Working Dates: Tuesday, January 5, 2021 through Epiphany, Wednesday, January 6, 2021 and on to Tuesday, January 12, 2021
[37 pages of reflective conversation anchored in the lectionary readings of Ephesians 3:1-12 for the feast day of the Epiphany on 06 Jan 2021.
Brat (Prologue): This has become a book chapter, not just a blog post, although that is where I post it. — “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?” (Jeremiah 12:5)]
Matthew Distefano (08 Jan 21): In John’s prologue, however, the Bible tells us that Christ is the “Word” of God. Better yet, Christ is the “Logos” of God. What is the Logos? Put simply, according to Greek philosophy, the Logos is the “structuring principle of reality.” Again . . . Christ. Not the Bible.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): When I feel like I can’t breathe through the tragedy and fear and uncertainty, I remember what Jesus felt holding his breath underwater in the Jordan, feeling his breath shorten on the Cross, and I know he is with me. [1]
Rev. Dr. Marshall Jolly: But if, on the other hand, we desire a life dedicated to following the living God, as we work together to build God’s kingdom, then the place to start is at the water’s edge. [2]
Prism Ministries (08 Jan 21): Are there any yokes or burdens you are carrying that God has not called you to bear? Pray about those today and ask God which ones He has called you to bear. I believe the saddest thing we could do is exchange busy or obligatory work for the work of our true calling. Let God lead you in this today.[3]
Brat (06 Jan 21): Today, protesters are storming the capitol in Washington, DC. Some call it our right to gather, while many others call it a coup as frequently seen in Third World countries; an insurrection to uproot (or at least deter) the democratic process. The media points all fingers at President Donald Trump as the instigator of the riots, while he watches from the Oval Office. Where is the light of truth in a moral swamp devoid of wisdom?
David Suissa (07 Jan 21): Morning Roundtable: Is Trump to Blame for the Riots at the Capitol?
Pastor Tom Demaree in Washington, DC on Capitol Hill (06 Jan 21): 25 feet from outermost barrier
Brat: The thugs attacked the People’s House. Rick Joyner prophesied that a year ago:
Rick Joyner (Jan 2020): It is not just the U.S. that is headed for civil war. All of the social fault lines in civilization are having tremors, and we can expect increasing divisions with these social earthquakes. At the same time the greatest unity will be coming to God’s true followers. The most glorious event on earth that is now happening is the bride of Christ beginning to make herself ready for Him. This is why we are promised that the glory of the latter house will be greater than the former. [4]
Kaji Douša (06 Jan 21): Epiphany commemorates wise ones who followed a different kind of star.
Vicki Kemper (30 Dec 20): Catastrophe is upon us. But only by looking through this midnight can we see the rising of a bright morning star. And because God’s enfleshed love has come to us again, we do not lose heart.
David Sidman (07 Jan 21): The rabbi [Rabbi Isser Zalman Weisberg] called on Trump to take an oath “that will give you the fortitude to succeed in the lifetime you are about to start.” [5]
Rabbi Isser Zalman Weisberg: “This election is not about your legacy. It is not even about the future of America. It is not even about the future of the free world. It is about standing up for God of the universe – the God of morality and compassion. Continue the fight until you have exhausted every available means at your disposal to overcome the enemies of truth. Do not listen to anyone who tries to convince you otherwise. That was King Saul’s mistake and we saw where that got him.”
Patheos (05 Jan 21): Confronting the Empathy Crisis
Bill Yount (04 Jan 21): A sign of maturing in Christ is when you start thinking about blessing your enemies.
Archbishop of Canterbury (06 Jan 21): There will be many lessons to be learned from the scenes in Washington. For the moment let us pray for the USA, the world’s greatest defender of democracy until now, as it faces this huge shock. May God bless America with peace and reconciliation.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): We are such a divided country with such widely divergent experiences that it’s hard to speak for everyone.
Israel365 (07 Jan 21): DC Violence is Trump’s ‘King Saul Moment’ Explains Rabbi
Revelation 18:15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn
Prism Ministries (29 Dec 20): “Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away. I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him.” -1 Corinthians 7:30-32 In the end, the stuff or the people or the circumstances don’t matter.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): God awakened me to this: God’s providence is always immediate and short lived.
Israel365 (07 Jan 21): Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, and Washington DC
Revelation 18:16 and cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’
Pastor Tom Demaree (07 Jan 21): We weren’t there to protest; We were there to pray
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): There’s not much I can say at this point that I would be confident in attributing to all Americans.
Rick Joyner (Jan 2020): The world is being brought to the “Valley of Decision” where all will have to choose between the light and darkness, good and evil, truth and lies. We are in the times that will separate the wheat from the chaff, and the nations as sheep or goats.[6]
Joshua 6:22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.”
Matthew Distefano (08 Jan 21): But it’s not. I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry. [7]
Kenneth L. Samuel (04 Jan 21): I grew up in a church where “the sins of the flesh” were condemned constantly. Fornication, adultery, sexual abominations, and prostitution were all inveighed on a regular basis. The hammering in of verses – like, “If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10 KJV) – set me on a course of pious dichotomy between flesh and spirit. I believed that any gratification, exploration, or appreciation of the flesh outside the strict perimeters of monogamous heterosexual marriage was in direct contradiction to God’s righteousness. And I believed the bodies of those who engaged in any type of pleasure outside those strict prescriptions were corrupt.
Rabbi YY Jacobson (07 Jan 21): This dichotomy is one of the main factors causing people to give up on living a meaningful and joyous life. The tension is too deep, and I can’t be a hypocrite.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): Most generalizations are pretty dicey right now.
Matthew Distefano (08 Jan 21): Let’s start with the obvious. The Bible never claims to be the inerrant Word of God. Not in Genesis. Not in Exodus. Not in Deuteronomy. Not in the rest of Torah. Not in the Prophets. Not in Psalms. Not in the Apocrypha. Not in the Gospels. Not in the Epistles. Never. Not once. Nunca. Zilch. Nada.
Rev. Phil Hooper (27 Dec 20): Again: “He was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God, [the Word] was in the beginning WITH GOD.” This is the hidden life, the hidden love, the hidden dynamic relationality at the core, the source, of everything that would follow.[8]
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): Lean into the terrifying faith in God’s providence that only and ever comes one breath at a time.
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): He is going to break off the stale religiosity that has caused so many to be servants and not sons and daughters.
Matthew Distefano (08 Jan 21): Now, before you gird up your loins and fit yourself ready for battle, here’s 7 reasons why I say such an inflammatory thing.
James 2:25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
Rev. Phil Hooper (06 Jan 21): The metaphors of light and darkness are pervasive throughout Holy Scripture and Church tradition, but such imagery reaches its apogee now, on the Feast of the Epiphany. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, this is the day, in the lean light of January, when we often speak of Christ as brightness, as radiance, as the child bathed in starlight—attempting to articulate how an Incarnate God is not simply present among us, but revealed to us, just as the day is revealed by its dawning.[9]
Ephesians 3:1 This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—
John Bunyan: “I will stay in prison till the moss grows on my eyelids rather than disobey God.”
Prism Ministries (08 Jan 21): In our busy world, it is easy to get involved in so many things. When life gets complicated, it can be overwhelming!
Bill Yount (04 Jan 21): Whispers from the Battlefield:
Kaji Douša (06 Jan 21): Betrayed by a Star
Prism Ministries (06 Jan 21): Elisha followed Elijah. Joshua followed Moses. Joseph served Potiphar. The disciples followed Jesus. Sometimes we need to lay down our agenda in order for God to truly birth His plan and purpose in us. One of the ways He does this is through calling us to serve another man’s vision. We need to realize it is not all about us.
Brat: We got in this mess in Washington, DC, because personal causes of serving another man’s vision were elevated above the greater good.
Kaji Douša (06 Jan 21): Attract an “influencer” and you can draw the world’s attention. This star power can bring supportive followers and angry revilers, as well. Follow a movie star and you will find the masses close by.
Pastor Tom Demaree (07 Jan 21): Too many talking heads
Revelation 13:3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.
Jewish Voice (04 Jan 21): It’s a miracle when someone with a serious wound, but who can’t afford to see a doctor, receives free medical care and antibiotics – and finally begins to heal.
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): In 2020 we saw the spirit of confusion and chaos hit the church during the pandemic and reveal our need for revelation truth. Not just convenient truth or truth that is uplifting but also sobering truth that hits the places where lies and deceit have been festering like a wound.
Pastor Tom Demaree (07 Jan 21): Worldview not based on FNC/CNN/FB
Kenneth L. Samuel (04 Jan 21): That’s good news for all of us whose bodies have been manipulated by wanton systems or abused by our own recklessness. The God whose bruised incarnation we solemnly celebrate in the Eucharist is the God who redeems faltered bodies as well as faltered spirits.
Zane Hart (06 Jan 21): What are some of the signs of a system that is prone to encourage and support abusive leadership?
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): This year God is purging leadership, redefining motives, and removing worldly influence from the high places of the church. We can’t operate with high charisma and little character – the fruit is damage and pain and communities that never experience transformation.
Prism Ministries (11 Jan 21): Isn’t that much like the Christian life? The Bible says to “fight the good fight.” (2 Timothy 4:7) Often we forget who our enemy is, and instead point our arrows and swords at each other. Often we don’t realize our need to be under the covering of a capable and servant-minded leader. Much of the time we fear developing lasting and accountable relationships, fighting our battles alone. Sometimes we harbor offense that cripples us for a lifetime, and binds us to the idea that there is no one out there who can support us. Sometimes we let our individual goals and dreams override that of the group.
Pastor Tom Demaree (05 Jan 21): Need your prayers: Just broke my own rules in GA… here’s why. (Headed to DC to break some more.)
David Sidman (07 Jan 21): “When God puts us in a position to courageously stand up for what is right and just, the last thing we are to be thinking of is ourselves” Rabbi Weisberg explains.
Prism Ministries (10 Jan 21): Have you ever started something you know God had called you to only to be met with extreme resistance? “Why is this happening to me?” we might ask. “God, all I’m trying to do is serve you!”
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): If you’re like me, you’ve felt like 2020 was a bit like being held underwater, and just when you’ve come up for a breath of air, the attempted coup shoved you back under.
Lovesick Scribe (04 Jan 21): When suffering comes to fellowship, we unclench our fists and we open our eyes. We look to the One from where our help comes. We do not shrink back or hide in times of affliction and pain. We consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18), and we praise Jesus Christ for suffering beyond comprehension on our behalf.[10]
Anita Alexander (05 Jan 21): In the midst of whatever pain you may be facing, large or small, choose to find it in yourself to cry out, “I trust You, Lord!” Trust unleashes the power of God to work on your behalf. He is faithful and He will miraculously deliver those who put their trust in Him.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): Every next breath is a discovery, which makes every next breath a gift of love.
Archbishop of Canterbury (12 Jan 21): Wearing a mask is loving your neighbour.
Prism Ministries (06 Jan 21): Jesus was the greatest example of serving his followers by laying down his life. He did the most menial task you could have done back in those days as an act of service to them; he washed their feet.
Bill Yount (06 Jan 21): “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:17 (ESV)
Pastor Steve Dittmar (05 Jan 21): Listen to the Lord, “Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the battle is not yours but God’s.”
