"Leaders Shifted into Place" - The Lion Roars by Karla Shrake

A Prophetic Newsletter                            www.MantlesOfGlory.org By Karla Shrake July 10, 2014  Click here to subscribe to  The Lion Roars Newsletter:   "And the Lord Roars from Zion... And utters  His voice from Jerusalem."  Joel 3:16 "The Lord utters His Voice before His Army;  Surely His camp is Very Great, For Strong is he who Carries out His Word."  Joel 2:11     Leaders Shifted into Place by Karla Shrake  July 10th, 2014  "My children and My leaders," says your Father, "this is the hour of the fulfillment of your destinies.  As I positioned John the Baptist in his key place of influence long ago, even so am I now shifting and pulling you into your key God-appointed posts and positions of influence.  John was the forerunner who prepared the way for My earthly ministry, and as forerunners of the last days, you are preparing the way of My return.  Hell has surely resisted you as heroes of the faith, but know that what is now coming to pass in your life was My idea from the beginning and it shall not and can not fail as you yield to Me in this critical hour of human history," laughs The-Lord-of-All-The-Earth! This is the Hour  "You have waited for this hour, so rouse and stir yourself to press in as I release a fresh fervor, focus and alertness, for it is here and it is now.  And while My Son left the earth as the broken Lamb that had to be slain as a ransom for many know that He is now ruling as the Lion Commander-Chief who is roaring among the nations.  His thundering roar is a clarion call that is resounding not only in the heavens and on earth, but it is also shaking the underworld beneath where the counterfeit lords of darkness dwell and conspire."   Take Your Place Your role and calling is to allow Me to rule through you from the courtroom and throne room of heaven, for I am giving higher levels of rulership to My faithful ones.  "The powers of hell and darkness are conspiring to kill most of the earth's population in order to prevent the great last-day gathering of souls into the Kingdom.  But as I laid out in My Word long ago through many prophets, I have preempted the work of the enemy.  And while many last-day trials shall occur according to prophecy, know that multitudes will call upon My name and be gathered into the ark of safety. You do not war to win My dear children, but rather you stand in the triumph that Yeshua has already  completed.   So take your places - those places of authority and influence that I have created you for and yield to Me as never before.  For I am releasing massive harvest nets through heavenly wisdom and strategies."   Triumph Manifests Through You "You have been formed, fashioned and trained through decades of rigorous preparations and challenges dear ones, and now is the time to step up and step forth as there are many souls in the valleys of decision.  My precious family on earth is ripe to hear and taste of the good news of My love for them." "It is true that multitudes are blind and deaf as they have been born into deception through generations of idolatry and darkness.  But that is no surprise to Me," says your faithful Father, "for assuredly I made provision for that beforehand through My Son who was willing to take on those powers of deception on the cross and He overcame them, ALL of them.  The Lamb overcame the power of idolatry, paganism, witchcraft, divination, occultism and every form of darkness that manifests through demons, fallen angels and even through bizarre and perverted mixtures of dark beings.   And it is through you  My dear champions,  that The Lamb's triumph shall manifest so that multitudes are set free  to enter the refuge-ark  of salvation in this late  and stormy hour." Marching Orders in Heavenly Mailbox "Be aware the enemy seeks to frighten and intimidate you, My children. He seeks to frighten and intimidate even you My brave leaders, because he knows full well that you possess the keys to his destruction. He is working to distract and divert your attention so that you will not utilize the tools, keys and spiritual weapons that I have given to you," warns your Father. "But know that My instructions, strategies and marching orders are in your heavenly mail-box." No more Business as Usual  "My mighty ones seek Me for every decision, large and small, for I am shifting and moving quickly now.  Don't get hung up in the way things have been in the past, or in how they are currently, but rather shake off all that has kept you in routines and in the traditions of men and in the expectations of others, including carnal family members. Shake off the old ways of doing things, and shake off the old ways of thinking that have limited many of you.  For the greater works have begun and the season of My vengeance toward the enemy is now upon us," assures your Captain-of-the-Hosts.   The Adventure Begins "Yes the shaking has begun, the shaking that I foretold of long ago. And while it will be quite an adventure at times My mighty ones, you are empowered to do all that I have ordained for you as ambassadors of My good news. So be not dismayed nor frightened, but rejoice in that you have been given the honor of living in this most awesome time in human history.   The stakes are high for so many lost, dying and broken souls and much is riding on you and your obedience, My precious ones." Death precedes Rulership "But know that I your Father have wired into you greatness from the beginning, and also through years and decades of adversity and hardship. The character of The Lamb had to be worked into you before you could sit on the throne of rulership with Me, otherwise you would have been destroyed. Ambition and the carnal self-life had to be emptied out to create a place from which I can rule freely and unencumbered."   Bridegroom calls to Bride "Come into the arms of your Beloved and dance the glory-dance of all the ages!   Follow My embrace and My steps as we dance our way through the highways and byways of lost humanity, revealing the kind and good heart of our Father!  Come My beautiful one and dance with Me upon the mountain tops and dance with Me through the valleys.... so that all people can behold how great a love the Father has for His children of every tribe, tongue, nation and culture.  As we dance together in this last-day love-cadence the fragrance of hope will overtake despair and the power of life will overtake death." Bride's Response:    "Yes our Beloved... We are stirring ourselves and stepping forth into our God-given places of rulership authority and influence.   We are stepping into the loving arms that were stretched out at Calvary and we are leaning more deeply into Your embrace, our Lamb-Lion.  For our hearts and lives are poured out before You in adoration and surrender..."   All Glory to our Beloved King Yeshua / Jesus!   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    Davidic Warriors   Greetings Dear Friends, I trust you had a good 4th of July weekend and I hope you have a productive and enjoyable summer underway.  May His richest blessings be upon you and your families as we stand and decree His Word over one another.   My love and appreciation to you, Karla Our Thursday prayer-decree is on my website under the Davidic Warriors page. A Prophetic Word to this Generation          Our heavenly Father is opening the storehouses of heaven and releasing a greater anointing that has been reserved for this generation.   Empowered by the spirit of Elijah these mantles will bring restoration, including to those who wear them and to their households.  Written in a prophetic style, this book brings fresh perspective and strong encouragement to its readers.  As you move through the pages of "Mantles" the Holy Spirit will unveil, stir and establish more of your own unique calling and mantle. For more information, go to: www.MantlesOfGlory.org

