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Who or What is Your Jericho?

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Joshua 6:1 Now Jericho [a fenced town with high walls] was tightly closed because of the Israelites; no one went out or came in. AMPC

Jericho was the first fortressed city that Israel encountered in their advancement into the Promised Land. It was the first thing that stood between them and the manifestation of their inheritance, and their promises from God. And it was the first thing they were going to have to fight through to break through into all God had for them.

I don’t know about you but I hate conflict and confrontation. Unfortunately, it’s what all the saints of Jesus are called to. The Pre-incarnate Jesus is mentioned in Joshua 5:13-15 and He is described as a Man…with His drawn sword in His hand and Prince of the Lord’s host. King David referred to God, the Father as Lord of Hosts, or Lord Sabaoth, literally interpreted as Lord of Angelic Armies. If you consider yourself a lover and not a fighter – think again. You are called to both. Even the title assigned to Jewish people, Israelites, is an indicator of Jesus’ followers job description. If you remember, Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, because he had wrestled with God and overcome. In other words, Jacob had to wrestle or “fight” God for the blessing.

Jericho was tightly closed because the Prince of Heaven’s Armies, as well as His warriors, were just outside its walls. Now that is an interesting thought. Jericho being tightly shut because King and Warrior Jesus, and His people, are just outside getting ready to conquer and cause its walls to fall in submission, and surrender.

But here’s another thing to consider: In the spring, when kings go forth to battle,….2 Samuel 11:1. In Biblical times wars were going to be fought in the spring time. Guess what? Not a whole lot has changed. Ecclesiastes reminds us that To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven:…(Eccl. 3:1) We are presently in one of God’s Biblical seasons. There are seasons, or cycles of manifestation, or mountaintop highs, and then there are seasons, or cycles of wildernesses, or valley lows. And presently, we are in a season, or cycle of warfare – spiritual warfare to be more exact. But there’s a sad verse that follows 2 Samuel 11:1 and its this, One evening David arose from his couch… (2 Samuel 11:2) HIS COUCH? What was David the giant-killer, lion smashing, bear stomping warrior of God doing on a couch? He was sending others to battle. He was being tempted to lust after his next door neighbor’s wife. It did not end well for David. It’s true All things work together for the good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28) but that doesn’t mean you are going to be unscathed by the poor decisions you have made.

Why do I bring all of these things to your attention? Because now is time when you are called to battle for what God has promised you. In this season, who or what is your Jericho? Who or what is tightly closed to you because you brought Jesus to the fight? Is your Jericho a person, a circumstance, a healing, or a broken-hearted hurting? Is your Jericho an unfulfilled promise or prophetic word you have yet to see manifested that was given years or decades ago? What would happen if you listed those and presented them to the Lord as something to fight towards, and for? What would happen if you got off the “couch” circumstances have assigned you and began to thank God for the unseen as if it is seen?

You might be tempted to think, Well I’ve been dealing with this for decades; I’ve been waiting for the manifestation of this promise for decades. But let me ask you a question, Have you waited for 40 years? Wilderness, wandering Israel had. Have you waited as long as Jesus? He’s still waiting on the Father to answer some of His prayers. Besides, what other plans do you have? Get off your “couch of resignation” and armor up for the fight. We just celebrated Jesus’ fight for our salvation. Fight from victory not towards victory. If you are fighting for victory you have already lost the battle. You aren’t fighting from a place of faith but from unbelief. Ask forgiveness for that and press on. Stand up in and through the finished work of the Cross and Resurrection. Put your trust in His Blood and begin to rigorously give thanks for the unseen as if it is seen.

I Will Not Let You Go

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In Genesis 32:24-32 the Patriarch Jacob has an encounter with an Angel in which they find
themselves in a wrestling match. Jacob says to his night time visitor, “I will not let You go
unless You declare a blessing upon me.” And there you have it. Many times in our prayers
we won’t persevere in prayer to breakthrough to the answer. Isaiah 64:7 states: “And no one calls on Your name and awakens and bestirs himself to take and keep hold of You…” In
wrestling with God for our answer we are changed, and that’s God’s goal. Seeing our walk
through life changed to look like Jesus is God’s ultimate desire for our lives.

I got behind on Lou Engle’s blogs so today I will send you 2 to catch you up. God bless you in your pursuit of God, and may your walk be changed forever.

“Billy Graham, I will not let you go!”                                 
Read 2 Kings 2.
 