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): There’s not much I can say at this point that I would be confident in attributing to all Americans.
Pastor Tom Demaree (06 Jan 21): I COULDN’T SAY ANYTHING because I’d only heard whispers from a few Members, but it just hit the airwaves… Apparently, the Cabinet is considering invoking the 25th Amendment.
Jennifer Garrison Brownell (09 Jan 21): While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long . . . my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. – Psalm 32:3-5 (NRSV)
Kaji Douša (06 Jan 21): Instead, so many were distracted that only a few knew to come and pay Christ homage.
Prism Ministries (08 Jan 21): Because we have such a limited amount of time on earth, it is essential that we use our time where we are best suited or called. The Message version of the above verse states, “I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Pastor Tom Demaree (05 Jan 21): I’m not going to be quiet. I’m also not going to go political. I’m a pastor, not a partisan pundit. When I spoke at The Return, we intentionally avoided participating in some other events that same day, because we saw them as political rallies pretending to be prayer events. I’m gonna strive to stay “above” the fray, to stay POST-partisan in my walked-out love. Above all, I’m gonna make myself accountable to always be full of grace.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): Jesus lived into the truth that grace is only and ever now, not tomorrow, not next year, and tried to teach us to live into it as well.
Rev. Phil Hooper (06 Jan 21): For us, as Episcopalians, this is an instance where our liturgy, our theological process, and God’s mission converge to do a brave new thing. As with any worthwhile journey, this is not one that can be finished quickly, nor can it be done alone. We must listen to one another, and to the voices of others whose lives are quite different from our own. We must be willing to hold ourselves accountable for speaking eternal truth in new and varied ways, knowing that even our most beautiful language is but a foretaste of the beauty that will one day be revealed in its fullness. But until then, it is what we have to offer.
Archbishop of Canterbury (06 Jan 21): So, thank you once more for persevering and please be assured of our daily prayers for you, for your families and for those you serve.
Westley Roderick (31 Dec 20): There will be times no one else will know the cost except you and God…never stop. It will all be worth it.
Bill Yount (06 Jan 21): Diamonds Out of Dust
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): I need to have something to lean on. I need something to count on. I need to know that tomorrow is going to be okay.
Prism Ministries (03 Jan 21): Have you ever had something happen to you that wasn’t fair? Have you ever been falsely accused or wrongly judged? It is in these situations where our emotions can get the better of us. But, we have to stand firm and “be the bigger person” in order to see the fulfillment of God’s purposes in our lives.[11]
Pastor Steve Dittmar (05 Jan 21): Go forward and face your enemy. Here is where you will find them.
Pastor Tom Demaree (05 Jan 21): Game on!
Brat (echo from Aug 2020 and repeated in “Kingdom Age” 01 Jan 21): I stand in agreement with Deborah [Perkins] and reclaim my position in Christ where Haman and sons’ molesting spirit has no right to my/our secret place. No more ambushing and intimidation! No more stealing of my intimacy with the Lord in the King’s House even after I have exposed the deceivers! No more twisting of the narrative to make it look like I’m the problem, the “false prophet,” and have brought this upon myself in a type of self-sabotage! No more dicking with Sanctuary like a cat toying with a mouse! Replace the smell of rat with Your sweet fragrance, Holy Spirit. Make Your Holy Presence so strong that Your being here annihilates Haman and sons and takes their shame with them to the abyss forever.
Mary E. Witter “liked.”
Anita Alexander (05 Jan 21): The Bible says that all those who trust in the Lord will never be put to shame (see Psalm 25:3). That word “shame” in the Hebrew means to be confounded and disappointed.
Jamie Rohrbaugh (05 Jan 21): “The opposite is true, I assure you. I cannot forget a seed. I cannot forget any act of obedience you have made to Me. Your seeds of obedience—even when you didn’t realize that’s what they were—are a continual, fragrant incense in My nostrils.
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): The enemy wants the church to shut its voice but it’s only given the church a greater opportunity to be a voice.
Lana Vawser (03 Jan 21): I heard the Lord say “The enemy has twisted words so craftily in this hour that many have attributed ‘words’ to Me that I did not say. These ‘twisted words’ have been sent to hinder the place of intimacy between Me and My people and hinder them from moving into deeper realms of clarity and revelation of what I am speaking. I am coming and moving with My mighty hand and not only bringing miraculous deliverance, but I am also coming to expose these ‘twisted words’ as LIES. I am coming in power to EXPOSE the ways that the enemy has come and attempted to ‘sound’ like Me, as an angel of light, to oppress many. I am coming with a MIGHTY ROAR and breaking these attacks, delivering My people and My ROAR is catapulting them into a new day of CLARITY of My voice and REVELATION of My NATURE and my LOVE. These children of mine will enter into a new day of DISCERNING My voice and the FRUIT of My voice like never before. This attack is OVER, and I am miraculously delivering these ones and reigniting the FIRE of passion and hunger within them to hear My voice and to know Me. I am causing the enemy to REPAY and PAYBACK what he has stolen through these ‘twisted words’ and attacks of fear and torment and bringing My people into their greatest days of clarity.”[12]
Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: When you eat something, you ingest the food into your very bloodstream. Be it an egg sandwich, an apple, or a greasy falafel … once it’s past your palette, it’s a part of you.
Brat: And, the Church is fat on my writings. Just sayn…
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): The disciples had to add their faith to Jesus’ prayer, surrounded by hungry people who needed to eat that minute, for the food to manifest.
Rev. Dr. Marshall Jolly: The baptized life is not a career that we can pursue part-time, or one day retire from. It is a vocation meant to be lived out with every fiber of our being. That’s why it’s so important that we renew our baptismal vows over and over again, and share in the feast of Christ’s body and blood over and over again, and read and study Scripture over and over again—because we human beings are forgetful people!
Rabbi Shaul Leiter (07 Jan 21): A schoolteacher informed the Lubavitcher Rebbe that he was fed up with teaching and was looking for a new career. “There’s just not enough appreciation given to teachers” he complained.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): The promises of God are eternal, but God’s care and sustenance can only happen one day at a time.
Rabbi YY Jacobson (07 Jan 21): One of the great challenges of any sincere person striving to grow spiritually is that even when he or she manages to ignite a fire in their soul, the fire never consumes the thorns present in the psyche. The passion is aglow, the heart is aflame, the ecstasy is ablaze, but the thorns refuse to be sublimated in the flame. Toxicity and anxiety take over. A person may be in the midst of sincere prayer to G-d, but suddenly a most ugly thought or craving will flare up in his brain. You may be experiencing a most happy moment in life, but suddenly the most obnoxious emotion surfaces in your heart. Even in our most potent fires, the thorns abound. Even in our most intimate, subtle, refined, joyous, spiritual experiences, we confront irrational fears, demons, and traumas. They often surface to the conscious in the most least expected moments.[13]
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): The constant swerve between adrenaline-fueled panic and apathetic exhaustion has worn me to a paper-thin facsimile of myself.
Prism Ministries (08 Jan 21): When Jesus was in full pursuit of His purpose, sometimes He had to say “no” to the multitudes to get some rest for He and His disciples. (Mark 6:31) Although He was God, He rested.
Anita Alexander (05 Jan 21): In the midst of the pain, in the midst of the unrelenting sobs, in the midst of the confusion, anger and grief, the choice to trust the Lord releases a power that activates a grace which can carry you through any dark night, and any uncertain or unexpected storm.[14]
Shannon Suttles: I saw where there were unholy alliances that some of your children have, unequally yoked relationships, BUT God has a wall between them. A wall of protection from your prayers to Him have been covering your children.
Christian Women for Israel (05 Jan 21): (tonight’s call) A Mother’s Devotion
Prism Ministries (08 Jan 21): Taking Only His Yoke
Mary Dorian (06 Jan 20): In Matthew 13:36-42, Jesus explains, in a deeper way, the parable of the wheat and tares. We, the children of God, are the good seed sowed by Christ into the field – the field being the world. But the evil one came and also sowed weeds. So, both the weeds and wheat have been growing in the field, together. In other words, the children of God have grown and the weeds have also grown, side by side, but now the Holy Spirit will separate the good seed from the weeds, sending the angels out to pluck them out. The harvest is ready! The Good News of the Gospel has spread and produced vast fields of ripened grain, ready for a spiritual harvest. Oh what a time to be alive![15]
Simcha-Shmuel Treister: This is as opposed to a prophet who is duty bound to reveal his prophecy.
Brat: I loved them enough to confront them with the truth. I prayed for them. I forgave them. With Sardis it’s like being on the back side of a mirror. They have unfinished deeds in the sight of my God. (Rev 3:2)
Bill Yount (06 Jan 21): A King was building a palace in another country. He ordered huge glass mirrors to hang on the walls but when the shipment arrived most of them were broken. He was so angry that he said to his servants, “Smash them to smithereens and throw them away!” So they began smashing those huge glass mirrors.
Verse of the Day (06 Jan 21): 1 Peter 1:13 (The Voice) So get yourselves ready, prepare your minds to act, control yourselves, and look forward in hope as you focus on the grace that comes when Jesus the Anointed returns and is completely revealed to you.
Jamie Rohrbaugh (05 Jan 21): Every angel in Heaven has a job. Teamster angels are assigned to carry heavy loads.[16]
Susan Michael (08 Jan 21): Is your pastor ready to lead in times of crisis?
Brat: Well, the Angel to Sardis has a particularly heavy load. I know her deeds. She has a reputation of being alive but is “dead.” (Rev 3:1)
Gidon Ariel (07 Jan 21): Kathryn, Now It Can Be Revealed…
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: A simple example of this phenomenon is the brilliant professor who couldn’t button his shirt straight. Or the genius scientist who couldn’t be bothered to spell things properly. These are incredible minds where the “light” of their intellect shines so intensely, it is hard to contain in simple boxes like symmetrical garment buttons or proper spelling.
Brat: I think one of the best ways to nurture brilliance is to listen.
Bill Yount (06 Jan 21): As they were sweeping up all of the tiny pieces of glass to throw in the dumpster, one of the servants said to the king, “Oh, king, this stuff looks like diamonds! This stuff looks like diamonds!” As the king looked down on all those broken pieces, he had a divine thought. He had his servants pick up all those tiny pieces and they began to cement them all over the walls of the palace. When people came and began admiring the diamonds filling the walls of his palace, the king would finally tell them, “What you are looking at is just tiny broken pieces of glass.”
Jamie Rohrbaugh (07 Jan 21): “The blessings coming to you are so big, they’re actually gaudy.”
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: By contrast, the soul of the average person who isn’t Moses stems from a world called Tikkun, generally translated as “discipline.” This is a world where the energy is not as intense and the light not as bright, for it is tempered and disciplined by the protocols of its containers. For example, it is representative of the more ordinary person who somehow manages to button her shirt straight, for though she is indeed intelligent and her mind is filled with great ideas, it is contained enough so as not to hamper her chances at championing the button challenge.
When Light Came In (07 Jan 21): Yes doesn’t mean we’ll be the same as we were before the abuse or other long term trauma. No doesn’t mean we are stuck with a broken self or life forever.