Opinion: World Condemns Israel for Protecting Its People - CBN News

Opinion: World Condemns Israel for Protecting Its People

By Tzippe Barrow

CBN News Internet Producer - Jerusalem

Wednesday, July 09, 2014

JERUSALEM, Israel -- As Israel fights back against Hamas -- the Palestinian terror group that openly declares its intention to wipe the Jewish state off the map -- it faces condemnation from the Arab world.

The spokesman for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan called for an immediate halt to Israel's "barbaric aggression."

The Islamic Republic of Iran, responsible in large part for funding, training and arming Hamas and other Islamist terror groups, called on the West to condemn the Zionists' "savage aggression…against the innocent and defenseless people of Palestine."

President Barack Obama leveled the playing field by urging both sides "not to act out of revenge."

The Arab League, meanwhile, wants the U.N. Security Council to convene over Israel's response to rockets targeting its major population centers.

But many Israelis and their friends around the globe ask how can the world condemn a country for protecting its people? But that's exactly what Israel faces every time it's forced to act against those seeking its destruction.

It doesn't seem to matter how well or how often Israel explains its position or how hard it tries to avoid collateral damage while destroying munitions factories, weapons warehouses, rocket launch sites, and arms smuggling tunnels in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli leaders vowed the operation in Gaza will expand and continue until the rocket fire stops and quiet returns.

"Hamas will pay a heavy price for firing at Israeli citizens," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after meeting with Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, and Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Sami Turgeman.
"The security of Israel's citizens is first and foremost. Our army is strong, the home front firm, and our nation united," Netanyahu said.

"Hamas has chosen escalation," Gantz said. "The other organizations have joined it and we will use all the power we have, in varying degrees, to ensure what we consider a victory. We will exact the full price [from Hamas] for the strategic mistake it has made."

Ya'alon also said Hamas would pay "a very heavy price" and the campaign would not end "in a matter of days."

