Next Monday, Memorial Day, the U.S. pauses to remember those who gave their all in our defense.

Warfare is one of the oldest activities of mankind. Beginning with Nimrod in Babylon, rulers have used force of arms to subjugate their enemies and, often, their own people. The great empires of antiquity, Babylon, Egypt, Assyria, Persia, Greece, and Rome rose and fell to the cadence of armies on the march. And the people suffered from the plagues of death, famine, and disease which followed the armies.

Into this world of brutal warfare God sent deliverers to his people. Abraham recued Lot, Moses defeated Egypt, Joshua defeated the Canaanites, and the Judges fought to rescue the Israelites when they repented of their disastrous turns away from God. God built a great Kingdom on the victories of King David, but the people repeatedly fell into sin and many of their Kings moved in the oppressive spirit of Nimrod. The horrors of warfare came upon God’s rebellious people, and the Israelites became slaves in the Promised Land (See Nehemiah 9:36, 37).

Christ came into a world ruled by the sword, but He refused to build His Kingdom by the sword. Instead, He established His Kingdom within the hearts of believers, giving them the inner strength to overcome their real enemy, Satan. Jesus was the greatest revolutionary of all time, bringing millions out of the Kingdom of Darkness. Even the mighty Roman Empire finally bowed its knee and surrendered to Christ.

Alas, the plague of warfare was not eradicated even in the Christian Lands. The Church followed the path of Israel, falling into sinful periods and suffering divisions. New Nimrods arose, some from the Church itself, to subjugate their people. And, as with Israel, God sent deliverers, some with a Bible, like St Patrick who converted the Irish, and some with the sword, like Charles Martel who saved Europe from an Islamic Invasion.

God has also raised up deliverers for our country, whose sacrifice we remember on Memorial Day. Jesus said “Greater Love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:14). As the Lord commends them for their love, so should we.

Let us then pray for our defenders as we honor those who showed the greatest love by sacrificing their lives for us.

This year on Pentecost Sunday, May 20, Christians are looking back to celebrate the outpouring of the Spirit and eagerly anticipating a new outpouring for a new Pentecost.

Many trace the modern outpouring of the Holy Spirit to a prayer initiative begun in the Catholic Church 120 years ago by Pope Leo XIII. He established a nine day period prior to Pentecost, called a Novena, for the Church to pray for a new Pentecost just as the first century Church gathered for nine days prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. His prayer still resonates today:

“Renew, your wonders in this our day, as by a new Pentecost. Grant to Your Church that, being of one mind and steadfast in prayer, it may advance the reign of our Divine Savior, the reign of truth and justice, the reign of love and peace. Amen.”

The Pope’s prayer was answered within a few years in the Protestant Church, as the Spirit fell in Topeka Kansas in 1900 and at Azuza Street in 1906. Hundreds, then thousands, then millions experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit which John the Baptist spoke of after he saw the Spirit descend on Jesus at His baptism (John 1;32,33). While many thought that speaking in tongues was the defining feature of the movement, William Seymour of Azuza Street saw a much larger picture:

“Baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire means to be flooded with the Love of God and Power for service”
We Charismatics tend to focus on the upper room experience of Pentecost, where they spoke in tongues as evidence of the infilling with the power of the Holy Spirit. But when they went out into the streets the other miracle of Pentecost was the ability to be heard and understood by the people. It took both the power of the Holy Spirit and the ability to be heard and understood to give birth to the Church at Pentecost. Now, after centuries of division, the Church needs a new Pentecost of hearing and understanding to come together to reach the world as Jesus prayed in John 17:23.

“We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues” –Acts 2:11

There are diverse tongues within the Church: Charismatic tongues, Catholic Tongues, Eastern Orthodox tongues, Evangelical tongues, Messianic tongues, Protestant tongues, and many others. We must learn to hear and understand each other so we can come into the unity of Jesus prayed for. Then, by showing love for each other, will the world be able to hear and understand the message that God so loved the world that He sent His son.

Join us as we pray for a new Pentecost of Hearing and Understanding to bring unity to the Body of Christ and revival to the nation.

Next week on May 14 we will celebrate the 70th year of Israel as an independent nation.

The rebirth of Israel after almost two thousand years stands as an amazing fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Numerous scriptures refer to an end time role for the Nation of Israel. Even the date of Israel’s formation can be calculated from the scripture in Revelation 11: 1,2 which speaks of a “42 month”, or 1260 year, “Age of the Gentiles” to be measured from the time the Temple Mount was lost to unbelievers. From the time the Dome of the Rock was constructed on the Temple Mount, 687, until 1947, the year the U.N. voted to establish Israel, exactly 1260 years had passed.

Some thought that Jesus would return within a generation of the formation of Israel based on Luke 21:32, where Jesus said that this generation would not pass away before His prophecy of the end had happened. After the Second Coming did not happen on the 40th anniversary in 1988 some stretched the Biblical idea of a 40 year generation to 70 years. Now that 70 years has passed, it may be good to remember that a major theme of Luke 21 was the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, which began when the gates were shut against Roman general Titus on Passover of 70 AD, exactly 40 years on the Jewish calendar after Jesus was crucified.

