The prayer of faith. James 5:13-20.

We ended our last look at James with James 5:11.

“We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.” (NASB)

Did you get that?

The Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. I suppose much of this mental confusion that I have endured about His nature and character comes from the horrid sermons I have heard over the years. These messages were laden with guilt and implied that you needed to work harder, perhaps even be a missionary and have a spear run through you to prove your worthiness to God.

This kind of works based thinking is what Islam teaches, even to the point that if you get your blood spilled, you can never be sure it is enough blood.

It is head conversations, such as this, that prompt me to think, “and I am the guy that is telling people that Jesus Christ is coming back, and soon.” When I talk with people, you quickly find out that they are not looking for Jesus to return as what they have is good enough. Their lifestyle and traditions make up their comfort zone and frequent visits to some organized church allow them to call themselves Christians, right alongside the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons.

I don’t know which is greater, the desire to tell people that I am looking for His return in September or showing them the details of what the time after the church will be like. I would be hard-pressed to reduce the time after the church to one word, but chaos just about covers it.

Why would I feel comfortable talking about when He might come back?

Because, as Paul states,

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; (5) for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;”
1 Thessalonians 5:4-5 NASB

After Jesus finished speaking to the crowd about the sower and seed, the disciples came to him and asked:

"Why do You speak to them in parables?" (Matthew 13:10b NASB)

It almost comes across as though they understood the parables; I don't think so. Jesus answered them with:

"To you, it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them, it has not been granted. (Matthew 13:11b NASB)

This is not that difficult and the prophet Daniel confirms that God/the Holy Spirit, will give insight to many.

"Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many;...” (Daniel 11:33a. NASB)

The argument that most throw at you, and some will argue that this is a church doctrine set in stone, is Matthew 24:36.

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” (NASB)

In doing this, these antagonists overlook the context, which I will give you here.

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. “Truly, I say to you; this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” (Matthew 24:32-34 NASB)

It is a safe assumption to say that Israel is that fig tree, and its branch can be seen in some major events like the six-day war which occurred in 1967, in which Israel regained the land that God had spoken to them as being theirs, back. Sadly, that didn’t last long, as the United Nations got involved and Israel relinquished some of the captured lands. The Gaza strip is an example. Israel, to some degree, feels that it is successful and secure. In other words, the fig tree has become tender and has put forth its leaves. Having come to realize that this is happening I look to Jesus' words when he told those listening; then, you can know that summer is near. This reference to the end of time has little to do with summer, but summer, for the fig tree, is when you can pick the fruit.

Do you not realize that we, the church, are, in a sense, the fruit?

The gathering of His church then is the picking of the fruit. He next says, “when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” Just looking at Israel alone, puts us in a place where we can look for the door to open and the Father to lean out and call us home for dinner.

Jesus gave us one more huge clue to help us determine where we are in this timeline.

“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

Israel became a nation in 1948; that date alone should be the lower limit of the timeline. A generation in 1948 was 64.6 years. If you wanted to get technical, Jesus made these statements at a time when the average life expectancy was about 35 years. Based upon the more modern sixty-five-year average, then we are seven years beyond Jesus' proclaimed time frame.

• The summer is near;
• He is right at the door,
• and this generation will not pass away.

Folks, we are there.

Considering the persecution that is coming, these words from James should bring you hope.

“You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.”

Since you are now filled with hope and know that God is merciful, then you can take your prayers to Him. And thus, this next section is entitled.

The Prayer of Faith

James 5:13 NASB Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.

Suffering is the Greek word kakopatheō and means to undergo hardship, be afflicted, and endure affliction.

Considering that our churches just recently got shut down again, you might think that many of us are suffering. James tells us, we must pray.

Cheerful means just that, cheerful.

If you are cheerful, then sing!

James 5:14-15 NASB "Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; (15) and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him."

Sick, as used in verse 14, is the Greek word astheneō and means to be weak, feeble, to be without strength, and powerless.

Sound familiar?

There are so many things that can make you feel this way, especially when we, three weeks after reopening our churches, got them shut down again. If that is the way you feel, and many of us do, then call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over you.

“and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick,”

We just covered the word sick in the previous verse, but look up the word sick, as used in James 5:15, and you find the Greek word kamnō, which is means to toil, by implication to tire (figuratively faint, sicken), and be wearied.

With a purposefully created virus, moving our state governors to open and close our churches, beaches, and restaurants, in irregular, indeterminate cycles - causing us to lose our bearings, it is easy to see how we can be tired, sick and weary.

James tells us the prayer of faith will restore not only the sick but also the weary. The NASB conveys the idea that God will raise you up. Let’s consider the word raise for a moment.

Raise is the Greek word egeirō and means the idea of collecting one’s faculties); to waken (transitively or intransitively), that is, rouse (literally from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death.

The idea of collecting one’s faculties makes me think of the boxer who has come close to being knocked out. It takes them several seconds to regain their composure and gather their legs back under them. For some, it is called “regaining your bearings;” for others, it conveys the idea of rousing someone from sleep; and, finally, healing from a disease or death.

You go to the elders and lay your tattered life before them, with the hope of collecting your faculties; doesn’t that imply that you have missed the mark somewhere along the line?

Sorry if I keep repeating specific themes like sin, which is, at the least, nothing more than missing the mark.

Regardless, all of it was paid for at the cross.

If that is true, then why do I need to go to the elders, and confess to them that the world is tearing me up, and I am not sure how much more I can take. Only to have them declare that my sins are forgiven?

This is why James continues with,

James 5:16 NASB "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

Confess. Gr. exomologeō, To confess from the heart, freely, publicly, openly (Thayer)

First off, don’t pour your personal failures out before everyone. Some people are not safe and will spill your information in front of just about anyone; and some of those know full well what they are doing to you. Take some time to find safe people; even then, some people you thought were safe may not be. In that case, you will have to trust the Holy Spirit to lead you to something like Recovery, or a small group where the leader, under guidelines, works to create a safe atmosphere.