"We are destroying [the terror group's] arms, terrorist infrastructure, command and control systems, institutions, government buildings, terrorists' homes," Ya'alon said. "And we are killing terrorists in the organization's high command," referring to a pinpoint air strike that took out a senior Hamas terrorist Wednesday as he traveled by motorcycle in northern Gaza.

"We will continue to hit Hamas and other terrorist organizations hard from the air, at sea, and on the ground in order to ensure the security of the citizens of Israel," Ya'alon said.

Most Israelis back the government's full-scale operation against Gaza-based jihadists. Many hope the IDF will succeed in destroying as much as the terrorist infrastructure as possible, now threatening the Jewish state's major population centers.

When You Think God is Wrong by Ann Graham Lotz

When You Think God is Wrong 

by Ann Graham Lotz

Identity Network

Even when there is no explanation for what you're going through, God's love is more than enough for your need.

Mary and Martha, whose story is told in the Gospel of John, must have asked the same question as they struggled to understand why Jesus hadn't intervened to heal their brother, Lazarus. They had sent for Jesus to come, and when He didn't come quickly, they probably assumed He didn't care.

And now, even though Jesus had finally come, it was too late. Lazarus had died.

Mary crumbled, sobbing, at the feet of Jesus. As she lay with her shoulders shaking and her chest heaving, wracked with pain that was too great to bear, the friends who had followed her voiced their own despair over her grief, and they wept too.

At the sight and sound of the poignant scene, Jesus "was deeply moved in spirit and troubled" (John 11:33, NIV). The text indicates He felt more than just grief; He felt anger.

The One We Love is Sick

Several years ago, I received an urgent call from a person who was at the local hospital, telling me that one of my dearest friends was dying. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

I had spoken with the friend only the day before, and she had been healthy and happy. What could have gone so terribly wrong? As I rushed to the hospital, I kept praying, "Lord, help! The one whom we love is sick - dying!"

When I made my way into the hospital waiting room, I found her extended family huddled in tears and shock. I was told my precious friend had somehow breathed in a virus that had acted like a hand grenade in her body, exploding and destroying her internal organs.

In grief and shock myself, I was urged to go into the chapel, where her husband and children had gathered to pray. As I slipped into the darkened sanctuary and virtually collapsed onto a pew, I heard the whispered prayers and sobs of her loved ones. Then the stifled grief erupted in a chilling, heart-wrenching cry as her son yelled out: "God, it's not right. It's not right! It's just not right!"

Later, when her family made the decision to disconnect her from life support and my beloved friend went to her heavenly home, her son's agonized, angry grief echoed in my ears, and I thought: He was right. This is wrong. Terribly wrong! This was never meant to be.

We were Created to Live

Death was not a part of God's original plan. He created you and me for Himself. He intended for us to live with Him and enjoy Him forever in an uninterrupted, permanent, personal, love relationship.

But sin came into our lives and broke the very relationship with God for which we were created. All of us are affected by this broken relationship because all of us are infected with sin.

When your loved one dies and your grief is tinged with anger, don't direct it toward God. He's angry too. Direct it toward sin and its devastating consequences.

That day in Bethany, as Mary wept and her friends wept with her, a tumult of grief and anger and compassion and empathy welled up in the heart of Jesus. In a voice that must have been choking with emotion, He inquired, "Where have you laid him?"

Those around Him replied gently, "Come and see, Lord" (John 11:34). And when Jesus was invited by the mourners in Bethany to "come and see," He wept! (See vv. 34­-35.)

Jesus, the Creator of the universe, the eternal I Am, the Lord of life, knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. Yet One so strong, so powerful, so wise, so human, stood there with tears running down His cheeks! Why? Because He loved those gathered at the tomb so much their grief was His.

Jesus Weeps With You

When my youngest daughter, Rachel-Ruth, was small, she wore long braids as a means of controlling her naturally curly hair, which she hated. I will never forget an incident that followed the visit to our home of a beautiful young woman who had long, sleek, glossy brown hair. As soon as the door closed behind the young woman, Rachel-Ruth ran into the living room, jerking at her braids, tearing at her bangs, covering her face with her hands, and hysterically sobbing, "I hate my hair! My face is so ugly! I'm not pretty at all!"