Lana Vawser (04 Jan 21): The Lord showed me an attack of the enemy to bring ‘death’ to these places in the lives of believers that the Lord has spoken will be the most fruitful of places.
Prism Ministries (11 Jan 21): Before the main character and commander-turned-slave Maximus goes out into the Roman Coliseum as a gladiator, he devises a battle plan between he and the other slave men going with him. He knew they would not survive on their own. Therefore, they developed a strategy to defeat whatever might come their way – together.
Kenneth L. Samuel (04 Jan 21): Bodily Redeemed
David Suissa: Living While Others Are Dying
Isaiah 36: 13 Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria! 14 This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you! 15 Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’
Prism Ministries (11 Jan 21): Dr. Lance Wallnau, a speaker and author on Christian cultural influence, talks about supporting one another in our respective callings, “As One.” In a message he once shared, he pointed out the similarities of the Christian life and that of the movie Gladiator.
Lance Wallnau (10 Jan 21): God is causing those who fear and love Him to find each other and He’s speaking through them! We need to stay connected. I’m going to be putting some news up on LanceWallnau.com/news where it cannot be censored in case social media takes us down. Go sign up to receive my updates there now.
Lana Vawser (04 Jan 21): I heard the whisper of the Holy Spirit “DON’T DOUBT, THERE IS A MIGHTY BREAKING OF THE DROUGHT – there shall now be an abundance of fruit, the land will be marked by My power, resurrection life will sound and resound all around and the land will be marked with blessing and the sounds of LIFE in Me.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): I need God to show up and tell me that my universe is not going to continue to explode each week in new and increasingly creative horrible ways.
Mary Luti (11 Jan 21): What does he remember most from the worst moment of his life? Not the damage and loss, but God’s creative love. Not the cruelty and hate, but the life God brought out of it, right there.
Bill Yount (06 Jan 21): Though hidden, the broken and crushed in spirit are rising out of the dust and ashes of life. God is making diamonds out of dust this year. He’s making diamonds out of us. This is the year for broken people to be healed and redeemed and our King will be decorating the walls of His palace with broken people who shine like diamonds in His Kingdom.
Prism Ministries (03 Jan 21): When people do wrong to us, we must be the bigger person. Even if the person should know better, if we feel ourselves getting angry or bitter, we must decide to be the bigger person. Maybe someone has a limited understanding of something, even a leader. Maybe someone is acting out of fear and pain. Give them grace. It is a test we must undergo so that God’s bigger purposes may be revealed in our lives.
Anita Alexander (05 Jan 21): Trust protects you from the crippling effects of disappointment. If you trust God, you will rise out of the impossible and He will grace your life with favor and joy, even in the mourning.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): It feels most days like the political divide has us living in completely different realities from one another.
Prism Ministries (10 Jan 21): Being aware of our enemy is the first step. Expecting resistance will better prepare us for that resistance, and secondly, developing a plan to tackle the resistance when it comes will also help us in defeating it. Reading the word, prayer, worship, and speaking life and truth over situations that we’re going through are tools that can help us to be “more than conquerers” in Christ. (Romans 8:37) I know a businesswoman who is continually listening to good preaching (even while she sleeps!) to re-program her brain to overcome. We also need to manage our time and emotions well, such as being aware of fatigue and stress.
Archbishop of Canterbury (06 Jan 21): The virus has brought with it the three main drivers of stress; novelty, uncertainty and uncontrollability. None of us have ever faced such a time before. We are constantly faced by news – medical, epidemiological, economic, political – which makes us uncertain. The forecasts of the future are proving wrong and we face unpredictability. Long periods of such stress are very demanding on our health, physical and mental, and on our emotions. We ask you to be aware of these pressures and to take care of yourselves and each other. Nothing is new to God, nothing is uncertain, nothing is unpredictable.
Jamie Rohrbaugh (05 Jan 21): Just like a Clydesdale horse is bigger and stronger than a regular horse, and thus built to pull heavy freight, teamster angels are made and fashioned with the capacity to carry extremely heavy loads. They have been sent from Heaven to deliver the fruit of your labor. Look now for your harvest!
Jennifer Martin (02 Jan 21): I accept this challenge. Will you join with me, friend?
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): We will see those who were decommissioned get back their fire and those who were stuck in a rut and on the side-lines get back their passion and purpose.
Ephesians 3:2 for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given me for you,
Jamie Rohrbaugh (05 Jan 21): The load-bearing “teamster angels” have been commissioned and released to bring your deliveries and harvests to you.
Brat (in “Dreaming of” 11 Dec 20): So why can’t I just have a friendship by correspondence with the shepherds? Personal friendship is not the same as all of our collective conversation.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): God never sets things up comfortably for the Israelites or the disciples or even Jesus himself for days or weeks or months ahead.
Jennifer Martin (02 Jan 21): This dream gives us a message that the revival we are looking for is not in the big arena gatherings, but rather, revival will be discovered in the small house groups. This is what Heaven is doing. I have been prophesying this for over a year now since I began to hear it from God. This dream is straight from Heaven and will encourage you for what’s ahead.
Sue Cline: Fire Houses of intercession and Intimacy
Kaji Douša (06 Jan 21): When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. – Matthew 2:9 (NRSV)
Revelation 1:19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Pastor Tom Demaree (05 Jan 21): Note: Scribbling hurriedly from the road, on a matter I believe is of national consequence. As you review, please give me grace…
Steve Shultz (02 Jan 21): When John wrote the letters to the seven churches, they were not huge mega-churches (though there is nothing wrong with huge churches).
Pastor Steve Dittmar (05 Jan 21): God, will you not judge them? We have no power, nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.[17]
Jesse Shamp (in “Kingdom Age” 01 Jan 21): This group is an interactive, judgement-free space for the Body of Christ to grow in the prophetic.
Brat: (I received SILENCE from you, too …)
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): This year we can no longer be lukewarm, or call the middle ground the higher ground like it’s some kind of spiritually enlightened place. Let’s call that for what it is… being neither hot nor cold, not standing for truth or for the lies, and avoiding confrontation so you are appeasing everyone around you. This doesn’t last long and eventually the sand beneath begins to shake and you have to somewhere.
To the Angel of Laodicea: Revelation 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Anita Alexander (05 Jan 21): Trust will cause you to shut your mouth when you need to and speak up when you need to. Trust will yoke you to the secret power of meekness that allows God to defend you and causes you to inherit the earth.
Pastor Tom Demaree (05 Jan 21): But I’m going to use my voice. Too much is at stake.
Deborah Perkins (07 Jan 21): Prophets and intercessors in particular, I urge you to refrain from judgment, doubt, and despair – at least until January 20th! There must be a breaking apart of the old ship in order for restoration to occur, whether we’re speaking of governments, churches, nations, or individuals. New wine will not flow from old wineskins!
Jennifer Martin (02 Jan 21): My dad losing his voice represents those who have lost their voice in this season, or those who never had a voice, who will be given one in the new wineskin of the “small group” era. A small setting allows every person to not only give what they have, but receive as well. This is how God meant it to be…not one left behind…everyone feeling valued and seen by others…people leaving the group meeting feeling truly fed. The lack of this is why we have seen so many hurt and leaving the Church. They have had a need to be needed, but were often never given the chance. I want to see this change.[18]
Archbishop of Canterbury (06 Jan 21): We would also like to remind you that, while churches may remain open for public worship and prayer, you are not required to do so where you feel that would be unsafe or unwise. We know that you will have been considering these issues for quite some time – please ensure that the wellbeing and protection of ministers and church officers continues to be taken into consideration during this time. We are aware that this is a time of enormous stress and strain, so please reflect prayerfully, take time over your decisions and listen carefully to one another.
Casting Crowns shared their video “Start Right Here” [https://youtu.be/wGvfagBOHJE]
Brat to Casting Crowns (05 Jan 21): Yes, this is the “Kingdom Age” 01 Jan 21
Boz Tchividjian (29 Dec 20): We reflect the hope-filled light of Jesus when we tirelessly work to make our churches the safest places for victims who are suffering in silence, victims who long for the day they feel safe enough and loved enough to step forward.
Brat: Ya’ know, Switzerland tried so hard to remain neutral that the most she can do now is contribute to the security force that protects the pope.
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): The word “compromise” means a stance in between two different things, to find or follow a way between extremes, or in other words to sit on the fence, take the easy path, the road of least resistance, and not having to make a stand in one place or conviction.[19]
Sue Cline: Pastors and leaders, encourage your people to seek the presence of God because the Lord showed me that as these houses catch on fire with his presence they will bring that fire into your churches on Sunday mornings. They won’t take away from your church they will add to it.
Rabbi YY Jacobson (07 Jan 21): The story of the burning bush which would not consume the thorns embodies the duality in every heart. On one hand, we experience a desire to be good and moral. But then, at other times, we are mundane and careless, overtaken by beastly tendencies, selfish impulses, and ugly emotions. What is worse, these polarities are often experienced in such close proximities with each other. In the morning, I may be infused with a sense of awe, wonder, splendor, amazement. At those times, I am inspired, motivated to serve G-d, to pray, to learn Torah, to engage in mitzvos, good and holy deeds. Barely several hours—sometimes minutes—pass, and boom! The sublime ecstasy withers away. This spiritual person suddenly has a hard time refusing a slice of pizza, a particular website, or a terrible angry impulse.
Prism Ministries (10 Jan 21): What we may not realize is that we have an enemy that is “hell bent” on deterring us from our mission.[20]
Revelation 17:16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
Matthew Distefano (08 Jan 21): So, there you go. Now that you’re good and pissed, feel free to come at me in the comments. But beware, haters and trolls get banned quicker than water gets turned into wine.
Zane Hart (06 Jan 21): Most pastors and church leaders don’t enter ministry with plans to abuse their power, what are some of the factors that enable leaders to become abusive?
Prism Ministries (05 Jan 21): Sometimes if all we’ve experienced is superficial religion we can write Christianity off as counterfeit. But we have to get in a place where the truth of God can be ministered to us.[21]
Pastor Tom Demaree (echo 05 Jan 21): Note [again]: Scribbling hurriedly from the road, on a matter I believe is of national consequence. As you review, please give me grace…
Rev. Dr. Marshall Jolly: From there, find a good pair of shoes and a sturdy walking stick because the journey has just begun, and the work of the Kingdom is far too urgent to wait. Amen.
Brat: Actually, that’s what Pentecost Walk and Pastor Tom Demaree and his team have already been doing for years on end.
Pastor Steve Dittmar (05 Jan 21): To fight in this battle, you will need to position yourself, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.
When Light Came In (04 Jan 21): What about you?
Anna Blake (06 Jan 21): The Middle Path: The curse of a self-aware mind
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: There is indeed a part of you that does get what a mitzvah is all about, that does experience this tremendous G‑dly energy. That would be your soul, the Divine consciousness within each of us that is intrinsically connected to G‑d.
When Light Came In (07 Jan 21): Will I ever get myself back after long-term trauma?
Brat: I ask myself the same thing.
Anita Alexander (05 Jan 21): Trust unleashes a power that causes consolidation and reconciliation to an otherwise broken devastation.
