On this Sunday which we celebrate our Lord's resurrection from the dead I'd like to share with you the daily teaching I get from Al Houghton's Word at Work.  You can sign up for his daily teaching here at The Word at Work.  Here's the main point I want you to hear.  He says, "it can't flow through us if we don't welcome it to us."  

The Word at Work by Al Houghton, April 21, 2019
Scripture: Luke 4: 6-8. 

We see this principal again in Luke 4:6-8. This passage says, “And the devil said to Him, ‘All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship (proskuneo) before me, all will be Yours.’ And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Get behind Me, satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only you shall serve.’” Proskuneo means bow your knee, like a puppy, expecting to get food from the master’s hand and submitting to the master. There it is again, the same thing. Bow your knee and submit. If we as believers steadfastly refuse to bow our knee and submit to the devil and we only bow our knee to God, then we have the authority to cause others to bow their knee or flee. That is the only way we get it. Walking in power and authority is a product of Who we worship! Who do we yield to? Do we bring ourselves under God’s authority? That is the test! It can’t flow through us if we don’t welcome it to us. Over and over again Jesus makes this point! Yielding to the Spirit guarantees power! Moses, Samuel and the prophets all had to learn this Biblical truth! End of Al’s message.

In this scripture “led” implies submission and it illustrates how our submission to God’s authority, not only gives us authority but qualifies us to share in His glory. The glory Jesus prayed we’d share with Him in John 17. I find the following scriptures very appropriate on this Resurrection Sunday.  

The books of Ezra, Esther, Daniel and Jonah all share a common truth very clearly and that is, kings issue decrees.  King David even has some of His decrees proclaimed through the Psalms. Decrees are always written under the order of the king.  In Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 we find that Jesus has called us as kings and priests. 

Jesus provides us the best example of the role of a king in Revelation 19:11 where it says …”in righteousness He judges and makes war.”  In other words, He makes decisions based upon what is right and then wars to enforce it. 

I learned through the Navy War College that armies exist to project power to enforce the will of the government they represent.  That is why Jesus taught us to pray “kingdom come and will be done on earth as it is in heaven” in Matthew 6:10. The word “kingdom” introduces jurisdiction.  It’s the authorized domain the king is responsible for.  This is why in the 1Church1Day strategy we seek to form councils within these two domains or jurisdictions in mind.
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1. Geographic – Cities, counties, provinces, states or nations.
2. Spheres or Mountains of Cultural Influence – Family, Religion, Government, Business, Media/Arts/Entertainment, Education & Healthcare

​You’ll find all through scripture that boundaries serve as lines of jurisdiction.  There is a place for every family, tribe (Numbers 2), nation (Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua) and people (Acts 17:26) on earth.  Many have asked why God allows certain evil events to occur on earth!  It’s because of He has delegated that responsibility to mankind.  Psalms 115:16 says:

“The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; But the earth He has given to the children of men.”

Since Christ has called us as “kings” and “priests,” we are called to make decisions about what to pray and proclaim.  To do that as effectively as possible we need to draw upon God’s wisdom.

​The Process of Developing a Decree

As I waited upon the Lord I heard "the power of one."  He showed me why you, your prayer and your voice matters. I discovered the supernatural equation for exponential power.  Trust me, numbers matter especially when the exponential power of Holy Spirit comes upon those numbers.   

Here is how the revelation unfolded.  As I meditated upon this phrase the Lord reminded me of:

John 17:20-22
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

Luke 3:16
John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Luke 24:49
Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

Acts 2:1-4
​ When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

1 John 5:7-8
For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.

Here's the Revelation of "The Power of One" 

We find ourselves on the precipice of Church history once again.  The spiritual war that spilled out from heaven to earth in Revelation 12 is raging in this world as Revelation 12:12 has manifested.  It warns "Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

Three Kinds of People in War
Here's an important Biblical principle expressed in 1 Corinthians 15:46 which teaches us that the natural comes first and then the spiritual.  So, there are some things we can learn about spiritual war by studying natural war.  

Consider this brief historical look at America's war for independence (1775-1783).  There were three kinds of people. 

1. The Volunteers!  These were members of the militia, minutemen, and the Continental Army actively engaged in the fight and they made up about 3% of the population.  Another 25-30% actively supporting the cause for freedom from tyranny.
2. The Complacent!  These are those who just did not care one way or the other.  If the British won fine or if the Colonies won, they were fine.  This made up about 30-40% of the population.  They could also be described as disinterested, aloof, uninterested which veil ignorance and some cowardice.  Their primary interest was their self.  
3. The Tories!  - These were in one sense like the anti-war protesters of the Vietnam era but in another sense they were not.  Many joined with the British Army fighting against  those who volunteered in the War of Independence. 

It's basically the same in any conflict.  As I waited upon the Lord about the spiritual war we are in this is what I heard were the three kinds of people in this spiritual war today.  I call them the 3 R's!  The question is, which one are you?  

