by | Faith Lived Out, Life Application
Yesterday was a sad day for America. It was a sad day for the Church. Yesterday was a sad day for unbelievers when they saw the hearts of many in the Church.
Before I go any further, let me say this… I do not support the Biden Administration’s release and negotiation tactics they so eagerly announced to the world yesterday. As a matter of fact, I’m yet to find one decision they’ve made that I can stand behind.
Is that because they’re Democrats? No. It’s because they are men and women who claim to know God and yet make decisions that spit in His face. Don’t worry; the Republicans are doing it too. I’ll get to that in a minute. Back to yesterday being a sad day.
My Facebook and Twitter feeds were filled with diverse people from all walks of life joining in on the conversation regarding “The Swap.” Have I mentioned it was sad?
I saw Christians, who’d only 24 hours prior shared Scriptures about love, followed by “Let’s save the WNBA druggie!” I saw disgraceful tweets from preachers who, only four days earlier, were inviting “those looking for a place to belong” to come to church. For time’s sake, you get the point.
I have to wonder how many of us were actually willing to get on our knees and cry out to God about what had just taken place. I wonder if it crossed our minds to repent for the sins of our leadership and ask God for mercy. What would’ve happened if we had started praying for that marine to get set free instead of cussing out Biden on Facebook?
Yesterday was a sad day.
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But it gets even sadder. Because while Facebook was blowing up with hate, the “Respect for Marriage Act” was being voted on by Congress. Voted for by both Democrats and Republicans. Of course, they dressed it up to look pretty, but it was a devastating blow for Christians in the natural and spiritual worlds.
This nation stopped being led by Republicans vs. Democrats a long time ago. We still manage to divide it by those titles, but it means nothing. Both sides have thrown their moral compasses aside. It’s not about standing for one thing or another anymore (for the majority). No, it’s about figuring out what party you get on to make sure you win.
To make sure they win because it’s not about representing the people anymore. It’s about winning. It’s about power. It has been for a long time, but now it’s just in plain sight.
The bill’s title is a slap in the face to God because America has lost respect for a merciful God who has blessed a nation with the ability and resources to go out and love the world well.
Instead, we hate our neighbors and use our Facebook feeds as a platform to rant. And instead of interceding and repenting for the destruction we’ve caused by being passive when the Constitution is lit on fire right in front of us, the Church grabs a can of gasoline and a match and says, “I’m here for the party!”
What would happen if unbelievers actually read the things we posted on Facebook and said, “Wow, that makes me want to know more about Jesus?”
What would happen if we prayed together? What would happen if we fasted together? What would happen if we truly got on our knees as the body of Christ and repented for the destruction we’ve caused?
Miracles. Outpourings of Holy Spirit that make the day of Pentecost look like a snoozefest. People fall in love with Jesus because the Church looks like what it’s supposed to look like.
We can be angry about the decisions taking place. But let’s do something productive with that anger, my friends.
Lord, forgive me for not doing better. Clean out the dark corners of my condemning heart. Let my prayers be enough to turn the hearts of a nation. Give me a repentant heart like Daniel. Sharpen my spiritual sword to take down the giants like David. Give me the boldness of Esther. Give me a heart of humility like Jesus.
by | Faith Lived Out, Life Application
If I could go back and talk to the 17-year-old girl in this picture, there’s so much I would say.
I’d tell her that she didn’t have to pretend to be so tough.
I’d tell her that all the secrets of her past didn’t define her.
I’d tell her that sweater vests were cool, despite what others said.
I’d tell her that the shame she was carrying could be gone if she’d only let it go.
Are you ready to take back your identity, tell the devil to go fly a kite, and learn who you really are in Christ? Download my free Who I Am in Christ pdf today and start speaking the truth over yourself. Reclaim your true identity and start living the life God designed for you!
I’d tell her how much Jesus loved her, and how much He longed to set her free.