Westley Roderick (01 Jan 21): This will display God’s goodness in your life and it will be revealed as His working in your life. Since this will be outside of your common area of success or influence it will not be done by your efforts or hands but through the Spirit of the Lord.
Brat: I’m not disputing that at all. What I’m saying is that Sardis takes grace for granted and that infects the other Churches.
Revelation 3:1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
When Light Came In (04 Jan 21): What you are called is rarely who you are.
Prism Ministries (08 Jan 21): The problem lies in what we feel obligated to do. We may not want to let someone down or lose our reputation. It is wise to be accountable, and it is right to follow through. But, we need to know our limits. The magic word for this problem is, “no.” Jesus challenged His disciples to put Him first, even before friends or family. (Luke 9:59-62)
Lance Wallnau (11 Jan 21): I want you to stop for a minute and know that God is at work. He’s shaking the world, dominions, principalities and powers. It may look like reverses are happening, but in fact He is building His glorious house. Stay connected with me at http://lancewallnau.com/news in case we are pulled down from social media.
Kaji Douša (06 Jan 21): Stars – like the ones we’ll see in the movies, elevated to pedestals of intrigue, infamy and devotion – have enormous influence. Which is why, in social media circles, they’re called “influencers.”
Mary Luti (11 Jan 21): What Joseph’s brothers did to him was unspeakably cruel, but if you know the backstory, you might be tempted to think he deserved it. He was an insufferable kid, preening and vainglorious.
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): This year it may feel like your inner circle gets smaller but your tribe will get bigger…
Brat: Like UCC.org disappearing from my inbox? I didn’t remove them. I know what it is like to feel like a Rahab. Only in my case, the men who had done the spying never came back for my Dad and me (Joshua 6:23). Jericho can be difficult. The walls collapsed BEFORE they went back for Rahab (v. 20).
Andrew Ripp: “Jericho” [https://youtu.be/DANgNI6rqxI]
Prism Ministries (04 Jan 21): “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” -Proverbs 25:28
Pastor Tom Demaree in Washington, DC on Capitol Hill (06 Jan 21): (Photo of the first moments of the breach, when some knuckleheads broke through the outside barriers…) PRAY! Come Lord Jesus!
Kenneth L. Samuel (04 Jan 21): It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people of her city who refused to obey God. – Hebrews 11:31 (NLT)
When Light Came In (07 Jan 21): I’m going to be digging into this “will I ever get my self/life back” idea in coming posts here. This feels like a wall we all get to in our healing. It’s time to make a door through it…
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): As I looked at the books and went to grab one I saw an open door to a corridor and I suddenly felt the overwhelming intoxication of the Lord’s presence in there so I left the library and followed. I followed a winding staircase that seemed to go down and never seemed to end. Every step I took I was becoming more love-sick for Him and no longer cared for reading the books in the library. I was in pursuit of Jesus and nothing else.
Randy Remington (in “Sorting” 28 Dec 20): But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. —Matt. 6:6, NIV
Brat: I pray, but have no prayer closet. Even that was stolen from me. There is no privacy.
Revelation 17:2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”
Jennifer Garrison Brownell (09 Jan 21): There is so much wrong with the world, and some of it is your fault.
When Light Came In (09 Jan 21): What do you feel made you easier to target for abuse?
(Hint: Nothing. Keep reading…)
Mary Luti (11 Jan 21): Still, it’s appalling that they left him for dead down there. No matter his personal flaws or his family’s dysfunction, he didn’t deserve the pit. Nobody does.
Prism Ministries (11 Jan 21): Are you fighting the battle alongside others you love and trust? May no one have to fight “the good fight” alone.[22]
Rabbi YY Jacobson (07 Jan 21): G-d responds: “Remove your shoes from your feet because the place upon which you stand is sacred soil.” These words revolutionize our approach to the enduring struggle. Holiness lies in the very place upon which you stand. Don’t wait till you reach your own psychological utopia; rather, the very place where you stand is holy; a relationship with G-d does not mean that you are darkness-free, thorn-free, struggle-free. You must encounter the holiness in your present situation.
Rev. Dr. Marshall Jolly: In other words, our identities can’t be centered purely in introspection and individualism. They must also be rooted in our communities and contexts as well. In order to know ourselves, we have to know each other.
Prism Ministries (11 Jan 21): “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” -Romans 12:4,5
Zane Hart (23 June 2020): Thank you for reaching out. Your work to address Spiritual rape and abuse is powerful and important. Spiritual abuse is extremely real and very damaging. I tried to click the link you sent and it asked me to log into my WordPress account. I do not have a WordPress account, so I wonder if you could share a .pdf or Word doc of some of the posts that you mentioned. I would love to read your material.
Brat to Zane Hart (23 June 2020): It takes my breath away for someone to write me back and say they WANT to read what I’ve written. The ungodly SILENCE from leadership over the last thirteen years has been crushing. I have written through it anyway.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): God led you through the tragedies that have happened in your life and continues to lead us through the unfolding tragedy that is American life today.
Prism Ministries (10 Jan 21): Are you aware of the resistance in your life? Pray today and ask for the Holy Spirit’s help in defeating that resistance. (John 14:26)
Isaiah 36: 16 “Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree and drink water from your own cistern, 17 until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.
Mary Luti (11 Jan 21): If you read your Bible, you know that Joseph’s story ends well. He becomes an Egyptian potentate, forgives his brothers, and lives happily ever after. What you may not know, because it’s not in the Bible, is that in his old age, Joseph returns to the pit.
Elaine Tavolacci (02 Jan 21): The Lord is raising up many people to be His prophetic voice in this hour. He is raising up those who will proclaim His word and carry His glory. They will release accurate words of wisdom and detailed words of knowledge just as the Prophet Elisha knew every word that the King of Syria spoke in his bedroom (see 2 Kings 6:12). …
Brat: … Pardon the interruption. That was Elisha’s story and he’s sticking to it (as he should). In today’s context with the bullies, eavesdropping in the spiritual bedroom is akin to spiritual gang rape.
Prism Ministries (11 Jan 21): During one scene, all of the men are huddled together with shields covering each side of their company. When it’s time to attack, Maximus shouts “AS ONE!!!” The men shout back, knowing their next step in strategy. They eventually (and amazingly) beat the odds together as each man fights under Maximus’ leadership and serve alongside each other, with strength and honor.
Elaine Tavolacci (02 Jan 21): … He is raising up prophets like Samuel; every prophetic word that he prophesied came to pass and not one word that he spoke fell to the ground. He is raising up those who will have faith to move mountains and He will give His people keen discernment in the days ahead.[23]
Brat: Like “a little birdie told me”?
Prism Ministries (11 Jan 21): As One!
Simcha-Shmuel Treister: The things hinted at by the bird and the three verses of the children are all one. Everything relates to a prophecy from on high, and the Holy One Blessed be He wishes to reveal to us higher secrets from the spiritual worlds relating to what He is doing. This is the meaning of the verse: “Certainly the Lord, G‑d, will do nothing without first revealing His secrets to His servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7)
Pastor Tom Demaree (07 Jan 21): When will “the prophets” repent?
Archbishop of Canterbury (06 Jan 21): The presence of the risen Christ with us has given us a boldness that enables us to ‘be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.’ This vision of Christ is alive and we have, by the grace of God, found innovative ways to reach out to the communities we are called to serve.
Jamie Rohrbaugh (05 Jan 21): “I have been with you the whole time. I have made your circumstances work for you behind the scenes even when you didn’t know about it.
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): “So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth” Luke 20:21
House of Destiny (08 Jan 21): 2021 — 21 is an interesting number in the Bible and on Saturday we’ll look at what it may symbolize and how this may forewarn us in the new year. An interesting example is the last King of Judah named Zedekiah. He was placed on the throne as a puppet king by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon at the young age of 21. At the end of his reign, Jerusalem and its beloved Temple were totally destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): It does feel like this country is drowning, and like drowning people often do, we clutch at and fight each other, pushing each other down in our panic and almost guaranteeing that we all will perish.
Isaiah 51:9 Awake, awake, arm of the Lord,
clothe yourself with strength!
Awake, as in days gone by,
as in generations of old.
Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces,
who pierced that monster through?
Jane Hamon (06 Jan 21): Isaiah 51:9-11 speaks of Rahab, the Egyptian god of chaos and destruction (The Message Translation calls him the “chaos-dragon”). This is a picture of our enemy, the devil, up to his tricks to kill, steal and destroy; only this time it’s not just individuals but nations hanging in the balance, and so much more.
Kenneth L. Samuel (04 Jan 21): So I was quite stunned when I first learned that Rahab the prostitute was actually a great ancestor of Jesus and a great heroine of God’s covenanted people. Despite the alleged salacious activities of her body, Rahab’s faith in God caused her to place her body in jeopardy in order to assist the inheritance of Israel in the land of Canaan. By faith, Rahab used her intelligence and her body to advance the narrative of Israel’s divine purpose. As a result, even prostitutes play pivotal roles in the story of salvation.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): The witness of scripture that Jesus and in fact all of God’s people throughout salvation history had to learn that God would uphold them only one step at a time encourages me.
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: Don’t feel any less worthy because you’re not the next big thing, because in reality you are—by dint of the practical things you do every day.[24]
Prism Ministries (06 Jan 21): We might think of serving another person as demeaning and self-effacing. This is in fact the point of serving – to get past ourselves.
Joe Joe Dawson: In this hour, each and every one of our words and actions must be led by the Holy Spirit. Make sure that whatever you are speaking and whatever you are putting your hands to is inspired and blessed by God. Boomerangs are being thrown out in the spirit and each of them will return to those who threw them. What kind are you sowing in this season?
Rick Joyner (Jan 2020): The decisions we make today could determine whether we are strong enough to make the right ones later. As we approach the end of this age the importance of every decision and every action will be magnified. This means that what will bear good fruit will bear more, and what will bear bad fruit will also bear more.
Jennifer Garrison Brownell (09 Jan 21): There is so much wrong, and some of it really is your fault. The curse of being human is knowing this. The blessing of being human is having a choice about how to respond to this knowledge.
Shannon Suttles: I do know by the Spirit of the Lord some will resist His presence. So be prepared. But many will be touched and turned around by your prayers of faith. Keep praying for the ones in resistance. There’s a journey they will have to walk to reach surrender.
Prism Ministries (10 Jan 21): Being Aware of Resistance
Rev. Dr. Marshall Jolly: If we want life to remain exactly as it is, and if we want to stay exactly where we are, doing exactly what we’re doing, perhaps we should re-think baptism and the Christian life.
Jennifer Garrison Brownell (09 Jan 21): You can pull the covers over your head, groan softly and gradually waste away from the helpless, enervating guilt of it all. Or you can start here. Roll out of your bed and kneel beside it. Open your mouth not to groan, for once, but to speak out loud. Tell your fault to the Holy One so that it no longer weighs you down, no longer weakens your body and soul, no longer keeps you trapped in the prison of your own making. Remember that while some of it is your fault, not all of it is. Then stand up. There is so much wrong with the world, and you have work to do.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): We need a baptism of repentance and a resurrection into new life in this country, and God is willing to provide it at each and every moment.
