The Blood Payment

Dear beloved: As the blood of the innocents cries out from the land, we know it reaches the ears of Almighty God, and that God who measures and weighs all things will eventually call for a payment to be made for all that innocent shed blood. When God established a covenant with Noah after the flood, God said to him in Genesis 9:5 "And surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man from every man's brother I will require the life of man. v6 Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. v7 And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it." And God repeats this in Numbers 35:33 when He establishes cities of refuge for people to run to when they have accidentally taken the life of someone. He says, "so you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation(payment) can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it." And so we see that when 50 million babies' blood is shed on the land, a payment is due that staggers the imagination, and only by the mercy of God do we stand today to continue this ruthless destruction of God's most treasured creation.

Psalm 106 is a story, a recap of the journey of the children of Israel in the wilderness and in the promised land. In verse 37 the Lord tells us They even sacrificed theirs sons and daughters to the demons, v38 and shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan And the land was polluted with the blood. V39 Thus they became unclean in their practices, and played the harlot in their deeds. V40 Therefore, the anger of the Lord was kindled against His people, And He abhorred His inheritance. V41 Then He gave them into the hand of the nations; And those who hated them ruled over them. v42 Their enemies also oppressed them, And they were subdued under their power. v43 Many times He would deliver them; They, however, were rebellious in their counsel, and so sank down in their iniquity. And so we see that as the children of Israel played the harlot with the demons, so too are we playing the harlot with the demons established to destroy this country. The blood of the innocents is fueling the demonization of this nation, and is in large part responsible for the murder, rape, child molestation, and cold hearted disregard that many people have for each other; the spirit of lawlessness starts at the top and goes into every aspect of our society.

We need to get on our knees and pray for this nation, for its leaders, for our court judges and for those doctors and nurses in the abortion industry. Pray that the Lord would touch their hearts and lead them back to a place of righteousness and holiness, that they would not agree with any legislation or direction that would take this nation further down the path of destruction and a certain impending judgment. For the sake of our children and grandchildren it is imperative that we vote into office those who would work to turn back Roe vs. Wade and any other legislation that contiunes to fuel the demonization of America. May God bless you this day as you pray. in Christ, Jim

The Blood Cries Out From the Ground

Dear beloved: The scripture we have been looking at is Psalm 11:3 If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? This piercing question the Lord asks of the faithful, for it is up to us to do something to turn America around and get it headed in the right direction. The foundations are cracked and shaking, and unless the righteous get on their knees and cry out to the Lord, to humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways, the pillars of God's kingdom in America will crumble completely to the ground. Beloved, I am really feeling a sense of urgency and a call to prayer as we look at this year unfolding before us. So what are the pillars of God's kingdom here on this earth?

The first is declared in Genesis 1:26, that human life is precious, a priceless gift from God, and that we are all created in His image. Gen. 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." And so each of us is made in the image of God and given dominion and authority over the other creatures on the earth. In addition, God declares over us a prohetic destiny, a calling, that is ours to pursue and seek, by His grace and His strength and leading in our lives. Jeremiah 1:4 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, v5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." v6 Then I said, "Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, because I am a youth." v7 But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, I am a youth, Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak. v8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you," declares the Lord. And again in Psalm 139:16, Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Thy book they were all written, The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them, v17 How precious also are Thy thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! and so God knows us and loves us and has declared His destiny over us, even the number of our days. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. v12 Then you will call on Me and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

As we reflect on the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Roe vs. Wade that gave license to unrestricted abortion in this country in 1973, we can see how the outcome of that decision has changed the prohetic destiny not only of the 50 million babies that have been aborted, but also the millions of the women and men who would have been their earthly parents. And so the prophetic destiny of this whole nation has been altered. When I came back to America a few years ago after preaching in Costa Rica, where abortion is illegal and the national motto is Pura Vida!, pure life!, I came into the Atlanta airport and immediately felt a feeling of darkness and oppression hanging over this nation. the Lord spoke to me and said, "this is the spirit of death from abortion that is oppressing this nation", a huge demonic principality that torments every man, woman, and child. The cry of the innocents blood goes up from the land, just as God spoke to Cain in Genesis 4:10 "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground. v11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brothers blood from your hand." And so the cries of the innocents go up, and we reap the curse. Beloved, this is a call to pray, to reverse Roe vs. Wade and remove this curse from our land. May God bless you this day as you pray. In Christ, Jim www.gathertheoutcasts.com

The Tenfold Increase in Wisdom and Understanding

Dear beloved: I have been in a Daniel fast the past two weeks, praying for my family, country, and direction and provision for the ministry and open doors the Lord has given. The Lord has really impressed upon me a few verses from His word, the primary one being Psalm 11:3 "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" I have been preaching on this as well at the prison as I believe it is important for all of to take stock of where we are as Christians in relation to our walk with the Lord, as well as where we stand with other believers and nonbelievers. Suffice it to say this country is in grave danger in every way: economic collapse, moral decay, enemies within and without ready to take us out, and I could go on and on. It is easy to focus on our failures as individuals and as a nation and then fear begins to overwhelm and consume us, and as a result we do nothing. But the Lord asks a piercing question, " what can the righteous do?"