Why would you do this confess thing?

For some of us, this missing the mark has become a habit, and not something you think you need to worry about, as you do it so often. Depending on what it is, it can merely be annoying or lead to the destruction of relationships. For others, it can be a step toward imprisonment or death.

The soundness within confessing might be understood aS God giving you a preview of the future and the trouble it holds; that, and a chance to do something about it. Being forgiven does not mean that you continually live your life in a whirlwind and all the destruction that it brings. Confessing puts that “small” thing out in the open and eliminates it from being our secret because our secrets quickly become our prisons. You should know that what you thought was a secret sin is the thing that will get you pulled from power somewhere down the road. If these people you are sharing your small failures with don’t pray with and for you, get away from them. You see, the effective prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much.

It was the words of James that freed me, as one day it occurred to me that this confessing is little more than my admitting my small and big failures, even if it includes the way I recently mishandled my dog.

There are times after I have poured out my heart before the men, that several of them merely sit there staring at me. In my head, I imagine that they do not have a clue as to what I just said since they have never sinned. Now, I know that is not true, and here is why.

James 5:17-18 NASB "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. (18) Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit."

Look up the phrase, “with a nature,” and you get this Greek word homoiopathēs, which means similarly affected or subject to like passions.

What that tells me is that he was capable of sinning, and did so, just as we do. Note how the verse tells us that Elijah prayed earnestly that it would not rain – and the rain stopped for three years and six months. Some preachers will stand before you, and act like this time that Elijah spent in prayer was a consecrated and holy moment; and, that Elijah did this repeatedly in some systematic manner. I don’t know about that, for that inference of a methodical prayer life becomes especially difficult when you are running for your life from the king and his deadly wife, Jezebel.

When you look up the word earnestly, Webster’s dictionary will lead you to the word importunately, which means with urgent request and pressing solicitation. Elijah was trying to affect a turn of this murderous king and his wife, toward God. Even if it stops raining, who knows how long it will take before Ahab and Jezebel respond to God if they ever do. We know they did not. Obviously, the rain did stop, and Elijah sat by what seemed like the only trickle of water in all the land; and, the ravens brought him food because God took care of him.

“he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.”

Elijah killed the 400 priests of Baal, and then, almost as if Ahab had been standing there, says, I hear the sound of the roar of heavy rain. Stop here for a moment.

What King travels without his bodyguards?

I suspect they all do, and having witnessed Elijah hack up Jezebel’s priests, why wouldn’t they, in turn, hack up Elijah? Something we may never know here on earth. So it does not seem logical that Ahab stood quietly by as God sent something that acts like a small nuclear blast, to consume the sacrifice, the rocks, and the water in the trench.

1 Kings 18:42 NASB "So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees."

“So Ahab went up to eat and drink,” as though it was just another day.

Elijah goes to the top of Mt. Carmel, crouches down with his face between his knees, and WHAT?

We are only left to assume he prayed for rain. How and what that prayer looked like is perhaps intentionally left out, and I can see a good reason for that, just as Jesus used a different technique each time He healed someone. The result of this man’s prayer’s, IT RAINED.

So where have we been in the last few minutes?

We opened with, “Is there anyone among you suffering or sick, they should go to the elders, where they will anoint you with oil and pray, and the Lord will raise you up."

But we found something interesting.

Those two simple words, suffering or sick, talk about the person who is struggling, afflicted, undergoing hardships, and doesn’t have the strength to stand on their own. Only because they, like Elijah, have learned through the school of hard knocks how to pray, these elders will take your life before the Father, "and He will raise you up."

And yet there is one more thing that seems unusual: “if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.” Well, of course, he has, we all do, but we confess our sins (one to another,) not because we like embarrassment, but because there is healing and freedom in doing that. Again I tell you, be careful about who you share your sins with because NOT everyone is safe.

James has one more piece of advice.

"My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." (James 5:19-20 NASB)

“If” is a big word, and yet it is a word with hope. I think any of us would rejoice to see even one fellow believer turn back to spiritual maturity. Having been a leader in several recovery groups, there were a couple of men who struggled at the time but still hold tightly to the Lord. Just thinking about them bolsters my heart.

Note how James, reiterates that that one brother who aided in turning back the one who was sinning, saved his soul from death. Here is where it gets complicated for me.

If Jesus could say of the disciples, of all you gave Me I have lost none, and yet we know about Judas Iscariot, then either Jesus lied, or Judas is not lost, or He never had Judas to begin with?

That evokes another question because WE have been given to Him, just as the disciples were, so how can James say we who have turned someone back, will save their soul from death?

That word save is the Greek word sōzō and can also mean to protect.

But for me, there is still that question above.

Soul here is the Greek psuchē. The first thing the Strong’s give us is breath.

We are not talking about something unreal here. We are talking about saving another human being's life. Since they belong to Jesus, then, NO, they are not going to hell, but their potential and usefulness here on earth can be cut short. Perhaps in saving their life, our selflessness allows them to save someone else from death as well, and thereby, our voices and actions exponentially cover a multitude of sins.

Do not complain, brethren, against one another. James 5:9-12.

When we ended our last study on James, we covered James 1-8. Let's look at verses 7 and 8 quickly before we move on. 

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord, is near. (James 5:7-8 NASB)

You may be surprised to know that many farmers have Bachelor's degrees in Science and Horticulture. This means that depending on the crop, they have done their homework and know when the rains should come. Patience, then, for a farmer is a relative term; sure, they understand, almost to the day, given the correct nutrient and water combinations when the crop should be ready to harvest. 

The point James is trying to make is that with the right ingredients, the Lord, too, will come. 

What are those ingredients for the believer? 