Joe Joe Dawson: I believe that we are truly about to see whatever has been done in secret, whether good or bad, will be brought to the light. If our righteousness has been done in secret then we are about to be rewarded openly! However, I feel strongly that every negative word and wrong agenda that has been hidden will soon be revealed and God will bring His righteous justice. The Lord is allowing each of us to reflect and correct our words and actions. Now is the time to carefully examine and repent for any negative word we’ve said over ourselves or others. If you ask for God’s mercy, I truly believe He will keep those negative boomerangs from coming back towards you.
Rev. Phil Hooper (06 Jan 21): How might we, too, encounter God again, if we are courageous enough to think deeply about the language we use to approach Divine Mystery? How might we, too, be guided to travel “by another road,” a road upon which we acknowledge the limits and the lamentable uses of “light” and “dark” in our recent past and then push beyond them? What new ways might we dream of to depict and express the epiphany that God is, and always has been, reaching out from across eternity to abide with us, to heal us, to bring us back to ourselves?
Pastor Tom Demaree (echo 05 Jan 21): Note: Scribbling hurriedly from the road, on a matter I believe is of national consequence. As you review, please give me grace…
Prism Ministries (29 Dec 20): There is so much that vies for our attention from the time we’re young until the time we leave this earth. The world makes us think certain things are more important than they are — money, success, material possessions, and marital status to name a few. Many times we start out seeking God because of what He can do for us. We seek Him because we realize we need a Savior. Then, we seek Him because we need financial security. Or we want a husband or a wife. “If God would only give me this one thing… then I would be happy!” we tell ourselves. But the truth is, seeking God to get what we want won’t bring us happiness — it’s His presence that helps us to enjoy the things we do have — and the ability to cherish the things He gives us in the future.[25]
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): God provides now, for the very next immediate moment, and that’s it.
Rev. Dr. Marshall Jolly: An essential part of the Christian vocation is reminding one another who and whose we are. We do that by extending and receiving grace and mercy, by opening ourselves up to vulnerability, and ultimately by telling the story of the God we meet in Jesus—a story that continues unto the fullness of time.
Brat: So, why can’t I have sanctuary while I enjoy my relationship with God?
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): We cannot cling to a reality that does not exist.
Deborah Perkins (07 Jan 21): Even as the Lord spoke these words to me, I had the sense that we could not decree restoration or be “restorers of the breach” until people SAW and ACKNOWLEDGED the breach and devastation for themselves. The cross has no redemptive power for the one who denies their need for it![26]
Zane Hart (06 Jan 21): The Abuse of Power in the Church
Jamie Rohrbaugh (07 Jan 21): Sometimes you have to make some tweaks, but you are in the process of making them. Those tweaks you make are in response to keys you’re learning in My Word. And the keys you are learning will make all the difference.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): As Jim Finley often says, “God protects us from nothing and sustains us in everything.”
Brat: So, why does the Church have religious orders and abbeys of singing monks? They have community, so why can’t I?
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): God never provides for anyone years in advance.
Pastor Tom Demaree (07 Jan 21): What a difference a day makes…
Matthew Distefano (08 Jan 21): Let’s put aside the crazy stuff for a second – like a sun that stops midway through the sky (imagine what would happen if that really happened!), or leviathans that roam the open waters, or dragons with 7 heads, or wooden ships that contain meat-eating predators for half a year without having prey to devour. The Bible contains theological errors. How do I know? It makes contradictory claims. That’s okay though, because again, it’s human. Humans debate. Humans disagree. And that’s okay.
Revelation 17:7 Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.
Jane Hamon (06 Jan 21): In January 2019, while traveling to Korea, I dreamed that the Church was fighting a seven-headed dragon. We were taking on one head at a time through prayer, decrees and prophecy. A sword was in our hand and as we took off one head of the dragon and moved on to the next, the previous head grew back. It was obviously a hopeless battle…but then I saw something occur that caused the entire global Church to fight against the dragon, and God’s hand came out of Heaven with a golden sword and took all seven heads off the dragon at once. I then saw God drive a lance through the dragon’s heart, and when He pulled it out, a billion-soul harvest spilled out of the opening.
Rev. Phil Hooper (06 Jan 21): Rich and varied use of such metaphorical language preserves us from two extremes: first, from assuming that this imagery has no intrinsic power of its own to shape our social consciousness (it does); and second, from idolizing such imagery as if it were itself God (it isn’t). It is in the tension of opposites, then, and the playful spectrum between them, that we find our language’s best attempt at expressing the inexpressible, the experience of which we celebrate today.
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: The imagery is quite vivid, but there is much more to the words than meets the eye. As we know, any verse in Torah is subject to layers of interpretation. Certainly such poetic verses contain multiple strata of meaning!
Brat: Dripping with it.
Archbishop of Canterbury (06 Jan 21): Let us renew our daily prayer, our reflection on scripture, our periods of silence and resting in the presence of our Lord and Saviour. Such disciplines have genuine physical as well as spiritual and mental benefits. Please ensure you take proper days off. Spend some time on things that are good, exercise in the cold air, talking to friends and family on the phone and despite lockdown, reading a favourite book, watching an old and favourite film. Look for the familiar amidst novelty, spend time with the certainty of other’s love and care, even over zoom. Choose and control some aspects of life. Of such things are health and resilience made.
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: Of course, there are Divine texts, values, ethics, and profound mystical ideas to explore. There’s no lack of scholarship in our faith. But the actual mitzvot we are instructed to keep, the very “stuff” of our majestic religion, seems to be hyper-focused on dry, banal action.
Matthew Distefano (08 Jan 21): Yes, that’s right! There are different Bibles. You may need to sit down Protestants, but other Christians have more than 66 books. Catholics have 73. Eastern Orthodox have 75. Georgian Orthodox and Russian Orthodox have 76. And the Ethiopian have a whopping 81+. That’s 15 more than Protestants! ‘Nuff said.
Rick Joyner (01 Jan 2021): Spurgeon once said that he could find ten men who would die for The Bible for every one that would read it. We may rejoice at such a devotion to The Bible that so many would be willing to die for it, but what good does this do them if they are deceived because they do not know what is in it? It is a good thing to want to attend a church where the truth is preached without compromise, but no one is going to enjoy eternity because they knew someone who knew The Lord. We must all know Him for ourselves. We must also have the sincere devotion to His truth so that we go home and check out what is preached. This is not just to challenge the message, but if it is true, to fortify it in our hearts. [27]
Lana Vawser (04 Jan 21): The Lord whispered “Watch and see what I am going to do”
I saw there are areas in the lives of many believers that have become so dry and drought-stricken, it is as if circumstances have shifted even further away from what the Lord has spoken.[28]
To the Angel of Laodicea: Revelation 3:15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
Jennifer Garrison Brownell (09 Jan 21): Prayer: O Most High, help me speak and then to move from confession to action. Amen.
Thérèse of Lisieux: Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers, and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love.
Pastor Tom Demaree (echo 05 Jan 21): Note [again]: Scribbling hurriedly from the road, on a matter I believe is of national consequence. As you review, please give me grace…
Anthony Medina (in “Kingdom Age” 01 Jan 21): “Discerning the Truth! Don’t be deterred by the enemy’s Ghost Army!”
Jane Hamon (06 Jan 21): Wow! Chaos is not just the dragon from China, but is a spirit that wants to hit us at a personal level financially, in our families, in our health and circumstances. It also wants to hit at a regional or national level to overthrow cities and nations. Chaos, corruption and confusion have partnered in America to take our nation captive. However, our battle is not with flesh and blood but with the demonic spirit of chaos that is pushing an antichrist agenda, knowing a massive revival is on God’s schedule.
Brat (08 Jan 21): Well, that’s sobering considering the insurrection at Capitol Hill that occurred on Epiphany. And that was of national consequence. Weren’t we just talking about Sardis being “dead” and Jesus confronting the Angel to Sardis? Weren’t we just talking about God’s grace being taken for granted? Weren’t we just talking about Laodicea’s ambivalence? Remember what Jesus said to the Seven Churches? “Write, therefore what you have seen…”
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai: Rabbi Yitzchak said that when G‑d brings a final judgement down against a nation, He first judges the spiritual guardian of that nation in the higher worlds as it is written: “The Lord shall punish the spiritual army on high and then the kings of the earth upon the earth.”(Isaiah 24:21) And what is the judgement that this spiritual guardian undergoes in the spiritual world? They take him to that river Dinor that issues and flows from the sefira of malchut and immediately remove his kingdom from him. Then it is immediately announced that the kingdom of that particular Guardian has been removed from him.
Brat: The angel was judged and the leaders with it? That DOES seem to be taking place even as I write this. At the same time, I am worried about my friennemies. They are leaders, too.
Revelation 17:9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
Brat: There are seven hills in Rome, Italy.
Matthew Distefano (08 Jan 21): 7 Reasons the Bible is Not the Inerrant Word of God
Brat: And the prophets have been talking about the Seven Mountains of Influence for years, now.
Isaiah 36: 21 But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”
Westley Roderick (01 Jan 21): Grace, grace will come to that mountain and the Lord will put it beneath you!
Bill Yount (04 Jan 21): Praying for your enemies keeps them from getting inside of you so you don’t become like them.
Kaji Douša (06 Jan 21): I imagine that God is shining a light on a number of holy moments that – were we wise enough to recognize them – we’d follow to pay homage, too.
Anita Alexander (05 Jan 21): Trust is the secret place from the storms. It brings peace to your confused mind that needs answers now. It doesn’t always deliver the answers, but—being an ingredient of faith—it empowers you to rise above sense and reason and find peace in the midst of chaos and unanswered questions.
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: But here’s the problem: All this talk about a mitzvah being something tremendous yet just beyond reach only exacerbates our problem—where is the spirituality? Perhaps in some sort of spiritual alter-reality, my mitzvah is tremendous. But in my life, it’s not. So, what gives?
Rick Joyner (Jan 2020): As we move deeper into these times the consequences of our decisions, or failure to make them, will be increasing as well. Your decision to follow The Lord with all of your heart, and take your stand for righteousness and against wickedness, could turn the tide of battle for the soul of your city or country. All who live in these times will ultimately be either a hero or a villain. Very soon no one will be able to sit on the sidelines.
Verse of the Day (08 Jan 21): Amos 5:14-15
14 Seek good, not evil,
that you may live.
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.
15 Hate evil, love good;
maintain justice in the courts.
Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy
on the remnant of Joseph.
Jamie Rohrbaugh (07 Jan 21): It is MY ring of authority you carry. It is My robe of favor and love that you wear. Like Joseph, I am taking you from the pit to the palace. It will be a process, but you are all in for Me and I, likewise, am all in for you.
Mary Luti (11 Jan 21): When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe… and they took him and threw him into a pit. – Genesis 37:23-24 (NRSV)
Rabbi Shaul Leiter (07 Jan 21): G‑d, in His goodness, focused on Egypt’s weakness and not on the Jews. We are in a similar situation now. May it be so for us too just as it was for our ancestors and may we teach our children. May we hold on to our traditional names, Hebrew language and modest dress, and may the holy light shine from each of us to hasten the redemption.
Revelation 17:1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters.
