Genesis 1:14 says that God set the lights in the heavens for signs and seasons. Last night (April 8th) Mars, Earth and the Sun aligned one week before the start of the first of 4 blood moons.  It's almost like the planets were aligning to point to the beginning of this unusual heavenly event.  The rarity of this event is off the charts (click here for APOCALYPSE NOW: Why a rare astrological event LAST NIGHT could herald the 'End of Days').

How Should We Respond?

Jesus said in Luke 21:25-36 "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;  26 men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.... So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.... 34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." NKJV

Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 40:3 "Prepare the way of the Lord.... a highway for our God."  John the Baptist "prepared the way" before Jesus came the first time (Matt. 3:3) and the Lord has a people who are preparing the way of the Lord for His second coming as well.  They are spoken of in Isaiah 62.  They are the watchmen who pray in Zion who cry out who never  hold their peace (Isa. 62:1-12).  They are "pre-praying" the way of the Lord and preparing a bride (Church) to meet her heavenly bridegroom. 

Are you going through a real stressful time?  Do you feel like you are about to "FREAK OUT?"  

Well that's not good.  "Freaking out" is a sure sign that fear has taken over and is digging its tentacles into your mind to torment you.  1 John 4:18 says, 


There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. NKJV

Faith works by love and the bible says that perfect love casts out fear.  There is a good kind of fear (ie. fear of the Lord, sharks, climbing a mountain, entering a combat zone etc.) that heightens our senses and leads to wiser choices.  Then there is the bad fear that torments and causes us to freeze up.  That is the kind of fear we want to avoid. 

Working Out in the Spirit
Some stress is good!  That's what causes muscles to grow.  You just need to make sure you strike a balance between fear, rest, and God's nutrition.  Allow the thing that is the catalyst for fear (that's the thing that first concerns you) motivate you to take action.  Fear can be like a heavy weight that can immobilize you.  So, let's think of this like a workout.    

Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector who was rich.  Luke 19 describes how this little guy Zacchaeus climbed up a tree to see Jesus.  He was surprised when this led to a divine encounter with Jesus in his home.  Everyone knew Zacchaeus was a sinner.  Some knew it through personal experience that he was dishonest and a thief.  Many were offended that Jesus would spend time with him in his house.  

By God's love and grace this led to transformed heart.  This was illustrated by what Zacchaeus did after the encounter. 

Luke 19:8-10   
Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."   And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;  

What is truly remarkable here is to realize what just happened.  Zacchaeus did DOUBLE what the Law required.  Exodus 22:7 required a thief to restore double.  But in this case he did twice as much as what the Law required?  Instead of just returning double he restored four times as much.  Why?  Here is what I have learned.


Two Lessons

1. A true encounter with Jesus leads to a transformed life evidenced through a change of action.  You can see the effect of an encounter with the living God.  Faith and love go hand in hand.  They work together and faith without works is dead (James 2).
2. Grace is God's enabling power.  Grace goes beyond the requirements of the law because the motive is not "the love of the law" but the "law of love."  

May 2nd was the National Day of Prayer.  It was hosted by two KLI pastors; Mark and Nancy Moore.  They also serve as the CONECTers for Operation Rolling Thunder in Renton/Kent south King County.  This is also the first day of Phase 1 of the Operation Rolling Thunder Strategy.

Operation Rolling Thunder (ORT) is a strategy that gets one church to take one day of 24/7 prayer each month.  Once we get 31 churches in a city working together we have our city covered with 24/7 prayer all year long.  The effect of God's abiding presence in a city is incredible (click here).  KLI has committed to taking the 1st day of every month and we've been joined by 4 other churches so far (click here).  

Today, Pastors Gary and Tandi  are leading the prayer this day as Celebration
Church takes this day of 24/7 prayer.  (click here for state prayer targets).   The Renton Reporter did a great article (click here) on the National Day of Prayer event that Mark and Nancy oversaw yesterday.  Click read more for access to the slide show and some videos from the event.  

In Jeremiah 25 we see God use Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon to expel His chosen people because their own choice of actions violated eternal laws which initiated a process which the land vomited the people out.  One of the eternal laws I speak of is found in Leviticus 18.

In Jeremiah 25 God uses the greed and selfish ambition of an unrighteous king (Nebuchadnezzar) as one of the consequences or judgments for the people's actions which had been displayed over a long period of time.  God was so very gracious He had sent many prophets (Jeremiah had ministered up to 23 years at that point) over the years.  Jeremiah 25:7 makes it very clear that it was actually the PEOPLE'S judgments (decisions) that brought about the situation such that they were losing their land.

We have a tendency to read scripture in a vacuum.  What I mean is, we usually don't see the bigger picture and recognize that God is dealing with a nation as well as the leader who at that point in time became the executor of judgment on Israel as a nation.  It's important to recognize that while God was dealing with Israel as a nation, He was also dealing with King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1-5) on a very personal level because of his own sin and pride. Ultimately if God deals with the leader of a nation, the nation will experience either the benefit or consequences of the leader's choices.  Now, back to my point.

Psalm 139:16
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. NKJV

On November 14th I sent out a newsletter titled "Charting the Course for Your Destiny in this New Era."  On the same day Charisma posted an article from Chuck Pierce titled "The Election Has Brought a New Era."  Needless to say "era" caught my attention.

Era means a period of time marked by a distinctive character or a period of time to which anything belongs or is assigned. 

Think about Psalm 139:16!  These days were made for us.  We were made for these days.  Out of all eternity God could have chosen you and I to live at anytime but He chose now!  Great trials present great opportunity. 