Let us also remember that for the Advent of Christ the nation of Israel was reborn at the time of the Maccabees in 165 BC, 160 years before Jesus was born and 190 years before His ministry began. A similar period for the Second Coming would span the years 2108 to 2138. Better still it is best to remember that no one knows the day or hour of Christ’s return.

The survival of Israel against overwhelming forces is one of the greatest modern miracles of God. Israel has fought wars in 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973, and has emerged victorious every time. She has fought many smaller engagements and has endured sustained terrorist activities. The Hand of God has been evident, as described by The Prophet Zechariah, who speaks of Jerusalem as an “Immovable Rock” and a “Cup that sends the surrounding peoples reeling” (Zechariah 12:2,3).

Today Israel is still surrounded by its enemies. Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, Al Queda and Iran are sworn to Israel’s destruction. As of now Israel’s enemies are fighting among themselves, but the Islamists are still pushing for an end to their peace with Israel. For those who subscribe to a historical interpretation of Revelation, the situation is described in Rev 9:1-11, the fifth trumpet, as a 150 year war with the Arabs. We can expect not peace, but another 80 years of warfare in the Middle East.

The end will come after Israel is defeated by the Antichrist (Zechariah 14:2 and Rev 11:7). But Jerusalem will rebel against the Antichrist and he will gather the nations to fight at Armageddon (Megiddo, in Israel) (Rev 16:16). Then, when all seems lost, Christ will return to the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4 and Acts 1:11, 12) and destroy His enemies (Zechariah 14:3 and Revelation 19:19-21). Only then will peace come to the Middle East and the world (Zechariah 14:9 and Revelation 20:1-6).

Nevertheless, we must continue to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. When they have peace so will we.

This year’s focus for the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 3, is to be Christian Unity.

Jesus himself started the Christian Unity Prayer Movement when He prayed that the believers would be united in Him and united with each other so the world would know that God sent him (John 17:20-23).

Almost since the beginning of Christianity, believers have quarreled about Christian doctrine and church government. The first Jerusalem Council served as an example of a favorably resolved dispute (Acts 15). However, other disputes resulted in division and treatment of opponents as non-Christians. For example, some Protestants who believe in salvation only through faith will recite many doctrinal differences with Catholics, claiming those make them un-Christian although Catholics share their belief in salvation only through faith. The critics have forgotten the words of the apostle Paul, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you” (Rom. 15:7).

Instead of myriad doctrinal tests, the apostle Paul tells how to know if we are in Christ:

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. —Romans 10:9–10

In other words, those who are justified by faith and say so are in Christ. If you are in Christ and those with whom you disagree are in Christ, you are united with them in Christ whether you admit it or not.

Although our unity comes through Christ, many denominations and doctrines create a great diversity within the body of Christ. Lutheran theologian Oscar Cullman said, “Unity in the church . . . is unity in diversity . . . recognizing others in all their variety as true Christians.” Pope Francis has said, “Unity brought by the Spirit can harmonize every diversity.” Unity in diversity recognizes the contributions of other streams of Christianity and blends them together in a symphony of harmony. It is a unity of the Spirit, not in doctrine or church government.

The church has come a long way since the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when being a Protestant in France or a Catholic in England could be a death sentence. The French Edict of Nantes, in effect for less than a century, and the English Act of Tolerance were important steps toward Paul’s admonition to accept brother Christians. The revivalists of the Great Awakening and the second Great Awakening first transcended their denominations, achieving a forerunner of unity in diversity. The Charismatic movement brought about spiritual unity, as Christians across many denominations shared in the same experiences and often worshiped together.

Even so, much remains to be done to bring together the body of Christ. Today one of the worst schisms in the American church has arisen between the social gospel and the evangelical gospel, and the accompanying politicization of faith. We must come together to care for the poor and needy while reaching the lost with the love of Jesus. We must also transcend politics, guiding both of our political parties to embrace Christian policies.

After the Pope sent a video of reconciliation to Kenneth Copeland in 2014 many national and international church leaders joined together in Christian unity. However, the urgent need to unite the body of Christ now must be communicated from the national leadership of movements and denominations to the local churches. The city fathers must become champions of unity, bringing the body of Christ together to impact their communities.

The prayer of Jesus in John 17 is not only about unity. It is for unity with a purpose,

“So that the world may believe” (John 17:21).

Let us join with Jesus in His prayer for unity on this National Day of Prayer.

The American people are beginning to awaken to the freedom they have given away. It is now clear the FBI, the Justice Department, the IRS and other Government agencies have been persecuting people for their political and religious views. Our courts have trampled on the religious definition of marriage and the so called “Progressives” want to use the power of government to force us to participate in gay marriage. This targeting of “incorrect” viewpoints is not “progressive” at all, as it contradicts our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and in fact regresses us back to the Spirit of the infamous Spanish Inquisition.