Fulfilled prophecies. One of the most prominent prophecies has to do with Israel becoming a nation in a day; this happened in 1948. As a young lady on social media recently said, as she spoke of her end times dream, that generation alive when this event took place will see the coming of the Lord. The young lady also stated that it would be 70 years. My head said, yes, that is true. She seemed to think she found this information in the Psalms. I have been looking and all I can find this evening is this. 

“Scholars dating the Exodus to about 1250 B.C. usually propose that 1Kings 6:1 refers to twelve generations that have passed. (12 generations × 40 years [the symbol of a generation] = 480 years,) however, the actual years elapsed from one generation to the next would be less than 40 years; for example, the actual calendar years between generations—that is from birth to marriage and children—is much less than 40 years, perhaps closer to 25 years or less.” [From the Holman Bible Atlas] 

I tend to have rather black and white thinking, and so when I hear the word generation, as in the example above, I compare it to my father, who, in his own right, is a generation. When he brought me forth –he initiated another generation. He was eighteen when he married my mother, and a year later, I was born. 

Does that make my father's generation 18 years? 

Of course not, for it is the span of his life, and I believe he is 87. If he died today, and he will not, that would make his generation 80+ years. 

Our scholarly example above is referring to the exodus from Egypt. Because these people were so rebellious, God made them wander in that miserable desert for forty years until that generation, that had emerged from Egypt, was dead. There were a few exclusion, such as Moses – although he did not get to go into the promised land because he smote the rock instead of speaking to it. By the way, do you understand the problem with that? He misrepresented God to the people like an angry God.

Joshua and Caleb both got to enter the promised land – but why? Because they had faith. Those two men said, we can do this, while all the others whined about the size of the Caananites, and how they saw us grasshoppers they could step on. That may have been the case, but since they were supposed to be spying, and not making contact I am not sure how they would have come up with that theory.the 

Based on this information, can I say that a generation is forty years? 

It seemed to work for this group, but then, it is evident that their deaths appeared to be mandated; and, they were in a miserable environment that surely took a heavy toll on them. 

So what do we know for sure? 

That a generation is the average age of life (for that period of time.) Does it make sense that in 1948, when Israel became a nation, that the average life span would have been affected by war, and the fact that they were still an agrarian society? Sure it would, but even in 1948, the world was becoming modernized. Science was influencing our lives, and the average age should have been increasing. 

But the key for us is, what does God have to say about it?

Amid a God-hating, pre-flood world; where a generation for humans and Nephilim was an average of 900 years, God stepped in and said that's it, and He reduced the age limit to 120 years  (Genesis 6:3.) Wikipedia tells us that during the days of Jesus, the average life span was 35. Considering the hard, physical labor that most did, this is not surprising.

“So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” (Matthew 24:33-34 KJV)

So when Jesus said this, those that heard could make an immediate assumption that the period of time would cover 35 years. But He was not talking about an event that would happen soon; this was an event that would not come for over 2000 years. 

The average life expectancy in 1948 was 64.6 years for men, and just one year later, it was 65.2 years. 

But what does the Bible say? 

“As for the days of our years, in them are seventy years; and if men should be in strength, eighty years: and the greater part of them would be labor and trouble; for weakness overtakes us, and we shall be chastened.” (Psalms 90:10 Brenton)

There it is, seventy years (70). So the generation, born that year, would be the boundary in terms of length of time.

Are you aware that Israel, the nation, is 72 years old? 

And yet, here we are, sitting on 72 years. 

Do you realize that we are on borrowed time? 

In that borrowed time, end times events have accelerated.

Have you seen any of the social media content that speaks to what "they" have done to force us into a state of compliance in as little as FOUR MONTHS?

For example: 

• In March, we were put on lock-down. You can call it quarantine, but the name alone implies that you have or had an easily spreadable disease, and when this started there was NO workable way of testing you to see if you had the COVID. 
• According to Allen West, in a commentary he wrote for "CNS news," entitled Tyranny, Not COVID-19, Is America's Most Dangerous Virus, We have seen parents being arrested for playing with their children in parks. We have seen people getting citations for driving alone in their cars -- just taking a drive. The real meaning of "lock-down" has become house arrest -- illegally implemented martial law.
• People were allowed to congregate in our streets for the purpose of destruction, with no repercussions, and yet, you can be arrested to going to church or to the beach. If you have ever seen me at the beach, you would know that I don't want you within six feet of our perimeter, especially if you are some runny nose brat, that does nothing but kick sand.

Working on borrowed time, we have seen an acceleration of events that will most certainly lead to a One World Government, like the mandatory chipping of all people. This is a control issue so that a citizen cannot shop or work without this mark. And the worst part of it all, driven by fear, we have given up our freedoms. 

If you know the Lord is near, and it is evident that He is, then, 

“Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.” (James 5:9 NASB)

Many years ago, I heard the Holy Spirit say this to me; I have called you to be a watchman upon the wall. The watchman is supposed to alert those within the walled city, that trouble is coming. The people, on the other hand, should respond appropriately. All I have spoken of is that blaring call, not just of danger, but of the Lord's soon return. 

Immediately, this takes an interesting turn because the Greek word translated as complain has several other meanings: to moan, groan within myself, a deep sigh, murmur, and grief. Many of these terms are the kind of posture that can be associated with complaining; but, they are also terms related to praying in the spirit. 

In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 NASB)

Everything around me seems to cause me to groan within (I just learned that here in So. California, we just canceled the Rose Parade, and this is over and above a new, indefinite Church closure.) If I am being told by James, NOT to sigh deeply, then perhaps God should not have given me breath, as breathing facilitates my ability to groan. 

But James 5:9 gives us a clue, as it tells us that this is, brethren, against each other. 