The Three Kinds of People in Spiritual War Today

Last night we made history in Washington state as 3 legislators with the Washington Legislative Prayer Caucus,  over dinner at Daniel’s Prayer Ministry whose prayer is led by Elizabeth Sorenson adopted the 1Church1Day strategy for our state forming an apostolic/strategic council. 

The beauty of this is the decrees and alerts for this state will come directly from those who are on the front lines and have actual jurisdiction.  The 1Church1Day system provides a way, a common communication protocol if you will,  to connect diverse churches, ministries networks and individuals  so we can all pray about what’s going on in our state.  Just download the app. Click here for Android devices on Google Play and click here for Iphones and IOS devices on Apple Itunes. 

I shared with them the strategy last night using the video above to share the vision and I also highlighted the characteristics of a nation where Zion was desolate using Lamentations 5:14 & 18.  It says that when Zion was desolate, in other words, no coordinated 24/7 prayer like David had on MT Zion, that the elders no longer gathered in the gates. 

Last night that was changed.  The elders are being seated for civil government in the state gate.  I did what King David did 1 Chronicles 13:2-3, I presented the vision to leaders for bringing back God’s presence to our state and said  if this seems good and if it is of the Lord then let us send out to our brethren.  They said yes, and authorized me, sent us us to go and mobilize 24/7 I this state, my state, and I’ll be working to establish state councils in the other 6 spheres and the 5 fold in this state.  

I saw a post on Lance Wallnau's Facebook this morning highlighting this Brietbart article Report: Chicago Police Believe Jussie Smollett Paid Two Men to Stage Attack. Immediately God began to speak to me using this situation as an example to expose the secret strategy of our adversary the devil.

This is spiritual intelligence for the Government, Media, Education and Religious spheres and intel regarding the culture war. Now remember, when I say culture war I am referring to the spiritual war in Revelation 12 which spilled from heaven to earth.
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Soon, I’m going to address another holy grail and favorite saying by challenging you to focus on the Ephesians 6:11-12 which says:

"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

How will I challenge you? I’ll challenge you by looking at this scripture in context of the book, the New Testament and then Old Testament scriptures just like I’ve been challenging the favorite quote from Matthew 7:1 that even unbelievers seem to know about “you shall note judge.”

The cry racism has become the go to strategy on the Democrat Socialist Left because they’ve found success in using guilt and shame for the past. It’s been as effective or more effective than the go to scripture that even unbelievers seem to know so well and works hand in hand: “THOU SHALT NOT JUDGE!” it seems like their actions declare they really only want this applied to themselves. Candidly, the “Me Too ” movement, LGBT etc. basically uses the same strategy with a different subject. It’s like the unholy trinity in their strategic verbal arsenal.

At the core of this strategy is the intent to use partial truths, guilt and shame to manipulate behavior. This is done by stirring up emotions with a false narrative which distracts from the truth and advances a demonic agenda.

Do you know who is tripped up by this an ensnared? Immature disciples, those who have not “studied to show themselves approved,” those who are ignorant of God's word and those who fear because they've not come to know the perfect love of God which casts out all fear.

Please hear me, I’m not saying this with a superior attitude, but rather with a tone of discovery. If you will, one beggar trying show another beggar where the bread is.

And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15

Even Satan knows God's word and can quote it accurately. For example in Matthew 4:5-7 we see, "Then the devil took Him up to the holy city, set Him on a pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "It is written, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"

John 8:44 and John 10:10 reveal Satan's nature and modus operandi. It's the fruit of demonic operations. He is the father of lies, a deceiver, a murderer and he kills, steals and destroys.

Now, I want to emphasize the tone with which you read this article. It is not condemning, angry, belligerent, etc. Rather, it is calm, truthful and spoken with a backbone instilled with the love of God and under girded by the Truth of God's word.

The Democrat Party's Platform is anything but the Lord's work. In fact, this platform serves as the host to several "doctrines of demons." If you call yourself a Christian and you are still part of this party, you have serious problem for what Pelosi just said is the epitome of Satan's nature and Isaiah 5:20 which says "woe to those who call evil good and good evil;"

Are You Out of Your Mind? Doctrines of Demons?
​No, I'm not out of my mind. In fact, I'm in my right mind doing what agape' love is supposed to do as it says in Ephesians 4:16 which is to "speak the truth in love." Here's two examples.

When one accepts Christ they are born again.  They are introduced to the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world.  A new born baby is cared for and loved by parents who heap affection on their child.  They take care of EVERYTHING!  They even act like their poop is cute!  OK, maybe not to everyone, certainly not to me, but I've heard some ladies say something to that effect in years past.  Bottom line, there is a huge amount of mercy and grace demonstrated due to the child's inability to care for itself. 