I’d tell her that she mattered and that her life was worth living.
Those are just a few of the things I’d tell her. And I want to tell you those things today, too. You matter. God has plans for your life, despite what the enemy is telling you.
Lean into Papa. He has so much love for you. He has such BIG plans for your future.
You. Are. Valuable.
by | Faith Lived Out, Spiritual Warfare
This prayer was taken from Give Him 15 with Dutch Sheets. You can read the full post here…
Our Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your mercy. In order to awaken us, You have turned us over to our own desires and incredibly foolish ways. Truth no longer matters, integrity matters even less, and evil is celebrated. America has sown the wind and is now reaping the whirlwind. We are lost, very lost. We have watched the demise of greatness in one generation.
And yet. In Your mercy, You are coming to save us. The heavens are being rent, deception is being removed, evil is being exposed, and our hearts are being lanced. We stand before You with nothing other than the blood of Jesus Christ.
Are you ready to take back your identity, tell the devil to go fly a kite, and learn who you really are in Christ? Download my free Who I Am in Christ pdf today and start speaking the truth over yourself. Reclaim your true identity and start living the life God designed for you!
Our faith is that this blood cleanses us from ALL sin and unrighteousness. Send a movement now to accomplish this, we pray. Let it be spiritual power at levels never before seen. Come with overwhelming force and love, lift the veil of darkness, and restore us.
Give great victories for the cause of life in our elections this day. Give great victory for truth, decency, and righteousness. Further the complete turning of our government. Let the exposing continue, even while our deliverance takes place. Spare us from ourselves and rescue us from sin. We pray these things in the incomparable name of Jesus. Amen.
Our Decree:
We decree that America shall be saved, and the billion-plus harvest of people around the world will not be stopped.
by | Faith Lived Out, Spiritual Warfare
This prayer was taken from Give Him 15 with Dutch Sheets. You can read the full post here…
Our Prayer:
Father, David asked, “Is there not a history?” We, too, are asking this same question, “What history will we write?” Give us dedicated intercessors, leaders, patriots, and warriors that accept only one answer, “We will take out the spiritual giants that have been allowed to rule our nation.”
May we not cower in fear of their size, wealth, weapons, or mockery. May we instead run toward them with Your name on our lips.
Transform many in our nation the way You did John Newton. Give us a new song! Give us a grace anthem. May America write songs that comfort billions. May the world be able to say of us, “America lost her way but, look, she is found!”
Are you ready to take back your identity, tell the devil to go fly a kite, and learn who you really are in Christ? Download my free Who I Am in Christ pdf today and start speaking the truth over yourself. Reclaim your true identity and start living the life God designed for you!
May the song of the gospel ring out from these shores again! May the song of liberty ring out from these shores again! May the song of covenant with God ring out from these shores again!
We boldly declare that no giant, no principalities, will continue to rule over us. The blood of the Lord, Jesus, is cleansing and freeing us! The stronghold of death will be broken.
The stronghold of covenant breaking will be broken. Strongholds of injustice will be broken. Strongholds of idolatry will be broken. Giants will fall, principalities will come down! The history we hand our children will be one of a saved America and a worldwide revival! Amen.
Our Decree:
We decree that God‘s amazing grace is sufficient!
by | Faith Lived Out, Life Application
An hour before my aunt Vicki walked into the arms of Jesus, I was getting ordained, prayed over, and prophesied over. I may or may not have snot bubble cried.
Part of the prophecy spoken over me said, “I will use you to bring many sons and daughters into my Kingdom! Prodigals will come home when they hear my message through you! Yours is an evangelistic calling. The Lord says, ‘I call you my evangelist.’”
Before I left, we prayed for Vicki to be healed. 10 minutes later, I got a phone call that she had indeed been healed, just not on this side of heaven.
There’s just something so amazing about God’s timing. We were going to plan a more intimate ordination ceremony so I could invite friends and family, but it ended up not working out that way.