Not knowing what had triggered this outburst, I just held her and wept with her. I looked up to see my other daughter, Morrow, standing in the doorway, weeping too. We wept because Rachel-Ruth was so distraught, and we loved her. Her torment was our own.

When was the last time you wept into your pillow at night, thinking no one cared? Is the pain so deep and your hurt so great that you cry night after night?

In your misery and loneliness, do you think Jesus is emotionally detached? That He just doesn't care? Or that He's simply too busy to notice? Or that He is callous because He sees a lot of pain that's worse than yours? Or that He couldn't possibly understand how you feel?

Do you know that Jesus weeps with you? Do you know He puts all your tears in a bottle because they are precious to Him? He has said in all of your afflictions, He Himself is afflicted. Why? Because Jesus does understand! And He loves you!

Those who had gathered to support and comfort and help the family of Lazarus observed the famous young Rabbi weeping and concluded, "See how he loved him!" (v. 36). Even though Jesus knew the glory to come and the demonstration of God's power that was about to be displayed, He wept!

He wept because He loved this precious family and they were weeping. Jesus was entering into their suffering, just as many of us entered into His when we repented of our sin, died to ourselves and received Him by faith.

Martha's Faith

The story of Lazarus is the account of perhaps the most magnificent miracle Jesus performed while on Earth. But it is really the story of Martha's faith - and the necessity of placing our faith in Jesus alone if we are to live life triumphantly and experience the greatest miracle of all, that of passing from spiritual death to eternal life as we are born again into the family of God.

Surrounded by a crowd of friends, family and just curious onlookers, Jesus gazed at the scene before Him. I expect Mary and Martha followed His focus, which was fixed on the cave carved out of the hillside that served as Lazarus' burial place. A large stone sealed off the entrance to the tomb.

Martha was jolted out of any grief-filled reverie that preoccupied her thoughts when she heard His familiar voice command quietly but with absolute authority, "Take away the stone" (v. 39). Nothing could have been more appalling to her!

It seemed as if reopening Lazarus' tomb would serve no purpose except to reopen the fresh wound of her heart. How could Jesus say such a thing? How could He even think such a thing?

Martha, with what surely was a look of horrified indignation on her face, blurted out, "But Lord ... by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days" (v. 39).

Jesus turned His full gaze onto Martha with a look that melted her resistance and silenced her argument. With patient firmness, He challenged her not only to obedience but also to expectant faith: "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (v. 40).

Something in Martha must have quickened as she saw the intensity in the Lord's eyes. She knew this was no longer the time to talk about it or pray about it or think about it.

The spark of faith was suddenly fanned into flame, and without further question or word, she just did it! She ordered the stone to be rolled away. Simply because He said so. Her obedience, her dependence and her expectance were in Him alone. He was all she had.

With every eye fastened on Him, Jesus boldly, loudly lifted His voice as He prayed: "Father, I thank You that You have heard me. I knew that You always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent Me" (vv. 41-­42).Jesus was letting everyone know that if Lazarus was raised, the power to make it happen came from God.

The Voice of the Creator

Then...the same voice that had brought the world into being, the same voice that had called Abraham from Ur, the same voice that had reverberated from Mount Sinai, that same voice thundered, "Lazarus, come out!" (v. 43). The voice of the Creator was commanding into existence that which had no existence!

Every eye must have strained toward the cave, peering into the black hole where the stone had been. And then, out of the deep, shadowy recesses within, there appeared a mummy-like figure"wrapped with strips of linen, and [with] a cloth around his face" (v. 44).

Was there a collective gasp? Or was everyone frozen into place, temporarily paralyzed by the shock of seeing something that just couldn't be?

Dead men don't come back to life! But Lazarus did! At the command of the One who is the Resurrection and the Life, he appeared at the entrance of the tomb.

After all the pain and suffering and anguish and doubt and resentment and misunderstanding and tears, God had answered the sisters' unspoken prayer. Although Jesus had not come when they thought He would, He had restored Lazarus to health.

In His own time and in His own way, God answered abundantly beyond what they could have thought to ask for - beyond their wildest dreams. Their brother was raised from the dead!

At long last, Martha understood. God's purpose was made clear. God's power and glory and love were revealed, and her grief-stricken plea wrenched from their broken hearts was abundantly answered. Jesus was all they needed! Jesus was enough!