When I think about Daniel and his situation, it is obvious that he was in a very precarious situation himself, much more so in a way than we are. He was in captivity, not in a cell as such, but he and his people were captive to the Babylonians who had besieged Jerusalem and taken them all off as captives to a foreign land. Some of God's people didn't survive the siege and the trip and the subsequent captivity, so in a sense Daniel had much to be thankful for. But he knew the only hope for himself and his people was to continue to cry out to his God in any and all circumstances, which is what he did. That is the lesson for us also, that in any and every circumstance we must continue to cry out to God, He alone is the one ray of hope for us as individuals and as a nation. After Daniel and his friends fasted they proved to the king through their appearance to be fairer and fatter in flesh than all the other children which ate the king's meat. In addition to their countenance rising, Daniel 1:17 tells us, as for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. And again in verse 20, And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. Isn't it great to know that there is a path to wisdom and understanding that is ten times better than the path the wicked of the world has chosen to lead them down the path of life? The world's way practiced in the time of Daniel is still the way today: astrology, psychic hot lines, secular counseling, many other occult practices, and education relying on intellect and man's wisdom. God's way is illustrated by Daniel and his friends in their obedience to the Lord in prayer and fasting, devotion to the Lord even in the face of extreme persecution, even to the extent of going into the fire and the lion's den in defense of their faith and obedience to the Lord.

If you are lacking direction, wisdom, and understanding for your life, I would highly suggest you enter into a Daniel fast, or any kind of a fast, such as water only, or whatever the Lord calls you to do. The new year of 2012 is just beginning, this is the time to prioritize, renew, and rededicate your life to following Jesus with passion and wisdom. If you have a ministry or a calling, its a great time to reevaluate and ask the Lord for increased wisdom and understanding, to go after that ten fold increase that Daniel received. If you have not moved into your calling, now is the time to get started, as the days are growing short and there is great urgency about sharing the gospel. 1 Thessalonians 5:6 Paul says, Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. I will be posting more in the days ahead on the foundations of the Lord's kingdom, and where we can work to fortify them. May God bless you this day, in Christ, Jim

Daniel Fast for Clarity

Dear beloved: Now is a a great time to fast for clarity and rededication of purpose as we transition from 2011 into 2012. It is good to rest and be restored, and the best way to do that is with a time of fasting and intensified prayer. I have been in a Daniel fast this year as I have for several years past, and already the spiritual and physical benefits are being poured out on me in abundance. From Daniel 1:12, Daniel said to the overseer, " please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables (pulses) to eat and some water to drink. v13 Then let our appearance be observed in your presence, and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see." And again in Daniel 10:2 In those days, I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. v3 I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all, until the entire three weeks was completed.

So twice in the book of Daniel, he speaks of a special diet in relation to prayer and obtaining favor, both spiritually and in physical apppearance. Basically the Daniel fast as it is practiced today is primarily a vegetable, fruit, legume, and whole grain diet, with plenty of freedom of choice that anyone with any desire to fast can easily conform to the restrictions. The results of it for you and me are exactly the same as it was for Daniel, as we read in Daniel 1:15, And at the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food. v16 So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables. v17 And as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of dreams and visions.

The result of Daniel's fast in Daniel 10 was even more profound: after three weeks of fasting and prayer Daniel was visited by the angel of the Lord. His physical description was given in verses five and six, and then the purpose of the visit was spoken in verse 11; and he said to me, "O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words than I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling." v12 The he said to me, " Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on hmbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words." And so as a result of humbling himself, and fasting and praying for three weeks, Daniel is given great favor and and a visit from the angel of the Lord. When the angel of the Lord visits you, you know victory is at hand! Beloved, are their issues in your life where you need to see victory, or you need clarity and a renewed vigor? Consider fasting for renewal and watch God work in your life. He will show up with power and restore and rejuvenate you, and prepare you in even greater measure for the year ahead. May God bless you as you move forward in 2012! in Christ, Jim