Now I know why. Four days later, I gave the eulogy at Vicki’s funeral. Did I need to be ordained for that? No. But I believe it was God’s way of launching me into this new season of what He’s doing in my life, and what more vulnerable, scary, emotional, honoring way to do so than leading my aunt’s funeral?
Are you ready to take back your identity, tell the devil to go fly a kite, and learn who you really are in Christ? Download my free Who I Am in Christ pdf today and start speaking the truth over yourself. Reclaim your true identity and start living the life God designed for you!
Another part of that prophecy said, “You can make a peanut butter sandwich a gourmet meal! You can make a simple word into something explosive! You can take a simple song and make it resonate in reality!”
Though I don’t know what all of that means just yet, God is already showing me glimpses I’m not fully prepared for, which tells me He’s in the details because I CAN NOT do it without Him.
I am so honored that Mrs. Erma and Mrs. Lois believe in me enough to ordain me under the umbrella of The Ark Apostolic Center. May I honor the Lord well with what He’s entrusted me, and may I also honor you with the trust you have given me.
You can see the full set of pictures here…
by | Faith Lived Out
I have a small clock in my living room that my friend Cindy gave me when I moved back to Belle to pursue ministry. It was a reminder that God redeems the time. It doesn’t work, but it’s one of my most valued treasures I have because I can’t look at without being reminded of redemption.
As I look at the clock this morning I’m reminded that perhaps sometimes God stops the time for a brief moment so we don’t miss the miracle that just took place right in front of our very eyes. Eyes that have seen pain and brokenness and rejection and hatred and fear and heartbreak.
Ah yes.. and then suddenly time stops and none of those things matter. And the clock says, “Shh… I’m stopping for a millisecond because God is going to do a thing. Don’t miss it!”
And in that millisecond of time the world around us stops, God smiles and our eyes see forgiveness and compassion and grace and mercy and hope and faith and healed hearts.
This picture is a reminder of all of the above. To most of the world, you just see two sets of hands, but to the Woolley family it’s so much more. In the last 16 days I have watched the clock stop for our family. And I have seen time redeemed.
I have cut the rest of the picture out because not all parts of the story are mine to tell.
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As I write this, Cody Carnes is singing “Too Good To Not Believe.” I hear “Don’t you tell me He can’t do it” coming through the speaker of my iPhone, followed by “We’ve seen families reunited, we’ve seen prodigals return.”
And my heart soaks up those words because just as the Israelites watched God part the red sea so they could be free from their bondage, I watched a red sea in our family be parted by a grace-filled, merciful God.
The enemies of the Israelites drowned in their desperate efforts to keep control of them. And before my very own eyes and in my own heart, I’ve watched the enemies of bitterness and rejection and fear and hatred be drowned.
One of my favorite passages of Scripture is Joel 2:25. “The Lord says, ‘I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts.'”
In the last 16 days I have watched God restore what the locusts have eaten in our family. Oh, I wish you could’ve been there to see it. I still can’t fully wrap my head around it myself.
I have this reminder on my wall that says, “God can restore what is broken and change it into something amazing. All you need is Faith.” Yes! God CAN restore. He CAN change things.
This picture is proof.
My friend Mitch used to ask me when I’d tell a crazy story about my family, “What chapter of the book will this be in?” I don’t know the answer to that yet, but this chapter…. this chapter is full of gritty redemption, that despite all the words I’ve already written this morning, I still don’t seem to have the words to explain it.
The two sets of hands in this picture are proof that God truly is the redeemer of time. These two sets of hands are proof that despite what the locusts have tried to destroy, restoration is possible. The two sets of hands in this picture are proof that LOVE covers a multitude of sins. Proof that God can bring revival to any heart willing to allow Him in.
Yes, I think I am convinced that God has stopped time in the last 16 days, even if it was only for a millisecond. Because in that millisecond, He has REDEEMED THE TIME!