In my own life, I have "brethren," who recently shunned my wife and me because we refused to wear our masks in church, and we sang. Before the Governor's closure mandate, we, as a church, opted to have our church service in the parking lot. Apparently, you can obtain enough social distance in a parking lot. My wife did what she is accustomed to doing, as she excitedly went around greeting people who have been her friends for over 20 years. That same lady that shunned us on Sunday had denounced my wife for not wearing her mask in the parking lot,  only weeks before. 

In our house, I have a stepdaughter and her family living with us. This same stepdaughter, who hates President Trump, sporadically tries to shame us over our clear statements about how we wear our masks; she is especially vocal toward my wife for not wearing a mask anytime she goes outside. 

Wait a minute, this verse opens with "Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged."

We have seen this before, only there it tells us,

"Do not judge so that you will not be judged." (Matthew 7:1 NASB)

What is different? 

Not that much as Complain is the Greek word stenázō and leans itself toward feeling contracted (as when one is squeezed or pressed by circumstances); to groan or sigh. It is used of persons in distress, who have affliction or grumble from impatience. The word judged, as used in Matthew 7:1, is the same Greek word that James uses, krinō, which means to separate, distinguish, discriminate between good and evil, select, choose out the good. In the NT, it means to judge, to form or give an opinion after separating and considering the particulars of a case. (WSD)

With such an emphasis on not complaining against brethren, you have got to ask why? 

The answer is two-part: 

1. Because we will be judged, now, here on earth, based upon how we judge. The reason I say that is because I have experienced this judgment personally. 
2. The Judge, Jesus, is standing right at the door. Doesn't this imply the Bema seat, and yet, having looked intently at the Bema seat, I found it to apply to rewards, not punishment/judgment.

You can whine all day long about how some of us, have been saying this “ Jesus, is standing right at the door” thing for over two thousand years. Well, contrary to your wishes, it's finally here. The ironic part of this is that most will not affirm that statement. 

Having done all that we can do, such as NOT whining about our brethren who choose to wear face masks 18 hours a day, we can, like the farmer, finally expect to see the harvest. 

Everything necessary has taken place; there is no prophecy left to fulfill, except possibly one, and that would be Luke 21:24b. 

"and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." NASB

As I recently noted, the annexation that Israel intends to do may be the very thing that, for the moment, fulfills this prophetic word, as Israel will technically be in control of the temple mount once again.

I suppose with the COVID 19 lock-downs, you may be at the end of your patience. James continues this theme in verse 10. 

James 5:10 NASB As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Alright then, let's look at these prophets for a moment. 

"The LORD, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them, for he had compassion on his people and his Temple. But the people mocked these messengers of God and despised their words. They scoffed at the prophets until the LORD's anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done." (2 Chronicles 36:15-16 NLT)

Isaiah, the prophet, in Isaiah 39:6-7, was ignored, and earlier in his prophetic career, the Lord asked him to go naked for three years to make a point with Israel (Isaiah 20.) 

Micaiah, the prophet, finally delivered the word that the Lord wanted these two kings to hear, and for his trouble, King Ahab of Israel had Micaiah put in prison until his death. 1 Kings 22.

There were, of course, success stories like Elijah and Samuel, but for the most part, the prophets, much like me, were not accepted. 

Maybe the writer of Hebrews summed it up best. 

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13 NASB)

They still looked for and longed for the day of the Lord's return.

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward." (Hebrews 11:24-26 NASB)

But above all, my brethren. 

James 5:11-12 NASB "We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. (12) But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment."

Our job, if I can call it that, is to wait for the Lord.

He is coming, and this time, it is soon.

So, in the meantime, let your yes be yes, and your no be no.

Be straight with people.

Walk-in love whenever possible.

And practice this, "if the Lord is willing, then this or that will happen." 

The Lord is full of compassion, and He is mercy. Give people a chance, so that you may not fall under judgment, because it is so uncomfortable when it comes.

A Warning to the Rich. James 5:1-8

We ended James chapter four with this:

You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that." As it is, you are full of your grandiose selves. All such vaunting self-importance is evil. In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that, for you, is evil. (James 4:14-17 MSG)

In James 4:14-17, we found the person who had developed the habit of pushing God aside, thinking that they were in control, and doing everything at their whim. Since the acknowledged, right thing to do is to consult with God, then that lack of consultation represents what most translations call sin. Sin, as you will recall, is merely missing the mark, something we all do, all the time, and in a variety of ways.

With that grand opening, we enter into James chapter five, which most translations entitle:

A Warning to the Rich.

I came to terms with destructive patterns, like envy, and jealousy, a long time ago. I had to because I was raised to be envious, and that childhood rearing taught me to hate those who had what I did not. One of the blessed things about this life in Christ is that, much like you find in Recovery, you have to own your lousy feelings and decisions. As a thinking adult, I have had to choose to relish and accept my circumstances as part of my decision-making process.

James 5:1-3 NASB  Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. (2) Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. (3) Your gold and your silver have rusted, and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!

That title is a warning and not simply a dangerous thing coming from someone like me; this has to be from God; and, as such, is quietly taking on a much broader view here lately. Keep in mind that, as far as we know, there was no drive to create a New World Order during James' day. Besides that, James, we assume, was merely writing these words to the Jewish/Christian community, that held tightly to their Jewish customs, and a few laws. But we seem to forget that God destroyed the Tower of Babel, changed their language, and scattered the people. Why? Because, in their own way, they were trying to make a New World Order, and it did not include Jehovah. Things then, are not so different today, are they?

Because of the COVID 19/Chinese flu as my President likes to call it, who have we seen at the forefront of this global pandemic?

Global elitists, gathering under the guise of the Global Economic Fund; the Bilderberg Group; The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and surprisingly, The World Health Organization.

Who can we find at the World Economic Forum meetings?

Around 3,000 participants are drawn from all over the world and from every sphere of influence: business, government, civil society, academia, arts and culture, and media. From January 22 - 25, they will be convening in the snowbound Swiss town of Davos to discuss how to build a better version of globalization.