Seventy years ago, Billy Graham pitched his tent in Los Angeles, and Jesus the evangelist was manifested through him and many others. In the course of his lifetime, Billy preached the
Gospel to more than 215 million individuals, but I am convinced that his life was a down payment for a nameless and faceless generation to come that would fill stadiums across the
whole earth. It is time for Billy Graham’s mantle to come on entire nations!
 
Years ago I received a word that I was to watch closely for the passing of Billy Graham.
Earlier in 2018, in an extended season of fasting and prayer, I was reading about the mantle of Elijah passing to Elisha. Next to the passage, I wrote in big letters in my Bible: “Billy
Graham I will not let you go until I get a double-portion of your mantle on the next
generation.” What I did not know was that Graham would pass away in just ten days! When he passed, I knew that it was the moment we had been waiting for all these years. Seventy
years were up! When Daniel understood that it was time, he set his face to fasting and
prayer. We just held the Send with 59,000 praying for Billy Graham’s mantle. It is time to
fast.
 
Fasting is the great era-shifter. Moses’ 40-Day fast shifted Israel into the era where the glory of God was made manifest.  His fast released a double-portion on Joshua, whose name means
“The Lord Saves.” Elijah’s 40-Day fast released a double-portion on Elisha, whose name
means “God Saves.” John the Baptist’s lifestyle of fasting and even Jesus’ 40-Day Fast released
the prototype, a double-portion Son, our Jesus, whose name means “The Lord Saves.” 
I believe that this 40-Day fast can release a season of the double-portion Jesus
Movement, through which the Lord will save prodigals, drug addicts, those held in
bondage, and release Stadium Christianity into the earth!
 
Prayer
Lord, we believe that the millions who heard Billy Graham’s preaching was just a down
payment of what You are about to do.  Loose a double-portion on the next generation! Release Stadium Christianity in America and all of the nations of the earth!

A New Scroll for the Nation

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:16-19)

In 1999, I prayed the prayer, “How can I turn America back to God?” It became the defining prayer of my entire life and birthed the movement of TheCall. That very night I had a dream where I was overwhelmed with the impossibility of seeing America turn back to God. In the dream, a scroll rolled down before me with the Scripture of Luke 1:17. When I woke up, I knew at that moment TheCall would be like a John-the-Baptist type movement that would prepare the way of the Lord. For the last two decades, we have gathered hundreds of thousands in fields, arenas, and stadiums to fast and pray, believing that it would lead to a moment where, like John the Baptist, we would declare, “Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world!”

“This is a random picture taken by David Parks at The Send. Look at the time on the clock in the photo. We Prophesied The Send would release the Luke 4:18 scroll. The photo is a whisper that has become a roar in my heart.”
It was last year on the Central Coast of California that a new scroll began to unfold. I heard the prophetic storyline of Paul Cain’s life and stadium vision that confirmed the transition I was feeling in my heart. At the end of Anna Cain’s life (Paul Cain’s mother), who was a prophetess in her own right, she told her son Paul that the Lord had one last prophetic word. She said that it would be the most important prophecy she would ever give to her son and the whole world. Then, she slipped into a coma. Weeks passed. Suddenly, one night Anna woke from the coma to say, “Paul, the Lord is going to release over your life and the Body of Christ across the world – Luke 4:18.” After prophesying, she slipped back into a coma and then passed away the next day. Mike Bickle, my friend, and leader of the International House of Prayer, who was there with Paul, noted that she passed on 4/18 at 4:18 PM.

When I heard this story, and as I now ponder the recent death of Paul Cain, I know that a new scroll is unfolding for my life and the nation. It is not just the Luke 1:17 scroll of TheCall. It is now also the Luke 4:18 scroll of Jesus. Coming out of the 40-Day Fast, Jesus entered Galilee “in the power of the spirit” (Luke 4:14). He then went to Nazareth and opened a new scroll for the whole nation -Luke 4:18. I believe that we are in the season of the great transition. We are in a moment where the scroll of Luke 4:18 could be opened up over the whole nation, and then it will be a Jesus Movement like we have never seen before.

Prayer
Father, we thank you for 20 years of The Call and now thank you for The Send! Now let the scroll of Luke 4:18 roar throughout the earth. Raise up thousands of workers who have the spirit of the sovereign lord upon them to unleash the ministry of Jesus to the broken and the oppressed. Heal every manner of disease, sickness and mental oppression. Let joy erupt!