Joel 2 describes a people who come forth upon this earth whom the world has never seen and it occurs during "the day of the Lord."  It is a day of darkness and gloominess but in that context or horrible times a people come "great and strong like of whom has never been."  A fire devours before them and behind them a flame burns.  They are encompassed by God's presence as scripture declares God is a consuming fire.  This is the army of the Lord.  Verse five says they are a "strong people set in battle array."  It says "The Lord gives voice before His army for His camp is very great; for strong is the one who executes His word."

I have to confess, while I was disappointed by these elections, I am very excited about what Christ is doing.  These days were made for you and I.  As I read Chuck's article I got even more excited because so much of what he said is so similar to what the Lord showed me.  I'll highlight a few things Chuck said and summarize it with what the Lord showed me was the key for an overcomer in these times.

The goal of my article is to encourage the church, leaders, ministers, and CONECTers who serve with me.  I want them to see how we are playing a part in bringing these prophetic declarations into reality. 

There is a biblical principle that teaches us first the natural then the spiritual.  Natural occurrences can reflect what is happening in the spiritual world.  Hurricane Sandy is an example of this right now.  This is being called a perfect storm as a nor'easter is on a collision course with a hurricane.
This reflects the coming collision between an economic tsunami, a moral decline and the current political storm raging at this time.  It is no surprise that Washington DC (seat of government), Maryland (1 of 3 states seeking same sex marriage) and New York (economic center)  will all be affected by this very broad storm. It is displacing a lot of people as it moves them out of their homes and will cost billions in damage and lost revenue. 

It is indicative of the number of people who are being affected by the moral, economic and political collision that is underway.  Turning the direction of one, two or all three of these juggernauts will greatly reduce the destruction that will be experienced. 

Another word we could use for this is "repentance."  It is a change of thinking that leads to a change in action.  Haggai and Jonah both provide a great example of how a people's sincere heart change can lead to a destructive judgment averted.  Haggai does a great job of describing the economic judgment.

Hag 1:5-11 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: "Consider your ways!  6 "You have sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;  You drink, but you are not filled with drink;  You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes."  7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified," says the Lord. 9 "You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?" says the Lord of hosts. "Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands." NKJV

But when they changed their heart and repented and began to draw near to God He says in Haggai 2:19 "Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.'"

The key is where you choose to position yourself.

Will You Position Yourself for Protection in Goshen?

Have you ever suffered defeat and disappointment?  Who hasn't?  I'd like to share a powerful scripture with you that is loaded with hope.  2 Corinthians 4:7-14 says:   "7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed —  10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you. 13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you."NKJV

Have you ever been:

• Hard pressed?  It  means you are between a rock and a hard place. You don't feel like you have any where to turn.
  
• Perplexed?  This means you are in doubt, embarrassed, overcome with uncertainty through betrayal or failure.
• Persecuted?  This means people are out to destroy you.
• Struck down?  This means people are trying to kill you.

Well you are in good company!  So was Jesus and thankfully He is the God of resurrection. 

Forgive - Forget & Press On
This morning the Lord gave and Brenda a word of restoration and hope Christ the King Shine Church.  We took a look at some of the great leaders in history (Washington, Lincoln, Churchill and Jesus) and saw how rejection, defeat and failure forged their character such that they were prepared to be God's answer for the nations.  

Washington teaches us a powerful lesson in Valley Forge.  He retreated there on the verge of total defeat and failure.  It was in the midst of his darkest hour than he retreated, rested, restored, re-trained, re-supplied, reformed, and then redeployed.  The key to start that process is to forgive, forget and press on.

Thankfully God sent Jesus with an anointing to comfort, console, heal, bind up broken hearts and to equip those who would be repairers of the breach and restorer of cities to dwell in.  He has given us the "oil of joy" (healing ointment) for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (that dark cloud of depression that descends upon you).    

Want to be encouraged and ministered to?  Click the MP3 below and discover what God said through His word!

Jesus Christ is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.  He serves as an intercessor, a legal advocate pleading our case before the throne of God (Heb. 3:1, Heb. 7:25, 1 Jn. 2:1).  Confession is a legal term used two ways in scripture.  There is the confession of sin and a confession as to what God's word says.

Psalm 8:2 - Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.  NKJV

The Hebrew is such a descriptive language that there is often no one English word that can capture the depth of meaning.  For example, in Hebrew the word translated "mouth" is also translated as commandment, talk, speech, and edge as in edge of the sword (1 Sam. 15:8).  It reminds me of Hebrews 4:12 that says the word of God is quick and powerful sharper than any two edged sword.

"Babe" means infant or immature Christian.  The "nursing infants" refers to an infant who drinks milk and Hebrews 5:13 teaches us that everyone who partakes of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness.  "Ordained" means to sit down, take counsel together and establish a foundation.  "Strength" means power and boldness.   "Silence" means to still, cease, put or take away "the enemy" which is defined as the adversary, oppression, distress or trouble.  Psalm 8:2 is truly a powerful and insightful scripture when we put it all together.  It means:

On our 25th wedding anniversary we were privileged to dine with Ken and Susan; a father and his daughter.  As we prepared to eat dinner we shared that we prayed to the Lord and asked if there was anything we could pray for them.  We found out that Ken had recently broken some ribs and was in great pain and also required a cane.

We prayed and God healed.  Ken's health improved quickly and through the course of our time we had the opportunity to share about many things.  Long story short, Ken's relationship with the Lord has been restored, the chiropractor testified how remarkable and quick his healing was and Ken is just on fire with the love of Christ. 

He's been sharing Christ's love with many at work and beyond.  A couple of days ago Ken sent me an email asking for prayer for a friend.  I asked his permission to share with you my reply as I think it applies to everyone because Jesus sent us all to minister.  Here it is;