Or, as I like to call it, a One World Government.

The 2020 itinerary included our own President Donald Trump, which makes me wonder whose side of this insane fence, he is on.

Pastor Danny Jones, of Northlake Baptist Church, in Georgia, put together, in the early days of this COVID quarantine, a timeline that spells out exactly how this global pandemic came to be.

Here is just a little of that timeline.

January 17, 2017 - The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where 3000 of the worlds wealthiest gather every year to figure out how to rule the world. Bill Gates initiated a new working group called CEPI – The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation. CEPI is a collaboration of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Norway, India, Germany, Japan, and two big pharmaceutical companies called Inovio and Moderna. CEPI began working on the next epidemic there in Davos in 2017. Also there at Davos, Bill Gates began working on a Netflix video called “Pandemic.” It was released in November of 2019. The plot of the movie was a Coronavirus that originated in a wet market in China, leaving millions of people dead.

Almost two years later.

October 18, 2019 – There was a pandemic exercise called event 201, at John's Hopkins University. The exercise was conducted by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The World Economic Forum, and Michael Bloomberg's School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University; and yes, that is the same Michael Bloomberg that tried to run against the President. The pandemic simulation predicted that the virus would have the same kill rate as the Spanish flu of 1918, which cause around 55 million deaths worldwide, in an eighteen-month period. It is also good to note that Dr. George F. Gao, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control was involved in the simulation.

October 18-27, 2019 – On the same day, at the same time (as the pandemic exercise event 201, at John's Hopkins University,) the World Military games were being held in, of all places, Wuhan China. 10,000 athletes from 110 countries and the United States delegation was about 300 people.

2 months later.

January 7, 2020 – China reports the CORONA outbreak in Wuhan.

We have now learned, that China NEVER announced the Corona outbreak, this information was all generated by the deep state and leaked for their convenience.

January 21-24, 2020 – The World Economic gathering in Davos, Switzerland. Bill Gates and the CEPI announced a Coronavirus vaccine program, with partnerships including Inovio and Moderna; the United States Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is led by none other than Dr. Thomas Fauci. (Remember, this is Davos, where plans are made.) Dr. Fauci is now the Chief Medical Adviser to President Trump.

Dr. Fauci wrote in March of 2020, in the New England Journal of Medicine, that this Coronavirus was going to be nothing but the seasonal flu. But when he went before America, on camera, he told us that this virus was going to be 10x worse and may kill two million Americans if we do nothing; It may still kill 200 thousand Americans even if we shut down the country and shelter in place. He said, there is NO known vaccine and it's going to take 12 -18 months to get a vaccine ready for trials. Of course, the question is, where did Dr. Fauci get his numbers; where did he get the model that projected that quantity of deaths? It turns out, that information came out of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Nexus and Evaluation, which happens to be funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

We Americans were not even aware of how bad this could be. I remember thinking, good, maybe this will kill all you Chinese, so just keep your lousy virus in China. Little did we know that China, fully aware that their people were contaminated, was putting 8000 infected travelers a day on planes and spreading their love across the globe.

With NO declared pandemic, the US was making preparations for what they knew was coming.

January 24, 2020 – The US House of Representatives began drafting a Corona Virus stimulus bill called the CARES act. So the money we got in April started back in January. So somebody in Washington knew that we were going to need relief.

On the same day.

January 24, 2020 – The US Senate was getting an ultra-secret briefing on this event that was about to get unleashed upon the United States. Senator Kelly Loeffler, all of a sudden, made major changes made to her own investment strategy.

January 30, 2020 – The United Nations World Health Organization officially launches a worldwide public health emergency for what the called a Novel Coronavirus, even though, at that time, there were only 150 declared cases in the world. But they knew it was going to be an emergency. By the way, Novel means newly discovered, never seen before. That means COVID 19 didn't just come crawling out of the woods. That should make you wonder, where did it come from?

January 31, 2020 – President Trump orders a travel ban on anyone traveling from China.

So while we are all distracted by this bogus impeachment trial.

February 4, 2020 – The Centers for Disease Control decided NOT to use the World Health Organizations COVID 19 test kit, as they did not think they were good enough; and they (The CDC) had to come up with their own. So the CDC made their own tests and they were defective; and they had to pull them off the market. CDC got out some new tests by the end of February. But they (the CDC) were backlogged, taking from one to two weeks for people to find out if they had it (COVID 19) or not.

At this point in the video Pastor, Jones talks about his own resume and how he was a pre-med student at the University of North Georgia (North Georgia College.) He continues: “And so I went to the CDC website and looked at those test instructions to see what was involved in a Coronavirus test.” “A positive COVID 19 test, DOES NOT rule out bacterial infections, or, co-infections with other viruses. COVID 19 may NOT be the definite cause of the disease, however, continue to report autopsy cases to the CDC as such.”

February 5, 2020 – President Donald Trump was acquitted on the articles of Impeachment. So we had been watching the news about the impeachment and we knew nothing about this COVID 19 thing that was going on out there in the world.

March 11, 2020 – The World Health Organization officially declared COVID 19 as a global pandemic.

March 14, 2020 – The Associated Press announced that volunteers in Seattle were given the COVID 19 vaccine, that was made by MODERNA, and it was approved by Dr. Fauci of the National Institute of Health. Pastor Jones again interjects: “that is less than two months, and yet Dr. Fauci had earlier said, it would take up to 12 to 18 months to get a vaccine ready for trials, so something is going on there.

March 16, 2020 – President Donald Trump declares a state of emergency for the United States, for COVID 19, and that is when we began the social distancing, standing six feet apart, sitting six feet apart, and no meetings with over ten people.

So, once again, I show you James 5:1.

"Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you."

In light of what these Globalists have done, and want to do, this makes a tremendous amount of sense.

James 5:2 ERV  Your riches will rot and be worth nothing. Your clothes will be eaten by moths.