And if He could raise Lazarus from the dead after he was in the tomb for four days, is there anything He cannot do for you or me? What miracle do you think is beyond His power to accomplish?

When you don't understand why, just trust Him!

Don't wallow in your "whys." Don't throw a pity party or remain in your misery. Understand that you may not understand this side of heaven.

Respect God's silences. Claim through your own experience ... the blessing that follows brokenness, the life that follows death and the glory that follows suffering!

Trust God to sort it all out in the end. He can break the bonds of your suffering - now! Trust Him! He will bring you through.

Anne Graham Lotz

www.annegrahamlotz.com

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Messianic Jews, Arab Christians Gather Amidst Violence and Anger

Thursday, July 10, 2014 |  David Lazarus  ISRAEL TODAY

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Messianic Jews

"Dancing together with Arabs? Laughing together with them? These are the people I hated my whole life," says Chava, a Messianic Jewish girl who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Israel.

Chava was part of a three-day gathering where she met with an estimated 1,000 Messianic Jewish and Arab Christian youth and young adults in Haifa. At a time when murderous kidnappings, violent riots and a developing war in Gaza are bringing racial tensions to boiling point, these young Messianic Jews and Arab Christians arrived at the conference still reeling with all the raw emotions of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

"These young people came carrying a lot of hurt because of all the recent violence here in Israel," says Rick Ridings, organizer of the annual Elav conference. "Many of them thought that they had dealt with these feelings, but because of the kidnappings and killings they are in pain, on both sides."

For Chava, who grew up in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish ghetto, it was the first time to be in such close quarters with Arabs. "I used to walk with my family to the Wailing Wall and pray that bad things would happen to the Arabs," she recalls. "We have this view that Arabs are bad people. But when I saw them praying to God, and heard them worshipping in Hebrew and then in Arabic, God touched my heart. These are the lost brothers and sisters I have been looking for all my life," she says.

Ridings, who has been organizing these gatherings since 2007, was not sure that any of the young Arabs or Jews would even want to be together during such difficult times. "I didn't know if any of the Palestinian Arabs would even be able, or want to come," he says. "Yet almost miraculously, given the heightened security, about 50 Palestinian believers were able to come."

"These were some of the most meaningful times I have seen at the conference," Ridings told Israel Today. "Perhaps the situation forced these young people to get over the things that normally cause problems. This was real, not just some canned program."

For many of the young believers this was the first time they had ever had a meaningful encounter with the other side. When an Arab believer who grew up in Gaza and a young Messianic Israeli shared their testimonies, it helped others to open up and talk about what they really feel, sharing honestly about what had happened in the army, or with friends killed by terrorists.

"As I washed the feet of my Arab sister, I was able to ask forgiveness for the way my family, and my people, look at them (Arabs)," says Chava. "To hear her say that she forgives me and loves me was so healing. It was the love from Yeshua, nothing else. I never had an Arab friend. Now I have daily contact with my sisters in Ramallah, Jordan and Lebanon," she smiles.

"After hearing my story," continues Chava, "an Arab girl came up to tell me that she hated religious Jews whenever she saw them. This was her first time meeting with someone who came from an Orthodox religious background. She ran to me and asked for forgiveness and asked me to pray for her that she would have more love for my people."

Ridings says that the vision for these gatherings is "to provide a safe environment for Jewish, Arab and Palestinian youth and young adults to have personal encounters with the Lord, to wait on him through worship and prayer, to grow in unity, and to be challenged to minister the Kingdom of God into every area of society."

On the last evening of the gathering, a young Messianic Jew shared about spending three months in Syria helping war refugees. The conference concluded with a call for the young people to go and share the powerful testimony of what Yeshua can do for our broken world.

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Obama Admin Blames Israel for Lack of Peace

Wednesday, July 09, 2014 |  Ryan Jones  ISRAEL TODAY

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Israel’s left-wing newspaper Ha’aretz, which advocates acquiescing to most Arab demands in return for peace, has this week been hosting its first “Israel Conference on Peace,” coincidently scheduled for the same week Palestinian terrorists are pounding the Jewish state with missiles.