Jamie Rohrbaugh (05 Jan 21): The warehouses of Heaven have been storing places for your harvest while those blessings grew and grew. The Lord has not been punishing you with His waiting; He has been allowing your harvest to mature! In the same way that an investment in the stock market takes time to mature and bear fruit, your investments in the harvest plans of Heaven have taken time to mature and come to fruition.
Credit Karma (04 Jan 21): Kathryn: Your score can help you earn rewards
Steve Shultz (05 Jan 21): If you’ve ever felt or wondered (or even if you still feel) where your “earthly reward” is that Jesus promised you, first let me say that you are in good company. So many have wondered that as well.
Change.org (05 Jan 21): Save The Sharks
Brat (in “Danny Boy” 17 Dec 20): Since when does one earn a living off of friendship?
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): I believe this year that celebrity culture in the church will begin to show its cracks and inability to hide its motives and salesmanship.
Elaine Tavolacci (02 Jan 21): The Lord says once again, “Just think what I could do with a life that is totally sold out or dedicated to Me.”
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: Today’s climate does seem to push this sort of expectation. “Chase your dreams!” “Realize your truth!” and other such grandiose calls for thinking big are commonplace. It seems as if it’s no longer acceptable to be simple, plain, or ordinary. If you’re not the next big thing, it would seem, you’re a failure.
Zane Hart (06 Jan 21): Questions will include…
Prism Ministries (06 Jan 21): What makes a great follower? Why should we be great followers? Becoming a selfless follower is one of the biggest proving grounds for becoming a leader. We need to learn to lay down our own agenda. A great follower will more than likely produce a great leader. Conversely, poor followers make poorer leaders.[29]
Bill Yount (06 Jan 21): “A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.” Isaiah 42:3 (NASB)
When Light Came In (11 Jan 21): What if I miss the red flags next time?
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: Yes, it was kind of depressing. Am I really so boring that I possess no starry-eyed visions to share with the world?
Westley Roderick (01 Jan 21): The other day the Lord spoke to me and said that it is time to receive unorthodox favor. This will be favor from a different sphere of influence unlike what you are already involved with or familiar with.
John Bunyan: “In times of affliction we commonly meet with the sweetest experiences of the love of God.”
Jewish Voice (04 Jan 21): It’s a miracle when someone who was blinded by cataracts has surgery –at no cost to them – and they can see again.
When Light Came In (11 Jan 21): After healing & getting ourselves back, what if we miss the signs??
Bill Yount (04 Jan 21): What I sense I am seeing is only a part of what this explosion will do. A great light will accompany this explosion, piercing gross darkness in the hearts of men. This explosive power will blow the scales off of the eyes of the Jewish people and they will run like prodigals to the mountain of the Lord. The sound of a Shofar will roar like a lion calling them home.[30]
Westley Roderick (01 Jan 21): Unorthodox Favor
Ephesians 3:3 and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words,
Brat: Well, St. Paul, that’s your story and you’re sticking to it.
Jennifer Martin (02 Jan 21): You Are Revival!
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: It’s like that suit or gown: You’re wearing it, but you’re not it. The spiritual revolution, the tremendous G‑dly energy that is triggered by your action, is not something you can ever really understand or “ingest” like an apple or a falafel, but it is something you can wear like a suit or a gown—it sits on top of you, hovering just above, or beyond, your consciousness.
Elaine Tavolacci (02 Jan 21): The gifts of the Holy Spirit are going to be prevalent in the Body of Christ. Pastors have neglected to teach the congregations about these gifts, but they are imperative to move forward into what the Lord called us to do (see 1 Corinthians 12:8-11). The apostle Paul said: “…[M]y speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).
Brat: For me, my gift has a spark or glow on what is simple or comes naturally to me, but is not necessarily easy for others. God uses it for His purposes. The down side is that it is natural for man’s inner beast to squelch beauty, as this spark carries divine beauty.
When Light Came In (11 Jan 21): yes, very natural. Something that’s less natural for me is imagining how to know whether to pick up where I left off, or to start something new in certain areas. Have you found that too?
Dana Tyndall: I’m in the late stages of numbness right now, so I’m not there yet to even be pondering what you’re pondering. But I do understand what you’re saying. Late stages, so I’m on the cusp. I’d love to hear more detail or examples if you’re up for it. (And if not, completely understandable and okay, of course.)
When Light Came In: … the late stages of numbness… that’s a very good way to put it! One area for me is about hobbies. I have written books in the past and I had to give it up to get out and safe. I wonder if I’d go back to that, or if there’s another way that is more where I’m at right now. I started this page from that question, and am really glad I took that baby step back in to something I have always loved.
Brat to When Light Came In: I see more than a hobby. Hobbies can lead us to develop our interests and shine light on a path back to wholeness. But hobbies can also reveal our divine callings that God has given us. Callings ratchet up hobbies to a whole new level. Your gift of writing about the journey from abuse back to wholeness is a calling and way beyond a hobby. When a “hobby” brings joy or reflection or truth or life-force or anything that reflects the light of Christ to another, then that is evidence that the hobby is a calling. It is your gift to us for which I am eternally grateful.
When Light Came In: you just brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for this gift.
Kaji Douša (06 Jan 21): Prayer: O God, we are ready for your revelation. Draw us to your light and no one else’s.
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): God wants to share the secrets of His Heart but will we pursue Him or just his revelation? If we pursue Him we will receive so much more than revelation.
Jamie Rohrbaugh (05 Jan 21): Now, however, the harvest is very heavy. Your harvest is looking like the fruit on a fruit tree—fruit that has matured and sugared to the perfect consistency and flavor. The fruit is heavy and bowing the branches down.
Lana Vawser (04 Jan 21): I saw the hand of the Lord moving in these areas in the lives of many believers and there was a sudden BREAKING of the drought, there was a sudden TURNING of the land from a dry, drought-stricken place to a place SUDDENLY overflowing with fruit.
Jane Hamon (06 Jan 21): God has been resetting His Church as well as resetting nations of the earth for His last days’ purpose of global revival and awakening.[31]
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): Today we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord. Baptism is so hideously domesticated in the Episcopal Church that it’s very difficult to grasp the true gravity of it.
Revelation 17:15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.
Jennifer Martin (03 Jan 21): I pray that this pours into you right now and you will be empowered by the voice of many waters!
Anita Alexander (05 Jan 21): Trust is truly powerful and is an ingredient of faith. Faith pleases Him and so do those who trust Him, regardless of the situations they may be facing. Trust doesn’t demand the outcome but simply says, “God, You are perfect in all of Your ways, and You are able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think—whatever that looks like.
Lana Vawser (04 Jan 21): “The dry, drought-stricken places of your life will now become suddenly fruitful”
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: Your Judaism’s Too Dry? How About Some Wine?[32]
Jamie Rohrbaugh (05 Jan 21): The Lord showed me in the spirit that the warehouses of Heaven must be emptied at this time, for they are made of gold. Gold is an extremely malleable substance that stretches easily, but the warehouses are so filled with heavy fruit for you—fruit that has matured and ripened—that even the gold has reached its breaking point.
Revelation 17:4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.
Jamie Rohrbaugh (07 Jan 21): I am with you, My child. I love you so much and have never forsaken you, not for an instant. You are My delight and My treasure, and I am flaunting you to the world by draping My treasures around your neck.
Matthew Distefano (08 Jan 21): The Bible as we currently know it has undergone a lot of changes. It’s been edited. Heavily. Hell, it was even edited for the folks in the Bible. What?! Yeah, I know. The Septuagint – the Greek translation of the Hebrew Masoretic Text – was translated and interpreted by 70 (or 72) Jewish scholars and then that was the “Bible” folks were using. So, I guess that doesn’t necessarily mean it still isn’t the “Word of God,” but . . . c’mon, it’s not likely, is it?
Lance Wallnau (12 Jan 21): Derek Prince once said, “Your relationship with the Word of God reveals your relationship with God.” Sad to say, most of us look at Bible study as if it were boring school work. Truth is, the Word of God is a spiritual book that feeds your revelation capacity.
Revelation 22:19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
Rev. Phil Hooper (06 Jan 21): This is not about erasing the use of traditional imagery, nor is it about excising portions of Scripture. It is about taking these resources even more seriously than we have before: sitting with them, wrestling with them, plumbing the depths of Christian writing and hymnody to incorporate the full scope of ways we might speak about God—the One whom John calls “the true light… coming into the world,” but also the One of whom the psalmist says, “darkness and light to you are both alike.” The God whom Isaiah promises will be our “everlasting light” and the One whom the mystical theologian Pseudo-Dionysius calls “the ray of divine darkness.”
David Sidman (07 Jan 21): The rabbi explains that the “inspiration for our side is the Torah – which righteous Jews, Christians and Muslims turn to for guidance. The other side’s inspiration comes from the primordial serpent – whose greatest weapon is falsehood and the manipulation of the minds.” The serpent he is referring to is the character in Genesis who convinced Eve to eat from the Tree of Life.
Revelation 2:7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
When Light Came In (11 Jan 21): All of us can point to the “what the hell was I thinking?!” moments. The only way those help us get ourselves back after long term trauma is if we 1) understand the BIG underlying red flag — any behavior that favors power and control over relationship — and 2) we give ourselves permission to risk, get it wrong and *catch it faster.*
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): Recently in a dream, I was sitting in what I knew to be the library of heaven and I marveled at all the books covering the walls of this huge room and felt like a kid in a candy store waiting to read them. These books were revelation knowledge, strategy, direction, a new language, and the mysteries on the Lord’s heart that was crucial for the church in this hour.
Matthew Distefano (08 Jan 21): Sure, the Bible is inspired by God. But what isn’t? Humans are inspired by God, too. Other books are inspired by God. The Bhagavad Gita is inspired by God. The Koran is inspired by God. My books are inspired by God (though perhaps not entirely endorsed by God). And no one would claim we are inerrant. Well, unless you are a narcissist. Then perhaps you’d argue for personal inerrancy. But for the rest of us, we’re aware that we mess up. We’re aware that we aren’t “without error.”
When Light Came In (04 Jan 21): As a wife to a narcissist, the names were “Nonsense,” “Unimportant,” and “High-maintenance,” because I deigned to ask for an honest, loving relationship with my spouse.
Brat: And I asked for an honest and loving relationship with the Church. What I got in return, was that you’d think I had tattooed on me:
Revelation 17:5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:
babylon the great
the mother of prostitutes
and of the abominations of the earth.
Brat: … Babylon cuz I write too much and babble on; a brothel madam cuz I draw in what others say into the conversation using their own words verbatim, and of the abominations cuz I expose the beastly behaviors of the religious elite while incorporating scripture as part of the conversation and that pisses them off. But in truth, the Church was actually projecting her own labels and stuff on to me.
News flash: Jesus didn’t carry a Bible with him. That wasn’t a thing back then, unless you were a scholar at a University or something. And sure, while Jesus studied his Scriptures, it’s not entirely clear what his Scriptures were. Why? Because, like Christianity, different Jewish sects have different canons. Further, when Jesus did quote Scripture, he, like Paul after him, did so creatively. In my book Heretic!, I give a bunch of examples.
When Light Came In (04 Jan 21): I’ve written these down. I’m drawing a line through them. They are not my names anymore. I will no longer answer to them from anyone — even myself on those tough days. I answer only to “Loved,” “Worth it,” “Honest,” and “Brave.”