Riches can also be read as wealth or possessions.

To say that they will all be worth nothing could be indicative of a devastating financial crash, but think about this, they are not trying to crash, and yet they will.

Look at what Peter has to say.

“to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,” (1 Peter 1:4 NASB)

If Peter can speak of an inheritance that cannot fade away, then obviously, the riches of this world, will, at some point, fade away. The Prophet Isaiah also tells us a similar story.

"Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, A people in whose heart is My law; Do not fear the reproach of man, Nor be dismayed at their revilings. "For the moth will eat them like a garment, And the grub will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation to all generations."
(Isaiah 51:7-8 NASB)

When it comes to the word rot, the KJV tells us that their riches are corrupted.

The rich tend to have more than enough so that you or I never witness them wearing something that is corrupted. When we think of or use the terminology that we see in Matthew 7:1,2, why do we NOT comprehend that this applies to everyone?

Matthew 7:1-2 AMP DO NOT judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. (2) For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.

Matthew's gospel tells us that all of the earth's treasures are subject to moth and destruction.

Matthew 6:19-24 NASB "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. (20) "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; (21) for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (22) "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. (23) "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (24) "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee says, “In light of the coming of Christ, they are warned that all the riches of the world will come to naught. This obviously would not impress a godless rich person on that day any more than it would today; however, the rich man knew that the future was uncertain for him, just as many realize that today. There is always a danger of a panic, a crash, a drought, or a depression. That has been the order of the day since men started to mint money.”

James 5:4 NASB Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

It may not be laborers who mowed your fields. Just this morning, my wife pointed out how factory workers, in foreign countries, were putting together expensive tennis shoes for Nike, and paying these laborers $0.20 cents an hour, so that a football player like Colin Kaepernick can take a knee in disrespect for the national anthem and the American flag.

Their crimes, sins, and general abuse of the masses cry out against them.

Haven't you ever wondered, why God comes back with such a vengeance?

James 5:5-6 NASB You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. (6) You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.

“You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.”

There is no doubt in my mind that James is speaking of the time of God's wrath upon the earth. Look at the description of the crowd gathered for battle in Revelation 19:17,18.

Revelation 19:17-18 NASB (17) Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid-heaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God, (18) so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves and small and great."

• Kings
• commanders
• mighty men
• horses, and them that sit on them
• the flesh of all men, both free men, slaves, the small, and the great.

Their end comes rather quickly.

Revelation 19:19-21 NASB (19) And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. (20) And the beast was seized, and with him, the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. (21) And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Although the NASB pushes the next two verses under the title of “Patient in Suffering” these two verses are a continuation of thought.

James 5:7-8 NASB Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it until it gets the early and late rains. (8) You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord, is near.

When James chapter five opens, there is no doubt that these are angry uncomplimentary words being spoken.

“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. (2) Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten.”

And yet, with verses 7,8 James is now trying to comfort who are suffering while they look for the Lord's return. James tells them twice that He is coming, and that He is near. It is obvious that there is a 2000 plus year gap between these words of encouragement and today; and yet, we are implored to wait, just as a farmer waits for their crop. In the meantime, strengthen your hearts.

What does it mean to strengthen your heart?

It means to turn resolutely in a certain direction; confirm. Establish, and set yourselves.

In listening to Pastor JD Farag speak about 2 Thessalonians 2:3, he effectively said, I went back and forth on my understanding of this passage, and attempted, much to my chagrin, both schools of thought. Thankfully, there was a day, with the help of Dr. Andy Woods's book, The Falling Away, that allowed me to settle it. Pastor JD, went on to explain what settling meant to him. It meant, that he came to grips with a firm comprehension and understanding that there was to be a gathering of the church before the Antichrist would come on the scene.

Let me show you a fairly standard reading from the NASB.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 NASB (3) Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

As you can see, there is nothing about this verse that implies a gathering of the church. The other problematic point is that it also says, “and the man of lawlessness is revealed,” This usage of the word “and” could be understood to be an additional requirement. This is where Dr. Woods comes into play, as he did the background work for us, and discovered that original English manuscripts translated the word apostasia into the English word departing. The Catholic church, angered at the large number of people leaving the church, pressured Jerome into transliterating apostasia in apostasy because they wanted to make a statement against the migration to the upstart Protestant church.

So now, let me show you the Geneva bible, a very early translation, which uses the correct translation for apostasia, in this case, to a departing.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Geneva (3) Let no man deceive you by any mean: for that day shall not come, except there come a departing first and that that man of sin be disclosed, even the son of perdition,

I too wanted to have this settled, and yet, even here is that peculiarity that I stumbled at - "and that that man of sin be disclosed.” If I follow the context of the 2 Thessalonians 2, I continue on to verses 5-8, and suddenly there is NO doubt in my mind.

2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 NASB (5) Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? (6) And you know what restrains him now so that in his time he will be revealed. (7) For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. (8) Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;

We are watching the rich of this world at work, trying to gain total control of the populace while reducing the overall quantity of people on the earth. Aside from God's anger at Israel for their rejection, He is also angry at these rich people who are abusing His creation.

James is just one more piece of evidence that He is coming soon.

A call in my Spirit to pray, that, and a word to the servants of the Lord.

Here it is, mid-July 2020, and if I were to try and analyze my emotions over the last few days, I would have to say, I am troubled by what I see coming.

Am I worried?

Not about my relationship with Abba, but I do have concerns about whether the violence we are experiencing will spill over into my home. You see, I have been dealing with rage issues for most of my adult life, and I do not believe that God is calling me to take a sword and cut these people in half. Thankfully I have a deeply inset relationship with Jesus Christ and a wee bit of maturity.

This morning, after hearing about more ugliness, such as New York now subpoenaing people who refuse to comply with the COVID tracers, I felt a tremendous call in my spirit to pray.