Somewhat sidestepping present realities, Tuesday’s keynote speaker largely blamed Israel for the lack of peace in the region.

Phillip Gordon is a special assistant to US President Barack Obama and coordinates policy regarding the Middle East. In his assessment, which is shared by the Arab world, it is Israel’s “occupation” of the biblical lands of Judea and Samaria that is creating the regional instability.

“Israel confronts an undeniable reality: It cannot maintain military control of another people indefinitely. Doing so is not only wrong but a recipe for resentment and recurring instability,” Gordon insisted.

The American continued: “How will Israel remain democratic and Jewish if it attempts to govern the millions of Palestinian Arabs who live in the West Bank? How will it have peace if it’s unwilling to delineate a border, end the occupation and allow for Palestinian sovereignty, security and dignity?”

In other words, Gordon believes that if only Israel would meet Palestinian demands, as hisHa’aretz hosts often recommend, peace and coexistence would reign in the Holy Land.

Like many of the Ha’aretz writers, Gordon conveniently ignored the fact that prior to 1967, Israel did not control Judea and Samaria, but still faced at least as many terror threats as it does today, in addition to several full-scale military invasions by its neighbors.

Nor did Gordan address the fact that prior to the US-brokered “Oslo” peace process that imposed Yasser Arafat’s PLO on both Israel and the local Palestinian population, there was far less tension between Arabs and Jews, even in the so-called “occupied” territories.

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Short video: What does the term “epicenter” mean & why is it important? - Joel Rosenberg

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Short video: What does the term “epicenter” mean & why is it important? by joelcrosenberg I often use the term "epicenter" when talking about the Middle East. In 2006, I wrote a non-fiction book with that title. Later, we released an updated paperback version, Epicenter 2.0. We also produced a documentary film by that name. And The Joshua Fund also hosts regular Epicenter Conferences. What does the term "epicenter" really mean? What is its Scriptural basis? Why is it important? The Joshua Fund recently posted a 4;26 minute video clip of me explaining the term -- you can watch it by clicking here Feel free to share it with friends, as well. ——————– Learn more about The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net). This an organization my wife and I founded in 2006 to educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her Arab neighbors in the name of Jesus, including caring for the poor and needy with food and other humanitarian relief. Read our 2013 Donor Report. Please pray for our team, especially as they care for people in the rocket zone. And please prayerfully consider making a generous, tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution. I’ll be speaking at The Family Leadership Summit in Iowa on August 9th. Please click here for details and to register.

The Spirit Says 'A Great Awakening Is Coming to This Nation' - Jennifer LeClaire

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The Spirit Says 'A Great Awakening Is Coming to This Nation'

7/9/2014 JENNIFER LECLAIRE

(iStock Photo/juanestey)

When I kicked off a preaching series at a local church, the senior pastor charged me with bringing a word about politics.

I knew it would be a hard word because the body of Christ is divided over Democrats and Republicans, as well as many of the political issues they stand for.

As I ticked down some of the harsh realities we've come to face over the last several years, most of the congregation was eerily silent. I read and report on these issues every day, but it dawned on me that many don't follow the state of the union as closely. The looks on their faces revealed that they hadn't previously heard much of what I was saying.

Here's some of what I shared about the slide our nation has taken in the past several years:

• Our deficit has increased more than $4 trillion, causing the first-ever downgrade in the U.S. credit rating.
• Our nation has become more racially divided instead of more unified. According to a Newsweek poll, nearly 60 percent of Americans are now convinced that race relations have either deteriorated or stagnated over the past four years.
• Our military strategy now eliminates the ability to actively fight two major wars at once. Our military has become much weaker while world threats have grown greater.
• Abortions are on the rise, according to the Guttmacher Institute, with 1.21 million baby murders in 2008 alone.
• Violent crimes are on the rise for the first time in 20 years, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
• The economy remains weak more than three years after economists declared the recession ended.
• U.S. poverty is on track to climb to levels unseen in about 50 years, erasing gains from the war on poverty in the 1960s, according to the U.S. Census.

The Prophesied Great Awakening

I submit to you that our nation is in natural and spiritual crisis and it will take an intervention from God to avoid disaster. Although "man" can't solve the problems in our nation, electing leadership that will guide America using biblical principals rather than leadership that defies biblical principles in the name of change speaks volumes to heaven.