But as the child matures the method of instruction changes. For example, have you ever noticed you don't have to teach children how to lie?  Love administers correction, pain, to teach them there are consequences for lying, not obeying their parents instruction, being disrespectful of elders etc. (Proverbs 22:15, 23:13 & 29:15). 

As I matured into my teenage years I played football. You can get hurt if you are not careful.  Therefore, the method, content and expectations the coaches put upon us also increased. Their love for us and the game was expressed through drills and disciplines that were forms of tough love.  The more you bled and sweated in practice the more likely you'd play safe and win.  I learned you were more likely to get hurt when you only played at half speed.   

I Learned Tough Love in the Navy
When I joined the Navy, the stakes got even higher.  In fact, we operated in an environment sometimes where  even in peace time where there was a higher risk of injury and death.   Therefore the officers and drill instructors involved in my training confronted even the smallest infractions.  Why?  Because of the consequences. 

I'll never forget Master Sergeant Flagger marching into my first day of Aviation Officer Candidate School and throwing a desk through the wall to get our attention.  Why?  Because two of his men had been killed trying to rescue a pilot and he was going to make sure that if anyone else died they'd be worth it.  My class started with 42 and only 15 of us made it through.  His method was designed to create an experience we'd never forget!  His motive?  Love of the brotherhood, love for the Corps, love for His country.  You see, he lived, they lived, we lived what Jesus taught about "greater love has no one than this, than to lay one's life down for his friends."  John 15:3   

​The problem we have today is that a significant portion of the Church majors on the love that is displayed through the Lamb of God to children.  They'll never mature unless a father's love is demonstrated through progressive correction (Hebrews 12:6).  What do I mean by progressive correction/instruction.  I mean as responsibility grows the consequences for failure to perform increases. 

Growth is of a child is assured if they are fed.  Maturity is assured if they are trained. 

God used the Navy as my seminary.  I saw many Biblical truths and principles actually applied there than I ever did in the local churches which focused primarily on meeting people's needs.  The military prioritized their country and assigned mission first.  The people, which are considered very important, were prioritized second.  It reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 about seeking the kingdom first and then all your needs would be taken care of. 

The Spiritual War is a Culture War ​
Bottom line, you cannot prepare the army of God using the same kinds of disciplines you would use with a little child.  The truth is, we were born into a spiritual war that spilled from heaven to earth in Revelation 12 and the issue at hand are the souls of men and women and their eternal destiny in heaven or in hell.  

1 Corinthians 15:44-46 introduce a spiritual truth.  First the natural and then the spiritual.  Daniel 6:27, Acts 2:19, and Hebrews 2:4 are just a few of the scriptures that teach us another important spiritual truth and that is that God uses signs and wonders to communicate.  

The signs consists of events that point to God's word and His will.  Here is a current example. 

On January 7, 2019 I shared the word of the Lord regarding God's desire for His people to recalibrate their moral compass.  Three days later God marked that message with a powerful sign that should make everyone wonder.  Fox News reported how that scientists were baffled by the geomagnetic northpole's movement which causes them to recalibrate all their instruments years earlier than expected.  To see the whole story click the Sign Scientists Just Discovered at the Northpole that points to our Moral Compass! 

God Just Gave Another Sign through His Prophet
What's the sign?  It's two things. 

It's a current event combined with consistent prophetic words that points to an element of God's word that reveals His will. In this case, a prophet had a dream on the 18th which is what prompted the bold title in this article.   

Consider These Words

In early January God began speaking to me about our moral compass again.  On January 7, 2019 I published "It's Time to Recalibrate Our Moral Compass!"  On January 10th, three days later, Fox News reported  "Something very strange is happening to Earth's magnetic North Pole and no one knows why. "  It says (note I added bold large print to make a point):

“The magnetic pole is moving so quickly that it has forced the world’s geomagnetism experts into a rare move,” Nature reports.
On January 30 (delayed due to the US Government shutdown), the World Magnetic Model — which governs modern navigation systems — is due to undergo an urgent update.

This model is a vital component of systems ranging from geopositioning systems used to navigate ships through to smartphone trackers and maps.

The current model was expected to be valid until 2020. But the magnetic pole began to shift so quickly, it was realized in 2018 that the model had to be fixed — now."
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The scripture reveals what God uses signs and wonder for.  Jeremiah 32:21 indicates that God brought His people out of the land of Egypt by signs and wonders while Daniel 6:27 says, "He delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth..."  In Isaiah 44:25-26 God says "Who frustrates the signs of babblers, and drives diviners mad: who turns wise men backwards and makes their knowledge foolishness.  Who confirms the word of His servant, and performs the counsel of His messenger..." Signs and wonders are used to:

• Show God's people a way out of bondage
• Deliver His people
• Confirm the word of His servants or messengers

This Sign Should Make You Wonder
What should it make you wonder?