This is not just about me praying, but it is an attempt to get this dead entity we call Church to pray. Understand this, we, the church, dead as it is, are the very thing that is holding back this onslaught from going full frontal attack; now that will happen, but NOT on our watch. 

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 NASB (6) And you know what restrains him now so that in his time he will be revealed. (7) For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. (8) Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;

Do you understand what this is saying to you? 

There is a man of lawlessness coming; we like to call him the Antichrist. He has many names scattered throughout the Bible. But lawless is an excellent description; and, he is being restrained or held back, but only until the Church is taken out of the way. 

Does that mean that we, the Church, will not have to suffer in any manner? 

Pansies, Jesus told us that tribulations would be a way of life for Christ-followers. He also said that we would be hated because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Count yourself fortunate that you have been able to live in the United States for the better part of your life, because our brothers and sisters in the Lord, in other parts of the world, get dragged from their churches and shot or get firebombed, among other things. So, no, there is no guarantee of safety and security, especially now that fools are defunding the police.

Consider something, if lawlessness is a demonically driven attribute, is it possible that others could be infested with this demon of lawlessness? 

Look around you; what do you see? 

Lawlessness permeates the very being of those we have entrusted with our money, lives, health, and safety. New York Mayor Bill De Blasio is an excellent example of this lawlessness as shootings have gone up 205% since he defunded the NYPD. The New York City Mayor, while helping to paint the words – black lives matter, on the street, in front of Trump Tower, has canceled all large gatherings in New York City, except for the Marxist BLM group. This is the same organization that wants to dismantle our society.

I might as well throw in my own Governor, Gavin Newsome, into the mix, who, while closing the parks and beaches, is annoying enough, but he crossed the line and the constitution when he closed our churches. Under threat from the President of the United States, he, and other Governors, allowed churches to reopen but then many of these same Governors decided that we can only hum while wearing our masks. This mandate occurred at the same time as bars and Wine tasting rooms were being re-closed. I did not know our self serving Governor owned a wine tasting room. Wouldn't you know it, the county in which his winery sits did not go back on restriction. Many noticed that he snickered when he pointed out in an interview that his winery was still open. I do not know if it was Christians standing against the tyrant, but a substantial crowd went to his winery and protested. Guess what; he shut the doors on his winery.

The morning that I heard this call to pray, the Holy Spirit said to me, amongst other things, tell them that you are to call confusion down upon them.

I run a lot of things through my wife, as I am trying to keep my gifting of rage out of the mix. She responded with, I never thought of that. I decided (as though I have original thoughts) that I would start looking at passages to find the word confusion and see if there was a precedent for its usage against an enemy. I also wanted to know what the effect would be when this was prayed over those who are choosing to riot, loot, and take six city blocks captive.

So I did a search for the word, and here is what I found. 

Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. Psalms 35:4 KJV

Confusion is the Hebrew word châphêr, pronounced khaw-fare' – and means to be: ashamed, disappointed, confounded, brought to confusion.

Confounded is also a great word. It is the Hebrew word bûsh, and much like confusion means to be ashamed, disappointed or delayed.

King David held back very little and said what his heart felt. I suppose that is one of the reasons that God seemed to love this man so much.

So I want you to also note that David wanted this particular enemy also to be put to shame. Strangely, confounded and confused should have covered that, but look the word shame up, and you find this.

Shame is the Hebrew word kâlam and means to wound. It also conveys the idea of taunt or insult, along with meanings comparable to what we see with confusion and confounded.

David was asking God to wound them.

Let them be turned – is the word sûg = to flinch, go back, retreat, or apostatize, go back, turn away, and turn back.

Apostatize is a bit of a church word, but take the religious bent out of it, and it becomes a powerful weapon. APOS'TATIZE, v.i. To abandon one's profession, to forsake principles which one has professed, or the party to which one has been attached.

We see this enemy that David is facing, devising his hurt. 

Devise is H2803 châshab and means to plait or interpenetrate that is, (literally) to weave or (generally) to fabricate; figuratively to plot or contrive. To plait is to braid or weave, and we see these words conveyed in the phrase devise. 

Hurt is the Hebrew word ra. In its purest form, the word means bad, or evil: - The implications of this action against you can lead to your defamation or death. The overall hope of the enemy is that you are destroyed and left ineffective.

Doesn't this imply that this enemy is trying to work their way into your life to convert you or kill you, slowly and intricately?

Peter, on the Day of Pentecost, spoke these words over the crowd of 3000. 

Acts 2:16-18 KJV But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; (17) And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: (18) And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy:

Why would they need to prophesy? 

Prophesy – prophēteuō means to foretell events, to speak under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Why would there be a need to do this, especially since we have the scriptures to tell us, with almost exacting precision, what will happen next? 

The answer is because MOST of you have no clue what is in that stack of Bibles you own.

To make myself clear, my wife got invited to go to a friend's Bible study. The friend rented a room out to a lady that is a proficient bible teacher and a bit of a prophet. The friend, who calls herself a Christian, lives like the devil, has no clue what the bible says, and had the audacity of telling the group how her father came back to her after his death, made her feel all peaceful, and moved some stuff around the room to prove he was there. The Bible teacher told her what I would have; you just told us that demons visited you. She argued for her point of view, even after the Bible teacher left the room.

Let's push this just a little bit further. Remember when Saul ordered all the mediums out of the kingdom and went searching for one himself later. At this point, Samuel, the only man that seemed to hear from God, was dead. Saul convinced the medium to call up Samuel. This was not the typical demonic adventure for the dear lady, as Samuel did come up, and she freaked out. Samuel, on the other hand, angry that he had been awakened, verbally lashed Saul and told him that his kingdom was now permanently stripped from him. [Read the story for yourself in 1 Samuel 28.]

So, the prophet Joel, many years before Jesus' death, declares “on my servants and on my handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.” Well, guess what, you and I, those that follow after Jesus, are his servants and handmaidens. 