If we don't make a drastic shift in this nation, I believe there's no way to escape God's judgment. Billy Graham's wife once said, "If God doesn't judge America He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah." I never wanted to believe that. But now I do. I can see it. God has removed His hand of protection at times because He loves us and hopes we'll wake up. Clearly, we haven't woken up yet.

On April 21, 2007, the Lord woke me up at midnight and I sensed Him offering this prophetic word:

There is a great awakening coming to this nation. For I have heard your cries and I long to heal your land. I am a covenant God and I will not forget the covenant I made with your Founding Forefathers. Yes, there will be a shaking, but the foundations will not crack and they will not crumble. Only those things which can be shaken will be shaken that the sin in the land may be laid bare.

Repentance. I require repentance from My people who have through the generations allowed the enemy to take ground in this nation. I require repentance for the abortions and for the prayerlessness. I require repentance for the apathy and for the idolatry. You shall have no other gods before me. I am indeed the God of America.

Yes, there is a great awakening coming to this nation. I am the Author of it and I will bring it to pass. Just turn from your wicked ways and humble yourselves. Stand in the gap and make up the hedge. I am the Lord and I am a Warrior. I will not leave or forsake this country. I will fight through you and with you to regain what has been lost.

Be encouraged now because as you go forth boldly with My Word and My Spirit there will be the sound of truth and it will prevail in the land. Speak boldly and clearly and watch as the mighty men arise to take their positions on the wall and in the churches and in the marketplaces. For I am raising up deliverers and reformers in this generation who will not shrink back at the challenge that is coming in the days ahead.

Yes, it will grow darker before My light shines brightly from this nation again. But the light has not been extinguished and will not be extinguished. The time to rise up is now. I am calling you to war. I am calling you to repentance. I am calling you to My side. I am the captain of the hosts. I am calling you to victory. I am calling you to destiny. Will you answer?

Please, Please Wake Up!

That was more than 7 years ago! There is hope for America. I believe the remnant is rising. But it has certainly gotten darker in this nation and, again, I fear God's judgment may come if we continue to stand by in silence while abortions, same-sex marriage and other sin rages in our land.

The church—AKA the sleeping giant—needs to wake up. If the church were being the church, we wouldn't have all these problems. Of course, these problems didn't just start four years ago. There's been a gradual decline in morality in this nation since prayer was removed from schools in 1962. Abortion was legalized in 1973. Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage in 2004. And plenty of wickedness has taken place in between and since.

What if we all lived the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle? The Sermon on the Mount speaks against murder, which is what abortion really is. The Sermon on the Mount speaks against sexual immorality, which includes homosexuality. The Sermon on the Mount speaks against divorce. But the church is largely ignoring the Sermon on the Mount's Christianity 101 lessons. The church looks, thinks and acts too much like the world. Christians are having abortions. Christians are committing adultery. Christians are fornicating. Christians are getting divorced. Lord, help us!

At the same time, the Sermon on the Mount speaks to giving to the needy, prayer and fasting. I can't prove it with hard numbers, but I submit to you that it's likely that most Christians aren't giving to the poor. It's probable that most Christians aren't praying for our nation. I'm sure most Christians aren't fasting. We really aren't the salt and the light. And that's why it's getting darker.

Adding insult to this injurious lifestyle, some Christians declare that the prayer rallies and solemn assemblies don't make a difference. I believe the greatest sin of the church is prayerlessness. The government of the world happens in the prayer rooms. Yet we're too busy feeding our souls on worldly entertainment to meet God at the altar.

Our nation is in crisis. It has grown darker over the past five years. It will continue growing darker until we turn back to God as a nation. The good news is when we do, we'll see a Great Awakening and many souls will come into the kingdom. I'm blowing the trumpet. I'm sounding the alarm. There is hope for America, and that hope lies in the body of Christ rising up to do as Jesus commanded: Occupy until I come.

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Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also director of IHOP Fort Lauderdale and author of several books, including The Making of a Prophet and The Spiritual Warrior's Guide to Defeating Jezebel. You can email Jennifer at jennifer.leclaire@charismamedia.com or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

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