The Inquisition was the prototype of totalitarian systems designed to eliminate all belief contrary to the Politically Correct beliefs of the authorities. In the case of the Inquisition, the Politically Correct belief was a form of Roman Catholicism. Later emulators of the Inquisition Spirit tried to force compliance with the French Revolution, Nazism, and Communism. Today the Spirit of Inquisition is rising in places like Venezuela, Turkey, and Russia where Democracies are being converted into authoritarian Governments. And the same trend is beginning to appear in the U.S., where the Politically Correct “Progressive” beliefs in Big Government, sexual “freedom”, and secularism are targeting those who believe in limited Government and who hold Christian views.

The methods of the Inquisition Spirit have varied little down through History. First, the authorities gain control of the Law Enforcement mechanisms of society either directly, as in the case of the Communists, or indirectly, as in the Spanish Inquisition. Secondly, the power of Government is used to find those who may have opposing views. Those who come to the attention of the Government, whether “Guilty” or not, are then made into an example to terrorize the population into compliance. Often the victims of the Inquisition Spirit are not told why they were targeted and, like the Tea Party IRS applicants in 2012, simply left in legal limbo.

Sad to say, in the U.S., with its legacy of freedom, the Inquisition Spirit is growing strong. The current American manifestation began on college campuses, where “Progressives” have ended academic freedom and used the Inquisition Spirit to eliminate all politically incorrect speech, as was evident by riots when Conservatives are invited to be speakers. The media’s longstanding bias against Conservatives is spreading to businesses, as in the case of a man fired by Google for expressing his beliefs. Now people with religious convictions against abortion have been targeted by Obamacare, those who believe in traditional marriage have been forced to participate in gay marriage ceremonies, and schools were told they cannot protect the privacy of their female students. Persecution has come to America.

As intercessors, we must realize that we do not struggle against the individuals, but against the Inquisition Spirit itself. We must pray that the Lord will bless our enemies with the knowledge of the Lord and a desire for freedom. We pray that the Spirit of Inquisition will be turned back in our Government and business, and we pray for a revival of Christianity and freedom on the college campuses where the Inquisition Spirit began.

Above all we pray that America will remain a free country where we can worship God without Government persecution.

This week on April 22, known as Earth Day, we will be once again subjected to claims that global warming will bring catastrophic changes. It is time that we exposed these claims to the sunlight to find out the truth about climate change.

Let’s start with the sun itself, which is the generator of about 500 degrees of “Global Warming”. The sun is a variable star and its increases in energy output correspond to increases in the number of magnetic disturbances called sunspots. During the last half of the 20th century the number of sunspots and sun’s energy output were at their highest levels in 300 years. The corresponding temperature increases brought global temperatures up to levels last seen during the Medieval Warming Period, about 1,000 years ago.

At the beginning of 2017 astronomers issued a warning that solar energy output was decreasing and that we could be facing another “Maunder Minimum.” During the “Maunder Minimum”, from 1645 to 1715, there were very few sunspots and the earth suffered through one of the coldest periods of the global cooling episode from 1315 to 1850 known as the Little Ice Age. The temperature drop during the Maunder Minimum led to shorter growing seasons and freezing of the Thames River and Boston Harbor. At the beginning of the Little Ice Age in 1315, cooler temperatures brought 7 years of flooding and famine as the cooler atmosphere lost water vapor. Global cooling, not global warming, may be the real threat.

While annual weather is subject to large variations, the earthy weather of 2017 seems to have changed following the change in “Solar Weather” (i.e. sunspots). The average global surface temperature dropped almost one degree Fahrenheit in 2017 according to the U.K. Meteorological Department. We have seen record rainfalls, a sign of global cooling, from storms like Harvey, which dumped 4 feet of rain in Southeast Texas, and record flooding in California, France and other places. Record cold snaps hit Singapore, South East Asia, China, and the U.S., with blizzards still occurring in the Great Plains. Artic Sea ice coverage was up 8 percent in 2017 and there was in rise no sea level in 2017.

Atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide, blamed for the global warming probably caused by the sun, are growing at a lower rate since 2002. There is also a very beneficial effect of increased a carbon dioxide on plant growth according to an article the November 12th 2016 Economist Magazine. Since 1982 new green growth, primarily in the far north, has covered an area twice the size of the U.S. Higher levels of carbon dioxide also cause plants to grow up to 40% faster, indicating that the campaign to reduce carbon dioxide could lower food production.

Only God knows how the climate will change, whether by cooling or warming, in the years ahead. Yet in the face of our uncertainty and ignorance of the climate, global warming has almost become a religion for some. And those who stray from climate orthodoxy are turned over to the inquisition-like attacks of the true believers. We need the sunlight to shine on the question of climate change so we can learn the unvarnished truth.

Let us pray that the policies of the climate extremists, who would impoverish millions in the developed world and lock billions into poverty in the underdeveloped world, will be tempered by humility and compassion for the poor. At the same time we pray that God will protect us from the authoritarian government advocates and crony capitalists who use climate change to increase their power and wealth.

As people of prayer we know the Master of the Climate (Psalms 135:7). Let us humble ourselves and seek His face, and ask that He relent from sending climate calamity (Joel 2:13), whether by warming or cooling.

And let us remember on Earth Day that “The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1)