That morning that the Holy Spirit said to me, pray confusion over them, He was telling me to prophesy to His people a directive on how to pray. 

Why?

Because it is time to draw up the battle lines. We are not fighting a conventional battle, and we are not doing it with useless, conventional weapons we have had our weapons upgraded thanks to the Holy Spirit, to more powerful spiritual weapons, we call them the Sword of the Spirit. 

(Why would I say that we are not fooling with conventional, useless weapons? Maybe it's because I watched a man in Salt Lake City, get out of his car with a compound bow and a limited amount of arrows. This poor guy made angry motions toward what could be equated to the walking dead, they swarmed him, took his weapons, turned his car over, and burned it.)

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 MKJV  For though walking about in flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. (4) For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, (5) pulling down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ; (6) and having the readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Tell me you caught all that! 

• Yep, we walk about in the flesh, and there should not be a single person denying that fact.
• But we should all understand something about our circumstances; THIS WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME.
• But we cheat because we do not war according to the flesh.

That means these unsuspecting fools will not know what hit them, and there is little to nothing that they can do about it, because Jesus, our intercessor, pleads with the Father on our behalf.

Think of this as though you are about to knock down a hornet's nest. If you have ever done that, then you know that the hornets are going to come after you. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, WE WIN. 

Our weapons are not the kind you are used to; they are not fleshly weapons like knives and guns. They are, however, MIGHTY through God, for the purposes of pulling down strongholds.

Strongholds are the Greek word ochurōma and mean fortifications, a castle, a stronghold.

Since the Jewish council was the direct ruling authority over the Jews, they laid down the law to Peter and John; and in Acts 4:18, the disciples were threatened and commanded never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. Some would tell us that we are to obey the law of the land.

Look at what the disciples said. 

Acts 4:19-20 NASB But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; (20) for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard."

Once again, we have a precedent set in which we are to obey God rather than men. In my case, it's the Governor. 

Do you have the possibility of being put in jail? 

The short answer is yes.

When the disciples were released, they returned to their companions and told them what had happened. Their response – they worshiped God and prayed.

Acts 4:24 NASB And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, "O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM,

The disciples pointed out the situation.

Acts 4:25-28 NASB who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, 'WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE, AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS? (26) 'THE KINGS OF THE EARTH TOOK THEIR STAND, AND THE RULERS WERE GATHERED TOGETHER AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST.' (27) "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, (28) to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.

And then said: 

Acts 4:29-31 NASB "And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, (30) while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." (31) And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

One of our weapons is the Angels. 

AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP; LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END." But to which of the angels has He ever said, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET"? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:12-14 NASB)

So you have the right to dispatch angels against your enemies. Keep in mind, that God, through the action of an angel, killed the firstborn of Egypt in one night. 

Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, and he bowed all the way to the ground. The angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary because your way was contrary to me. "But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live." (Numbers 22:31-33 NASB)

In 2 Samuel 24, we see an angel stretch out his hand, and 70,000 people died. 

Then David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man." So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, "It is enough! Now relax your hand!" And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. (2 Samuel 24:14-16 NASB)

For David's sake, 185,000 were killed by an angel.

'Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, "He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it. "By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,"' declares the LORD. 'For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David's sake.'" Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead. (2 Kings 19:32-35 NASB)

Are you beginning to understand that we have a variety of weapons at our disposal; use them all. 

Prayer, which is you talking to Abba, is priority one.

Acts 12:5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. 

Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 

Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 

Philippians 4:6 NASB Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 

1 Peter 3:12 NASB "For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

It is fascinating how Peter could write these words all those years ago with the same enthusiasm as I feel now. The difference is, the end of the church on the earth is here. 

1 Peter 4:7 NASB The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

Now, more than ever, it is time to stand in the face of the enemy. 

What you pray is not necessarily important; and, I am not trying to tell you how to pray.

If you feel the need to say poetry to God, then you go ahead and do that.

To me, prayer is more of a battle cry, something in which I restore my strength and faith. The idea behind all this is to fuel your fire.

We are not here to bow before an enemy.

In the days of the Philistines, if they took you captive, your male organs were removed, and they lopped off one ear.

This is a battle for our lives and the lives of others.

With that being said, say what you mean and mean what you say. Lives are on the line.

Consider these words: 

Father, the rulers of this world, and the people have gathered together against your people and Christ Jesus. Take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence. 

(More than anything else, at this time, we need strong words based in the Word of God. Contrary to what my mother believed, God is not asking us to just stand there and let the enemy slap our faces, or order us to bow. God never asked any of His people to do that, and I will never ask you to do that. I will tell you that if you choose to fight on their terms, you will die on their terms. Peter tried that trick, and Jesus told him to put his sword away. Those who live by physical weapons will die by physical weapons.)

Father, I ask that you bring confusion upon them and thwart every plan that they endeavor to do. 

Cause their plans to fail. 

Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after our souls: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise our hurt. 

Let our adversaries be clothed with shame, as with a mantle, and wound them.

Father, I ask that the ministering angels not only encamp about your people but go after those that would try to harm us.

Knock their teeth out. 

Bring upon them the plagues of Egypt, and Cause locusts to disrupt their actions by getting in their eyes and mouths. 

Put open sores and boils upon the flesh of those that mean us harm.

Cover them with a veil so that they cannot see and cause them to stumble as though they were in darkness. 

Open the windows of heaven and pour out torrents of rain upon them. Send hail and lightning. 

Cause the earth to open and swallow them. This action is not new to you, and you can do it again.

I pray these things in Jesus' name because you said I could, knowing that Jesus stands on my behalf before you Abba. You are the great God, and I know that you hear me when I call on you, Lord, because I belong to you, and I am calling on you now to save us. Do what you do best and save your people, the church. 

In Jesus precious name.