away from seeking the blessing more than the one who blesses.
4. The phrase, “Turn from their wicked ways” highlights the need for God’s people to turn back to God and repent. Since the nation is not a Christian nation, the focus cannot be upon praying for the country to return. The Church needs to repent since the Church is a holy nation under God (1 Pet. 2:9). The Church needs to repent of things like indifference to the things of God, lack of passion for His face and His presence, lack of true holiness, lack of private and corporate prayer and the lack of reading of the Scripture. There needs to be repentance of systemic issues related to culture and racism in the church, lack of caring for the poor, the immigrants, the sin of abortion, high rates of divorce and being echoes of group-think instead of being prophetically inclined to speak the truth in love.
5. The phrase, “Heal the land” indicates that healing the land is a result that takes place after the proper vertical consecration toward God occurs. Hence the vertical comes before the horizontal effect. Thus, healing the land comes automatically after the Church repents and maintains a proper upright posture towards God.

In response to the above, we are calling for a national prayer initiative called, “Heal the Land.” It involves corporate prayer and fasting, starting from the beginning of September until the day after the national election with three online national prayer initiatives.

The dates are September 16th, October 14th and November 1st, all from 7-9 pm (EST).

For more information on how you can participate in this significant prayer initiative, please go to USCAL.US.

We are trusting that multiple thousands of churches will engage in corporate prayer together in the USA and beyond (the principles of 2 Chronicles 7:14 are relevant for every nation of the earth, which means that this initiative can be international in its scope.)

My prayer is that the church will repent from abandoning its first love and return to the Lord with all of our heart, mind and soul. Only then will the nations of the earth experience true healing. {eoa}

Purchase Joseph Mattera’s latest book, The Jesus Principles, available now on Amazon here.

Many in the secular world and the secular media point toward all the chaos in 2020—COVID-19, racial unrest, extreme weather phenomena and the major downturn in the economy—as simply coincidence.

End-times expert Michael Snyder says that’s simply not true. Snyder says it’s the “perfect storm” that John Paul Jackson prophesied years ago, and it’s coming to pass through all of these devastating events.

“We’ve been warned that this was coming,” Snyder told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of Greenelines on the Charisma Podcast Network. “The prophetic voices warned that we were headed into a time of trouble, and they warned about pandemics and about economic collapse. They warned about natural disasters; they warned about civil unrest and all of these things.

“The good news is that we haven’t seen very high levels of it. Like, for example, the wildfires in California are horrific, but people can get out of the way of a wildfire, so not a lot of people are dying. A lot of these other things have happened, but the death toll hasn’t been extremely high.

“To me, that mirrors the 10 plagues and other things in the Bible, where God brings a pattern of judgment, and at first, the death toll isn’t that high. Ultimately, the purpose of these judgments is a wake-up all or whatever you want to call them. God is trying to wake up a nation at first. Judgments come, and the purpose is redemptive, because God is trying to call people back to Himself. That’s what He’s trying to do right now and what He’s been trying to do all along, to call wayward nations to come back to Him. He wants them to follow Him and turn from their evil ways.”

Snyder also spoke of the political storm that is coming prior to and at the time of the U.S. presidential election in November.

For more about Michael Snyder’s thoughts about the chaos in America right now, listen to the entire podcast. {eoa}