Dr. Francis Myles: Issuing Divine Restraining Orders – Against the Enemy!
Charisma (05 Jan 21): It’s Time to Shut Hell Up In Your Life!
Bill Yount (04 Jan 21): Soldiers on both sides of the battlefield were being visited. Some soldiers, seeing their comrades die but now alive, were in shock as the fear of the Lord came upon them. At first, the enemy tried his best to keep these testimonies as quiet as possible, but all the demons and powers of Hell could no longer hold them back. For they were now overcoming the enemy by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.
Revelation 17:6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
Pastor Steve Dittmar (05 Jan 21): Do not fear or be dismayed.
Prism Ministries (10 Jan 21): Things will happen in life. Problems and issues will arise, and the demands of life will continually try to dissuade us what God has called us to do? So how can we push through?
Ephesians 3:4 a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ.
When Light Came In (11 Jan 21): I so get that. It isn’t something anyone can really ever know but us who experienced it. You’re right, God has bigger plans. Sometimes I think about that and think “no thanks, God. I’ll take the little plans and the peace, thank you.” lol. But I’m so glad we are all here together, able to support each other in the healing that is so unique to each of us.
Steve Shultz (05 Jan 21): It’s literally TIME to TRUST HIM, and then watch what He does with that trust. You will love His response!
When Light Came In (11 Jan 21): What if we get targeted again by a manipulator? What if our kindness shows, or we feel safe, and we let our guard down?
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): The knowledge that Jesus never knew that tomorrow was going to be okay strengthens me.
Jamie Rohrbaugh (07 Jan 21): “You have been faithful in so many things, and you have seen some harvest. However, you have also noticed the disparity between what I promise in My Word versus your actual circumstances.
Brat: Yes.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): But the messages of God’s presence this week tell me the exact opposite, and the witness of scripture backs it up.
Ephesians 3:5 In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit:
House of Destiny (08 Jan 21): We are salt and light and the world desperately needs our prayers. Warriors, the eyes of God are searching for the ones who will stand in the gap and Satan does not want you to know your importance.
Bill Yount (06 Jan 21): Broken People Will Shine!
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): He [Jesus] will spend his earthly ministry and give his witness to the world in his crucifixion that he knows and believes and has faith in God loving him and leading him one breath at a time.
Jewish Voice (04 Jan 21): It’s a miracle when someone hears the Gospel and receives Jesus as Messiah. They are born again and given eternal life.
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): We will see the church throw out the pointless tools and weapons and messages and get back to the simple gospel again.
Ephesians 3:6 that is, the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Steve Shultz (02 Jan 21): But God seems to exhibit most of His power in small groups, small gatherings in homes, just like in the seven churches in Asia that met in homes.
Pastor Tom Demaree (echo 05 Jan 21): Note [again]: Scribbling hurriedly from the road, on a matter I believe is of national consequence. As you review, please give me grace…
Westley Roderick (01 Jan 21): “So he answered and said to me: ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:
“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of Grace, grace to it!”‘” (Zechariah 4:6-7)
Simcha-Shmuel Treister: This announcement pierces all the heavens until it reaches those who are ruling that nation. Then a voice goes out and is heard throughout the whole world, until the announcement is picked up by birds, and little children, and those mentally handicapped people who are [mistakenly] thought to not know anything.[33]
Zane Hart (06 Jan 21): What does the right and proper use of power look like?
Ephesians 3:7 Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power.
Prism Ministries (06 Jan 21): Who are you following right now? Are you serving them to the best of your gifts, talents, and abilities?
Ephesians 3:8 Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ,
Kenneth L. Samuel (04 Jan 21): Prayer: God, thank you for accepting the unadorned totality of my body and spirit in your service. Amen.
Lance Wallnau (12 Jan 21): Your soul feeds on whatever stimulates your mind and emotions. Your body feeds on physical food. Your spirit feeds on communion with God and His Word.
Archbishop of Canterbury (06 Jan 21): We would like to thank each of you – lay and ordained – for all that you have been and all that you have done during such challenging circumstances. We are truly grateful for your faithfulness, your commitment and your partnership in the gospel. We are also grateful to you for the sacrifices you have made for the sake of the gospel during 2020. This New Year has begun where the old one left off with COVID-19 virus wreaking its damage in our communities. We are filled, nevertheless, with hope that the vaccines now being rolled out offer us light at the end of this tunnel.[34]
Bill Yount (04 Jan 21): If we are trusting in anything other than God Himself we are tying His hands from rescuing us.
Rick Joyner (05 Jan 21): We must do more than seek The Lord for guidance—we must know Him as our Guide. There can be a big difference between following directions and following The Lord. We must seek The Lord, not just answers to our problems.[35]
Kaji Douša (06 Jan 21): Can we see the star? Or are we distracted by some other light?
Zane Hart (06 Jan 21): There are so many stories of abuse of power coming to light. Do you have any that illustrate the right use of power?
Pastor Tom Demaree (05 Jan 21): Holy cow, right? “I thought Demaree was a UNITY guy!!!!” Oh, sweet Jesus, I hope I am. But as you’ll see, I wonder if objecting might just be a pathway to coming together in unity!
Prism Ministries (10 Jan 21): “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” -1 Peter 5:8
Lance Wallnau (12 Jan 21): Don’t just feed one or two familiar themes, explore the whole Bible—every word! I want to be able to walk in all truth.
Deborah Perkins (07 Jan 21): Until we acknowledge Jesus as Healer, Restorer, and KING, we will not see God’s promises come to pass. I am praying that the way of the cross, that ancient path to life and restoration, will be revealed once again to those who have eyes to see.
Rabbi Moshe-Yaakov Wisnefsky (in the “Kingdom Age” 01 Jan 21): “The matter is ancient” (Chronicles 4:22), but the wise will understand. May G‑d enlighten our eyes with the inner light of His Torah. Amen, so may it be His will.
Mary Luti (11 Jan 21): Prayer: “Blessed is God, who made a miracle for me in this place!”
Bill Yount (04 Jan 21): I asked the Lord, “What caused this shift and turning in the hearts of men?” He said, “It’s the prayers of My remnant in the earth, who are praying with forgiveness in their hearts and blessing their enemies in the time of being persecuted for My namesake, because that is My will.
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: When lots of regular people do simple, ordinary things—that is when change happens.
When Light Came In (11 Jan 21): We’re still empaths, kind, forgiving, the second-mile-walkers. But this time we’re also the walk-away-when-we-see-toxic-patterns people, too.
Jennifer Martin (02 Jan 21): This contagious house fire movement will spread faster than the wind can blow if we will all play our part and stop for the one broken soul who needs Jesus.
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): There is a famous Australian military training camp called “puckapunyal” or “valley of winds” in the indigenous language, which has been known for raising the best soldiers. This year we need the wind of the Spirit upon us and through us, not the wind and hot air of ego and self-righteousness.
Steve Shultz (05 Jan 21): God is calling on ALL of His children – which includes you and me – to TRUST HIM, no matter what!
Ephesians 3:9 and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things;
MacLaren’s Expositions: We have no difficulty in solving the riddle of the prophecy by the light of history. Our faith knows One who unites these diverse characteristics, being God and man, being the Saviour of the body, which is part of Himself and instinct with His life. If we may suppose that He speaks in both verses of the text, then, in the one, as priest and intercessor, He lifts the prayers of earth to heaven in His own holy hands-and in the other, as messenger and Word of God, He brings the answer and command of heaven to earth on His own authoritative lips-thus setting forth the deep mystery of His person and double office as mediator between man and God. But even if we put aside that thought, the correspondence and relation of the two passages remain the same. In any case they are intentionally parallel in form and connected in substance. The latter is the answer to the former. The cry of Zion is responded to by the call of God. The awaking of the arm of the Lord is followed by the awaking of the Church. He puts on strength in clothing us with His might, which becomes ours.[36]
When Light Came In (11 Jan 21): We are both now. We are grown ups, the best of our past selves and the ones who’ve learned from pain.
Steve Shultz (05 Jan 21): God, Himself, is literally motivated or even captivated by YOUR TRUST of HIM. All of Heaven is amazed at the times WHEN YOU TRUST HIM, no matter what things look like.
Rick Joyner (05 Jan 21): We, too, must do this well—trust Him—to make it through the coming times without falling. The positive to this is that the growing trust of those who keep the pursuit of God and His kingdom first in their life will result in greater glory and the demonstration of His kingdom as the authority over every other power on earth.
Ephesians 3:10 so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: There are people with high-level positions making decisions that impact entire countries. Executives wave corporate wands with decisions that make the difference of millions of dollars. Entrepreneurs innovate things that change lives. Nonprofits take on projects that save entire communities.
Zane Hart (06 Jan 21): What can be done to safeguard faith communities from the faith leaders misusing their power?
Pastor Tom Demaree (05 Jan 21): You may not be called to come alongside governmental leaders like we are, but you are called to come alongside someone. Who? Us “reverendized” folks are no better at this than anyone else. For we know God is no “respecter” of persons (Acts 10:34-35). The people around your life are no less significant than the people on Capitol Hill. Period.
Archbishop of Canterbury (12 Jan 21): Let’s keep loving our neighbours.
Westley Roderick (01 Jan 21): I see favor in governmental houses. The Lord will open these doors to some of you and you will just walk right in. You won’t be at the head of the table, however, the Lord will give the words to speak at the right moment and it will establish you.
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: That there are people with such big dreams and such large impact is great. But without the “ordinary” people who carry out those grandiose plans, they would amount to nothing. The big policy decisions and the groundbreaking innovations would get stuck in the fancy meeting rooms in which they were concocted or signed, yet another burst of energy that may have been lofty and intense, but with nary a container to carry it through.
Archbishop of Canterbury (12 Jan 21): Washing your hands is loving your neighbour.
Brat: It’s not okay to do the Pilate thing again.
Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
Jane Hamon (06 Jan 21): In 2021, God will use this current crisis to begin to set a powerful prayer initiative in motion that will take out Rahab, the chaos-dragon, and release a harvest of souls over the next decade. However, tensions with China will continue to increase through this decade as the enemy fights to hold onto what is his and to extend his dominion in the earth.
Brat: ANOTHER decade of fighting when there was no resolution after these last ten years of trying? These are Laban-type tricks of deferring hope and the dragon knows those same tactics.
Archbishop of Canterbury (12 Jan 21): Keeping your distance is loving your neighbour.
Revelation 17:17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled.
Jane Hamon (06 Jan 21): In Genesis 32 Jacob had just fled from Laban, breaking out of 20 years of robbery and being cheated, but now had to face his brother for his own trickery and cheating. In our time of trouble God will send angels down to intersect our reality. Angels encountered him on his way. They met him at his hour of need. Jacob was not a warrior…he was a businessman, a shepherd/rancher, a father and a husband…but he needed an army. God sent him an army of angels. The angels didn’t just appear to him…they met him to help him accomplish his destiny and to watch over the destiny of the land.
Simcha-Shmuel Treister: When G-d decrees a final judgement against a nation, He first judges the spiritual guardian of that nation in the higher worlds.
Jennifer Martin (03 Jan 21): The angel said to me, because of your hunger and the oppression of the people, it will be as rain. ![💦]()
![🔥]()
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): The most important example of this is the manna in the wilderness.
Lance Wallnau (12 Jan 21): It is possible to have a day by day walk with the supernatural mind of Christ and this is made possible through the Holy Spirit. Remember, “Man does not live by bread alone but by EVERY word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3).
Ephesians 3:11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Kaji Douša (06 Jan 21): God placed a light in the sky for the ones who were wise enough to follow. Against the powerful, celebrity advice of a ruler, their wisdom took them in another direction.
Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): What is promised is that God is with us, here, now, always.
Mary Luti (11 Jan 21): You might not believe it now. But some day, when you revisit your pit, you will. Without forgetting the grief, you’ll remember the Presence. Without ignoring the pain, you’ll discern the love. Without denying the grief, you’ll declare the gift. You’ll lift your voice and pray
Pastor Tom Demaree (05 Jan 21): In that heavenly micro-second, I have a frantic conversation with God: “You know, we don’t do this, right?” Because I know myself; it’s not in me to give some generic invocation. It’s gonna be provocative…it’s gotta address why we’re here, who and what we’re here for…it’s gotta have some meat on it.
Mary Luti (11 Jan 21): According to an ancient Jewish commentary, Joseph stands quietly at the edge, peering down, remembering. Then he lifts his voice and prays: “Blessed is God, who made a miracle for me in this place!”
Rabbi YY Jacobson (07 Jan 21): Then G-d continues to tell him: “I am the G-d of your father.” I am present in the midst of this thorny bush. I am in this flame, even though the thorns have not been eliminated.
Brat to Zane Hart (23 June 2020): I share and share (even on Facebook) and get no response, because spiritual rape is not acknowledged. There is no way to track this predator without making the survivor look insane. This kind of silence is hell.
When Light Came In (08 Jan 21): Sometimes when people call me a survivor, I imagine what I’d be like if I didn’t have to survive so much.
Mary Luti (11 Jan 21): No one deserves the pit. But if you’re in one, Joseph wants you to know God’s there, too. And because that’s true, its awfulness may become the stuff of better days. You probably won’t become an Egyptian potentate, but you’ll have your own miracle. You’ll breathe again, love again, forgive and be forgiven.
Revelation 17:18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
Brat: Hmmm…like Facebook?
Archbishop of Canterbury (12 Jan 21): Staying home is loving your neighbour.
Prism Ministries (11 Jan 21): But, in order to fight the good fight that Timothy talks about – and even survive in some cases – we need to fight together to see our dreams and purpose come to life and fruition in God. A single individual accomplishes nothing great. Greatness is accomplished by a group of dedicated and diverse people who understand God’s will and “battle plan” for the earth.
Jennifer Martin (02 Jan 21): I want us to rise to the occasion that Heaven is extending to us right now, to go into the harvest fields and compel them to come in; find the lost pearls and invite them to gather with you and some friends. Minister to each other, pray for one another, and let the healing begin.
Brat: I shared in response “Kingdom Age” 01 Jan 21
(Jennifer “liked.”)
Pastor Tom Demaree (07 Jan 21): Our story isn’t over (all of us)
Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): This year we must have one affection and motivation – to know Jesus and to make Him known on the earth.
Brat: If your goal is to finish the one-billion soul harvest, then bring the Catholics into this huddle. Others have connections in that area that I don’t have.
Rabbi Aharon Loschak: Think big or go home. The iPhone wasn’t made by thinking small, so why suffice with anything less?
Vivian Monty: I listen to my Father’s voice. I was told to leave FB and that was when I realized I was addicted to it. He reminds me of each and every thing that I put in front of Him. I strive to place Him first and I am glad He reminds me. He is a good Father.
Jennifer Martin (03 Jan 21): Facebook needs to stop censoring me. You need to seriously consider changing it to “see first” if you want to get all my words. Or check back often. The numbers dropped drastically after speaking truth recently. If you see this please react to help bring my posts back up. Thank you!
Archbishop of Canterbury (06 Jan 21): Many of us who thought we had no technical skills have been surprised by our abilities to learn how to do things differently – like leading our congregations online in digital worship. We dug deep when we could not enter our buildings and from what felt like a disaster have come some real blessings as ‘church’ truly came home – and we were able to pray and worship with others from our living rooms and at our kitchen tables. The Easter message came home to us very clearly, too: Christ is risen, not locked away in buildings but on the road with us, wherever we are to be found.
Pastor Tom Demaree (echo 05 Jan 21): Note [again]: Scribbling hurriedly from the road, on a matter I believe is of national consequence. As you review, please give me grace…
Rabbi Shaul Leiter (08 Jan 21): Heartfelt congratulations and sincere thanks for your assistance and good will!
The Elijah List (08 Jan 21): Frankly I’m a little surprised
Rev. Phil Hooper (06 Jan 21): “They all gather together, they come to you,” Isaiah promises the Holy City of God, and still we are coming, traversing the ages, stumbling, lost, hopeful, guided by stars and secret longings, to the place that is neither dark nor light, but deep and dazzling nonetheless—the place of love’s Epiphany: distant, hidden, home.
Pastor Steve Dittmar (05 Jan 21): The Lord is with you.
Steve Shultz (02 Jan 21): Get ready for power encounters in the tiniest of groups – where two or more are gathered in the name of Jesus. “HE” simply can’t help Himself. He HAS to pour Himself out on Believers who gather in His name.
Ephesians 3:12 in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him.
Deborah Perkins (07 Jan 21): Friends, events of recent days have confirmed for me the messages in these scrolls, and I am crying out for restoration, not just of good government, but of ALL THINGS!
David Suissa (07 Jan 21): Morning Roundtable: Can Jewish prayer anchor us in a time of national strife?
UCC.org (11 Jan 21): Daily Devotional for Small Group Discussion: Prayer at the Pit
Rabbi Harold S. Kushner: A Prayer For The World
Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect.
Then let the sun come out and fill the sky with rainbows.
Let the warmth of the sun heal us wherever we are broken.
Let it burn away the fog so that we can see each other clearly.
So that we can see beyond labels, beyond accents, gender or skin color.
Let the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our selfishness.
So that we can share the joys and feel the sorrows of our neighbors.
And let the light of the sun be so strong that we will see all people as our neighbors.
Let the earth, nourished by rain, bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty.
And let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to heaven. Amen
Jamie Rohrbaugh (05 Jan 21): “Then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.
Jewish Voice (04 Jan 21): Thank you for making miracles happen
**
[1] Rev. Whitney Rice (10 Jan 21): The Terrifying and Short-Lived Providence of God | Roof Crashers and Hem Grabbers
[2] Rev. Dr. Marshall Jolly: Beginnings, Epiphany 1 (B) – January 10, 2021 | Episcopal Church
[3] Prism Ministries (08 Jan 21): Taking Only His Yoke (prismministries.org)
[4] Rick Joyner (05 Jan 21): The Valley of Decision | publications.morningstarministries.org
[5] David Sidman (07 Jan 21): Chaos in Capitol Hill is Trump’s ‘King Saul Moment’ explains Rabbi (israel365news.com)
[6] Rick Joyner (05 Jan 21): The Valley of Decision | publications.morningstarministries.org
[7] Matthew Distefano (08 Jan 21): 7 Reasons the Bible is NOT the Inerrant Word of God | Matthew Distefano (patheos.com)
[8] Rev. Phil Hooper (27 Dec 20): The Life Before: A Sermon – By Another Road
[9] Rev. Phil Hooper (06 Jan 21): “Darkness and Light to You are Both Alike”: An Epiphany Reflection – By Another Road
[10] Lovesick Scribe (04 Jan 21): When Suffering Comes to Fellowship | (lovesickscribe.com)
[11] Prism Ministries (03 Jan 21): Dealing with Betrayal (prismministries.org)
[12] Lana Vawser (03 Jan 21): I HEARD THE LORD SAY “THERE IS A MIRACULOUS DELIVERANCE UPON YOU” – Lana Vawser Ministries
[13] Rabbi YY Jacobson (07 Jan 21): Moses Confronts the Inner Human Struggle | Essay Shemos/24 Teves | TheYeshiva.net
[14] Anita Alexander (05 Jan 21): The ElijahList – Prophetic Words and Prophecies (#24830)
[15] Mary Dorian (06 Jan 20): The ElijahList – Prophetic Words and Prophecies (#24835)
[16] Jamie Rohrbaugh (05 Jan 21): The ElijahList – Prophetic Words and Prophecies (#24829)
[17] Pastor Steve Dittmar (05 Jan 21): Secret Place – A Fast to Seek the Lord; Vol. 17 – Issue 1 – 1/5/21
[18] Jennifer Martin (02 Jan 21): The ElijahList – Prophetic Words and Prophecies (#24815)
[19] Nate Johnston (02 Jan 21): 2021 – THE RISE OF THE COUNTER-CULTURE ARMY, THE BARED-TEETH BRIDE, & THE FIERY HOT REMNANT – Nate & Christy: Everyday Revivalists (nateandchristy.co)
[20] Prism Ministries (10 Jan 21): Being Aware of Resistance (prismministries.org)
[21] Prism Ministries (05 Jan 21): My Only Hope (prismministries.org)
[22] Prism Ministries (11 Jan 21): As One! (prismministries.org)
[23] Elaine Tavolacci (02 Jan 21): The ElijahList – Prophetic Words and Prophecies (#24817)
[24] Rabbi Aharon Loschak: It’s OK Not to Have Aspirations – Guest Columnists – Parshah (chabad.org)
[25] Prism Ministries (29 Dec 20): Seeking God for His Presence vs. His Blessings (prismministries.org)
[26] Deborah Perkins (07 Jan 21): Rest, Trust, and Prophesy Hope! (hisinscriptions.com)
[27] Rick Joyner (01 Jan 2021): Discernment—Heritage Brief 53 | publications.morningstarministries.org
[28] Lana Vawser (04 Jan 21): I HEARD THE LORD SAY “THE DRY, DROUGHT STRICKEN, PLACES OF YOUR LIFE WILL NOW BECOME SUDDENLY FRUITFUL” – Lana Vawser Ministries
[29] Prism Ministries (06 Jan 21): Great Followership (prismministries.org)
[30] Bill Yount (04 Jan 21): The ElijahList – Prophetic Words and Prophecies (#24821)
[31] Jane Hamon (06 Jan 21): The ElijahList – Prophetic Words and Prophecies (#24834)
[32] Rabbi Aharon Loschak: Your Judaism’s Too Dry? How About Some Wine? – Guest Columnists – Parshah (chabad.org)
[33] Zohar, parashatShemot, page 6b; translation and commentary by Simcha-Shmuel Treister
[34] Archbishop of Canterbury (06 Jan 21): Letter from Archbishop Justin and Bishop Rose to Canterbury diocese | The Archbishop of Canterbury
[35] Rick Joyner (05 Jan 21): The Valley of Decision | publications.morningstarministries.org
[36] Isaiah 51:9 Commentaries: Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; Awake as in the days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces, Who pierced the dragon? (biblehub.com)
Tags: accountability, Church, Epiphany reframing, mystery, serving, spiritual gifts, vocation
truthinus 